pp.thegoldencompass-第51部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


ll。〃
　　〃He　won't　want　to　go　back　to　Oxford；　Lyra。　It　seems　that　there　is　something　to　be　done　in　another　world；　and　Lord　Asriel　is　the　only　one　who　can　bridge　the　gulf　between　that　world　and　this。　But　he　needs　something　to　help　him。〃
　　〃The　alethiometer！〃　Lyra　said。　〃The　Master　of　Jordan　gave　it　to　me　and　I　thought　there　was　something　he　wanted　to　say　about　Lord　Asriel；　except　he　never　had　the　chance。　I　knew　he　didn't　really　want　to　poison　him。　Is　he　going　to　read　it　and　see　how　to　make　the　bridge？　I　bet　I　could　help　him。　I　can　probably　read　it　as　good　as　anyone　now。〃
　　〃I　don't　know；〃　said　Serafina　Pekkala。　〃How　he'll　do　it；　and　what　his　task　will　be；　we　can't　tell。　There　are　powers　who　speak　to　us；　and　there　are　powers　above　them；　and　there　are　secrets　even　from　the　most　high。〃
　　〃The　alethiometer　would　tell　me！　I　could　read　it　now　。　。　。　。〃
　　But　it　was　too　cold；　she　would　never　have　managed　to　hold　it。　She　bundled　herself　up　and　pulled　the　hood　tight　against　the　chill　of　the　wind；　leaving　only　a　slit　to　look　through。　Far　ahead；　and　a　little　below；　the　long　rope　extended　from　the　suspension　ring　of　the　balloon；　pulled　by　six　or　seven　witches　sitting　on　their　cloud…pine　branches。　The　stars　shone　as　bright　and　cold　and　hard　as　diamonds。
　　〃Why　en't　you　cold；　Serafina　Pekkala？〃
　　〃We　feel　cold；　but　we　don't　mind　it；　because　we　will　not　e　to　harm。　And　if　we　wrapped　up　against　the　cold；　we　wouldn't　feel　other　things；　like　the　bright　tingle　of　the　stars；　or　the　music　of　the　Aurora；　or　best　of　all　the　silky　feeling　of　moonlight　on　our　skin。　It's　worth　being　cold　for　that。〃
　　〃Could　I　feel　them？〃
　　〃No。　You　would　die　if　you　took　your　furs　off。　Stay　wrapped　up。〃
　　〃How　long　do　witches　live；　Serafina　Pekkala？　Farder　Coram　says　hundreds　of　years。　But　you　don't　look　old　at　all。〃
　　〃I　am　three　hundred　years　or　more。　Our　oldest　witch　mother　is　nearly　a　thousand。　One　day；　Yambe…Akka　will　e　for　her。　One　day　she'll　e　for　me。　She　is　the　goddess　of　the　dead。　She　es　to　you　smiling　and　kindly；　and　you　know　it　is　time　to　die。〃
　　〃Are　there　men　witches？　Or　only　women？〃
　　〃There　are　men　who　serve　us；　like　the　consul　at　Trollesund。　And　there　are　men　we　take　for　lovers　or　husbands。　You　are　so　young；　Lyra；　too　young　to　understand　this；　but　I　shall　tell　you　anyway　and　you'll　understand　it　later：　men　pass　in　front　of　our　eyes　like　butterflies；　creatures　of　a　brief　season。　We　love　them；　they　are　brave；　proud；　beautiful；　clever；　and　they　die　almost　at　once。　They　die　so　soon　that　our　hearts　are　continually　racked　with　pain。　We　bear　their　children；　who　are　witches　if　they　are　female；　human　if　not；　and　then　in　the　blink　of　an　eye　they　are　gone；　felled；　slain；　lost。　Our　sons；　too。　When　a　little　boy　is　growing；　he　thinks　he　is　immortal。　His　mother　knows　he　isn't。　Each　time　bees　more　painful；　until　finally　your　heart　is　broken。　Perhaps　that　is　when　Yambe…Akka　es　for　you。　She　is　older　than　the　tundra。　Perhaps；　for　her；　witches'　lives　are　as　brief　as　men's　are　to　us。〃
　　〃Did　you　love　Farder　Coram？〃
　　〃Yes。　Does　he　know　that？〃
　　〃I　don't　know；　but　I　know　he　loves　you。〃
　　〃When　he　rescued　me；　he　was　young　and　strong　and　full　of　pride　and　beauty。　I　loved　him　at　once。　I　would　have　changed　my　nature；　I　would　have　forsaken　the　star…tingle　and　the　music　of　the　Aurora；　I　would　never　have　flown　again…I　would　have　given　all　that　up　in　a　moment；　without　a　thought；　to　be　a　gyptian　boat　wife　and　cook　for　him　and　share　his　bed　and　bear　his　children。　But　you　cannot　change　what　you　are；　only　what　you　do。　I　am　a　witch。　He　is　a　human。　I　stayed　with　him　for　long　enough　to　bear　him　a　child　。　。　。　。〃
　　〃He　never　said！　Was　it　a　girl？　A　witch？〃
　　〃No。　A　boy；　and　he　died　in　the　great　epidemic　of　forty　years　ago；　the　sickness　that　came　out　of　the　East。　Poor　little　child；　he　flickered　into　life　and　out　of　it　like　a　mayfly。　And　it　tore　pieces　out　of　my　heart；　as　it　always　does。　It　broke　Coram's。　And　then　the　call　came　for　me　to　return　to　my　own　people；　because　Yambe…Akka　had　taken　my　mother；　and　I　was　clan　queen。　So　I　left；　as　I　had　to。〃
　　〃Did　you　never　see　Farder　Coram　again？〃
　　〃Never。　I　heard　of　his　deeds；　I　heard　how　he　was　wounded　by　the　Skraelings；　with　a　poisoned　arrow；　and　I　sent　herbs　and　spells　to　help　him　recover；　but　I　wasn't　strong　enough　to　see　him。　I　heard　how　broken　he　was　after　that；　and　how　his　wisdom　grew；　how　much　he　studied　and　read；　and　I　was　proud　of　him　and　his　goodness。　But　I　stayed　away；　for　they　were　dangerous　times　for　my　clan；　and　witch　wars　were　threatening；　and　besides；　I　thought　he　would　forget　me　and　find　a　human　wife　。　。　。　。〃
　　〃He　never　would；〃　said　Lyra　stoutly。　〃You　oughter　go　and　see　him。　He　still　loves　you；　I　know　he　does。〃
　　〃But　he　would　be　ashamed　of　his　own　age；　and　I　wouldn't　want　to　make　him　feel　that。〃
　　〃Perhaps　he　would。　But　you　ought　to　send　a　message　to　him；　at　least。　That's　what　I　think。〃
　　Serafina　Pekkala　said　nothing　for　a　long　time。　Pantalaimon　became　a　tern　and　flew　to　her　branch　for　a　second；　to　acknowledge　that　perhaps　they　had　been　insolent。
　　Then　Lyra　said；　〃Why　do　people　have　daemons；　Serafina　Pekkala？〃
　　〃Everyone　asks　that；　and　no　one　knows　the　answer。　As　long　as　there　have　been　human　beings；　they　have　had　daemons。　It's　what　makes　us　different　from　animals。〃
　　〃Yeah！　We're　different　from　them　all　right　。　。　。　。Like　bears。　They're　strange；　en't　they；　bears？　You　think　they're　like　a　person；　and　then　suddenly　they　do　something　so　strange　or　ferocious　you　think　you'll　never　understand　them　。　。　。　。But　you　know　what　Iorek　said　to　me；　he　said　that　his　armor　for　him　was　like　what　a　daemon　is　for　a　person。　It's　his　soul；　he　said。　But　that's　where　they're　different　again；　because　he　made　this　armor　his…self。　They　took　his　first　armor　away　when　they　sent　him　into　exile；　and　he　found　some　sky　iron　and　made　some　new　armor；　like　making　a　new　soul。　We　can't　make　our　daemons。　Then　the　people　at　Trollesund；　they　got　him　drunk　on　spirits　and　stole　it　away；　and　I　found　out　where　it　was　and　he　got　it　back　。　。　。　。But　what　I　wonder　is；　why's　he　ing　to　Svalbard？　They'll　fight　him。　They　might　kill　him　。　。　。　。I　love　Iorek。　I　love　him　so　much　I　wish　he　wasn't　ing。〃

　　〃Has　he　told　you　who　he　is？〃
　　〃Only　his　name。　And　it　was　the　consul　at　Trollesund　who　told　us　that。〃
　　〃He　is　highborn。　He　is　a　prince。　In　fact；　if　he　had　not　mitted　a　great　crime；　he　would　be　the　king　of　the　bears　by　now。〃
　　〃He　told　me　their　king　was　called　lofur　Raknison。〃
　　〃lofur　Raknison　became　king　when　Iorek　Byrnison　was　exiled。　lofur　is　a　prince；　of　course；　or　he　wouldn't　be　allowed　to　rule；　but　he　is　clever　in　a　human　way；　he　makes　alliances　and　treaties；　he　lives　not　as　bears　do；　in　ice　forts；　but　in　a　new…built　palace；　he　talks　of　exchanging　ambassadors　with　human　nations　and　developing　the　fire　mines　with　the　help　of　human　engineers　。　。　。　。He　is　very　skillful　and　subtle。　Some　say　that　he　provoked　Iorek　into　the　deed　for　which　he　was　exiled；　and　others　say　that　even　if　he　didn't；　he　encourages　them　to　think　he　did；　because　it　adds　to　his　reputation　for　craft　and　subtlety。〃
　　〃What　did　Iorek　do？　See；　one　reason　I　love　Iorek；　it's　because　of　my　father　doing　what　he　did　and　being　punished。　Seems　to　me　they're　like　each　other。　Iorek　told　me　he'd　killed　another　bear；　but　he　never　said　how　it　came　about。〃
　　〃The　fight　was　over　a　she…bear。　The　male　whom　Iorek　killed　would　not　display　the　usual　signals　of　surrender　when　it　was　clear　that　Iorek　was　stronger。　For　all　their　pride；　bears　never　fail　to　recognize　superior　force　in　another　bear　and　surrender　to　it；　but　for　some　reason　this　bear　didn't　do　it。　Some　say　that　lofur　Raknison　worked　on　his　mind；　or　gave　him　confusing　herbs　to　eat。　At　any　rate；　the　young　bear　persisted；　and　Iorek　Byrnison　allowed　his　temper　to　master　him。　The　case　was　not　hard　to　judge；　he　should　have　wounded；　not　killed。〃
　　〃So　otherwise　he'd　be　king；〃　Lyra　said。　〃And　I　heard　something　about　lofur　Raknison　from　the　Palmerian　Professor　at　Jordan；　'cause　he'd　been　to　the　North　and　met　him。　He　said　。　。　。　　I　wish　I　could　remember　what　it　was　。　。　。　。I　think　he'd　tricked　his　way　on　to　the　throne　or　something　。　。　。　。But　you　know；　Iorek　said　to　me　once　that　bears　couldn't　be　tricked；　and　showed　me　that　I　couldn't　trick　him。　It　sounds　as　if　they　was　both　tricked；　him　and　the　other　bear。　Maybe　only　bears　can　trick　bears；　maybe　people　can't。　Except　。　。　。　The　people　at　Trollesund；　they　tricked　him；　didn't　they？　When　they　got　him　drunk　and　stole　his　armor？〃
　　〃When　bears　act　like　people；　perhaps　they　can　be　tricked；〃　said　Serafina　Pekkala。　〃When　bears　act　like　bears；　perhaps　they　can't。　No　bear　would　normally　drink　spirits。　Iorek　Byrnison　drank　to　forget　the　shame　of　exile；　and　it　was　only　that　which　let　the　Trollesund　people　trick　him。〃
　　〃Ah；　yes；〃　said　Lyra；　nodding。　She　was　satisfied　with　that　idea。　She　admired　Iorek　almost　without　limit；　and　she　was　glad　to　find　confirmation　of　his　nobility。　〃That's　clever　of　you；〃　she　said。　〃I　wouldn't　have　known　that　if　you　hadn't　told　me。　I　think　you're　probably　cleverer　than　Mrs。　Coulter。〃
　　They　flew　on。　Lyra　chewed　some　of　the　seal　meat　she　found　in　her　pocket。
　　〃Serafina　Pekkala；〃　she　said　after　some　time；　〃what's　Dust？　'Cause　it　seems　to　me　that　all　this　trouble's　about　Dust；　only　no　one's　told　me　what　it　is。〃
　　〃I　don't　know；〃　Serafina　Pekkala　told　her。　〃Witches　have　never　worried　about　Dust。　All　I　can　tell　you　is　that　where　there　are　priests；　there　is　fear　of　Dust。　Mrs。　Coulter　is　not　a　priest；　of　course；　but　she　is　a　powerful　agent　of　the　Magisterium；　and　it　was　she　who　set　up　the　Oblation　Board　and　persuaded　the　Church　to　pay　for　Bolvangar；　because　of　her　interest　in　Dust。　We　can't　understand　her　feelings　about　it。　But　there　are　many　things　we　have　never　understood。　We　see　the　Tartars　making　holes　in　their　skulls；　and　we　can　only　wonder　at　the　strangeness　of　it。　So　Dust　may　be　strange；　and　we　wonder　at　it；　but　we　don't　fret　and　tear　things　apart　to　examine　it。　Leave　that　to　the　Church。〃
　　〃The　Church？〃　said　Lyra。　Something　had　e　back　to　her：　she　remembered　talking　with　Pantalaimon；　in　the　fens；　about　what　it　might　be　that　was　moving　the　needle　of　the　alethiometer；　and　they　had　thought　of　the　photomill　on　the　high　alt