pp.thegoldencompass-第59章
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ated and the children more fearful： much more fearful。
〃Roger！ Roger！〃 Lyra called； and Pantalaimon； keen…eyed as an owl； hooted that he'd seen him。
A moment later they found each other。
〃Tell 'em all to e with me！〃 Lyra shouted into his ear。
〃They won't…they're all panicky…〃
〃Tell 'em what they do to the kids that vanish！ They cut their demons off with a big knife！ Tell 'em what you saw this afternoon…all them daemons we let out！ Tell 'em that's going to happen to them too unless they get away！〃
Roger gaped； horrified； but then collected his wits and ran to the nearest group of hesitating children。 Lyra did the same； and as the message passed along； some children cried out and clutched their daemons in fear。
〃e with me！〃 Lyra shouted。 〃There's a rescue a ing！ We got to get out of the pound！ e on； run！〃
The children heard her and followed； streaming across the enclosure toward the avenue of lights； their boots pattering and creaking in the hard…packed snow。
Behind them； adults were shouting； and there was a rumble and crash as another part of the building fell in。 Sparks gushed into the air； and flames billowed out with a sound like tearing cloth； but cutting through this came another sound； dreadfully close and violent。 Lyra had never heard it before； but she knew it at once： it was the howl of the Tartar guards' wolf daemons。 She felt weak from head to foot； and many children turned in fear and stumbled to a stop； for there running at a low swift tireless lope came the first of the Tartar guards； rifle at the ready； with the mighty leaping grayness of his daemon beside him。
Then came another； and another。 They were all in padded mail； and they had no eyes…or at least you couldn't see any eyes behind the snow slits of their helmets。 The only eyes you could see were the round black ends of the rifle barrels and the blazing yellow eyes of the wolf daemons above the slaver dripping from their jaws。
Lyra faltered。 She hadn't dreamed of how frightening those wolves were。 And now that she knew how casually people at Bolvangar broke the great taboo； she shrank from the thought of those dripping teeth 。 。 。 。
The Tartars ran to stand in a line across the entrance to the avenue of lights； their daemons beside them as disciplined and drilled as they were。 In another minute there'd be a second line； because more were ing； and more behind them。 Lyra thought with despair： children can't fight soldiers。 It wasn't like the battles in the Oxford claybeds； hurling lumps of mud at the brickburners' children。
Or perhaps it was！ She remembered hurling a handful of clay in the broad face of a brickburner boy bearing down on her。 He'd stopped to claw the stuff out of his eyes； and then the townies leaped on him。
She'd been standing in the mud。 She was standing in the snow。
Just as she'd done that afternoon； but in deadly earnest now； she scooped a handful together and hurled it at the nearest soldier。
〃Get 'em in the eyes！〃 she yelled； and threw another。
Other children joined in； and then someone's daemon had the notion of flying as a swift beside the snowball and nudging it directly at the eye slits of the target…and then they all joined in； and in a few moments the Tartars were stumbling about； spitting and cursing and trying to brush the packed snow out of the narrow gap in front of their eyes。
〃e on！〃 Lyra screamed； and flung herself at the gate into the avenue of lights。
The children streamed after her； every one； dodging the snapping jaws of the wolves and racing as hard as they could down the avenue toward the beckoning open dark beyond。
A harsh scream came from behind as an officer shouted an order； and then a score of rifle bolts worked at once； and then there was another scream and a tense silence； with only the fleeing children's pounding feet and gasping breath to be heard。
They were taking aim。 They wouldn't miss。
But before they could fire； a choking gasp came from one of the Tartars； and a cry of surprise from another。
Lyra stopped and turned to see a man lying on the snow； with a gray…feathered arrow in his back。 He was writhing and twitching and coughing out blood； and the other soldiers were looking around to left and right for whoever had fired it； but the archer was nowhere to be seen。
And then an arrow came flying straight down from the sky； and struck another man behind the head。 He fell at once。 A shout from the officer； and everyone looked up at the dark sky。
〃Witches！〃 said Pantalaimon。
And so they were： ragged elegant black shapes sweeping past high above； with a hiss and swish of air through the needles of the cloud…pine branches they flew on。 As Lyra watched； one swooped low and loosed an arrow： another man fell。
And then all the Tartars turned their rifles up and blazed into the dark； firing at nothing； at shadows； at clouds； and more and more arrows rained down on them。
But the officer in charge； seeing the children almost away； ordered a squad to race after them。 Some children screamed。 And then more screamed； and they weren't moving forward anymore； they were turning back in confusion； terrified by the monstrous shape hurtling toward them from the dark beyond the avenue of lights。
〃Iorek Byrnison！〃 cried Lyra； her chest nearly bursting with joy。
The armored bear at the charge seemed to be conscious of no weight except what gave him momentum。 He bounded past Lyra almost in a blur and crashed into the Tartars； scattering soldiers； daemons； rifles to all sides。 Then he stopped and whirled round； with a lithe athletic power； and struck two massive blows； one to each side； at the guards closest to him。
A wolf daemon leaped at him： he slashed at her in midair； and bright fire spilled out of her as she fell to the snow； where she hissed and howled before vanishing。 Her human died at once。
The Tartar officer； faced with this double attack； didn't hesitate。 A long high scream of orders； and the force divided itself into two： one to keep off the witches； the bigger part to overe the bear。 His troops were magnificently brave。 They dropped to one knee in groups of four and fired their rifles as if they were on the practice range； not budging an inch as Iorek's mighty bulk hurtled toward them。 A moment later they were dead。
Iorek struck again； twisting to one side； slashing； snarling； crushing； while bullets flew about him like wasps or flies； doing no harm at all。 Lyra urged the children on and out into the darkness beyond the lights。 They must get away； because dangerous as the Tartars were； far more dangerous were the adults of Bolvangar。
So she called and beckoned and pushed to get the children moving。 As the lights behind them threw long shadows on the snow； Lyra found her heart moving out toward the deep dark of the arctic night and the clean coldness； leaping forward to love it as Pantalaimon was doing； a hare now delighting in his own propulsion。
〃Where we going？〃 someone said。
〃There's nothing out here but snow！〃
〃There's a rescue party ing；〃 Lyra told them。 〃There's fifty gyptians or more。 I bet there's some relations of yours； too。 All the gyptian families that lost a kid； they all sent someone。〃
〃I en't a gyptian；〃 a boy said。
〃Don't matter。 They'll take you anyway。〃
〃Where？〃 someone said querulously。
〃Home；〃 said Lyra。 〃That's what I e here for； to rescue you； and I brung the gyptians here to take you home again。 We just got to go on a bit further and then we'll find 'em。 The bear was with 'em； so they can't be far off。〃
〃D'you see that bear！〃 one boy was saying。 〃When he slashed open that daemon…the man died as if someone whipped his heart out； just like that！〃
〃I never knew daemons could be killed；〃 someone else said。
They were all talking now； the excitement and relief had loosened everyone's tongue。 As long as they kept moving； it didn't matter if they talked。
〃Is that true；〃 said a girl； 〃about what they do back there？〃
〃Yeah；〃 Lyra said。 〃I never thought I'd ever see anyone without their daemon。 But on the way here； we found this boy on his own without any daemon。 He kept asking for her； wher
