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pp.thegoldencompass-第11部分
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ver the fence into the wide meadow; swinging fifteen at a time on the old swing bridge over the green water; and running full pelt through the narrow streets of Jericho; between the little brick terraced houses and into the great square…towered oratory of St。 Barnabas the Chymist。 Half of them didn't know what they were looking for; and thought it was just a lark; but those closest to Lyra felt a real fear and apprehension every time they glimpsed a solitary figure down an alley or in the dimness of the oratory: was it a Gobbler?
But of course it wasn't。 Eventually; with no success; and with the shadow of Billy's real disappearance hanging over them all; the fun faded away。 As Lyra and the two College boys left Jericho when suppertime neared; they saw the gyptians gathering on the wharf next to where the Costas' boat was moored。 Some of the women were crying loudly; and the men were standing in angry groups; with all their daemons agitated and rising in nervous flight or snarling at shadows。
〃I bet them Gobblers wouldn't dare e in here;〃 said Lyra to Simon Parslow; as the two of them stepped over the threshold into the great lodge of Jordan。
〃No;〃 he said uncertainly。 〃But I know there's a kid missing from the market。〃
〃Who?〃 Lyra said。 She knew most of the market children; but she hadn't heard of this。
〃Jessie Reynolds; out the saddler's。 She weren't there at shutting…up time yesterday; and she'd only gone for a bit of fish for her dad's tea。 She never e back and no one'd seen her。 They searched all through the market and everywhere。〃
〃I never heard about that!〃 said Lyra; indignant。 She considered it a deplorable lapse on the part of her subjects not to tell her everything and at once。
〃Well; it was only yesterday。 She might've turned up now。〃
〃I'm going to ask;〃 said Lyra; and turned to leave the lodge。
But she hadn't got out of the gate before the Porter called her。
〃Here; Lyra! You're not to go out again this evening。 Master's orders。〃
〃Why not?〃
〃I told you; Master's orders。 He says if you e in; you stay in。〃
〃You catch me;〃 she said; and darted out before the old man could leave his doorway。
She ran across the narrow street and down into the alley where the vans unloaded goods for the covered market。 This being shutting…up time; there were few vans there now; but a knot of youths stood smoking and talking by the central gate opposite the high stone wall of St。 Michael's College。 Lyra knew one of them; a sixteen…year…old she admired because he could spit further than anyone else she'd ever heard of; and she went and waited humbly for him to notice her。
〃Yeah? What do you want?〃 he said finally。
〃Is Jessie Reynolds disappeared?〃
〃Yeah。 Why?〃
'〃Cause a gyptian kid disappeared today and all。〃
〃They're always disappearing; gyptians。 After every horse fair they disappear。〃
〃So do horses;〃 said one of his friends。
〃This is different;〃 said Lyra。 〃This is a kid。 We was looking for him all afternoon and the other kids said the Gobblers got him。〃
〃The what?〃
〃The Gobblers;〃 she said。 〃En't you heard of the Gobblers?〃
It was news to the other boys as well; and apart from a few coarse ments they listened closely to what she told them。
〃Gobblers;〃 said Lyra's acquaintance; whose name was Dick。 〃It's stupid。 These gyptians; they pick up all kinds of stupid ideas。〃
〃They said there was Gobblers in Banbury a couple of weeks ago;〃 Lyra insisted; 〃and there was five kids taken。 They probably e to Oxford now to get kids from us。 It must've been them what got Jessie。〃
〃There was a kid lost over Cowley way;〃 said one of the other boys。 〃I remember now。 My auntie; she was there yesterday; 'cause she sells fish and chips out a van; and she heard about it 。 。 。 。Some little boy; that's it 。 。 。 I dunno about the Gobblers; though。 They en't real; Gobblers。 Just a story。〃
〃They are!〃 Lyra said。 〃The gyptians seen 'em。 They reckon they eat the kids they catch; and 。 。 。 〃
She stopped in midsentence; because something had suddenly e into her mind。 During that strange evening she'd spent hidden in the Retiring Room; Lord Asriel had shown a lantern slide of a man with streams of light pouring from his hand; and there'd been a small figure beside him; with less light around it; and he'd said it was a child; and someone had asked if it was a severed child; and her uncle had said no; that was the point。 Lyra remembered that severed meant 〃cut。〃
And then something else hit her heart: where was Roger?
She hadn't seen him since the morning 。 。 。 。
Suddenly she felt afraid。 Pantalaimon; as a miniature lion; sprang into her arms and growled。 She said goodbye to the youths by the gate and walked quietly back into Turl Street; and then ran full pelt for Jordan lodge; tumbling in through the door a second before the now cheetah…shaped daemon。
The Porter was sanctimonious。
〃I had to ring the Master and tell him;〃 he said。 〃He en't pleased at all。 I wouldn't be in your shoes; not for money I wouldn't。〃
〃Where's Roger?〃 she demanded。
〃I en't seen him。 He'll be for it; too。 Ooh; when Mr。 Cawson catches him…〃
Lyra ran to the kitchen and thrust her way into the hot; clangorous; steaming bustle。
〃Where's Roger?〃 she shouted。
〃Clear off; Lyra! We're busy here!〃
〃But where is he? Has he turned up or not?〃
No one seemed interested。
〃But where is he? You must've heard!〃 Lyra shouted at the chef; who boxed her ears and sent her storming away。
Bernie the pastry cook tried to calm her down; but she wouldn't be consoled。
〃They got him! Them bloody Gobblers; they oughter catch 'em and bloody kill 'em! I hate 'em! You don't care about Roger…〃
〃Lyra; we all care about Roger…〃
〃You don't; else you'd all stop work and go and look for him right now! I hate you!〃
〃There could be a dozen reasons why Roger en't turned up。 Listen to sense。 We got dinner to prepare and serve in less than an hour; the Master's got guests in the lodging; and he'll be eating over there; and that means Chef'11 have to attend to getting the food there quick so it don't go cold; and what with one thing and another; Lyra; life's got to go on。 I'm sure Roger'11 turn up 。 。 。 。〃
Lyra turned and ran out of the kitchen; knocking over a stack of silver dish covers and ignoring the roar of anger that arose。 She sped down the steps and across the quadrangle; between the chapel and Palmer's Tower and into the Yaxley Quad; where the oldest buildings of the College stood。
Pantalaimon scampered before her; flowing up the stairs to the very top; where Lyra's bedroom was。 Lyra barged open the door; dragged her rickety chair to the window; flung wide the casement; and scrambled out。 There was a lead…lined stone gutter a foot wide just below the window; and once she was standing in that; she turned and clambered up over the rough tiles until she stood on the topmost ridge of the roof。 There she opened her mouth and screamed。 Pantalaimon; who always became a bird once on the roof; flew round and round shrieking rook shrieks with her。
The evening sky was awash with peach; apricot; cream: tender little ice…cream clouds in a wide orange sky。 The spires and towers of Oxford stood around them; level but no higher; the green woods of Chateau…Vert and White Ham rose on either side to the east and the west。 Rooks were cawing somewhere; and bells were ringing; and from the oxpens the steady beat of a gas engine announced the ascent of the evening Royal Mail zeppelin for London。 Lyra watched it climb away beyond the spire of St。 Michael's Chapel; as big at first as the tip of her little finger when she held it at arm's length; and then steadily smaller until it was a dot in the pearly sky。
She turned and looked down into the shadowed quadrangle; where the black…gowned figures of the Scholars were already beginning to drift in ones and twos toward the buttery; their daemons strutting or fluttering alongside or perching calmly on their shoulders。 The lights were going on in the Hall; she could see the stained…glass windows gradually beginning to glow as a servant moved up the tables lighting the naphtha lamps。 The Steward's bell began to toll; announcing half an hour before dinner。
This was her world。 She wanted it to stay the same forever and ever; but it was changing around her; for someone out there was stealing children。 She sat on the roof ridge; chin in hands。
〃We better rescue him; Pantalaimon;〃 she said。 He answered in his rook voice from the chimney。 〃It'll be dangerous;〃 he said。 '〃Course! I know that。〃
〃Remember what they said in the Retiring Room。〃
〃What?〃
〃Something about a child up in the Arctic。 The one that wasn't attracting the Dust。〃
〃They said it was an entire child 。 。 。 。What about it?〃
〃That might be what they're going to do to Roger and the gyptians and the other kids。〃
〃What?〃
〃Well; what does entire mean?〃
〃Dunno。 They cut 'em in half; probably。 I reckon they make slaves out of 'em。 That'd be more use。 They probably got mines up there。 Uranium mines for atomcraft。 I bet that's what it is。 And if they sent grownups down the m
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