Chapter 6 6. Luminous Flying Objects

"Grumman?" asked the black-bearded fur trader. "From the Berlin Academy? That man was desperate. I met him five years ago in the northernmost Urals. I thought he was dead. " Old friend Sam Cancino, a Texan like Lee Scoresby, sat in the bar of the Samoski Hotel, where the asphalt was paved and the room was filled with smoke.He downed a glass of cold vodka and pushed the plate of kippers and black bread in front of Lee.Lee took a bite, nodded to Sam, and waited for him to tell him more. "He fell into a trap set by a stupid Russian," continued the furrier. "His legs were cut and his bones were exposed. Instead of using the usual medicines, he used the ones a bear would use. A thing—blood moss, also a lichen, not a real moss yet. He lay on the sled, now yelling in pain, now giving orders to his men—they were measuring starlight, they had to measure or he'd criticize them loudly, and his tongue was like a barbed wire. He's thin, brutish, and curious about everything. Did you know he joined the Tartar tribe?"

"Don't tell me," said Lee Scoresby, pouring some more vodka into Sam's glass.His daemon, Hester, was curled up on the bar against his arm, eyes half-closed as usual, ears flopped on his back. Li arrived in the afternoon. He came to Xindi Island with the help of the wind aroused by the witch. After he arrived, he went to the Samoski Hotel near the fish loading station as soon as he installed the equipment.Many arctic drift fishing boats are moored here. People exchange news, look for jobs, or send messages to each other. Lee Scoresby also stayed here for a few days before, waiting for work contracts, waiting for passengers, or waiting for suitable people. Wind direction, so there is nothing strange about his behavior now.

People sensed the great changes around them and gathered to talk about it.With each passing day came more news: At the same time this year, the ice on the Yenisei melted again, part of the ocean dried up, leaving strange regular-shaped boulders on the seabed, a hundred-foot The long squid snatched three men from a boat and tore them to pieces... A cold fog rolled in from the north, sometimes with incredible lights, in which loomed large shapes, and There are mysterious voices. It was not a good time to work anyway, so the bar at the Samorsky Hotel was packed. "You mean Grumman?" asked a man at the bar.He was old, dressed like a seal hunter, and his lemming spirit was peering gravely out of his pocket. "He's a Tatar. I was there when he joined the tribe, and I saw him drill his head. He has another name—a Tatar name, I'll think about it."

"Is that all right?" said Lee Scoresby. "I'll buy you a drink, my friend, and I'm just going to find out about this man. What tribe does he belong to?" "Yenisei tribe. Just at the foot of Semyonov Mountain, near the confluence of the Yenisei River and that river - I forget the name of the river - a river that flows down the mountain. Near the pier There's a rock the size of a house." "Ah, yes," Lee said, "I remember. I flew over that one time. You said Grumman drilled holes in his head? Why did that?" "He's a shaman," said the old seal hunter, "and I think the tribe knew he was a shaman before they accepted him. The drilling ceremony lasted two nights and a day. They used a bow drill, The kind used to start a fire."

"Ah, that means those people do what he says," said Sam Cancino. "They're the roughest scoundrels I've ever seen, but they run around like nervous kids and do what he says. , I think it was his spell that did the trick. It would have been stronger if they thought he was a shaman. But you know, that man's curiosity was as heavy as a wolf's jaw, and he wouldn't give up. He made I told him all the topographical knowledge I knew and the living habits of wolves and foxes. He suffered a lot after falling into a Russian trap, and his leg was cut. He recorded the curative effect of blood moss, took his temperature, and observed the wound. Healed, keeping records of everything... a strange man. Once a witch wanted to be his lover, but he refused."

"Is that so?" Lee said, thinking of Serafina Pekkala's beauty. "He shouldn't have done that," said the sealer. "A witch offers you love, and you should accept it. Otherwise, if any disaster befalls you, it's your own bad luck. It's like going between a blessing and a curse." Choose, but you can't choose both." "Maybe he has a reason," Lee said. "It would be a good thing if he was sane." "He's stubborn," Sam Cancino said. "Maybe he's loyal to another woman," Lee guessed, "I've heard other things about him.

I've heard he knows where some magical thing is, I don't know what it is, and whoever has it gets its protection.Have you heard the story? " "Yes, I've heard of it," said the sealer. "He didn't have it himself, but he knew where it was. There was one man who wanted him to speak out, and Grumman killed him." "His elf," said Sam Cancino, "was a little strange, she was a hawk, a black hawk with a white head and breast, I'd never seen one like that, and I don't know her name .” "She's an osprey," said the listening bartender. "Are you talking about Stanislaus Grumman? His elf is an osprey, a fishing eagle."

"What's the matter with him?" asked Lee Scoresby. "Oh, he met the Suk'elin fighting fiercely in Bering. Last time I heard he was killed," "He was killed in one shot," the seal hunter said. "I heard they cut his rhyme off," said Lee Scoresby. "No, you're all wrong," said the barman. "I know because I know an Inuit who was with him. Probably they were in Sakhalin [Sakhalin, in northeast Russia , also. Camped somewhere in Sakhalin, and then there was an avalanche. Grumman was buried under a 10,000-ton boulder, and the Inuit saw it with his own eyes."

"What I don't understand," said Lee Scoresby, holding the bottle out of the way, "is what's that guy doing. Maybe he's drilling for oil? Or maybe he's a soldier? Relevant? Sam, what measurement did you just say, what is that?" "They're measuring starlight, and the aurora. He has a passion for the aurora, but I think his interest is mostly in ruins and old things." "I know who can tell you more," said the sealer. "There's an observatory on top of the hill, which belongs to the Royal Moscow Academy, and they can tell you. I know he's been there more than once."

"Lee, what are you asking for?" Sam Cancino asked. "He owes me money," said Lee Scoresby. The explanation was so satisfying that they immediately ceased to be curious.The conversation turned to what everyone cared about: the catastrophic changes that were happening around them that no one understood. "Those fishermen," said the sealer, "say they can sail all the way into the New World." "Is there a new world?" asked Lee Scoresby. "As soon as this damned fog lifts we'll find out," said the sealer confidently. "I was just looking north from the kayak when this happened. I'll never forget what I saw. Land Not only does it not disappear at the horizon, but it continues to extend. No matter how far I can see, what I see is land, coastline, mountains, ports, green trees, cornfields, all the way to the sky. I tell you, I My friend, the scenery is worth seeing even if it takes fifty years of journey. I could have rowed to the other side of the sky without looking back, into the calm sea, but then there was a heavy fog ..."

"Never seen fog like this," murmured Sam Cancino. "It might last a month, maybe longer. But you want money back from Stanislaus Grumman, Bad luck for you then, Lee. The man's dead." "Ah! I remembered his Tatar name!" said the sealer. "I just remembered they called him when they were drilling, and it sounds like Jopari." "Yopari? I've never heard a name like that," Lee said. "I guess it's Japanese. Well, if I want my money back, maybe I can look up his heirs, or maybe Berlin The Academy can settle the bill. I'm going to ask the Observatory to see if they can give me an address." The observatory is in the north, still some distance away.Lee Scoresby hired a dogsled and a driver.It was not easy to find a man who was willing to take risks in the fog, but Li was very convincing, perhaps because of his money, and after some bargaining, an old Tatar from the Ob region finally managed to Agree to take him there. The coachman doesn't rely on a compass, maybe he can't find a compass at all, he relies on other things to guide his direction-his arctic fox spirit is one of them, and the arctic fox sits at the front of the sled and finds the way forward with a keen sense of smell.Lee carried a compass with him everywhere, but he had learned that Earth's magnetic field was as messed up as everything else. When they stopped to make coffee, the old coachman said, "It's happened before." "What, you mean the sky is cracked? It happened before?" "Thousands of years ago. Many people still remember. Long, long ago, thousands of years ago." "What did they say?" "The sky split and the gods moved between worlds. All the land moved, and the ice melted into water and froze again. Then the gods plugged the hole and filled it up. But the witches say the northern lights The sky behind is thin." "Is something going to happen, Umac?" "Same thing as before, all over again. Only it will be accompanied by big troubles, big wars, wars among the gods." The coachman would not tell him more, so they went on again, exploring the road carefully and slowly among the potholes, avoiding sharp corners of black rock looming in the pale mist. At this time, the old man said: "The observatory is there. Now you can go up there on foot. The road has too many bends, and the sledge can't go there. If you want to go back, I will wait for you here." "Yes, I'll be back when I'm done, Umac. You make yourself a fire, my friend, and sit down and rest a while. I'm probably going three or four hours." Lee Scoresby set off, Hirst hid in the chest of his coat, and after an hour of hard climbing, he suddenly found a pile of buildings in front of him, as if held there by a giant's hand.However, he saw this because the fog had temporarily lifted.After a while, the fog covered the buildings again.He saw the great dome of the main observatory, and not far from it, and a smaller one.Between them are the administrative building and the accommodation area.There are no lights, which are regulated so as not to hinder the use of the telescope in the dark. Within minutes of his arrival, he was chatting with a group of astronomers.They were eagerly awaiting some news from him, and few natural scientists were as exasperated as the astronomer in the fog.He told them what he had seen and heard, and when the subject had been discussed, he began to inquire about Stanislaus Grumman. The astronomers hadn't seen a visitor for weeks, and they were eager to talk to him. "Grumman? Yes, let me tell you about him," said the Director. "He's an Englishman, whatever his name. I remember—" "Certainly not," said his deputy. "He's a member of the Royal German Academy. I've seen him in Berlin. I'm sure he's German." "No, I think you'll find he's English, and besides he speaks English very well," said the Director. "But I agree, he was a member of the Berlin Academy. He's a geographer—" "No, you're wrong," said another. "He does study the Earth, but not like a geographer. I talked to him for a long time. I think you should call him a paleoarchaeologist." There were five of them, sitting around the table.This room is not only their common room, but also a living room, dining room, bar, entertainment room, and has almost all functions.Among them were two Russians, a Pole, a Yoruba, and a Suk Erin.Lee Scoresby sensed that the small group was happy to have visitors, if only he could change the subject of conversation.The Pole was the last to speak, and was interrupted by the Yoruba: "What do you mean by paleoarchaeologists? Archaeologists study things that are already ancient, why do you add a What about the word 'ancient'?" "The field he studies is older than you can imagine. He is looking for relics of civilization from 20,000 to 30,000 years ago." replied the Pole. "Nonsense!" said the director. "Perfect nonsense! This man is messing with you. Civilization thirty thousand years ago? Ha! Where's the evidence?" "Under the ice," said the Pole, "is the key here. According to Grumman's research, the Earth's magnetic field has changed dramatically at different times in the past, and the Earth's axis has shifted, so the temperate zone has become glacier." "How did it come about?" asked a Russian. "Oh, his theory is complicated. The point is, any evidence of early civilizations since they're buried under ice, they must be very old, and he claims to have some pictures of unusual rock formations." "Ha! Is that all?" said the Director. "I'm just reporting the truth, I'm not defending him," the Pole said. "Gentlemen, how long have you known Grumman?" asked Lee Scoresby. "Oh, let me think about it," said the director, "I first met him seven years ago . . . " A year or two before that, when he published an article on magnetic pole changes, he changed his name," The Yoruba said, "But no idea where he came from. I mean, no one knew him as a student, and no one has seen any of his previous research..." They chatted for a while longer, piecing together fragments of memories of Grubman and who he might have been, even though most believed him to be dead.As the Pole went on to make coffee, Lee's rabbit elf, Hurst, whispered to him, "Lee, you've got to look up that Suk'elin." The Sukhelin man spoke very little.Lee thought he was reserved by nature, but at Hester's reminder, he took a casual glance at the man's elf, a white owl, staring at him with her bright orange eyes.Owls are like that, they're always staring.But Hurst was right. While the man's face was calm, the elf's was hostile and suspicious. Lee also noticed that the Suk Aelin was wearing a ring with a church symbol on it.He suddenly understood the reason for the man's silence.He had heard that all institutions of scientific research were obliged to accept a representative of the church as a spy to suppress any new discoveries deemed heretical. Recognizing this, Lee recalled what Lyra had said, and he asked, "Tell me, gentlemen—do you know if Grumman has worked on the dust problem?" The dreary small room immediately fell into silence, and everyone's attention was focused on the Sukeelin, although they didn't look directly at him.Li knew that Hester couldn't predict with his eyes half closed and his ears hanging on his back, so he looked at their expressions one by one with an innocent and enthusiastic look. His gaze finally fell on the Suk Aelin, and he asked, "Excuse me, did I ask something I shouldn't have asked?" "Mr. Scoresby, where did you hear about it?" asked the Suk Aelin. "I heard it from a passenger when I flew over the ocean before," Lee replied easily. "They never said what it was, but from the way people talk about it, it seems that it is the object of Dr. Grumman's research. . I think it's a phenomenon in the sky, like the aurora.But it confuses me because as a balloonist I already know a lot about the sky, but I've never encountered it, what is it? " "It's a phenomenon in the sky, as you say," said the Suk-Aelin. "It has no practical significance." At this moment Li thought it was time for him to leave. He didn't learn more, and he didn't want Umac to wait any longer.He left the fog-shrouded astronomers at the observatory and started down the mountain.The way he found his way was to follow his elf, whose eyes were closer to the ground. They had been walking for ten minutes when something flew over his head and fell on Hester, the Suk-Aelin owl spirit. But Hearst sensed her coming, and she fell down just in time, the owl's claws slamming into the air.Hearst can also fight, her claws are sharp, and she is also fierce and good at fighting.Knowing that the Suk Aelin man must be nearby, Lee reached for his gun at his waist. "Behind you, Lee," Hurst said.He bent over, and an arrow whizzed past his shoulder. Immediately he fired, and the bullet hit the Suk-Aelin in the leg, and he fell groaning.After a while, the owl elf threw himself at his side in a dazed and clumsy manner, half lying on the snow, struggling to close its wings. Lee Scoresby fired the trigger and put the gun to the man's head. "You bastard," he said, "what are you going to do? Don't you know we're all in as much trouble when it happens in the sky?" "It's too late," said the Suk'elin. "What's too late?" "It's too late to stop. I've sent a carrier pigeon. Church authorities will know of your inquiry, and they'll be glad to know that Grumman—" "what?" "The fact that others are also looking for him. This confirms our surmise that others know the dust. You are the enemy of the church, Lee Scoresby. By their fruit you will know them (this sentence Quoted from the seventh chapter of Matthew in the Bible). By their question, you can know that the poisonous snake is biting their hearts..." The owl hooted faintly and flapped its wings intermittently.Her bright orange eyes were clouded with pain.Gradually more bloodstains appeared on the snow around the Suk-Aelin, and even in the dim, foggy light, Lee could tell that the man was dying. "I guess the bullet must have hit an artery," he said. "Let go of my sleeve and let me make you a tourniquet." "No!" said the Sukhelin at the top of his lungs, "I am willing to die! I will be honored as a martyr! You can't take it away! " "Go to hell if you want to. But tell me this—" But he never had a chance to finish the question, because the owl was gone, shivering from the cold, and the soul of the Suk Aelin was gone.Lee once saw a painting of a church saint being attacked by assassins who beat his dying body with clubs, the saint's genie was carried up into the sky by cherubs, and was given a palm leaf, That is the mark of a martyr.That was the expression on the face of the Suk-Aelin now, like that of the saint in the painting: the ecstasy of longing for a pardon.Lee put him down in disgust. Hester flicked his tongue. "Should expect him to deliver," she said, "with his ring." "Why? We're not thieves, are we?'" "No, we're apostates," she said, "not because of our choice, but because of his malicious premeditation.After the church finds out, we are finished.We have to take every opportunity we get right now.Come on, take this ring and hide it, maybe we can use it. " Li thought it made sense and took the ring off the dead man's finger.Through the dim light, he found that there was a steep cliff on the side of the road, and a dark abyss below.So he pushed the body of the Suk Aelin down, and it was a long time before he heard a loud bang.Lee had never liked violence, and he hated killing, even though he'd had to do it three times before. "There's no point in thinking that way," Hurst said. "He doesn't give us a choice, and we don't want to kill him. Fuck Lee, he wants to die. These people are crazy." "I think you're right," he said, putting away the pistol. At the end of the road he saw the sled-drivers, the dogs all harnessed and ready to go. "Tell me, Umac," Lee asked on the way back to the loading station, "have you ever heard of a man named Grumman?" "Oh, of course," said the sledger, "everybody knows Dr. Grumman." "Did you know he had a Tatar name?" "Not a Tatar name. Do you mean Jopari? That's not a Tatar name." "What happened to him? Is he dead?" "You ask me this question and I have to say I don't know so you'll never know the truth from me." "I see. So who do I ask?" "You'd better ask the people in his tribe. You'd better go to the Yenisei and ask them." "His tribe...you mean the ones who took him? The ones who drilled holes in his head?" "Yes, you'd better ask them. Maybe he's not dead, maybe he's dead, maybe he's neither dead nor alive." "How could he not be dead or alive?" "In the world of the gods, maybe he is in the world of the gods. I have said too much, and I will not say it from now on." Sure enough, he didn't mention it anymore. But when they got back to the loading station, Lee immediately went to the dock, looking for a boat that would take him to the mouth of the Yenisei River. During this time, witches are also on the hunt.The Witch Chief Ruta of Latvia.Skadi flew with Serafina Pekkala's team for many days, through dense fog and cyclones, and over areas devastated by floods and mudslides.What is certain is that they are in a strange world, where there is a strange wind, a strange smell in the air, and unknown strange big birds attacking them, and it takes a handful of arrows to drive them away.When they found land where they could rest, the plants there were also strange. But some plants were still edible, and they found that wild rabbits provided them with a good meal, and there was no shortage of water. It might be a nice place to live if it weren't for the misty, wandering monsters that roam the meadows and gather in the streams and shallow waters.In some lights, the monsters hardly exist, just floating indistinctly, like a transparent veil spinning in front of a mirror.The witches had never seen anything like this before, and they were immediately suspicious of them. On the edge of a forest, there was a group of such things standing motionless.The witches hovered high above, and Ruta Skadi asked, "Serafina Pekkala, do you think they are alive?" "Dead or alive, they're not good things," Serafina said.Pekkala replied, "I can feel it right here. I won't get any closer to these things unless I know what weapons to use against them." Fortunately for the witches, it seems that the monsters can only move on the ground and cannot fly.Later that day, they saw what the monster did. At the intersection of a small river and a road, beside the woods, a low stone bridge leads to a dusty path.The afternoon sun slanted down on the grass, which was a deep green, while the sky was a dusty gold. In the setting sun, the witches saw a group of people walking towards the stone bridge, some on foot, some in carriages, and two on horseback.Serafina held her breath: these people had no elves, but they looked alive.She was just about to fly down to see what happened when she suddenly heard a warning. The shout came from the leading man on horseback.He pointed to the trees, and the witches looked down, and they saw the goblins forming a stream of air across the grass, and seeming to rush toward the crowd, toward their prey, without effort. People scattered.Serafina was surprised to find that the leading rider did not stay to help his companions, but immediately turned his horse and galloped away.The second rider did the same, and fled in the other direction as fast as he could. "Fly low, sisters," Serafina said to her companions, "but don't join until I give the order." They saw that there were also children in the group, some sitting in the carriage, and some walking beside the carriage.It was obvious that the children could not see the monster, and the monster was not interested in them, it was the grown-ups that they wanted.There was an old woman sitting in a carriage with two small children on her lap.Ruta Skadi was furious at her cowardice, because she wanted to hide behind the two children and push them towards the monster that approached her, as if giving them would save her life . The two children broke away from the old woman and jumped out of the carriage, and they were now like other children around them, running back and forth in terror, or standing together and crying together when the monster attacked the grown-ups.The old woman in the carriage was soon surrounded by a transparent twilight that moved busily, working and preying in an invisible way, and Ruta Skadi was so disgusted that she almost I don't want to look any further.Except for the two who escaped on horseback, the rest of the grown-ups met the same fate. Serafina Pekkala was stunned as she flew down even closer.There was a father and his child trying to escape by crossing a small river, but they were caught by a monster. The child cried and grabbed his father's back and would not let him go.The man slowed down and stood helplessly in waist-deep water, unable to move. What's up with him?Serafina hovered a few feet above the water, watching in shock.She had heard legends of vampires from travelers in her own world, and she thought of vampires when she saw goblins devouring them.The genie was gulping something—something of the man, perhaps his soul, his spirit. Because in this world, obviously, the spirits are all inside the body, not outside.His arms slowly loosened from the child's legs, and the child fell into the river behind him, gasping and crying, trying in vain to grab his father.But his father just turned his head slowly, watching indifferently as his son was drowned beside him. Serafina couldn't bear the sight, she flew down and pulled the child out of the water, at which point Ruta Skadi called out, "Be careful, sister! Behind you—" For a split second, Serafina felt a terrible numbness in her heart, and she reached out to Ruta Skadi, who grabbed her hand and pulled her out of danger.They flew higher, and the child screamed and wrapped her pointed fingers around her waist.Serafina saw the genie behind her, a cloud of mist hovering over the water, chasing its fleeing prey.Ruta Skadi shot an arrow at the center, but it was useless. After Serafina was sure that there was no threat from the monster, she put the child on the bank of the river, and then flew into the air. The traveling procession stopped there forever, the horses grazing or shaking their heads to drive away flies, the children crying and holding each other, watching from a distance.All grown-ups remained motionless.Their eyes were open, some standing, but most sitting, and an eerie silence fell over them.When the last genie floated away contentedly, Serafina landed in front of a woman sitting on the grass, a healthy looking woman with rosy cheeks and lustrous blond hair. "Woman?" Serafina Pekkala asked.no answer. "Can you hear me? Can you see me?" She shook her shoulders.It took a lot of effort for the woman to look up, but she didn't seem to notice.Her eyes were empty, Serafina pinched her arm, she just looked down slowly, then away. Other witches roamed the battered stables, looking despondently for other victims.During this time, the children gathered on a small hill not far away, staring at the witches and whispering in fear. "The rider is watching us," said one of the witches. She pointed to a mountain pass, up to which the road continued.The fleeing rider reined in the reins, turned around, covered his eyes with his hands, and observed the movement here. "Let's talk to him," Serafina said, leaping into the air. Regardless of his behavior in front of monsters, he is not a coward.When he saw the witches approaching he took his rifle from his back and rode out onto the meadow so he could turn and shoot and face them in the open.But Serafina Pekkala flew down slowly, raised her bow in front of her face, and then put it on the ground again. Whether or not they make that move, its implications are clear.The man took the rifle from his shoulder, looked at Serafina, then at the other witches, and then up at their daemons hovering in the air.They were young, fierce women, clad in swaths of black silk, flying through the sky on pine branches—something he had never seen before in his world, yet he faced them calmly and alertly.Serafina came up close and saw that his face was full of sadness and determination, which was quite incongruous with the way he turned and fled when his companions were in distress. "Who are you?" he asked. "My name is Serafina Pekkala. I am the chief of the Witches of Lake Enara. We are from another world. What's your name?" "Joachim Lorenz. You say you are witches? Do you associate with the devil?" "If so, do you regard us as enemies?" He thought for a moment, then laid the rifle across his lap. "It might have been before," he said, "but times have changed. Why did you come into this world?" "Because times have changed. What animal attacked your companion?" "Oh, it's a monster..." He shrugged and said, he was a little surprised. "Don't you know monsters?" "In our world, we never saw them. We saw you run away, and we didn't know what to think, and now I do." "There is no way against them," said Joachim Lorenz, "only the child is unharmed. By law, every traveling party must have a man and a woman on horseback. They must do as we have just done, Otherwise there would be no one to take care of the children. Now the situation is even worse, the cities are overrun by monsters, whereas before there were only a dozen monsters in each place." Ruta Skadi looked around.She noticed another rider approaching the carriage, and she saw that it was indeed a woman.The children all ran to meet her. "Tell me, what are you looking for?" Joachim Lorenz continued to ask, "You haven't answered me just now, you wouldn't have come here if you had nothing to do. Answer me now." "We've come to find a child," Serafina said, "a little girl from our world. Her name is Lila Belacova, and she's called Lila Silverton. But, in We really don't know where she's going to be in the big world. Have you ever seen a weird little kid all alone?" "No. But one night we saw an angel flying toward the North Pole." "Angel?" "They are in groups in the sky, fully armed and shining, which is really rare in recent years. But according to my grandfather, in their time, angels often passed through this world." He shaded his eyes with his hands, and looked down at the battered carriages and motionless travelers.Another rider had dismounted and was comforting some of the children. Serafina followed his gaze and said, "If we camp with you today, and stand guard for you, against the monsters, would you tell us about the world, and about the angels you saw?" ?” "Of course I would. Come with me." The witches helped drive the carriage farther along the path, across the bridge, and out of the woods haunted by goblins.Those grown-ups who suffered can only stay where they are, even though this scene is painful to watch.Some children hugged their mothers, but the mother could no longer answer them.Some children tugged on their father's sleeves, but the father didn't say a word, just turned a blind eye, and his eyes were empty.Younger children don't understand why their parents are being left behind.The older children, some of whom had lost their parents long ago, and some who had seen such things long before, watched it all with sullen numbness.塞拉芬娜抱起刚才掉进河里的那个孩子，他哭着要他的父亲，从塞拉芬娜的肩上回过头来，看着那个仍然一动不动站在河水中的身影。塞拉芬娜感觉到他的眼泪落在她的肩膀上。 那个骑马的女人穿着粗帆布马裤，骑马的姿态像个男人，她没跟女巫们说一句话。她脸色阴沉，她命令孩子们前进，口气严厉，毫不在乎他们的眼泪。夕阳在空气中投下金色的光辉，一切都明亮澄净，孩子们的脸和那一男一女的脸看上去也显得圣洁、坚强而美丽。 后来，当余烬在一圈覆盖着灰烬的岩石上闪烁，大山也在月光下呈现出一片静谧时，乔基姆?洛伦茨向塞拉芬娜讲述了他的世界的历史。 他解释说，那本是一个快乐的世界。城市很大也很美丽，土地丰饶肥沃。商船往来于蔚蓝色的大海，渔民们拖着成网的鳕鱼、金枪鱼、鲈鱼和鲱鱼，森林里有各种野生动物，没有一个孩子挨饿。在大城市的庭院和广场里，巴西、贝宁、爱尔兰和韩国的大使与烟草商、来自贝加莫的喜剧演员、证券商进行社交往来。 晚上，蒙着面纱的情人在悬挂玫瑰的柱廊下或是在点着灯的花园里相会，空气中涌动着茉莉花的香味和曼陀林的音乐。 女巫们瞪大了眼睛，听着与她们的世界似是而非的这个世界的故事。 “但问题出现了，”他说，“三百年前，问题出现了。有人猜应该受责怪的是天使之塔的哲学家协会，就在我们刚刚离开的那座城市里。另外一些人说这是对我们的罪孽的报应，虽然我从没听说大家对这是什么样的罪孽有一致的意见。 但突然之间不知从哪儿冒出了这些妖怪，从此我们就备受折磨。你们刚才都看到了它们的所作所为。现在你们想像一下在妖怪出没的世界里生活是什么感觉。当我们再也不能依靠原有的基础发展时，我们还怎么能繁荣呢？父亲或母亲随时都会被夺去生命，家庭就会破碎；商人随时会被夺去生命，公司就会倒闭，所有的职员和代理商就都会失业。相爱的人又怎么能信任彼此的誓言呢？我们的世界出现妖怪之后，所有的诚信和高尚的品德都消失了。 " “耶些哲学家是什么人？”塞拉芬娜问，“你提到的那座塔在哪儿？” “就在我们刚离开的那座城市——喜鹊城。你知道它为什么叫这个名字吗？ 因为喜鹊偷东西，这就是我们现在惟一能干的。几百年来我们没有创造，没有建树，我们所能做的就是偷取其他世界的东西。哦，对了，我们了解其他的世界，天使之塔的哲学家发现了我们需要了解的与此有关的所有知识。他们知道一个魔咒，如果你念动咒语，它会让你走过一扇并不存在的门，然后你会发现自己来到了另外一个世界。有人说那不是一个魔咒，而是一把钥匙，能打开无锁之门。Who knows?不管怎么样，它把妖怪放了进来。但我知道，哲学家们仍然在使用它，他们去别的世界，把他们发现的东西偷回来。当然，都是些金银珠宝，但也有别的东西，像一些想法和主意、成袋的玉米或是铅笔。那就是我们所有财富的来源，” 他悲愤地说，“那个小偷协会。” “为什么妖怪不会伤害孩子呢？”鲁塔?斯卡迪问道。 “这就是它的神秘之处。孩子的天真烂漫中有一种力量，能抵御'漠然'这种妖怪。更奇怪的是，孩子们看不见妖怪，我们也不明白为什么，到现在也没明白。但因为妖怪而产生的孤儿，你可以想像得出来，都有共同点——父母都被夺去了生命，他们成群结队，到处流浪，有时大人会雇用他们到妖怪遍布的地方寻找食物和生活用品，有时他们四处游荡，捡到什么就吃什么。 “这就是我们的世界，我们努力在这种诅咒下生活。它们是真正的寄生虫：它们并不杀死主人，但它们夺去他大部分的生命。但也有粗略的平衡……直到最近，直到那场暴风雪。那场暴风雪！整个世界似乎都被击碎了。人们的记忆中从未有过这样的暴风雪。 “然后就是那场持续几天几夜的大雾，它笼罩了我所知道的世界的每个地方，谁也无法旅行。当大雾散尽的时候，城里充满了成千上万的妖怪。于是我们就逃到高山上，逃到海上。现在你们也看到了，无论我们到哪儿，都逃脱不了妖怪的威胁。 “现在该你讲了，说说你们的世界，还有你们为什么离开它到这儿来？” 塞拉芬娜如实向他讲述了她所知道的一切。他是个诚挚的人，没有什么需要向他隐瞒的。他入神地听着，惊奇地摇着头。当她讲完时，他说：“我告诉过你关于我们的哲学家的本领，他们打开了通往其他世界的路。有人认为他们由于疏忽不时留下了一扇门。如果旅行者偶尔发现这条路，从其他的世界来到这儿，我不会吃惊的。再说，我们知道天使从这里经过。” “天使？”塞拉芬娜问，“你刚才也提到过。我们对此一无所知，你能讲讲吗？” “你想了解天使？”乔基姆?洛伦茨说，“很好。我听说他们称自己为神子（神子，原文为”bene elim “，在希伯来语中意为”神的儿子“），也有人叫他们守望者。他们不像我们那样是血肉之躯，他们是灵魂之躯。也许他们的肌肉比我们的更优美、更轻、更透明，我不知道，但他们和我们不一样。他们带来天堂的消息，那是他们的工作。有时候我们会在天空见到他们，他们从不同的路线穿过这个世界，像萤火虫那样闪闪发光，不过他们飞得更高。在安静的夜晚你甚至能听见他们扇动翅膀的声音。他们关注的跟我们不一样，尽管有人说，古时候他们也曾飞到人间，和男人女人打交道，也和人类繁殖下一代。 “暴风雪过后，大雾降临了，我在回家的路上被妖怪困在圣埃利娅城后的山上。我躲在牧羊人住的小屋里，在白桦林和一眼泉水的旁边，整个夜晚我听到头顶上在雾中的声音，是警告和愤怒的叫喊声，还有扇动翅膀的声音，比我以往任何时候听到的声音都近。黎明时分我听到打斗声、箭的呼啸声和刀剑的撞击声。 虽然我非常好奇，但我很害怕，没敢出去看。你知道，我完全被吓坏了。当天空在大雾中显得稍微晴朗一些的时候，我大着胆子往外看，我看见一个巨大的受伤的身影倒在泉水旁。我觉得我好像看了不该看的——神圣的事物。我不得不往别处看，当我再看的时候，那个身影已经不见了。 “那是我最接近天使的一次。但我以前告诉过你，我们在别的夜晚也看到过他们，高高地飞在星星中间，向北极飞去，就像一队扬帆远航的船只……有什么事正在发生，但地上的我们不知道那是什么事情。可能会爆发战争，天堂原先曾有过一次战争，哦，那是在许多许多年前，在几万年前，但我不知道结果是什么。 再发生一场战争也不是完全没有可能。但损失将是巨大的，还有对我们的影响……我无法想像。 “尽管如此，”他直起身捅了捅火，继续说道，“结果也许比我担心的要好些。也许天堂的战争会把这个世界的所有妖怪都驱赶到它们来时的深渊里。哦，那该多好！我们会幸福快乐地活着，再也不用害怕！” 乔基姆?洛伦茨望着火堆，可他脸上却毫无希望之色。火光一闪一闪地映在他脸上，像在和他做游戏，但他的表情却没有任何游戏的意思，他看上去严肃而忧郁。 鲁塔?斯卡迪说，“北极，先生，你刚才说天使正飞往北极。他们为什么要那么做，你知道吗？是不是天堂就在在那儿？” “我不清楚。你也知道我不是个博学的人，但有人说这个世界的北边是神灵的栖居地，如果天使们要集会的话，他们一定会去那儿。如果他们要在天堂发动战争，我敢说那就是他们修建堡垒、准备出发的地方。” 他抬头向上看，女巫们跟随他的目光看去，这个世界的星星和她们那个世界的星星一模一样，横贯苍穹的银河闪闪发光，数不清的点点星光点缀着夜空，几乎可与月光媲美……“先生，”塞拉芬娜说，“你听说过尘埃吗？” “尘埃？我想你不是指路面上的尘埃，而是指其他意义的尘埃吧。不，我从没听说过。看！现在就有一队天使……” 他指着蛇夫星座。的确，有什么东西正从那里经过，是一小串发亮的东西，他们不是在飘浮，而是有目的地飞行，像队形整齐的天鹅或是大雁。 鲁塔?斯卡迪站了起来。 “姐姐，我该和你分别了。”她对塞拉芬娜说道，“我要去和这些天使谈谈，不管他们什么样。如果他们要去找阿斯里尔勋爵，我就和他们一起去。如果不是，我就自己去找他。谢谢你陪伴我，多保重。” 她们互相吻了对方，鲁塔?斯卡迪骑上她的云松枝，跃上天空。她的精灵，塞吉，一只蓝脖鸟，也从黑暗中窜了出来，跟在她身边。 “我们要飞得很高吗？”他问。 “像蛇夫星座那些发光的飞行物那么高，他们飞得很快，塞吉，我们去赶上他们。” 她和精灵赶了上去，比火中冒出的火星速度还快，风从她的云松枝桠间穿过，她的黑发被风吹得飘向脑后。她没有回头再看一眼那宽广黑暗中的一小堆火，也没有再看熟睡中的孩子和她的女巫同伴们，她那一段的旅程已经结束。再说，她前面那些发亮的大家伙已经变小了，如果她不再紧盯着，他们很容易就会消失在大片星光中。 于是她继续向前飞，目光一刻也没有离开那些天使，她渐渐靠近了，他们的身影显得更加清晰。 他们发出亮光，但不像燃烧发出的光，而仿佛是不管他们身在何处，不管多么黑暗，阳光都在照耀着他们。他们看上去就像人一样，但长着一双翅膀，而且个子更高。另外，因为他们都光着身子，鲁塔?斯卡迪能看出他们中有三个男的，两个女的。他们的翅膀从肩胛骨处伸出，后背和前胸肌肉强健。鲁塔?斯卡迪跟在他们后面，保持着一段距离，注视着，估算着他们的力量，以防万一需要和他们搏斗。他们没有携带武器，但另一方面他们既然有能力自主飞翔，如果真的追打起来，他们甚至可能超过她。 她准备好弓箭以预防万一，她加速向前飞到他们身边，喊道：“天使！停下来听我说！我是女巫鲁塔?斯卡迪，我要和你们谈谈！” 他们转过身来，向里扇着巨大的翅膀，放慢速度，在空中站直了身体，扇着翅膀，保持着这个姿势。他们围住她，在黑暗中，五个巨大的身影像是被一个看不见的太阳照耀着，闪闪发光。 她坐在松枝上，尽管她的心因为感到奇怪而剧烈跳动着，但她却毫不畏惧地看着四周，她的精灵扇动着翅膀，靠着她温暖的身体坐着。 每个天使显然都彼此独立，但和她所见过的人类相比，他们之问却有更多的共同点。他们所共有的是瞬间传遍全体的一种电光火石般的灵性和知觉。他们光着身子，但在他们深邃而锐利的目光前，她却感觉好像是自己光着身子一样。 但她并不为自己感到害羞，她高昂起头回应他们的目光。 “那你们就是天使了，”她说，“或者是守望者，或者是神子。你们要去哪儿？” “我们听从某个召唤。”一个天使说。 “谁的召唤？”她问。 “一个人的。” “阿斯里尔勋爵吗？” “也许是。” “你们为什么要听从他的召唤呢？” “因为我们愿意。”天使答道。 “那不管他在哪儿，你们也带我去他那儿吧。”她命令他们。 鲁塔?斯卡迪已经四百零十六岁了，她具有一个成熟的女巫酋长所有的骄傲和学识。迄今为止，她比任何短命的凡人都聪明，但在这些古老的天使面前，她却觉得自己完全像个孩子。她既不知道他们那细微触须般的知觉可以伸向她无法想像的宇宙最深远处的角落，也不知道她看到他们显现人的形态只是因为她的眼睛如此期待。如果她能洞察他们真正形态的话，他们其实不像生命体，而更像某种由灵性和知觉构成的巨大建筑。 但他们并没有指望她别的：她太年轻了。 他们立即扇动翅膀向前飞去，她也跟随着他们出发了，她乘着他们翅尖激起的气流前进，津津有味地品味着她的飞行因此而增加的速度和威力。 整个夜晚他们都在飞行。星星在他们周围旋转，又在从东方渗透出的曙光中逐渐黯淡和消失。太阳喷薄而出，整个世界立刻一片灿烂辉煌，于是他们又飞翔在明净的蓝天下和新鲜湿润的空气中。 尽管对任何眼睛来说，天使的奇异之处很明显，但在白天，天使还是不太容易被看见。鲁塔?斯卡迪发现他们身上的光芒并非来自升起的太阳，而是来自别的地方的一种光芒。 他们不知疲倦地继续飞行，她也不知疲倦地跟随着。能命令这些不朽的生物，她感到一种占据身心的强烈的快乐。她快乐，为她的血肉之躯和她肌肤所接触的粗糙的松树皮，为她心脏的跳动和她所有感官的存在，为她感觉到的饥饿，为她那只嗓音甜美的蓝脖鸟精灵的存在，为她身下的大地和每一种动植物的生命；她快乐，因为她和他们由相同的物质组成，因为她知道她死后她的躯体将滋养其他生命，就像别的生命也曾滋养过她一样；她快乐，还因为她将再次见到阿斯里尔勋爵。 又一个夜晚来临了，天使依然继续飞翔。在某些地方空气的品质变了，不是变好或变坏，只是有了变化。鲁塔?斯卡迪知道他们已经离开刚才的世界，来到另一个世界，但她不明白这一切是怎么发生的。 “天使！”她感觉到变化时，叫道，“我们怎么离开了我刚才发现你们时的那个世界？哪里是边界？” “空中有些看不见的地方，”天使回答道，“那是进入其他世界的门户。我们能看见，但你看不见。” 鲁塔?斯卡迪看不见那扇门，但她无需看见：女巫比鸟儿更能控制飞行。天使说话时，她的注意力集中到了她身下的三座山峰，她准确地记住了他们的形状。 现在，无论天使会怎么想，只要她需要就可以轻易地找到它。 他们飞得更远了，不久她就听见一个天使说道：“阿斯里尔勋爵就在这个世界，那就是他正在修建的城堡……” 他们减慢了速度，像鹰一样在半空中盘旋。鲁塔?斯卡迪向一个天使所指的方向看去，尽管星星依旧在高高的、黑天鹅绒般的夜空中闪烁，但东方已经开始透出隐约的亮光。在这个世界的最边缘，这亮光每时每刻都在积聚增长，一座绵延的大山露出了山峰——断矛似的黑色岩石、断裂的巨大石块和锯齿般的山脊，胡乱堆在一起，仿佛是一场宇宙灾难后形成的废墟。但她看见那最高峰已经被清晨的第一缕阳光勾勒出灿烂的轮廓，显现出一副瑰丽的景象：有一座巨大的城堡，每个城墙垛都由半座山那么高的火山岩构成，城堡大得要用飞行时间来衡量。 在黎明前的黑暗中，在巨大的城堡下，火光闪耀着，锻烧炉冒着烟。在许多英里之外，鲁塔?斯卡迪就听到锤子的敲打声和磨坊的碾磨声。她发现有更多的天使成群结队从各个方向飞来，不仅仅是天使，还有机器：有钢铁翅膀、像信天翁一样滑翔着的飞机，闪动着的蜻蜓翅膀下的玻璃座舱，大黄蜂般嗡嗡作响的齐柏林飞艇——全部飞往阿斯里尔勋爵在世界边缘的大山中建造的城堡。 “阿斯里尔勋爵在那儿吗？”她问。 “是的，他在那儿。”天使答道。 “那我们飞到那儿去找他吧，你们必须做我的仪仗队。” 他们顺从地展开翅膀，飞向那镶着金边的城堡，心情迫切的女巫飞在他们前面。