THE AMBER SPYGLASS-第8章

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ing　stiff　in　the　shadow。

he　was　a　body　still；　and　not　a　skeleton；　because　the　witch　had　laid　a　spell　to　preserve　him　from　corruption。　iorek　could　see　the　face　of　his　old　rade　drawn　and　tight　with　the　pain　of　his　wounds；　and　see　the　jagged　holes　in　his　garments　where　the　bullets　had　entered。　the　witchs　spell　did　not　cover　the　blood　that　must　have　spilled；　and　insects　and　the　sun　and　the　wind　had　dispersed　it　pletely。　lee　scoresby　looked　not　asleep；　nor　at　peace；　he　looked　as　if　he　had　died　in　battle；　but　he　looked　as　if　he　knew　that　his　fight　had　been　successful。

and　because　the　texan　aeronaut　was　one　of　the　very　few　humans　iorek　had　ever　esteemed；　he　accepted　the　mans　last　gift　to　him。　with　deft　movements　of　his　claws；　he　ripped　aside　the　dead　mans　clothes；　opened　the　body　with　one　slash；　and　began　to　feast　on　the　flesh　and　blood　of　his　old　friend。　it　was　his　first　meal　for　days；　and　he　was　hungry。

but　a　plex　web　of　thoughts　was　weaving　itself　in　the　bear…kings　mind；　with　more　strands　in　it　than　hunger　and　satisfaction。　there　was　the　memory　of　the　little　girl　lyra；　whom　he　had　named　silvertongue；　and　whom　he　had　last　seen　crossing　the　fragile　snow　bridge　across　a　crevasse　in　his　own　island　of　svalbard。　then　there　was　the　agitation　among　the　witches；　the　rumors　of　pacts　and　alliances　and　war；　and　then　there　was　the　surpassingly　strange　fact　of　this　new　world　itself；　and　the　witchs　insistence　that　there　were　many　more　such　worlds；　and　that　the　fate　of　them　all　hung　somehow　on　the　fate　of　the　child。

and　then　there　was　the　melting　of　the　ice。　he　and　his　people　lived　on　the　ice；　ice　was　their　home；　ice　was　their　citadel。　since　the　vast　disturbances　in　the　arctic；　the　ice　had　begun　to　disappear；　and　iorek　knew　that　he　had　to　find　an　icebound　fastness　for　his　kin；　or　they　would　perish。　lee　had　told　him　　　that　there　were　mountains　in　the　south　so　high　that　even　his　balloon　could　not　fly　over　them；　and　they　were　crowned　with　　　snow　and　ice　all　year　round。　exploring　those　mountains　was　j　his　next　task。

but　for　now；　something　simpler　possessed　his　heart；　something　bright　and　hard　and　unshakable：　vengeance。

scoresby；　who　had　rescued　iorek　from　danger　in　his　balloon　and　fought　beside　him　in　the　arctic　of　his　own　world；　had　died。　iorek　would　avenge　him。　the　good　mans　flesh　and　bone　would　both　nourish　him　and　keep　him　restless　until　blood　was　spilled　enough　to　still　his　heart。

the　sun　was　setting　as　iorek　finished　his　meal；　and　the　air　was　cooling　down。　after　gathering　the　remaining　fragments　of　lees　body　into　a　single　heap；　the　bear　lifted　the　flower　in　his　mouth　and　dropped　it　in　the　center　of　them；　as　humans　liked　to　do。　the　witchs　spell　was　broken　now；　the　rest　of　the　body　was　free　to　all　who　came。　soon　it　would　be　nourishing　a　dozen　different　kinds　of　life。

then　iorek　set　off　down　the　slope　toward　the　sea　again；　toward　the　south。

cliff…ghasts　were　fond　of　fox；　when　they　could　get　it。　the　little　creatures　were　cunning　and　hard　to　catch；　but　their　meat　was　tender　and　rank。

before　he　killed　this　one；　the　cliff…ghast　let　it　talk；　and　laughed　at　its　silly　babble。

〃bear　must　go　south！　swear！　witch　is　troubled！　true！　swear！　promise！〃

〃bears　dont　go　south；　lying　filth！〃

〃true！　king　bear　must　go　south！　show　you　walrus；　fine　fat　good。。。”

〃king　bear　go　south？〃

〃and　flying　things　got　treasure！　flying　things；　angels；　crystal　treasure！〃

〃flying　things；　like　cliff…ghasts？　treasure？〃

〃like　light；　not　like　cliff…ghast。　rich！　crystal！　and　witch　troubled；　witch　sorry；　scoresby　dead。。。”

〃dead？　balloon　man　dead？〃　the　cliff…ghasts　laugh　echoed　around　the　dry　cliffs。

〃witch　kill　him；　scoresby　dead；　king　bear　go　south。。。”　〃scoresby　dead！　ha；　ha；　scoresby　dead！〃　the　cliff…ghast　wrenched　off　the　foxs　head；　and　fought　his　brothers　for　the　entrails。

—

they　will　e；　they　will。〃

〃but　where　are　you；　lyra？〃

and　that　she　couldnt　answer。　〃i　think　im　dreaming；　roger；〃　was　all　she　could　find　to　say。

behind　the　little　boy　she　could　see　more　ghosts；　dozens；　hundreds；　their　heads　crowded　together；　peering　close　and　listening　to　every　word。

〃and　that　woman？〃　said　roger。　〃i　hope　she　ent　dead。　i　hope　she　stays　alive　as　long　as　ever　she　can。　because　if　she　es　down　here；　then　therell　be　nowhere　to　hide；　shell　have　us　forever　then。　thats　the　only　good　thing　i　can　see　about　being　dead；　that　she　ent。　except　i　know　she　will　be　one　day…　〃

lyra　was　alarmed。

〃i　think　im　dreaming；　and　i　dont　know　where　she　is。〃　she　said。

。。



FOUR　…　AMA　AND　THE　BATS

。小［说网｝
ama；　the　herdsmans　daughter；　carried　the　image　of　the　sleeping　girl　in　her　memory：　she　could　not　stop　thinking　about　her。　she　didnt　question　for　a　moment　the　truth　of　what　mrs。　coulter　had　told　her。　sorcerers　existed；　beyond　a　doubt；　and　it　was　only　too　likely　that　they　would　cast　sleeping　spells；　and　that　a　mother　would　care　for　her　daughter　in　that　fierce　and　tender　way。　ama　conceived　an　admiration　amounting　almost　to　worship　for　the　beautiful　woman　in　the　cave　and　her　enchanted　daughter。

she　went　as　often　as　she　could　to　the　little　valley；　to　run　errands　for　the　woman　or　simply　to　chatter　and　listen；　for　the　woman　had　wonderful　tales　to　tell。　again　and　again　she　hoped　for　a　glimpse　of　the　sleeper；　but　it　had　only　happened　once；　and；　she　accepted　that　it　would　probably　never　be　allowed　again。

and　during　the　time　she　spent　milking　the　sheep；　or　carding　and　spinning　their　wool；　or　grinding　barley　to　make　bread；　she　thought　incessantly　about　the　spell　that　must　have　been　cast；　and　about　why　it　had　happened。　mrs。　coulter　had　never　told　her；　so　ama　was　free　to　imagine。

one　day　she　took　some　flat　bread　sweetened　with　honey；　walked　the　three…hour　journey　along　the　trail　to　cho…lung　se；　where　there　was　a　monastery。　by　wheedling　and　patience　and　by　bribing　the　porter　with　some　of　the　honey　bread；　managed　to　gain　an　audience　with　the　great　healer　pagdzin　tulku；　who　had　cured　an　outbreak　of　the　white　fever　only　the　year　before；　and　who　was　immensely　wise。

ama　entered　the　great　mans　cell；　bowing　very　low　and　offering　her　remaining　honey　bread　with　all　the　humility　she　could　muster。　the　monks　bat　daemon　swooped　and　darted　around　her；　frightening　her　own　daemon；　kulang；　who　crept　into　her　hair　to　hide；　but　ama　tried　to　remain　still　and　silent　until　pagdzin　tulku　spoke。

〃yes；　child？　be　quick；　be　quick；〃　he　said；　his　long　gray　beard　wagging　with　every　word。

in　the　dimness　the　beard　and　his　brilliant　eyes　were　most　of　what　she　could　see　of　him。　his　daemon　settled　on　the　beam　above　him；　hanging　still　at　last；　so　she　said；　〃please；　pagdzin　tulku；　i　want　to　gain　wisdom。　i　would　like　to　know　how　to　make　spells　and　enchantments。　can　you　teach　me？〃

〃no；〃　he　said。

she　was　expecting　that。　〃well；　could　you　tell　me　just　one　remedy？〃　she　asked　humbly。

〃maybe。　but　i　wont　tell　you　what　it　is。　i　can　give　you　the　medicine；　not　tell　you　the　secret。〃

〃all　right；　thank　you；　that　is　a　great　blessing；〃　she　said；　bowing　several　times。

〃what　is　the　disease；　and　who　has　it？〃　the　old　man　said。

〃its　a　sleeping　sickness；〃　ama　explained。　〃its　e　upon　the　son　of　my　fathers　cousin。〃

she　was　being　extra　clever；　she　knew；　changing　the　sex　of　the　sufferer；　just　in　case　the　healer　had　heard　of　the　woman　in　the　cave。

〃and　how　old　is　this　boy？〃

〃three　years　older　than　me；　pagdzin　tulku；〃　she　guessed；　〃so　he　is　twelve　years　old。　he　sleeps　and　sleeps　and　cant　wake　up。〃

〃why　havent　his　parents　e　to　me？　why　did　they　send　you？〃

〃because　they　live　far　on　the　other　side　of　my　village　and　they　are　very　poor；　pagdzin　tulku。　i　only　heard　of　my　kinsmans　illness　yesterday　and　i　came　at　once　to　seek　your　advice。〃

〃i　should　see　the　patient　and　examine　him　thoroughly；　and　inquire　into　the　positions　of　the　planets　at　the　hour　when　he　fell　asleep。　these　things　cant　be　done　in　a　hurry。〃

〃is　there　no　medicine　you　can　give　me　to　take　back？〃

the　bat　daemon　fell　off　her　beam　and　fluttered　blackly　aside　before　she　hit　the　floor；　darting　silently　across　the　room　again　and　again；　too　quickly　for　ama　to　follow；　but　the　bright　eyes　of　the　healer　saw　exactly　where　she　went；　and　when　she　had　hung　once　more　upside　down　on　her　beam　and　folded　her　dark　wings　around　herself；　the　old　man　got　up　and　moved　around　from　shelf　to　shelf　and　jar　to　jar　and　box　to　box；　here　tapping　out　a　spoonful　of　powder；　there　adding　a　pinch　of　herbs；　in　the　order　in　which　the　daemon　had　visited　them。

he　tipped　all　the　ingredients　into　a　mortar　and　ground　them　up　together；　muttering　a　spell　as　he　did　so。　then　he　tapped　the　pestle　on　the　ringing　edge　of　the　mortar；　dislodging　the　final　grains；　and　took　a　brush　and　ink　and　wrote　some　characters　on　a　sheet　of　paper。　when　the　ink　had　dried；　he　tipped　all　the　powder　onto　the　inscription　and　folded　the　paper　swiftly　into　a　little　square　package。

〃let　them　brush　this　powder　into　the　nostrils　of　the　sleeping　child　a　little　at　a　time　as　he　breathes　in；〃　he　told　her；　〃and　he　will　wake　up。　it　has　to　be　done　with　great　caution。　too　much　at　once　and　he　will　choke。　use　the　softest　of　brushes。〃

〃thank　you；　pagdzin　tulku〃　said　ama；　taking　the　package　and　placing　it　in　the　pocket　of　her　innermost　shirt。　〃i　wish　i　had　another　honey　bread　to　give　you。〃