THE AMBER SPYGLASS-第83章

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le　she　looked　through　it。

he　was　opening　the　door　of　her　house。　he　was　going　inside　it。　he　vanished　from　sight；　although　there　was　a　stir　in　the　dust　he　left　behind；　like　smoke　when　a　hand　is　passed　through　it。　mary　waited　for　an　endless　minute；　and　then　he　appeared　again。

he　stood　in　her　doorway；　looking　around　slowly　from　left　to　right；　and　his　gaze　swept　past　the　tree。

then　he　stepped　off　the　threshold　and　stood　still；　almost　at　a　loss。　mary　was　suddenly　conscious　of　how　exposed　she　was　on　the　bare　hillside；　an　easy　rifle　shot　away；　but　he　was　only　interested　in　the　village；　and

when　another　minute　or　so　had　gone　by；　he　turned　and　walked　quietly　away。

she　watched　every　step　he　took　down　the　river　path；　and　saw　quite　clearly　how　he　stepped　onto　the　birds　back　and　sat　cross…legged　as　it　turned　to　glide　away。　five　minutes　later　they　were　lost　to　sight。

　。。



THIRTY…FIVE　…　OVER　THE　HILLS　AND　FAR　AWAY

　大＿
〃dr。　malone；〃　said　lyra　in　the　morning；　〃will　and　me　have　got　to　look　for　our　daemons。　when　weve　found　them；　well　know　what　to　do。　but　we　cant　be　without　them　for　much　longer。　so　we　just　want　to　go　and　look。〃

〃where　will　you　go？〃　said　mary；　heavy…eyed　and　headachy　after　her　disturbed　night。　she　and　lyra　were　on　the　riverbank；　lyra　to　wash；　and　mary　to　look；　surreptitiously；　for　the　mans　footprints。　so　far　she　hadnt　found　any。

〃dont　know；〃　said　lyra。　〃but　theyre　out　there　somewhere。　as　soon　as　we　came　through　from　the　battle；　they　ran　away　as　if　they　didnt　trust　us　anymore。　cant　say　i　blame　them；　either。　but　we　know　theyre　in　this　world；　and　we　thought　we　saw　them　a　couple　of　times；　so　maybe　we　can　find　them。〃

〃listen；〃　mary　said　reluctantly；　and　told　lyra　about　the　man　shed　seen　the　night　before。

as　she　spoke；　will　came　to　join　them；　and　both　he　and　lyra　listened；　wide…eyed　and　serious。

〃hes　probably　just　a　traveler　and　he　found　a　window　and　wandered　through　from　somewhere　else；〃　lyra　said　when　mary　had　finished。　〃like　wills　father　did。　theres　bound　to　be　all　kinds　of　openings　now。　anyway；　if　he　just　turned　around　and　left；　he　cant　have　meant　to　do　anything　bad；　can　he？〃

〃i　dont　know。　i　didnt　like　it。　and　im　worried　about　you　going　off　on　your　own；　or　i　would　be　if　i　didnt　know　youd　already　done　far　more　dangerous　things　than　that。　oh；　i　dont　know。　but　please　be　careful。　please　look　all　around。　at　least　out　on　the　prairie　you　can　see　someone　ing　from　a　long　way　off。。。〃

〃if　we　do；　we　can　escape　straight　away　into　another　world；　so　he　wont　he　able　to　hurt　us；〃　will　said。

they　were　determined　to　go；　and　mary　was　reluctant　to　argue。

〃at　least；〃　she　said；　〃promise　that　you　wont　go　in　among　the　trees。　if　that　man　is　still　around；　he　might　be　hiding　in　a　wood　or　a　grove　and　you　wouldnt　see　him　in　time　to　escape。〃

〃we　promise；〃　said　lyra。

〃well；　ill　pack　you　some　food　in　case　youre　out　all　day。〃

mary　took　some　flat　bread　and　cheese　and　some　sweet；　thirst…quenching　red　fruits；　wrapped　them　in　a　cloth；　and　tied　a　cord　around　it　for　one　of　them　to　carry　over　a　shoulder。

〃good　hunting；〃　she　said　as　they　left。　〃please　take　care。〃

she　was　still　anxious。　she　stood　watching　them　all　the　way　to　the　foot　of　the　slope。

〃i　wonder　why　shes　so　sad；〃　will　said　as　he　and　lyra　climbed　the　road　up　to　the　ridge。

〃shes　probably　wondering　if　shell　ever　go　home　again；〃　said　lyra。　〃and　if　her　laboratoryll　still　be　hers　when　she　does。　and　maybe　shes　sad　about　the　man　she　was　in　love　with。〃

〃mmm；〃　said　will。　〃dyou　think　well　ever　go　home？〃

〃dunno。　i　dont　suppose　ive　got　a　home　anyway。　they　probably　couldnt　have　me　back　at　jordan　college；　and　i　cant　live　with　the　bears　or　the　witches。　maybe　i　could　live　with　the　gyptians。　i　wouldnt　mind　that；　if　theyd　have　me。〃

〃what　about　lord　asriels　world？　wouldnt　you　want　to　live　there？〃

〃its　going　to　fail；　remember；〃　she　said。

〃why？〃

〃because　of　what　your　fathers　ghost　said；　just　before　we　came　out。　about　daemons；　and　how　they　can　only　live　for　a　long　time　if　they　stay　in　their　own　world。　but　probably　lord　asriel；　i　mean　my　father；

couldnt　have　thought　about　that；　because　no　one　knew　enough　about　other　worlds　when　he　started。。。　all　that；〃　she　said　wonderingly；　〃all　that　bravery　and　skill。。。　all　that；　all　wasted！　all　for　nothing！〃

they　climbed　on；　finding　the　going　easy　on　the　rock　road；　and　when　they　reached　the　top　of　the　ridge；　they　stopped　and　looked　back。

〃will；〃　she　said；　〃supposing　we　dont　find　them？〃

〃im　sure　we　will。　what　im　wondering　is　what　my　daemon　will　be　like。〃

〃you　saw　her。　and　i　picked　her　up；〃　lyra　said；　blushing；　because　of　course　it　was　a　gross　violation　of　manners　to　touch　something　so　private　as　someone　elses　daemon。　it　was　forbidden　not　only　by　politeness；　but　by　something　deeper　than　that；　something　like　shame。　a　quick　glance　at　wills　warm　cheeks　showed　that　he　knew　that　just　as　well　as　she　did。

they　walked　on　side　by　side；　suddenly　shy　with　each　other。　but　will；　not　put　off　by　being　shy；　said；　〃when　does　your　daemon　stop　changing　shape？〃

〃about。。。　i　suppose　about　our　age；　or　a　bit　older。　maybe　more　sometimes。　we　used　to　talk　about　pan　settling；　him　and　me。　we　used　to　wonder　what　hed　be。。。”

〃dont　people　have　any　idea？〃

〃not　when　theyre　young。　as　you　grow　up　you　start　thinking；　well；　they　might　be　this　or　they　might　be　that。。。　and　usually　they　end　up　something　that　fits。　i　mean　something　like　your　real　nature。　like　if　your　daemons　a　dog；　that　means　you　like　doing　what　youre　told；　and　knowing　whos　boss；　and　following　orders；　and　pleasing　people　who　are　in　charge。　a　lot　of　servants　are　people　whose　daemons　are　dogs。　so　it　helps　to　know　what　youre　like　and　to　find　what　youd　be　good　at。　how　do　people　in　your　world　know　what　theyre　like？〃

〃i　dont　know。　i　dont　know　much　about　my　world。　all　i　know　is　keeping　secret　and　quiet　and　hidden；　so　i　dont　know　much　about。。。　grownups；　and　friends。　or　lovers。　i　think　itd　be　difficult　having　a　daemon　because　everybody　would　know　so　much　about　you　just　by　looking。　i　like　to　keep　secret　and　stay　out　of　sight。〃

〃then　maybe　your　daemond　be　an　animal　thats　good　at　hiding。　or　one　of　those　animals　that　looks　like　another；　a　butterfly　that　looks　like　a　wasp；　for　disguise。　they　must　have　creatures　like　that　in　your　world；　because　we　have；　and　were　so　much　alike。〃

they　walked　on　together　in　a　friendly　silence。　all　around　them　the　wide；　clear　morning　lay　limpid　in　the　hollows　and　pearly　blue　in　the　warm　air　above。　as　far　as　the　eye　could　see；　the　great　savanna　rolled；　brown；　gold；　buff…green；　shimmering　toward　the　horizon；　and　empty。　they　might　have　been　the　only　people　in　the　world。

〃but　its　not　empty　really；〃　lyra　said。

〃you　mean　that　man？〃

〃no。　you　know　what　i　mean。〃

〃yes；　i　do。　i　can　see　shadows　in　the　grass。。。　maybe　birds；〃　will　said。

he　was　following　the　little　darting　movements　here　and　there。　he　found　it　easier　to　see　the　shadows　if　he　didnt　look　at　them。　they　were　more　willing　to　show　themselves　to　the　corners　of　his　eye；　and　when　he　said　so　to　lyra；　she　said；　〃its　negative　capability。〃

〃whats　that？〃

〃the　poet　keats　said　it　first。　dr。　malone　knows。　its　how　i　read　the　alethiometer。　its　how　you　use　the　knife；　isnt　it？〃

〃yes；　i　suppose　it　is。　but　i　was　just　thinking　that　they　might　be　the　daemons。〃

〃so　was　i；　but。。。〃

she　put　her　finger　to　her　lips。　he　nodded。

〃look；〃　he　said；　〃theres　one　of　those　fallen　trees。〃

it　was　marys　climbing　tree。　they　went　up　to　it　carefully；　keeping　an　eye　on　the　grove　in　case　another　one　should　fall。　in　the　calm　morning；　with　only　a　faint　breeze　stirring　the　leaves；　it　seemed　impossible　that　a　mighty　thing　like　this　should　ever　topple；　but　here　it　was。

the　vast　trunk；　supported　in　the　grove　by　its　torn…up　roots　and　out　on　the　grass　by　the　mass　of　branches；　was　high　above　their　heads。　some　of　those　branches；　crushed　and　broken；　were　themselves　as　big　around　as　the　biggest　trees　will　had　ever　seen；　the　crown　of　the　tree；　tight…packed　with　boughs　that　still　looked　sturdy；　leaves　that　were　still　green；　towered　like　a　ruined　palace　into　the　mild　air。

suddenly　lyra　gripped　wills　arm。

〃shh；〃　she　whispered。　〃dont　look。　im　sure　theyre　up　there。　i　saw　something　move　and　i　swear　it　was　pan。。。〃

her　hand　was　warm。　he　was　more　aware　of　that　than　of　the　great　mass　of　leaves　and　branches　above　them。　pretending　to　gaze　vacantly　at　the　horizon；　he　let　his　attention　wander　upward　into　the　confused　mass　of　green；　brown；　and　blue；　and　there；　she　was　right！　；　there　was　a　something　that　was　not　the　tree。　and　beside　it；　another。

〃walk　away；〃　will　said　under　his　breath。　〃well　go　somewhere　else　and　see　if　they　follow　us。〃

〃suppose　they　dont。。。　but　yes；　all　right；〃　lyra　whispered　back。

they　pretended　to　look　all　around；　they　set　their　hands　on　one　of　the　branches　resting　on　the　ground；　as　if　they　were　intending　to　climb；　they　pretended　to　change　their　minds；　by　shaking　their　heads　and　walking　away。

〃i　wish　we　could　look　behind；〃　lyra　said　when　they　were　a　few　hundred　yards　away。

〃just　go　on　walking。　they　can　see　us；　and　they　wont　get　lost。　theyll　e　to　us　when　they　want　to。〃

they　stepped　off　the　black　road　and　into　the　knee…high　grass；　swishing　their　legs　through　the　stems；　watching　the　inse