Chapter 11 11. Armor

When they got back on board, Fader Colum, John Faa, and the other leaders had a long meeting in the bar, while Lyra went back to her cabin and asked about the alethiometer.Five minutes later, she knew exactly where the bear's armor was and why it would be so difficult to get it back. She wondered whether to go to the bar and tell John Faah and the others, but then thought that if they wanted to know they would ask her; and maybe they already knew. Lying on her bunk, she thought of the fierce, strong bear, the way he drank his liquor coldly, and his loneliness in the dirty lean-to.How different it is to be a human being!People always have their own elves to talk to.In the quiet, motionless boat, without the endless creaking of metal and wood, the rumbling of the engine, and the rushing of water beside the boat, Lyra slowly drifted off to sleep, and Panter Raymond fell asleep on her pillow too.

Just when she was dreaming of her imprisoned, very wonderful father, she suddenly woke up for no reason.She doesn't know what time it is.A dim lamp in the cabin she took for the moon; the light shone on her brand-new winter fur coat, which lay stiff in the corner of the cabin.As soon as she saw them, she wanted to try them on again. Once the fur coat was on she had to go out on deck.So, a minute later, she opened the door at the top of the escalator and walked out. She immediately noticed that a strange phenomenon appeared in the sky.She thought it was the clouds, which were constantly moving and trembling under the violent agitation.However, Pantalaimon whispered:

"aurora!" She was so surprised that she had to hold on to the fence to keep herself from falling into the sea. The sight, which fills the entire northern sky, is almost unimaginably large.It seems that it came from heaven, and the huge curtain composed of exquisite lights hangs in the air and swings.It was pale green and pink, as transparent as the thinnest fabric; the lower edge was a deep crimson, like hellfire.They swayed freely and shimmered more gracefully than the best dancers.Lyra thought she could even hear them: a thick, distant, low rustle as they swung.In this lightness and elegance, Laila felt a strange feeling in her heart, like the feeling of intimacy when she saw the bear.She was moved by it, it was such a beautiful feeling, almost divine; and she found tears welling up in her eyes, and the tears scattered the light of heaven even more, like a rainbow of many colors.Before long, she found herself in a trance like the one she had been in when she was reading the alethiometer.She calmly thought that what was moving the alethiometer's needle—whatever it was—maybe the same thing that made the aurora glow, or maybe even the dust itself.Though it crossed her mind, she didn't realize it, and quickly forgot it; it was only after a long time that she remembered it.

And even as she gazed, behind that veil and flowing translucent color, a city seemed to be forming: spiers and domes, honey-coloured temples and colonnades, broad avenues , with sunny parks.Lyra looked at it and felt a little dazed, as if looking not up but down, across a harbor too wide to cross.It's a whole different world in the distance. However, something is indeed crossing that port.Lyra tried to stare at the moving thing, but felt dizzy, because the small moving thing was not part of the aurora, nor did it belong to the different world behind the aurora, which was above the town.When she saw clearly, she was fully awake, and the city in the sky disappeared.

The flying thing came closer, spread its wings, circled their ship, then slid down, a few light flaps of its strong wings, and landed a few yards from Lyra. wooden deck stopped. From the aurora, Lyra saw that it was a huge bird—a handsome gray goose with a pure white light overhead.It was no bird, however, but a spirit—although no one but Lyra was present.Lyra felt an uncomfortable dread at the thought. The bird said: "Where's Fader Colum?" All of a sudden Lyra knew who it was. It was the elf of Serafina Pekkala, the queen of the Horde, friend of Fader Kolam. She stammered and replied:

"I—he's—I'll lead you to him..." She turned around, went down the escalator in three steps at a time, ran to Farder Kolam's cabin, opened the door, and shouted into the dark room: "Fadr Colum! The spirit of the witch is coming! He is waiting on the deck! He flew here by himself—I saw him fly from the sky with my own eyes—" The old man said, "Son, please wait for me on the back deck." The goose elf came majestically aft and looked around, both suave and rugged, and Lyra felt a haunting dread that she seemed to be entertaining a ghost. At this time, Fader Colum came up from below, wrapped in the whole set of winter clothes, followed by John Faa.The two old men bowed respectfully, and their elves also paid respects to the visitor.

"Hello, Kaiser," said Fader Colum. "It's a pleasure and an honor to see you again. You see, would you rather be inside or out in the open?" "I would like to be outside. Thank you, Fader Colum, stay here for a while, can you handle the cold?" Witches and their elves do not feel the cold, but they know that humans are sensitive to it. Farder Colum assured him that they were all warmly dressed.He asked, "How is Serafina Pekkala?" "She greets you, Fader Colum. She is fine and strong. Who are these two?" Farder Colum introduced the two of them, and the goose spirit stared hard at Lyla.

"I've heard of the child," he said. "The witches have been talking about her. It seems you are here to fight a war?" "It's not a war, Kaiser. They took the children from us, and we're going to get them out. Hope the witches can help." "It's impossible for everyone to help you. Some tribes are cooperating with people who are looking for dust." "Is it the sacrificial committee that people say?" "I don't know what this committee is for, but these people are looking for dust. Ten years ago, they came to our area with experimental equipment. They paid us a fortune to allow them in our They built an experimental station on the land, and they treated us with courtesy."

"What is this dust?" "It came from outer space. Some say it's always been there, others say it fell recently. But one thing's for sure, when people know about it, they feel a huge panic, and they'll stop at nothing, To find out what it is. But the witches don't care one iota about it." "Where are the people looking for dust now?" "In the northeast, four days away from here, the place is called Birvangar. Our tribe has not signed any agreement with them, and because we owe you for a long time, Fadell Colum, so I Come here and tell you how to find those who seek the dust."

Farder Colum smiled, and John Fa'a clapped his large hands with satisfaction. "Thank you, sir," he said to the goose, "but please tell us: do you know anything more about these dust-seekers? What are they doing in this place called Birvangar? " "They built some metal and concrete buildings, and a couple of basements. They burned kerosene, and that's what they shipped over at a huge expense. We don't know what they were doing, but in that place, and for miles around But there is an atmosphere of hatred and fear. The witches can see these things, but others can't. Animals also hide there far away, birds don't fly there, arctic lemmings and foxes escaped. That's why the place is called Birvangar - which means the wilderness of evil. Of course, they don't call it Birvangar, they call it the 'experiment station'. But to others, there is evil wilderness."

"How are their defenses?" "They had a company of Northern Tatars, armed with rifles. The soldiers were good, but inexperienced, because no one had attacked the settlement since it was founded. There was a barbed wire fence around the camp, and Electricity. There may be other means of defense, but we don't know about them, because, as I said, we're not interested in them." Lyra was eager to ask a question, and the goblin realized it, and looked at her as if in agreement. "Why are the witches talking about me?" she asked. "Because of your father and his knowledge of other worlds," answered the Elf. His answer surprised all three of them.Lyra looked at Fadel Colum, who looked back at her and John Faah with slight confusion.John Fa'a also looked confused. "Another world?" John Faa asked. "I'm sorry I didn't hear you very well, sir, but what kind of world would that be? Do you mean the stars?" "Absolutely not." "Perhaps the world of ghosts and spirits?" asked Farder Colum. "No." "Is that the city in Aurora?" Lyra asked. "That's it, isn't it?" Goose turned his majestic head to Lyla.He had black eyes surrounded by a thin line of pure azure.His gaze is powerful. "Yes," he said, "witches have known for thousands of years that there are other worlds, and you can sometimes see them in the northern lights. They are not part of our universe at all, not even the most distant The stars also belong to this universe, but the aurora allows us to see a completely different universe. It is not far away from us, but interpenetrated with our world. Right here, on this deck, there are countless Millions of other universes, unknown to each other..." He raised his wings, stretched them greatly, then closed them again. "Look," he said, "I've just stroked ten million other worlds, and they don't know a thing. We're as close as a heartbeat, but we'll never touch, see, or hear A different world - except in the Northern Lights." "Why?" Fadell Colum asked. "Because the charged particles in the aurora have properties that can thin the matter of this world, so that we can see other worlds through it for a short time. The witches have always known this, but we seldom say it." "My dad believed it too," Laila said. "I know it because I heard him talk about the aurora and he showed pictures of it." "What does it have to do with dust?" John Faah asked. "Who knows?" said the Goose Spirit, "all I can tell you is that those who seek it are terrified of dust as if it were a deadly poison. That's why they imprisoned Asri Lord Hall." "But why exactly?" Lyra asked. "They think he's going to somehow use the dust to build a bridge between our world and the world outside Aurora." There was a lightness in Lyra's mind. She heard Fader Colum say, "Is that what he's going to do?" "Yes," replied the Goose-Spirit, "but they didn't believe he could do it, because they thought he was crazy for believing that there were other worlds. But it is true, and he did. He Yet another powerful figure, they feared that he would spoil their own plans, so they made a pact with the Bearded Bear to capture him and imprison him in a stronghold on Svalbard so that he would no longer Interfere with them. Some say they helped the new king of the armored bear get the throne as a condition of the negotiations." Lyra asked, "Do the witches want him to build the bridge? Are they for or against Lord Asriel?" "The answer to this question is complex. First, witches are not united and there are various opinions among us. Second, Lord Asriel's bridge will affect a war that is currently going on, which is partly between witches and The wars of various other forces, some of which also come from the world of ghosts and gods. No matter which side it is, if it owns this bridge—if it exists—it will gain a great advantage. Third, Serafina Pei Kara's tribe, which is mine, has yet to join any coalition, despite a lot of pressure to declare our support for one of these sides. You see, these are difficult political questions to answer. not easy." "What about the armored bears?" Lyra asked. "Which side are they on?" "They side with whoever pays them. They have no interest in these matters, and they have no elves, nor concern for human problems. At least, they used to be. But we have heard that their new The king intends to change their old traditions... Anyway, those who are looking for dust have paid the armored bear to lock up Lord Asriel, and they will keep him in Svalbard until the end A living bear sheds its last drop of blood." "But it can't be all the bears!" Lyra said. "One bear is not in Svalbard at all. He was chased away by the other bears, and he wants to come with us." The goose's piercing eyes looked at Lyra again.This time, Lyra could sense his icy surprise. Fadell Colum changed his position quite uncomfortable and said, "The truth is, Laila, I don't think he's going to come with us. We've heard he's a contract worker and he's still under contract. Just as we suspected He has no liberty, as it is, and is still serving his sentence. Regardless of whether he has armor or not, he will be free to go with us only when he is released from prison; and he will never get that armor again." "But he says they lied to him! They got him drunk and stole the armor!" "We heard it differently," John Faa said. "They said he was a dangerous rascal, and that's what we heard." "If—" Lyra became agitated, unable to express her displeasure, "—if that's what the alethiometer told me, then I'd believe it was true. I asked it, and it said the bear said In fact, they did deceive him, and it was the men who lied, not him. King Faa, I believe him! Farder Kolam—you saw him too, and you believed him, didn't you?" "I think I was, kid, only I'm not as sure as you are." "But what are they afraid of? Do they think that once he puts on the armor, he will kill people everywhere? But even without the armor, he can kill dozens of people!" "He's killed," said John Faah, "well, a few if not dozens. When they first took his armor away, he went on a rampage looking for it. He drove away The police station and the bank, and I don't know where else, at least two people were killed. The only reason they didn't shoot him was because of his amazing skill with metal, They want to use him as a labor force." "Slaves!" Lyra said angrily. "They don't have that right!" "Let's just say that. They could have shot him for killing people, but they didn't. They made him work for the town until he paid off the damage he'd done and the pensions to the victims. " "John," said Farder Colum, "I don't know about you, but I don't think they'll ever want him to have that armor again. The longer they keep him in custody, the more When he gets the armor, his anger grows." "But if we get his armor back, he'll come with us and never mess with those people again," Lyra said. "I promise, King Fa'a." "But how can we do that?" "I know where the armor is!" They were all silent for a moment.All three were aware of the witch elf's presence, aware that he was staring intently at Lyra.All three turned to him, and their daemons turned away after him--before, with the utmost politeness, they looked timidly away from the solitary, masterless creature before them. "Laila," he said, "you won't be surprised that another reason the witch is interested in you is because of the alethiometer. Our consul told us about your visit to him this morning. I I suppose it was Dr. Lance Lius who told you about the bear." "Yes," John Faa said, "she went with Fader Colum and talked to the Consul. I guess Leila is telling the truth, but if we break the laws of these people , that would only put us at odds with them, and what we should do is keep going north, to Birvangar, with or without the armored bears." "Ah, but you didn't see the bear, John," said Fadell Colum. "I do believe in Lyra, and maybe we can vouch for him. With him it would be a different story." "What do you think, sir?" John Faah asked the witch's elf. "We rarely deal with armored bears. Our mutual desires seem strange to each other. If this bear is an outcast, he may not be as reliable as the bears that people say. You must decide for yourself. " "We will," said John Faa firmly, "but now, sir, can you tell us how to get to Birvangar from here?" So the goose elf began to introduce the route in detail.He spoke of valleys and hills, treelines and tundra, and the positions of the stars.After listening for a while, Lyra leaned back in a chair on the deck with Pantalaimon wrapped around her neck, imagining the fascinating scene brought by the goose spirit.A bridge between the two worlds... This was far more beautiful than anything she could have imagined!And only her capable father could have imagined it.As soon as they rescued the children, she went to Svalbard with the armored bear to bring the alethiometer to Lord Asriel and rescue him with its help, and then, together, they built That bridge, the first to cross... When she awoke, Lyra found herself lying in her own bed—John Faa must have carried her to bed during the night.The dim sun in the sky has risen to its highest point, but it is only a palm away from the horizon.It must be almost noon, she thought.Before long, after they continued northward, the sun would no longer be visible at all. Dressing quickly, she ran out onto the deck and found that nothing had changed much.The ship's stores were all unloaded, the sleds and dogs hired, and ready for departure; all was ready and waiting.Most of the gypsies gathered in a smoky café facing the water, where they sat at long wooden tables, eating sweet cakes and drinking wine, under the hissing and crackling of ancient electric lights. Strong, sweet coffee. "Where's King Fa'a?" Lyra asked, sitting with Tony Costa and his friends. "And Fa'dr Colum? Are they looking for the bear's armor?" "They're talking to the Sheriff—they call the Mayor the Sheriff. Lyra, so you've seen the bear?" "Yes!" she said, and introduced him at length.While she was talking, someone else pulled up a chair and sat down at the table. "So you spoke to old Iorek?" the man asked. Lyra looked at the newcomer in surprise.He was tall and lanky, with a sparse mustache, thin blue eyes, and a cold, mocking smile.Lyra had an immediate strong feeling for him, but she wasn't sure if it was a liking or a loathing.His elf was a scruffy hare who looked as lean and stubborn as himself. He held out his hand, and Lyra shook it cautiously. "My name is Lee Scoresby," he said. "You're a balloonist!" Lyra exclaimed. "Where's your balloon? Can I go up?" "It's wrapped up by now, miss. You must be the famous Lyra. How are you getting on with Iorek Bernison?" "You know him?" "I fought alongside him at Tungusk. Hell, I've known Iorek for years. Bears are difficult creatures anyway, but he's worth considering, definitely. Hey , gentlemen, which of you wants to play cards?" Suddenly a deck of playing cards appeared in his hand, and he didn't know where he got it from.He shuffled the cards with his hands, making a clattering sound. "I hear you guys are good at cards," said Lee Scoresby, repeatedly signing and flipping cards with one hand, and with the other he took a cigar from his breast pocket, "I thought you wouldn't fail to give an ordinary Texan tourist a chance to experience your skill and bravery in the card field. What do you think, gentlemen?" The gypsies were always proud of their poker abilities, and a few seemed interested and pulled their chairs over.When they were discussing with Lee Scoresby how to play and what bet to place, his elf patted Pantalaimon lightly with his ear, and Pantalaimon understood what she meant, and became a A squirrel hopped gently to her side. She spoke it into Lyra's ear, of course, so Lyra heard her whisper, "Go straight to the bear and tell him straight. Once those people know what's going on, they'll put him in and get the armor elsewhere." Laila stood up, taking her cake, without anyone noticing her.Lee Scoresby was already dealing the cards, and all those suspicious eyes were on his hands. Daylight fades away in the long afternoon.In the dim light, Laila finally found the sled warehouse.She knew she had to come, but she was uneasy, even apprehensive. The big bear was working outside the largest concrete shed, and Lyra stood by the open door and watched.Iorek Bernison was dismantling a wrecked gas tractor; the engine's metal casing was twisted and bulging, and one of the skids was upturned.He peeled off the metal shell like a piece of cardboard, and moved it back and forth with his two big hands, as if testing whether it had a certain texture.Then, stepping on one corner with the sole of his hind foot, he bent the whole metal shell over, causing the hollow to bulge up and restore its original shape.He leaned it against the wall, lifted the unusually heavy tractor with one hand, set it on its side, and bent down to inspect the bent skid. Just then, he saw Lyra.Lyra immediately felt a sudden chill of dread, because he was so big and so different from humans.Standing about forty yards away from him, she stared at him through the fence, wondering how he could get over that distance in a step or two, pulling the barbed wire aside like a spider's web.She almost turned and ran at the thought, but Pantalaimon said, "Stay still! I'll go and talk to him." At this time Pantalaimon became a tern.Before Lyra could answer, he flew over the fence and landed on the snow-covered ground inside.There was a small open door not far ahead, and Lyra could have followed him, but she hesitated nervously.Pantalaimon looked at her, then turned into a badger. Laila knew what he was about to do.Usually the elves were only a few yards away from their masters, and if Lyra stood still at the fence and he was a bird, he couldn't get close to the bear; so, instead, he ran on the ground. Badger, the purpose is to pull her forward. She was both angry and sad.Pantalaimon's badger claws dug into the ground and moved forward.As your spirit tugs at the bond that connects you, you feel a strange torment, a mixture of physical pain in your chest and deep sorrow and love.Lyra knew Pantalaimon felt the same way.All people, as they grow up, have the experiment of seeing how far apart they can be, and then returning to the old distance again with great relief. Pantalaimon tugged forward a little more. "Come on, Pan!" But he didn't stop.The bear just watched and didn't move.The pain in Laila's heart became more and more unbearable, and a sob rose in her throat, an uncontrollable longing. "Pan—" Lyra walked through the little door and staggered toward him on the frozen ground.Pantalaimon turned into a wild cat and jumped into her arms.They hugged each other tightly, and there was a little trembling and bitterness in their voices. "I thought you'd really—" "No--" "I can't believe how hard it was—" Then Lyra wiped her tears angrily, gasping for breath, with Pantalaimon nestled in her arms.Lyra understood that she would rather die than let them part and face that grief again, because she would be maddened with grief and terror.If she died, they'd still be together, like the academicians in the catacombs of Jordan College. At this moment, the little girl and her elf looked up at the lonely bear.He has no elves, but is alone, and has always been alone.Lyra felt a wave of pity and tenderness for him, and she almost reached out to touch the dull fur on his body, but refrained from doing so only as a courtesy to those fierce eyes. "Iorek Bernison," she said. "What's up?" "King Fa'a and Fader Colum have gone to find you armor." He didn't move or speak.How sure he is of their success is self-evident. "But I know where it is," Lyra said. "If I tell you, maybe you can get it back yourself. I'm just not sure." "How do you know where it is?" "I have a symbol reader. Iorek Bernison, I know they deceived you first, so I think I should tell you. I don't think it's right for them to do that. They shouldn't do it. King Fa'a wants to talk to the ruler Judge, but they probably won't let you get the armor no matter what he says. So, if I tell you where the armor is, will you follow us and help us get those kids out of Bolvangar?" "Will do." "I..." She wasn't inquisitive, but she couldn't help her curiosity.She asked: "Iorek Bernison, why don't you make another armor with the metal here?" "Because they're useless. You see," he said, lifting the casing off the motor with one hand, and with the other, a claw, snapped it open like a can opener. opened. "My armor is iron from space, made just for me. Armored Bear's armor is his soul, just like your elf is your soul. Otherwise, you can just throw him aside" —he meant Pantalaimon—"Just get a toy full of sawdust to replace him. That's the difference. Now, where's my armor?" "Listen, you've got to promise me no retaliation. It's their fault they took the armor away, but you've got to live with it." "Well, I just don't retaliate afterwards. But they can't stop me when I go to get the armor. If they fight with me, they will die." "The armor is in the priest's cellar," Lyra told him. "He thinks there's a ghost in it and has been trying to get it out. Anyway, that's where your armor is." He straightened up, stood on his hind legs, and looked west, where the last rays of the sun turned his sullen face a bright yellow-white like cream.Lyra felt the power of the big guy radiating from her like a heat wave. "I must work till the sun goes down," he said, "that's what I promised my master here this morning, and I have a few more minutes to go." "From where I see it, the sun is already setting," Lyra pointed out, for it seemed to her that it had disappeared behind the rocky headlands to the southwest. He lowered himself to all fours. "That's right," he said.By this time his face was as much shadowed as Lyra's. "What's your name, kid?" "Laila Belacova." "Then I owe you, Laila Belacova," he said. He turned and staggered away.His steps were so fast that Lyra couldn't even run to keep up.But she did run, and Pantalaimon, transformed into a seagull, flew up to see where the bear was going, and then yelled down to tell Lyra which way to follow. Iorek Bernison jumped out of the warehouse and dashed down the narrow street, then turned onto the main street of the town, past the consul's yard where a flag hung in the windless air , a sentry walked around bluntly inside.Then he rushed down the hill at the end of the street - where the Witch's consul lived.At this time, the sentry had realized what had happened, and just as he was racking his brains to figure out what to do, Iorek Bernison had already turned a corner near the port. Some people stopped to look around, and some quickly avoided him who was running wildly all the way.The sentry fired two shots in the air, then sprinted down the hill in pursuit of him, with poor results, as he slid on the snow-covered slope and clung to the nearest railing before he could steady himself.Lyra, who was following, was not far away.Passing the consul's house, Laila realized that many people were out, standing in the yard to see what was going on, and she thought she saw Fader Colum among the crowd; but she passed by , down the street, and galloped toward the corner—the sentinel had turned the corner, chasing the bear after him. The priest's house was older than most of the houses in town, and built of expensive bricks.Three steps up was the front door, which had been broken into pieces and hung there.There were screams, things breaking and more wood snapping from the house.The sentinel hesitated outside, his rifle at the ready.But then, passers-by began to gather, and people across the street looked out of their windows.At this moment, the sentry realized that he must take action, so he fired a shot into the sky and rushed in. After a moment, the whole house seemed to shake.The panes of the three windows were broken, a tile fell from the roof, and a maid ran out in a panic, followed by her hen spirit, clucking and flapping her wings. Another shot rang out in the house, and then there was a loud roar that made the servants inside scream, and the priest flew out like a fired cannonball, and his gannet sprites were now swept away, mad. He flapped his wings and followed out.Lyra heard orders being shouted and looked back to see a line of armed policemen tensely assembled at the corner, some armed with pistols and others with rifles.Not far behind them came John Faa and the fat, fussy consul. At this time, there was a loud cracking sound, and they all turned to look at the house.A window on the first floor was snapped with a shattering sound of glass and a screeching sound of wood tearing--the cellar window, apparently.The sentinel who had followed Iorek Bernison into the house just now ran out and stood facing the cellar window with his rifle slung over his shoulder.Immediately afterwards, the window was completely torn open, and Iorek Bernison—an armored bear in armor—scrambled up from inside. Without his armor he was formidable; with his armor he was terrifying.The armor was rusty red and held together clumsily with rivets.带齿的大块褪了色的金属片和金属板一个个地叠加着，不断地碰撞，发出刺耳的磨擦声。头盔像他的脸一样尖凸着，眼睛前面留了一道狭长的开口，下颏没有包在头盔里，便于他的嘴能用于撕咬。 哨兵开了几枪，警察也平端起武器，但埃欧雷克?伯尔尼松只是像对待雨点儿一样把子弹从身上抖落下来。在盔甲的磨擦与叮当声中，他朝前面猛扑过去，没等那个哨兵逃走，便已把他击倒在地上。哨兵的精灵——一条爱斯基摩狗——“忽”地一声去咬他的喉咙，但埃欧雷克?伯尔尼松只不过是像对待苍蝇一样来对待他。他一只宽大的爪子把哨兵抓起来，把他的脑袋拧过来，塞进嘴里。莱拉非常清楚接下来他要干什么：他要把那个人的脑袋像咬鸡蛋一样弄碎，随后便会有一场血腥的搏斗，更多的人会被杀死，还要耽搁更长的时间；他们自己永远也获得不了自由——不管有没有这只熊。 甚至连想都没想，莱拉便向前猛冲过去，把手搭在披甲熊盔甲上惟一脆弱的地方——他低着头的时候，头盔和他肩头上的大金属板之间的空隙，透过金属生了锈的边缘之间的空隙，她微微地看得见黄白色的毛。莱拉把手指伸了进去，潘特莱蒙立刻飞了过来，变成一只野猫，蹲在那儿保护她。但是，埃欧雷克?伯尔尼松一动不动，持枪的人们也停下来，不再开枪。 “埃欧雷克！”莱拉小声恶狠狠地说，“听着！没错，你欠我一份人情。好了，现在你可以还给我了。照我说的去做，不要跟这些人打了。你转过身，跟我一起离开这儿。我们需要你，埃欧雷克，你不能待在这儿。跟我一块儿到港口那儿，头也不要回。让法德尔?科拉姆和法阿国王去跟他们谈，他们俩会解决这个问题的。把这个人放了，跟我一起离开这儿……” 披甲熊慢慢地松开口，哨兵已经晕了过去，扑通一声摔倒在地上，脑袋上淌着血，湿漉漉的，脸像灰一样惨白，他的精灵不断地安慰他，轻轻地拍着他。披甲熊在莱拉旁边迈步走开了。 别人谁都没有动。他们看到，在一个有猫精灵的小女孩的要求下，披甲熊从他手下的猎物旁走开了。人们慌忙朝两边一闪，给他们让出一条路来；埃欧雷克?伯尔尼松的后脚掌重重地拍打着地面，穿过人群，和莱拉肩并肩地朝港口走去。 莱拉把全部注意力都集中到了披甲熊身上，没看见身后的那片混乱、他走后人群中产生的没有任何风险的恐惧和愤怒。她和他走在一起，潘特莱蒙颠儿颠儿地跑在他们俩前面，像是在给他们开道。 来到港口后，埃欧雷克?伯尔尼松低下头，一只爪子解下头盔，把它放在冰冻的地面上。吉卜赛人已经觉察到发生了什么事情，便都从咖啡馆里出来，在甲板上借着微弱的电灯光仔细看。埃欧雷克?伯尔尼松甩掉身上剩下的甲胄，把它们堆成一堆，放在码头上，然后，他对谁也没说什么，便啪啪啪地走到水边，涟漪不惊地钻进水里，消失了。 “出了什么事？”托尼?科斯塔问。他听到了高处的街道上传来的愤怒的声音，镇上的人和警察正在朝港口赶过来。 莱拉尽量把经过全都告诉了他。 “可他现在跑哪儿去了？”他说，“他不会就把盔甲放在地上吧？那些人一到，会再拿走的！” 莱拉也有同样的担心，因为第一个警察已经冲到了拐角处，接着又来了很多警察。随后，执政官、神父和大约二三十个看热闹的人也都来了，约翰?法阿和法德尔?科拉姆吃力地跟在他们后面。 然而，当这些人看见码头上的人群的时候，他们却停了下来，因为又有一个人出现了。那个人跷着二郎腿，坐在披甲熊的盔甲堆上，正是四肢细长的李?斯科尔斯比，手里拿着一支莱拉见过的最长的手枪，漫不经心地瞄着执政官那胖大的肚子。 “看来你们并没有照顾好我朋友的盔甲，”他像是在跟他们对话，“哎呀，瞧瞧这锈！在里面找到几个蛾子我想也是自然的了。好了，你们都给我待在原地别动，放松、站好，在披甲熊弄到润滑油回来之前，你们谁都不许动。或者，我猜你们也可以回家去看看报纸。由你们自己选择。” “他来了！”托尼指着码头尽头的一处斜坡说。埃欧雷克?伯尔尼松从那里浮出水面，拖着一个黑色的东西。一登上码头，他便全身一抖，大片水珠立刻四处飞扬开来，直到最后他的皮毛又浓浓地站直了。然后，他再次用牙咬住那个黑色的东西，把它一直拖到盔甲那儿。那个黑色的东西是一只死海豹。 “埃欧雷克，”气球驾驶员说着，懒洋洋地站起身，手枪依然牢牢地瞄着执政官，“你好。” 披甲熊抬头看了看，发出一声短促的吼叫，然后用一只爪子把海豹撕开。莱拉入迷地看着他把海豹皮平摊开来，扯下一片片油脂，然后全都抹到盔甲上，把油脂小心地塞进金属片相互叠加的地方。 “你跟这些人是一起的吗？”披甲熊边干边问李?斯科尔斯比。 “当然。我猜我们俩都是他们雇来的，埃欧雷克。” “你的气球呢？”莱拉问得克萨斯人。 “包好放在两个雪橇上了，”他说，“我们的头儿来了。” 这时，约翰?法阿和法德尔?科拉姆跟执政官以及四个武装警察一起朝码头走了下来。 “熊！”执政官说，声音高得刺耳，“现在，你可以跟这些人一起离开。但是我要告诉你，你要是再在这个镇子上的范围内出现，我们就不客气了。” 埃欧雷克?伯尔尼松一点儿也没在意，只是继续往盔甲上抹海豹油。他干这件事时的小心与在意让莱拉想起了自己对潘特莱蒙的关爱。正像披甲熊说的那样，盔甲是他的灵魂。执政官和警察退了回去，慢慢地，镇上别的人也都转身走了，但也有几个人留下来看。 约翰?法阿把双手拢到嘴边，喊道：“吉卜赛人！” 他们全都做好了出发的准备。从一登岸的时候起，他们就心里痒痒地要出发，雪橇已经扎好，狗也都系上了缰绳。 约翰?法阿说：“朋友们，到了行动的时候了。我们的人全都到齐了，道路就在前方。斯科尔斯比先生，你的装备都带好了吗？” “做好了出发的准备，法阿国王。” “你呢，埃欧雷克?伯尔尼松？” “就剩下盔甲没穿了，”他说。 他已经给盔甲上完了油。为了不浪费海豹肉，他用牙咬着，把海豹残骸举起来，轻轻地扔到李?斯科尔斯比的那个比别人都大的雪橇后面，然后才穿盔甲。那副盔甲在他手里显得轻如鸿毛，让人惊叹不已。有几个地方的金属片足有一英寸厚，但却像丝袍一样被他一甩就穿到了身上。不到一分钟，他就穿戴好了，这一次已经没有铁锈尖厉的刮擦声了。 于是，过了不到半个小时，这支远征军就踏上了北上的路途。空中撒满了数不清的星星，月亮明亮地照着，几部雪橇在车辙和石头上颠簸着，直到快到镇子边上的白雪的时候才不再颠簸。这时，雪橇的声音已经变成了积雪的嘎吱声和木头的咯吱声，拉雪橇的狗也开始急切地加快了脚步，雪橇跑得又快又稳。 莱拉坐在法德尔?科拉姆的雪橇的后面，身上裹着厚厚的衣服，只露着两只眼睛。她小声问潘特莱蒙： “你看得见埃欧雷克吗？” “他啪嗒啪嗒地跟在李?斯科尔斯比的雪橇旁边，”她的精灵回头看了看，然后答道。他这时候已经变成了一只貂，紧紧地贴着莱拉的狼獾皮帽。 在他们前面，在北方山脉的另一面，极光淡淡的圆弧和圆圈开始闪现、抖动起来。莱拉半闭着眼睛看着，在极光下飞速前进让她突然感到有一种十分甜蜜的困意袭来。潘特莱蒙努力想赶走她的睡意，但是这一困意实在是太强了。他变成一只老鼠，蜷缩在她的帽子里。等他们醒过来的时候，他再告诉她自己看到了什么——也许会是一只雪貂，也许是一个梦，也许是当地没有恶意的什么妖怪。但是，有什么东西正在顺着雪橇压过的痕迹跟着他们，那个东西在密密的松林中轻盈地在树枝间跳跃着，让他不安地想起了一只猴子。