THE AMBER SPYGLASS- 第4部分

instead　of　cutting　as　soon　as　he　felt　the　first　little　halt；　as　he　usually　did；　he　let　the　knife　move　on　to　another　and　another。　it　was　like　tracing　a　row　of　stitches　while　pressing　so　softly　that　none　of　them　was　harmed。

〃what　are　you　doing？〃　said　the　voice　from　the　air；　bringing　him　back。

〃exploring；〃　said　will。　〃be　quiet　and　keep　out　of　the　way。　if　you　e　near　this　youll　get　cut；　and　if　i　cant　see　you；　i　cant　avoid　you。〃

balthamos　made　a　sound　of　muted　discontent。　will　held　out　the　knife　again　and　felt　for　those　tiny　halts　and　hesitations。

there　were　far　more　of　them　than　hed　thought。　and　as　he　felt　them　without　the　need　to　cut　through　at　once；　he　found　that　they　each　had　a　different　quality：　this　one　was　hard　and　definite；　that　one　cloudy；　a　third　was　slippery；　a　fourth　brittle　and　frail。。。

but　among　them　all　there　were　some　he　felt　more　easily　than　others；　and；　already　knowing　the　answer；　he　cut　one　through　to　be　sure：　his　own　world　again。

he　closed　it　up　and　felt　with　the　knife　tip　for　a　snag　with　a　different　quality。　he　found　one　that　was　elastic　and　resistant；　and　let　the　knife　feel　its　way　through。

and　yes！　the　world　he　saw　through　that　window　was　not　his　own：　the　ground　was　closer　here；　and　the　landscape　was　not　green　fields　and　hedges　but　a　desert　of　rolling　dunes。

he　closed　it　and　opened　another：　the　smoke…laden　air　over　an　industrial　city；　with　a　line　of　chained　and

sullen　workers　trudging　into　a　factory。

he　closed　that　one；　too；　and　came　back　to　himself。　he　felt　a　little　dizzy。　for　the　first　time　he　understood　some　of　the　true　power　of　the　knife；　and　laid　it　very　carefully　on　the　rock　in　front　of　him。

〃are　you　going　to　stay　here　all　day？〃　said　balthamos。

〃im　thinking。　you　can　only　move　easily　from　one　world　to　another　if　the　grounds　in　the　same　place。　and　maybe　there　are　places　where　it　is；　and　maybe　thats　where　a　lot　of　cutting…through　happens。。。　and　youd　have　to　know　what　your　own　world　felt　like　with　the　point　or　you　might　never　get　back。　youd　be　lost　forever。〃

〃indeed。　but　may　we。。。”

〃and　youd　have　to　know　which　world　had　the　ground　in　the　same　place；　or　there　wouldnt　be　any　point　in　opening　it；〃　said　will；　as　much　to　himself　as　to　the　angel。　〃so　its　not　as　easy　as　i　thought。　we　were　just　lucky　in　oxford　and　cittagazze；　maybe。　but　ill　just。。。〃

he　picked　up　the　knife　again。　as　well　as　the　clear　and　obvious　feeling　he　got　when　he　touched　a　point　that　would　open　to　his　own　world；　there　had　been　another　kind　of　sensation　hed　touched　more　than　once：　a　quality　of　resonance；　like　the　feeling　of　striking　a　heavy　wooden　drum；　except　of　course　that　it　came；　like　every　other　one；　in　the　tiniest　movement　through　the　empty　air。

there　it　was。　he　moved　away　and　felt　somewhere　else：　there　it　was　again。

he　cut　through　and　found　that　his　guess　was　right。　the　resonance　meant　that　the　ground　in　the　world　hed　opened　was　in　the　same　place　as　this　one。　he　found　himself　looking　at　a　grassy　upland　meadow　under　an　overcast　sky；　in　which　a　herd　of　placid　beasts　was　grazing；　animals　such　as　hed　never　seen　before；　creatures　the　size　of　bison；　with　wide　horns　and　shaggy　blue　fur　and　a　crest　of　stiff　hair　along　their　backs。

he　stepped　through。　the　nearest　animal　looked　up　incuriously　and　then　turned　back　to　the　grass。　leaving　the　window　open；　will；　in　the　other…world　meadow；　felt　with　the　knifepoint　for　the　familiar　snags　and　tried　them。

yes；　he　could　open　his　own　world　from　this　one；　and　he　was　still　high　above　the　farms　and　hedges；　and　yes；　he　could　easily　find　the　solid　resonance　that　meant　the　cittagazze…world　hed　just　left。

with　a　deep　sense　of　relief；　will　went　back　to　the　camp　by　the　lake；　closing　everything　behind　him。　now　he　could　find　his　way　home；　now　he　would　not　get　lost；　now　he　could　hide　when　he　needed　to；　and　move　about　safely。

with　every　increase　in　his　knowledge　came　a　gain　in　strength。　he　sheathed　the　knife　at　his　waist　and　swung　the　rucksack　over　his　shoulder。

〃well；　are　you　ready　now？〃　said　that　sarcastic　voice。

〃yes。　ill　explain　if　you　like；　but　you　dont　seem　very　interested。〃

〃oh；　i　find　whatever　you　do　a　source　of　perpetual　fascination。　but　never　mind　me。　what　are　you　going　to　say　to　these　people　who　are　ing？〃

will　looked　around；　startled。　farther　down　the　trail；　a　long　way　down；　there　was　a　line　of　travelers　with　packhorses；　making　their　way　steadily　up　toward　the　lake。　they　hadnt　seen　him　yet；　but　if　he　stayed　where　he　was；　they　would　soon。

will　gathered　up　his　fathers　cloak；　which　hed　laid　over　a　rock　in　the　sun。　it　weighed　much　less　now　that　it　was　dry。　he　looked　around：　there　was　nothing　else　he　could　carry。

〃lets　go　farther　on；〃　he　said。

he　would　have　liked　to　retie　the　bandage；　but　it　could　wait。　he　set　off　along　the　edge　of　the　lake；　away　from　the　travelers；　and　the　angel　followed　him；　invisible　in　the　bright　air。

much　later　that　day　they　came　down　from　the　bare　mountains　onto　a　spur　covered　in　grass　and　dwarf　rhododendrons。　will　was　aching　for　rest；　and　soon；　he　decided；　hed　stop。

hed　heard　little　from　the　angel。　from　time　to　time　balthamos　had　said；　〃not　that　way；〃　or　〃there　is　an　easier　path　to　the　left；〃　and　hed　accepted　the　advice；　but　really　he　was　moving　for　the　sake　of　moving；　and　to　keep　away　from　those　travelers；　because　until　the　other　angel　came　back　with　more　news；　he　might　as　well　have　stayed　where　they　were。

now　the　sun　was　setting；　he　thought　he　could　see　his　strange　panion。　the　outline　of　a　man　seemed　to　quiver　in　the　light；　and　the　air　was　thicker　inside　it。

〃balthamos？〃　he　said。　〃i　want　to　find　a　stream。　is　there　one　nearby　？〃

〃there　is　a　spring　halfway　down　the　slope；〃　said　the　angel；　〃just　above　those　trees。〃

〃thank　you；〃　said　will。

he　found　the　spring　and　drank　deeply；　filling　his　canteen。　but　before　he　could　go　on　down　to　the　little　wood；　there　came　an　exclamation　from　balthamos；　and　will　turned　to　see　his　outline　dart　across　the　slope　toward；　what？　the　angel　was　visible　only　as　a　flicker　of　movement；　and　will　could　see　him　better　when　he　didnt　look　at　him　directly；　but　he　seemed　to　pause；　and　listen；　and　then　launch　himself　into　the　air　to　skim　back　swiftly　to　will。

〃here！〃　he　said；　and　his　voice　was　free　of　disapproval　and　sarcasm　for　once。　〃baruch　came　this　way！　and　there　is　one　of　those　windows；　almost　invisible。　e；　e。　e　now。〃

will　followed　eagerly；　his　weariness　forgotten。　the　window；　he　saw　when　he　reached　it；　opened　onto　a　dim；　tundra…like　landscape　that　was　flatter　than　the　mountains　in　the　cittagazze　world；　and　colder；　with　an　overcast　sky。　he　went　through；　and　balthamos　followed　him　at　once。

〃which　world　is　this？〃　will　said。

〃the　girls　own　world。　this　is　where　they　came　through。　baruch　has　gone　ahead　to　follow　them。〃

〃how　do　you　know？　do　you　read　his　mind？〃

〃of　course　i　read　his　mind。　wherever　he　goes；　my　heart　goes　with　him；　we　feel　as　one；　though　we　are　two。〃

will　looked　around。　there　was　no　sign　of　human　life；　and　the　chill　in　the　air　was　increasing　by　the　minute　as　the　light　failed。

〃i　dont　want　to　sleep　here；〃　he　said。　〃well　stay　in　the　cittagazze　world　for　the　night　and　e　through　in　the　morning。　at　least　theres　wood　back　there；　and　i　can　make　a　fire。　and　now　i　know　what　her　world　feels　like；　i　can　find　it　with　the　knife。。。oh；　balthamos？　can　you　take　any　other　shape？〃

〃why　would　i　wish　to　do　that？〃

〃in　this　world　human　beings　have　daemons；　and　if　i　go　about　without　one；　theyll　be　suspicious。　lyra　was　frightened　of　me　at　first　because　of　that。　so　if　were　going　to　travel　in　her　world；　youll　have　to　pretend　to　be　my　daemon；　and　take　the　shape　of　some　animal。　a　bird；　maybe。　then　you　could　fly；　at　least。〃





TWO　…　BALTHAMOS　AND　BARUCH…2

小？说网
〃oh；　how　tedious。〃

〃can　you；　though？〃

〃i　could。。。〃

〃do　it　now；　then。　let　me　see。〃

the　form　of　the　angel　seemed　to　condense　and　swirl　into　a　little　vortex　in　midair；　and　then　a　blackbird　swooped　down　onto　the　grass　at　wills　feet。

〃fly　to　my　shoulder；〃　said　will。　

the　bird　did　so；　and　then　spoke　in　the　angels　familiar　acid　tone：

〃i　shall　only　do　this　when　its　absolutely　necessary。　its　unspeakably　humiliating。〃

〃too　bad；〃　said　will。　〃whenever　we　see　people　in　this　world；　you　bee　a　bird。　theres　no　point　in　fussing　or　arguing。　just　do　it。〃

the　blackbird　flew　off　his　shoulder　and　vanished　in　midair；　and　there　was　the　angel　again；　sulking　in　the　half…light。　before　they　went　back　through；　will　looked　all　around；　sniffing　the　air；　taking　the　measure　of　the　world　where　lyra　was　captive。

〃where　is　your　panion　now？〃　he　said。

〃following　the　woman　south。〃

〃then　we　shall　go　that　way；　too；　in　the　morning。〃

next　day　will　walked　for　hours　and　saw　no　one。　the　country　consisted　for　the　most　part　of　low　hills　covered　in　short　dry　grass；　and　whenever　he　found　himself　on　any　sort　of　high　point；　he　looked　all　around　for　signs　of　human　habitation；　but　found　none。　the　only　variation　in　the　dusty　brown…green　emptiness　was　a　distant　smudge　of　darker　green；　which　he　made　for　because　balthamos　said　it　was　a　forest　and　there　was　a　river　there；　which　led　south。　when　the　sun　was　at　its　height；　he　tried　and　failed　to　sleep　among　some　low　bushes；　and　as　the　evening　approached；　he　was　footsore　and