Chapter 10 10. The Consul and the Bear

Birvangar, the place of evil John Faa and the other chiefs had long since decided to attack Trollsand, the main port of Lapland.The witches sent a consul to the city, and John Faa knew that it would be impossible to rescue the captured children if the witches did not help, or at least remain friendly and neutral. The next day he explained his thoughts to Laila and Fader Colum in detail.By this time, Laila's seasickness was slightly better.The sun was shining brightly, and the green waves lapped against the prow and splashed in two arcs, bursting with white foam.There was a breeze on the deck outside, and the whole sea was in motion, glistening in the sun, and Lyra did not feel seasick at all.At this time, Pantalaimon had discovered the joy of being a seagull and a petrel, and kept skimming over the top of the waves. His happiness deeply infected Laila, and she never wanted to return to the land of pain. up.

John Faa, Fader Colum and two or three others sat in the stern, the sun shining down on them all.They are discussing what to do next. "Fader Colum knows these witches in Lapland," said John Faa, "and, if I'm not mistaken, there is a debt of favor here." "Yes, John," said Fader Colum, "that was forty years ago, but forty years is nothing to witches, and some of them can live for several forty years." "Fader Colum, what kind of debt of favor?" Adam Stefanski, who was in charge of fighting, asked. "I saved the life of a witch," explained Fader Colum, "when a big red bird was chasing her - I've never seen such a bird - and she fell from the sky, Fell in the swamp and got hurt. I found her and she was drowning. I got her in the boat and shot the bird and it landed in the swamp. It's a pity because the bird It's as big as a dove and as red as fire."

"Oh," murmured the others, all fascinated by Farder Colum's story. "When we got her on board," he went on, "I was taken aback. I've never been so frightened, because this young woman has no elves." When they thought about it, they all felt very uncomfortable, as if he was saying "she doesn't have a head."They felt a shudder in their bodies, and some of their daemons stood on end, and some trembled, and some screamed, and they hastened to comfort them.Pantalaimon slipped into Lyra's arms, his hearts pounding together. "At least that's what it looks like," said Farder Colum, "because she fell from the sky, so I'm almost sure she must be a witch. She looks exactly like an ordinary young woman, thinner than average." , prettier than most, but it disgusts me not to see her daemon."

"Don't they witches have no elves?" asked another—Michael Cazona. "I don't think people can see their genie," said Adam Stefanski. "Her genie was always there, but Farder Colum never saw him." "No, you're wrong, Adam," said Farder Colum, "he wasn't there at all. Witches have the ability to separate themselves from elves farther than we can. If necessary , they can make their elves ride the wind and clouds, go to far places, and let them go down to the depths of the ocean. As for the witch I found, she had just rested for less than an hour, and her elves Flying back, of course, because he had sensed her fear, sensed that she was hurt. And, although she never admitted it, I think that the big red bird I shot down was another witch The spirit of the squirrel is hunting her down. My God! I can't help but tremble just thinking about it. Otherwise, I would never have shot the bird, and I would have used any other sea or land method; but the bird I've shot it down. Anyway, I saved her life, there's no doubt about it; she gave me a token, and said I could ask her for help if necessary. Once, I was sk Leylin Ugly was shot by a poisoned arrow, and she helped me. We have other contacts... From that day until now, I have never seen her again, but she will remember me. "

"This witch lives in Trollsand?" "No, no. They live in the forest, on the tundra, not among common people, not in the port. They deal with the wilderness, but they have a consul in Trollsand. Don't worry, I will Send her a message." Lyra was eager to know some more stories about witches, but instead they turned the conversation to fuel, stores, and she soon couldn't wait to see where the ship hadn't been.She walked aimlessly along the deck toward the bow.She went to beat a first-class sailor with the apple core left over from her breakfast, and soon became acquainted with him.He was strong and mild-tempered, and after cursing each other they became very good friends.His name is Jerry.Under Jerry's tutelage, Lyra discovered that finding something to do could prevent seasickness, and even scrubbing the decks could be satisfying if done the sailor's way.The idea fascinated her so much that she later folded the blankets on the bunk the way sailors did, and put her own things in cupboards as sailors did, a process she called "loading." , not "collate".

After two days at sea, Laila felt that this was her life.She traveled the entire ship, from the engine room to the bridge, and soon became good friends with all the crew.Captain Rokeby let her pull the handle of the whistle to signal a Dutch galley; she did him a disservice by helping the cook stir the raisin pudding; , and she would climb the foremast and look at the horizon from the crow's nest. They kept heading north, and the weather was getting colder every day.They found some tarpaulins in the pantry and cut them out for her, and Jerry showed her how to sew them together.Though she had dismissed it at Jordan, and hid while Mrs. Lonsdale taught her, she was more than willing to learn the trade from Jerry.Together, they made a waterproof bag for the alethiometer—a bag she said she could tie around her waist in case she fell into the water.Once the alethiometer was secure, she leaned against the rail in her oilskin and waterproof hat and watched the waves splash over the bow and onto the deck.Occasionally she still feels seasick, especially when the wind blows, the boat will fall heavily from the gray-green waves.At this time, Pantalaimon's task was to turn into a petrel and keep skimming over the top of the waves to divert her attention, because she could experience the infinite joy of his fighting against the waves and forget the nausea.Pantalaimon also turned into a fish now and then, and once joined a pod of dolphins, to their surprise and delight.Lyra stood shivering on the forecastle, laughing excitedly as she watched the sleek, muscular body of her beloved Pantalaimon, leaping swiftly out of the water with the other six gray dolphins.Of course, Pantalaimon could only stay close to the boat, because he and Lyra could never be too far apart; but Lyra felt that he was very happy to swim as far as possible as fast as possible. place to go.She shared his joy, but to Lyra it was more than pure joy, for there was pain and fear in it.What if Pantalaimon preferred being a dolphin to following her on land?So what should she do?

Her friend--the first-class seaman--was nearby, adjusting the canvas cover over the forward hatch.He stopped what he was doing and looked out to see the little girl's elves skimming and leaping with the dolphins on the water.His own daemon was a gull sitting on the capstan with his head hidden under his wings.He understood what Lyra was thinking. "I remember the first time I went to sea, my Belisalia hadn't settled into her form yet, I was so small. She loved being a dolphin, and I was worried that she would be fixed in that way. I went to In the first ship there was an old sailor who could never get to land, because his spirit had been immobilized into a dolphin, so that he could never leave the water. He was a very good sailor, and it was known The best navigator could have made a fortune fishing, but he was not happy. He was never very happy until he died and was buried in the sea."

"Why should the elves have to be fixed?" Lyra said. "I want Pantalaimon to change forever, as it does now." "Ah, they've always had to settle, and they always will, it's part of growing up. One day, you're going to get tired of him changing around, and you're going to want him to settle." "I never will!" "Oh, you will. You will want to grow up like other girls. Anyway, after the elves are fixed, there will still be compensations." "What compensation?" "You know who you are. Like old Berisharia, she's a seagull, which means I'm a bit of a seagull too. I'm not noble, I'm not gorgeous, I'm not pretty, but I'm a tough guy Survive anywhere, old guy, always find something to eat, always find company. It's worth knowing, that's all. When your sprite settles down, you'll know yourself What kind of person is he?"

"But what if you don't like the way the elves settle down?" "Then...then you'll be unhappy, won't you? A lot of people wish their elves were lions and end up with poodles. They won't be happy unless they try to accept who they are. Waste of affection ,That's it." But Laila felt that she would never grow up. One morning, the air was filled with various smells, and the boat moved strangely. Instead of bumping up and down, it swayed briskly from side to side.As soon as Lyra awoke, she ran to the deck and stared greedily at the land: what a strange sight after sailing across such a wide expanse of water, because although they had only been at sea for a few days, Lyra felt They seem to have been adrift for months.Right in front of the boat stands a high mountain, the top of the mountain is covered with white snow, but the sides are lush green.There is a small town and a port at the foot of the mountain: you can see the wooden houses with steep roofs, the steeple of the church, the cranes in the port, and groups of seagulls circling and singing.There was a fishy smell in the air, but there was also the smell of land, pine resin and earth and animal and musk, and another cold, drab, wild smell: it might be snow.This is the taste of the North.

The seals romped around the boat, showing their clown faces on the surface, before diving silently back into the water.The wind whipped white spray and blew gusts of mist; the wind was bone-chilling, seeping into every crevice of Lyra's wolf fur coat.Soon her hands ached and her face went numb.Pantalaimon, transformed into a mink, warmed her neck.However, it was too cold outside to stay long doing nothing, not even watching the seals.So Lyra went down to the cabin, ate her breakfast cereal, and looked out through the porthole in the hall. The water in the harbor was calm.As they passed the huge breakwater, Lyra began to feel unsteady because of the lack of bumps.She and Pantalaimon looked out greedily as the boat plodded toward the pier.Over the next hour, the engine gradually died down, leaving only a low rumble, drowned out by human voices.People shouted, directed the boats, asked questions; cables were thrown, gangways were lowered, hatches were thrown open.

"Hurry up, Laila," said Farder Colum, "is everything packed?" In fact, Lyra packed her things as soon as she woke up and saw land.All she had to do now was run into the cabin, grab that shopping bag, and she was all set. The first thing she and Farder Colum did when they landed was to go to the witch's consul.It didn't take them long to find the house; the town was built around the harbour, and the church and the mayor's house were the only buildings of any size in the town.The witch's consul lived in a wooden house painted green with a view of the sea.When they rang the doorbell, the whole silent street resounded harshly. A servant led them into a small drawing room and brought them coffee.Soon the consul came out to welcome them in person.He was plump, ruddy, and wore a well-fitting black suit.His name was Martin Lanceliuth, and his daemon was a little viper, and like his eyes, they were fiery and bright green.His eyes were the only wizard-like thing about him, though Lyra wasn't sure what she expected from a witch. "What can I do for you, Fader Colum?" he asked. "Two things, Dr. Lance Lius. First, I need to get in touch with a witch I saw years ago in the moors of East England. Her name is Serafina Pekkala." Dr. Lance Lius wrote it down with a silver note. "When did you meet her?" he asked. "It must have been forty years, but I think she'll remember." "What's the second thing you want me to do for you?" "I represent many Roma families who have lost their children. We have reason to believe that an organization abducted these children, our Roma children and others. This organization brought them to North, we don't know what the purpose is. I want to know, have you or your people heard any news in this regard?" Dr. Lance Lius took a calm sip of his coffee. "It's not out of the question that something like this happened to us," said he. "We have a very friendly relationship with the northerners, you know, and I can hardly see a reason to interfere with it." Farder Colum nodded, as if he understood completely. "Precisely," he said, "if I could have gotten information about it from other sources, there would be no need for me to ask you. That is why I mentioned the witch first." This time it was Dr. Lance Lius' turn to nod, as if he, too, fully understood.Lyra watched the contest between the two men in bewilderment and admiration.Under this surface, there are many layers of deep meaning, and she can see that the witch's consul is about to make up his mind. "Very well," he said, "of course it is true, and you will know, Farder Kolam, that your name is not new to us. Serafina Pekkala is Erna Queen of a tribe of witches in the La Lake region. As for your other question, it is our understanding that you did not get the information in question from me." "That's it." "Well... there is a branch of an organization in this town. This organization is called the Northern Advance Expedition Company. It pretends to be looking for mineral deposits, but it is actually controlled by the Chief Priest Committee in London. I happen to know that this organization has brought some Children. The average town doesn't know about it, nor does the Norwegian government. The children didn't stay here long, they were taken far inland." "Do you know where it is, Dr. Lance Lius?" "I don't know, if I know I will tell you." "Do you know if anything happened to those kids there?" Dr. Lance Lius glanced at Lyra for the first time now, and Lyra gave him a dull look.The little poisonous snake spirit raised its head from the consul's collar and whispered a few intermittent words in his ear. The Consul said: "I heard them mention the May City process when they mentioned it, and I think they used it to avoid using the official name of the work they were doing. I Also heard the word 'cutting' but what it referred to I couldn't figure it out." "Are there any children in the town now?" asked Fader Colum. His daemon sat up on his lap warily.He patted her hair with his hand.Lyra noticed that there was no more gurgling in her throat. "No, I don't think so," said Dr. Lance Lius. "A dozen or so children came here a week ago, and they left the day before yesterday." "Oh! So close? That gives us a little hope. Dr. Lance Lius, how did they get there?" "Sleigh ride." "Do you know where they went?" "Not sure, because we're not interested in that." "You are right. Then, sir, you have answered all my questions very clearly, and I have one last question. If you were me, what question would you ask the Witch's Consul?" Dr. Lance Lius smiled for the first time. "I'll ask where I can find a bear to serve me," he replied. Lyra straightened up in a jerk, feeling Pantalaimon's heart pounding in her hands. "As far as I know, the Armored Bears are under the command of the Priest Council," said Farder Colum in amazement. "I mean the Northern Advance Company—whatever they call it." "With the exception of at least one armored bear. You can find him in that sleigh shed at the end of Long Rocker Street, where he now makes his living, but he has a bad temper and the dogs are afraid of him, so he's out there. Jobs don't last long." "Then he defected from the armored bear?" "It seems so. His name is Iorek Bernison. I have asked the question you want to ask, and I have told you the answer. If it were me, then what I would do is, seize the opportunity , hire a armored bear, even if he is farther away." Laila could hardly sit still, but Farder Colum knew the etiquette of such meetings, and he took another piece of spiced honey cake from his plate.Dr. Lance Lius turned to Lyra while he ate his snack. "As far as I know, you have an alethiometer," he said.Lyra was taken aback. How did he know? "Yes," she said.Pantalaimon squeezed her.After being encouraged, she added: "Do you want to see it?" "really want." Lyra fumbled the alethiometer out of the wolfskin pocket awkwardly and handed him the velvet bag.He opened the bag, carefully lifted the alethiometer, and stared at its dial with the expression of a scholar looking at a precious manuscript. "How exquisite!" he said. "I have seen another one, but not so exquisite. Have you got a book to decipher it?" "No," Lyra said.But before she could go any further, Farder Colum spoke. "There are no books. It is a great pity that although Laila has the alethiometer, there is no way of reading it," he said. "It is as mysterious as the inkwell that the Indians use to predict the future. The most recent books of interpretation are in St. John's Abbey in Heidelberg." Lyra could understand why he said that, because he didn't want Dr. Lance Lius to know what Lyla was capable of.But she could see things that Farder Colum couldn't see, and she saw Dr. Lance Lius' genie encouraging her to speak up.Lyra knew right away that it was no use pretending not to know. So she said, "Actually, I can understand." She was speaking half to Lance Lius and half to Farder Colum, but it was the man who responded to her words. consul. "You're very clever," he said. "Where did you get that alethiometer?" "Given to me by the Dean of Jordan College, Oxford," Lyra said. "Dr. Lance Lius, do you know who made them?" "They are said to have come from the city of Prague," said the consul. "It is clear that the scholar who invented the first alethiometer wanted to find a way of measuring the influence of planets on the basis of astrological principles. like a compass that responds to north. This purpose, he failed to achieve, but the device he invented clearly responds to something, even though none of us knows which thing." "Where did they get these symbols?" "Oh, that's from the seventeenth century. At that time, signs and symbols were very common, and buildings and pictures were designed so that people could read them like books. Everything had another meaning; if you had With such a dictionary, you can even read the whole of nature. You will find it not surprising that philosophers use the symbols of their time to explain knowledge from mysterious sources. But you know, these The symbol has not been really used for about two centuries." He returned the alethiometer to Lyra and added: "May I ask a question? How did you understand it without a book of symbols?" "I just keep my head down, and then, it's like looking down into the water. You have to get your eyes to the right layer, because that's the only clear layer. That's about it. ,'' Laila said. "Wonder if I could see how you do it?" the Consul asked. Laila glanced at Farder Colum and said yes, but only if he agreed.The old man nodded. "What am I asking it?" Lyra asked. "What are the intentions of the Tatars on the question of Kamchatka?" It's not difficult.Lyra moved the pointer to the camel, the horn, and the ant—the camel was Asia, that is, the Tartars; the horn was Kamchatka, because there were gold mines there; Refers to purpose and intent.Then, Laila sat down quietly, staring at the three meanings clearly in her mind, relaxed, and waited for the answer.The alethiometer gave the answer almost immediately.The long pointer quivered and oscillated between the dolphin, the helmet, and the baby, and then pointed to the cauldron.It swayed in a very complicated way, but Lyra's eyes followed its rhythm effortlessly, but the two men present couldn't understand it. After the pointer had completed these movements several times, Lyra raised her head and blinked her eyes, as if she had just woken up from a lethargic sleep. "They were going to pretend to attack Kamchatka, but they didn't really want to fight because it was too far away and the lines were too long," she said. "Can you tell me how you know?" "One of the deepest meanings of a dolphin is play, kind of naughty," Laila explained, "and I know it's the fifteenth because the pointer stopped there fifteen times, and Its meaning becomes clear only when it stops at this level, and not at other levels. The helmet means war, and with the dolphins, they mean pretend war, not real war. Baby means— It represented difficulty—that is, it was difficult for the Tartars to attack. The anchor explained why, because they would be pulled tight like an anchor line. You see, that's how I saw it. " Dr. Lance Lius nodded. "Amazing," he said. "Thank you very much. I will never forget it." Then he looked strangely at Farder Colum and then at Laila. "Could you please demonstrate again?" he said. "Looking out of this window, you can see a small shed with about forty branches of cloud pine hanging from the wall. One of them was once held by Serafina. ?Pekkara used it, the others didn't. Can you find out which one she used?" "Of course!" said Lyra.She always likes to show off, so she put on the alethiometer and ran out in three steps at a time.She was eager to see Yunsong, because the witch used it to fly, and she had never seen a Yunsong before. The two men stood at the window and watched her stomp across the snow as Pantalaimon, transformed into a hare, hopped beside her.She stood in front of the small wooden shed, with her head down, fiddling with the alethiometer.After a few seconds, she stretched out her hand forward, picked up one of the many pine branches without hesitation, and lifted it up. Dr. Lance Lius nodded. Laila became curious and wanted to fly.She held a pine branch above her head, jumped up, and ran around in the snow, trying to be a witch.The Consul turned to Farder Colum and asked, "Do you know who this child is?" "She is Lord Asriel's daughter," said Farder Colum. "Her mother is Mrs. Coulter of the Ritual Council." "Other than that?" The old gypsy could only shake his head. "I don't know," he said, "I don't know anything else. But she's a strange, innocent child, and I wouldn't let her be hurt anyway. As for how she could read the alethiometer, I cannot guess, but I believe what she says. What is it, Dr. Lance Lius? What do you know of her?" "Witches have been talking about this child for centuries," said the Consul, "and they lived very close to the junction of two worlds, where a thin veil Separated so they could hear the whispers of the gods, the gods who travel between worlds. They talked about a child like Lyra who had a very noble mission , can only be realized elsewhere - not in this world, but somewhere very far away. Without this child, none of us can live. That's what the witches say. But, she is in the process of accomplishing this mission She must be completely ignorant of what she is doing, because we can only be rescued if she is ignorant. Do you understand that, Fader Colum?" "I don't understand," said Farder Colum. "I'm afraid I don't." "That means she has to be free and she can make mistakes. We can only hope she doesn't make mistakes, but we can't give her guidance. I'm happy to see this child in my lifetime." "But how did you decide that she was that special child? Also, what are you talking about about the gods that travel between worlds? Dr. Lance Lius, I'm so confused that I don't understand what you're saying, But I think you're an honest man..." But before the consul could answer, the door opened and Laila walked in with a small pine branch. "That's it!" she said. "I've tested all the pine branches, and I'm sure it's this one, but it won't let me fly." The Consul said, "Great, Laila. You are very lucky to have such an instrument, and I wish you luck and success. I want to give you something to take with you..." He took a pine branch and broke a sprig for Laila. "Is that really what the witch used when she flew?" Lyra asked. "Yes, that's what she uses. But she's a witch, and you're not. I can't give you the whole pine branch, because I need it to connect with her, but this short section is enough. Be careful not to lost." "Okay, I'll be careful," Lyra said. "Thanks." She stuffed it into her little handbag, with the alethiometer.Fader Colum touched the pine branch as if for luck, with an expression almost wistful that Laila had never seen before.The Consul walked them to the door and shook hands with Fader Colum and Laila's. "I wish you success," he said.He stood on the steps in the bitterly cold air and watched them drift away down the side street. "He knew the answer to that question about the Tartars before I did," Lyra told Farder Colum. "The alethiometer told me, but I never said it. The cauldron symbol told me. " "I think he's testing you, boy. But you're being polite, and rightly so, because we're not sure what he already knows. The information about the armored bear is useful, and I wouldn't have Don't know what we should do." They found the warehouse—concrete sheds on low, abandoned ground, with wispy weeds growing between gray rocks and puddles of frozen mud.A rude man in one office told them they could find him when the bear got off work at six o'clock, but they had to hurry because usually he just went straight to the courtyard behind Einarson's bar, There, he was offered a glass of wine to drink. So Farder Colum took Laila to the best travel store in town and bought her some suitable winter clothing.They bought a parka made of reindeer fur, which is hollow and insulates well, and a hood with a wolverine lining, because the ice that forms when you breathe doesn't cling to it.They bought some underclothes and boot pads of baby reindeer skin, and silk gloves to put in big leather gloves.The boots and gloves were made of reindeer foreleg hide, because it was extra strong; Bought a translucent waterproof cloak made of seal gut and completely wrapped Lyra in it. She put on a cloak, a silk scarf round her neck, and a woolen hat over her ears, with a large hood drawn forward, which made her uncomfortably hot.However, the place they were going to was much colder than here. John Faa had been directing the unloading of cargo from the ship, and he really wanted to hear what the witch's consul had to say, and he wanted to know more about the bear. "We're going tonight," he said. "Fadr Colum, have you ever spoken to an animal like this before?" "I did, and I fought a bear - though thank goodness I didn't fight him myself. John, we've got to be prepared for him. I'm sure he's going to make a lot of demands and be very arrogant and difficult. Deal with it. But we must win him over." "Oh, yes. Where's that witch you knew?" "Well... she is far away from here and is now the queen of a tribe," said Farder Colum. "I really wish it would be possible to send her a letter, but it would take too long for her to reply." long." "Oh, yes. Then, old friend, I will tell you what I have found." John Faa had been restless, impatient to tell them something.He met a prospector near the wharf, a New Dane from Texas, and especially this one had a balloon.The expedition he had hoped to join failed before he could leave Amsterdam for lack of funds, and he was stranded there. "Think, Farder Colum, how much we can do with the help of this balloonist!" said John Faah, rubbing his large hands. "I have already spoken to him, We hired him. Good luck getting here, it seems." "We'd have better luck if we knew exactly where to go," Fader Colum said.But nothing could affect John Faa's excitement about going to war again. After dark, all the ship's stores and equipment were safely removed from the ship and placed on the docks.Fader Colum and Laila walked along the water's edge to find the Inason Bar, and they found it without much trouble.It was an unfurnished concrete shed, a neon light flickering erratically above the door, and a cacophony of voices coming from inside through the windows thick with frost. Next to the shed was a potholed path that led to a sheet metal door in the back yard, where a lean-to shed was rickety on frozen mud.The dim light from the back window of the bar reflected a huge, dim figure, squatting upright, holding a piece of animal haunch in both hands, and was gnawing on it.Lyra could vaguely see a bloodstained muzzle, a pair of small fierce black eyes, and a huge dirty, dull, yellowish fur.As he gnawed, he made appalling gasps, creaks, and sucking noises. Fader Colum stood at the door and called out: "Iorek Bernison!" The bear didn't eat anymore.They could see that he was looking straight at them, but they couldn't see any expression on his face. 莱拉的心怦怦地起劲地跳着，因为在这只熊身上，有某种东西让她感到冰冷、危险和残忍，让她感到受到了某种智力的控制——但不是人类的智力，一点儿也不像人的智力——当然，这是因为熊没有精灵。眼前这个拿着肉大啃大嚼的奇怪、笨重的家伙跟她想像中的任何东西都不一样，她对这个孤独的动物产生了深深的敬佩和同情。 他把那只驯鹿腿扔到地上，身子矮下去，四肢着地来到门口。然后，猛地直起魁梧的身子，足有十几英尺高。似乎是让他们看看他多么强壮，让他们知道那扇门又是一道多么无用的屏障，他就这么挺直身子，站着跟他们说话。 “什么事？你们是谁？” 他的声音非常低沉，似乎大地也为之一震。他身上那股难闻的味道熏得他们几乎喘不过气来。 “我叫法德尔?科拉姆，是东英格兰地区的吉卜赛人。这个小姑娘叫莱拉?贝拉克瓦。” "What do you want to do?" “我们想给你份工作，埃欧雷克?伯尔尼松。” “我有工作了。” 这只熊又低下身子，四肢着地。从他的声音里，很难判断他的想法，不知道是讥讽还是发怒，因为它的声音低沉而又平淡。 “你在雪橇仓库做什么？”法德尔?科拉姆问。 “修理坏了的机器和铁器，我还干些重体力活儿。” “对披甲熊来说，这算是什么工作？” “有报酬的工作。” 在这只熊的身后，酒吧的门开了一道缝，一个男子把一个大个的陶土罐子放下来，然后抬起头仔细地看着他们。 “是谁呀？”他问。 “陌生人，”熊答道。 酒吧招待看上去似乎还想再问些什么，这只熊突然冲他一晃身子，吓得他慌忙关上了门。熊一只爪子抓着罐子把手，把罐子举到嘴边。莱拉闻到一股强烈的纯酒精的味道散发开来。 几下吞咽之后，熊放下罐子，又接着去啃他的动物腿，好像没有注意到法德尔?科拉姆和莱拉似的。但过了一会儿，他还是开口说话了。 “你给我什么工作？” “打仗，十有八九是打仗，”法德尔?科拉姆说，“我们要到北方去，去找他们关押孩子们的地方。找到之后，我们要打一仗，把孩子们救出来，然后把他们带回来。” “你打算付什么报酬？” “我不知道给你什么报酬，埃欧雷克?伯尔尼松。但是如果你想要的是金子，我们有金子。” "not enough." “在雪橇仓库，他们给你的是什么报酬？” “有肉有酒，我才留在这儿。” 他不再说什么，把那块破烂不堪的骨头扔到一边，又把那个罐子端到面前，像喝水似的把烈酒喝了下去。 “我抱歉地问一句，埃欧雷克?伯尔尼松，”法德尔?科拉姆说，“你本可以在冰天雪地里去捕海豹和海象，过着自由、骄傲的生活，你也可以去打仗，获得很多奖赏。为什么非要依赖特罗尔桑德和艾纳尔松酒吧呢？” 莱拉觉得自己全身都颤抖了一下。她自己也会想到这个问题，但这个问题近乎是一种侮辱，会激怒这个大家伙，会让他失去理性。法德尔?科拉姆居然问了这个问题，他的勇气真让她感到惊讶。埃欧雷克?伯尔尼松放下罐子，走到离门很近的地方，盯着老人的脸看。但法德尔?科拉姆没有畏缩。 “我认识你要找的那些人，就是那些抢劫小孩儿的人，”熊说，“他们前天又带了些小孩儿往北去了。谁也不会告诉你有关他们的情况，他们假装没看见，因为抢劫小孩儿的人给他们带来了钱和生意。可我不喜欢那些抢小孩儿的人，所以我就客气地回答你的问题。我留在这儿喝酒，是因为这儿的人把我的盔甲拿走了；没有盔甲，我可以捕海豹，却不能打仗；而我是披甲熊，打仗对我来说就是游泳时的大海、呼吸时的空气。当初，这个镇上的人给我酒喝，一直把我灌到睡着了为止，然后他们就把我的盔甲拿走了。我要是知道他们把它藏在哪儿，就算把整个镇子弄他个天翻地覆，我也要把盔甲找回来。你要是让我为你效力，那么你要付的报酬就是：把我的盔甲找回来。你做到了，我就一直替你打仗，直到我战死或者你取得胜利。报酬就是我的盔甲。我要把它找回来，有了它，我就再也不必喝酒了。” ①在希腊神话中，羊角指的是给宙斯哺乳的山羊的角。后来，羊角从山羊身上脱落下来，里面盛满了各种水果。后来，在西方文化中，尤其是在绘画和雕刻中，羊角便被用来象征丰收、富饶、繁荣。