pp.thegoldencompass-第63部分

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t　she　might　follow　and　bring　something　to　her　father。〃
　　〃That's　how　you　read　it；　huh？〃
　　For　the　first　time　the　witch　seemed　unsure。
　　〃That　is　how　it　seems　。　。　。　。But　we　can't　read　the　darkness；　Mr。　Scoresby。　It　is　more　than　possible　that　I　might　be　wrong。〃
　　〃And　what　brought　you　into　all　this；　if　I　can　ask？〃
　　〃Whatever　they　were　doing　at　Bolvangar；　we　felt　it　was　wrong　with　all　our　hearts。　Lyra　is　their　enemy；　so　we　are　her　friends。　We　don't　see　more　clearly　than　that。　But　also　there　is　my　clan's　friendship　for　the　gyptian　people；　which　goes　back　to　the　time　when　Farder　Coram　saved　my　life。　We　are　doing　this　at　their　bidding。　And　they　have　ties　of　obligation　with　Lord　Asriel。〃
　　〃I　see。　So　you're　towing　the　balloon　to　Svalbard　for　the　gyp…tians'　sake。　And　does　that　friendship　extend　to　towing　us　back　again？　Or　will　I　have　to　wait　for　a　kindly　wind；　and　depend　on　the　indulgence　of　the　bears　in　the　meantime？　Once　again；　ma'am；　I'm　asking　merely　in　a　spirit　of　friendly　enquiry。〃
　　〃If　we　can　help　you　back　to　Trollesund；　Mr。　Scoresby；　we　shall　do　so。　But　we　don't　know　what　we　shall　meet　on　Svalbard。　The　bears'　new　king　has　made　many　changes；　the　old　ways　are　out　of　favor；　it　might　be　a　difficult　landing。　And　I　don't　know　how　Lyra　will　find　her　way　to　her　father。　Nor　do　I　know　what　Iorek　Byrnison　has　it　in　mind　to　do；　except　that　his　fate　is　involved　with　hers。〃
　　〃I　don't　know　either；　ma'am。　I　think　he's　attached　himself　to　the　little　girl　as　a　kind　of　protector。　She　helped　him　get　his　armor　back；　you　see。　Who　knows　what　bears　feel？　But　if　a　bear　ever　loved　a　human　being；　he　loves　her。　As　for　landing　on　Svalbard；　it's　never　been　easy。　Still；　if　I　can　call　on　you　for　a　tug　in　the　right　direction；　I'll　feel　kinda　easier　in　my　mind；　and　if　there's　anything　I　can　do　for　you　in　return；　you　only　have　to　say。　But　just　so　as　I　know；　would　you　mind　telling　me　whose　side　I'm　on　in　this　invisible　war？〃
　　〃We　are　both　on　Lyra's　side。〃
　　〃Oh；　no　doubt　about　that。〃
　　They　flew　on。　Because　of　the　clouds　below　there　was　no　way　of　telling　how　fast　they　were　going。　Normally；　of　course；　a　balloon　remained　still　with　respect　to　the　wind；　floating　at　whatever　speed　the　air　itself　was　moving；　but　now；　pulled　by　the　witches；　the　balloon　was　moving　through　the　air　instead　of　with　it；　and　resisting　the　movement；　too；　because　the　unwieldy　gas　bag　had　none　of　the　streamlined　smoothness　of　a　zeppelin。　As　a　result；　the　basket　swung　this　way　and　that；　rocking　and　bumping　much　more　than　on　a　normal　flight。
　　Lee　Scoresby　wasn't　concerned　for　his　fort　so　much　as　for　his　instruments；　and　he　spent　some　time　making　sure　they　were　securely　lashed　to　the　main　struts。　According　to　the　altimeter；　they　were　nearly　ten　thousand　feet　up。　The　temperature　was　minus　20　degrees。　He　had　been　colder　than　this；　but　not　much；　and　he　didn't　want　to　get　any　colder　now；　so　he　unrolled　the　canvas　sheet　he　used　as　an　emergency　bivouac；　and　spread　it　in　front　of　the　sleeping　children　to　keep　off　the　wind；　before　lying　down　back　to　back　with　his　old　rade　in　arms；　Iorek　Byrnison；　and　falling　asleep。
　　
　　When　Lyra　woke　up；　the　moon　was　high　in　the　sky；　and　everything　in　sight　was　silver…plated；　from　the　roiling　surface　of　the　clouds　below　to　the　frost　spears　and　icicles　on　the　rigging　of　the　balloon。
　　Roger　was　sleeping；　and　so　were　Lee　Scoresby　and　the　bear。　Beside　the　basket；　however；　the　witch　queen　was　flying　steadily。
　　〃How　far　are　we　from　Svalbard？〃　Lyra　said。
　　〃If　we　meet　no　winds；　we　shall　be　over　Svalbard　in　twelve　hours　or　so。〃
　　〃Where　are　we　going　to　land？〃
　　〃It　depends　on　the　weather。　We'll　try　to　avoid　the　cliffs；　though。　There　are　creatures　living　there　who　prey　on　anything　that　moves。　If　we　can；　we'll　set　you　down　in　the　interior；　away　from　lofur　Raknison's　palace。〃
　　〃What's　going　to　happen　when　I　find　Lord　Asriel？　Will　he　want　to　e　back　to　Oxford；　or　what？　I　don't　know　if　I　ought　to　tell　him　I　know　he's　my　father；　neither。　He　might　want　to　pretend　he's　still　my　uncle。　I　don't　hardly　know　him　at　all。〃
　　〃He　won't　want　to　go　back　to　Oxford；　Lyra。　It　seems　that　there　is　something　to　be　done　in　another　world；　and　Lord　Asriel　is　the　only　one　who　can　bridge　the　gulf　between　that　world　and　this。　But　he　needs　something　to　help　him。〃
　　〃The　alethiometer！〃　Lyra　said。　〃The　Master　of　Jordan　gave　it　to　me　and　I　thought　there　was　something　he　wanted　to　say　about　Lord　Asriel；　except　he　never　had　the　chance。　I　knew　he　didn't　really　want　to　poison　him。　Is　he　going　to　read　it　and　see　how　to　make　the　bridge？　I　bet　I　could　help　him。　I　can　probably　read　it　as　good　as　anyone　now。〃
　　〃I　don't　know；〃　said　Serafina　Pekkala。　〃How　he'll　do　it；　and　what　his　task　will　be；　we　can't　tell。　There　are　powers　who　speak　to　us；　and　there　are　powers　above　them；　and　there　are　secrets　even　from　the　most　high。〃
　　〃The　alethiometer　would　tell　me！　I　could　read　it　now　。　。　。　。〃
　　But　it　was　too　cold；　she　would　never　have　managed　to　hold　it。　She　bundled　herself　up　and　pulled　the　hood　tight　against　the　chill　of　the　wind；　leaving　only　a　slit　to　look　through。　Far　ahead；　and　a　little　below；　the　long　rope　extended　from　the　suspension　ring　of　the　balloon；　pulled　by　six　or　seven　witches　sitting　on　their　cloud…pine　branches。　The　stars　shone　as　bright　and　cold　and　hard　as　diamonds。
　　〃Why　en't　you　cold；　Serafina　Pekkala？〃
　　〃We　feel　cold；　but　we　don't　mind　it；　because　we　will　not　e　to　harm。　And　if　we　wrapped　up　against　the　cold；　we　wouldn't　feel　other　things；　like　the　bright　tingle　of　the　stars；　or　the　music　of　the　Aurora；　or　best　of　all　the　silky　feeling　of　moonlight　on　our　skin。　It's　worth　being　cold　for　that。〃
　　〃Could　I　feel　them？〃
　　〃No。　You　would　die　if　you　took　your　furs　off。　Stay　wrapped　up。〃
　　〃How　long　do　witches　live；　Serafina　Pekkala？　Farder　Coram　says　hundreds　of　years。　But　you　don't　look　old　at　all。〃
　　〃I　am　three　hundred　years　or　more。　Our　oldest　witch　mother　is　nearly　a　thousand。　One　day；　Yambe…Akka　will　e　for　her。　One　day　she'll　e　for　me。　She　is　the　goddess　of　the　dead。　She　es　to　you　smiling　and　kindly；　and　you　know　it　is　time　to　die。〃
　　〃Are　there　men　witches？　Or　only　women？〃
　　〃There　are　men　who　serve　us；　like　the　consul　at　Trollesund。　And　there　are　men　we　take　for　lovers　or　husbands。　You　are　so　young；　Lyra；　too　young　to　understand　this；　but　I　shall　tell　you　anyway　and　you'll　understand　it　later：　men　pass　in　front　of　our　eyes　like　butterflies；　creatures　of　a　brief　season。　We　love　them；　they　are　brave；　proud；　beautiful；　clever；　and　they　die　almost　at　once。　They　die　so　soon　that　our　hearts　are　continually　racked　with　pain。　We　bear　their　children；　who　are　witches　if　they　are　female；　human　if　not；　and　then　in　the　blink　of　an　eye　they　are　gone；　felled；　slain；　lost。　Our　sons；　too。　When　a　little　boy　is　growing；　he　thinks　he　is　immortal。　His　mother　knows　he　isn't。　Each　time　bees　more　painful；　until　finally　your　heart　is　broken。　Perhaps　that　is　when　Yambe…Akka　es　for　you。　She　is　older　than　the　tundra。　Perhaps；　for　her；　witches'　lives　are　as　brief　as　men's　are　to　us。〃
　　〃Did　you　love　Farder　Coram？〃
　　〃Yes。　Does　he　know　that？〃
　　〃I　don't　know；　but　I　know　he　loves　you。〃
　　〃When　he　rescued　me；　he　was　young　and　strong　and　full　of　pride　and　beauty。　I　loved　him　at　once。　I　would　have　changed　my　nature；　I　would　have　forsaken　the　star…tingle　and　the　music　of　the　Aurora；　I　would　never　have　flown　again…I　would　have　given　all　that　up　in　a　moment；　without　a　thought；　to　be　a　gyptian　boat　wife　and　cook　for　him　and　share　his　bed　and　bear　his　children。　But　you　cannot　change　what　you　are；　only　what　you　do。　I　am　a　witch。　He　is　a　human。　I　stayed　with　him　for　long　enough　to　bear　him　a　child　。　。　。　。〃
　　〃He　never　said！　Was　it　a　girl？　A　witch？〃
　　〃No。　A　boy；　and　he　died　in　the　great　epidemic　of　forty　years　ago；　the　sickness　that　came　out　of　the　East。　Poor　little　child；　he　flickered　into　life　and　out　of　it　like　a　mayfly。　And　it　tore　pieces　out　of　my　heart；　as　it　always　does。　It　broke　Coram's。　And　then　the　call　came　for　me　to　return　to　my　own　people；　because　Yambe…Akka　had　taken　my　mother；　and　I　was　clan　queen。　So　I　left；　as　I　had　to。〃
　　〃Did　you　never　see　Farder　Coram　again？〃
　　〃Never。　I　heard　of　his　deeds；　I　heard　ho