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nife would be useless to us。 for the time being; the chevalier tialys and the lady salmakia will go with them wherever they go; so at least we can keep track of them。 they seem to have a plan in mind; they are refusing to e here; at any rate。 my two will not lose them。〃
〃are they safe in this other world theyre in now?〃 said lord asriel。
〃theyre on a beach near a forest of large tree…ferns。 there is no sign of animal life nearby。 as we speak; both boy and girl are asleep; i spoke to the chevalier tialys not five minutes ago。〃
〃thank you;〃 said lord asriel。 〃now that your two agents are following the children; of course; we have no eyes in the magisterium anymore。 we shall have to rely on the alethiometer。 at least。。。”
then mrs。 coulter spoke; to their surprise。
〃i dont know about the other branches;〃 she said; 〃but as far as the consistorial court is concerned; the reader they rely on is fra pavel rasek。 and hes thorough; but slow。 they wont know where lyra is for another few hours。〃
lord asriel said; 〃thank you; marisa。 do you have any idea what lyra and this boy intend to do next?〃
〃no;〃 she said; 〃none。 ive spoken to the boy; and he seemed ;。:; to be a stubborn child; and one well used to keeping secrets。 i cant guess what he would do。 as for lyra; she is quite impossible to read。〃
〃my lord;〃 said king ogunwe; 〃may we know whether the lady is now part of this manding council? if so; what is her function? if not; should she not be taken elsewhere?〃
〃she is our captive and my guest; and as a distinguished former agent of the church; she may have information that would be useful。〃
〃will she reveal anything willingly? or will she need to be tortured?〃 said lord roke; watching her directly as he spoke。
mrs。 coulter laughed。
〃i would have thought lord asriels manders would know better than to expect truth to e out of torture;〃 she said。
lord asriel couldnt help enjoying her barefaced insincerity。
〃i will guarantee mrs。 coulters behavior;〃 he said。 〃she knows what will happen if she betrays us; though she will not have the chance。 however; if any of you has a doubt; express it now; fearlessly。〃
〃i do;〃 said king ogunwe; 〃but i doubt you; not her。〃
〃why?〃 said lord asriel。
〃if she tempted you; you would not resist。 it was right to capture her; but wrong to invite her to this council。 treat her with every courtesy; give her the greatest fort; but place her somewhere else; and stay away from her。〃
〃well; i invited you to speak;〃 said lord asriel; 〃and i must accept your rebuke。 i value your presence more than hers; king。 ill have her taken away。〃
he reached for the bell; but before he could ring; mrs。 coulter spoke。
〃please;〃 she said urgently; 〃listen to me first。 i can help。 ive been closer to the heart of the magisterium than anyone youre likely to find again。 i know how they think; i can guess what theyll do。
you wonder why you should trust me; whats made me leave them? its simple: theyre going to kill my daughter。 they darent let her live。 the moment i found out who she is; what she is; what the witches prophesy about her; i knew i had to leave the church; i knew i was their enemy; and they were mine。 i didnt know what you all were; or what i was to you; that was a mystery; but i knew that i had to set myself against the church; against everything they believed in; and if need be; against the authority himself。 i。。。〃
she stopped。 all the manders were listening intently。 now she looked lord asriel full in the face and seemed to speak to him alone; her voice low and passionate; her brilliant eyes glittering。
〃i have been the worst mother in the world。 i let my only child be taken away from me when she was a tiny infant; because i didnt care about her; i was concerned only with my own advancement。 i didnt think of her for years; and if i did; it was only to regret the embarrassment of her birth。
〃but then the church began to take an interest in dust and in children; and something stirred in my heart; and i remembered that i was a mother and lyra was。。。 my child。
〃and because there was a threat; i saved her from it。 three times now ive stepped in to pluck her out of danger。 first; when the oblation board began its work: i went to jordan college and i took her to live with me; in london; where i could keep her safe from the board。。。 or so i hoped。 but she ran away。
〃the second time was at bolvangar; when i found her just in time; under the。。。 under the blade of the。。。 my heart nearly stopped。。。 it was what they; we; what i had done to other children; but when it was mine。。。 oh; you cant conceive the horror of that moment; i hope you never suffer as i did then。。。 but i got her free; i took her out; i saved her a second time。
〃but even as i did that; i still felt myself part of the church; a servant; a loyal and faithful and devoted servant; because i was doing the authoritys work。
〃and then i learned the witches prophecy。 lyra will somehow; sometime soon; be tempted; as eve was; thats what they say。 what form this temptation will take; i dont know; but shes growing up; after all。 its not hard to imagine。 and now that the church knows that; too; theyll kill her。 if it all depends on her; could they risk letting her live? would they dare take the chance that shed refuse this temptation; whatever it will be?
〃no; theyre bound to kill her。 if they could; theyd go back to the garden of eden and kill eve before she was tempted。 killing is not difficult for them; calvin himself ordered the deaths of children; theyd kill her with pomp and ceremony and prayers and lamentations and psalms and hymns; but they would kill her。 if she falls into their hands; shes dead already。
〃so when i heard what the witch said; i saved my daughter for the third time。 i took her to a place where i kept her safe; and there i was going to stay。〃
〃you drugged her;〃 said king ogunwe。 〃you kept her unconscious。〃
〃i had to;〃 said mrs。 coulter; 〃because she hated me;〃 and here her voice; which had been full of emotion but under control; spilled over into a sob; and it trembled as she went on: 〃she feared me and hated me; and she would have fled from my presence like a bird from a cat if i hadnt drugged her into oblivion。 do you know what that means to a mother? but it was the only way to keep her safe! all that time in the cave。。。 asleep; her eyes closed; her body helpless; her daemon curled up at her throat。。。 oh; i felt such a love; such a tenderness; such a deep; deep。。。 my own child; the first time i had ever been able to do these things for her; my little。。。! washed her and fed her and kept her safe and warm; i made sure her body was nourished as she slept。。。 i lay beside her at night; i cradled her in my arms; i wept into her hair; i kissed her sleeping eyes; my little one。。。〃
she was shameless。 she spoke quietly; she didnt declaim or raise her voice; and when a sob shook her; it was muffled almost into a hiccup; as if she were stifling her emotions for the sake of courtesy。 which made her barefaced lies all the more effective; lord asriel thought with disgust; she lied in the very marrow of her bones。
she directed her words mainly at king ogunwe; without seeming to;