pp.thegoldencompass-第65部分

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　tell　you　what　their　fate　is。〃
　　A　bear　pulled　up　a　sledge　on　which　a　cauldron　of　charcoal　was　smoldering；　and　thrust　a　resinous　branch　into　the　heart　of　it。　The　branch　caught　at　once；　and　in　its　glare　Lyra　turned　the　hands　of　the　alethiometer　and　asked　about　Lee　Scoresby。
　　It　turned　out　that　he　was　still　aloft；　borne　by　the　winds　toward　Nova　Zembla；　and　that　he　had　been　unharmed　by　the　cliff…ghasts　and　had　fought　off　the　other　witch　clan。
　　Lyra　told　Iorek；　and　he　nodded；　satisfied。
　　〃If　he　is　in　the　air；　he　will　be　safe；〃　he　said。　〃What　of　Mrs。　Coulter？〃
　　The　answer　was　plicated；　with　the　needle　swinging　from　symbol　to　symbol　in　a　sequence　that　made　Lyra　puzzle　for　a　long　time。　The　bears　were　curious；　but　restrained　by　their　respect　for　Iorek　Byrnison；　and　his　for　Lyra；　and　she　put　them　out　of　her　mind　and　sank　again　into　the　alethiometric　trance。
　　The　play　of　symbols；　once　she　had　discovered　the　pattern　of　it；　was　dismaying。
　　〃It　says　she's　。　。　。　She's　heard　about　us　flying　this　way；　and　she's　got　a　transport　zeppelin　that's　armed　with　machine　guns…I　think　that's　it…and　they're　a　flying　to　Svalbard　right　now。　She　don't　know　yet　about　lofur　Raknison　being　beaten；　of　course；　but　she　will　soon　because　。　。　。　Oh　yes；　because　some　witches　will　tell　her；　and　they'll　learn　it　from　the　cliff…ghasts。　So　I　reckon　there　are　spies　in　the　air　all　around；　Iorek。　She　was　ing　to　。　。　。　to　pretend　to　help　lofur　Raknison；　but　really　she　was　going　to　take　over　power　from　him；　with　a　regiment　of　Tartars　that's　a　ing　by　sea；　and　they'll　be　here　in　a　couple　of　days。
　　〃And　as　soon　as　she　can；　she's　going　to　where　Lord　Asriel　is　kept　prisoner；　and　she's　intending　to　have　him　killed。　Because　　。　。　。　It's　ing　clear　now：　something　I　never　understood　before；　Iorek！　It's　why　she　wants　to　kill　Lord　Asriel：　it's　because　she　knows　what　he's　going　to　do；　and　she　fears　it；　and　she　wants　to　do　it　herself　and　gain　control　before　he　does　。　。　。　。It　must　be　the　city　in　the　sky；　it　must　be！　She's　trying　to　get　to　it　first！　And　now　it's　telling　me　something　else　。　。　。　。〃
　　She　bent　over　the　instrument；　concentrating　furiously　as　the　needle　darted　this　way　and　that。　It　moved　almost　too　fast　to　follow；　Roger；　looking　over　her　shoulder；　couldn't　even　see　it　stop；　and　was　conscious　only　of　a　swift　nickering　dialogue　between　Lyra's　fingers　turning　the　hands　and　the　needle　answering；　as　bewilderingly　unlike　language　as　the　Aurora　was。
　　〃Yes；〃　she　said　finally；　putting　the　instrument　down　in　her　lap　and　blinking　and　sighing　as　she　woke　out　of　her　profound　concentration。　〃Yes；　I　see　what　it　says。　She's　after　me　again。
　　She　wants　something　I've　got；　because　Lord　Asriel　wants　it　too。　They　need　it　for　this　。　。　。　for　this　experiment；　whatever　it　is　。　。　。　〃
　　She　stopped　there；　to　take　a　deep　breath。　Something　was　troubling　her；　and　she　didn't　know　what　it　was。　She　was　sure　that　this　something　that　was　so　important　was　the　alethiome…ter　itself；　because　after　all；　Mrs。　Coulter　had　wanted　it；　and　what　else　could　it　be？　And　yet　it　wasn't；　because　the　alethiometer　had　a　different　way　of　referring　to　itself；　and　this　wasn't　it。
　　〃I　suppose　it's　the　alethiometer；〃　she　said　unhappily。　〃It's　what　I　thought　all　along。　I've　got　to　take　it　to　Lord　Asriel　before　she　gets　it。　If　she　gets　it；　we'll　all　die。〃
　　As　she　said　that；　she　felt　so　tired；　so　bone…deep　weary　and　sad；　that　to　die　would　have　been　a　relief。　But　the　example　of　Iorek　kept　her　from　admitting　it。　She　put　the　alethiometer　away　and　sat　up　straight。
　　〃How　far　away　is　she　？〃　said　Iorek。
　　〃Just　a　few　hours。　I　suppose　I　ought　to　take　the　alethiometer　to　Lord　Asriel　as　soon　as　I　can。〃
　　〃I　will　go　with　you；〃　said　Iorek。
　　She　didn't　argue。　While　Iorek　gave　mands　and　organized　an　armed　squad　to　acpany　them　on　the　final　part　of　their　journey　north；　Lyra　sat　still；　conserving　her　energy。　She　felt　that　something　had　gone　out　of　her　during　that　last　reading。　She　closed　her　eyes　and　slept；　and　presently　they　woke　her　and　set　off。
　　
　　
　　TWENTY…ONE
　　LORD　ASRIEL'S　WELE
　　
　　Lyra　rode　a　strong　young　bear；　and　Roger　rode　another；　while　Iorek　paced　tirelessly　ahead　and　a　squad　armed　with　a　fire　hurler　followed　guarding　the　rear。
　　The　way　was　long　and　hard。　The　interior　of　Svalbard　was　mountainous；　with　jumbled　peaks　and　sharp　ridges　deeply　cut　by　ravines　and　steep…sided　valleys；　and　the　cold　was　intense。　Lyra　thought　back　to　the　smooth…running　sledges　of　the　gyp…tians　on　the　way　to　Bolvangar；　how　swift　and　fortable　that　progress　now　seemed　to　have　been！　The　air　here　was　more　penetratingly　chill　than　any　she　had　experienced　before；　or　it　might　have　been　that　the　bear　she　was　riding　wasn't　as　lightfooted　as　Iorek；　or　it　might　have　been　that　she　was　tired　to　her　very　soul。　At　all　events；　it　was　desperately　hard　going。
　　She　knew　little　of　where　they　were　bound；　or　how　far　it　was。　All　she　knew　was　what　the　older　bear　S0ren　Eisarson　had　told　her　while　they　were　preparing　the　fire　hurler。　He　had　been　involved　in　negotiating　with　Lord　Asriel　about　the　terms　of　his　imprisonment；　and　he　remembered　it　well。
　　At　first；　he'd　said；　the　Svalbard　bears　regarded　Lord　Asriel　as　being　no　different　from　any　of　the　other　politicians；　kings；　or　troublemakers　who　had　been　exiled　to　their　bleak　island。　The　prisoners　were　important；　or　they　would　have　been　killed　outright　by　their　own　people；　they　might　be　valuable　to　the　bears　one　day；　if　their　political　fortunes　changed　and　they　returned　to　rule　in　their　own　countries；　so　it　might　pay　the　bears　not　to　treat　them　with　cruelty　or　disrespect。
　　So　Lord　Asriel　had　found　conditions　on　Svalbard　no　better　and　no　worse　than　hundreds　of　other　exiles　had　done。　But　certain　things　had　made　his　jailers　more　wary　of　him　than　of　other　prisoners　they'd　had。　There　was　the　air　of　mystery　and　spiritual　peril　surrounding　anything　that　had　to　do　with　Dust；　there　was　the　clear　panic　on　the　part　of　those　who'd　brought　him　there；　and　there　were　Mrs。　Coulter's　private　munications　with　lofur　Raknison。
　　Besides；　the　bears　had　never　met　anything　quite　like　Lord　Asriel's　own　haughty　and　imperious　nature。　He　dominated　even　lofur　Raknison；　arguing　forcefully　and　eloquently；　and　persuaded　the　bear…king　to　let　him　choose　his　own　dwelling　place。
　　The　first　one　he　was　allotted　was　too　low　down；　he　said。　He　needed　a　high　spot；　above　the　smoke　and　stir　of　the　fire　mines　and　the　smithies。　He　gave　the　bears　a　design　of　the　acmodation　he　wanted；　and　told　them　where　it　should　be；　and　he　bribed　them　with　gold；　and　he　flattered　and　bullied　lofur　Raknison；　and　with　a　bemused　willingness　the　bears　set　to　work。　Before　long　a　house　had　arisen　on　a　headland　facing　north：　a　wide　and　solid　place　with　fireplaces　that　burned　great　blocks　of　coal　mined　and　hauled　by　bears；　and　with　large　windows　of　real　glass。　There　he　dwelt；　a　prisoner　acting　like　a　king。
　　And　then　he　set　about　assembling　the　materials　for　a　laboratory。
　　With　furious　concentration　he　sent　for　books；　instruments；　chemicals；　all　manner　of　tools　and　equipment。　And　somehow　it　had　e；　from　this　source　or　that；　some　openly；　some　smuggled　in　by　the　visitors　he　insisted　he　was　entitled　to　have。　By　land；　sea；　and　air；　Lord　Asriel　assembled　his　materials；　and　within　six　months　of　his　mittal；　he　had　all　the　equipment　he　wanted。
　　And　so　he　worked；　thinking　and　planning　and　calculating；　waiting　for　the　one　thing　he　needed　to　plete　the　task　that　so　terrified　the　Oblation　Board。　It　was　drawing　closer　every　minute。
　　
　　Lyra's　first　glimpse　of　her　father's　prison　came　when　Iorek　Byrnison　stopped　at　the　foot　of　a　ridge　for　the　children　to　move　and　stretch　themselves；　because　they　had　been　getting　dangerously　cold　and　stiff。
　　〃Look　up　there；〃　he　said。
　　A　wide　broken　slope　of　tumbled　rocks　and　ice；　where　a　track　had　been　laboriously　cleared；　led　up　to　a　crag　outlined　against　the　sky。　There　was　no　Aurora；　but　the　stars　were　brilliant。　The　crag　stood　black　and　gaunt；　but　at　its　summit　was　a　spacious　building　from　which　light　spilled　lavishly　in　all　directions：　not　the　smoky　inconstant　gleam　of　blubber　lamps；　nor　the　harsh　white　of　anbaric　spotlights；　but　the　warm　creamy　glow　of　naphtha。
　　The　windows　from　which　the　light　emerged　also　showed　Lord　Asriel's　formidable　power。　Glass　was　expensive；　and　large　sheets　of　it　were　prodigal　of　heat　in　these　fierce　latitudes；　so　to　see　them　here　was　evidence　of　wealth　and　influence　far　greater　than　lofur　Raknison's　vulgar　palace。
　　Lyra　and　Roger　mounted　their　bears　for　the　last　time；　and　Iorek　led　the　way　up　the　slope　toward　the　house。　There　was　a　courtyard　that　lay　deep　under　snow；　surrounded　by　a　low　wall；　and　as　Iorek　pushed　open　the　gate　they　heard　a　bell　ring　somewhere　in　the　building。
　　Lyra　got　down。　She　could　hardly　stand。　She　helped　Roger　down　too；　and；　supporting　each　other；　the　children　stumbled　through　the　thigh…deep　snow　toward　the　steps　up　to　the　door。
　　Oh；　the　warmth　there　would　be　inside　that　house！　Oh；　the　peaceful　rest！
　　She　reached　for　the　handle　of　the　bell；　but　before　she　could　reach　it；　the　door　opened。　There　was　a　small　dimly　lit　vestibule　to　keep　the　warm　air　in；　and　standing　under　the　lamp　was　a　figure　she　recognized：　Lord