Chapter 2 2. Balthamus and Baruch

Then a soul flew past me: my hairs stood on end. —Book of Work "Quiet," Will said, "Quiet. Leave me alone." It was just after Lila was taken away, and it was just after Will came down from the top of the mountain, when Will's father was killed by the witch.Will lit the small tin lantern in his father's pack with a dry match he found in it, and squatted in the lee of the rock to open Lyra's canvas bag. Will felt inside with his good hand and found the heavy velvet-wrapped alethiometer, gleaming in the light of the tin lantern.He handed it to the two figures who called themselves angels standing beside him.

"Can you read this?" he said. "I don't understand." A voice said, "Come with us, you must come with us, come with us to Lord Asriel now." "Who sent you to follow my father? You said he didn't know you were following him, but he did." Will said fiercely, "He told me you would come, and he knew better than you thought There are many more. Who sent you here?" "We were not sent, we came by ourselves," said the voice. "We want to serve Lord Asriel, and the dead man, what does he want you to do with this knife?" Will had to hesitate for a moment.

"He said I should take it to Lord Asriel," he said. "Then come with us." "No, not until I find Lyra." He wrapped the alethiometer in flannelette and put it in a rucksack.After fastening it, he put on his father's heavy cloak to keep out the rain, then squatted on the spot and stared fixedly at the two shadows. "Are you telling the truth?" he said. "It's the truth." "So are you stronger or weaker than humans?" "Weak. You have a real body, we don't. But you still have to go with us." "No. If I am better than you, you must obey me. Besides, I have a knife. So I can order you: Find Lila for me. I don't care how long it takes, I will find her before I go to see you Lord Asriel."

The two figures were silent for a few seconds, then floated aside to whisper, but Will couldn't hear what they were saying. When they finally came together again, he heard them say, "Well, it's not wise for you to do this, but we have no other choice. We'll help you find the kid." Will tried to see them better through the darkness, but the rain filled his eyes. "Come closer so I can see you," he said. They moved closer, but seemed even more indistinct than before. "Can I see better during the day?" "No, it's worse. We're not the higher class of angels."

"Very well, if I can't see you, then it's impossible for others to see you, so you can be invisible. Go see if you can find out where Lyra is.She must be not far from here, and there was a woman -- Lyra must have been with her -- who had taken her.Go find it, and let me know what you see. " The angels rose into the stormy night sky and disappeared.Will suddenly felt a dull haze around him.He had run out of strength before fighting his father, and now he was almost finished, and all he wanted to do was close his eyes, heavy and sore from crying. He wrapped his cloak over his head, hugged his rucksack to his chest, and soon fell asleep.

"Nowhere," said a voice. Will heard this sound in his deep sleep, and he struggled to wake up, because he was so drowsy and unconscious, so he opened his eyes after nearly a minute, and the bright morning was already in front of him. "Beside you," said the angel, "this way." The sun had just risen, and in the morning light the rocks and the moss on the rocks shone brightly and brightly. "I said that in daylight we are harder to see," continued the voice, "at dusk and in the half-light of dawn. You see we see best in semi-darkness, next in darkness, and worst in sunlight. My companions and I searched the far side of the mountain and saw no women or children but there There was a lake, and the water was blue. She must have camped there, and there was a dead man there?What does he look like? "

"In his sixties, chubby, with smooth skin, silver hair, expensive clothes" It's Sir Charles," said Will, "Mrs. Coulter must have killed him.Well, at least it says "she left a track, and my companion followed her track. He will come back when he finds her, and I will stay with you." Will stood up and looked around.The storm had washed the air, and the morning was clean and spotless, which only made the scene around him more depressing, for nearby lay the corpses of several of the witches who had escorted him and Lyra to his father.A carrion crow was already tearing at the face of a corpse, and Will saw a larger bird hovering overhead, as if picking the best feast.

Will looked at the bodies in turn, but didn't see Serafina.Pekkala, she is the queen of the witch tribe and Lyra's best friend.Then he remembered: hadn't she left suddenly for something else shortly before that night? So she must be alive, and the thought cheered him up.He scanned the horizon for her shadow, but there was nothing, just blue air and steep rocks in every direction he looked. "Where are you?" he asked the angel. "With you, as always," said the voice. Will looked to the left where the sound came from, but saw nothing. "So no one can see you, can others hear you like I can?"

"If I speak softly I can't hear you," said the angel sharply. "What's your name? Do you have names?" "Yes. My name is Balthamos, and my companion is Baruch." Will considered what to do.When you choose one of many methods, the others you didn't choose are blown out like candles, as if they never existed.All of Will's choices exist simultaneously at this moment, but making them all live would mean doing nothing.He had to make a choice anyway. "Let's go back down the hill," he said, "to that lake. There may be something I can use there. Besides, I'm thirsty. I'll take whichever way I think is right, and if I'm wrong, you You can guide me."

After a few minutes of walking down the rocky slope with no path, he realized that his hand was no longer hurting. In fact, when he woke up, he didn't think about his wound at all. He stopped and looked at the rough cloth that his father had tied him up after he had fought with him. It was oily and greasy, but there was no trace of blood.It was so good now, after all the bleeding after the severed finger, he felt his heart almost jump for joy. He moved his fingers tentatively.True, the wound still hurt, but the nature of the pain was different: no longer the deep, piercing pain of the day before, but a smaller, duller feeling, as if it was healing, and it was my father who healed.The witch's spell failed, and the father healed him.

He happily walked down the hill. It took three hours, and with a few pointers from the angels, he came to the small blue lake.By the time he reached the lake, his throat was smoking with thirst, and the cloak was heavy and hot in the scorching sun, but when he took it off he lost the cover, for his bare arms and neck were feverish.He put down his cloak and rucksack, ran a few steps to the water's edge, and poured his face into the water, gulping down the cold lake water.The lake was so cold that his teeth and skull ached. After quenching his thirst, Will stood up and looked around.He had no time to pay attention to everything around him last night, only now did he realize that the lake was so blue, and he heard the piercing sounds of insects coming from all directions. "Balthamos?" "Always here." "Where is the dead man?" "It's over that tall rock on your right." "Are there monsters nearby?" "No, not a single one." Will grabs his rucksack and cape and climbs along the edge of the lake to the rock Balthamos pointed out.A camp was set up behind the rocks, with five or six tents, and the things left after the pot was buried for cooking.Will moved his steps cautiously, fearing that someone might still be alive and hiding somewhere. There is unfathomable silence everywhere, only the sound of insects scratching the silent atmosphere.The tent was quiet, the lake water was crystal clear, and slight ripples were still slowly emerging from the place where he drank water just now.Suddenly there was a green thing flashing at his feet, which startled him. It turned out to be just a small lizard. The tents were made of camouflage material, which only made them stand out against the drab red rock.He looked at the first tent first, which was empty.The second tent was also empty, but in the third he found something of value: a tin of cans and a box of matches, and a dark strip as long and thick as his arm.At first he thought it was leather, but in the sunlight it was plain to him that it was dried meat. Hey, doesn't he have a pocket knife?He sliced ​​a thin slice and found it chewy and only slightly salty, but tasty.He put the meat and matches into the rucksack, along with the cans, and searched the other tents, but they were all empty. He saved the largest tent for last. "Is that dead man in that tent?" he said into the air. "Yes," said Balthamos, "he was poisoned." Will cautiously walked around to the mouth of the tent facing the lake.Beside the overturned canvas chair lay the corpse of a man known in Will's world as Sir Charles Latrome and in Lyra's as Lord Borel.He stole Lyra's alethiometer, which in turn led to Will's wonderful knife. Sir Charles was smooth, cunning, and powerful, but now that he was dead, his face was distorted and disgusting to watch.Will didn't want to look at his face, but he glanced into the tent and saw that there were many things worth stealing inside, so he stepped over the body to take a closer look. His father, a soldier and an explorer, would know exactly what to take, but Will had to guess.He picked up a small magnifying glass in a steel case, for he could use it to start a fire and save matches; a roll of coarse twine; Aluminum alloy lunch box and a small tin cup; a pair of small diving glasses; a bundle of thumb-sized gold coins wrapped in paper; a first-aid kit; water purification tablets; a box of coffee; three packs of compressed dried fruit; one pack Oatmeal biscuits; six packs of Kendal Peppermint Bars; a box of fishhooks and nylon string; and finally a notebook, two pencils, and a small torch. He packed all these things into a rucksack, cut another piece of meat, filled his belly, filled his lunch box with lake water, and said to Balthamos: "What else do you think I need?" "You can be a little rational," replied, "something that will make you recognize wisdom and make you respect and obey it." "Are you wise?" "Much stronger than you." "Well, you see, I can't tell. Are you a man? You sound like a man." "Baruch used to be a man, I wasn't, now he's an angel." "So..." Will was packing his rucksack, putting the heaviest items at the bottom.He stopped, trying to see the angel clearly, but couldn't see anything.He continued: "So he was once a man. So... do people become angels when they die?Is that the case? " "Not always. Mostly not... very rarely." "Then when did he live?" "About four thousand years ago, I was older." "Is he living in my world? Or Laila's world? Or this world?" "Your world. However, there are pyramid-like worlds, as you know." "But how do people become angels?" "What's the point of such an overly refined guess?" "I just want to know." "Better concentrate on what you're doing. You've robbed this dead man's property. You've got all the toys you need to stay alive. Shall we move on now?" "Wait until I know which way to go." "No matter which way we go, Baruch will find us." "So, if we stay here, he'll find us too. I've got a thing or two to do." Will sat down where he could see Sir Charles' body and ate three pieces of Kendal mint cake. With the nourishment of the food, he felt refreshed and refreshed, which was great.Then he looked at the alethiometer again, and the thirty-six small pictures on the ivory were very clear: there was no doubt that this was a baby, that a puppy, this a piece of bread, and so on.That's why they say it's mysterious. "How does Lyra understand this?" "It's very likely that she made a wild guess. People who have used these instruments have studied it for many years, and even they have to use a lot of reference books to understand it." "She didn't just guess, she did understand, and she told me a lot of things that she couldn't have learned otherwise." "It's a mystery to me too, really," said the angel. Looking at the alethiometer, Will remembered something Lyra had said, that she had to be in a certain state of mind to read it, and that made him feel the magic of the silver knife in turn. Curiously, he took out his pocket knife and cut a small window where he was sitting. Through the small window, he could only see blue air, but below, far below was a landscape composed of trees and fields, It was his world, no doubt about it. From this point of view, the mountains and rivers of this world are not connected with those of his world.He closed the window, using his left hand for the first time.I am so happy to be able to use my left hand again! Then, suddenly, an idea drilled into his mind like an electric shock. If there are pyramid-like worlds, why does the knife only open the window between this world and his own? It should definitely mow into either world. He raised the knife again and, as Giiacomo Paradisi had commanded, let his heart flow from the blade to the tip until his consciousness lay comfortably surrounded by atoms, feeling the breath of the air. every tiny crack and ripple. Instead of cutting at the first pause, as he always did, he moved the knife from one pause to the next, like caressing a row of seams, pressing lightly without damaging a single one. "What are you doing?" A voice in the air called him back. "Explore," Will said. "Keep quiet and stand back. You'll get cut if you get close, and I can't avoid you because I can't see you." Balthamos grunted dissatisfied.Will raised the knife again, feeling those little pauses and hesitations.There were many more of these than he had thought, and since feeling does not need to be cut immediately, he found that each pause and hesitation had a different quality: this one was hard and certain, the second clouded; the third Slippery, the fourth cold and vulnerable...but amidst all the pauses and hesitations there were some that he felt easier than others and already knew the answers to. He cut one to confirm his feeling: indeed, it was his own world again. He closed it, felt a different kind of opening with the tip of the knife, found a flexible opening full of tension, and cut in. Ah yes!What he looked out of that window was not his own world: here the ground was closer, and there were no picturesque green fields and hedges, just a desert of rolling hills. He closes it and opens another: a smoggy industrial city where a troop of handcuffed, grim-faced workers staggers into a factory. He shut this one down as well, returning to normalcy.He felt a little dizzy.He understood for the first time, some of the knife's real power, and placed it carefully on the rock in front of him. "Are you going to be here all day?" Balthamos said. "I'm thinking about it. You can go from world to world easily only if the ground is the same place. Maybe there's some place where it's at, maybe that's where a lot of the cutting happens... you have to use the tip of the knife Know what it's like to be in your own world, or you might never come back, you'll be lost forever." "Indeed. But maybe we..." "You have to know which world has the ground in the same place, otherwise there's no need to open it." Will said, both to the angel and to himself. "So it's not as easy as I thought it would be. In Oxford and the Magpies, maybe we just got lucky, but all I have to do is..." He picked up the knife again.In addition to the clear and distinct feeling he gets when he comes across a world that opens up to him, he has another feeling that he's encountered more than once: a feeling of resonance, like a pounding The sense of the wooden drum, though of course that does not include that it, like every other sense, walks through the hollow air with the slightest movement. it's there.He moved elsewhere and felt it again: it reappeared. He cut through and found that his guess was right.The resonance sound indicated that the ground of the world he opened was in the same place as this world.Before him was a sloping lawn under an overcast sky, on which a herd of livestock grazed quietly.It was an animal he had never seen before, the size of a bison, with broad horns, thick, shaggy blue hair, and a mane of straight bristles on its back. He stepped over, and the nearest animal looked up indifferently, and then lowered its head to eat grass.Will didn't close the window, and felt the familiar openings with the tip of the knife on the lawn in another world, trying to test them one by one. Yes, he could open his own from this world, he was still high above the farm and hedge; yes, he could easily find that solid resonance that meant the Magpie City he had just left. With a deep sense of relief, Will shuts everything down and returns to the camp by the lake.Now he can find his way home, now he won't get lost, now he can hide and move around safely when needed. As his knowledge increases, so does his power.He sheathed the knife at his waist and swung the rucksack over his shoulder. "Hey, are you ready now?" said the sarcastic voice. "Ready. If you want to hear, I can explain, but you don't seem very interested." "Oh, I think I'm very interested in everything you do. But leave me alone, what are you going to say to these people coming here?" Will looked around in surprise.A group of travelers came along the footpath far down the mountain. They led pack horses and struggled to climb towards the lake.They haven't seen him yet, but if he stays where he is, they will soon find him. Will picked up his father's overcoat, which he had spread out on the rocks to dry, much lighter as it dried.He glanced around: there was nothing else to take. "Let's keep going," he said. He would have liked to re-do the bandages, but that could wait.He set off along the lake, leaving the traveler behind, followed by the angel, invisible to all in the bright air. After a long time, they walked down the bare mountain and came to a mountain mouth covered with green grass and dwarf rhododendrons. Will wanted to take a break, and before long, he decided to stop. The angel said very little along the way, except for an occasional reminder, "Not that way." Or, "There's an easier path on the left." He took his advice, but really he was just moving for the sake of moving , to avoid the travelers, for he might as well stay where he is until another angel returns with more news. Now that the sun was starting to set, he thought he could see his strange companion, a man whose silhouette seemed to shiver in the evening glow, the air thicker inside. "Balthamos?" said he. "I want to find a stream. Is there one near here?" "There's a creek halfway up this slope, just above those trees," said the angel. "Thank you," Will said. He found the stream, took a deep drink, and filled his lunch box.But he hadn't reached the grove when he heard Balthamos yelling, and Will turned to see his silhouette darting across the hillside like an arrow—what?The angel can only see it for a brief moment, and sees better when it's not looking directly, but he seems to stop and listen for a moment, then shoots into the air and slides back quickly to Will. "Here we come!" he said, and for the first time there was no dissatisfaction and sarcasm in his voice. "Baruch coming this way! There's one more window, barely visible. Come here—come here. Come here quickly." Will forgets his fatigue and eagerly follows.Stepping up to him he found that the window opened onto a dim tundra-like terrain, flatter, colder, and cloud-covered than the mountains of the Magpie City world.He walked over, and Balthamos immediately followed. "What world is this?" Will asked. "That girl's world, they walked through here, and Baruch has already gone one step ahead to chase them." "How do you know where he is? Can you read his mind?" "Of course. Wherever he goes, my heart is with him. We are two. It feels like one." Will looked around, but there was no sign of a human being. As the light weakened, the coldness in the air increased every second. "I don't want to sleep here," he said. "We'll stay overnight in the world of Magpie City and come back in the morning. At least there's woods there and I can make a fire. Now that I know what her world is like, I can use a knife Find it... oh, Balthamus, can you be otherwise?" "Why should I be any other way?" "In this world, humans have elves. If I didn't have them, they'd be suspicious. Lyra was afraid of me because of that in the beginning. If we're going to travel in her world, you'll have to dress up as my elf, become Be some kind of animal. Be a bird, maybe. That way, at least you can fly." "Oh, how annoying." "But you can do it, can you?" "I can……" "Then do it quickly. Let me see." The angel's body seemed to compress, spinning in mid-air into a small whirlwind, and then a blackbird swooped down on the grass at Will's feet. "Fly over my shoulder," Will said. The bird complied, and said, with the familiar sharp tone of an angel, "I only do this when I have to, and it's unspeakably shameful." "It's too bad," Will said, "in this world where you turn into a bird every time you see a human being. It's no use making noise, it's no use making noise, just do it." The blackbird flew off his shoulder and disappeared in mid-air.The angel was back again, sulking sullenly in the half-light.Will looked around before heading back, sniffing the air, taking stock of the world Lyra had been imprisoned in. "Where is your companion now?" he asked. "Followed that woman to the south." "Then we'll go there tomorrow, too." The next day, Will walked for hours without seeing anyone.Most of the places are short low hills covered with dry grass.Every time he reached a high place, he looked around to see if there were any human settlements, but he didn't find any.Only a blur of dark green in the distance breaks the empty monotony of the gray brown-green.He went towards it, for Balthamos said it was a forest with a river running south.When the sun was high, he wanted to sleep in a bush for a while, but he didn't fall asleep.When night came, his legs were sore and exhausted. "Going too slowly," said Balthamos acidly. "I can't help it," Will said. "If you can't say anything useful, then don't say anything at all." When he reached the edge of the forest, the sun was already setting, and the air was filled with a strong smell of pollen. He couldn't help but sneezed several times, and a bird screamed and flew up from somewhere nearby. "That was the first living thing I saw today," Will said. "Where are you going to camp?" Balthamos asked. The angel was now often seen in the long shadows of the trees, and Will could tell from his expression that he had a bad temper. Will said, "I've got to stop somewhere here, and you can find me a place. I hear a stream—see if you can find it." The angel disappeared.Will trudged on, through clumps of low heather and swamp myrtle, wishing there was a trail to follow.Looking at the twilight, he was worried: he must choose a place to stop immediately, otherwise the darkness would force him to stop without any choice. Balthamos appeared at arm's length and said, "There's a stream on the left and a dead tree for firewood. This way..." Will followed the voice of the angel, and soon found the place he described, a small stream rushing between the moss-covered rocks, flowing over a mountain mouth and falling into a small narrow abyss , darkly hidden under the arching trees.Beside the creek, the green embankment extends back to the bushes and understory trees not far away. Before resting, he started collecting firewood.Soon he saw a circle of blackened stones in the grass, where a fire had been lit long ago.He picked a bunch of twigs and heavier trunks, cut them to length with a pocket knife, and then tried to set them on fire.He didn't know what was the best way to do it, and wasted a few matches to kindle the flames. The angel watched wearily and patiently. Once the fire was lit, Will ate two oatmeal biscuits, some dried meat, and some Kendal peppermint cake, and washed it down with gulps of cold water.Balthamos sat nearby, saying nothing, and Will finally said, "Are you going to keep looking at me like that? I'm not going anywhere." "I'm waiting for Baruch. He'll be back soon. I won't talk to you until then, if you want." "Would you like something to eat?" Balthamos moved a little: he was interested. "I mean, I don't know if you don't eat at all, but if you want something, you're welcome," Will said. "What's that?" Angel asked critically, pointing to the Kendall Peppermint Cake. "Mostly sugar, I think, and mint. Here." Will breaks off a piece and hands it to him.Balthamos turned his head to sniff, then picked up, his fingers touching Will's palm, it was light and cool. "I think this will give me nourishment," he said. "One piece will be enough, thank you." He sat down and licked quietly.Will found him looking at the fire.With the angel in his peripheral vision, he had a deeper impression of him. "Where is Baruch?" he asked. "Can he communicate with you?" "I feel like he's around, he'll be here soon. We'll talk as soon as he's back. Talking feels the best." In less than ten minutes, Balthamos stood up eagerly with the sound of wings fluttering in his ears.Immediately afterwards, the two angels hugged each other.Will stared at the flames and saw that their love for each other was stronger than love, passionate love. Baruch sat down beside his companion, and Will turned on the fire, and a puff of smoke drifted past them both.The smoke outlined them, allowing him to see them both clearly for the first time.Balthamos was leaner, with his narrow wings gracefully tucked behind his shoulders, and an expression of haughty contempt mixed with tender compassion on his face, as if he would love all things if only his nature would allow him to forget their faults.But in Baruch he saw no faults, that was clear.As Balthamos said, Baruch seemed to be younger, he had grown stronger, and his wings were white and thick.He was of a simpler nature, and he admired Balthamus as if he were the source of all knowledge and joy.Will finds himself mesmerized and moved by the love they ask for each other. "Have you found Lyra?" he asked, eager for news. "Found it," said Baruch, "in a valley in the Himalayas, high up, near a glacier where the light was turned into a rainbow by the ice. I'll draw you a map on the ground so you can't make a mistake .The girl was kept in a cave in the woods and hypnotized by the woman." "Hypnotized? Is that woman alone? Are there no soldiers with her?" "Alone, yes. Hiding there." "Laila wasn't hurt?" "No, just asleep and dreaming. Let me tell you where they are." Baruch drew a map with his pale fingers on the bare ground by the fire, and Will picked up his notebook and copied it down accurately.The map shows a strange, serpentine glacier flowing between three almost identical peaks. "Now," said the angel, "let's come a little closer. The valley where the hole is located comes down to the left of the glacier, and a stream of snow flows through it. The top of the valley is here..." He drew another map, which Will copied, and then a third, each time getting closer, so Will figured he'd find the place without much trouble—if he crossed the frozen The distance between the original and the mountain is four or five thousand miles.A knife can cut through the world, but it cannot eliminate the distance between them. "There is a shrine near the glacier," said Baruch at last, "with a banner of red silk that was blown tattered by the wind. A little girl sent food to the cave, and they thought the woman was a saint. If they satisfied her needs, she will bless them." "Is it?" Will said. "She's hiding... I don't understand, hiding from the church?" "It seems to be the case." Will carefully folded the map.He had sat the tin cup on the stones by the fire to boil the water, and now he had thrown in some ground coffee, stirred it with a stick, wrapped his hand in the towel, lifted it from the cup and drank. A flaming stick sinks into the fire, and a night bird calls. Suddenly, out of nowhere, Will saw both angels look up and look in the same direction.He followed their gazes, but saw nothing.He'd seen his cat do this once: startled suddenly out of half-sleep, looking up to see someone or something unseen walk through the door and across the room.The sight made his hair stand on end, and this time, too. Will scooped up a handful of dirt in his good good hand and sprinkled the flames, and immediately the cold went into his bones and he began to shiver.He pulled the overcoat around himself and looked up again.Now there was something to see: above the clouds there was something shining, but it wasn't the moon. He heard Baruch whisper, "Is it a chariot? Is it possible?" "What's that?" Will asked softly. Baruch leaned closer and replied softly: "They know we're here, they found us. Will, hold your knife—" Before the words were finished, something swooped down from the sky and hit Balthamos.In less than a second Baruch jumped up, and Balthamos twisted to break free of his wings.The three men fought back and forth in the gloom like giant wasps caught in a mighty spider's web, and there was no sound at all: Will heard only the snapping of branches and the scraping of leaves as they fought together. . He couldn't use a knife: they were all moving too fast.Instead, he pulled a flashlight from his rucksack and flipped it on. No one expected that when the attacker spread his wings, Balthamos quickly stretched out his arms to cover his eyes, only Baruch was still conscious and did not let go.But Will saw what was happening: this enemy: another angel, much bigger and stronger than both of them, and Baruch's hand had his mouth. "Will!" cried Balthamos, "the knife—cut a way out..." At this moment, the assailant broke free from Baruch's hand and shouted, "My lord regent! I found them!" His voice made Will's head ring like a cry he'd never heard before.After a while the angel was about to jump into the air, but Will dropped the flashlight and jumped on it.He'd killed a cliff spook, but it was much harder to take a stab at something in his own shape.不过，他把那抖动着的巨大翅膀抱进怀里，一刀又一刀地砍着羽毛，直到空气中到处是飞旋的白片，在那充满暴力感的狂澜中他仍然想起了巴尔塞莫斯说过的话：你有着真正的肉身，我们没有。人类比天使强壮，这是真的：他正将天使压到地上。 袭击者仍在用他那震耳欲聋的声音大喊：“摄政大人！救我救我！” 威尔设法朝上瞥了一眼，看见云在旋转翻腾，那道光——一个庞大的东西——正变得越来越强大，仿佛云自己正因为能量而变得光彩夺目，像等离子体。 巴尔塞莫斯喊道：“威尔——放手快切啊，他就要来了——” 但是那个天使在拼命挣扎，现在他已经挣开了一只翅膀，正奋力要从地上爬起来，威尔必须抓住不放，不然他就会完全脱身了。巴鲁克跳过来帮忙，把袭击者的头强行向后摁了又摁。 “不！”巴尔塞莫斯又喊道，“不！不！” 他扑到威尔身上，摇他的胳臂，摇他的肩膀，摇他的手。袭击者又想喊叫，但巴鲁克的手捂住了他的嘴。空中传来深沉的震颤，像一个威力巨大的发电机，几乎低沉得听不见，但它震撼着空气中的每一个原子，震撼着威尔的骨髓。 “他来了——”巴尔塞莫斯几乎是哭着说。现在威尔的确感受到了他的一些恐惧。“求你啦，求你啦，威尔——” 威尔抬头望去。 云正在散开，穿过那深黑的裂缝一个人影飞速而下：开始时很小，但随着他一秒一秒地接近，那东西变得越来越大，越来越吓人。他径直冲他们扑来，带着再明显不过的恶意。威尔敢肯定他甚至可以看见他的眼睛。 “威尔，你必须这样做。”巴鲁克急切地说。 威尔站起来，心里想说：“抓紧他。”但就在这句话钻进脑海的那一刹那，那个天使便软塌塌地倒在地上，像雾一样融化散开，然后就不见了。威尔四处张望，感到自己很傻，仿佛天旋地转。 “我杀了他吗？”他颤巍巍地问道。 “你是逼不得已啊，”巴鲁克说，“不过现在——” “我讨厌这样做。”威尔情绪激动地说道，“真的，真的，我讨厌这种杀戮！ 什么时候才会结束呢？ " “我们得走了。”巴尔塞莫斯怯怯地说道，“快点，威尔——快点——我求你啦——” 他们俩都怕得要死。 威尔用刀尖在空气中探测：任何世界，只要能脱离这个世界就行。他迅速地割去，然后抬头一望：从天而降的那个天使已只差几秒钟的距离，他的表情令人恐怖。即使从那个距离，在那么紧急的一刹那，威尔仍感觉自己被某种巨大、残酷和无情的智慧里里外外地搜索和冲刷了一遍。 更有甚者，他手里握着一把长矛——他正举起长矛准备投射——就在天使止住飞行，站直身子，胳臂甩到后面准备投掷那个武器时，威尔跟着巴鲁克和巴尔塞莫斯穿过去并随手关上了窗户。当他的手指将最后一寸窗户合上时，他感觉到空气一声震荡——但一切都过去了，他安全了：那是在另外那个世界本来会穿透他身体的那支长矛。 他们来到了一个沙滩上，天空有一轮皎洁的明月。靠近陆地～点长着巨大的像蕨一样的树木，矮矮的沙丘沿着海岸延伸好几英里。天气又炎热又潮湿。 “那是谁？”威尔颤巍巍地直视着两个天使问道。 “那是梅塔特龙，”巴尔塞莫斯说，“你本来应该……” “梅塔特龙？他是谁？他为什么要攻击我们？不要对我撒谎。” “我们必须告诉他，”巴鲁克对他的同伴说，“你早就应该告诉他。” “我是早该告诉他。”巴尔塞莫斯同意道，“但是我当时在生他的气，在为你担忧。” “那就现在告诉我吧。”威尔说，“而且记住，不要告诉我该干什么，这是没有什么用的——这些我都不在乎，都不。我只在乎莱拉和我的母亲。”他补充道：“这就是所有这些被你称作过分精细的揣测的原因。” 巴鲁克说：“我想我们应该把我们的信息告诉你。威尔，这就是我们一直在找你并且要带你去见阿斯里尔勋爵的原因。我们发现了王国——权威者的世界的一个秘密——我们必须与他分享这个秘密。我们在这儿安全吗？”他环顾了一下四周说，“没有路出去吗？” 这是一个不同的世界，一个不同的宇宙。 他们站立其上的沙子很软，附近沙丘的斜坡很诱人。在月光下可以看到好几英里，四周一个人也没有。 “那就告诉我吧。”威尔说，“跟我说说梅塔特龙，说说是什么秘密。为什么那个天使叫他摄政者？权威者是谁？是上帝吗？” 他坐了下来，两个天使也跟他一起坐了下来，月光下他们的形状比他以前任何时候见过的都更清晰。 巴尔塞莫斯平静说道：“权威者，上帝，创世主，大人，耶和华，埃尔，艾多奈，国王，父亲，主——这些都是他给自己取的名字。他从来就不是什么创世主。他像我们一样只是一个天使——第一个天使，这倒是真的，最强大的，但他像我们一样是尘埃形成的，尘埃只是物质开始了解自己时所发生的事情的一个名字。物质热爱物质。它想对自己有更深的了解，于是就形成了尘埃，第一个天使是从尘埃中凝练而成的，权威者就是开天辟地的第一个。他告诉后来者是他创造了他们，但这是一个谎言。一个后来者比他聪明，她发现了实情，于是他把她流放了。我们现在仍在为他服务，权威者仍然统治着他的王国，梅塔特龙是他的摄政者。 “至于我们在云山中发现的事情的核心我们不能告诉你，我们已经发过誓第一个听到这个的人应该是阿斯里尔勋爵本人。” “那么，你们能告诉我多少就告诉我多少吧，不要把我蒙在鼓里。” “我们找到了云山。”巴鲁克又接着说：“很抱歉这些词我们用得太随意。 它有时被叫做战车，不固定。你瞧，它窜来窜去，所到之处就是王国的心脏。他的城堡，他的王宫。当权威者年轻的时候，城堡是被云环绕着的，但是随着时间的推移，他把云越来越厚地包围在他的周围，好几千年都没有人看到过它的顶峰了，所以现在人们把它叫做云山。 " “你们在那儿发现了什么？” “权威者本人住在山的正中间的一个房间里。尽管我们可以看见他，但是却无法靠近。他的权力——” “他已经将他的大部分权力授权给梅塔特龙，”巴尔塞莫斯插嘴道，“你已经看到了他的样子。我们以前也从他那儿逃脱过。现在他又看见了我们，更有甚者，他还看见了你，看见了那把刀子。我说过——''“巴尔塞莫斯，”巴鲁克温和地说，“不要责备威尔，我们需要他的帮助，他不应该为不知道我们花了那么多的时间才发现的事情而受到责备。 " 巴尔塞莫斯别过头去。 威尔说：“这么说你们不准备告诉我你们的秘密？好吧，那就告诉这一点吧：我们死了以后会怎样？” 巴尔塞莫斯吃惊地回过头来望着威尔。 巴鲁克说道：“唔，是有一个死人的世界。它在哪儿？那里发生什么事情？ 这谁也不知道。我的灵魂，感谢巴尔塞莫斯，从来没去过那儿。我现在就像巴鲁克以前的灵魂，死人的世界对于我们来说只是漆黑一片。 " “那是一个俘虏营，”巴尔塞莫斯说，“权威者在早年的时候建的，你为什么想知道这些呢？到时候你会看到的。” “我父亲刚刚去世，就是因为这个。如果他没有被杀死的话，他本来会把他所知道的一切都告诉我的。你说那是一个世界，你的意思是说那是一个像我们这样的世界或宇宙？” 巴尔塞莫斯望了一眼巴鲁克，巴鲁克耸了耸肩。 “死人的世界里是什么样子呢？”威尔继续问道。 “很难说。”巴鲁克说，“有关那儿的一切都是秘密。甚至连教会都不知道。 他们告诉信徒们将来会住在天堂，但那是谎言。如果人们真的知道……” “我父亲的灵魂去那儿了吗？” “毫无疑问，在他以前死去的千千万万人也都如此。” 威尔觉得自己的想像力在颤抖。 “你们为什么不直接去找阿斯里尔勋爵，告诉他你们的那个巨大的秘密，不管那是什么秘密。”他说道，“而是要来找我？” “我们不敢肯定他会不会相信我们，”巴尔塞莫斯说，“除非我们带给他一些证据，证明我们是出于好意。我们只是两个在他所对付的势力中的低级天使——他为什么要拿我们当真呢？但是，如果我们能够把刀子以及刀子的主人带到他那儿，他也许会听。这把小刀是一件强大的武器，有你站在他那一边，阿斯里尔勋爵会很高兴的。” “哦，对不起。”威尔说，“但这话听起来没有说服力。如果你们对自己的秘密有信心的话，去见阿斯里尔勋爵就不需要借口。” “还有一个原因。”巴鲁克说，“我们知道梅塔特龙会来追杀我们，我们想确保小刀不落入他的手中。如果我们能够说服你先去见阿斯里尔勋爵，那么至少——” “噢，不，我才不会呢。”威尔说，“你们不是使我更容易而是更难找到莱拉。她是最重要的，你们却把她忘得一干二净了，我可没有。为什么不让我一个人留下，你们自己去找阿斯里尔勋爵？让他听你们的，你们飞过去比我走路会快得多。不管发生什么事情，我都要先去找莱拉。就这样，去吧，别理我。” “但是你需要我们，”巴尔塞莫斯生硬地说，“因为我可以假装是你的精灵，不然，在莱拉的世界里你会很显眼。” 威尔气得说不出话来。他站起身，穿过又软又深的沙子走出去二十来步，然后又停了下来，因为天气出奇的炎热潮湿。 他转过身来，看见两个天使紧凑在一起交谈。然后他们走到他面前，一副谦恭和不好意思的样子，但也趾高气扬。 巴鲁克说道：“我们很抱歉。我一个人继续去见阿斯里尔勋爵，把我们的信息告诉他，并请他派人帮你去找他的女儿。如果我导航准确的话，我要飞两天的时间。” “我同你待在一起，威尔。”巴尔塞莫斯说。 “那就谢谢了。”威尔说。 两个天使拥抱了一下，然后巴鲁克伸出双臂抱住威尔，吻了吻他的双颊。他的吻像巴尔塞莫斯的手一样轻飘飘、凉飕飕的。 “如果我们继续朝莱拉进发，你会找到我们吗？”威尔说。 “我永远不会失去巴尔塞莫斯的。”巴鲁克说着，后退了一步。然后，他跃入空中，飞速冲上天空，消失在散落的星群中。巴尔塞莫斯既绝望又不舍地目送着他。 “我们是在这儿睡觉，还是继续往前走？”他终于转身对威尔说道。 “在这儿睡觉。”威尔说。 “那就睡吧，我会注意有没有危险的。我对你太粗暴了，都是我的错。你肩负最大的责任，我会帮助你，而不是责备你。从现在起我会尽量对你好一点。” 于是，威尔在温暖的沙子上躺了下来，他认定天使就在附近某个地方站岗，但那并没有给他多少安慰。 会将我们带出这儿的，罗杰，我发誓。而且威尔会来的，我敢肯定他会的！ " 他不明白，他摊开苍白的手，摇了摇头。 “我不知道那是谁，他不会来这儿的。”他说，“如果他来了，他不会认识我。” “他会来救我的，”她说道，“我和威尔。噢，我不知道怎样办，罗杰，但我敢发誓我们会帮忙的。别忘了还有其他人站在我们这一边，有塞拉芬娜和埃欧雷克。”