THE AMBER SPYGLASS-第92章

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f　life　whatsoever；　but　john　faa　planned　to　take　half　a　dozen　armed　men　ashore　just　in　case。

they　wouldnt　get　in　the　way；　but　they　were　there　if　they　were　needed。

they　ate　a　last　meal　together；　watching　the　darkness　fall。　will　said　goodbye　to　the　captain　and　his　officers；　and　to　john　faa　and　farder　coram。　he　had　hardly　seemed　to　be　aware　of　them；　and　they　saw　him　more　clearly　than　he　saw　them：　they　saw　someone　young；　but　very　strong；　and　deeply　stricken。

finally　will　and　lyra　and　their　daemons；　and　mary　and　serafina　pekkala；　set　off　through　the　empty　city。　and　it　was　empty；　the　only　footfalls　and　the　only　shadows　were　their　own。　lyra　and　will　went　ahead；　hand　in　hand；　to　the　place　where　they　had　to　part；　and　the　women　stayed　some　way　behind；　talking　like　sisters。

〃lyra　wants　to　e　a　little　way　into　my　oxford；〃　mary　said。　〃shes　got　something　in　mind。　shell　e　straight　back　afterwards。〃

〃what　will　you　do；　mary？〃

〃me；　go　with　will；　of　course。　well　go　to　my　flat；　my　house；　tonight；　and　then　tomorrow　well　go　and　find　out　where　his　mother　is；　and　see　what　we　can　do　to　help　her　get　better。　there　are　so　many　rules　and　regulations　in　my　world；　serafina；　you　have　to　satisfy　the　authorities　and　answer　a　thousand　questions；　ill　help　him　with　all　the　legal　side　of　things　and　the　social　services　and　housing　and　all　that；　and　let　him　concentrate　on　his　mother。　hes　a　strong　boy。。。but　ill　help　him。　besides；　i　need　him。　i　havent　got　a　job　anymore；　and　not　much　money　in　the　bank；　and　i　wouldnt　be　surprised　if　the　police　are　after　me。。。hell　be　the　only　person　in　my　whole　world　that　i　can　talk　to　about　all　this。〃

they　walked　on　through　the　silent　streets；　past　a　square　tower　with　a　doorway　opening　into　darkness；　past　a　little　cafe　where　tables　stood　on　the　pavement；　and　out　onto　a　broad　boulevard　with　a　line　of　palm　trees　in　the　center。

〃this　is　where　i　came　through；〃　said　mary。

the　window　will　had　first　seen　in　the　quiet　suburban　road　in　oxford　opened　here；　and　on　the　oxford　side　it　was　guarded　by　police；　or　had　been　when　mary　tricked　them　into　letting　her　through。　she　saw　will　reach　the　spot　and　move　his　hands　deftly　in　the　air；　and　the　window　vanished。

〃thatll　surprise　them　next　time　they　look；〃　she　said。

it　was　lyras　intention　to　go　into　will　and　marys　oxford　and　show　will　something　before　returning　with　serafina；　and　obviously　they　had　to　be　careful　where　they　cut　through；　so　the　women　followed　on　behind；　through　the　moonlit　streets　of　cittagazze。　on　their　right　a　wide　and　graceful　parkland　led　up　to　a　great　house　with　a　classical　portico　as　brilliant　as　icing　sugar　under　the　moon。

〃when　you　told　me　the　shape　of　my　daemon；〃　mary　said；　〃you　said　you　could　teach　me　how　to　see　him；　if　we　had　time。。。i　wish　we　had。〃

〃well；　we　have　had　time；〃　serafina　said；　〃and　havent　we　been　talking？　ive　taught　you　some　witch…lore；　which　would　be　forbidden　under　the　old　ways　in　my　world。　but　you　are　going　back　to　your　world；　and　the　old　ways　have　changed。　and　i；　too；　have　learned　much　from　you。　now　then：　when　you　spoke　to　the　shadows　on　your　puter；　you　had　to　hold　a　special　state　of　mind；　didnt　you？〃

〃yes。。。just　as　lyra　did　with　the　alethiometer。　do　you　mean　if　i　try　that？〃

〃not　only　that；　but　ordinary　seeing　at　the　same　time。　try　it　now。〃

in　marys　world　they　had　a　kind　of　picture　that　looked　at　first　like　random　dots　of　color　but　that；　when　you　looked　at　it　in　a　certain　way；　seemed　to　advance　into　three　dimensions：　and　there　in　front　of　the　paper　would　be　a　tree；　or　a　face；　or　something　else　surprisingly　solid　that　simply　wasnt　there　before。

what　serafina　taught　mary　to　do　now　was　similar　to　that。　she　had　to　hold　on　to　her　normal　way　of　looking　while　simultaneously　slipping　into　the　trancelike　open　dreaming　in　which　she　could　see　the　shadows。　but　now　she　had　to　hold　both　ways　together；　the　everyday　and　the　trance；　just　as　you　have　to　look　in　two　directions　at　once　to　see　the　3…d　pictures　among　the　dots。

and　just　as　it　happens　with　the　dot　pictures；　she　suddenly　got　it。

〃ah！〃　she　cried；　and　reached　for　serafinas　arm　to　steady　herself；　for　there　on　the　iron　fence　around　the　parkland　sat　a　bird：　glossy　black；　with　red　legs　and　a　curved　yellow　bill：　an　alpine　chough；　just　as　serafina　had　described。　it；　he；　was　only　a　foot　or　two　away；　watching　her　with　his　head　slightly　cocked；　for　all　the　world　as　though　he　was　amused。

but　she　was　so　surprised　that　her　concentration　slipped；　and　he　vanished。

〃youve　done　it　once；　and　next　time　it　will　be　easier；〃　serafina　said。　〃when　you　are　in　your　world；　you　will　learn　to　see　the　daemons　of　other　people；　too；　in　the　same　way。　they　wont　see　yours　or　wills；　though；　unless　you　teach　them　as　ive　taught　you。〃

〃yes。。。oh；　this　is　extraordinary。　yes！〃

mary　thought：　lyra　talked　to　her　daemon；　didnt　she？　would　she　hear　this　bird　as　well　as　see　him？　she　walked　on；　glowing　with　anticipation。

ahead　of　them　will　was　cutting　a　window；　and　he　and　lyra　waited　for　the　women　to　pass　through　so　that　he　could　close　it　again。

〃dyou　know　where　we　are？〃　will　said。

mary　looked　around。　the　road　they　were　in　now；　in　her　world；　was　quiet　and　tree…lined；　with　big　victorian　houses　in　shrub…filled　gardens。

〃somewhere　in　north　oxford；〃　mary　said。　〃not　far　from　my　flat；　as　a　matter　of　fact；　though　i　dont　know　exactly　which　road　this　is。〃

〃i　want　to　go　to　the　botanic　garden；〃　lyra　said。

〃all　right。　i　suppose　thats　about　fifteen　minutes　walk。　this　way。。。〃

mary　tried　the　double…seeing　again。　she　found　it　easier　this　time；　and　there　was　the　chough；　with　her　in　her　own　world；　perching　on　a　branch　that　hung　low　over　the　pavement。　to　see　what　would　happen；　she　held　out　her　hand；　and　he　stepped　onto　it　without　hesitation。　she　felt　the　slight　weight；　the　tight　grip　of　the　claws　on　her　finger；　and　gently　moved　him　onto　her　shoulder。　he　settled　into　place　as　if　hed　been　there　all　her　life。

well；　he　has；　she　thought；　and　moved　on。

there　was　not　much　traffic　in　the　high　street；　and　when　they　turned　down　the　steps　opposite　magdalen　college　toward　the　gate　of　the　botanic　garden；　they　were　pletely　alone。　there　was　an　ornate　gateway；　with　stone　seats　inside　it；　and　while　mary　and　serafina　sat　there；　will　and　lyra　climbed　over　the　iron　fence　into　the　garden　itself。　their　daemons　slipped　through　the　bars　and　flowed　ahead　of　them　into　the　garden。

〃its　this　way；〃　said　lyra；　tugging　at　wills　hand。

she　led　him　past　a　pool　with　a　fountain　under　a　wide…spreading　tree；　and　then　struck　off　to　the　left　between　beds　of　plants　toward　a　huge　many…trunked　pine。　there　was　a　massive　stone　wall　with　a　doorway　in　it；　and　in　the　farther　part　of　the　garden；　the　trees　were　younger　and　the　planting　less　formal。　lyra　led　him　almost　to　the　end　of　the　garden；　over　a　little　bridge；　to　a　wooden　seat　under　a　spreading；　low…branched　tree。

〃yes！〃　she　said。　〃i　hoped　so　much；　and　here　it　is；　just　the　same。。　。will；　i　used　to　e　here　in　my　oxford　and　sit　on　this　exact　same　bench　whenever　i　wanted　to　be　alone；　just　me　and　pan。　what　i　thought　was　that　if　you；　maybe　just　once　a　year；　if　we　could　e　here　at　the　same　time；　just　for　an　hour　or　something；　then　we　could　pretend　we　were　close　again；　because　we　would　be　close；　if　you　sat　here　and　i　sat　just　here　in　my　world。。。”

〃yes；〃　he　said；　〃as　long　as　i　live；　ill　e　back。　wherever　i　am　in　the　world；　ill　e　back　here。。。”

〃on　midsummer　day；〃　she　said。　〃at　midday。　as　long　as　i　live。　as　long　as　i　live。。。〃

he　found　himself　unable　to　see；　but　he　let　the　hot　tears　flow　and　just　held　her　close。

〃and　if　we；　later　on；　〃　she　was　whispering　shakily；　〃if　we　meet　someone　that　we　like；　and　if　we　marry　them；　then　we　must　be　good　to　them；　and　not　make　parisons　all　the　time　and　wish　we　were　married　to　each　other　instead。。。but　just　keep　up　this　ing　here　once　a　year；　just　for　an　hour；　just　to　be　together。。。〃

they　held　each　other　tightly。　minutes　passed；　a　waterbird　on　the　river　beside　them　stirred　and　called；　the　occasional　car　moved　over　magdalen　bridge。

finally　they　drew　apart。

〃well；〃　said　lyra　softly。

everything　about　her　in　that　moment　was　soft；　and　that　was　one　of　his　favorite　memories　later　on；　her　tense　grace　made　tender　by　the　dimness；　her　eyes　and　hands　and　especially　her　lips；　infinitely　soft。　he　kissed　her　again　and　again；　and　each　kiss　was　nearer　to　the　last　one　of　all。

heavy　and　soft　with　love；　they　walked　back　to　the　gate。　mary　and　serafina　were　waiting。

〃lyra。。。”　will　said。

and　she　said；　〃will。〃

he　cut　a　window　into　cittagazze。　they　were　deep　in　the　parkland　around　the　great　house；　not　far　from　the　edge　of　the　forest。　he　stepped　through　for　the　last　time　and　looked　down　over　the　silent　city；　the　tiled　roofs　gleaming　in　the　moonlight；　the　tower　above　them；　the　lighted　ship　waiting　out　on　the　still　sea。

he　turned　to　serafina　and　said　as　steadily　as　he　could；　〃thank　you；　serafina　pekkala；　for　rescuing　us　at　the　belvedere；　and　for　everything　else。　please　be　kind　to　lyra　for　as　long　as　she　lives。　i　love　her　more　than　anyone　has　ever　been　loved。〃

in　answer　the　witch　queen　kissed　him　on　both　cheeks。　lyra　had　been　whispering　to　mary；　and　then　they；　too；　embraced；　and　first　mary　and　then　will　stepped　through　the　last　window；　back　into　their　own　world；　in