pp.thegoldencompass-第68部分

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ttering　above　the　high…walled　courtyard。　The　guard　conferred　with　another　bear；　who　came　to　speak　to　her。
　　〃You　cannot　see　lofur　Raknison　when　you　please；〃　he　said。　〃You　have　to　wait　till　he　wants　to　see　you。〃
　　〃But　this　is　urgent；　what　I've　got　to　tell　him；〃　she　said。　〃It's　about　Iorek　Byrnison。　I'm　sure　His　Majesty　would　want　to　know　it；　but　all　the　same　I　can't　tell　it　to　anyone　else；　don't　you　see？　It　wouldn't　be　polite。　He'd　be　ever　so　cross　if　he　knew　we　hadn't　been　polite。〃
　　That　seemed　to　carry　some　weight；　or　else　to　mystify　the　bear　sufficiently　to　make　him　pause。　Lyra　was　sure　her　interpretation　of　things　was　right：　lofur　Raknison　was　introducing　so　many　new　ways　that　none　of　the　bears　was　certain　yet　how　to　behave；　and　she　could　exploit　this　uncertainty　in　order　to　get　to　lofur。
　　So　that　bear　retreated　to　consult　the　bear　above　him；　and　before　long　Lyra　was　ushered　inside　the　palace　again；　but　into　the　state　quarters　this　time。　It　was　no　cleaner　here；　and　in　fact　the　air　was　even　harder　to　breathe　than　in　the　cell；　because　all　the　natural　stinks　had　been　overlaid　by　a　heavy　layer　of　cloying　perfume。　She　was　made　to　wait　in　a　corridor；　then　in　an　anteroom；　then　outside　a　large　door；　while　bears　discussed　and　argued　and　scurried　back　and　forth；　and　she　had　time　to　look　around　at　the　preposterous　decoration：　the　walls　were　rich　with　gilt　plasterwork；　some　of　which　was　already　peeling　off　or　crumbling　with　damp；　and　the　florid　carpets　were　trodden　with　filth。
　　Finally　the　large　door　was　opened　from　the　inside。　A　blaze　of　light　from　half　a　dozen　chandeliers；　a　crimson　carpet；　and　more　of　that　thick　perfume　hanging　in　the　air；　and　the　faces　of　a　dozen　or　more　bears；　all　gazing　at　her；　none　in　armor　but　each　with　some　kind　of　decoration：　a　golden　necklace；　a　headdress　of　purple　feathers；　a　crimson　sash。　Curiously；　the　room　was　also　occupied　by　birds；　terns　and　skuas　perched　on　the　plaster　cornice；　and　swooped　low　to　snatch　at　bits　of　fish　that　had　fallen　out　of　one　another's　nests　in　the　chandeliers。
　　And　on　a　dais　at　the　far　end　of　the　room；　a　mighty　throne　reared　up　high。　It　was　made　of　granite　for　strength　and　mas…siveness；　but　like　so　many　other　things　in　lofur's　palace；　it　was　decorated　with　overelaborate　swags　and　festoons　of　gilt　that　looked　like　tinsel　on　a　mountainside。
　　Sitting　on　the　throne　was　the　biggest　bear　she　had　ever　seen。　lofur　Raknison　was　even　taller　and　bulkier　than　Iorek；　and　his　face　was　much　more　mobile　and　expressive；　with　a　kind　of　humanness　in　it　which　she　had　never　seen　in　Iorek's。　When　lofur　looked　at　her；　she　seemed　to　see　a　man　looking　out　of　his　eyes；　the　sort　of　man　she　had　met　at　Mrs。　Coulter's；　a　subtle　politician　used　to　power。　He　was　wearing　a　heavy　gold　chain　around　his　neck；　with　a　gaudy　jewel　hanging　from　it；　and　his　claws…a　good　six　inches　long…were　each　covered　in　gold　leaf。　The　effect　was　one　of　enormous　strength　and　energy　and　craft；　he　was　quite　big　enough　to　carry　the　absurd　overdecoration；　on　him　it　didn't　look　preposterous；　it　looked　barbaric　and　magnificent。
　　She　quailed。　Suddenly　her　idea　seemed　too　feeble　for　words。
　　But　she　moved　a　little　closer；　because　she　had　to；　and　then　she　saw　that　lofur　was　holding　something　on　his　knee；　as　a　human　might　let　a　cat　sit　there…or　a　daemon。
　　It　was　a　big　stuffed　doll；　a　manikin　with　a　vacant　stupid　human　face。　It　was　dressed　as　Mrs。　Coulter　would　dress；　and　it　had　a　sort　of　rough　resemblance　to　her。　He　was　pretending　he　had　a　daemon。　Then　she　knew　she　was　safe。
　　She　moved　up　close　to　the　throne　and　bowed　very　low；　with　Pantalaimon　keeping　quiet　and　still　in　her　pocket。
　　〃Our　greetings　to　you；　great　King；〃　she　said　quietly。　〃Or　I　mean　my　greetings；　not　his。〃
　　〃Not　whose？〃　he　said；　and　his　voice　was　lighter　than　she　had　thought　it　would　be；　but　full　of　expressive　tones　and　subtleties。　When　he　spoke；　he　waved　a　paw　in　front　of　his　mouth　to　dislodge　the　flies　that　clustered　there。
　　〃Iorek　Byrnison's；　Your　Majesty；〃　she　said。　〃I've　got　something　very　important　and　secret　to　tell　you；　and　I　think　I　ought　to　tell　you　in　private；　really。〃
　　〃Something　about　Iorek　Byrnison？〃
　　She　came　close　to　him；　stepping　carefully　over　the　bird…spattered　floor；　and　brushed　away　the　flies　buzzing　at　her　face。
　　〃Something　about　daemons；〃　she　said；　so　that　only　he　could　hear。
　　His　expression　changed。　She　couldn't　read　what　it　was　saying；　but　there　was　no　doubt　that　he　was　powerfully　interested。　Suddenly　he　lumbered　forward　off　the　throne；　making　her　skip　aside；　and　roared　an　order　to　the　other　bears。　They　all　bowed　their　heads　and　backed　out　toward　the　door。　The　birds；　which　had　risen　in　a　flurry　at　his　roar；　squawked　and　swooped　around　overhead　before　settling　again　on　their　nests。
　　When　the　throne　room　was　empty　but　for　lofur　Raknison　and　Lyra；　he　turned　to　her　eagerly。
　　〃Well？〃　he　said。　〃Tell　me　who　you　are。　What　is　this　about　daemons？〃
　　〃I　am　a　daemon；　Your　Majesty；〃　she　said。
　　He　stopped　still。
　　〃Whose？〃　he　said。
　　〃Iorek　Byrnison's；〃　was　her　answer。
　　It　was　the　most　dangerous　thing　she　had　ever　said。　She　could　see　quite　clearly　that　only　his　astonishment　prevented　him　from　killing　her　at　once。　She　went　on：
　　〃Please；　Your　Majesty；　let　me　tell　you　all　about　it　first　before　you　harm　me。　I've　e　here　at　my　own　risk；　as　you　can　see；　and　there's　nothing　I've　got　that　could　hurt　you。　In　fact；　I　want　to　help　you；　that's　why　I've　e。　Iorek　Byrnison　was　the　first　bear　to　get　a　daemon；　but　it　should　have　been　you。　I　would　much　rather　be　your　daemon　than　his；　that's　why　I　came。〃
　　〃How？〃　he　said；　breathlessly。　　〃How　has　a　bear　got　a　daemon？　And　why　him？　And　how　are　you　so　far　from　him？〃　The　flies　left　his　mouth　like　tiny　words。　〃That's　easy。　I　can　go　far　from　him　because　I'm　like　a　witch's　daemon。　You　know　how　they　can　go　hundreds　of　miles　from　their　humans？　It's　like　that。　And　as　for　how　he　got　me；　it　was　at　Bolvangar。　You've　heard　of　Bolvangar；　because　Mrs。　Coulter　must　have　told　you　about　it；　but　she　probably　didn't　tell　you　everything　they　were　doing　there。〃
　　〃Cutting　。　。　。　〃　he　said。
　　〃Yes；　cutting；　that's　part　of　it；　intercision。　But　they're　doing　all　kinds　of　other　things　too；　like　making　artificial　daemons。　And　experimenting　on　animals。　When　Iorek　Byrnison　heard　about　it；　he　offered　himself　for　an　experiment　to　see　if　they　could　make　a　daemon　for　him；　and　they　did。　It　was　me。　My　name　is　Lyra。　Just　like　when　people　have　daemons；　they're　animal…formed；　so　when　a　bear　has　a　daemon；　it'll　be　human。　And　I'm　his　daemon。　I　can　see　into　his　mind　and　know　exactly　what　he's　doing　and　where　he　is　and…〃
　　〃Where　is　he　now？〃
　　〃On　Svalbard。　He's　ing　this　way　as　fast　as　he　can。〃
　　〃Why？　What　does　he　want？　He　must　be　mad！　We'll　tear　him　to　pieces！〃
　　〃He　wants　me。　He's　ing　to　get　me　back。　But　I　don't　want　to　be　his　daemon；　lofur　Raknison；　I　want　to　be　yours。　Because　once　they　saw　how　powerful　a　bear　was　with　a　daemon；　the　people　at　Bolvangar　decided　not　to　do　that　experiment　ever　again。　Iorek　Byrnison　was　going　to　be　the　only　bear　who　ever　had　a　daemon。　And　with　me　helping　him；　he　could　lead　all　the　bears　against　you。　That's　what　he's　e　to　Svalbard　for。〃
　　The　bear…king　roared　his　anger。　He　roared　so　loudly　that　the　crystal　in　the　chandeliers　tinkled；　and　every　bird　in　the　great　room　shrieked；　and　Lyra's　ears　rang。
　　But　she　was　equal　to　it。
　　〃That's　why　I　love　you　best；〃　she　said　to　lofur　Raknison；　〃because　you're　passionate　and　strong　as　well　as　clever。　And　I　just　had　to　leave　him　and　e　and　tell　you；　because　I　don't　want　him　ruling　the　bears。　It　ought　to　be　you。　And　there　is　a　way　of　taking　me　away　from　him　and　making　me　your　daemon；　but　you　wouldn't　know　what　it　was　unless　I　told　you；　and　you　might　do　the　usual　thing　about　fighting　bears　like　him　that've　been　outcast；　I　mean；　not　fight　him　properly；　but　kill　him　with　fire　hurlers　or　something。　And　if　you　did　that；　I'd　just　go　out　like　a　light　and　die　with　him。〃
　　〃But　you…how　can…〃
　　〃I　can　bee　your　daemon；〃　she　said；　〃but　only　if　you　defeat　Iorek　Byrnison　in　single　bat。　Then　his　strength　will　flow　into　you；　and　my　mind　will　flow　into　yours；　and　we'll　be　like　one　person；　thinking　each　other