pp.thegoldencompass-第63部分

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pride。
　　They　walked　together　toward　the　massive　hulk　of　lofur's　palace；　where　the　bat　ground　lay　flat　and　open　at　the　foot　of　the　walls。　Bears　clustered　at　the　battlements；　white　faces　filled　every　window；　and　their　heavy　forms　stood　like　a　dense　wall　of　misty　white　ahead；　marked　with　the　black　dots　of　eyes　and　noses。　The　nearest　ones　moved　aside；　making　two　lines　for　Iorek　Byrnison　and　his　daemon　to　walk　between。　Every　bear's　eyes　were　fixed　on　them。
　　Iorek　halted　across　the　bat　ground　from　lofur　Raknison。　The　king　came　down　from　the　rise　of　trodden　snow；　and　the　two　bears　faced　each　other　several　yards　apart。
　　Lyra　was　so　close　to　Iorek　that　she　could　feel　a　trembling　in　him　like　a　great　dynamo；　generating　mighty　anbaric　forces。　She　touched　him　briefly　on　the　neck　at　the　edge　of　his　helmet　and　said；　〃Fight　well；　Iorek　my　dear。　You're　the　real　king；　and　he　en't。　He's　nothing。〃
　　Then　she　stood　back。
　　〃Bears！〃　Iorek　Byrnison　roared。　An　echo　rang　back　from　the　palace　walls　and　startled　birds　out　of　their　nests。　He　went　on：　〃The　terms　of　this　bat　are　these。　If　lofur　Raknison　kills　me；　then　he　will　be　king　forever；　safe　from　challenge　or
　　dispute。　If　I　kill　lofur　Raknison；　I　shall　be　your　king。　My　first　order　to　you　all　will　be　to　tear　down　that　palace；　that　perfumed　house　of　mockery　and　tinsel；　and　hurl　the　gold　and　marble　into　the　sea。　Iron　is　bear…metal。　Gold　is　not。　lofur　Raknison　has　polluted　Svalbard。　I　have　e　to　cleanse　it。　lofur　Raknison；　I　challenge　you。〃
　　Then　lofur　bounded　forward　a　step　or　two；　as　if　he　could　hardly　hold　himself　back。
　　〃Bears！〃　he　roared　in　his　turn。　〃Iorek　Byrnison　has　e　back　at　my　invitation。　I　drew　him　here。　It　is　for　me　to　make　the　terms　of　this　bat；　and　they　are　these：　if　I　kill　Iorek　Byrnison；　his　flesh　shall　be　torn　apart　and　scattered　to　the　cliff…ghasts。　His　head　shall　be　displayed　above　my　palace。　His　memory　shall　be　obliterated。　It　shall　be　a　capital　crime　to　speak　his　name　。　。　。　。〃
　　He　continued；　and　then　each　bear　spoke　again。　It　was　a　formula；　a　ritual　faithfully　followed。　Lyra　looked　at　the　two　of　them；　so　utterly　different：　lofur　so　glossy　and　powerful；　immense　in　his　strength　and　health；　splendidly　armored；　proud　and　kinglike；　and　Iorek　smaller；　though　she　had　never　thought　he　would　look　small；　and　poorly　equipped；　his　armor　rusty　and　dented。　But　his　armor　was　his　soul。　He　had　made　it　and　it　fitted　him。　They　were　one。　lofur　was　not　content　with　his　armor；　he　wanted　another　soul　as　well。　He　was　restless　while　Iorek　was　still。
　　And　she　was　aware　that　all　the　other　bears　were　making　the　parison　too。　But　Iorek　and　lofur　were　more　than　just　two　bears。　There　were　two　kinds　of　beardom　opposed　here；　two　futures；　two　destinies。　lofur　had　begun　to　take　them　in　one　direction；　and　Iorek　would　take　them　in　another；　and　in　the　same　moment；　one　future　would　close　forever　as　the　other　began　to　unfold。
　　As　their　ritual　bat　moved　toward　the　second　phase；　the　two　bears　began　to　prowl　restlessly　on　the　snow；　edging　forward；　swinging　their　heads。　There　was　not　a　flicker　of　movement　from　the　spectators：　but　all　eyes　followed　them。
　　Finally　the　warriors　were　still　and　silent；　watching　each　other　face　to　face　across　the　width　of　the　bat　ground。
　　Then　with　a　roar　and　a　blur　of　snow　both　bears　moved　at　the　same　moment。　Like　two　great　masses　of　rock　balanced　on　adjoining　peaks　and　shaken　loose　by　an　earthquake；　which　bound　down　the　mountainsides　gathering　speed；　leaping　over　crevasses　and　knocking　trees　into　splinters；　until　they　crash　into　each　other　so　hard　that　both　are　smashed　to　powder　and　flying　chips　of　stone：　that　was　how　the　two　bears　came　together。　The　crash　as　they　met　resounded　in　the　still　air　and　echoed　back　from　the　palace　wall。　But　they　weren't　destroyed；　as　rock　would　have　been。　They　both　fell　aside；　and　the　first　to　rise　was　Iorek。　He　twisted　up　in　a　lithe　spring　and　grappled　with　lofur；　whose　armor　had　been　damaged　by　the　collision　and　who　couldn't　easily　raise　his　head。　Iorek　made　at　once　for　the　vulnerable　gap　at　his　neck。　He　raked　the　white　fur；　and　then　hooked　his　claws　beneath　the　edge　of　lofur's　helmet　and　wrenched　it　forward。
　　Sensing　the　danger；　lofur　snarled　and　shook　himself　as　Lyra　had　seen　Iorek　shake　himself　at　the　water's　edge；　sending　sheets　of　water　flying　high　into　the　air。　And　Iorek　fell　away；　dislodged；　and　with　a　screech　of　twisting　metal　lofur　stood　up　tall；　straightening　the　steel　of　his　back　plates　by　sheer　strength。　Then　like　an　avalanche　he　hurled　himself　down　on　Iorek；　who　was　still　trying　to　rise。
　　Lyra　felt　her　own　breath　knocked　out　of　her　by　the　force　of　that　crashing　fall。　Certainly　the　very　ground　shook　beneath　her。　How　could　Iorek　survive　that？　He　was　struggling　to　twist　himself　and　gain　a　purchase　on　the　ground；　but　his　feet　were　uppermost；　and　lofur　had　fixed　his　teeth　somewhere　near　Iorek's　throat。　Drops　of　hot　blood　were　flying　through　the　air：　one　landed　on　Lyra's　furs；　and　she　pressed　her　hand　to　it　like　a　token　of　love。
　　Then　Iorek's　rear　claws　dug　into　the　links　of　lofur's　chain…mail　sark　and　ripped　downward。　The　whole　front　came　away；　and　lofur　lurched　sideways　to　look　at　the　damage；　leaving　Iorek　to　scramble　upright　again。
　　For　a　moment　the　two　bears　stood　apart；　getting　their　breath　back。　lofur　was　hampered　now　by　that　chain　mail；　because　from　a　protection　it　had　changed　all　at　once　into　a　hindrance：　it　was　still　fastened　at　the　bottom；　and　trailed　around　his　rear　legs。　However；　Iorek　was　worse　off。　He　was　bleeding　freely　from　a　wound　at　his　neck；　and　panting　heavily。
　　But　he　leaped　at　lofur　before　the　king　could　disentangle　himself　from　the　clinging　chain　mail；　and　knocked　him　head　over　heels；　following　up　with　a　lunge　at　the　bare　part　of　lofur's　neck；　where　the　edge　of　the　helmet　was　bent。　lofur　threw　him　off；　and　then　the　two　bears　were　at　each　other　again；　throwing　up　fountains　of　snow　that　sprayed　in　all　directions　and　sometimes　made　it　hard　to　see　who　had　the　advantage。
　　Lyra　watched；　hardly　daring　to　breathe；　and　squeezing　her　hands　together　so　tight　it　hurt。　She　thought　she　saw　lofur　tearing　at　a　wound　in　Iorek's　belly；　but　that　couldn't　be　right；　because　a　moment　later；　after　another　convulsive　explosion　of　snow；　both　bears　were　standing　upright　like　boxers；　and　Iorek　was　slashing　with　mighty　claws　at　lofur's　face；　with　lofur　hitting　back　just　as　savagely。
　　Lyra　trembled　at　the　weight　of　those　blows。　As　if　a　giant　were　swinging　a　sledgehammer；　and　that　hammer　were　armed　with　five　steel　spikes　。　。　。　
　　Iron　clanged　on　iron；　teeth　crashed　on　teeth；　breath　roared　harshly；　feet　thundered　on　the　hard…packed　ground。　The　snow　around　was　splashed　with　red　and　trodden　down　for　yards　into　a　crimson　mud。
　　lofur's　armor　was　in　a　pitiful　state　by　this　time；　the　plates　torn　and　distorted；　the　gold　inlay　torn　out　or　smeared　thickly　with　blood；　and　his　helmet　gone　altogether。　Iorek's　was　in　much　better　condition；　for　all　its　ugliness：　dented；　but　intact；　standing　up　far　better　to　the　great　sledgehammer　blows　of　the　bear…king；　and　turning　aside　those　brutal　six…inch　claws。
　　But　against　that；　lofur　was　bigger　and　stronger　than　Iorek；　and　Iorek　was　weary　and　hungry；　and　had　lost　more　blood。　He　was　wounded　in　the　belly；　on　both　arms；　and　at　the　neck；　whereas　lofur　was　bleeding　only　from　his　lower　jaw。　Lyra　longed　to　help　her　dear　friend；　but　what　could　she　do？
　　And　it　was　going　badly　for　Iorek　now。　He　was　limping；　every　time　he　put　his　left　forepaw　on　the　ground；　they　could　see　that　it　hardly　bore　his　weight。　He　never　used　it　to　strike　with；　and　the　blows　from　his　right　hand　were　feebler；　too；　almost　little　pats　pared　with　the　mighty　crushing　buffets　he'd　delivered　only　a　few　minutes　before。
　　lofur　had　noticed。　He　began　to　taunt　Iorek；　calling　him　broken…hand；　whimpering　cub；　rust…eaten；　soon…to…die；　and　other　names；　all　the　while　swinging　blows　at　him　from　right　and　left　which　Iorek　could　no　longer　parry。　Iorek　had　to　move　backward；　a　step　at　a　time；　and　to　crouch　low　under　the　rain　of　blows　from　the　jeering　bear…king。
　　Lyra　was　in　tears。　Her　dear；　her　brave　one；　her　fearless　defender；　was　going　to　die；　and　she　would　not　do　him　the　treachery　of　looking　away；　for　if　he　looked　at　her　he　must　see　her　shining　eyes　and　their　love　and　belief；　not　a　face　hidden　in　cowardice　or　a　shoulder　fearfully　turned　away。
　　So　she　looked；　but　her　tears　kept　her　from　seeing　what　was　really　happening；　and　perhaps　it　would　not　have　been　visible　to　her　anyway。　It　certainly　was　not　seen　by　lofur。
　　Because　Iorek　was　moving　backward　only　to　find　clean　dry　footing　and　a　firm　rock　to　leap　up　from；　and　the　useless　left　arm　was　really　fresh　and　strong。　You　could　not　trick　a　bear；　but；　as　Lyra　had　shown　him；　lofur　did　not　want　to　be　a　bear；　he　wanted　to　be　a　man；　and　Iorek　was　tricking　him。
　　At　last　he　found　what　he　wanted：　a　firm　rock　deep…anchored　in　the　permafrost。　He　backed　against　it；　tensing　his　legs　and　choosing　his　moment。
　　It　came　when　lofur　reared　high　above；　bellowing　his　triumph；　and　turning　his　head　tauntingly　toward　Iorek's　apparently　weak　left　side。
　　That　was　when　Iorek　moved。　Like　a　wave　that　has　been　building　its　strength　over　a　thousand　miles　of　ocean；　and　which　ma