THE AMBER SPYGLASS-第85章

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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　their　shoes　and　socks　and　sat　down　on　the　mossy　rocks　at　the　edge　of　the　stream；　dipping　their　feet　in　the　cold　water　and　feeling　the　shock　of　it　invigorate　their　blood。

〃im　hungry；〃　will　said。

〃me　too；〃　said　lyra；　though　she　was　also　feeling　more　than　that；　something　subdued　and　pressing　and　half…happy　and　half…painful；　so　that　she　wasnt　quite　sure　what　it　was。

they　unfolded　the　cloth　and　ate　some　bread　and　cheese。　for　some　reason　their　hands　were　slow　and　clumsy；　and　they　hardly　tasted　the　food；　although　the　bread　was　floury　and　crisp　from　the　hot　baking…stones；　and　the　cheese　was　flaky　and　salty　and　very　fresh。

then　lyra　took　one　of　those　little　red　fruits。　with　a　fast…beating　heart；　she　turned　to　him　and　said；　〃will。。。〃

and　she　lifted　the　fruit　gently　to　his　mouth。

she　could　see　from　his　eyes　that　he　knew　at　once　what　she　meant；　and　that　he　was　too　joyful　to　speak。　her　fingers　were　still　at　his　lips；　and　he　felt　them　tremble；　and　he　put　his　own　hand　up　to　hold　hers　there；　and　then　neither　of　them　could　look；　they　were　confused；　they　were　brimming　with　happiness。

like　two　moths　clumsily　bumping　together；　with　no　more　weight　than　that；　their　lips　touched。　then　before　they　knew　how　it　happened；　they　were　clinging　together；　blindly　pressing　their　faces　toward　each　other。

〃like　mary　said；〃　he　whispered；　〃you　know　straight　away　when　you　like　someone；　when　you　were　asleep；　on　the　mountain；　before　she　took　you　away；　i　told　pan。。。”

〃i　heard；〃　she　whispered；　〃i　was　awake　and　i　wanted　to　tell　you　the　same　and　now　i　know　what　i　must　have　felt　all　the　time：　i　love　you；　will；　i　love　you。。。”

the　word　love　set　his　nerves　ablaze。　all　his　body　thrilled　with　it；　and　he　answered　her　in　the　same　words；　kissing　her　hot　face　over　and　over　again；　drinking　in　with　adoration　the　scent　of　her　body　and　her　warm；　honey…fragrant　hair　and　her　sweet；　moist　mouth　that　tasted　of　the　little　red　fruit。

around　them　there　was　nothing　but　silence；　as　if　all　the　world　were　holding　its　breath。

balthamos　was　terrified。

he　moved　up　the　stream　and　away　from　the　wood；　holding　the　scratching；　stinging；　biting　insect　daemon；　and　trying　to　conceal　himself　as　much　as　he　could　from　the　man　who　was　stumbling　after　them。

he　mustnt　let　him　catch　up。　he　knew　that　father　gomez　would　kill　him　in　a　moment。　an　angel　of　his　rank　was　no　match　for　a　man；　even　if　that　angel　was　strong　and　healthy；　and　balthamos　was　neither　of　those；　besides　which；　he　was　crippled　by　grief　over　baruch　and　shame　at　having　deserted　will　before。　he　no　longer　even　had　the　strength　to　fly。

〃stop；　stop；〃　said　father　gomez。　〃please　keep　still。　i　cant　see　you；　lets　talk；　please；　dont　hurt　my　daemon；　i　beg　you。。。”

in　fact；　the　daemon　was　hurting　balthamos。　the　angel　could　see　the　little　green　thing　dimly　through　the　backs　of　his　clasped　hands；　and　she　was　sinking　her　powerful　jaws　again　and　again　into　his　palms。　if　he　opened　his　hands　just　for　a　moment；　she　would　be　gone。　balthamos　kept　them　closed。

〃this　way；〃　he　said；　〃follow　me。　e　away　from　the　wood。　i　want　to　talk　to　you；　and　this　is　the　wrong　place。〃

〃but　who　are　you？　i　cant　see　you。　e　closer；　how　can　i　tell　what　you　are　till　i　see　you？　keep　still；　dont　move　so　quickly！〃

but　moving　quickly　was　the　only　defense　balthamos　had。　trying　to　ignore　the　stinging　daemon；　he　picked　his　way　up　the　little　gully　where　the　stream　ran；　stepping　from　rock　to　rock。

then　he　made　a　mistake：　trying　to　look　behind　him；　he　slipped　and　put　a　foot　into　the　water。

〃ah；〃　came　a　whisper　of　satisfaction　as　father　gomez　saw　the　splash。

balthamos　withdrew　his　foot　at　once　and　hurried　on；　but　now　a　wet　print　appeared　on　the　dry　rocks　each　time　he　put　his　foot　down。　the　priest　saw　it　and　leapt　forward；　and　felt　the　brush　of　feathers　on　his　hand。

he　stopped　in　astonishment：　the　word　angel　reverberated　in　his　mind。　balthamos　seized　the　moment　to　stumble　forward　again；　and　the　priest　felt　himself　dragged　after　him　as　another　brutal　pang　wrenched　his　heart。

balthamos　said　over　his　shoulder；　〃a　little　farther；　just　to　the　top　of　the　ridge；　and　we　shall　talk；　i　promise。〃

〃talk　here！　stop　where　you　are；　and　i　swear　i　shant　touch　you！〃

the　angel　didnt　reply：　it　was　too　hard　to　concentrate。　he　had　to　split　his　attention　three　ways：　behind　him　to　avoid　the　man；　ahead　to　see　where　he　was　going；　and　on　the　furious　daemon　tormenting　his　hands。

as　for　the　priest；　his　mind　was　working　quickly。　a　truly　dangerous　opponent　would　have　killed　his　daemon　at　once；　and　ended　the　matter　there　and　then；　this　antagonist　was　afraid　to　strike。

with　that　in　mind　he　let　himself　stumble；　and　uttered　little　moans　of　pain；　and　pleaded　once　or　twice　for　the　other　to　stop；　all　the　time　watching　closely；　moving　nearer；　estimating　how　big　the　other　was；　how　quickly　he　could　move；　which　way　he　was　looking。

〃please；〃　he　said　brokenly；　〃you　dont　know　how　much　this　hurts；　i　cant　do　you　any　harm；　please　can　we　stop　and　talk？〃

he　didnt　want　to　move　out　of　sight　of　the　wood。　they　were　now　at　the　point　where　the　stream　began；　and　he　could　see　the　shape　of　balthamoss　feet　very　lightly　pressing　the　grass。　the　priest　had　watched　every　inch　of　the　way；　and　he　was　sure　now　where　the　angel　was　standing。

balthamos　turned　around。　the　priest　raised　his　eyes　to　the　place　where　he　thought　the　angels　face　would　be；　and　saw　him　for　the　first　time：　just　a　shimmer　in　the　air；　but　there　was　no　mistaking　it。

the　angel　wasnt　quite　close　enough　to　reach　in　one　movement；　though；　and　in　truth　the　pull　on　his　daemon　had　been　painful　and　weakening。　maybe　he　should　take　another　step　or　two。。。

〃sit　down；〃　said　balthamos。　〃sit　down　where　you　are。　not　a　step　closer。〃

〃what　do　you　want？〃　said　father　gomez；　not　moving。

〃what　do　i　want？　i　want　to　kill　you；　but　i　havent　got　the　strength。〃

〃but　are　you　an　angel？〃

〃what　does　it　matter？〃

〃you　might　have　made　a　mistake。　we　might　be　on　the　same　side。〃

〃no；　were　not。　i　have　been　following　you。　i　know　whose　side　youre　on；　no；　no；　dont　move。　stay　there。〃

〃its　not　too　late　to　repent。　even　angels　are　allowed　to　do　that。　let　me　hear　your　confession。〃

〃oh；　baruch；　help　me！〃　cried　balthamos　in　despair；　turning　away。

and　as　he　cried　out；　father　gomez　leapt　for　him。　his　shoulder　hit　the　angels；　and　knocked　balthamos　off　balance；　and　in　throwing　out　a　hand　to　save　himself；　the　angel　let　go　of　the　insect　daemon。　the　beetle　flew　free　at　once；　and　father　gomez　felt　a　surge　of　relief　and　strength。　in　fact；　it　was　that　which　killed　him；　to　his　great　surprise。　he　hurled　himself　so　hard　at　the　faint　form　of　the　angel；　and　he　expected　so　much　more　resistance　than　he　met；　that　he　couldnt　keep　his　balance。　his　foot　slipped；　his　momentum　carried　him　down　toward　the　stream；　and　；　balthamos；　thinking　of　what　baruch　would　have　done；　kicked　aside　the　priests　hand　as　he　flung　it　out　for　support。

father　gomez　fell　hard。　his　head　cracked　against　a　stone；　and　he　fell　stunned　with　his　face　in　the　water。　the　cold　shock　woke　him　at　once；　but　as　he　choked　and　feebly　tried　to　rise；　balthamos；　desperate；　ignored　the　daemon　stinging　his　face　and　his　eyes　and　his　mouth；　and　used　all　the　little　weight　he　had　to　hold　the　mans　head　down　in　the　water；　and　he　kept　it　there；　and　kept　it　there；　and　kept　it　there。

when　the　daemon　suddenly　vanished；　balthamos　let　go。　the　man　was　dead。　as　soon　as　he　was　sure；　balthamos　hauled　the　body　out　of　the　stream　and　laid　it　carefully　on　the　grass；　folding　the　priests　hands　over　his　breast　and　closing　his　eyes。

then　balthamos　stood　up；　sick　and　weary　and　full　of　pain。

〃baruch；〃　he　said；　〃oh；　baruch；　my　dear；　i　can　do　no　more。　will　and　the　girl　are　safe；　and　everything　will　be　well；　but　this　is　the　end　for　me；　though　truly　i　died　when　you　did；　baruch；　my　beloved。〃

a　moment　later；　he　was　gone。

in　the　bean　field；　drowsy　in　the　late　afternoon　heat；　mary　heard　atals　voice；　and　she　couldnt　tell　excitement　from　alarm：　had　another　tree　fallen？　had　the　man　with　the　rifle　appeared？

look！　look！　atal　was　saying；　nudging　marys　pocket　with　her　trunk；　so　mary　took　the　spyglass　and　did　as　her　friend　said；　pointing　it　up　to　the　sky。

tell　me　what　its　doing！　said　atal。　i　can　feel　it　is　different；　but　i　cant　see。

the　terrible　flood　of　dust　in　the　sky　had　stopped　flowing。　it　wasnt　still；　by　any　means；　mary　scanned　the　whole　sky　with　the　amber　lens；　seeing　a　current　here；　an　eddy　there；　a　vortex　farther　off；　it　was　in　perpetual　movement；　but　it　wasnt　flowing　away　anymore。　in　fact；　if　anything；　it　was　falling　like　snowflakes。

she　thought　of　the　wheel　trees：　the　flowers　that　opened　upward　would　be　drinking　in　this　golden　rain。　mary　could　almost　feel　them　weling　it　in　their　poor　parched　throats；　which　were　so　perfectly　shaped　for　it；　and　which　had　been　starved　for　so　long。

the　young　ones；　said　atal。

mary　turned；　spyglass　in　hand；　to　see　will　and　lyra　returning。　they　were　some　way　off；　they　werent　hurrying。　they　were　holding　hands；　talking　together；　heads　close；　oblivious　to　everything　else；　she　could　see　that　even　from　a　distance。

she