Chapter 7 7. John Faah

Now, with something on her mind, Lyra felt better.It was nice to help Mrs. Coulter, but Pantalaimon was right: she wasn't doing anything serious, she was just a lovely pet.On the gypsy's boat, however, there were real things to do, and Ma Costa urged her to do them.She cleaned, peeled potatoes, made tea, greased the propeller bearings, cleared the weed rings above the propellers, scrubbed the dishes, opened the gates and tied the ship's cables to anchor.In a few days she was as accustomed to her new life as if she had been born a gypsy. But she didn't notice that as long as there were signs that people on the shore showed an extraordinary interest in her, the Costa family would be alert.Maybe she didn't realize it herself, she was very important, and Mrs. Coulter and the priests' committee would definitely look for her everywhere.True, along the way Tony heard people gossiping in taverns that the police were raiding homes, farms, construction sites, and factories without explanation, but there were rumors that they were looking for a missing little girl.That was strange in itself, since they hadn't found any other missing children.The gypsies and the people on the shore became anxious and nervous.

Besides, there was another reason why the Costa family was interested in Laila, but she wouldn't know it for a few days. So they let Lyra hide below deck whenever they passed the lockkeeper's hut or the inlet on the canal, or any loafer who might show up.Once they passed a town where the police were checking all passing boats on the river, and traffic was stopped in both directions.But the Costa family has a way of dealing with this.There was a secret compartment under Ma Costa's bunk where Laila lay curled up for two hours.The police searched the boat from the bow to the stern, knocking here and there, but finally returned without success.

"But why didn't their elves see me?" she asked afterward.Ma Costa asked her to see the partition of the secret room, which was made of fir wood and had a hypnotic effect on the elves.Indeed, Pantalaimon had been sleeping soundly beside Lyra's head. Slowly, after many stops and detours, the Costa's boat came to the Marsh, a vast, savage, endless swamp in East England that has never been fully mapped on a map.Its farthest edge is indistinguishable from the streams and inlets that flow into the shallow sea; the other side of the sea is closely bound up with Holland, also indistinguishable.In some places in the swamp, the water has been drained by the Dutch and dykes have been built, and some Dutch have settled there, so the language in the swamp area has a strong Dutch accent.But there are places where the water has never been drained and no one has ever grown anything or settled there.In the wildest midlands, where eels roam, where flocks of waterfowl live, the mysterious flickering of will-o'-the-wisps is actually a natural phenomenon of the burning of marsh-gas. , in places that look like roads, luring the unwary tourist to their doom in the swamp.For the gypsies, however, it has traditionally been a safe gathering place.

At this moment, the gypsy boats were sailing through a thousand winding canals, creeks and waterways to the highlands in the swamps-the only one slightly higher in the swamps and swamps for hundreds of miles around. child's ground.There stood an old wooden meeting hall, surrounded by a jumble of permanent houses, piers, jetties and an eel market.When the gypsies make tandems—that is, when all the families are called or combined, the waterways are full of their boats, and you can walk a mile in any direction on their conjoined decks—there are at least This argument.The gypsies ruled the marshes, and no one else dared to come here; while the gypsies kept the peace and conducted fair trade, the vagabonds turned a blind eye to the constant smuggling and the occasional strife .If the body of a gypsy floated ashore from the sea, or got caught in a fishing net, it would be terrible--even if it was only a gypsy.

Lyra was so enthralled by the stories of the inhabitants of the swamp, of the great ghostly dog ​​named Blackshell, of the will-o'-the-wisps of the swamp rising from mysterious oil bubbles, that before she reached the swamp, she He began to think of himself as a gypsy.She had slipped back into her Oxford accent very quickly, but now she was gradually adopting a gypsy accent and a swamp Dutch vocabulary.Ma Costa had to remind her of a few things. "Laila, you are not a gypsy. With practice you may come across as a gypsy, but we gypsies are not only characterized by gypsy language, we have deep hearts and strong feelings. We have always Living on water, you're a 'water man', and you're not, you're a 'fire man'. You're most like fire in a swamp, and that's what you look like to a gypsy; you have that ' Mystic Oil'. Deceitful - that's what you are, boy."

This remark made Laila feel very sad. "I've never lied to anyone! Just ask..." Of course there is no one to ask.Ma Costa laughed, but in a friendly way. "Can't you see I'm praising you, little fool?" she said.Lyra calmed down, though she didn't understand. It was dusk when we reached the high ground in the swamp.Flying in the red sky, the sun is about to set.The low island and the meeting hall, like the surrounding buildings, raised their dark silhouettes against the backlight, wisps of cooking smoke curled up into the silent air, and fried fish, tobacco leaves and The smell of Jennifer's wine.

They parked the boat near the conference hall.Tony said the anchor has been used by his family for generations.Soon, Ma Costa was setting up the frying pan, with some fat eels sizzling and crackling on it; the kettle was also on the fire, ready to make potato flour.Tony and Kalim oiled their hair, put on their best leather jackets and silver rings, and went to visit a few old friends on the neighboring boat and have a drink or two at the nearest pub.When they returned, they brought important news. "We got there just in time for the tandem tonight. They said--what do you think?--they said the missing little girl was on the gypsy's boat, and that tonight she would Show up at the tandem meeting!"

Tony burst out laughing, reaching out and ruffling Lyra's hair.From the moment they entered the swamp he became more and more good-natured, as if the fierce, sullen expression was only a disguise.Lyra felt her agitation growing, and she ate quickly, washed the dishes, combed her hair, stuffed the alethiometer into the pocket of her wolfskin coat, and joined the rest of the family, jumping ashore and up the slope to the meeting. hall. She thought Tony was joking, but soon realized he wasn't joking, or that she wasn't as gypsy as she thought she was, as a lot of people were staring at her and kids were pointing at her .When they came to the gate of the conference hall, their family walked alone among the crowd, and people retreated to both sides, staring at them and making way for them.

That's when Lyra began to get really nervous.She was close to Ma Costa, and Pantalaimon turned into a black panther to keep her from being frightened—the biggest animal he could be.Ma Costa walked up the steps with firm steps, as if nothing in the world could stop her or quicken her pace.Tony and Kalim walked proudly on either side of them like princes. The hall was lit with naphtha lamps, shining brightly on the faces and bodies of the audience, but the high rafters were hidden in darkness.The benches were already full of people, and those who came in had to squeeze a place on the floor.To make room, each family squeezed as close together as possible, the children sat on the laps of the adults, some elves curled up at the feet of the people, and others stayed on the rough wooden walls.

In front of the hall is a podium with eight carved wooden chairs.When Laila and the Costa family found a place and stood along the base of the wall, eight men came out from the shadow behind the podium and stood in front of the chairs.There was excitement in the audience as they booed each other to keep everyone quiet and squeezed onto the benches closest to them.Finally, the crowd quieted down, and seven of the eight people on stage sat down. The man who was still standing was over seventy years old, but tall, thick-necked, and very muscular.He wore a plain canvas jacket and checked shirt, like many gypsies, and there was nothing special about him except his strength and majesty.Laila had noticed it: Uncle Asriel had it, and the dean of Jordan College had it too.This person's elf is a crow, very similar to the dean's crow elf.

"He's John Faa, King of the West Gypsies," Tony whispered. John Faa began to speak, in a low, slow voice. "Gypsies! Welcome to the tandem. I'm here to hear everyone's opinions and of course to make a decision. You all know why. There are many families here who have lost a child, some have lost two, someone Abducted them. Undoubtedly, those homeless people also lost their children. We have no problem with them on this point. "Right now, there is talk of a child and a reward. Let me tell you the truth so that the rumors will stop. The child's name is Laila Belacova, and the homeless police are looking for her. If she Give them a reward of a thousand gold pieces. She is a tramp's child and is under our care, and she shall continue to be under our care. Whoever is tempted by the thousand gold pieces, he had better go Find a place to hide that is neither on land nor on water. We will never hand her over." Lyra suddenly felt uncomfortable with shame, and Pantalaimon turned into a brown moth and hid.All the people around turned their eyes to them, and Laila could only look up at Ma Costa for help. John Faa went on to say: "No matter how well we say it, we're not going to change anything. To make a difference, we have to act. Here's another fact for you: the gluttons are the ones who steal the children, the ones who steal the children. They are imprisoned in a town in the far north, in a world of darkness. I don't know what the Taotie will do to them. Some say they will kill these children, and others don't. Anyway, we don't know. "But we do know that they did it with the help of the policemen and the priests of the tramps. It must be remembered that they were aided by all the powers of the land, and that whenever they had the chance, they Will help Taotie. "So, my proposal is not easy to implement, and I need your approval. I suggest that we send a team of warriors to the north to rescue those children and bring them back alive. I suggest that we pool our money together , mustering all the intelligence and courage we can muster. Raymond van Gritt, what are you going to say?" Someone in the audience raised a hand, and John Faah sat down to let the man speak. "I didn't hear you clearly, King Fa'a. There were children of homeless people and children of gypsies who were taken away. Do you mean that we should save those people too?" John Faa stood up and replied: "Raymond, you're saying we went in against all odds, found the terrified kids, and told some of them they could go home, and others that they were okay?" Must you stay? No, you are not. Now, friends, do you agree with my suggestion?" Raymond's question caught people by surprise, as they hesitated for a moment, but then a thunderous roar erupted in the hall, hands were clapped in the air, fists were pumped, and voices were raised in excitement .The rafters of the hall were shaken, and dozens of small birds living in the high dark place were awakened from sleep, flapped their wings, and made dust fall like light rain. After people shouted for a while, John Faa raised his hand and asked them to be quiet again. "It's going to take some time to organize. I'm asking the patriarchs of the families to collect a tax and recruit people. We'll be meeting here again in three days. In the meantime, I'm going to talk to the kid I just mentioned and Fadell Colum talk, make a plan and present it to you when we meet. Good night everyone." The presence of John Faah, tall, natural, and candid, was enough in itself to calm people down.People started walking out of the gates into the cold night, either back to their boats, or to the crowded bars of this small settlement.At this moment, Lila asked Ma Costa: "Who are those other people on the podium?" "The patriarch of the six major families, the other is Farder Colum." It was easy to see who she was referring to by the other, for he was the oldest of them all.He leaned on a cane and sat behind John Faa and was shaking as if he had malaria. "Come on," Tony said, "I'd better take you to John Faa, you call him King Faa. I don't know what he's going to ask you, but be careful to tell the truth." Lila followed Tony through the crowd to the podium.Pantalaimon turned into a sparrow, squatting curiously on Lyra's shoulders, digging deeply into the wolf fur coat with his two claws. Tony picked her up and put her on the podium.Realizing that everyone in the hall was staring at her, and knowing that she was suddenly worth a thousand gold coins, Lyra blushed and hesitated.Pantalaimon rushed to her chest and became a wild cat, sitting upright in her arms, looking around, hissing softly. Lyra felt a push and walked over to John Faa.Stern, heavy, and expressionless, he seemed more like a pillar than a person.But he bent down anyway, and held out his hand to shake hers.Lyra put her own hand in his - could hardly see her own. "You're welcome, Laila," he said. So close, she felt his voice was as deep as the earth.If there hadn't been for Pantalaimon, if John Faah's impassive expression hadn't eased a little, she would have been nervous.He is very gentle with her. "Thank you, King Fa'a," she said. "Now go to the negotiating room and let's talk." John Fa'a said, "Did the Costa family let you eat well?" "Oh, yes. We had eels for dinner." "I think it must be real swamp eel." The parlor-room was very comfortable, with a great fire, and a sideboard full of silver and enamel; there was a heavy table, with the dark light of age, and its sides neatly There are twelve chairs on the ground. The other people who were on the stage just now had gone to other places, but the trembling old man was still with them.John Faa helped him sit down in a chair by the table. "Now, you sit on my right," John Faa said to Laila, and he himself sat down in the chair at the top of the table.Lyra found herself sitting across from Farder Colum, and she was a little afraid of his skeletal face and trembling.His elf, a handsome yellow cat of great size, walked about the table with its tail pouted proudly, scrutinized Pantalaimon gracefully, touched his nose briefly, and ? Colum sat down on his lap, his eyes half-opened, and he purred softly. Then a woman—Laila hadn't noticed her just now—stepped out of the shadows, placed a tray of glasses next to John Faah, bent her knees, and backed away.John Faa poured himself and Fader Colum a few sips of Jennifer from a stone jug, and poured Laila a glass of wine. "That means," said John Faa, "you escaped, Lyra." "yes." "Who's that lady you're avoiding?" "Her name is Mrs. Coulter. I thought she was very nice, but then I found out she was a glutton too. I've heard people say what gluttons are. They're called the Chief Priests Committee, and she's in charge, and it's all according to her." They are all working on a plan, I don't know what it is, I just know that they want me to help Mrs. Coulter get more children. But they never know..." "Do not know what is this?" "Well... First of all, they never knew that among the children they abducted were people I knew, my friend Roger, an apprentice in the kitchen at Jordan College, Billy Costa, and the man from the Oxford Covered Market. A little girl. And there's another thing... My uncle, yes, Lord Asriel - I've heard them talk about his expeditions to the north, and I don't think he has anything to do with Taotie .for, I spied on the deans and fellows of Jordan College, yes, I hid in the common room--no one but them could enter there, and I heard Lord Asriel tell them of his expedition to the North The thing, the dust he saw, he brought back the head of Stanislaus Grumman, and the Tatars drilled a hole in it. Now, the glutton has him in a place, and the armored bear will watch I want to get him out." There she sat, looking fierce and tenacious, very small against the high, carved back of the chair.The two old men couldn't help smiling.Farder Colum's smile came slowly, rich and complicated expressions trembled across his face, like the sun chasing shadows on a windy March day, John Fa'a smiled slowly, warmly and plainly And amiable. "You'd better tell us what your uncle said you heard that night," said John Faa. "Be careful not to miss anything, and tell us exactly." Laila complied, a little slower than with the Costa family, but more precisely.She was afraid of John Faah, and what frightened her most of all was his kindness.After she finished, Farder Colum spoke for the first time.His voice was full and melodious, like the fur of his colorful elf, and there were different notes in his voice. "This dust," he said, "did they call it something else, Lyra?" "No, it's just dust. Mrs. Coulter told me what it was. It's an elementary particle, but that's the most she's ever called it." "They think if they do something with kids, they can learn more about dust?" "Yes, but I don't know what they can understand. It's just that my uncle... I forgot to tell you something. When he showed them the slide, he had another slide called... light." "What?" asked John Faah. "Aurora," said Fadell Colum, "isn't it, Laila?" "Yeah, that's Aurora. There's a city-like thing in Aurora, with towers and churches and domes and stuff, sort of like Oxford, at least I think so. Uncle Asriel--I think he's got an idea of ​​that More interested, but the dean and other scholars are as interested in dust as Mrs. Coulter and Lord Borel." "Oh, that's it," said Farder Colum. "That's interesting." "Laila," said John Fa'a, "now, I'm going to tell you something. Farder Colum is here too, and he's wise and a seer. Lord Asriel and everything else, he's been watching you too. Whenever the Costas or any other family go to Oxford they always bring back something--about you, boy. Do you know this?" Lyra shook her head.She was beginning to feel frightened, and Pantalaimon let out a growl, too low for anyone to hear, but she could feel it with her fingers in his fur. "Oh, yes," said John Faa, "everything you do is getting to Fader Colum." Lyra couldn't help it. "We didn't break it! Really! Just made some mud! We didn't go far—" "What did you say, boy?" John Faah asked. Fader Colum laughed so hard that his body stopped shaking, and his face shone brightly, making him look very young. But Laila didn't smile.Her lips quivered, "Even if we find the plug, we'll never pull it out! It was just a joke, we're not really going to sink the boat, ever!" John Faa began to laugh too, slapped his big hand on the table so hard that the glasses buzzed, his broad shoulders quivered, and he wiped away his tears.Lyra had never seen anything like it, or heard such wild laughter—it sounded like a mountain laughing. "Oh, yes," he finally stopped laughing and was able to speak, "little girl, we heard about that too! I don't think the Costa family will forget this incident wherever they go from then on." Thing. People say, Tony, you'd better leave someone on the boat. The girls there are so good! Oh, boy, that story spread all over the swamp. But we won't punish for it Yours, no, no! Don't worry!" He looked at Farder Colum, and the two old men laughed again, but this time it was much lighter.Lyra was relieved and felt safe. Finally, John Faa shook his head, and his expression became serious again. "Laila, I was saying that we knew you when you were little, from infancy. You should know what we know about you. As for where you came from, I can't guess how they Told you, but they don't know the whole truth. Did they ever tell you who your parents were?" Laila was utterly bewildered. "Said," she said, "they said I was—they said they—they said Lord Asriel sent me there because my mother and father died in an airship accident. That's what they were told me." "Oh, did you? Now, boy... I'm going to tell you a story, a true story. I know it's true because it was told to me by a gypsy woman who never treated John Faa and Farder Colum is lying. This is your true story, Lyra. Your father was never killed in an airship accident because your father was Lord Asriel." Lyra sat there in amazement. "The thing is," went on John Faah, "that Lord Asriel, in his youth, made expeditions all over the Northlands, and came back rich. He was full of enthusiasm, good-natured Violent, very emotional. "Your mother is also a very emotional person. Although she is not as good as he was born, she is smart and even became an academician. People who have met her say she is very beautiful. She and your father, they fell in love at first sight. "But the thing is, your mother is married, and she's married to a politician. That man belongs to the King's faction, is one of his closest advisers, a very promising man. "Later your mother found out she was pregnant with a child, but she dared not tell her husband that it was not his. When the child was born—that is, you, girl—it was obvious that you did not look like her husband , but like your real father, so she thought it best to hide you and say you were dead. "Then you were taken to Oxfordshire, where your father owned an estate. You were handed over to a gypsy woman to look after you. But these things were whispered to your mother's husband, who promptly drove away. In the past, the house of the gypsy woman was thoroughly searched, and the woman narrowly escaped to the main residence in a village or plantation in the south of the United Kingdom and the United States. Your mother's husband followed there, and in a rage wanted to kill . "Lord Asriel was out hunting, but a letter was delivered to him, and he rode back just in time to see your mother's husband at the foot of the mansion stairs. If he had been a little later, he would have run away The gypsy woman hugged the closet where you hid. But Lord Asriel challenged him to a duel. They fought, and Lord Asriel killed him. "The gypsy woman heard it all and saw it all. That's how we know it, Laila. "It turned out to be a big lawsuit. Your father wasn't the type to deny or conceal facts, and that created a problem for the judges. On the one hand, he did kill and shed blood, but he did it for Protect one's home and children from intruders. On the other hand, the law allows anyone to take revenge on someone who abused his wife, and the victim's lawyer argued that the victim was taking revenge on the very person who abused his wife. "The case went on for several weeks, and there were vigorous debates on both sides. In the end, the judges confiscated all of Lord Asriel's property and estates as a punishment, leaving him pauper, who was formerly richer than the king. "As for your mother, she wants nothing to do with it, or you, and she takes no notice of it. The gypsy nanny told me she was constantly worried about what your mother would do to you , because this woman is arrogant and doesn't care about anything. That's all there is to say about her. "And then there was you. If it hadn't been the case, Lyra, you might have been brought up as a gypsy, because the nurse asked the court to award you to her. But gypsies have no legal status, and the court ruled that you To the Abbey. So you stayed with the nuns of Watlington Parish. You don't remember that. "But Lord Asriel couldn't bear it. He hated the abbots, monks, and nuns. He was a brutal man. He rode into the abbey one day without a word, and snatched you out. He didn't Looked after you personally and didn't send you to a gypsy. He took you to Jordan College and challenged the law openly. "The law has nothing to do with it. Lord Asriel went back to continue his expeditions, and you grew up at Jordan College. Your father made one thing, and that was the only condition, that your mother was not allowed to see you. If she wants to see you, stop her, tell your father, because all the anger in him has been turned on her by then; the Abbot promises to do it. And so the time passed. "Then came the anxiety about the dust. The whole country, the whole world, wise men and women got worried. It had nothing to do with us gypsies until they started abducting our children, that is, in this We didn't get interested in it until the 1980s. You can't even imagine that we have connections everywhere, including at Jordan College. You wouldn't know that once you got there, there were people watching you all the time, And report to us. Because you have involved our interests, the gypsy woman who took care of you has been worrying about you all the time and has never stopped." "Who's that guy watching me?" Lyra asked.She thought it was extremely important and strange that her every move should become the object of worry of some people so far away. "It's one of the kitchen servants, Bernie Johnson, the baker. He's half gypsy; I bet you don't know that." Bernie is a kind, lonely man.People's sprites rarely match their gender, but Bernie is one of those few.After Roger was kidnapped, she yelled at Bernie in desperation.And Bernie told all this to the Gypsy!Lyra was very surprised. "So, in conclusion," continued John Faah, "we heard that you left Jordan College just in time for Lord Asriel to be arrested, and he could not prevent you from leaving there. We recall that he had The dean must not do what I have said before, we still remember that the person your mother married was the politician killed by Lord Asriel, his name is Edward Coulter." "Mrs. Coulter?" Lyra murmured, almost numb. "She can't be my mother?" "It's her. If your father hadn't been arrested, she would never dare to disobey him. You will still stay in Jordan College, and these things will never be known. But the dean agreed with you to go, what is his purpose, I can't explain it yet. He is responsible for taking care of you, so I can only guess that she has the ability to subdue him." Lyra suddenly understood why the dean had acted so strangely the morning she left. "But he didn't want to..." she said, trying to recall it all accurately, "he... the first thing I was going to do that morning was go see him, and I definitely couldn't tell Kool Mrs. Coulter... as if he wanted to protect me from Mrs. Coulter..." She stopped, looked at the two men carefully, and then decided to tell them everything that happened in the lounge. , "Oh, and one other thing. That night, while I was hiding in the lounge, I saw the Dean planning to poison Lord Asriel. I saw him pour some powder into the wine, and I told Uncle; Uncle knocked the wine bottle on the table to the floor and spilled the wine. So, I saved his life. I will never understand why the dean poisoned him, because he was always kind Then, on the morning of my departure, he called me to his study very early, and I had to go secretly, so that no one would know, and he said to me..." Laila racked her brains, trying to recall the dean The original words at the time, but useless.She shook her head. "I only understand one thing. He gave me one thing, and I have to let her know-it's Mrs. Coulter. I think it's okay to tell you..." She reached into the pocket of her wolfskin coat and took out a velvet parcel, which she placed on the table.She saw John Faa's enormous, undisguised curiosity and Fader Colum's flickering intelligence aim at it like a searchlight. When she fully displayed the alethiometer, Farder Colum spoke first. "I never thought I'd see this thing again. It's a sign reader. Did he tell you what this thing is, boy?" "No. He just said I'd have to figure it out myself. He called it the Alethiometer—the alethiometer." "What does that mean?" asked John Faa, turning to his companion. "It's Greek. I guess it comes from Aletheia, which is truth. This thing is used to test the truth, to find out the facts. Have you figured out how to use it?" he asked Lyra. "No. But at least I can make the three short pointers point to different pictures, but I can't control the long pointer. It runs around. It's just that sometimes, yes, sometimes if I pay attention Sometimes I can use my mind to make that long pointer go here or there." "What's the use of it, Fader Colum?" asked John Faah. "How do you understand it?" "The pictures on the side," said Fader Colum, carefully holding it up to John Fa'a's straight eyes, "are all symbols, each representing a series of things. For example, the Anchor, its first meaning is hope, because hope is like an anchor, holding people tightly so that people will not give up; the second meaning is firmness; the third meaning is obstacles, or to prevent ; the fourth meaning is the sea, and so on, and so on, until ten or twelve, and perhaps its meanings never end." "Do you know it all?" "I only know part of it, but to read it all, I'd need a book. I've seen the book, and I know where it is, but I can't get it." "We'll talk about that later," said John Faa, "and how to understand this thing." “它有三个指针，你可以控制它们，”法德尔?科拉姆解释道，“你就用它们来提问题。把指针指向三个符号，这样你就可以问你能想像出来的任何问题了，因为每个符号都有那么多层意思。一旦你的问题确定下来，别的指针就会来回摆动，指向更多的符号，从而回答你的问题。” “但是，你确定问题的时候，它怎么知道你想的是哪一个层次的问题？”约翰?法阿问。 “哦，它自己并不知道。只有当提问的人脑子里想到一个层次的时候，它才能回答问题。首先，你得弄懂符号的所有含义，它们肯定有一千多个。然后，你得把它们全都记住，不能着急，也不能胡思乱想，强迫它去找答案；指针走动的时候，只要盯着看就行了。等它走完一圈之后，你就会知道答案了。我之所以知道这个东西如何工作，是因为我曾经在乌普萨拉瑞典东南部城市。见过一个博学的人用过一次。你知道这个东西有多珍稀吗？” “院长告诉我只制造了六个，”莱拉说。 “不管几个，肯定不多。” “你按照院长吩咐你的那样，没有让库尔特夫人知道？”约翰?法阿问。 “是的。可是她的精灵，对了，他常去我房间，我敢肯定他发现了这个东西。” “我知道了。嗯……莱拉，不知道我们最终会不会明白全部的真相，但我猜测是这样的——我也是尽量合理地猜测。阿斯里尔勋爵交给院长一项任务，让他照顾你，不让你母亲伤害你。在十几年的时间里，他都这样做了。后来，库尔特夫人在教会中的朋友帮她建立了祭祀委员会，其目的是什么，我们并不清楚。这样，她和阿斯里尔勋爵都有各自的事业，也都很成功。在这个世界上，你的父母都很有势力，也都野心勃勃，乔丹学院的院长便在他们俩之间保持着平衡，保护着你。 “但是院长要管的事情有许许多多，他首先关注的是他的学院和学术。所以，如果他发现它们面临着威胁，那他就必须对其采取行动。而最近，教会变得愈来愈愿意发号施令了，莱拉。他们建立了这样那样的委员会，还有传言说他们打算恢复宗教法庭，而上帝也是禁止这样的宗教法庭的。这样，院长不得不在各种势力之间小心翼翼地周旋。他必须让乔丹学院站在教会中正确的一方，否则就无法存在下去。 “孩子，院长关心的另一件事情就是你了。伯尼?约翰逊对此一直都很清楚。院长和乔丹学院的其他院士非常喜欢你，把你当成他们自己的孩子。为了让你平安无事，他们什么事都愿意做，这不仅是因为他们曾向阿斯里尔勋爵做出过这样的保证，也是为了你自己。所以，虽然院长答应过阿斯里尔勋爵不会把你交给库尔特夫人，但他还是这样做了，那就是说，他一定认为你跟她在一起会比在乔丹学院更安全——尽管乍看起来并非如此。当他给阿斯里尔勋爵下毒的时候，他一定认为阿斯里尔勋爵正在从事的工作会让他们全都陷入到危险之中，也许还包括我们，也许还会威胁整个世界。我觉得院长这个人面临着艰难的抉择，不管他做出什么样的决定，都会造成伤害；但是，如果他做出了正确的选择，那么结果可能比做出错误的选择所带来的伤害要轻一些。感谢上帝没有让我去做这样的抉择。 “到后来他不得不让你走的时候，他把这个符号阅读器送给了你，并吩咐你保存好。我不知道他脑子里想让你用它来干什么；因为你看不懂它，我弄不明白他是怎么想的。” “他说，真理仪是阿斯里尔叔叔很多年前送给乔丹学院的，”莱拉说，同时努力回忆着，“当时他还想再说些什么，可是有人敲门，他只好不说了。我觉得，也许他想告诉我，也别让阿斯里尔勋爵看见。” “也许正好相反，”约翰?法阿说。 “你是什么意思，约翰？”法德尔?科拉姆问。 “也许他脑子想的是要莱拉把它还给阿斯里尔勋爵，作为给他下毒的一种补偿。也许他认为阿斯里尔勋爵给他们带来的危险已经过去了，或者阿斯里尔勋爵能够从这个仪器中得到某种智慧，从而使他放弃自己的意图。如果现在阿斯里尔勋爵被抓了起来，也许这个东西能够帮他获得自由。嗯……莱拉，这个符号阅读器你最好还是拿着，一定要保管好。既然到目前为止你保管得很好，把它放在你那里我就不担心了。但是说不定什么时候我需要来问问它，我想到那时我们会向你借用一下的。” 他把它外面的天鹅绒布包好，把它放在桌面上，推了过去。莱拉想问各种各样的问题，但她突然对这个身材魁梧的人有点儿害怕了，他的小眼睛在皱纹中显得非常锐利、和善。 但有一件事她一定要问。 “那个照顾我的吉卜赛女人是谁？” “哦，当然是比利?科斯塔的母亲啦。她是不会告诉你这些的，因为我不让。但她知道我们在这里谈些什么，所以现在一切都公开了。 “现在，你最好回到她身边去。孩子，有很多事情需要你思考啊。三天以后，我们要再举行一次串联，讨论都该做些什么。乖孩子，晚安，莱拉。” “晚安，法阿国王。晚安，法德尔?科拉姆，”她礼貌地说着，一只手在胸前紧紧抓着真理仪，另一只手把潘特莱蒙托了起来。 两位老人冲着她慈祥地微笑着。玛?科斯塔正在谈判室门外等着，好像自从莱拉出生以来什么事情都没发生过似的，这位母亲一把把莱拉揽进自己宽大的怀里，吻了吻她，然后把她抱到了床上。