THE AMBER SPYGLASS-第88章

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low　and　then　darted　up　again；　all　the　time　singing　and　singing　in　rich；　liquid　bell　tones　an　endlessly　varied　song。

and　then；　with　a　flutter　of　wings　that　threw　up　a　little　fountain　of　sand　in　front　of　him；　the　first　bird　landed　a　few　yards　away。

lyra　said；　〃pan。。。　？〃

he　was　formed　like　a　dove；　but　his　color　was　dark　and　hard　to　tell　in　the　moonlight；　at　any　rate；　he　showed　up　clearly　on　the　white　sand。　the　other　bird　still　circled　overhead；　still　singing；　and　then　she　flew　down　to　join　him：　another　dove；　but　pearl　white；　and　with　a　crest　of　dark　red　feathers。

and　will　knew　what　it　was　to　see　his　daemon。　as　she　flew　down　to　the　sand；　he　felt　his　heart　tighten　and　release　in　a　way　he　never　forgot。　sixty　years　and　more　would　go　by；　and　as　an　old　man　he　would　still　feel　some　sensations　as　bright　and　fresh　as　ever：　lyras　fingers　putting　the　fruit　between　his　lips　under　the　gold…and…silver　trees；　her　warm　mouth　pressing　against　his；　his　daemon　being　torn　from　his　unsuspecting　breast　as　they　entered　the　world　of　the　dead；　and　the　sweet　rightfulness　of　her　ing　back　to　him　at　the　edge　of　the　moonlit　dunes。

lyra　made　to　move　toward　them；　but　pantalaimon　spoke。

〃lyra；〃　he　said；　〃serafina　pekkala　came　to　us　last　night。　she　told　us　all　kinds　of　things。　shes　gone　back　to　guide　the　gyptians　here。　farder　corams　ing；　and　lord　faa；　and　theyll　be　here。。。”

〃pan；〃　she　said；　distressed；　〃oh；　pan；　youre　not　happy；　what　is　it？　what　is　it？〃

then　he　changed；　and　flowed　over　the　sand　to　her　as　a　snow…white　ermine。　the　other　daemon　changed；　too；　will　felt　it　happen；　like　a　little　grip　at　his　heart；　and　became　a　cat。

before　she　moved　to　him；　she　spoke。　she　said；　〃the　witch　gave　me　a　name。　i　had　no　need　of　one　before。　she　called　me　kirjava。　but　listen；　listen　to　us　now。。。〃

〃yes；　you　must　listen；〃　said　pantalaimon。　〃this　is　hard　to　explain。〃

between　them；　the　daemons　managed　to　tell　them　everything　serafina　had　told　them；　beginning　with　the　revelation　about　the　childrens　own　natures：　about　how；　without　intending　it；　they　had　bee　like　witches　in　their　power　to　separate　and　yet　still　be　one　being。

〃but　thats　not　all；〃　kirjava　said。

and　pantalaimon　said；　〃oh；　lyra；　forgive　us；　but　we　have　to　tell　you　what　we　found　out。。。〃

lyra　was　bewildered。　when　had　pan　ever　needed　forgiving？　she　looked　at　will；　and　saw　his　puzzlement　as　clear　as　her　own。

〃tell　us；〃　he　said。　〃dont　be　afraid。〃

〃its　about　dust；〃　said　the　cat　daemon；　and　will　marveled　to　hear　part　of　his　own　nature　telling　him　something　he　didnt　know。　〃it　was　all　flowing　away；　all　the　dust　there　was；　down　into　the　abyss　that　you　saw。　somethings　stopped　it　flowing　down　there；　but。。。”

〃will；　it　was　that　golden　light！〃　lyra　said。　〃the　light　that　all　flowed　into　the　abyss　and　vanished。。。　and　that　was　dust？　was　it　really？〃

〃yes。　but　theres　more　leaking　out　all　the　time；〃　pantalaimon　went　on。　〃and　it　mustnt。　it　mustnt　all　leak　away。　its　got　to　stay　in　the　world　and　not　vanish；　because　otherwise　everything　good　will　fade　away　and　die。〃

〃but　wheres　the　rest　leaving　from？〃　said　lyra。

both　daemons　looked　at　will；　and　at　the　knife。

〃every　time　we　made　an　opening；〃　said　kirjava；　and　again　will　felt　that　little　thrill：　shes　me；　and　im　her；　〃every　time　anyone　made　an　opening　between　the　worlds；　us　or　the　old　guild　men；　anyone；　the　knife　cut　into　the　emptiness　outside。　the　same　emptiness　there　is　down　in　the　abyss。　we　never　knew。　no　one　knew；　because　the　edge　was　too　fine　to　see。　but　it　was　quite　big　enough　for　dust　to　leak　out　of。　if　they　closed　it　up　again　at　once；　there　wasnt　time　for　much　to　leak　out；　but　there　were　thousands　that　they　never　closed　up。　so　all　this　time；　dust　has　been　leaking　out　of　the　worlds　and　into　nothingness。〃

the　understanding　was　beginning　to　dawn　on　will　and　lyra。　they　fought　it；　they　pushed　it　away；　but　it　was　just　like　the　gray　light　that　seeps　into　the　sky　and　extinguishes　the　stars：　it　crept　past　every　barrier　they　could　put　up　and　under　every　blind　and　around　the　edges　of　every　curtain　they　could　draw　against　it。

〃every　opening；〃　lyra　said　in　a　whisper。

〃every　single　one；　they　must　all　be　closed？〃　said　will。

〃every　single　one；〃　said　pantalaimon；　whispering　like　lyra。

〃oh；　no；〃　said　lyra。　〃no；　it　cant　be　true　。。。”

〃and　so　we　must　leave　our　world　to　stay　in　lyras；〃　said　kirjava；　〃or　pan　and　lyra　must　leave　theirs　and　e　to　stay　in　ours。　theres　no　other　choice。〃

then　the　full　bleak　daylight　struck　in。

and　lyra　cried　aloud。　pantalaimons　owl　cry　the　night　before　had　frightened　every　small　creature　that　heard　it；　but　it　was　nothing　to　the　passionate　wail　that　lyra　uttered　now。　the　daemons　were　shocked；　and　will；　seeing　their　reaction；　understood　why：　they　didnt　know　the　rest　of　the　truth；　they　didnt　know　what　will　and　lyra　themselves　had　learned。

lyra　was　shaking　with　anger　and　grief；　striding　up　and　down　with　clenched　fists　and　turning　her　tear…streaming　face　this　way　and　that　as　if　looking　for　an　answer。　will　jumped　up　and　seized　her　shoulders；　and　felt　her　tense　and　trembling。

〃listen；〃　he　said；　〃lyra；　listen：　what　did　my　father　say？〃

〃oh；〃　she　cried；　tossing　her　head　this　way　and　that；　〃he　said；　you　know　what　he　said；　you　were　there；　will；　you　listened；　too！〃

he　thought　she　would　die　of　her　grief　there　and　then。　she　flung　herself　into　his　arms　and　sobbed；　clinging　passionately　to　his　shoulders；　pressing　her　nails　into　his　hack　and　her　face　into　his　neck；　and　all　he　could　hear　was；　〃no；　no；　no。。。〃

〃listen；〃　he　said　again；　〃lyra；　lets　try　and　remember　it　exactly。　there　might　be　a　way　through。　there　might　be　a　loophole。〃

he　disengaged　her　arms　gently　and　made　her　sit　down。　at　once　pantalaimon；　frightened；　flowed　up　onto　her　lap；　and　the　cat　daemon　tentatively　came　close　to　will。　they　hadnt　touched　yet；　but　now　he　put　out　a　hand　to　her；　and　she　moved　her　cat　face　against　his　fingers　and　then　stepped　delicately　onto　his　lap。

〃he　said。。。”　lyra　began；　gulping；　〃he　said　that　people　could　spend　a　little　time　in　other　worlds　without　being　affected。　they　could。　and　we　have；　havent　we？　apart　from　what　we　had　to　do　to　go　into　the　world　of　the　dead；　were　still　healthy；　arent　we？〃

〃they　can　spend　a　little　time；　but　not　a　long　time；〃　will　said。　〃my　father　had　been　away　from　his　world；　my　world；　for　ten　years。　and　he　was　nearly　dying　when　i　found　him。　ten　years；　thats　all。〃

〃but　what　about　lord　boreal？　sir　charles？　he　was　healthy　enough；　wasnt　he？〃

〃yes；　but　remember；　he　could　go　back　to　his　own　world　whenever　he　liked　and　get　healthy　again。　thats　where　you　saw　him　first；　after　all；　in　your　world。　he　must　have　found　some　secret　window　that　no　one　else　knew　about。〃

〃well；　we　could　do　that！〃

〃we　could；　except　that。。。〃

〃all　the　windows　must　be　closed；〃　said　pantalaimon。　〃all　of　them。〃

〃but　how　do　you　know？〃　demanded　lyra。

〃an　angel　told　us；〃　said　kirjava。　〃we　met　an　angel。　she　told　us　all　about　that；　and　other　things　as　well。　its　true；　lyra。〃

〃she？〃　said　lyra　passionately；　suspicious。

〃it　was　a　female　angel；〃　said　kirjava。

〃ive　never　heard　of　one　of　them。　maybe　she　was　lying。〃

will　was　thinking　through　another　possibility。　〃suppose　they　closed　all　the　other　windows；〃　he　said；　〃and　we　just　made　one　when　we　needed　to；　and　went　through　as　quickly　as　we　could　and　closed　it　up　immediately；　that　would　be　safe；　surely？　if　we　didnt　leave　much　time　for　dust　to　go　out？〃

〃yes！〃

〃wed　make　it　where　no　one　could　ever　find　it；〃　he　went　on；　〃and　only　us　two　would　know。。。”

〃oh；　it　would　work！　im　sure　it　would！〃　she　said。

〃and　we　could　go　from　one　to　the　other；　and　stay　healthy。。。”

but　the　daemons　were　distressed；　and　kirjava　was　murmuring；　〃no；　no。〃

and　pantalaimon　said；　〃the　specters。。。　she　told　us　about　the　specters；　too。〃

〃the　specters？〃　said　will。　〃we　saw　them　during　the　battle；　for　the　first　time。　what　about　them？〃

〃well；　we　found　out　where　they　e　from；〃　said　kirjava。　〃and　this　is　the　worst　thing：　theyre　like　the　children　of　the　abyss。　every　time　we　open　a　window　with　the　knife；　it　makes　a　specter。　its　like　a　little　bit　of　the　abyss　that　floats　out　and　enters　the　world。　thats　why　the　cittagazze　world　was　so　full　of　them；　because　of　all　the　windows　they　left　open　there。〃

〃and　they　grow　by　feeding　on　dust；〃　said　pantalaimon。　〃and　on　daemons。　because　dust　and　daemons　are　sort　of　similar；　grown…up　daemons　anyway。　and　the　specters　get　bigger　and　stronger　as　they　do。。。〃

will　felt　a　dull　horror　at　his　heart；　and　kirjava　pressed　herself　against　his　breast；　feeling　it；　too；　and　trying　to　fort　him。

〃so　every　time　ive　used　the　knife；〃　he　said；　〃every　single　time；　ive　made　another　specter　e　to　life？〃

he　remembered　iorek　byrnison；　in　the　cave　where　hed　forged　the　knife　again；　saying；　〃what　you　dont　know　is　what　the　knife　does　on　its　own。　your　intentions　may　be　good。　the　knife　has　intentions；　too。〃

lyras　eyes　were　watching　him；　wide　with　anguish。

〃oh；　we　cant；　will！〃　she　said。　〃we　cant　do　that　to　people；　not　let　other　specters　out；　not　now　weve　seen　what　they　do！〃

〃all　right；〃　he　said；　getting　to　his　feet；　holding　his　daemon　close　to　his　breast。　〃then　well　have　to；　one　of　us　will　have　to；　ill　e　to　your　world　and。。。〃

she　knew　what　he　was　going　to　say；　and　sh