THE AMBER SPYGLASS- 第67部分

and　carrying　her　away　from　her　body。

she　flung　a　mental　lifeline　to　that　physical　self；　and　tried　to　recall　the　feeling　of　being　in　it：　all　the　sensations　that　made　up　being　alive。　the　exact　touch　of　her　friend　atals　soft…tipped　trunk　caressing　her　neck。　the　taste　of　bacon　and　eggs。　the　triumphant　strain　in　her　muscles　as　she　pulled　herself　up　a　rock　face。　the　delicate　dancing　of　her　fingers　on　a　puter　keyboard。　the　smell　of　roasting　coffee。　the　warmth　of　her　bed　on　a　winter　night。

and　gradually　she　stopped　moving；　the　lifeline　held　fast；　and　she　felt　the　weight　and　strength　of　the　current　pushing　against　her　as　she　hung　there　in　the　sky。

and　then　a　strange　thing　happened。　little　by　little　（as　she　reinforced　those　sense…memories；　adding　others；　tasting　an　iced　margarita　in　california；　sitting　under　the　lemon　trees　outside　a　restaurant　in　lisbon；　scraping　the　frost　off　the　windshield　of　her　car）；　she　felt　the　dust　wind　easing。　the　pressure　was　lessening。

but　only　on　her：　all　around；　above　and　below；　the　great　flood　was　streaming　as　fast　as　ever。　somehow　there　was　a　little　patch　of　stillness　around　her；　where　the　particles　were　resisting　the　flow。

they　were　conscious！　they　felt　her　anxiety　and　responded　to　it。　and　they　began　to　carry　her　back　to　her　deserted　body；　and　when　she　was　close　enough　to　see　it　once　more；　so　heavy；　so　warm；　so　safe；　a　silent　sob　convulsed　her　heart。

and　then　she　sank　back　into　her　body　and　awoke。

she　took　in　a　shuddering　deep　breath。　she　pressed　her　hands　and　her　legs　against　the　rough　planks　of　the　platform；　and　having　a　minute　ago　nearly　gone　mad　with　fear；　she　was　now　suffused　with　a　deep；　slow　ecstasy　at　being　one　with　her　body　and　the　earth　and　everything　that　was　matter。

finally　she　sat　up　and　tried　to　take　stock。　her　fingers　found　the　spyglass；　and　she　held　it　to　her　eye；　supporting　one　trembling　hand　with　the　other。　there　was　no　doubt　about　it：　that　slow　sky…wide　drift　had　bee　a　flood。　there　was　nothing　to　hear　and　nothing　to　feel；　and　without　the　spyglass；　nothing　to　see；　but　even　when　she　took　the　glass　from　her　eye；　the　sense　of　that　swift；　silent　inundation　remained　vividly；　together　with　something　she　hadnt　noticed　in　the　terror　of　being　outside　her　body：　the　profound；　helpless　regret　that　was　abroad　in　the　air。

the　shadow　particles　knew　what　was　happening　and　were　sorrowful。

and　she　herself　was　partly　shadow　matter。　part　of　her　was　subject　to　this　tide　that　was　moving　through　the　cosmos。　and　so　were　the　mulefa；　and　so　were　human　beings　in　every　world；　and　every　kind　of　conscious　creature；　wherever　they　were。

and　unless　she　found　out　what　was　happening；　they　might　all　find　themselves　drifting　away　to　oblivion；　everyone。

suddenly　she　longed　for　the　earth　again。　she　put　the　spyglass　in　her　pocket　and　began　the　long　climb　down　to　the　ground。

father　gomez　stepped　through　the　window　as　the　evening　light　lengthened　and　mellowed。　he　saw　the　great　stands　of　wheel　trees　and　the　roads　lacing　through　the　prairie；　just　as　mary　had　done　from　the　same　spot　sometime　before。　but　the　air　was　free　of　haze；　for　it　had　rained　a　little　earlier；　and　he　could　see　farther　than　she　had；　in　particular；　he　could　see　the　glimmer　of　a　distant　sea　and　some　flickering　white　shapes　that　might　be　sails。

he　lifted　the　rucksack　higher　on　his　shoulders　and　turned　toward　them　to　see　what　he　could　find。　in　the　calm　of　the　long　evening；　it　was　pleasant　to　walk　on　this　smooth　road；　with　the　sound　of　some　cicada…like　creatures　in　the　long　grass　and　the　setting　sun　warm　in　his　face。　the　air　was　fresh；　too；　clear　and　sweet　and　entirely　free　of　the　taint　of　naphtha　fumes；　kerosene　fumes；　whatever　they　were；　which　had　lain　so　heavily　on　the　air　in　one　of　the　worlds　hed　passed　through：　the　world　his　target；　the　tempter　herself；　belonged　to。

he　came　out　at　sunset　on　a　little　headland　beside　a　shallow　bay。　if　they　had　tides　in　this　sea；　the　tide　was　high；　because　there　was　only　a　narrow　fringe　of　soft　white　sand　above　the　water。

and　floating　in　the　calm　bay　were　a　dozen　or　more。　father　gomez　had　to　stop　and　think　carefully。　a　dozen　or　more　enormous　snow…white　birds；　each　the　size　of　a　rowboat；　with　long；　straight　wings　that　trailed　on　the　water　behind　them：　very　long　wings；　at　least　two　yards　in　length。　were　they　birds？　they　had　feathers；　and　heads　and　beaks　not　unlike　swans；　but　those　wings　were　situated　one　in　front　of　the　other；　surely。。。

suddenly　they　saw　him。　heads　turned　with　a　snap；　and　at　once　all　those　wings　were　raised　high；　exactly　like　the　sails　of　a　yacht；　and　they　all　leaned　in　with　the　breeze；　making　for　the　shore。

father　gomez　was　impressed　by　the　beauty　of　those　wing…sails；　by　how　they　were　flexed　and　trimmed　so　perfectly；　and　by　the　speed　of　the　birds。　then　he　saw　that　they　were　paddling；　too：　they　had　legs　under　the　water；　placed　not　fore　and　aft　like　the　wings　but　side　by　side；　and　with　the　wings　and　the　legs　together；　they　had　an　extraordinary　speed　and　grace　in　the　water。

as　the　first　one　reached　the　shore；　it　lumbered　up　through　the　dry　sand；　making　directly　for　the　priest。　it　was　hissing　with　malice；　stabbing　its　head　forward　as　it　waddled　heavily　up　the　shore；　and　the　beak　snapped　and　clacked。　there　were　teeth　in　the　beak；　too；　like　a　series　of　sharp　incurved　hooks。

father　gomez　was　about　a　hundred　yards　from　the　edge　of　the　water；　on　a　low　grassy　promontory；　and　he　had　plenty　of　time　to　put　down　his　rucksack；　take　out　the　rifle；　load；　aim；　and　fire。

the　birds　head　exploded　in　a　mist　of　red　and　white；　and　the　creature　blundered　on　clumsily　for　several　steps　before　sinking　onto　its　breast。　it　didnt　die　for　a　minute　or　more；　the　legs　kicked；　the　wings　rose　and　fell；　and　the　great　bird　beat　itself　around　and　around　in　a　bloody　circle；　kicking　up　the　rough　grass；　until　a　long；　bubbling　expiration　from　its　lungs　ended　with　a　coughing　spray　of　red；　and　it　fell　still。

the　other　birds　had　stopped　as　soon　as　the　first　one　fell；　and　stood　watching　it；　and　watching　the　man；　too。　there　was　a　quick；　ferocious　intelligence　in　their　eyes。　they　looked　from　him　to　the　dead　bird；　from　that　to　the　rifle；　from　the　rifle　to　his　face。

he　raised　the　rifle　to　his　shoulder　again　and　saw　them　react；　shifting　backward　clumsily；　crowding　together。　they　understood。

they　were　fine；　strong　creatures；　large　and　broad…backed；　like　living　boats；　in　fact。　if　they　knew　what　death　was；　thought　father　gomez；　and　if　they　could　see　the　connection　between　death　and　himself；　then　there　was　the　basis　of　a　fruitful　understanding　between　them。　once　they　had　truly　learned　to　fear　him；　they　would　do　exactly　as　he　said。

　％％。



TWENTY…EIGHT　…　MIDNIGHT

gxiaoshuowang
lord　asriel　said；　〃marisa；　wake　up。　were　about　to　land。〃

a　blustery　dawn　was　breaking　over　the　basalt　fortress　as　the　intention　craft　flew　in　from　the　south。　mrs。　coulter；　sore　and　heartsick；　opened　her　eyes；　she　had　not　been　asleep。　she　could　see　the　angel　xaphania　gliding　above　the　landing　ground；　and　then　rising　and　wheeling　up　to　the　tower　as　the　craft　made　for　the　ramparts。

as　soon　as　the　craft　had　landed；　lord　asriel　leapt　out　and　ran　to　join　king　ogunwe　on　the　western　watchtower；　ignoring　mrs。　coulter　entirely。　the　technicians　who　came　at　once　to　attend　to　the　flying　machine　took　no　notice　of　her；　either；　no　one　questioned　her　about　the　loss　of　the　aircraft　shed　stolen；　it　was　as　if　shed　bee　invisible。　she　made　her　way　sadly　up　to　the　room　in　the　adamant　tower；　where　the　orderly　offered　to　bring　her　some　food　and　coffee。

〃whatever　you　have；〃　she　said。　〃and　thank　you。　oh；　by　the　way；〃　she　went　on　as　the　man　turned　to　go：　〃lord　asriels　alethiometrist；　mr。　。。。〃

〃mr。　basilides？〃

〃yes。　is　he　free　to　e　here　for　a　moment？〃

〃hes　working　with　his　books　at　the　moment；　maam。　ill　ask　him　to　step　up　here　when　he　can。〃

she　washed　and　changed　into　the　one　clean　shirt　she　had　left。　the　cold　wind　that　shook　the　windows　and　the　gray　morning　light　made　her　shiver。　she　put　some　more　coals　on　the　iron　stove；　hoping　it　would　stop　her　trembling；　but　the　cold　was　in　her　bones；　not　just　her　flesh。

ten　minutes　later　there　was　a　knock　on　the　door。　the　pale；　dark…eyed　alethiometrist；　with　his　nightingale　daemon　on　his　shoulder；　came　in　and　bowed　slightly。　a　moment　later　the　orderly　arrived　with　a　tray　of　bread；　cheese；　and　coffee；　and　mrs。　coulter　said：

〃thank　you　for　ing；　mr。　basilides。　may　i　offer　you　some　refreshment？〃

〃i　will　take　some　coffee；　thank　you。〃

〃please　tell　me；〃　she　said　as　soon　as　shed　poured　the　drink；　〃because　im　sure　youve　been　following　whats　happened：　is　my　daughter　alive？〃

he　hesitated。　the　golden　monkey　clutched　her　arm；

〃she　is　alive；〃　said　basilides　carefully；　〃but　also。。。〃

〃yes？　oh；　please；　what　do　you　mean？〃

〃she　is　in　the　world　of　the　dead。　for　some　time　i　could　not　interpret　what　the　instrument　was　telling　me：　it　seemed　impossible。　but　there　is　no　doubt。　she　and　the　boy　have　gone　into　the　world　of　the　dead；　and　they　have　opened　a　way　for　the　ghosts　to　e　out。　as　soon　as　the　dead　reach　the　open；　they　dissolve　as　their　daemons　did；　and　it　seems　that　this　is　the　most　sweet　and　desirable　end　for　them。　and　the　alethiometer　tells　me　that　the　girl　did　this　because　she　overheard　a　pro