《THE AMBER SPYGLASS》第131章

mary；　distressed；　said；　〃how　can　we　tell　lyra？〃
〃wait　until　she　asks；〃　said　serafina。　〃and　she　might　not。　in　any　case；　she　has　her　symbol　reader；　that　will　tell　her　anything　she　wants　to　know。〃
they　sat　in　silence　for　a　while；　panionably；　as　the　stars　slowly　wheeled　in　the　sky。
〃can　you　see　ahead　and　guess　what　theyll　choose　to　do？〃　said　mary。
〃no；　but　if　lyra　returns　to　her　own　world；　then　i　will　be　her　sister　as　long　as　she　lives。　what　will　you　do？〃
〃mary　began；　and　found　she　hadnt　considered　that　for　a　moment。　〃i　suppose　i　belong　in　my　own　world。　though　ill　be　sorry　to　leave　this　one；　ive　been　very　happy　here。　the　happiest　ive　ever　been　in　my　life；　i　think。〃
〃well；　if　you　do　return　home；　you　shall　have　a　sister　in　another　world；〃　said　serafina；　〃and　so　shall　i。　we　shall　see　each　other　again　in　a　day　or　so；　when　the　ship　arrives；　and　well　talk　more　on　the　voyage　home；　and　then　well　part　forever。　embrace　me　now；　sister。〃
mary　did　so；　and　serafina　pekkala　flew　away　on　her　cloud…pine　branch　over　the　reeds；　over　the　marshes；　over　the　mudflats　and　the　beach；　and　over　the　sea；　until　mary　could　see　her　no　more。
at　about　the　same　time；　one　of　the　large　blue　lizards　came　across　the　body　of　father　gomez。　will　and　lyra　had　returned　to　the　village　that　afternoon　by　a　different　route　and　hadnt　seen　it；　the　priest　lay　undisturbed　where　balthamos　had　laid　him。　the　lizards　were　scavengers；　but　they　were　mild　and　harmless　creatures；　and　by　an　ancient　understanding　with　the　mulefa；　they　were　entitled　to　take　any　creature　left　dead　after　dark。
the　lizard　dragged　the　priests　body　back　to　her　nest；　and　her　children　feasted　very　well。　as　for　the　rifle；　it　lay　in　the　grass　where　father　gomez　had　laid　it　down；　quietly　turning　to　rust。
x
THIRTY…SEVEN　…　THE　DUNES
～　
next　day　will　and　lyra　went　out　by　themselves　again；　speaking　little；　eager　to　be　alone　with　each　other。　they　looked　dazed；　as　if　some　happy　accident　had　robbed　them　of　their　wits；　they　moved　slowly；　their　eyes　were　not　focused　on　what　they　looked　at。
they　spent　all　day　on　the　wide　hills；　and　in　the　heat　of　the　afternoon；　they　visited　their　gold…and…silver　grove。　they　talked；　they　bathed；　they　ate；　they　kissed；　they　lay　in　a　trance　of　happiness　murmuring　words　whose　sound　was　as　confused　as　their　sense；　and　they　felt　they　were　melting　with　love。
in　the　evening　they　shared　the　meal　with　mary　and　atal；　saying　little；　and　because　the　air　was　hot　they　thought　theyd　walk　down　to　the　sea；　where　there　might　be　a　cool　breeze。　they　wandered　along　the　river　until　they　came　to　the　wide　beach；　bright　under　the　moon；　where　the　low　tide　was　turning。
they　lay　down　in　the　soft　sand　at　the　foot　of　the　dunes；　and　then　they　heard　the　first　bird　calling。
they　both　turned　their　heads　at　once；　because　it　was　a　bird　that　sounded　like　no　creature　that　belonged　to　the　world　they　were　in。　from　somewhere　above　in　the　dark　came　a　delicate　trilling　song；　and　then　another　answered　it　from　a　different　direction。　delighted；　will　and　lyra　jumped　up　and　tried　to　see　the　singers；　but　all　they　could　make　out　was　a　pair　of　dark　skimming　shapes　that　flew　low　and　then　darted　up　again；　all　the　time　singing　and　singing　in　rich；　liquid　bell　tones　an　endlessly　varied　song。
and　then；　with　a　flutter　of　wings　that　threw　up　a　little　fountain　of　sand　in　front　of　him；　the　first　bird　landed　a　few　yards　away。
lyra　said；　〃pan。。。　？〃
he　was　formed　like　a　dove；　but　his　color　was　dark　and　hard　to　tell　in　the　moonlight；　at　any　rate；　he　showed　up　clearly　on　the　white　sand。　the　other　bird　still　circled　overhead；　still　singing；　and　then　she　flew　down　to　join　him：　another　dove；　but　pearl　white；　and　with　a　crest　of　dark　red　feathers。
and　will　knew　what　it　was　to　see　his　daemon。　as　she　flew　down　to　the　sand；　he　felt　his　heart　tighten　and　release　in　a　way　he　never　forgot。　sixty　years　and　more　would　go　by；　and　as　an　old　man　he　would　still　feel　some　sensations　as　bright　and　fresh　as　ever：　lyras　fingers　putting　the　fruit　between　his　lips　under　the　gold…and…silver　trees；　her　warm　mouth　pressing　against　his；　his　daemon　being　torn　from　his　unsuspecting　breast　as　they　entered　the　world　of　the　dead；　and　the　sweet　rightfulness　of　her　ing　back　to　him　at　the　edge　of　the　moonlit　dunes。
lyra　made　to　move　toward　them；　but　pantalaimon　spoke。
〃lyra；〃　he　said；　〃serafina　pekkala　came　to　us　last　night。　she　told　us　all　kinds　of　things。　shes　gone　back　to　guide　the　gyptians　here。　farder　corams　ing；　and　lord　faa；　and　theyll　be　here。。。”
〃pan；〃　she　said；　distressed；　〃oh；　pan；　youre　not　happy；　what　is　it？　what　is　it？〃
then　he　changed；　and　flowed　over　the　sand　to　her　as　a　snow…white　ermine。　the　other　daemon　changed；　too；　will　felt　it　happen；　like　a　little　grip　at　his　heart；　and　became　a　cat。
before　she　moved　to　him；　she　spoke。　she　said；　〃the　witch　gave　me　a　name。　i　had　no　need　of　one　before。　she　called　me　kirjava。　but　listen；　listen　to　us　now。。。〃
〃yes；　you　must　listen；〃　said　pantalaimon。　〃this　is　hard　to　explain。〃
between　them；　the　daemons　managed　to　tell　them　everything　serafina　had　told　them；　beginning　with　the　revelation　about　the　childrens　own　natures：　about　how；　without　intending　it；　they　had　bee　like　witches　in　their　power　to　separate　and　yet　still　be　one　being。
〃but　thats　not　all；〃　kirjava　said。
and　pantalaimon　said；　〃oh；　lyra；　forgive　us；　but　we　have　to　tell　you　what　we　found　out。。。〃
lyra　was　bewildered。　when　had　pan　ever　needed　forgiving？　she　looked　at　will；　and　saw　his　puzzlement　as　clear　as　her　own。
〃tell　us；〃　he　said。　〃dont　be　afraid。〃
〃its　about　dust；〃　said　the　cat　daemon；　and　will　marveled　to　hear　part　of　his　own　nature　telling　him　something　he　didnt　know。　〃it　was　all　flowing　away；　all　the　dust　there　was；　down　into　the　abyss　that　you　saw。　somethings　stopped　it　flowing　down　there；　but。。。”
〃will；　it　was　that　golden　light！〃　lyra　said。　〃the　light　that　all　flowed　into　the　abyss　and　vanished。。。　and　that　was　dust？　was　it　really？〃
〃yes。　but　theres　more　leaking　out　all　the　time；〃　pantalaimon　went　on。　〃and　it　mustnt。　it　mustnt　all　leak　away。　its　got　to　stay　in　the　world　and　not　vanish；　because　otherwise　everything　good　will　fade　away　and　die。〃
〃but　wheres　the　r