...the abyss of madness Is the "natural" placenta, I am afraid it is also the grave Neither the sea nor the earth nor the wind Not made of fire, but of these elements The chaos gave rise to atoms, Therefore, there must be constant strife and war until the Almighty Creator put them Use black materials to build new worlds. Then the thoughtful devil stood From the shores of hell, to the mad abyss Watched for a while, thinking about the voyage ahead. ——John Milton's second volume, Zhu Wei's translation, Shanghai Translation Publishing House, November 1984, first edition.

oxford Lyra and her elf walked through the darkened hall, slipping carefully so that they would not be seen by those in the kitchen.Three tables that ran the length of the hall had been set, silverware and glassware reflected the dim light in the hall, and long stools had been pulled out, ready to receive guests.Under the dim light, portraits of previous deans hung high on the surrounding walls.Laila went to the ledge and looked back. The kitchen door was open, but no one was there.She walked over to the main table.Here, instead of silver, the plate was set in gold; and the fourteen seats were not benches of oak, but chairs of mahogany, upholstered in velvet.

Lyra stopped beside the Dean's chair and flicked the largest glass with her fingernail, the sound carried through the hall clearly and clearly. "Don't take it seriously," whispered her elf, "be honest!" Lyra's elf was named Pantalaimon, and he was now a dark brown moth so that he could not be seen in the dim hall. "There's so much noise in the kitchen, they can't hear it," Lyra whispered back, "and the butler won't come until after the first bell, so don't make a fuss." Despite saying this, Lyra still put her palm on the clanking glass.On the other side of the high platform is the lounge. Pantalaimon flapped his wings lightly and flew in through the crack of the door.After a while, he flew out again.

"There's no one in there," he whispered, "but we've got to hurry, too." Lila stooped, quickly got into the door of the lounge along the back of the main table, then straightened up and looked around.The only light in the room came from the fireplace. At this time, the flame burning brightly on the wood was gradually dimming, and sparks continued to fly up the chimney.Laila had spent most of her life at the college, but she had never seen this lounge before: only academicians Cambridge and Oxford in the UK were college-based, with universities working through departments. Responsible for teaching, the college is responsible for students' logistics life (including providing board and lodging) and social activities, and is also responsible for providing one-on-one homework guidance to students.Therefore, among the staff of each college, in addition to management personnel, there are also some professors, experts or scholars who are responsible for tutoring students in their homework.They are usually given different titles according to their different academic attainments. In Jordan College (a college fictionalized by the author) here, "Academician" is the highest title.In addition, Cambridge and Oxford each have more than 30 colleges, and the situation of each college is different, so the titles are also different.They can only come in with their guests, and ladies are never allowed in.Even the maids don't come to do the cleaning, a job that only the butler can do.

Pantalaimon paused on her shoulder. "Happy now? Can we go?" He whispered. "Don't be stupid! I want to take a good look!" The lounge was large, with a glossy oval mahogany table furnished with bottles and glasses of all kinds, and a silver smoking table with pipe racks.A fondue pot sits on a nearby sideboard, along with a basket of poppy pods. "They really did their best, didn't they, Pam?" Lyra said in a low voice. She sat down on one of the green leather chairs.The chair was so deep that Laila felt like she was almost lying down, but she straightened up again, sat up cross-legged, and looked at the portraits on the wall: there were probably more elderly academicians among them; With a big beard and a melancholy look.They stared out of their frames with solemn, disapproving expressions.

"What do you think they're talking about?" Lyra asked—or was about to ask, because before she could finish, she heard voices outside the door. "Hide behind a chair—quick!" whispered Pantalaimon.In the blink of an eye, Laila hopped off the grand chair and stooped behind it.It's not the best place to hide: the chair is in the middle of the lounge, and unless she doesn't make a sound, then... The door opened, and the light in the room changed accordingly.One of those who entered was carrying a lamp, which he placed on the sideboard.Laila could see his legs in dark green trousers and shiny black shoes.That's a servant.

At this time, a deep voice asked, "Has Lord Asriel come?" This is the dean.Lyra held her breath as she saw the servant's daemon (a dog, like all servant daemons) thumping in and crouching silently at the servant's feet.At this time, the dean's feet also appeared, still wearing the worn-out black leather shoes that never changed. "No, sir," replied the butler, "no news from the airship station either." "I think he will be hungry when he comes. You can lead him directly to the lobby, okay?" "Okay, Dean." "Have you prepared special Tokay wine for him?"

"Yes, ready, Abbot. 1898, as you ordered. My lord, I remember, is very partial to this wine." "Good. You can go now." "Do you need that lamp, Dean?" "Leave it there, if you want. Come in and trim the wick during dinner, will you?" The butler bowed slightly and turned away, followed by his elf obediently.Lyra watched from her crappy hiding-place as the Dean went to a huge wardrobe in the corner of the room, produced his robes, and pulled them on with great difficulty.The dean used to be strong and healthy, but now he is over seventy years old, and his movements appear clumsy and slow.The dean's elf is a raven.As soon as he put on his robes, the crow jumped from the wardrobe and landed on the Dean's right shoulder where she usually stayed.

Though Pantalaimon made no sound, Lyra felt his wings flutter restlessly, and she herself was excited and agitated.The guest the Abbot mentioned, Lord Asriel, was her uncle, whom Lyra admired and feared.He is said to have been involved in high-level politics, secret expeditions, and wars in faraway lands.Lyra never knew when he would show up.He was fierce and brutal: if he got caught here, Laila would be punished severely, but she could live with it. However, what Leila saw next changed everything completely. The Dean took a folded sheet of paper from his pocket and placed it on the table next to the wine.He uncapped the bottle of rich golden wine, unfolded the paper, poured a wisp of white powder into the bottle, then tore the paper to pieces and threw it into the fire.Then he drew a pencil from his pocket and stirred the bottle of wine until the powder had dissolved before he replaced the cap.

His elf let out a soft, short scream, and the dean responded in a low voice, squinting his gloomy eyes and scanning the surroundings, and then went out through the door he had just entered. Lyra whispered, "Did you see that, Pam?" "Of course I saw it! Hurry up and get out now before the housekeeper comes." But before the words fell, a bell rang from the end of the hall. "It's the butler's bell!" said Lyra. "I thought we had time." Pantalaimon spread his wings and flew quickly to the door of the hall, and then flew back quickly. "The butler is already there," he said, "you can't get out the other door..."

The other door, which is the door that the dean entered and exited just now, leads to a corridor. On both sides of the corridor are the library and the public activity room of the academicians. There are always many people coming and going there.At this time of day, the corridors were already full of people, some putting on their dinner robes, and others hurrying to put papers or briefcases in the function room before entering the hall.Lyra thought it would be a few minutes before the housekeeper rang the bell, and she had planned to use that time to go out the way she had come. If she hadn't seen the dean pouring the powder into the wine, she might have ignored the housekeeper's anger, or slipped away from the busy corridor when no one was looking.But what she had just seen baffled her, so she hesitated. Just then, she heard heavy footsteps on the dais—it was the butler, who wanted to see if the lounge was ready so that the Academicians could enjoy poppy pods and wine here after dinner.Laila quickly rushed to the oak wardrobe, opened the door, and hid in. As soon as the door was closed, the butler stepped in.Lyra wasn't worried about Pantalaimon because the lounge was dimly lit and he could always hide under a chair. She heard the butler's heavy breathing.The closet door was not closed, and looking through the crack, she saw him straighten the pipes on the rack next to the smoking table, and glance at the bottles and glasses.Then, brushing his hair back behind his ears with two palms, he said something to his elf.The butler is a servant, so his elf is a dog; but he is a high servant, so she is also an extraordinary dog.In fact, she is now a red setter, a long-haired hunting dog trained to stand still and point the way to prey with its nose.In fact, its English name Setter means positioning.hound.The elf seemed suspicious, and looked around, as if he had already sensed an unexpected visitor.But she didn't rush toward the closet, much to Lyra's relief.Lyra was terrified of the housekeeper, he had hit her twice. At this moment, Lyra heard a soft whisper, and it was obvious that Pantalaimon had squeezed in, next to her. "Now we have to stay here, why don't you listen to me?" She didn't answer, because the butler hadn't left yet, and his task was to supervise the service at the main table.Laila heard the academicians entering the hall, the hum of people and footsteps everywhere. "I'm right that I didn't listen to you," Laila replied softly after the butler went out, "otherwise we wouldn't see the dean poisoning the wine. Pan, the one who was poisoned was the one he mentioned to the valet just now." That Tokay! They're trying to kill Lord Asriel!" "You didn't know it was poison." "Oh, it's poison, of course. Did you forget that he told the footman to leave the lounge first? If it wasn't for the poison, it wouldn't matter if the footman saw it. And, I know they must have a plot - a political plot. The servants have talked about it It's been days. Pam, we can prevent a murder!" "I haven't heard of it, it's nonsense," he immediately responded, "Do you think you can stay in this suffocating closet for four hours without making a sound? I'm dead, let me tell you." He spread his wings over her shoulders, and Lyra saw his tiny figure in the light coming through the door. "It's no use, Pam, I'll just stay here," she said, "and here's a robe or something I'll spread out on the bottom of the cabinet to make myself more comfortable. I just want to see what they're up to. " Lyra, who had been squatting just now, stood up cautiously, reaching around for the hangers so as not to make any noise.She found that the wardrobe was larger than she had imagined. There were several robes and hoods for scholars hanging in it, some of which were sewn with animal furs, and most of the fabrics were silk. "I don't know if these belong to the dean?" she whispered. "Whenever he got an honorary degree from somewhere else, they probably sent him all kinds of strange robes, and he kept them all." Here, so we can dress up when the time comes...Pan, do you really think that wasn't poison in that bottle?" "No," he replied, "like you, I think it must be poison, but it has nothing to do with us. And I think it would be the stupidest thing you've ever done in your stupid life if you got involved. , because this matter has nothing to do with us." "Don't be a fool," Lyra said, "I can't just sit here and watch them give him poison!" "Then go somewhere else." "Pam, you're a coward." "Of course I'm a coward. Then I ask you, what are you going to do? Do you want to jump out and snatch the glass from his trembling hand? What can you do?" "There's nothing to do, you know that," Lyra snapped softly, "but now that I've seen what the Dean has done, I don't have any choice. You should know what a conscience is, don't you?" Knowing what was going to happen and me walking away and sitting in a library or something absent-mindedly twiddling my fingers - how could I do that? I swear to you I don't want to .” "You've always wanted to do this," said Pantalaimon after a moment's pause. "You were going to hide here and peep—how ​​did I not realize it before?" "Well, that's what I'm trying to do," Lyra said. "Everyone knows they're sneaking up on something secret, and they have rituals or something, and I just want to know nothing more." "That has nothing to do with us! If they are complacent about their little secrets, then you should think you are smarter than them, just let them go. Silly children are hiding here to peek." "I knew you were going to say this. Come on, don't make trouble." They both sat for a while in silence.Sitting on the hard floor of the wardrobe was uncomfortable for Lyra, and Pantalaimon kept twitching his tentacles on a long robe as if he thought he had the truth in hand.Lyra felt that she was having a lot of ideological struggles-she would have liked to talk about these thoughts with her elf, but her self-esteem was not small.Maybe she doesn't need his help and should sort out her thoughts on her own. Her mind was full of anxiety, not for herself, because she was used to getting into trouble a lot.This time, she was worried about Lord Asriel, worried about the bad consequences of all this.Lord did not come to the Academy very often, and the fact that political tensions were high now meant that he was not here simply to eat, drink and smoke with a few old friends.Lyra knew that both Lord Asriel and the Dean were members of the Cabinet Committee, the Prime Minister's specialized advisory body, so perhaps the matter had something to do with that committee; Should be in the lounge at Jordan Academy. Then there is only another explanation.For days, the servants of the academy had been quietly spreading a rumor that the Tatars were the Turkic and Mongols who invaded West Asia and Eastern Europe in the Middle Ages and lived in Central Asia.It has invaded the Principality of Moscow and is heading north to storm St. Petersburg.From there, they were able to control the Baltic and eventually all of Europe.Lord Asriel has been in the far north: the last time Leila saw him, he was preparing for an expedition to Lapland...a region in the far north of Europe that includes northern Norway, Sweden and Finland, and Russia's Kola peninsula. Most of the region lies within the Arctic Circle. "Pan," Lyra whispered. "What's up?" "Do you think there will be a war?" "Not yet, Lord Asriel wouldn't be here for the dinner if war was going to break out in a week or so." "I thought so too, but what about the future?" "Shh! Someone's coming." Lyra sat up and pressed her eyes to the crack of the door.It was the manservant who came in, and he came in to trim the wicks as the abbot had just ordered.Common rooms and libraries are lit by electric lights, but in the lounges the Academicians prefer the older, more subdued naphtha lamps. Naphtha, a highly volatile, flammable liquid hydrocarbon, Refined from petroleum, coal tar and natural gas, it can be used as fuel, solvent and fertilizer. .As long as the dean is alive, they don't plan to change it. The valet cut the wick, added another log to the fireplace, listened carefully to the hall door, and sneaked a handful of tobacco leaves for himself from the tobacco rack. Before he could close the lid completely, the handle on the other door turned, causing the footman to jump up.Lyra held back her laughter, trying not to let herself laugh.The servant hurriedly stuffed the tobacco into his pocket, and turned to face the person who came in. "Lord Asriel!" he cried.Lyra was taken aback, feeling a chill run down her back.From her hiding place, she couldn't see him and had to fight back the desire to move her body to look at him. "Good evening, Wren," said Lord Asriel.Every time Lyra heard his voice, she was always excited and terrified. "I'm too late to make it to the dinner, so I'll just wait here." The valet looked embarrassed, for Lord Asriel knew that guests could only enter the drawing room at the invitation of the Abbot; but the valet noticed that Lord Asriel was staring His bulging pockets.So he decided it was better not to object. "My lord, should I tell the dean that you have arrived?" "Okay, get me some coffee." "Yes, my lord." The valet bowed and hurried out, his elf trotting tamely behind.Lyra's uncle went to the fireplace, raised his arms above his head, and yawned like a lion.He was wearing a traveling suit.As every time she saw him, Lyra remembered how frightened she was of him.It was no longer possible for her to sneak out unnoticed, she just sat still and hoped not to be seen. Lord Asriel's elf is a snow leopard standing behind him. "Are you going to put those projections on them here?" his elf asked softly. "Yes. There's less fuss here than in the Lecture Hall. They'll still want to see the specimens; I'll send for the porters in a little while. That's not a good time, Stahl." Maria." "You should rest." He sat down in an armchair, flattening himself so Lyra could not see his face. "Yes, yes. I should also change my clothes. I came here in such an inappropriate manner that they might be able to fine me with twelve bottles of wine on some ancient courtesy. I should go to sleep." Three days, but the fact remains—" There was a knock at the door, and a footman entered with a silver tray on which stood a coffee pot and a cup. "Thank you, Wren," said Lord Asriel. "I see Tokay on the table, is that right?" "It was specially prepared for you by the dean's orders, my lord," said the manservant, "there are only thirty-six bottles left in 1998." "Good flowers don't last long. Put the tray next to me. Oh, and ask the porter to bring in those two boxes I left at the door, please?" "Here it is, my lord?" "Yeah, get it here, buddy. I need a screen and a projector lamp, get it here too, now." The valet opened his mouth in surprise, but finally suppressed his question, or rather his dissent. "Ren, you have forgotten what you do," said Lord Asriel, "don't ask me, do as I tell you." "Yes, my lord," said the valet, "if I may say, my lord, perhaps I should tell Mr. Cowson of your plan, otherwise he will be a little surprised. I think you understand what I mean." "Okay, then tell him." Mr. Cowson was the butler, and there had been conflicts between him and the valet very early on, and it was a deep-seated thing that neither of them obeyed the other.The rank of the butler is high, but the servants have more opportunities to please the academicians and can make full use of them.He was very glad to have this opportunity to show the butler that he knew more about what happened in the lounge than he did. He bowed and left.Laila watched as her uncle poured a cup of coffee, drank it down, poured another, and sipped slowly.Laila couldn't hold back her curiosity: specimen?projector lamp?What urgent and important thing does he want to show the academicians? At this moment, Lord Asriel stood up and turned away from the fireplace.Lyra saw him in full this time, and she was amazed at the contrast he made with the chubby butler and the hunched, listless academicians.Lord Asriel was tall, with strong shoulders, dark and terrifying complexion, his eyes were like lightning, and there seemed to be a cruel smile shining inside.It was a life-and-death face: never yielding to anything, never pitying anything.His every move is like a wild animal, with great range and great coordination.When he's in a room like this, he's like a beast trapped in a cage that's too small. At this time, his expression was indifferent and focused.His daemon came to him and rested its head on his waist.He looked down at her with an elusive expression, then turned around and walked to the table.Lyra suddenly felt her heart skip a beat, for Lord Asriel had uncapped the bottle of Tokoy and was pouring it into a glass. "do not!" Lyra couldn't help calling out softly.Lord Asriel heard this, and turned around at once. "Who's there?" Involuntarily, Laila slammed out of the closet, rushed up and snatched the glass from him.The wine spilled, splashed over the edge of the table and the rug, and the glass fell and shattered.Lord Asriel grabbed her wrist and twisted it hard. "Laila! What the hell are you doing here?" "Let go of me, and then I'll tell you!" "I'll break your arm first, how dare you come here?" "I just saved your life!" For a moment neither of them spoke.The little girl writhed in pain and distorted her face, trying not to cry out loud.The big man bent over her, frowning viciously. "What did you say?" His voice softened a little. "The wine just now was poisonous," she gritted her teeth, "I saw the dean put some powder in it." He let go, and Lyra collapsed to the ground, Pantalaimon scurrying to her shoulder.Her uncle, suppressing his anger, looked down at her, and Laila dared not meet his eyes. "I just came in to see what the lounge looks like," she said, "I knew I shouldn't have come, but I was going to get out before anyone came in, but I couldn't get out when I heard the dean was coming." The closet was the only place to hide. Later, I saw him pour the powder into the wine. If I hadn't—" There is a knock on the door. "It's the porter," said Lord Asriel, "and hide it in the wardrobe. If I hear a sound, I'll make you feel like you're dead." Laila quickly hid back in the closet, and just as she closed the door, Lord Asriel said loudly, "Come in." As he said, it was the porter who came in. "My lord, put it here?" Laila saw the old man standing suspiciously in the doorway, with the corner of a large wooden box peeking out behind him. "Yes, Shute," said Lord Asriel, "bring in both boxes, and put them by the table." Lyra relaxed a little before she felt pain in her shoulder and wrist.If she's the crying girl, that's enough to make her cry.But instead of crying, she gritted her teeth and moved her arms gently until the pain subsided a little. Just then, there was the sound of glass breaking and liquid gurgling out. "Damn it! Shute, you careless old fool! Look what you've done!" All this Lyra could just see.Her uncle managed to knock the bottle off the table, but it made it look as if it had been knocked over by the porters.The old man put down the box carefully and began to apologize. "I'm really sorry, my lord—I must have come too close, closer than I thought—" "Go get the tools and clean up this mess, go quickly, or it will seep into the carpet!" The porter and his young helper hurried out.Lord Asriel moved closer to the wardrobe, lowered his voice and said: "Since you're here, make some use of it. Keep an eye on the Dean when he comes in. If you can tell me something meaningful about him, I won't let you have any more trouble, understand?" "Understood, uncle." "If you make a little noise inside, I won't help you. You have to do it yourself." With that, he turned and walked away, and stood with his back to the fireplace again.Just then the porter returned with a brush, a dustpan for broken glass, a bowl, and a rag. "My lord, I can only say to you again, that I most sincerely beg your pardon; I do not know—" "Clean up this pile of junk soon." So, the porter began to wipe the wine on the carpet.At this time, the butler knocked on the door and walked in together with Lord Asriel's personal servant. The Lord's servant was Thorold.The two of them carried a heavy wooden box, polished and with brass handles.Seeing what the porter was doing, the two were stunned. "Yes, it's the Tokaj wine," said Lord Asriel. "It's terrible. Is it the projector lamp? Thorold, please hang it next to the wardrobe, will you? I'll hang the screen on the other side." Lyra found that she could see the screen through the crack in the door, and see anything projected on it.She was not sure if this was arranged by her uncle on purpose.The lord's valet unwrapped the stiff linen and put it on the shelf, and under cover of the clattering, Lyra said softly: "How? It's not in vain, is it?" "Maybe, maybe not," Pantalaimon said gravely, in his slender moth voice. Lord Asriel stood by the fireplace, sipping the last of his coffee, watching Thorold unpack the case of the projection lamp, remove the cap from the lens, and check the fuel tank. "Plenty of oil, my lord," he said, "would you like to send for the technician to start the operation?" "No, I'll do it myself. Thank you, Thorold. Ren, is their dinner over?" "I think it will be over soon, my lord," replied the house valet, "and if Mr. Cowson is not mistaken, the Master and his guests will be as soon as they know you are here." Come here. Can I take the coffee tray away?" "Okay, let's go." "As you order, my lord." The valet bowed slightly, picked up the tray and left, Thorold following him.As soon as the door was closed, Lord Asriel looked across the room and landed directly on the wardrobe.Lyra felt that his glance was almost like a tangible pressure, like an arrow or a spear.Then, looking away, he spoke softly to his daemon. His daemon sat quietly beside him, alert and graceful, but also menacing.Her hazel eyes scanned the drawing-room, and then, with the lord's, they turned toward the door leading into the hall when the handle turned.Lyra couldn't see the door, but she heard a gasp when the first one came in. "Master," said Lord Asriel, "yes, I am back. Please bring in all your guests; I have something very interesting to show you." ①Tokay, a small town in eastern Hungary, produces distinctive wines, hence the name. ②In this book, everyone’s soul has an incarnation called "elf", and these elves appear in the form of animals. For example, Laila's "elf" is a Fei'e, the butler of the dean The "genie" is a dog.In addition, children's elves can be transformed, but after adults, human elves are fixed in a certain animal form and cannot be changed again.Moreover, humans are the opposite gender of their own elves.