THE AMBER SPYGLASS-第84章

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they　stepped　off　the　black　road　and　into　the　knee…high　grass；　swishing　their　legs　through　the　stems；　watching　the　insects　hovering；　darting；　fluttering；　skimming；　hearing　the　million…voiced　chorus　chirrup　and　scrape。

〃what　are　you　going　to　do；　will？〃　lyra　said　quietly　after　theyd　walked　some　way　in　silence。

〃well；　ive　got　to　go　home；〃　he　said。

she　thought　he　sounded　unsure；　though。　she　hoped　he　sounded　unsure。

〃but　they　might　still　be　after　you；〃　she　said。　〃those　men。〃

〃weve　seen　worse　than　them；　after　all。〃

〃yes；　i　suppose。。。　but　i　wanted　to　show　you　jordan　college；　and　the　fens。　i　wanted　us　to。。。〃

〃yeah；〃　he　said；　〃and　i　wanted。。。　it　would　be　good　to　go　to　cittagazze　again；　even。　it　was　a　beautiful　place；　and　if　the　specters　are　all　gone。。。　but　theres　my　mother。　ive　got　to　go　back　and　look　after　her。　i　just　left　her　with　mrs。　cooper；　and　its　not　fair　on　either　of　them。〃

〃but　its　not　fair　on　you　to　have　to　do　that。〃

〃no；〃　he　said；　〃but　thats　a　different　sort　of　not　fair。　thats　just　like　an　earthquake　or　a　rainstorm。　it　might　not　be　fair；　but　no　ones　to　blame。　but　if　i　just　leave　my　mother　with　an　old　lady　who　isnt　very　well　herself；　then　thats　a　different　kind　of　not　fair。　that　would　be　wrong。　ive　just　got　to　go　home。　but　probably　its　going　to　be　difficult　to　go　back　as　we　were。　probably　the　secrets　out　now。　i　dont　suppose　mrs。　cooper　will　have　been　able　to　look　after　her；　not　if　my　mothers　in　one　of　those　times　when　she　gets　frightened　of　things。　so　shes　probably　had　to　get　help；　and　when　i　go　back；　ill　be　made　to　go　into　some　kind　of　institution。〃

〃no！　like　an　orphanage？〃

〃i　think　thats　what　they　do。　i　just　dont　know。　ill　hate　it。〃

〃you　could　escape　with　the　knife；　will！　you　could　e　to　my　world！〃

〃i　still　belong　there；　where　i　can　be　with　her。　when　im　grown　up　ill　be　able　to　look　after　her　properly；　in　my　own　house。　no　one　can　interfere　then。〃

〃dyou　think　youll　get　married？〃

he　was　quiet　for　a　long　time。　she　knew　he　was　thinking；　though。

〃i　cant　see　that　far　ahead；〃　he　said。　〃it　would　have　to　be　someone　who　understands　about。。。　i　dont　think　theres　any　one　like　that　in　my　world。　would　you　get　married？〃

〃me　too；〃　she　said。　〃not　to　anyone　in　my　world；　i　shouldnt　think。〃

they　walked　on　steadily；　wandering　toward　the　horizon。　they　had　all　the　time　in　the　world：　all　the　time　the　world　had。

after　a　while　lyra　said；　〃you　will　keep　the　knife；　wont　you？　so　you　could　visit　my　world？〃

〃of　course。　i　certainly　wouldnt　give　it　to　anyone　else；　ever。〃

〃dont　look。。。”　she　said；　not　altering　her　pace。　〃there　they　are　again。　on　the　left。〃

〃they　are　following　us；〃　said　will；　delighted。

〃shh！〃

〃i　thought　they　would。　okay；　well　just　pretend　now；　well　just　wander　along　as　if　were　looking　for　them；　and　well　look　in　all　sorts　of　stupid　places。〃

it　became　a　game。　they　found　a　pond　and　searched　among　the　reeds　and　in　the　mud；　saying　loudly　that　the　daemons　were　bound　to　be　shaped　like　frogs　or　water　beetles　or　slugs；　they　peeled　off　the　bark　of　a　long…fallen　tree　at　the　edge　of　a　string…wood　grove；　pretending　to　have　seen　the　two　daemons　creeping　underneath　it　in　the　form　of　earwigs；　lyra　made　a　great　fuss　of　an　ant　she　claimed　to　have　trodden　on；　sympathizing　with　its　bruises；　saying　its　face　was　just　like　pans；　asking　in　mock　sorrow　why　it　was　refusing　to　speak　to　her。

but　when　she　thought　they　were　genuinely　out　of　earshot；　she　said　earnestly　to　will；　leaning　close　to　speak　quietly：

〃we　had　to　leave　them；　didnt　we？　we　didnt　have　a　choice　really？〃

〃yes；　we　had　to。　it　was　worse　for　you　than　for　me；　but　we　didnt　have　any　choice　at　all。　because　you　made　a　promise　to　roger；　and　you　had　to　keep　it。〃

〃and　you　had　to　speak　to　your　father　again。。。〃

〃and　we　had　to　let　them　all　out。〃

〃yes；　we　did。　im　so　glad　we　did。　pan　will　be　glad　one　day；　too；　when　i　die。　we　wont　be　split　up。　it　was　a　good　thing　we　did。〃

as　the　sun　rose　higher　in　the　sky　and　the　air　became　warmer；　they　began　to　look　for　shade。　toward　noon　they　found　themselves　on　the　slope　rising　toward　the　summit　of　a　ridge；　and　when　theyd　reached　it；　lyra　flopped　down　on　the　grass　and　said；　〃well！　if　we　dont　find　somewhere　shady　soon。。。〃

there　was　a　valley　leading　down　on　the　other　side；　and　it　was　thick　with　bushes；　so　they　guessed　there　might　be　a　stream　as　well。　they　traversed　the　slope　of　the　ridge　till　it　dipped　into　the　head　of　the　valley；　and　there；　sure　enough；　among　ferns　and　reeds；　a　spring　bubbled　out　of　the　rock。

they　dipped　their　hot　faces　in　the　water　and　swallowed　gratefully；　and　then　they　followed　the　stream　downward；　seeing　it　gather　in　miniature　whirlpools　and　pour　over　tiny　ledges　of　stone；　and　all　the　time　get　fuller　and　wider。

〃how　does　it　do　that？〃　lyra　marveled。　〃theres　no　more　water　ing　into　it　from　anywhere　else；　but　theres　so　much　more　of　it　here　than　up　there。〃

will；　watching　the　shadows　out　of　the　corner　of　his　eye；　saw　them　slip　ahead；　leaping　over　the　ferns　to　disappear　into　the　bushes　farther　down。　he　pointed　silently。

〃it　just　goes　slower；〃　he　said。　〃it　doesnt　flow　as　fast　as　the　spring　es　out；　so　it　gathers　in　these　pools。。。　theyve　gone　in　there；〃　he　whispered；　indicating　a　little　group　of　trees　at　the　foot　of　the　slope。

they　looked　at　each　other；　a　curiously　formal　and　serious　look；　before　setting　off　to　follow　the　stream。　the　undergrowth　got　thicker　as　they　went　down　the　valley；　the　stream　went　into　tunnels　of　green　and　emerged　in　dappled　clearings；　only　to　tumble　over　a　lip　of　stone　and　bury　itself　in　the　green　again；　and　they　had　to　follow　it　as　much　by　hearing　as　by　sight。

at　the　foot　of　the　hill；　it　ran　into　the　little　wood　of　silver…barked　trees。

father　gomez　watched　from　the　top　of　the　ridge。　it　hadnt　been　hard　to　follow　them；　despite　marys　confidence　in　the　open　savanna；　there　was　plenty　of　concealment　in　the　grass　and　the　occasional　thickets　of　string…wood　and　sap…lacquer　bushes。　the　two　young　people　had　spent　a　lot　of　time　earlier　looking　all　around　as　if　they　thought　they　were　being　followed。　he　had　had　to　keep　some　distance　away；　but　as　the　morning　passed；　they　became　more　and　more　absorbed　in　each　other　and　paid　less　attention　to　the　landscape。

the　one　thing　he　didnt　want　to　do　was　hurt　the　boy。　he　had　a　horror　of　harming　an　innocent　person。　the　only　way　to　make　sure　of　his　target　was　to　get　close　enough　to　see　her　clearly；　which　meant　following　them　into　the　wood。

quietly　and　cautiously　he　moved　down　the　course　of　the　stream。　his　daemon　the　green…backed　beetle　flew　overhead；　tasting　the　air；　her　eyesight　was　less　good　than　his；　but　her　sense　of　smell　was　acute；　and　she　caught　the　scent　of　the　young　peoples　flesh　very　clearly。　she　would　go　a　little　ahead；　perch　on　a　stem　of　grass；　and　wait　for　him；　then　move　on　again；　and　as　she　caught　the　trail　in　the　air　that　their　bodies　left　behind；　father　gomez　found　himself　praising　god　for　his　mission；　because　it　was　clearer　than　ever　that　the　boy　and　the　girl　were　walking　into　mortal　sin。

he　watched　them　go　in　among　the　trees。　they　hadnt　looked　back　once　since　ing　over　the　top　of　the　ridge；　but　he　still　kept　low；　moving　down　the　stream　at　a　crouch；　holding　the　rifle　in　one　hand；　balancing　with　the　other。

he　was　so　close　to　success　now　that　for　the　first　time　he　found　himself　speculating　on　what　he　would　do　afterward；　and　whether　he　would　please　the　kingdom　of　heaven　more　by　going　back　to　geneva　or　staying　to　evangelize　this　world。　the　first　thing　to　do　here　would　be　to　convince　the　four…legged　creatures；　who　seemed　to　have　the　rudiments　of　reason；　that　their　habit　of　riding　on　wheels　was　abominable　and　satanic；　and　contrary　to　the　will　of　god。　break　them　of　that；　and　salvation　would　follow。

he　reached　the　foot　of　the　slope；　where　the　trees　began；　and　laid　the　rifle　down　silently。

he　gazed　into　the　silver…green…gold　shadows；　and　listened；　with　both　hands　behind　his　ears　to　catch　and　focus　any　quiet　voices　through　the　insect　chirping　and　the　trickle　of　the　stream。　yes：　there　they　were。　theyd　stopped。

he　bent　to　pick　up　the　rifle…

and　found　himself　uttering　a　hoarse　and　breathless　gasp；　as　something　clutched　his　daemon　and　pulled　her　away　from　him。

but　there　was　nothing　there！　where　was　she？　the　pain　was　atrocious。　he　heard　her　crying；　and　cast　about　wildly　to　left　and　right；　looking　for　her。

〃keep　still；〃　said　a　voice　from　the　air；　〃and　be　quiet。　i　have　your　daemon　in　my　hand。〃

〃but；　where　are　you？　who　are　you？〃

〃my　name　is　balthamos；〃　said　the　voice。

will　and　lyra　followed　the　stream　into　the　wood；　walking　carefully；　saying　little；　until　they　were　in　the　very　center。

there　was　a　little　clearing　in　the　middle　of　the　grove；　which　was　floored　with　soft　grass　and　moss…covered　rocks。　the　branches　laced　across　overhead；　almost　shutting　out　the　sky　and　letting　through　little　moving　spangles　and　sequins　of　sunlight；　so　that　everything　was　dappled　with　gold　and　silver。

and　it　was　quiet。　only　the　trickle　of　the　stream；　and　the　occasional　rustle　of　leaves　high　up　in　a　little　curl　of　breeze；　broke　the　silence。

will　put　down　the　package　of　food；　lyra　put　down　her　little　rucksack。　there　was　no　sign　of　the　daemon　shadows　anywhere。　they　were　pletely　alone。

they　took　off　thei