pp.thegoldencompass-第31部分

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fat　man　with　a　florid　face　and　a　sober　black　suit；　whose　name　was　Martin　Lanselius。　His　dsmon　was　a　little　serpent；　the　same　intense　and　brilliant　green　as　his　eyes；　which　were　the　only　witchlike　thing　about　him；　though　Lyra　was　not　sure　what　she　had　been　expecting　a　witch　to　look　like。
　　〃How　can　I　help　you；　Farder　Coram？〃　he　said。
　　〃In　two　ways；　Dr。　Lanselius。　First；　I'm　anxious　to　get　in　touch　with　a　witch　lady　I　met　some　years　ago；　in　the　fen　country　of　Eastern　Anglia。　Her　name　is　Serafina　Pekkala。〃
　　Dr。　Lanselius　made　a　note　with　a　silver　pencil。
　　〃How　long　ago　was　your　meeting　with　her？〃　he　said。
　　〃Must　be　forty　years。　But　I　think　she　would　remember。〃
　　〃And　what　is　the　second　way　in　which　you　seek　my　help？〃
　　〃I'm　representing　a　number　of　gyptian　families　who've　lost　children。　We've　got　reason　to　believe　there's　an　organization　capturing　these　children；　ours　and　others；　and　bringing　them　to　the　North　for　some　unknown　purpose。　I'd　like　to　know　whether　you　or　your　people　have　heard　of　anything　like　this　a　going　on。〃
　　Dr。　Lanselius　sipped　his　coffee　blandly。
　　〃It's　not　impossible　that　notice　of　some　such　activity　might　have　e　our　way；〃　he　said。　〃You　realize；　the　relations　between　my　people　and　the　Northlanders　are　perfectly　cordial。　It　would　be　difficult　for　me　to　justify　disturbing　them。〃
　　Farder　Coram　nodded　as　if　he　understood　very　well。
　　〃To　be　sure；〃　he　said。　〃And　it　wouldn't　be　necessary　for　me　to　ask　you　if　I　could　get　the　information　any　other　way。　That　was　why　I　asked　about　the　witch　lady　first。〃
　　Now　Dr。　Lanselius　nodded　as　if　he　understood。　Lyra　watched　this　game　with　puzzlement　and　respect。　There　were　all　kinds　of　things　going　on　beneath　it；　and　she　saw　that　the　witch　consul　was　ing　to　a　decision。
　　〃Very　well；〃　he　said。　〃Of　course；　that's　true；　and　you'll　realize　that　your　name　is　not　unknown　to　us；　Farder　Coram。　Serafina　Pekkala　is　queen　of　a　witch　clan　in　the　region　of　Lake　Enara。　As　for　your　other　question；　it　is　of　course　understood　that　this　information　is　not　reaching　you　through　me。〃
　　〃Quite　so。〃
　　〃Well；　in　this　very　town　there　is　a　branch　of　an　organization　called　the　Northern　Progress　Exploration　pany；　which　pretends　to　be　searching　for　minerals；　but　which　is　really　controlled　by　something　called　the　General　Oblation　Board　of　London。　This　organization；　I　happen　to　know；　imports　children。　This　is　not　generally　known　in　the　town；　the　Norroway　government　is　not　officially　aware　of　it。　The　children　don't　remain　here　long。　They　are　taken　some　distance　inland。〃
　　〃Do　you　know　where；　Dr。　Lanselius？〃
　　〃No。　I　would　tell　you　if　I　did。〃
　　〃And　do　you　know　what　happens　to　them　there？〃
　　For　the　first　time；　Dr。　Lanselius　glanced　at　Lyra。　She　looked　stolidly　back。　The　little　green　serpent　daemon　raised　her　head　from　the　consul's　collar　and　whispered　tongue…flickeringly　in　his　ear。

　　The　consul　said；　〃I　have　heard　the　phrase　the　M。aystadt　process　in　connection　with　this　matter。　I　think　they　use　that　in　order　to　avoid　calling　what　they　do　by　its　proper　name。　I　have　also　heard　the　word　intercision；　but　what　it　refers　to　I　could　not　say。〃
　　〃And　are　there　any　children　in　the　town　at　the　moment？〃　said　Farder　Coram。
　　He　was　stroking　his　daemon's　fur　as　she　sat　alert　in　his　lap。　Lyra　noticed　that　she　had　stopped　purring。
　　〃No；　I　think　not；〃　said　Dr。　Lanselius。　〃A　group　of　about　twelve　arrived　a　week　ago　and　moved　out　the　day　before　yesterday。〃
　　〃Ah！　As　recent　as　that？　Then　that　gives　us　a　bit　of　hope。　How　did　they　travel；　Dr。　Lanselius？〃
　　〃By　sledge。〃
　　〃And　you　have　no　idea　where　they　went？〃
　　〃Very　little。　It　is　not　a　subject　we　are　interested　in。〃
　　〃Quite　so。　Now；　you've　answered　all　my　questions　very　fairly；　sir；　and　here's　just　one　more。　If　you　were　me；　what　question　would　you　ask　of　the　Consul　of　the　Witches？〃
　　For　the　first　time　Dr。　Lanselius　smiled。
　　〃I　would　ask　where　I　could　obtain　the　services　of　an　armored　bear；〃　he　said。
　　Lyra　sat　up；　and　felt　Pantalaimon's　heart　leap　in　her　hands。
　　〃I　understood　the　armored　bears　to　be　in　the　service　of　the　Oblation　Board；〃　said　Farder　Coram　in　surprise。　〃I　mean；　the　Northern　Progress　pany；　or　whatever　they're　calling　themselves。〃
　　〃There　is　at　least　one　who　is　not。　You　will　find　him　at　the　sledge　depot　at　the　end　of　Langlokur　Street。　He　earns　a　living　there　at　the　moment；　but　such　is　his　temper　and　the　fear　he　engenders　in　the　dogs；　his　employment　might　not　last　for　long。〃
　　〃Is　he　a　renegade；　then？〃
　　〃It　seems　so。　His　name　is　Iorek　Byrnison。　You　asked　what　I　would　ask；　and　I　told　you。　Now　here　is　what　I　would　do：　I　would　seize　the　chance　to　employ　an　armored　bear；　even　if　it　were　far　more　remote　than　this。〃
　　Lyra　could　hardly　sit　still。　Farder　Coram；　however；　knew　the　etiquette　for　meetings　such　as　this；　and　took　another　spiced　honey　cake　from　the　plate。　While　he　ate　it；　Dr。　Lanselius　turned　to　Lyra。
　　〃I　understand　that　you　are　in　possession　of　an　alethiome…ter；〃　he　said；　to　her　great　surprise；　for　how　could　he　have　known　that？
　　〃Yes；〃　she　said；　and　then；　prompted　by　a　nip　from　Pantalaimon；　added；　〃Would　you　like　to　look　at　it？〃
　　〃I　should　like　that　very　much。〃
　　She　fished　inelegantly　in　the　oilskin　pouch　and　handed　him　the　velvet　package。　He　unfolded　it　and　held　it　up　with　great　care；　gazing　at　the　face　like　a　Scholar　gazing　at　a　rare　manuscript。
　　〃How　exquisite！〃　he　said。　〃I　have　seen　one　other　example；　but　it　was　not　so　fine　as　this。　And　do　you　possess　the　books　of　readings？〃
　　〃No；〃　Lyra　began；　but　before　she　could　say　any　more；　Farder　Coram　was　speaking。
　　〃No；　the　great　pity　is　that　although　Lyra　possesses　the　alethiometer　itself；　there's　no　means　of　reading　it　whatsoever；〃　he　said。　〃It's　just　as　much　of　a　mystery　as　the　pools　of　ink　the　Hindus　use　for　reading　the　future。　And　the　nearest　book　of　readings　I　know　of　is　in　the　Abbey　of　St。　Johann　at　Heidelberg。〃
　　Lyra　could　see　why　he　was　saying　this：　he　didn't　want　Dr。　Lanselius　to　know　of　Lyra's　power。　But　she　could　also　see　something　Farder　Coram　couldn't；　which　was　the　agitation　of　Dr。　Lanselius's　daemon；　and　she　knew　at　once　that　it　was　no　good　to　pretend。
　　So　she　said；　〃Actually；　I　can　read　it；〃　speaking　half　to　Dr。　Lanselius　and　half　to　Farder　Coram；　and　it　was　the　consul　who　responded。
　　〃That　is　wise　of　you；〃　he　said。　〃Where　did　you　obtain　this　one？〃
　　〃The　Master　of　Jordan　College　in　Oxford　gave　it　to　me；〃　she　said。　〃Dr。　Lanselius；　do　you　know　who　made　them？〃
　　〃They　are　said　to　originate　in　the　city　of　Prague；〃　said　the　consul。　〃The　Scholar　who　invented　the　first　alethiometer　was　apparently　trying　to　discover　a　way　of　measuring　the　influences　of　the　planets；　according　to　the　ideas　of　astrology。　He　intended　to　make　a　device　that　would　respond　to　the　idea　of　Mars　or　Venus　as　a　pass　responds　to　the　idea　of　North。　In　that　he　failed；　but　the　mechanism　he　invented　was　clearly　responding　to　something；　even　if　no　one　knew　what　it　was。〃
　　〃And　where　did　they　get　the　symbols　from？〃
　　〃Oh；　this　was　in　the　seventeenth　century。　Symbols　and　emblems　were　everywhere。　Buildings　and　pictures　were　designed　to　be　read　like　books。　Everything　stood　for　something　else；　if　you　had　the　right　dictionary；　you　could　read　Nature　itself。　It　was　hardly　surprising　to　find　philosophers　using　the　symbolism　of　their　time　to　interpret　knowledge　that　came　from　a　mysterious　source。　But；　you　know；　they　haven't　been　used　seriously　for　two　centuries　or　so。〃
　　He　handed　the　instrument　back　to　Lyra；　and　added：
　　〃May　I　ask　a　question？　Without　the　books　of　symbols；　how　do　you　read　it？〃
　　〃I　just　make　my　mind　go　clear　and　then　it's　sort　of　like　looking　down　into　water。　You　got　to　let　your　eyes　find　the　right　level；　because　that's　the　only　one　that's　in　focus。　Something　like　that；〃　she　said。
　　〃I　wonder　if　I　might　ask　to　see　you　do　it？〃　he　said。
　　Lyra　looked　at　Farder　Coram；　wanting　to　say　yes　but　waiting　for　his　approval。　The　old　man　nodded。
　　〃What　shall　I　ask？〃　said　Lyra。
　　〃What　are　the　intentions　of　the　Tartars　with　regard　to　Kamchatka？〃
　　That　wasn't　hard。　Lyra　turned　the　hands　to　the　camel；　which　meant　Asia；　which　meant　Tartars；　to　the　cornucopia；　for　Kamchatka；　where　there　were　gold　mines；　and　to　the　ant；　which　meant　activity；　which　meant　purpose　and　intention。　Then　she　sat　still；　letting　her　mind　hold　the　three　levels　of　meaning　together　in　focus；　and　relaxed　for　the　answer；　which　came　almost　at　once。　The　long　needle　trembled　on　the　dolphin；　the　helmet；　the　baby；　and　the　anchor；　dancing　between　them　and　onto　the　crucible　in　a　plicated　pattern　that　Lyra's　eyes　followed　without　hesitation；　but　which　was　inprehensible　to　the　two　men。
　　When　it　had　pleted　the　movements　several　times；　Lyra　looked　up。　She　blinked　once　or　twice　as　if　she　were　ing　out　of　a　trance。
　　〃They're　going　to　pretend　to　attack　it；　but　they're　not　really　going　to；　because　it's　too　far　away　and　they'd　be　too　stretched　out；〃　she　said。
　　〃Would　you　tell　me　how　you　read　that？〃
　　〃The　dolphin；　one　of　its　deep…down　meanings　is　playing；　sort　of　like　being　playful；〃　she　explained。　〃I　know　it's　the　fifteenth　because　it　stopped　fifteen　times　and　it　just　got　clear　at　that　level　but　nowh