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〃not your fault。 take my pliments to king ogunwe。 i would be glad if he and my other manders could step here at once。 i would also like mr。 basilides to attend； with the alethiometer。 finally i want no。 2 squadron of gyropters armed and fueled； and a tanker zeppelin to take off at once and head southwest。 i shall send further orders in the air。〃
the orderly saluted and； with one more swift uneasy glance at the empty bed； went out and shut the door。
lord asriel tapped the desk with a pair of brass dividers； and crossed to open the southern window。 far below； the deathless fires put out their glow and smoke on the darkling air； and even at this great height the clang of hammers could be heard in the snapping wind。
〃well； weve learned a lot； stelmaria；〃 he said quietly。
〃but not enough；〃 she replied。
there came another knock at the door； and the alethiometrist came in。 he was a pale； thin man in early middle age； his name was teukros basilides； and his daemon was a nightingale。
〃mr。 basilides； good evening to you；〃 said lord asriel。 〃this is our problem； and i would like you to put everything else aside while you deal with it。。。〃
he told the man what baruch had said； and showed him the atlas。
〃pinpoint that cave；〃 he said。 〃get me the coordinates as precisely as you can。 this is the most important task you have ever undertaken。 begin at once； if you please；〃
—
stamped her foot so hard it even hurt her in the dream。 〃you dont believe id do that； roger； so dont say it。 i will wake up and i wont forget； so there。〃
she looked around； but all she could see were wide eyes and hopeless faces； pale faces； dark faces； old faces； young faces； all the dead cramming and crowding； close and silent and sorrowful。
rogers face was different。 his expression was the only one that contained hope。
she said； 〃why dyou look like that？ why ent you miserable； like them？ why ent you at the end of your hope？〃
and he said； 〃
．co
SIX … PREEMPTIVE ABSOLUTION
，小，说，网
〃now； fra pavel；〃 said the inquirer of the consistorial court of discipline； 〃i want you to recall exactly； if you can； the words you heard the witch speak on the ship。〃
the twelve members of the court looked through the dim afternoon light at the cleric on the stand； their last witness。 he was a scholarly…looking priest whose daemon had the form of a frog。 the court had been hearing evidence in this case for eight days already； in the ancient high…towered college of st。 jerome。
〃i cannot call the witchs words exactly to mind；〃 said fra pavel wearily。 〃i had not seen torture before； as i said to the court yesterday； and i found it made me feel faint and sick。 so exactly what she said i cannot tell you； but i remember the meaning of it。 the witch said that the child lyra had been recognized by the clans of the north as the subject of a prophecy they had long known。 she was to have the power to make a fateful choice； on which the future of all the worlds depended。 and furthermore； there was a name that would bring to mind a parallel case； and which would make the church hate and fear her。〃
〃and did the witch reveal that name？〃
〃no。 before she could utter it； another witch； who had been present under a spell of invisibility； managed to kill her and escape。〃
〃so on that occasion； the woman coulter will not have heard the name？〃
〃that is so。〃
〃and shortly afterwards mrs。 coulter left？〃
〃indeed。〃
〃what did you discover after that？〃
〃i learned that the child had gone into that other world opened by lord asriel； and that there she has acquired the help of a boy who owns； or has got the use of； a knife of extraordinary powers；〃 said fra pavel。 then he cleared his throat nervously and went on： 〃i may speak entirely freely in this court？〃
〃with perfect freedom； fra pavel；〃 came the harsh； clear tones of the president。 〃you will not be punished for telling us what you in turn have been told。 please continue。〃
reassured； the cleric went on：
〃the knife in the possession of this boy is able to make openings between worlds。 furthermore； it has a power greater than that； please； once again； i am afraid of what i am saying 。。。 it is capable of killing the most high angels； and what is higher than them。 there is nothing this knife cannot destroy。〃
he was sweating and trembling； and his frog daemon fell from the edge of the witness stand to the floor in her agitation。 fra pavel gasped in pain and scooped her up swiftly； letting her sip at the water in the glass in front of him。
〃and did you ask further about the girl？〃 said the inquirer。 〃did you discover this name the witch spoke of？〃
〃yes； i did。 once again i crave the assurance of the court that。。。”
〃you have it；〃 snapped the president。 〃dont be afraid。 you are not a heretic。 report what you have learned； and waste no more time。〃
〃i beg your pardon； truly。 the child； then； is in the position of eve； the wife of adam； the mother of us all； and the cause of all sin。〃
the stenographers taking down every word were nuns of the order of st。 philomel； sworn to silence； but at fra pavels words there came a smothered gasp from one of them； and there was a flurry of hands as they crossed themselves。 fra pavel twitched； and went on：
〃please； remember； the alethiometer does not forecast； it says； if certain things e about； then the consequences will be。。。； and so on。 and it says that if it es about that the child is tempted； as eve was； then she is likely to fall。 on the oute will depend。。。 everything。 and if this temptation does take place； and if the child gives in； then dust and sin will triumph。〃
there was silence in the courtroom。 the pale sunlight that filtered in through the great leaded windows held in its slanted beams a million golden motes； but these were dust； not dust； though more than one of the members of the court had seen in them an image of that other invisible dust that settled over every human being； no matter how dutifully they kept the laws。
〃finally； fra pavel；〃 said the inquirer； 〃tell us what you know of the childs present whereabouts。〃
〃she is in the hands of mrs。 coulter；〃 said fra pavel。 〃and they are in the himala