pp.thegoldencompass-第68部分

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　　〃No。　Of　course　not。　That's　why　they　had　to　hide　away　in　the　far　North；　in　darkness　and　obscurity。　And　why　the　Church　was　glad　to　have　someone　like　your　mother　in　charge。　Who　could　doubt　someone　so　charming；　so　well…connected；　so　sweet　and　reasonable？　But　because　it　was　an　obscure　and　unofficial　kind　of　operation；　she　was　someone　the　Magisterium　could　deny　if　they　needed　to；　as　well。〃
　　〃But　whose　idea　was　it　to　do　that　cutting　in　the　first　place？〃
　　〃It　was　hers。　She　guessed　that　the　two　things　that　happen　at　adolescence　might　be　connected：　the　change　in　one's　daemon　and　the　fact　that　Dust　began　to　settle。　Perhaps　if　the　daemon　were　separated　from　the　body；　we　might　never　be　subject　to　Dust…to　original　sin。　The　question　was　whether　it　was　possible　to　separate　daemon　and　body　without　killing　the　person。　But　she's　traveled　in　many　places；　and　seen　all　kinds　of　things。　She's　traveled　in　Africa；　for　instance。The　Africans　have　a　way　of　making　a　slave　called　a　zombi。　It　has　no　will　of　its　own；　it　will　work　day　and　night　without　ever　running　away　or　plaining。　It　looks　like　a　corpse　。　。　。　。〃
　　〃It's　a　person　without　their　daemon！〃
　　〃Exactly。　So　she　found　out　that　it　was　possible　to　separate　them。〃
　　〃And　。　。　。　Tony　Costa　told　me　about　the　horrible　phantoms　they　have　in　the　northern　forests。　I　suppose　they　might　be　the　same　kind　of　thing。〃
　　〃That's　right。　Anyway；　the　General　Oblation　Board　grew　out　of　ideas　like　that；　and　out　of　the　Church's　obsession　with　original　sin。〃
　　Lord　Asriel's　daemon　twitched　her　ears；　and　he　laid　his　hand　on　her　beautiful　head。
　　〃There　was　something　else　that　happened　when　they　made　the　cut；〃　he　went　on。　〃And　they　didn't　see　it。　The　energy　that　links　body　and　daemon　is　immensely　powerful。　When　the　cut　is　made；　all　that　energy　dissipates　in　a　fraction　of　a　second。　They　didn't　notice；　because　they　mistook　it　for　shock；　or　disgust；　or　moral　outrage；　and　they　trained　themselves　to　feel　numb　towards　it。　So　they　missed　what　it　could　do；　and　they　never　thought　of　harnessing　it　。　。　。　。〃
　　Lyra　couldn't　sit　still。　She　got　up　and　walked　to　the　window；　and　stared　over　the　wide　bleak　darkness　with　unseeing　eyes。　They　were　too　cruel。　No　matter　how　important　it　was　to　find　out　about　original　sin；　it　was　too　cruel　to　do　what　they'd　done　to　Tony　Makarios　and　all　the　others。　Nothing　justified　that。
　　〃And　what　were　you　doing？〃　she　said。　〃Did　you　do　any　of　that　cutting？〃
　　〃I'm　interested　in　something　quite　different。　I　don't　think　the　Oblation　Board　goes　far　enough。　I　want　to　go　to　the　source　of　Dust　itself。〃
　　〃The　source？　Where's　it　e　from；　then？〃
　　〃From　the　other　universe　we　can　see　through　the　Aurora。〃
　　Lyra　turned　around　again。　Her　father　was　lying　back　in　his　chair；　lazy　and　powerful；　his　eyes　as　fierce　as　his　daemon's。　She　didn't　love　him；　she　couldn't　trust　him；　but　she　had　to　admire　him；　and　the　extravagant　luxury　he'd　assembled　in　this　desolate　wasteland；　and　the　power　of　his　ambition。
　　〃What　is　that　other　universe？〃　she　said。
　　〃One　of　uncountable　billions　of　parallel　worlds。　The　witches　have　known　about　them　for　centuries；　but　the　first　theologians　to　prove　their　existence　mathematically　were　exmunicated　fifty　or　more　years　ago。　However；　it's　true；　there's　no　possible　way　of　denying　it。
　　〃But　no　one　thought　it　would　ever　be　possible　to　cross　from　one　universe　to　another。　That　would　violate　fundamental　laws；　we　thought。　Well；　we　were　wrong；　we　learned　to　see　the　world　up　there。　If　light　can　cross；　so　can　we。　And　we　had　to　learn　to　see　it；　Lyra；　just　as　you　learned　to　use　the　alethiometer。
　　〃Now　that　world；　and　every　other　universe；　came　about　as　a　result　of　possibility。　Take　the　example　of　tossing　a　coin：　it　can　e　down　heads　or　tails；　and　we　don't　know　before　it　lands　which　way　it's　going　to　fall。　If　it　es　down　heads；　that　means　that　the　possibility　of　its　ing　down　tails　has　collapsed。　Until　that　moment　the　two　possibilities　were　equal。
　　〃But　on　another　world；　it　does　e　down　tails。　And　when　that　happens；　the　two　worlds　split　apart。　I'm　using　the　example　of　tossing　a　coin　to　make　it　clearer。　In　fact；　these　possibility　collapses　happen　at　the　level　of　elementary　particles；　but　they　happen　in　just　the　same　way：　one　moment　several　things　are　possible；　the　next　moment　only　one　happens；　and　the　rest　don't　exist。　Except　that　other　worlds　have　sprung　into　being；　on　which　they　did　happen。
　　〃And　I'm　going　to　that　world　beyond　the　Aurora；〃　he　said；　〃because　I　think　that's　where　all　the　Dust　in　this　universe　es　from。　You　saw　those　slides　I　showed　the　Scholars　in　the　retiring　room。　You　saw　Dust　pouring　into　this　world　from　the　Aurora。　You've　seen　that　city　yourself。　If　light　can　cross　the　barrier　between　the　universes；　if　Dust　can；　if　we　can　see　that　city；　then　we　can　build　a　bridge　and　cross。　It　needs　a　phenomenal　burst　of　energy。　But　I　can　do　it。　Somewhere　out　there　is　the　origin　of　all　the　Dust；　all　the　death；　the　sin；　the　misery；　the　destructiveness　in　the　world。　Human　beings　can't　see　anything　without　wanting　to　destroy　it；　Lyra。　That's　original　sin。　And　I'm　going　to　destroy　it。　Death　is　going　to　die。〃
　　〃Is　that　why　they　put　you　here？〃
　　〃Yes。　They　are　terrified。　And　with　good　reason。〃
　　He　stood　up；　and　so　did　his　daemon；　proud　and　beautiful　and　deadly。　Lyra　sat　still。　She　was　afraid　of　her　father；　and　she　admired　him　profoundly；　and　she　thought　he　was　stark　mad；　but　who　was　she　to　judge？
　　〃Go　to　bed；〃　he　said。　〃Thorold　will　show　you　where　to　sleep。〃
　　He　turned　to　go。
　　〃You've　left　the　alethiometer；〃　she　said。
　　〃Ah；　yes；　I　don't　actually　need　that　now；〃　he　said。　〃It　would　be　no　use　to　me　without　the　books　anyway。　D'you　know；　I　think　the　Master　of　Jordan　was　giving　it　to　you。　Did　he　actually　ask　you　to　bring　it　to　me？〃
　　〃Well；　yes！〃　she　said。　But　then　she　thought　again；　and　realized　that　in　fact　the　Master　never　had　asked　her　to　do　that；　she　had　assumed　it　all　the　time；　because　why　else　would　he　have　given　it　to　her？　〃No；〃　she　said。　〃I　don't　know。　I　thought…〃
　　〃Well；　I　don't　want　it。　It's　yours；　Lyra。〃
　　〃But…〃
　　〃Goodnight；　child。〃
　　Speechless；　too　bewildered　by　this　to　voice　any　of　the　dozen　urgent　questions　that　pressed　at　her　mind；　she　sat　by　the　fire　and　watched　him　leave　the　room。
　　
　　
　　TWENTY…TWO
　　BETRAYAL
　　
　　She　woke　to　find　a　stranger　shaking　her　arm；　and　then　as　Pantalaimon　sprang　awake　and　growled；　she　recognized　Thorold。　He　was　holding　a　naphtha　lamp；　and　his　hand　was　trembling。
　　〃Miss…miss…get　up　quickly。　I　don't　know　what　to　do。　He's　left　no　orders。　I　think　he's　mad；　miss。〃
　　〃What？　What's　happening？〃
　　〃Lord　Asriel；　miss。　He's　been　almost　in　a　delirium　since　you　went　to　bed。　I've　never　seen　him　so　wild。　He　packed　a　lot　of　instruments　and　batteries　in　a　sledge　and　he　harnessed　up　the　dogs　and　left。　But　he's　got　the　boy；　miss！〃
　　〃Roger？　He's　taken　Roger？〃
　　〃He　told　me　to　wake　him　and　dress　him；　and　I　didn't　think　to　argue…I　never　have…the　boy　kept　on　asking　for　you；　miss…but　Lord　Asriel　wanted　him　alone…you　know　when　you　first　came　to　the　door；　miss？　And　he　saw　you　and　couldn't　believe　his　eyes；　and　wanted　you　gone？〃
　　Lyra's　head　was　in　such　a　whirl　of　weariness　and　fear　that　she　could　hardly　think；　but　〃Yes？　Yes？〃　she　said。
　　〃It　was　because　he　needed　a　child　to　finish　his　experiment；　miss！　And　Lord　Asriel　has　a　way　special　to　himself　of　bringing　about　what　he　wants；　he　just　has　to　call　for　something　and…〃
　　Now　Lyra's　head　was　full　of　a　roar；　as　if　she　were　trying　to　stifle　some　knowledge　from　her　own　consciousness。
　　She　had　got　out　of　bed；　and　was　reaching　for　her　clothes；　and　then　she　suddenly　collapsed；　and　a　fierce　cry　of　despair　enveloped　her。　She　was　uttering　it；　but　it　was　bigger　than　she　was；　it　felt　as　if　the　despair　were　uttering　her。　For　she　remembered　his　words：　the　energy　that　links　body　and　daemon　is　immensely　powerful；　and　to　bridge　the　gap　between　worlds　needed　a　phenomenal　burst　of　energy　。　。　。　。
　　She　had　just　realized　what　she'd　done。
　　She　had　struggled　all　this　way　to　bring　something　to　Lord　Asriel；　thinking　she　knew　what　he　wanted；　and　it　wasn't　the　alethiometer　at　all。　What　he　wanted　was　a　child。
　　She　had　brought　him　Roger。
　　That　was　why　he'd　cried　out；　〃I　did　not　send　for　you！〃　when　he　saw　her；　he　had　sent　for　a　child；　and　the　fates　had　brought　him　his　own　daughter。　Or　so　he'd　thought；　until　she'd　stepped　aside　and　shown　him　Roger。
　　Oh；　the　bitter　anguish！　She　had　thought　she　was　saving　Roger；　and　all　the　time　she'd　been　diligently　working　to　betray　him　。　。　。　。
　　Lyra　shook　and　sobbed　in　a　frenzy　of　emotion。　It　couldn't　be　true。
　　Thorold　tried　to　fort　her；　but　he　didn't　know　the　reason　for　her　extremity　of　grief；　and　could　only　pat　her　shoulder　nervously。
　　〃Iorek…〃　she　sobbed；　pushing　the　servant　aside。　〃Where's　Iorek　Byrnison？　The　bear？　Is　he　still　outside？〃
　　The　old　man　shrugged　helplessly。
　　〃Help　me！〃　she　said；　trembling　all　over　with　weakness　and　fear。　〃Help　me　dress。　I　got　to　go。　Now。1　Do　it　quick！〃
　　He　put　the　lamp　down　and　did　as　she　told　him。　When　she　manded；　in　that　imperious　way；　she　was　very　like　her　father；　for　all　that　her　face　was　wet　with　tears　and　her　lips　trembling。　Wh