pp.thegoldencompass-第72章

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　　Then　he　ripped　upward；　and　lofur　Raknison's　life　came　away　in　his　teeth。
　　There　was　one　ritual　yet　to　perform。　Iorek　sliced　open　the　dead　king's　unprotected　chest；　peeling　the　fur　back　to　expose　the　narrow　white　and　red　ribs　like　the　timbers　of　an　upturned　boat。　Into　the　rib　cage　Iorek　reached；　and　he　plucked　out　lofur's　heart；　red　and　steaming；　and　ate　it　there　in　front　of　lofur's　subjects。
　　Then　there　was　acclamation；　pandemonium；　a　crush　of　bears　surging　forward　to　pay　homage　to　lofur's　conqueror。
　　Iorek　Byrnison's　voice　rose　above　the　clamor。
　　〃Bears！　Who　is　your　king？〃
　　And　the　cry　came　back；　in　a　roar　like　that　of　all　the　sea…smooth　pebbles　in　the　world　in　an　ocean…battering　storm：
　　〃Iorek　Byrnison！〃
　　The　bears　knew　what　they　must　do。　Every　single　badge　and　sash　and　coronet　was　thrown　off　at　once　and　trampled　contemptuously　underfoot；　to　be　forgotten　in　a　moment。　They　were　Iorek's　bears　now；　and　true　bears；　not　uncertain　semi…humans　conscious　only　of　a　torturing　inferiority。　They　swarmed　to　the　palace　and　began　to　hurl　great　blocks　of　marble　from　the　topmost　towers；　rocking　the　battlemented　walls　with　their　mighty　fists　until　the　stones　came　loose；　and　then　hurling　them　over　the　cliffs　to　crash　on　the　jetty　hundreds　of　feet　below。
　　Iorek　ignored　them　and　unhooked　his　armor　to　attend　to　his　wounds；　but　before　he　could　begin；　Lyra　was　beside　him；　stamping　her　foot　on　the　frozen　scarlet　snow　and　shouting　to　the　bears　to　stop　smashing　the　palace；　because　there　were　prisoners　inside。　They　didn't　hear；　but　Iorek　did；　and　when　he　roared　they　stopped　at　once。
　　〃Human　prisoners？〃　Iorek　said。
　　〃Yes…lofur　Raknison　put　them　in　the　dungeons…they　ought　to　e　out　first　and　get　shelter　somewhere；　else　they'll　be　killed　with　all　the　falling　rocks…〃
　　Iorek　gave　swift　orders；　and　some　bears　hurried　into　the　palace　to　release　the　prisoners。　Lyra　turned　to　Iorek。
　　〃Let　me　help　you…I　want　to　make　sure　you　en't　too　badly　hurt；　Iorek　dear…oh；　I　wish　there　was　some　bandages　or　something！　That's　an　awful　cut　on　your　belly…〃
　　A　bear　laid　a　mouthful　of　some　stiff　green　stuff；　thickly　frosted；　on　the　ground　at　Iorek's　feet。
　　〃Bloodmoss；〃　said　Iorek。　〃Press　it　in　the　wounds　for　me；　Lyra。　Fold　the　flesh　over　it　and　then　hold　some　snow　there　till　it　freezes。〃
　　He　wouldn't　let　any　bears　attend　to　him；　despite　their　eagerness。　Besides；　Lyra's　hands　were　deft；　and　she　was　desperate　to　help；　so　the　small　human　bent　over　the　great　bear…king；　packing　in　the　bloodmoss　and　freezing　the　raw　flesh　till　it　stopped　bleeding。　When　she　had　finished；　her　mittens　were　sodden　with　Iorek's　blood；　but　his　wounds　were　stanched。
　　And　by　that　time　the　prisoners…a　dozen　or　so　men；　shivering　and　blinking　and　huddling　together…had　e　out。　There　was　no　point　in　talking　to　the　professor；　Lyra　decided；　because　the　poor　man　was　mad；　and　she　would　have　liked　to　know　who　the　other　men　were；　but　there　were　many　other　urgent　things　to　do。　And　she　didn't　want　to　distract　Iorek；　who　was　giving　rapid　orders　and　sending　bears　scurrying　this　way　and　that；　but　she　was　anxious　about　Roger；　and　about　Lee　Scoresby　and　the　witches；　and　she　was　hungry　and　tired　。　。　。　。　She　thought　the　best　thing　she　could　do　just　then　was　to　keep　out　of　the　way。
　　So　she　curled　up　in　a　quiet　corner　of　the　bat　ground　with　Pantalaimon　as　a　wolverine　to　keep　her　warm；　and　piled　snow　over　herself　as　a　bear　would　do；　and　went　to　sleep。
　　
　　Something　nudged　her　foot；　and　a　strange　bear　voice　said；　〃Lyra　Silvertongue；　the　king　wants　you。〃
　　She　woke　up　nearly　dead　with　cold；　and　couldn't　open　her　eyes；　for　they　had　frozen　shut；　but　Pantalaimon　licked　them　to　melt　the　ice　on　her　eyelashes；　and　soon　she　was　able　to　see　the　young　bear　speaking　to　her　in　the　moonlight。
　　She　tried　to　stand；　but　fell　over　twice。
　　The　bear　said；　〃Ride　on　me；〃　and　crouched　to　offer　his　broad　back；　and　half…clinging；　half…falling；　she　managed　to　stay　on　while　he　took　her　to　a　steep　hollow；　where　many　bears　were　assembled。
　　And　among　them　was　a　small　figure　who　ran　toward　her；　and　whose　daemon　leaped　up　to　greet　Pantalaimon。
　　〃Roger！〃　she　said。
　　〃Iorek　Byrnison　made　me　stay　out　there　in　the　snow　while　he　came　to　fetch　you　away…we　fell　out　the　balloon；　Lyra！　After　you　fell　out；　we　got　carried　miles　and　miles；　and　then　Mr。　Scoresby　let　some　more　gas　out　and　we　crashed　into　a　mountain；　and　we　fell　down　such　a　slope　like　you　never　seen！　And　I　don't　know　where　Mr。　Scoresby　is　now；　nor　the　witches。　There　was　just　me　and　Iorek　Byrnison。　He　e　straight　back　this　way　to　look　for　you。　And　they　told　me　about　his　fight　。　。　。　。〃
　　Lyra　looked　around。　Under　the　direction　of　an　older　bear；　the　human　prisoners　were　building　a　shelter　out　of　driftwood　and　scraps　of　canvas。　They　seemed　pleased　to　have　some　work　to　do。　One　of　them　was　striking　a　flint　to　light　a　fire。
　　〃There　is　food；〃　said　the　young　bear　who　had　woken　Lyra。
　　A　fresh　seal　lay　on　the　snow。　The　bear　sliced　it　open　with　a　claw　and　showed　Lyra　where　to　find　the　kidneys。　She　ate　one　raw：　it　was　warm　and　soft　and　delicious　beyond　imagining。
　　〃Eat　the　blubber　too；〃　said　the　bear；　and　tore　off　a　piece　for　her。　It　tasted　of　cream　flavored　with　hazelnuts。　Roger　hesitated；　but　followed　her　example。　They　ate　greedily；　and　within　a　very　few　minutes　Lyra　was　fully　awake　and　beginning　to　be　warm。
　　Wiping　her　mouth；　she　looked　around；　but　Iorek　was　not　in　sight。
　　〃Iorek　Byrnison　is　speaking　with　his　counselors；〃　said　the　young　bear。　〃He　wants　to　see　you　when　you　have　eaten。　Follow　me。〃
　　He　led　them　over　a　rise　in　the　snow　to　a　spot　where　bears　were　beginning　to　build　a　wall　of　ice　blocks。　Iorek　sat　at　the　center　of　a　group　of　older　bears；　and　he　rose　to　greet　her。
　　〃Lyra　Silvertongue；〃　he　said。　〃e　and　hear　what　I　am　being　told。〃
　　He　didn't　explain　her　presence　to　the　other　bears；　or　perhaps　they　had　learned　about　her　already；　but　they　made　room　for　her　and　treated　her　with　immense　courtesy；　as　if　she　were　a　queen。　She　felt　proud　beyond　measure　to　sit　beside　her　friend　Iorek　Byrnison　under　the　Aurora　as　it　flickered　gracefully　in　the　polar　sky；　and　join　the　conversation　of　the　bears。
　　It　turned　out　that　lofur　Raknison's　dominance　over　them　had　been　like　a　spell。　Some　of　them　put　it　down　to　the　influence　of　Mrs。　Coulter；　who　had　visited　him　before　Iorek's　exile；　though　Iorek　had　not　known　about　it；　and　given　lofur　various　presents。
　　〃She　gave　him　a　drug；〃　said　one　bear；　〃which　he　fed　secretly　to　Hjalmur　Hjalmurson；　and　made　him　forget　himself。〃
　　Hjalmur　Hjalmurson；　Lyra　gathered；　was　the　bear　whom　Iorek　had　killed；　and　whose　death　had　brought　about　his　exile。　So　Mrs。　Coulter　was　behind　that！　And　there　was　more。
　　〃There　are　human　laws　that　prevent　certain　things　that　she　was　planning　to　do；　but　human　laws　don't　apply　on　Svalbard。　She　wanted　to　set　up　another　station　here　like　Bolvangar；　only　worse；　and　lofur　was　going　to　allow　her　to　do　it；　against　all　the　custom　of　the　bears；　because　humans　have　visited；　or　been　imprisoned；　but　never　lived　and　worked　here。　Little　by　little　she　was　going　to　increase　her　power　over　lofur　Raknison；　and　his　over　us；　until　we　were　her　creatures　running　back　and　forth　at　her　bidding；　and　our　only　duty　to　guard　the　abomination　she　was　going　to　create　。　。　。　。〃
　　That　was　an　old　bear　speaking。　His　name　was　S0ren　Eisarson；　and　he　was　a　counselor；　one　who　had　suffered　under　lofur　Raknison。
　　〃What　is　she　doing　now；　Lyra？〃　said　Iorek　Byrnison。　〃Once　she　hears　of　lofur's　death；　what　will　her　plans　be？〃
　　Lyra　took　out　the　alethiometer。　There　was　not　much　light　to　see　it　by；　and　Iorek　manded　that　a　torch　be　brought。
　　〃What　happened　to　Mr。　Scoresby？〃　Lyra　said　while　they　were　waiting。　〃And　the　witches？〃
　　〃The　witches　were　attacked　by　another　witch　clan。　I　don't　know　if　the　others　were　allied　to　the　child　cutters；　but　they　were　patrolling　our　skies　in　vast　numbers；　and　they　attacked　in　the　storm。　I　didn't　see　what　happened　to　Serafina　Pekkala。　As　for　Lee　Scoresby；　the　balloon　soared　up　again　after　I　fell　out　with　the　boy；　taking　him　with　it。　But　your　symbol　reader　will　tell　you　what　their　fate　is。〃
　　A　bear　pulled　up　a　sledge　on　which　a　ca