《THE AMBER SPYGLASS》第135章

〃and　youre　going　to　close　them　all　except　one；〃　will　said。　〃all　except　the　one　from　the　world　of　the　dead。〃
〃yes；　that　is　a　promise。　but　it　is　conditional；　and　you　know　the　condition。〃
〃yes；　we　do。　are　there　many　windows　to　close？〃　〃thousands。　there　is　the　terrible　abyss　made　by　the　bomb；　and　there　is　the　great　opening　lord　asriel　made　out　of　his　own　world。　they　must　both　be　closed；　and　they　will。　but　there　are　many　smaller　openings；　too；　some　deep　under　the　earth；　some　high　in　the　air；　which　came　about　in　other　ways。〃
〃baruch　and　balthamos　told　me　that　they　used　openings　like　that　to　travel　between　the　worlds。　will　angels　no　longer　be　able　to　do　that？　will　you　be　confined　to　one　world　as　we　are？〃　〃no；　we　have　other　ways　of　traveling。〃　〃the　way　you　have；〃　lyra　said；　〃is　it　possible　for　us　to　learn？〃　〃yes。　you　could　learn　to　do　it；　as　wills　father　did。　it　uses　the　faculty　of　what　you　call　imagination。　but　that　does　not　mean　making　things　up。　it　is　a　form　of　seeing。〃
〃not　real　traveling；　then；〃　said　lyra。　〃just　pretend。。。〃　〃no；〃　said　xaphania；　〃nothing　like　pretend。　pretending　is　easy。　this　way　is　hard；　but　much　truer。〃
〃and　is　it　like　the　alethiometer？〃　said　will。　〃does　it　take　a　whole　lifetime　to　learn？〃
〃it　takes　long　practice；　yes。　you　have　to　work。　did　you　think　you　could　snap　your　fingers；　and　have　it　as　a　gift？　what　is　worth　having　is　worth　working　for。　but　you　have　a　friend　who　has　already　taken　the　first　steps；　and　who　could　help　you。〃
will　had　no　idea　who　that　could　be；　and　at　that　moment　he　wasnt　in　the　mood　to　ask。
〃i　see；〃　he　said；　sighing。　〃and　will　we　see　you　again？　will　we　ever　speak　to　an　angel　once　we　go　back　to　our　own　worlds？〃
〃i　dont　know；〃　said　xaphania。　〃but　you　should　not　spend　your　time　waiting。〃
〃and　i　should　break　the　knife；〃　said　will。
〃yes。〃
while　they　had　been　speaking；　the　window　had　been　open　beside　them。　the　lights　were　glowing　in　the　factory；　the　work　was　going　on；　machines　were　turning；　chemicals　were　bining；　people　were　producing　goods　and　earning　their　livings。　that　was　the　world　where　will　belonged。
〃well；　ill　show　you　what　to　do；〃　he　said。
so　he　taught　the　angel　how　to　feel　for　the　edges　of　the　window；　just　as　giao　paradisi　had　shown　him；　sensing　them　at　his　fingers　ends　and　pinching　them　together。　little　by　little　the　window　closed；　and　the　factory　disappeared。
〃the　openings　that　werent　made　by　the　subtle　knife；〃　will　said；　〃is　it　really　necessary　to　close　them　all？　because　surely　dust　only　escapes　through　the　openings　the　knife　made。　the　other　ones　must　have　been　there　for　thousands　of　years；　and　still　dust　exists。〃
the　angel　said；　〃we　shall　close　them　all；　because　if　you　thought　that　any　still　remained；　you　would　spend　your　life　searching　for　one；　and　that　would　be　a　waste　of　the　time　you　have。　you　have　other　work　than　that　to　do；　much　more　important　and　valuable；　in　your　own　world。　there　will　be　no　travel　outside　it　anymore。〃
“what　work　have　i　got　to　do；　then？〃　said　will；　hut　went　on　at　once；　〃no；　on　second　thought；　dont　tell　me。　i　shall　decide　what　i　do。　if　you　say　my　work　is　fighting；　or　healing；　or　exploring；　or　whatever　you　might　say；　ill　always　he　thinking　about　it。　and　if　i　do　end　up　doing　that；　ill　be　resentful　because　itll　feel　as　if　i　didnt　have　a　choice；　and　if　i　dont　do　it；　ill　feel　guilty　because　i　should。　whatever　i　do；　i　will　choose　it；　no　one　else。〃
〃then　you　have　already　taken　the　first　steps　toward　wisdom；〃　said　xaphania。
〃theres　a　light　out　at　sea；〃　said　lyra。
〃that　is　the　ship　bringing　your　friends　to　take　you　home。　they　will　be　here　tomorrow。〃
the　word　tomorrow　fell　like　a　heavy　blow。　lyra　had　never　thought　she　would　be　reluctant　to　see　farder　coram；　and　john　faa；　and　serafina　pekkala。
〃i　shall　go　now；〃　said　the　angel。　〃i　have　learned　what　i　needed　to　know。〃
she　embraced　each　of　them　in　her　light；　cool　arms　and　kissed　their　foreheads。　then　she　bent　to　kiss　the　daemons；　and　they　became　birds　and　flew　up　with　her　as　she　spread　her　wings　and　rose　swiftly　into　the　air。　only　a　few　seconds　later　she　had　vanished。
a　few　moments　after　she　had　gone；　lyra　gave　a　little　gasp。
〃what　is　it？〃　said　will。
〃i　never　asked　her　about　my　father　and　mother；　and　i　cant　ask　the　alethiometer；　either；　now。。。　i　wonder　if　ill　ever　know？〃
she　sat　down　slowly；　and　he　sat　down　beside　her。
〃oh；　will；〃　she　said；　〃what　can　we　do？　whatever　can　we　do？　i　want　to　live　with　you　forever。　i　want　to　kiss　you　and　lie　down　with　you　and　wake　up　with　you　every　day　of　my　life　till　i　die；　years　and　years　and　years　away。　i　dont　want　a　memory；　just　a　memory。。。　〃
〃no；〃　he　said；　〃memorys　a　poor　thing　to　have。　its　your　own　real　hair　and　mouth　and　arms　and　eyes　and　hands　i　want。　i　didnt　know　i　could　ever　love　anything　so　much。　oh；　lyra；　i　wish　this　night　would　never　end！　if　only　we　could　stay　here　like　this；　and　the　world　could　stop　turning；　and　everyone　else　could　fall　into　a　sleep。。。〃
〃everyone　except　us！　and　you　and　i　could　live　here　forever　and　just　love　each　other。〃
〃i　will　love　you　forever；　whatever　happens。　till　i　die　and　after　i　die；　and　when　i　find　my　way　out　of　the　land　of　the　dead；　ill　drift　about　forever；　all　my　atoms；　till　i　find　you　again。。。〃
〃ill　be　looking　for　you；　will；　every　moment；　every　single　moment。　and　when　we　do　find　each　other　again；　well　cling　together　so　tight　that　nothing　and　no　onell　ever　tear　us　apart。　every　atom　of　me　and　every　atom　of　you。。　。well　live　in　birds　and　flowers　and　dragonflies　and　pine　trees　and　in　clouds　and　in　those　little　specks　of　light　you　see　floating　in　sunbeams。。。　and　when　they　use　our　atoms　to　make　new　lives；　they　wont　just　be　able　to　take　one；　theyll　have　to　take　two；　one　of　you　and　one　of　me；　well　be　joined　so　tight。。。〃
they　lay　side　by　side；　hand　in　hand；　looking　at　the　sky。
〃do　you　remember；〃　she　whispered；　〃when　you　first　came　into　that　cafe　in　cittagazze；　and　youd　never　seen　a　daemon？〃
〃i　couldnt　understand　what　he　was。　but　when　i　saw　you；　i　liked　you　straightaway　because　you　were　brave。〃
〃no；　i　liked　you　first。〃
〃you　didnt！　you　fought　me！〃
〃well；〃　she　said；　〃yes。　but　you　attacked　me。〃
〃i　did　not！　you　came　charging　out　and　attacked　me。〃
〃yes；