pp.thegoldencompass-第52部分

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t　must　have　been　such　a　puzzle；　wondering　what　a　silly　old　thing　like　that　was　any　good　for　。　。　。　。〃
　　Lyra　wondered　how　she　had　ever；　ever；　ever　found　this　woman　to　be　so　fascinating　and　clever。
　　〃So　if　you've　got　it　now；　dear；　you'd　really　better　let　me　have　it　to　look　after。　It's　in　that　belt　around　your　waist；　isn't　it？　Yes；　that　was　a　clever　thing　to　do；　putting　it　away　like　this　。　。　。　。〃
　　Her　hands　were　at　Lyra's　skirt；　and　then　she　was　unfastening　the　stiff　oilcloth。　Lyra　tensed　herself。　The　golden　monkey　was　crouching　at　the　end　of　the　bed；　trembling　with　anticipation；　little　black　hands　to　his　mouth。　Mrs。　Coulter　pulled　the　belt　away　from　Lyra's　waist　and　unbuttoned　the　pouch。　She　was　breathing　fast。　She　took　out　the　black　velvet　cloth　and　unfolded　it；　finding　the　tin　box　Iorek　Byrnison　had　made。
　　Pantalaimon　was　a　cat　again；　tensed　to　spring。　Lyra　drew　her　legs　up　away　from　Mrs。　Coulter；　and　swung　them　down　to　the　floor　so　that　she　too　could　run　when　the　time　came。
　　〃What's　this？〃　said　Mrs。　Coulter；　as　if　amused。　〃What　a　funny　old　tin！　Did　you　put　it　in　here　to　keep　it　safe；　dear？　All　this　moss　。　。　。　You　have　been　careful；　haven't　you？　Another　tin；　inside　the　first　one！　And　soldered！　Who　did　this；　dear？〃
　　She　was　too　intent　on　opening　it　to　wait　for　an　answer。　She　had　a　knife　in　her　handbag　with　a　lot　of　different　attachments；　and　she　pulled　out　a　blade　and　dug　it　under　the　lid。
　　At　once　a　furious　buzzing　filled　the　room。
　　Lyra　and　Pantalaimon　held　themselves　still。　Mrs。　Coulter；　puzzled；　curious；　pulled　at　the　lid；　and　the　golden　monkey　bent　close　to　look。
　　Then　in　a　dazzling　moment　the　black　form　of　the　spy…fly　hurtled　out　of　the　tin　and　crashed　hard　into　the　monkey's　face。
　　He　screamed　and　flung　himself　backward；　and　of　course　it　was　hurting　Mrs。　Coulter　too；　and　she　cried　out　in　pain　and　fright　with　the　monkey；　and　then　the　little　clockwork　devil　swarmed　upward　at　her；　up　her　breast　and　throat　toward　her　face。
　　Lyra　didn't　hesitate。　Pantalaimon　sprang　for　the　door　and　she　was　after　him　at　once；　and　she　tore　it　open　and　raced　away　faster　than　she　had　ever　run　in　her　life。
　　〃Fire　alarm！〃　Pantalaimon　shrieked；　as　he　flew　ahead　of　her。
　　She　saw　a　button　on　the　next　corner；　and　smashed　the　glass　with　her　desperate　fist。　She　ran　on；　heading　toward　the　dormitories；　smashed　another　alarm　and　another；　and　then　people　began　to　e　out　into　the　corridor；　looking　up　and　down　for　the　fire。
　　By　this　time　she　was　near　the　kitchen；　and　Pantalaimon　flashed　a　thought　into　her　mind；　and　she　darted　in。　A　moment　later　she　had　turned　on　all　the　gas　taps　and　flung　a　match　at　the　nearest　burner。　Then　she　dragged　a　bag　of　flour　from　a　shelf　and　hurled　it　at　the　edge　of　a　table　so　it　burst　and　filled　the　air　with　white；　because　she　had　heard　that　flour　will　explode　if　it's　treated　like　that　near　a　flame。
　　Then　she　ran　out　and　on　as　fast　as　she　could　toward　her　own　dormitory。　The　corridors　were　full　now：　children　running　this　way　and　that；　vivid　with　excitement；　for　the　word　escape　had　got　around。　The　oldest　were　making　for　the　storerooms　where　the　clothing　was　kept；　and　herding　the　younger　ones　with　them。　Adults　were　trying　to　control　it　all；　and　none　of　them　knew　what　was　happening。　Shouting；　pushing；　crying；　jostling　people　were　everywhere。
　　Through　it　all　Lyra　and　Pantalaimon　darted　like　fish；　making　always　for　the　dormitory；　and　just　as　they　reached　it；　there　was　a　dull　explosion　from　behind　that　shook　the　building。
　　The　other　girls　had　fled：　the　room　was　empty。　Lyra　dragged　the　locker　to　the　corner；　jumped　up；　hauled　the　furs　out　of　the　ceiling；　felt　for　the　alethiometer。　It　was　still　there。　She　tugged　the　furs　on　quickly；　pulling　the　hood　forward；　and　then　Pantalaimon；　a　sparrow　at　the　door；　called：
　　〃Now！〃
　　She　ran　out。　By　luck　a　group　of　children　who'd　already　found　some　cold…weather　clothing　were　racing　down　the　corridor　toward　the　main　entrance；　and　she　joined　them；　sweating；　her　heart　thumping；　knowing　that　she　had　to　escape　or　die。
　　The　way　was　blocked。　The　fire　in　the　kitchen　had　taken　quickly；　and　whether　it　was　the　flour　or　the　gas；　something　had　brought　down　part　of　the　roof。　People　were　clambering　over　twisted　struts　and　girders　to　get　up　to　the　bitter　cold　air。　The　smell　of　gas　was　strong。　Then　came　another　explosion；　louder　than　the　first　and　closer。　The　blast　knocked　several　people　over；　and　cries　of　fear　and　pain　filled　the　air。
　　Lyra　struggled　up；　and　with　Pantalaimon　calling；　〃This　way！　This　way！〃　among　the　other　daemon…cries　and　flutter…ings；　she　hauled　herself　over　the　rubble。　The　air　she　was　breathing　was　frozen；　and　she　hoped　that　the　children　had　managed　to　find　their　outdoor　clothing；　it　would　be　a　fine　thing　to　escape　from　the　station　only　to　die　of　cold。
　　There　really　was　a　blaze　now。　When　she　got　out　onto　the　roof　under　the　night　sky；　she　could　see　flames　licking　at　the　edges　of　a　great　hole　in　the　side　of　the　building。　There　was　a　throng　of　children　and　adults　by　the　main　entrance；　but　this　time　the　adults　were　more　agitated　and　the　children　more　fearful：　much　more　fearful。
　　〃Roger！　Roger！〃　Lyra　called；　and　Pantalaimon；　keen…eyed　as　an　owl；　hooted　that　he'd　seen　him。
　　A　moment　later　they　found　each　other。
　　〃Tell　'em　all　to　e　with　me！〃　Lyra　shouted　into　his　ear。
　　〃They　won't…they're　all　panicky…〃
　　〃Tell　'em　what　they　do　to　the　kids　that　vanish！　They　cut　their　demons　off　with　a　big　knife！　Tell　'em　what　you　saw　this　afternoon…all　them　daemons　we　let　out！　Tell　'em　that's　going　to　happen　to　them　too　unless　they　get　away！〃
　　Roger　gaped；　horrified；　but　then　collected　his　wits　and　ran　to　the　nearest　group　of　hesitating　children。　Lyra　did　the　same；　and　as　the　message　passed　along；　some　children　cried　out　and　clutched　their　daemons　in　fear。
　　〃e　with　me！〃　Lyra　shouted。　〃There's　a　rescue　a　ing！　We　got　to　get　out　of　the　pound！　e　on；　run！〃
　　The　children　heard　her　and　followed；　streaming　across　the　enclosure　toward　the　avenue　of　lights；　their　boots　pattering　and　creaking　in　the　hard…packed　snow。
　　Behind　them；　adults　were　shouting；　and　there　was　a　rumble　and　crash　as　another　part　of　the　building　fell　in。　Sparks　gushed　into　the　air；　and　flames　billowed　out　with　a　sound　like　tearing　cloth；　but　cutting　through　this　came　another　sound；　dreadfully　close　and　violent。　Lyra　had　never　heard　it　before；　but　she　knew　it　at　once：　it　was　the　howl　of　the　Tartar　guards'　wolf　daemons。　She　felt　weak　from　head　to　foot；　and　many　children　turned　in　fear　and　stumbled　to　a　stop；　for　there　running　at　a　low　swift　tireless　lope　came　the　first　of　the　Tartar　guards；　rifle　at　the　ready；　with　the　mighty　leaping　grayness　of　his　daemon　beside　him。
　　Then　came　another；　and　another。　They　were　all　in　padded　mail；　and　they　had　no　eyes…or　at　least　you　couldn't　see　any　eyes　behind　the　snow　slits　of　their　helmets。　The　only　eyes　you　could　see　were　the　round　black　ends　of　the　rifle　barrels　and　the　blazing　yellow　eyes　of　the　wolf　daemons　above　the　slaver　dripping　from　their　jaws。
　　Lyra　faltered。　She　hadn't　dreamed　of　how　frightening　those　wolves　were。　And　now　that　she　knew　how　casually　people　at　Bolvangar　broke　the　great　taboo；　she　shrank　from　the　thought　of　those　dripping　teeth　。　。　。　。
　　The　Tartars　ran　to　stand　in　a　line　across　the　entrance　to　the　avenue　of　lights；　their　daemons　beside　them　as　disciplined　and　drilled　as　they　were。　In　another　minute　there'd　be　a　second　line；　because　more　were　ing；　and　more　behind　them。　Lyra　thought　with　despair：　children　can't　fight　soldiers。　It　wasn't　like　the　battles　in　the　Oxford　claybeds；　hurling　lumps　of　mud　at　the　brickburners'　children。
　　Or　perhaps　it　was！　She　remembered　hurling　a　handful　of　clay　in　the　broad　face　of　a　brickburner　boy　bearing　down　on　her。　He'd　stopped　to　claw　the　stuff　out　of　his　eyes；　and　then　the　townies　leaped　on　him。
　　She'd　been　standing　in　the　mud。　She　was　standing　in　the　snow。
　　Just　as　she'd　done　that　afternoon；　but　in　deadly　earnest　now；　she　scooped　a　handful　together　and　hurled　it　at　the　nearest　soldier。
　　〃Get　'em　in　the　eyes！〃　she　yelled；　and　threw　another。
　　Other　children　joined　in；　and　then　someone's　daemon　had　the　notion　of　flying　as　a　swift　beside　the　snowball　and　nudging　it　directly　at　the　eye　slits　of　the　target…and　then　they　all　joined　in；　and　in　a　few　moments　the　Tartars　were　stumbling　about；　spitting　and　cursing　and　trying　to　brush　the　packed　snow　out　of　the　narrow　gap　in　front　of　their　eyes。
　　〃e　on！〃　Lyra　screamed；　and　flung　herself　at　the　gate　into　the　avenue　of　lights。
　　The　children　streamed　after　her；　every　one；　dodging　the　snapping　jaws　of　the　wolves　and　racing　as　hard　as　they　could　down　the　avenue　toward　the　beckoning　open　dark　beyond。
　　A　harsh　scream　came　from　behind　as　an　officer　shouted　an　order；　and　then　a　score　of　rifle　bolts　worked　at　once；　and　then　there　was　another　scream　and　a　tense　silence；　with　only　the　fleeing　children's　pounding　feet　and　gasping　breath　to　be　heard。
　　They　were　taking　aim。　They　wouldn't　miss。
　　But　before　they　could　fire；　a　choking　gasp　came　from　one　of　the　Tartars；　and　a　cry　of　surprise　from　another。
　　Lyra　stopped　and　turned　to　see　a　man　lying　on　the　snow；　with　a　gray…feathered　arrow　in　his　bac