pp.thegoldencompass-第10部分

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　　〃In　the　kitchen；　Father。〃
　　〃Should　you　be　there　now？〃
　　〃Yes；　Father。〃
　　〃Then　be　off　with　you。〃
　　Roger　turned　and　ran。　Lyra　dragged　her　foot　from　side　to　side　on　the　floor。
　　〃As　for　you；　Lyra；〃　said　Father　Heyst；　〃I'm　pleased　to　see　you　taking　an　interest　in　what　lies　in　the　oratory。　You　are　a　lucky　child；　to　have　all　this　history　around　you。〃
　　〃Mm；〃　said　Lyra。
　　〃But　I　wonder　about　your　choice　of　panions。　Are　you　a　lonely　child？〃
　　〃No；〃　she　said。
　　〃Do　you　。　。　。　do　you　miss　the　society　of　other　children？〃
　　〃No。〃
　　〃I　don't　mean　Roger　the　kitchen　boy。　I　mean　children　such　as　yourself。　Nobly　born　children。　Would　you　like　to　have　some　panions　of　that　sort？〃
　　〃No。〃
　　〃But　other　girls；　perhaps　。　。　。　〃
　　〃No。〃
　　〃You　see；　none　of　us　would　want　you　to　miss　all　the　usual　childhood　pleasures　and　pastimes。　I　sometimes　think　it　must　be　a　lonely　life　for　you　here　among　a　pany　of　elderly　Scholars；　Lyra。　Do　you　feel　that？〃
　　〃No。〃
　　He　tapped　his　thumbs　together　over　his　interlaced　fingers；　unable　to　think　of　anything　else　to　ask　this　stubborn　child。
　　〃If　there　is　anything　troubling　you；〃　he　said　finally；　〃you　know　you　can　e　and　tell　me　about　it。　I　hope　you　feel　you　can　always　do　that。〃
　　〃Yes；〃　she　said。
　　〃Do　you　say　your　prayers？〃
　　〃Yes。〃
　　〃Good　girl。　Well；　run　along。〃
　　With　a　barely　concealed　sigh　of　relief；　she　turned　and　left。　Having　failed　to　find　Gobblers　below　ground；　Lyra　took　to　the　streets　again。　She　was　at　home　there。
　　Then；　almost　when　she'd　lost　interest　in　them；　the　Gobblers　appeared　in　Oxford。
　　
　　The　first　Lyra　heard　of　it　was　when　a　young　boy　went　missing　from　a　gyptian　family　she　knew。
　　It　was　about　the　time　of　the　horse　fair；　and　the　canal　basin　was　crowded　with　narrowboats　and　butty　boats；　with　traders　and　travelers；　and　the　wharves　along　the　waterfront　in　Jericho　were　bright　with　gleaming　harness　and　loud　with　the　clop　of　hooves　and　the　clamor　of　bargaining。　Lyra　always　enjoyed　the　horse　fair；　as　well　as　the　chance　of　stealing　a　ride　on　a　less…than…well…attended　horse；　there　were　endless　opportunities　for　provoking　warfare。
　　And　this　year　she　had　a　grand　plan。　Inspired　by　the　capture　of　the　narrowboat　the　year　before；　she　intended　this　time　to　make　a　proper　voyage　before　being　turned　out。　If　she　and　her　cronies　from　the　College　kitchens　could　get　as　far　as　Abingdon；　they　could　play　havoc　with　the　weir　。　。　。　。
　　But　this　year　there　was　to　be　no　war。　Something　else　happened。　Lyra　was　sauntering　along　the　edge　of　the　Port　Meadow　boatyard　in　the　morning　sun；　without　Roger　for　once　（he　had　been　detailed　to　wash　the　buttery　floor）　but　with　Hugh　Lovat　and　Simon　Parslow；　passing　a　stolen　cigarette　from　one　to　another　and　blowing　out　the　smoke　ostentatiously；　when　she　heard　a　cry　in　a　voice　she　recognized。
　　〃Well；　what　have　you　done　with　him；　you　half…arsed　pillock？〃
　　It　was　a　mighty　voice；　a　woman's　voice；　but　a　woman　with　lungs　of　brass　and　leather。　Lyra　looked　around　for　her　at　once；　because　this　was　Ma　Costa；　who　had　clouted　Lyra　dizzy　on　two　occasions　but　given　her　hot　gingerbread　on　three；　and　whose　family　was　noted　for　the　grandeur　and　sumptu…ousness　of　their　boat。　They　were　princes　among　gyptians；　and　Lyra　admired　Ma　Costa　greatly；　but　she　intended　to　be　wary　of　her　for　some　time　yet；　for　theirs　was　the　boat　she　had　hijacked。
　　One　of　Lyra's　brat　panions　picked　up　a　stone　automatically　when　he　heard　the　motion；　but　Lyra　said；　〃Put　it　down。　She's　in　a　temper。　She　could　snap　your　backbone　like　a　twig。〃
　　In　fact；　Ma　Costa　looked　more　anxious　than　angry。　The　man　she　was　addressing；　a　horse　trader；　was　shrugging　and　spreading　his　hands。
　　〃Well；　I　dunno；〃　he　was　saying。　〃He　was　here　one　minute　and　gone　the　next。　I　never　saw　where　he　went　。　。　。　。〃
　　〃He　was　helping　you！　He　was　holding　your　bloody　horses　for　you！〃
　　〃Well；　he　should've　stayed　there；　shouldn't　he？　Runs　off　in　the　middle　of　a　job…〃
　　He　got　no　further；　because　Ma　Costa　suddenly　dealt　him　a　mighty　blow　on　the　side　of　the　head；　and　followed　it　up　with　such　a　volley　of　curses　and　slaps　that　he　yelled　and　turned　to　flee。　The　other　horse　traders　nearby　jeered；　and　a　flighty　colt　reared　up　in　alarm。
　　〃What's　going　on？〃　said　Lyra　to　a　gyptian　child　who'd　been　watching　open…mouthed。　〃What's　she　angry　about？〃
　　〃It's　her　kid；〃　said　the　child。　〃It's　Billy。　She　probly　reckons　the　Gobblers　got　him。　They　might've　done；　too。　I　ain't　seen　him　meself　since…〃
　　〃The　Gobblers？　Has　they　e　to　Oxford；　then？〃
　　The　gyptian　boy　turned　away　to　call　to　his　friends；　who　were　all　watching　Ma　Costa。
　　〃She　don't　know　what's　going　on！　She　don't　know　the　Gobblers　is　here！〃
　　Half　a　dozen　brats　turned　with　expressions　of　derision；　and　Lyra　threw　her　cigarette　down；　recognizing　the　cue　for　a　fight。　Everyone's　daemon　instantly　became　warlike：　each　child　was　acpanied　by　fangs；　or　claws；　or　bristling　fur；　and　Pantalaimon；　contemptuous　of　the　limited　imaginations　of　these　gyptian　daemons；　became　a　dragon　the　size　of　a　deer　hound。
　　But　before　they　could　all　join　battle；　Ma　Costa　herself　waded　in；　smacking　two　of　the　gyptians　aside　and　confronting　Lyra　like　a　prizefighter。
　　〃You　seen　him？〃　she　demanded　of　Lyra。　〃You　seen　Billy？〃
　　〃No；〃　Lyra　said。　〃We　just　got　here。　I　en't　seen　Billy　for　months。〃
　　Ma　Costa's　daemon　was　wheeling　in　the　bright　air　above　her　head；　a　hawk；　fierce　yellow　eyes　snapping　this　way　and　that；　unblinking。　Lyra　was　frightened。　No　one　worried　about　a　child　gone　missing　for　a　few　hours；　certainly　not　a　gyptian：　in　the　tight…knit　gyptian　boat　world；　all　children　were　precious　and　extravagantly　loved；　and　a　mother　knew　that　if　a　child　was　out　of　sight；　it　wouldn't　be　far　from　someone　else's　who　would　protect　it　instinctively。
　　But　here　was　Ma　Costa；　a　queen　among　the　gyptians；　in　a　terror　for　a　missing　child。　What　was　going　on？
　　Ma　Costa　looked　half…blindly　over　the　little　group　of　children　and　turned　away　to　stumble　through　the　crowd　on　the　wharf；　bellowing　for　her　child。　At　once　the　children　turned　back　to　one　another；　their　feud　abandoned　in　the　face　of　her　grief。
　　〃What　is　them　Gobblers？〃　said　Simon　Parslow；　one　of　Lyra's　panions。
　　The　first　gyptian　boy　said；　〃You　know。　They　been　stealing　kids　all　over　the　country。　They're　pirates…〃
　　〃They　en't　pirates；〃　corrected　another　gyptian。　〃They're　cannaboles。　That's　why　they　call　'em　Gobblers。〃
　　〃They　eat　kids？〃　said　Lyra's　other　crony；　Hugh　Lovat；　a　kitchen　boy　from　St。　Michael's。
　　〃No　one　knows；〃　said　the　first　gyptian。　〃They　take　'em　away　and　they　en't　never　seen　again。〃
　　〃We　all　know　that；〃　said　Lyra。　〃We　been　playing　kids　and　Gobblers　for　months；　before　you　were；　I　bet。　But　1　bet　no　one's　seen　'em。〃
　　〃They　have；〃　said　one　boy。
　　〃Who；　then？〃　persisted　Lyra。　〃Have　you　seen　'em？　How　d'you　know　it　en't　just　one　person？〃
　　〃Charlie　seen　'em　in　Banbury；〃　said　a　gyptian　girl。　〃They　e　and　talked　to　this　lady　while　another　man　took　her　little　boy　out　the　garden。〃
　　〃Yeah；〃　piped　up　Charlie；　a　gyptian　boy。　〃I　seen　'em　do　it！〃
　　〃What　did　they　look　like？〃　said　Lyra。
　　〃Well　。　。　。　l　　never　　properly　　saw　　'em；〃　　Charlie　　said。　　　〃I　saw　their　truck；　though；〃　he　added。　〃They　e　in　a　white　truck。　They　put　the　little　boy　in　the　truck　and　drove　off　quick。〃
　　〃But　why　do　they　call　'em　Gobblers？〃　Lyra　asked。
　　'〃Cause　they　eat　'em；〃　said　the　first　gyptian　boy。　〃Someone　told　us　in　Northampton。　They　been　up　there　and　all。　This　girl　in　Northampton；　her　brother　was　took；　and　she　said　the　men　as　took　him　told　her　they　was　going　to　eat　him。　Everyone　knows　that。　They　gobble　'em　up。〃
　　A　gyptian　girl　standing　nearby　began　to　cry　loudly。
　　〃That's　Billy's　cousin；〃　said　Charlie。
　　Lyra　said；　〃Who　saw　Billy　last？〃
　　〃Me；〃　said　half　a　dozen　voices。　〃I　seen　him　holding　Johnny
　　Fiorelli's　old　horse…I　seen　him　by　the　toffee…apple　seller…I　seen　him　swinging　on　the　crane…〃
　　When　Lyra　had　sorted　it　out；　she　gathered　that　Billy　had　been　seen　for　certain　not　less　than　two　hours　previously。
　　〃So；〃　she　said；　〃sometime　in　the　last　two　hours　there　must've　been　Gobblers　here　。　。　。　。〃
　　They　all　looked　around；　shivering　in　spite　of　the　warm　sun；　the　crowded　wharf；　the　familiar　smells　of　tar　and　horses　and　smokeleaf。　The　trouble　was　that　because　no　one　knew　what　these　Gobblers　looked　like；　anyone　might　be　a　Gobbler；　as　Lyra　pointed　out　to　the　appalled　gang；　who　were　now　all　under　her　sway；　collegers　and　gyptians　alike。
　　〃They're　bound　to　look　like　ordinary　people；　else　they'd　be　seen　at　once；〃　she　explained。　〃If　they　only　came　at　night；　they　could　look　like　anything。　But　if　they　e　in　the　daylight；　they　got　to　look　ordinary。　So　any　of　these　people　might　be　Gobblers　。　。　。　。〃
　　〃They　en't；〃　said　a　gyptian　uncertainly。　〃I　know　'em　all。〃
　　〃All　right；　not　these；　but　anyone　else；〃　said　Lyra。　〃Let's　go　and　look　for　'em！　And　their　white　truck！〃
　　And　that　precipitated　a　swarm。　Other　searchers　soon　joined　the　first　ones；　and　before　long；　thirty　or　more　gyptian　children　were　racing　from　end　to　end　of　the　wharves；　running　in　and　out　of　stables；　scrambling　over　the　cranes　and　derricks　in　the　boatyard；　leaping　over　the　fence　into　the　wide