ewell。
—
youre lyra。〃
then she realized what that meant。 she felt dizzy； even in her dream； she felt a great burden settle on her shoulders。 and to make it even heavier； sleep was closing in again； and rogers face was receding into shadow。
〃well； i。。。 i know。。。 theres all kinds of people on our side； like dr。 malone。。 。you know theres another oxford； roger； just like ours。 well； she 。。。 i found her in。。。 shed help 。。。 but theres only one person really who。。。〃
it was almost impossible now to see the little boy； and her thoughts were spreading out and wandering away like sheep in a field。
〃but we can trust him； roger； i swear；〃 she said with a final effort；
。。
SEVEN … MARY MALONE
almost at the same time； the tempter whom father gomez was setting out to follow was being tempted herself。
〃thank you； no； no； thats all i need； no more； honestly； thank you；〃 said dr。 mary malone to the old couple in the olive grove as they tried to give her more food than she could carry。
they lived here isolated and childless； and they had been afraid of the specters theyd seen among the silver…gray trees； but when mary malone came up the road with her rucksack； the specters had taken fright and drifted away。 the old couple had weled mary into their little vine…sheltered farmhouse； had plied her with wine and cheese and bread and olives； and now didnt want to let her go。
〃i must go on；〃 said mary again； 〃thank you； youve been very kind； i cant carry； oh； all right； another little cheese； thank you。。。”
they evidently saw her as a talisman against the specters。 she wished she could be。 in her week in the world of cittagazze； she had seen enough devastation； enough specter…eaten adults and wild； scavenging children； to have a horror of those ethereal vampires。 all she knew was that they did drift away when she approached； but she couldnt stay with everyone who wanted her to； because she had to move on。
she found room for the last little goats cheese wrapped in its vine leaf； smiled and bowed again； and took a last drink from the spring that bubbled up among the gray rocks。 then she clapped her hands gently together as the old couple were doing； and turned firmly away and left。
she looked more decisive than she felt。 the last munication with those entities she called shadow particles； and lyra called dust； had been on the screen of her puter； and at their instruction she had destroyed that。 now she was at a loss。 theyd told her to go through the opening in the oxford she had lived in； the oxford of wills world； which shed done； to find herself dizzy and quaking with wonder in this extraordinary other world。 beyond that； her only task was to find the boy and the girl； and then play the serpent； whatever that meant。
so shed walked and explored and inquired； and found nothing。 but now； she thought； as she turned up the little track away from the olive grove； she would have to look for guidance。
once she was far enough away from the little farmstead to be sure she wouldnt be disturbed； she sat under the pine trees and opened her rucksack。 at the bottom； wrapped in a silk scarf； was a book shed had for twenty years： a mentary on the chinese method of divination； the i ching。
she had taken it with her for two reasons。 one was sentimental： her grandfather had given it to her； and she had used it a lot as a schoolgirl。 the other was that when lyra had first found her way to marys laboratory； she had asked： 〃whats that？〃 and pointed to the poster on the door that showed the symbols from the i ching； and shortly afterward； in her spectacular reading of the puter； lyra had learned （she claimed） that dust had many other ways of speaking to human beings； and one of them was the method from china that used those symbols。
so in her swift packing to leave her own world； mary malone had taken with her the book of changes； as it was called； and the little yarrow stalks with which she read it。 and now the time had e to use them。
she spread the silk on the ground and began the process of dividing and counting； dividing and counting and setting aside； which shed done so often as a passionate； curious teenager； and hardly ever since。 she had almost forgotten how to do it； but she soon found the ritual ing back； and with it a sense of that calm and concentrated attention that played such an important part in talking to the shadows。
eventually she came to the numbers that indicated the hexagram she was being given； the group of six broken or unbroken lines； and then she looked up the meaning。 this was the difficult part； because the book expressed itself in such an enigmatic style。 she read：
turning to the summit
for provision of nourishment
brings goo d fortun e。
spying about with sharp eyes
like a tiger with insatiable craving。
that seemed encouraging。 she read on； following the mentary through the mazy paths it led her on； until she came to： keeping still is the mountain； it is a bypath； it means little stones； doors； and openings。
she had to guess。 the mention of 〃openings〃 recalled the mysterious window in the air through which she had entered this world； and the first words seemed to say that she should go upward。
both puzzled and encouraged； she packed the book and the yarrow stalks away and set off up the path。
four hours later she was very hot and tired。 the sun was low over the horizon。 the rough track she was following had petered out； and she was clambering with more and more disfort among tumbled boulders and smaller stones。 to her left the slope fell away toward a landscape of olive and lemon groves； of poorly tended vineyards and abandoned windmills； lying hazy in the evening light。 to her right a scree of small rocks and gravel sloped up to a cliff of crumbling limestone。
wearily she hoisted her rucksack again and set her foot on the next flat stone； but before she even transferred her weight； she stopped。 the light was catching something curious； and she shaded her eyes against the glare from the scree and tried to find it again。
〃and there it was： like a sheet of glass hanging unsupported in the air； but glass with no attention…catching reflections in it； just a square patch of difference。 and then she remembered what the i ching had said： a bypath 。 。 。 little stones； doors； and openings。
it was a window like the one in sunderland avenue in oxford。 she could only see it because of the light： with the sun any higher it probably wouldnt show up at all。
she approached the little patch of air with passionate curiosity； because she hadnt had time to look at the first one： shed had to get away as quickly as possible。 but she examined this one in detail； touching the edge； moving around to see how it became invisible from the other side； noting the absolute difference between this and that； and found her mind almost bursting with excitement that such things could be。
the knife bearer who had made it； at about the time of the american revolution； had been too careless to close it； but at least hed cut through at a point very similar to the world on this side： next to a rock face。 but the rock on the other side was different； not limestone but granite； and as mary stepped through into the new world she found herself not at the foot of a towering cliff but almost at the top of a low outcrop overlooking a vast plain。
it was evening here； too； and she sat down to breathe the air and rest her limbs and taste the wonder without rushing。
wide golden light； and an endless prairie or savanna； like nothing she had ever seen in her own world。 to begin with； although most of it was covered in short grass in an infinite variety of buff…brown…green…ocher…yellow…golden shades； and undulating very gently in a way that the long evening light showed up clearly； the prairie seemed to be laced through and through with what looked like rivers of rock with a light gray surface。
and secondly； here and there on the plain were stands of the tallest trees mary had ever seen。 attending a high…energy physics conference once in california； she had taken time out to look at the great redwood trees； and marveled； but whatever these trees were； they would have overtopped the redwoods by half again； at least。 their foliage was dense and dark green； their vast trunks gold…red in the heavy evening light。
and finally； herds of creatures； too far off to see distinctly； grazed on the prairie。 there was a strangeness about their movement that she couldnt quite work out。
she was desperately tired； and thirsty and hungry besides。 somewhere nearby； though； she heard the wele trickle of a spring； and only a minute later she found it： just a seepage of clear water from a mossy fissure； and a tiny stream that led away down the slope。 she drank long and gratefully； and filled her bottles； and then set about making herself fortable； for night was falling rapidly。
propped against the rock； wrapped in her sleeping bag； she ate some of the rough bread and the goats cheese； and then fell deeply asleep。
she awoke with the early sun full in her face。 the air was cool； and the dew had settled in tiny beads on her hair and on the sleeping bag。 she lay for a few minutes lapped in freshness； feelin