pp.thegoldencompass-第58部分

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t　on　your　belly…〃
　　A　bear　laid　a　mouthful　of　some　stiff　green　stuff；　thickly　frosted；　on　the　ground　at　Iorek's　feet。
　　〃Bloodmoss；〃　said　Iorek。　〃Press　it　in　the　wounds　for　me；　Lyra。　Fold　the　flesh　over　it　and　then　hold　some　snow　there　till　it　freezes。〃
　　He　wouldn't　let　any　bears　attend　to　him；　despite　their　eagerness。　Besides；　Lyra's　hands　were　deft；　and　she　was　desperate　to　help；　so　the　small　human　bent　over　the　great　bear…king；　packing　in　the　bloodmoss　and　freezing　the　raw　flesh　till　it　stopped　bleeding。　When　she　had　finished；　her　mittens　were　sodden　with　Iorek's　blood；　but　his　wounds　were　stanched。
　　And　by　that　time　the　prisoners…a　dozen　or　so　men；　shivering　and　blinking　and　huddling　together…had　e　out。　There　was　no　point　in　talking　to　the　professor；　Lyra　decided；　because　the　poor　man　was　mad；　and　she　would　have　liked　to　know　who　the　other　men　were；　but　there　were　many　other　urgent　things　to　do。　And　she　didn't　want　to　distract　Iorek；　who　was　giving　rapid　orders　and　sending　bears　scurrying　this　way　and　that；　but　she　was　anxious　about　Roger；　and　about　Lee　Scoresby　and　the　witches；　and　she　was　hungry　and　tired　。　。　。　。　She　thought　the　best　thing　she　could　do　just　then　was　to　keep　out　of　the　way。
　　So　she　curled　up　in　a　quiet　corner　of　the　bat　ground　with　Pantalaimon　as　a　wolverine　to　keep　her　warm；　and　piled　snow　over　herself　as　a　bear　would　do；　and　went　to　sleep。
　　
　　Something　nudged　her　foot；　and　a　strange　bear　voice　said；　〃Lyra　Silvertongue；　the　king　wants　you。〃
　　She　woke　up　nearly　dead　with　cold；　and　couldn't　open　her　eyes；　for　they　had　frozen　shut；　but　Pantalaimon　licked　them　to　melt　the　ice　on　her　eyelashes；　and　soon　she　was　able　to　see　the　young　bear　speaking　to　her　in　the　moonlight。
　　She　tried　to　stand；　but　fell　over　twice。
　　The　bear　said；　〃Ride　on　me；〃　and　crouched　to　offer　his　broad　back；　and　half…clinging；　half…falling；　she　managed　to　stay　on　while　he　took　her　to　a　steep　hollow；　where　many　bears　were　assembled。
　　And　among　them　was　a　small　figure　who　ran　toward　her；　and　whose　daemon　leaped　up　to　greet　Pantalaimon。
　　〃Roger！〃　she　said。
　　〃Iorek　Byrnison　made　me　stay　out　there　in　the　snow　while　he　came　to　fetch　you　away…we　fell　out　the　balloon；　Lyra！　After　you　fell　out；　we　got　carried　miles　and　miles；　and　then　Mr。　Scoresby　let　some　more　gas　out　and　we　crashed　into　a　mountain；　and　we　fell　down　such　a　slope　like　you　never　seen！　And　I　don't　know　where　Mr。　Scoresby　is　now；　nor　the　witches。　There　was　just　me　and　Iorek　Byrnison。　He　e　straight　back　this　way　to　look　for　you。　And　they　told　me　about　his　fight　。　。　。　。〃
　　Lyra　looked　around。　Under　the　direction　of　an　older　bear；　the　human　prisoners　were　building　a　shelter　out　of　driftwood　and　scraps　of　canvas。　They　seemed　pleased　to　have　some　work　to　do。　One　of　them　was　striking　a　flint　to　light　a　fire。
　　〃There　is　food；〃　said　the　young　bear　who　had　woken　Lyra。
　　A　fresh　seal　lay　on　the　snow。　The　bear　sliced　it　open　with　a　claw　and　showed　Lyra　where　to　find　the　kidneys。　She　ate　one　raw：　it　was　warm　and　soft　and　delicious　beyond　imagining。
　　〃Eat　the　blubber　too；〃　said　the　bear；　and　tore　off　a　piece　for　her。　It　tasted　of　cream　flavored　with　hazelnuts。　Roger　hesitated；　but　followed　her　example。　They　ate　greedily；　and　within　a　very　few　minutes　Lyra　was　fully　awake　and　beginning　to　be　warm。
　　Wiping　her　mouth；　she　looked　around；　but　Iorek　was　not　in　sight。
　　〃Iorek　Byrnison　is　speaking　with　his　counselors；〃　said　the　young　bear。　〃He　wants　to　see　you　when　you　have　eaten。　Follow　me。〃
　　He　led　them　over　a　rise　in　the　snow　to　a　spot　where　bears　were　beginning　to　build　a　wall　of　ice　blocks。　Iorek　sat　at　the　center　of　a　group　of　older　bears；　and　he　rose　to　greet　her。
　　〃Lyra　Silvertongue；〃　he　said。　〃e　and　hear　what　I　am　being　told。〃
　　He　didn't　explain　her　presence　to　the　other　bears；　or　perhaps　they　had　learned　about　her　already；　but　they　made　room　for　her　and　treated　her　with　immense　courtesy；　as　if　she　were　a　queen。　She　felt　proud　beyond　measure　to　sit　beside　her　friend　Iorek　Byrnison　under　the　Aurora　as　it　flickered　gracefully　in　the　polar　sky；　and　join　the　conversation　of　the　bears。
　　It　turned　out　that　lofur　Raknison's　dominance　over　them　had　been　like　a　spell。　Some　of　them　put　it　down　to　the　influence　of　Mrs。　Coulter；　who　had　visited　him　before　Iorek's　exile；　though　Iorek　had　not　known　about　it；　and　given　lofur　various　presents。
　　〃She　gave　him　a　drug；〃　said　one　bear；　〃which　he　fed　secretly　to　Hjalmur　Hjalmurson；　and　made　him　forget　himself。〃
　　Hjalmur　Hjalmurson；　Lyra　gathered；　was　the　bear　whom　Iorek　had　killed；　and　whose　death　had　brought　about　his　exile。　So　Mrs。　Coulter　was　behind　that！　And　there　was　more。
　　〃There　are　human　laws　that　prevent　certain　things　that　she　was　planning　to　do；　but　human　laws　don't　apply　on　Svalbard。　She　wanted　to　set　up　another　station　here　like　Bolvangar；　only　worse；　and　lofur　was　going　to　allow　her　to　do　it；　against　all　the　custom　of　the　bears；　because　humans　have　visited；　or　been　imprisoned；　but　never　lived　and　worked　here。　Little　by　little　she　was　going　to　increase　her　power　over　lofur　Raknison；　and　his　over　us；　until　we　were　her　creatures　running　back　and　forth　at　her　bidding；　and　our　only　duty　to　guard　the　abomination　she　was　going　to　create　。　。　。　。〃
　　That　was　an　old　bear　speaking。　His　name　was　S0ren　Eisarson；　and　he　was　a　counselor；　one　who　had　suffered　under　lofur　Raknison。
　　〃What　is　she　doing　now；　Lyra？〃　said　Iorek　Byrnison。　〃Once　she　hears　of　lofur's　death；　what　will　her　plans　be？〃
　　Lyra　took　out　the　alethiometer。　There　was　not　much　light　to　see　it　by；　and　Iorek　manded　that　a　torch　be　brought。
　　〃What　happened　to　Mr。　Scoresby？〃　Lyra　said　while　they　were　waiting。　〃And　the　witches？〃
　　〃The　witches　were　attacked　by　another　witch　clan。　I　don't　know　if　the　others　were　allied　to　the　child　cutters；　but　they　were　patrolling　our　skies　in　vast　numbers；　and　they　attacked　in　the　storm。　I　didn't　see　what　happened　to　Serafina　Pekkala。　As　for　Lee　Scoresby；　the　balloon　soared　up　again　after　I　fell　out　with　the　boy；　taking　him　with　it。　But　your　symbol　reader　will　tell　you　what　their　fate　is。〃
　　A　bear　pulled　up　a　sledge　on　which　a　cauldron　of　charcoal　was　smoldering；　and　thrust　a　resinous　branch　into　the　heart　of　it。　The　branch　caught　at　once；　and　in　its　glare　Lyra　turned　the　hands　of　the　alethiometer　and　asked　about　Lee　Scoresby。
　　It　turned　out　that　he　was　still　aloft；　borne　by　the　winds　toward　Nova　Zembla；　and　that　he　had　been　unharmed　by　the　cliff…ghasts　and　had　fought　off　the　other　witch　clan。
　　Lyra　told　Iorek；　and　he　nodded；　satisfied。
　　〃If　he　is　in　the　air；　he　will　be　safe；〃　he　said。　〃What　of　Mrs。　Coulter？〃
　　The　answer　was　plicated；　with　the　needle　swinging　from　symbol　to　symbol　in　a　sequence　that　made　Lyra　puzzle　for　a　long　time。　The　bears　were　curious；　but　restrained　by　their　respect　for　Iorek　Byrnison；　and　his　for　Lyra；　and　she　put　them　out　of　her　mind　and　sank　again　into　the　alethiometric　trance。
　　The　play　of　symbols；　once　she　had　discovered　the　pattern　of　it；　was　dismaying。
　　〃It　says　she's　。　。　。　She's　heard　about　us　flying　this　way；　and　she's　got　a　transport　zeppelin　that's　armed　with　machine　guns…I　think　that's　it…and　they're　a　flying　to　Svalbard　right　now。　She　don't　know　yet　about　lofur　Raknison　being　beaten；　of　course；　but　she　will　soon　because　。　。　。　Oh　yes；　because　some　witches　will　tell　her；　and　they'll　learn　it　from　the　cliff…ghasts。　So　I　reckon　there　are　spies　in　the　air　all　around；　Iorek。　She　was　ing　to　。　。　。　to　pretend　to　help　lofur　Raknison；　but　really　she　was　going　to　take　over　power　from　him；　with　a　regiment　of　Tartars　that's　a　ing　by　sea；　and　they'll　be　here　in　a　couple　of　days。
　　〃And　as　soon　as　she　can；　she's　going　to　where　Lord　Asriel　is　kept　prisoner；　and　she's　intending　to　have　him　killed。　Because　　。　。　。　It's　ing　clear　now：　something　I　never　understood　before；　Iorek！　It's　why　she　wants　to　kill　Lord　Asriel：　it's　because　she　knows　what　he's　going　to　do；　and　she　fears　it；　and　she　wants　to　do　it　herself　and　gain　control　before　he　does　。　。　。　。It　must　be　the　city　in　the　sky；　it　must　be！　She's　trying　to　get　to　it　first！　And　now　it's　telling　me　something　else　。　。　。　。〃
　　She　bent　over　the　instrument；　concentrating　furiously　as　the　needle　darted　this　way　and　that。　It　moved　almost　too　fast　to　follow；　Roger；　looking　over　her　shoulder；　couldn't　even　see　it　stop；　and　was　conscious　only　of　a　swift　nickering　dialogue　between　Lyra's　fingers　turning　the　hands　and　the　needle　answering；　as　bewilderingly　unlike　language　as　the　Aurora　was。
　　〃Yes；〃　she　said　finally；　putting　the　instrument　down　in　her　lap　and　blinking　and　sighing　as　she　woke　out　of　her　profound　concentration。　〃Yes；　I　see　what　it　says。　She's　after　me　again。
　　She　wants　something　I've　got；　because　Lord　Asriel　wants　it　too。　They　need　it　for　this　。　。　。　for　this　experiment；　whatever　it　is　。　。　。　〃
　　She　stopped　there；　to　take　a　deep　breath。　Something　was　troubling　her；　and　she　didn't　know　what　it　was。　She　was　sure　that　this　something　that　was　so　important　was　the　alethiome…ter　itself；　because　after　all；　Mrs。　Coulter　had　wanted　it；　and　what　else　could　it　be？　And　yet　it　wasn't；　because　the　alethiometer　had　a　different　way　of　referring　to　itself；　and　this　wasn't　it。
　　〃I　suppose　it's　the　alethiometer；〃　she　said　unhappily。　〃It's　what　I　thought　all　along。　I've　got　to　take　it　to　Lord　Asriel　before　she　gets　it。　If　she　gets　it；　we'll　all　die。〃
　　As　she　said　that；　she　felt　so　tired；　so　bone…deep　weary　and　sad；　that　to　die　would　have　been　a　relief。　But　the　example　of　Iorek　kept　her　from　admitting　it。　She　put　the　alethiometer　away　and　sat　up　straight。
　　〃How　far　away　is　she　？〃　said　Iorek。
　　〃Just　a　few　hours。　I　suppose　I　ought　to　take　the　alethiometer　to　Lord　Asriel　as　soon　as　I　can。〃
　　〃I　will　go　with　you；〃　said　Iorek。
　　She　didn't　argue。　While　Iorek　gave　mands　and　organized　an　armed　squad　to　acpany　them　on　the　final　part　of　their　journey　north；　Lyra　sat　still；　conserving　her　energy。　She　felt　that　something　had　gone　out　of　her　during　that　last　reading。　She　closed　her　eyes　and　slept；　and　presently　they　woke　her　and　set　off。
　　
　　
　　TWENTY…ONE
　　LORD　ASRIEL'S　WELE
　　
　　Lyra　rode　a　strong　young　bear；　and　Roger　rode　another；　while　Iorek　paced　tire