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ahead of him he could see a little farmhouse sheltered among vines; where a goat bleated and a spring trickled down through the gray rocks。 there was an old man attending to some task beside the house; and an old woman leading the goat toward a stool and a bucket。
in the village some way behind; they had told him that the woman he was following had passed this way; and that shed talked of going up into the mountains; perhaps this old couple had seen her。 at least there might be cheese and olives to buy; and springwater to drink。 father gomez was quite used to living frugally; and there was plenty of time。
。d xs
EIGHTEEN … THE SUBURBS OF THE DEAD
。小[说网}
lyra was awake before dawn; with pantalaimon shivering at her breast; and she got up to walk about and warm herself up as the gray light seeped into the sky。 she had never known such silence; not even in the snow…blanketed arctic; there was not a stir of wind; and the sea was so still that not the tiniest ripple broke on the sand; the world seemed suspended between breathing in and breathing out。
will lay curled up fast asleep; with his head on the rucksack to protect the knife。 the cloak had fallen off his shoulder; and she tucked it around him; pretending that she was taking care to avoid his daemon; and that she had the form of a cat; curled up just as he was。 she must be here somewhere; lyra thought。
carrying the still sleepy pantalaimon; she walked away from will and sat down on the slope of a sand dune a little way off; so their voices wouldnt wake him。
〃those little people;〃 pantalaimon said。
〃i dont like em;〃 said lyra decisively。 〃i think we should get away from em as soon as we can。 i reckon if we trap 〃em in a net or something; will can cut through and close up and thats it; well be free。〃
〃we havent got a net;〃 he said; 〃or something。 anyway; i bet theyre cleverer than that。 hes watching us now。〃
pantalaimon was a hawk as he said that; and his eyes were keener than hers。 the darkness of the sky was turning minute by minute into the palest ethereal blue; and as she looked across the sand; the first edge of the sun just cleared the rim of the sea; dazzling her。 because she was on the slope of the dune; the light reached her a few seconds before it touched the beach; and she watched it flow around her and along toward will; and then she saw the hand…high figure of the chevalier tialys; standing by wills head; clear and wide awake and watching them。
〃the thing is;〃 said lyra; 〃they cant make us do what they want。 they got to follow us。 i bet theyre fed up。〃
〃if they got hold of us;〃 said pantalaimon; meaning him and lyra; 〃and got their stings ready to stick in us; will’d have to do what they said。〃
lyra thought about it。 she remembered vividly the horrible scream of pain from mrs。 coulter; the eye…rolling convulsions; the ghastly; lolling drool of the golden monkey as the poison entered her bloodstream。。。 and that was only a scratch; as her mother had recently been reminded elsewhere。 will would have to give in and do what they wanted。
〃suppose they thought he wouldnt; though;〃 she said; 〃suppose they thought he was so coldhearted hed just watch us die。 maybe he better make em think that; if he can。〃
she had brought the alethiometer with her; and now that it was light enough to see; she took the beloved instrument out and laid it on its black velvet cloth in her lap。 little by little; lyra drifted into that trance in which the many layers of meaning were clear to her; and where she could sense intricate webs of connectedness between them all。 as her fingers found the symbols; her mind found the words: how can we get rid of the spies?
then the needle began to dart this way and that; almost too fast to see; and some part of lyras awareness counted the swings and the stops and saw at once the meaning of what the movement said。
it told her: do not try; because your lives depend on them。
that was a surprise; and not a happy one。 but she went on and asked: how can we get to the land of the dead?
the answer came: go down。 follow the knife。 go onward。 follow the knife。
and finally she asked hesitantly; half…ashamed: is this the right thing to do?
yes; said the alethiometer instantly。 yes。
she sighed; ing out of her trance; and tucked the hair behind her ears; feeling the first warmth of the sun on her face and shoulders。 there were sounds in the world now; too: insects were stirring; and a very slight breeze was rustling the dry grass stems growing higher up the dune。
she put the alethiometer away and wandered back to will; with pantalaimon as large as he could make himself and lion…shaped; in the hope of daunting the gallivespians。
the man was using his lodestone apparatus; and when hed finished; lyra said:
〃you been talking to lord asriel?〃
〃to his representative;〃 said tialys。
〃we ent going。〃
〃thats what i told him。〃
〃what did he say?〃
〃that was for my ears; not yours。〃
〃suit yourself;〃 she said。 〃are you married to that lady?〃
〃no。 we are colleagues。〃
〃have you got any children?〃
〃no。〃
tialys continued to pack the lodestone resonator away; and as he did so; the lady salmakia woke up nearby; sitting up graceful and slow from the little hollow shed made in the soft sand。 the dragonflies were still asleep; tethered with cobweb…thin cord; their wings damp with dew。
〃are there big people on your world; or are they all small like you?〃 lyra said。
〃we know how to deal with big people;〃 tialys replied; not very helpfully; and went to talk quietly to the lady。 they spoke too softly for lyra to hear; but she enjoyed watching them sip dewdrops from the marram grass to refresh themselves。 water must be different for them; she thought to pantalaimon: imagine drops the size of your fist! theyd be hard to get into; theyd have a sort of elastic rind; like a balloon。
by this time will was waking; too; wearily。 the first thing he did was to look for the gallivespians; who looked back at once; fully focused on him。
he looked away and found lyra。
〃i want to tell you something;〃 she said。 〃e over here; away from。。。”
〃if you go away from us;〃 said tialyss clear