pp.thegoldencompass-第54部分

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　Let　the　Publications　mittee　of　the　Royal　Arctic　Institute　spurn　my　contributions　then！　Ha！　I'll　expose　them　all！　〃
　　〃I　expect　Iorek　Byrnison　will　believe　you；　when　he　es　back；〃　Lyra　said。
　　〃Iorek　Byrnison？　No　good　waiting　for　that。　He'll　never　e　back。〃
　　〃He's　on　his　way　now。〃
　　〃Then　they'll　kill　him。　He's　not　a　bear；　you　see。　He's　an　outcast。　Like　me。　Degraded；　you　see。　Not　entitled　to　any　of　the　privileges　of　a　bear。〃
　　〃Supposing　Iorek　Byrnison　did　e　back；　though；〃　Lyra　said。　〃Supposing　he　challenged　lofur　Raknison　to　a　fight　。　。　。　〃
　　〃Oh；　they　wouldn't　allow　it；〃　said　the　Professor　decisively；　〃lofur　would　never　lower　himself　to　acknowledge　Iorek　Byrnison's　right　to　fight　him。　Hasn't　got　a　right。　Iorek　might　as　well　be　a　seal　now；　or　a　walrus；　not　a　bear。　Or　worse：　Tartar　or　Skraeling。　They　wouldn't　fight　him　honorably　like　a　bear；　they'd　kill　him　with　fire　hurlers　before　he　got　near。　Not　a　hope。　No　mercy。〃
　　〃Oh；〃　said　Lyra；　with　a　heavy　despair　in　her　breast。　〃And　what　about　the　bears'　other　prisoners？　Do　you　know　where　they　keep　them？〃
　　〃Other　prisoners？〃
　　〃Like。…。Lord　Asriel。〃
　　Suddenly　the　Professor's　manner　changed　altogether。　He　cringed　and　shrank　back　against　the　wall；　and　shook　his　head　warningly。
　　〃Shh！　Quiet！　They'll　hear　you！〃　he　whispered。
　　〃Why　mustn't　we　mention　Lord　Asriel？〃
　　〃Forbidden！　Very　dangerous！　lofur　Raknison　will　not　allow　him　to　be　mentioned！〃
　　〃Why？〃　Lyra　said；　ing　closer　and　whispering　herself　so　as　not　to　alarm　him。
　　〃Keeping　Lord　Asriel　prisoner　is　a　special　charge　laid　on　lofur　by　the　Oblation　Board；〃　the　old　man　whispered　back。　〃Mrs。　Coulter　herself　came　here　to　see　lofur　and　offered　him　all　kinds　of　rewards　to　keep　Lord　Asriel　out　of　the　way。　I　know　about　it；　you　see；　because　at　the　time　I　was　in　lofur's　favor　myself。　I　met　Mrs。　Coulter！　Yes。　Had　a　long　conversation　with　her。　lofur　was　besotted　with　her。　Couldn't　stop　talking　about　her。　Would　do　anything　for　her。　If　she　wants　Lord　Asriel　kept　a　hundred　miles　away；　that's　what　will　happen。　Anything　for　Mrs。　Coulter；　anything。　He's　going　to　name　his　capital　city　after　her；　did　you　know　that？〃
　　〃So　he　wouldn't　let　anyone　go　and　see　Lord　Asriel？〃
　　〃No！　Never！　But　he's　afraid　of　Lord　Asriel　too；　you　know；　lofur's　playing　a　difficult　game。　But　he's　clever。　He's　done　what　they　both　want。　He's　kept　Lord　Asriel　isolated；　to　please　Mrs。　Coulter；　and　he's　let　Lord　Asriel　have　all　the　equipment　he　wants；　to　please　him。　Can't　last；　this　equilibrium。　Unstable。　Pleasing　both　sides。　Eh？　The　wave　function　of　this　situation　is　going　to　collapse　quite　soon。　I　have　it　on　good　authority。〃
　　〃Really？〃　said　Lyra；　her　mind　elsewhere；　furiously　thinking　about　what　he'd　just　said。
　　〃Yes。　My　daemon's　tongue　can　taste　probability；　you　know。〃
　　〃Yeah。　Mine　too。　When　do　they　feed　us；　Professor？〃
　　〃Feed　us？〃
　　〃They　must　put　some　food　in　sometime；　else　we'd　starve。　And　there's　bones　on　the　floor。　I　expect　they're　seal　bones；　aren't　they？〃
　　〃Seal　。　。　。　I　don't　know。　It　might　be。〃
　　Lyra　got　up　and　felt　her　way　to　the　door。　There　was　no　handle；　naturally；　and　no　keyhole；　and　it　fitted　so　closely　at　top　and　bottom　that　no　light　showed。　She　pressed　her　ear　to　it；　but　heard　nothing。　Behind　her　the　old　man　was　muttering　to　himself。　She　heard　his　chain　rattle　as　he　turned　over　wearily　and　lay　the　other　way；　and　presently　he　began　to　snore。
　　She　felt　her　way　back　to　the　bench。　Pantalaimon；　tired　of　putting　out　light；　had　bee　a　bat；　which　was　all　very　well　for　him；　he　fluttered　around　squeaking　quietly　while　Lyra　sat　and　chewed　a　fingernail。
　　Quite　suddenly；　with　no　warning　at　all；　she　remembered　what　it　was　that　she'd　heard　the　Palmerian　Professor　saying　in　the　Retiring　Room　all　that　time　ago。　Something　had　been　nagging　at　her　ever　since　Iorek　Byrnison　had　first　mentioned　lofur's　name；　and　now　it　came　back：　what　lofur　Raknison　wanted　more　than　anything　else；　Professor　Trelawney　had　said；　was　a　daemon。
　　Of　course；　she　hadn't　understood　what　he　meant；　he'd　spoken　of　panserbj0rne　instead　of　using　the　English　word；　so　she　didn't　know　he　was　talking　about　bears；　and　she　had　no　idea　that　lofur　Raknison　wasn't　a　man。　And　a　man　would　have　had　a　daemon　anyway；　so　it　hadn't　made　sense。
　　But　now　it　was　plain。　Everything　she'd　heard　about　the　bear…king　added　up：　the　mighty　lofur　Raknison　wanted　nothing　more　than　to　be　a　human　being；　with　a　daemon　of　his　own。
　　And　as　she　thought　that；　a　plan　came　to　her：　a　way　of　making　lofur　Raknison　do　what　he　would　normally　never　have　done；　a　way　of　restoring　Iorek　Byrnison　to　his　rightful　throne；　a　way；　finally；　of　getting　to　the　place　where　they　had　put　Lord　Asriel；　and　taking　him　the　alethiometer。
　　The　idea　hovered　and　shimmered　delicately；　like　a　soap　bubble；　and　she　dared　not　even　look　at　it　directly　in　case　it　burst。　But　she　was　familiar　with　the　way　of　ideas；　and　she　let　it　shimmer；　looking　away；　thinking　about　something　else。
　　
　　She　was　nearly　asleep　when　the　bolts　clattered　and　the　door　opened。　Light　spilled　in；　and　she　was　on　her　feet　at　once；　with　Pantalaimon　hidden　swiftly　in　her　pocket。
　　As　soon　as　the　bear　guard　bent　his　head　to　lift　the　haunch　of　seal　meat　and　throw　it　in；　she　was　at　his　side；　saying：
　　〃Take　me　to　lofur　Raknison。　You'll　be　in　trouble　if　you　don't。　It's　very　urgent。〃
　　He　dropped　the　meat　from　his　jaws　and　looked　up。　It　wasn't　easy　to　read　bears'　expressions；　but　he　looked　angry。
　　〃It's　about　Iorek　Byrnison；〃　she　said　quickly。　〃I　know　something　about　him；　and　the　king　needs　to　know。〃
　　〃Tell　me　what　it　is；　and　I'll　pass　the　message　on；〃　said　the　bear。
　　〃That　wouldn't　be　right；　not　for　someone　else　to　know　before　the　king　does；〃　she　said。　〃I'm　sorry；　I　don't　mean　to　be　rude；　but　you　see；　it's　the　rule　that　the　king　has　to　know　things　first。〃
　　Perhaps　he　was　slow…witted。　At　any　rate；　he　paused；　and　then　threw　the　meat　into　the　cell　before　saying；　〃Very　well。　You　e　with　me。〃
　　He　led　her　out　into　the　open　air；　for　which　she　was　grateful。　The　fog　had　lifted　and　there　were　stars　glittering　above　the　high…walled　courtyard。　The　guard　conferred　with　another　bear；　who　came　to　speak　to　her。
　　〃You　cannot　see　lofur　Raknison　when　you　please；〃　he　said。　〃You　have　to　wait　till　he　wants　to　see　you。〃
　　〃But　this　is　urgent；　what　I've　got　to　tell　him；〃　she　said。　〃It's　about　Iorek　Byrnison。　I'm　sure　His　Majesty　would　want　to　know　it；　but　all　the　same　I　can't　tell　it　to　anyone　else；　don't　you　see？　It　wouldn't　be　polite。　He'd　be　ever　so　cross　if　he　knew　we　hadn't　been　polite。〃
　　That　seemed　to　carry　some　weight；　or　else　to　mystify　the　bear　sufficiently　to　make　him　pause。　Lyra　was　sure　her　interpretation　of　things　was　right：　lofur　Raknison　was　introducing　so　many　new　ways　that　none　of　the　bears　was　certain　yet　how　to　behave；　and　she　could　exploit　this　uncertainty　in　order　to　get　to　lofur。
　　So　that　bear　retreated　to　consult　the　bear　above　him；　and　before　long　Lyra　was　ushered　inside　the　palace　again；　but　into　the　state　quarters　this　time。　It　was　no　cleaner　here；　and　in　fact　the　air　was　even　harder　to　breathe　than　in　the　cell；　because　all　the　natural　stinks　had　been　overlaid　by　a　heavy　layer　of　cloying　perfume。　She　was　made　to　wait　in　a　corridor；　then　in　an　anteroom；　then　outside　a　large　door；　while　bears　discussed　and　argued　and　scurried　back　and　forth；　and　she　had　time　to　look　around　at　the　preposterous　decoration：　the　walls　were　rich　with　gilt　plasterwork；　some　of　which　was　already　peeling　off　or　crumbling　with　damp；　and　the　florid　carpets　were　trodden　with　filth。
　　Finally　the　large　door　was　opened　from　the　inside。　A　blaze　of　light　from　half　a　dozen　chandeliers；　a　crimson　carpet；　and　more　of　that　thick　perfume　hanging　in　the　air；　and　the　faces　of　a　dozen　or　more　bears；　all　gazing　at　her；　none　in　armor　but　each　with　some　kind　of　decoration：　a　golden　necklace；　a　headdress　of　purple　feathers；　a　crimson　sash。　Curiously；　the　room　was　also　occupied　by　birds；　terns　and　skuas　perched　on　the　plaster　cornice；　and　swooped　low　to　snatch　at　bits　of　fish　that　had　fallen　out　of　one　another's　nests　in　the　chandeliers。
　　And　on　a　dais　at　the　far　end　of　the　room；　a　mighty　throne　reared　up　high。　It　was　made　of　granite　for　strength　and　mas…siveness；　but　like　so　many　other　things　in　lofur's　palace；　it　was　decorated　with　overelaborate　swags　and　festoons　of　gilt　that　looked　like　tinsel　on　a　mountainside。
　　Sitting　on　the　throne　was　the　biggest　bear　she　had　ever　seen。　lofur　Raknison　was　even　taller　and　bulkier　than　Iorek；　and　his　face　was　much　more　mobile　and　expressive；　with　a　kind　of　humanness　in　it　which　she　had　never　seen　in　Iorek's。　When　lofur　looked　at　her；　she　seemed　to　see　a　man　looking　out　of　his　eyes；　the　sort　of　man　she　had　met　at　Mrs。　Coulter's；　a　subtle　politician　used　to　power。　He　was　wearing　a　heavy　gold　chain　around　his　neck；　with　a　gaudy　jewel　hanging　from　it；　and　his　claws…a　good　six　inches　long…were　each　covered　in　gold　leaf。　The　effect　was　one　of　enormous　strength　and　energy　and　craft；　he　was　quite　big　enough　to　carry　the　absurd　overdecoration；　on　him　it　didn't　look　preposterous；　it　looked　barbaric　and　magnificent。
　　She　quailed。　Suddenly　her　idea　seemed　too　feeble　for　words。
　　But　she　moved　a　little　closer；　because　she　had　to；　and　then　she　saw　that　lofur　was　holding　something　on　his　knee；　as　a　human　might　let　a　cat　sit　there…or　a　daemon。
　　It　was　a　big　stuffed　doll；　a　manikin　with　a　vacant　stupid　human　face。　It　was　dressed　as　Mrs。　Coulter　would　dress；　and　it　had　a　sort　of　rough　resemblance　to　her。　He　was　pretending　he　had　a　daemon。　Then　she　knew　she　was　safe。
　　She　moved　up　close　to　the　throne　and　bowed　very　low；　with　Pantalaimon　keeping　quiet　and　still　in　her　pocket。
　　〃Our　greetings　to　you；　great　King；〃　she　said　quietly。　〃Or　I　mean　my　greetings；　not　his。〃
　　〃Not　whose？〃　he　said；　and　his　voice　was　lighter　than　she　had　thought　it　would　be；　but　full　of　expressive　tones　and　subtleties。　When　he　spoke；　he　waved　a　paw　in　front　of　his　mouth　to　dislodge　the　flies　that　clustered　there。
　　〃Iorek　Byrnison's；　Your　Majesty；〃　she　said。　〃I've　got　something　very　important　and　secret　to　tell　you；　and　I　think　I　ought　to　tell　you　in　private；　really。〃
　　〃Something　about　Iorek　Byrnison？〃