pp.thegoldencompass-第57部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！

　had　to。〃
　　〃Did　you　never　see　Farder　Coram　again？〃
　　〃Never。　I　heard　of　his　deeds；　I　heard　how　he　was　wounded　by　the　Skraelings；　with　a　poisoned　arrow；　and　I　sent　herbs　and　spells　to　help　him　recover；　but　I　wasn't　strong　enough　to　see　him。　I　heard　how　broken　he　was　after　that；　and　how　his　wisdom　grew；　how　much　he　studied　and　read；　and　I　was　proud　of　him　and　his　goodness。　But　I　stayed　away；　for　they　were　dangerous　times　for　my　clan；　and　witch　wars　were　threatening；　and　besides；　I　thought　he　would　forget　me　and　find　a　human　wife　。　。　。　。〃
　　〃He　never　would；〃　said　Lyra　stoutly。　〃You　oughter　go　and　see　him。　He　still　loves　you；　I　know　he　does。〃
　　〃But　he　would　be　ashamed　of　his　own　age；　and　I　wouldn't　want　to　make　him　feel　that。〃
　　〃Perhaps　he　would。　But　you　ought　to　send　a　message　to　him；　at　least。　That's　what　I　think。〃
　　Serafina　Pekkala　said　nothing　for　a　long　time。　Pantalaimon　became　a　tern　and　flew　to　her　branch　for　a　second；　to　acknowledge　that　perhaps　they　had　been　insolent。
　　Then　Lyra　said；　〃Why　do　people　have　daemons；　Serafina　Pekkala？〃
　　〃Everyone　asks　that；　and　no　one　knows　the　answer。　As　long　as　there　have　been　human　beings；　they　have　had　daemons。　It's　what　makes　us　different　from　animals。〃
　　〃Yeah！　We're　different　from　them　all　right　。　。　。　。Like　bears。　They're　strange；　en't　they；　bears？　You　think　they're　like　a　person；　and　then　suddenly　they　do　something　so　strange　or　ferocious　you　think　you'll　never　understand　them　。　。　。　。But　you　know　what　Iorek　said　to　me；　he　said　that　his　armor　for　him　was　like　what　a　daemon　is　for　a　person。　It's　his　soul；　he　said。　But　that's　where　they're　different　again；　because　he　made　this　armor　his…self。　They　took　his　first　armor　away　when　they　sent　him　into　exile；　and　he　found　some　sky　iron　and　made　some　new　armor；　like　making　a　new　soul。　We　can't　make　our　daemons。　Then　the　people　at　Trollesund；　they　got　him　drunk　on　spirits　and　stole　it　away；　and　I　found　out　where　it　was　and　he　got　it　back　。　。　。　。But　what　I　wonder　is；　why's　he　ing　to　Svalbard？　They'll　fight　him。　They　might　kill　him　。　。　。　。I　love　Iorek。　I　love　him　so　much　I　wish　he　wasn't　ing。〃

　　〃Has　he　told　you　who　he　is？〃
　　〃Only　his　name。　And　it　was　the　consul　at　Trollesund　who　told　us　that。〃
　　〃He　is　highborn。　He　is　a　prince。　In　fact；　if　he　had　not　mitted　a　great　crime；　he　would　be　the　king　of　the　bears　by　now。〃
　　〃He　told　me　their　king　was　called　lofur　Raknison。〃
　　〃lofur　Raknison　became　king　when　Iorek　Byrnison　was　exiled。　lofur　is　a　prince；　of　course；　or　he　wouldn't　be　allowed　to　rule；　but　he　is　clever　in　a　human　way；　he　makes　alliances　and　treaties；　he　lives　not　as　bears　do；　in　ice　forts；　but　in　a　new…built　palace；　he　talks　of　exchanging　ambassadors　with　human　nations　and　developing　the　fire　mines　with　the　help　of　human　engineers　。　。　。　。He　is　very　skillful　and　subtle。　Some　say　that　he　provoked　Iorek　into　the　deed　for　which　he　was　exiled；　and　others　say　that　even　if　he　didn't；　he　encourages　them　to　think　he　did；　because　it　adds　to　his　reputation　for　craft　and　subtlety。〃
　　〃What　did　Iorek　do？　See；　one　reason　I　love　Iorek；　it's　because　of　my　father　doing　what　he　did　and　being　punished。　Seems　to　me　they're　like　each　other。　Iorek　told　me　he'd　killed　another　bear；　but　he　never　said　how　it　came　about。〃
　　〃The　fight　was　over　a　she…bear。　The　male　whom　Iorek　killed　would　not　display　the　usual　signals　of　surrender　when　it　was　clear　that　Iorek　was　stronger。　For　all　their　pride；　bears　never　fail　to　recognize　superior　force　in　another　bear　and　surrender　to　it；　but　for　some　reason　this　bear　didn't　do　it。　Some　say　that　lofur　Raknison　worked　on　his　mind；　or　gave　him　confusing　herbs　to　eat。　At　any　rate；　the　young　bear　persisted；　and　Iorek　Byrnison　allowed　his　temper　to　master　him。　The　case　was　not　hard　to　judge；　he　should　have　wounded；　not　killed。〃
　　〃So　otherwise　he'd　be　king；〃　Lyra　said。　〃And　I　heard　something　about　lofur　Raknison　from　the　Palmerian　Professor　at　Jordan；　'cause　he'd　been　to　the　North　and　met　him。　He　said　。　。　。　　I　wish　I　could　remember　what　it　was　。　。　。　。I　think　he'd　tricked　his　way　on　to　the　throne　or　something　。　。　。　。But　you　know；　Iorek　said　to　me　once　that　bears　couldn't　be　tricked；　and　showed　me　that　I　couldn't　trick　him。　It　sounds　as　if　they　was　both　tricked；　him　and　the　other　bear。　Maybe　only　bears　can　trick　bears；　maybe　people　can't。　Except　。　。　。　The　people　at　Trollesund；　they　tricked　him；　didn't　they？　When　they　got　him　drunk　and　stole　his　armor？〃
　　〃When　bears　act　like　people；　perhaps　they　can　be　tricked；〃　said　Serafina　Pekkala。　〃When　bears　act　like　bears；　perhaps　they　can't。　No　bear　would　normally　drink　spirits。　Iorek　Byrnison　drank　to　forget　the　shame　of　exile；　and　it　was　only　that　which　let　the　Trollesund　people　trick　him。〃
　　〃Ah；　yes；〃　said　Lyra；　nodding。　She　was　satisfied　with　that　idea。　She　admired　Iorek　almost　without　limit；　and　she　was　glad　to　find　confirmation　of　his　nobility。　〃That's　clever　of　you；〃　she　said。　〃I　wouldn't　have　known　that　if　you　hadn't　told　me。　I　think　you're　probably　cleverer　than　Mrs。　Coulter。〃
　　They　flew　on。　Lyra　chewed　some　of　the　seal　meat　she　found　in　her　pocket。
　　〃Serafina　Pekkala；〃　she　said　after　some　time；　〃what's　Dust？　'Cause　it　seems　to　me　that　all　this　trouble's　about　Dust；　only　no　one's　told　me　what　it　is。〃
　　〃I　don't　know；〃　Serafina　Pekkala　told　her。　〃Witches　have　never　worried　about　Dust。　All　I　can　tell　you　is　that　where　there　are　priests；　there　is　fear　of　Dust。　Mrs。　Coulter　is　not　a　priest；　of　course；　but　she　is　a　powerful　agent　of　the　Magisterium；　and　it　was　she　who　set　up　the　Oblation　Board　and　persuaded　the　Church　to　pay　for　Bolvangar；　because　of　her　interest　in　Dust。　We　can't　understand　her　feelings　about　it。　But　there　are　many　things　we　have　never　understood。　We　see　the　Tartars　making　holes　in　their　skulls；　and　we　can　only　wonder　at　the　strangeness　of　it。　So　Dust　may　be　strange；　and　we　wonder　at　it；　but　we　don't　fret　and　tear　things　apart　to　examine　it。　Leave　that　to　the　Church。〃
　　〃The　Church？〃　said　Lyra。　Something　had　e　back　to　her：　she　remembered　talking　with　Pantalaimon；　in　the　fens；　about　what　it　might　be　that　was　moving　the　needle　of　the　alethiometer；　and　they　had　thought　of　the　photomill　on　the　high　altar　at　Gabriel　College；　and　how　elementary　particles　pushed　the　little　vanes　around。　The　Intercessor　there　was　clear　about　the　link　between　elementary　particles　and　religion。　〃Could　be；〃　she　said；　nodding。　〃Most　Church　things；　they　keep　secret；　after　all。　But　most　Church　things　are　old；　and　Dust　en't　old；　as　far　as　I　know。　I　wonder　if　Lord　Asriel　might　tell　me　。　。　。　。〃
　　She　yawned。
　　〃I　better　lie　down；〃　she　said　to　Serafina　Pekkala；　〃else　I'll　probably　freeze。　I　been　cold　down　on　the　ground；　but　I　never　been　this　cold。　I　think　I　might　die　if　I　get　any　colder。〃
　　〃Then　lie　down　and　wrap　yourself　in　the　furs。〃
　　〃Yeah；　I　will。　If　I　was　going　to　die；　I'd　rather　die　up　here　than　down　there；　any　day。　I　thought　when　they　put　us　under　that　blade　thing；　I　thought　that　was　it　。　。　。　。We　both　did。　Oh；　that　was　cruel。　But　we'll　lie　down　now。　Wake　us　up　when　we　get　there；〃　she　said；　and　got　down　on　the　pile　of　furs；　clumsy　and　aching　in　every　part　of　her　with　the　profound　intensity　of　the　cold；　and　lay　as　close　as　she　could　to　the　sleeping　Roger。
　　And　so　the　four　travelers　sailed　on；　sleeping　in　the　ice…encrusted　balloon；　toward　the　rocks　and　glaciers；　the　fire　mines　and　the　ice　forts　of　Svalbard。
　　
　　Serafina　Pekkala　called　to　the　aeronaut；　and　he　woke　at　once；　groggy　with　cold；　but　aware　from　the　movement　of　the　basket　that　something　was　wrong。　It　was　swinging　wildly　as　strong　winds　buffeted　the　gas　bag；　and　the　witches　pulling　the　rope　were　barely　managing　to　hold　it。　If　they　let　go；　the　balloon　would　be　swept　off　course　at　once；　and　to　judge　by　his　glance　at　the　pass；　would　be　swept　toward　Nova　Zembla　at　nearly　a　hundred　miles　an　hour。
　　〃Where　are　we？〃　Lyra　heard　him　call。　She　was　half…waking　herself；　uneasy　because　of　the　motion；　and　so　cold　that　every　part　of　her　body　was　numb。
　　She　couldn't　hear　the　witch's　reply；　but　through　her　half…closed　hood　she　saw；　in　the　light　of　an　anbaric　lantern；　Lee　Scoresby　hold　on　to　a　strut　and　pull　at　a　rope　leading　up　into　the　gas　bag　itself。　He　gave　a　sharp　tug　as　if　against　some　obstruction；　and　looked　up　into　the　buffeting　dark　before　looping　the　rope　around　a　cleat　on　the　suspension　ring。
　　〃I'm　letting　out　some　gas！〃　he　shouted　to　Serafina　Pekkala。　〃We'll　go　down。　We're　way　too　high。〃
　　The　witch　called　something　in　return；　but　again　Lyra　couldn't　hear　it。　Roger　was　waking　too；　the　creaking　of　the　basket　was　enough　to　wake　the　deepest　sleeper；　never　mind　the　rocking　and　bumping。　Roger's　daemon　and　Pantalaimon　clung　together　like　marmosets；　and　Lyra　concentrated　on　lying　still　and　not　leaping　up　in　fear。
　　'〃S　all　right；〃　Roger　said；　sounding　much　more　cheerful　than　she　was。　〃Soon's　we　get　down　we　can　make　a　fire　and　get　warm。　I　got　some　matches　in　me　pocket。　I　pinched　'em　out　the　kitchen　at　Bolvangar。〃
　　The　balloon　was　certainly　descending；　because　they　were　enveloped　a　second　later　in　thick　freezing　cloud。　Scraps　and　wisps　of　it　flew　through　the　basket；　and　then　everything　was　obscured；　all　at　once。　It　was　like　the　thickest　fog　Lyra　had　ev