THE AMBER SPYGLASS-第87章

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string。　then　with　a　further　effort　serafina　herself　stepped　in　among　them。　once　she　was　there；　she　could　speak　to　mary；　and　she　did　so　with　the　instant　easy　affection　that　we　sometimes　feel　for　people　we　meet　in　dreams。

a　moment　later　they　were　talking　together　in　a　murmured　rush　of　which　mary　later　remembered　nothing；　and　walking　through　a　silly　landscape　of　reed　beds　and　electrical　transformers。　it　was　time　for　serafina　to　take　charge。

〃in　a　few　moments；〃　she　said；　〃youll　wake　up。　dont　be　alarmed。　youll　find　me　beside　you。　im　waking　you　like　this　so　youll　know　its　quite　safe　and　theres　nothing　to　hurt　you。　and　then　we　can　talk　properly。〃

she　withdrew；　taking　the　dream…mary　with　her；　until　she　found　herself　in　the　house　again；　cross…legged　on　the　earthen　floor；　with　marys　eyes　glittering　as　they　looked　at　her。

〃you　must　be　the　witch；〃　mary　whispered。

〃i　am。　my　name　is　serafina　pekkala。　what　are　you　called？〃

〃mary　malone。　ive　never　been　woken　so　quietly。　am　i　awake？〃

〃yes。　we　must　talk　together；　and　dream　talk　is　hard　to　control；　and　harder　to　remember。　its　better　to　talk　awake。　do　you　prefer　to　stay　inside；　or　will　you　walk　with　me　in　the　moonlight？〃

〃ill　e；〃　said　mary；　sitting　up　and　stretching。　〃where　are　the　others？〃

〃asleep　under　the　tree。〃

they　moved　out　of　the　house　and　past　the　tree　with　its　curtain　of　all…concealing　leaves；　and　walked　down　to　the　river。

mary　watched　serafina　pekkala　with　a　mixture　of　wariness　and　admiration：　she　had　never　seen　a　human　form　so　slender　and　graceful。　she　seemed　younger　than　mary　herself；　though　lyra　had　said　she　was　hundreds　of　years　old；　the　only　hint　of　age　came　in　her　expression；　which　was　full　of　a　plicated　sadness。

they　sat　on　the　bank　over　the　silver…black　water；　and　serafina　told　her　that　she　had　spoken　to　the　childrens　daemons。

〃they　went　looking　for　them　today；〃　mary　said；　〃but　something　else　happened。　wills　never　seen　his　daemon。　he　didnt　know　for　certain　that　he　had　one。〃

〃well；　he　has。　and　so　have　you。〃

mary　stared　at　her。

〃if　you　could　see　him；〃　serafina　went　on；　〃you　would　see　a　black　bird　with　red　legs　and　a　bright　yellow　beak；　slightly　curved。　a　bird　of　the　mountains。〃

〃an　alpine　chough。。。　how　can　you　see　him？〃

〃with　my　eyes　half…closed；　i　can　see　him。　if　we　had　time；　i　could　teach　you　to　see　him；　too；　and　to　see　the　daemons　of　others　in　your　world。　its　strange　for　us　to　think　you　cant　see　them。〃

then　she　told　mary　what　she　had　said　to　the　daemons；　and　what　it　meant。

〃and　the　daemons　will　have　to　tell　them？〃　mary　said。

〃i　thought　of　waking　them　to　tell　them　myself。　i　thought　of　telling　you　and　letting　you　have　the

responsibility。　but　i　saw　their　daemons；　and　i　knew　that　would　be　best。〃

〃theyre　in　love。〃

〃i　know。〃

〃theyve　only　just　discovered　it。。。〃

mary　tried　to　take　in　all　the　implications　of　what　serafina　had　told　her；　but　it　was　too　hard。

after　a　minute　or　so　mary　said；　〃can　you　see　dust？〃

〃no；　ive　never　seen　it；　and　until　the　wars　began；　we　had　never　heard　of　it。〃

mary　took　the　spyglass　from　her　pocket　and　handed　it　to　the　witch。　serafina　put　it　to　her　eye　and　gasped。

〃that　is　dust。。。　its　beautiful！〃

〃turn　to　look　back　at　the　shelter　tree。〃

serafina　did　and　exclaimed　again。　〃they　did　this？〃　she　said。

〃something　happened　today；　or　yesterday　if　its　after　midnight；〃　mary　said；　trying　to　find　the　words　to　explain；　and　remembering　her　vision　of　the　dust　flow　as　a　great　river　like　the　mississippi。　〃something　tiny　but　crucial。。。　if　you　wanted　to　divert　a　mighty　river　into　a　different　course；　and　all　you　had　was　a　single　pebble；　you　could　do　it；　as　long　as　you　put　the　pebble　in　the　right　place　to　send　the　first　trickle　of　water　that　way　instead　of　this。　something　like　that　happened　yesterday。　i　dont　know　what　it　was。　they　saw　each　other　differently；　or　something。。。　until　then；　they　hadnt　felt　like　that；　but　suddenly　they　did。　and　then　the　dust　was　attracted　to　them；　very　powerfully；　and　it　stopped　flowing　the　other　way。〃

〃so　that　was　how　it　was　to　happen！〃　said　serafina；　marveling。　〃and　now　its　safe；　or　it　will　be　when　the　angels　fill　the　great　chasm　in　the　underworld。〃

she　told　mary　about　the　abyss；　and　about　how　she　herself　had　found　out。

〃i　was　flying　high；〃　she　explained；　〃looking　for　a　landfall；　and　i　met　an　angel：　a　female　angel。　she　was　very　strange；　she　was　old　and　young　together；〃　she　went　on；　forgetting　that　that　was　how　she　herself　appeared　to　mary。　〃her　name　was　xaphania。　she　told　me　many　things。。。　she　said　that　all　the　history　of　human　life　has　been　a　struggle　between　wisdom　and　stupidity。　she　and　the　rebel　angels；　the　followers　of　wisdom；　have　always　tried　to　open　minds；　the　authority　and　his　churches　have　always　tried　to　keep　them　closed。　she　gave　me　many　examples　from　my　world。〃

〃i　can　think　of　many　from　mine。〃

〃and　for　most　of　that　time；　wisdom　has　had　to　work　in　secret；　whispering　her　words；　moving　like　a　spy　through　the　humble　places　of　the　world　while　the　courts　and　palaces　are　occupied　by　her　enemies。〃

〃yes；〃　said　mary；　〃i　recognize　that；　too。〃

〃and　the　struggle　isnt　over　now；　though　the　forces　of　the　kingdom　have　met　a　setback。　theyll　regroup　under　a　new　mander　and　e　back　strongly；　and　we　must　be　ready　to　resist。〃

〃but　what　happened　to　lord　asriel？〃　said　mary。

〃he　fought　the　regent　of　heaven；　the　angel　metatron；　and　he　wrestled　him　down　into　the　abyss。　metatron　is　gone　forever。　so　is　lord　asriel。〃

mary　caught　her　breath。　〃and　mrs。　coulter？〃　she　said。

as　an　answer　the　witch　took　an　arrow　from　her　quiver。　she　took　her　time　selecting　it：　the　best；　the　straightest；　the　most　perfectly　balanced。

and　she　broke　it　in　two。

〃once　in　my　world；〃　she　said；　〃i　saw　that　woman　torturing　a　witch；　and　i　swore　to　myself　that　i　would　send　that　arrow　into　her　throat。　now　i　shall　never　do　that。　she　sacrificed　herself　with　lord　asriel　to　fight　the　angel　and　make　the　world　safe　for　lyra。　they　could　not　have　done　it　alone；　but　together　they　did　it。〃

mary；　distressed；　said；　〃how　can　we　tell　lyra？〃

〃wait　until　she　asks；〃　said　serafina。　〃and　she　might　not。　in　any　case；　she　has　her　symbol　reader；　that　will　tell　her　anything　she　wants　to　know。〃

they　sat　in　silence　for　a　while；　panionably；　as　the　stars　slowly　wheeled　in　the　sky。

〃can　you　see　ahead　and　guess　what　theyll　choose　to　do？〃　said　mary。

〃no；　but　if　lyra　returns　to　her　own　world；　then　i　will　be　her　sister　as　long　as　she　lives。　what　will　you　do？〃

〃mary　began；　and　found　she　hadnt　considered　that　for　a　moment。　〃i　suppose　i　belong　in　my　own　world。　though　ill　be　sorry　to　leave　this　one；　ive　been　very　happy　here。　the　happiest　ive　ever　been　in　my　life；　i　think。〃

〃well；　if　you　do　return　home；　you　shall　have　a　sister　in　another　world；〃　said　serafina；　〃and　so　shall　i。　we　shall　see　each　other　again　in　a　day　or　so；　when　the　ship　arrives；　and　well　talk　more　on　the　voyage　home；　and　then　well　part　forever。　embrace　me　now；　sister。〃

mary　did　so；　and　serafina　pekkala　flew　away　on　her　cloud…pine　branch　over　the　reeds；　over　the　marshes；　over　the　mudflats　and　the　beach；　and　over　the　sea；　until　mary　could　see　her　no　more。

at　about　the　same　time；　one　of　the　large　blue　lizards　came　across　the　body　of　father　gomez。　will　and　lyra　had　returned　to　the　village　that　afternoon　by　a　different　route　and　hadnt　seen　it；　the　priest　lay　undisturbed　where　balthamos　had　laid　him。　the　lizards　were　scavengers；　but　they　were　mild　and　harmless　creatures；　and　by　an　ancient　understanding　with　the　mulefa；　they　were　entitled　to　take　any　creature　left　dead　after　dark。

the　lizard　dragged　the　priests　body　back　to　her　nest；　and　her　children　feasted　very　well。　as　for　the　rifle；　it　lay　in　the　grass　where　father　gomez　had　laid　it　down；　quietly　turning　to　rust。

x



THIRTY…SEVEN　…　THE　DUNES

～　
next　day　will　and　lyra　went　out　by　themselves　again；　speaking　little；　eager　to　be　alone　with　each　other。　they　looked　dazed；　as　if　some　happy　accident　had　robbed　them　of　their　wits；　they　moved　slowly；　their　eyes　were　not　focused　on　what　they　looked　at。

they　spent　all　day　on　the　wide　hills；　and　in　the　heat　of　the　afternoon；　they　visited　their　gold…and…silver　grove。　they　talked；　they　bathed；　they　ate；　they　kissed；　they　lay　in　a　trance　of　happiness　murmuring　words　whose　sound　was　as　confused　as　their　sense；　and　they　felt　they　were　melting　with　love。

in　the　evening　they　shared　the　meal　with　mary　and　atal；　saying　little；　and　because　the　air　was　hot　they　thought　theyd　walk　down　to　the　sea；　where　there　might　be　a　cool　breeze。　they　wandered　along　the　river　until　they　came　to　the　wide　beach；　bright　under　the　moon；　where　the　low　tide　was　turning。

they　lay　down　in　the　soft　sand　at　the　foot　of　the　dunes；　and　then　they　heard　the　first　bird　calling。

they　both　turned　their　heads　at　once；　because　it　was　a　bird　that　sounded　like　no　creature　that　belonged　to　the　world　they　were　in。　from　somewhere　above　in　the　dark　came　a　delicate　trilling　song；　and　then　another　answered　it　from　a　different　direction。　delighted；　will　and　lyra　jumped　up　and　tried　to　see　the　singers；　but　all　they　could　make　out　was　a　pair　of　dark　skimming　shapes　that　flew　low　and　then　darted　up　again；　all　the　time　singing　and　singing　in　rich；　liquid　bell　tones　an　endless