pp.thegoldencompass-第5部分

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　　The　Master　was　silent　for　a　while　before　saying；　〃Yes；　perhaps　I　should　have　done。　The　alethiometer　warns　of　appalling　consequences　if　Lord　Asriel　pursues　this　research。　Apart　from　anything　else；　the　child　will　be　drawn　in；　and　I　want　to　keep　her　safe　as　long　as　possible。〃
　　〃Is　Lord　Asriel's　business　anything　to　do　with　this　new　initiative　of　the　Consistorial　Court　of　Discipline？　The　what…do…they…call…it：　the　Oblation　Board？〃
　　〃Lord　Asriel…no；　no。　Quite　the　reverse。　The　Oblation　Board　isn't　entirely　answerable　to　the　Consistorial　Court；　either。　It's　a　semiprivate　initiative；　it's　being　run　by　someone
　　who　has　no　love　of　Lord　Asriel。　Between　them　both；　Charles；　I　tremble。〃
　　The　Librarian　was　silent　in　his　turn。　Ever　since　Pope　John　Calvin　had　moved　the　seat　of　the　Papacy　to　Geneva　and　set　up　the　Consistorial　Court　of　Discipline；　the　Church's　power　over　every　aspect　of　life　had　been　absolute。　The　Papacy　itself　had　been　abolished　after　Calvin's　death；　and　a　tangle　of　courts；　colleges；　and　councils；　collectively　known　as　the　Magisterium；　had　grown　up　in　its　place。　These　agencies　were　not　always　united；　sometimes　a　bitter　rivalry　grew　up　between　them。　For　a　large　part　of　the　previous　century；　the　most　powerful　had　been　the　College　of　Bishops；　but　in　recent　years　the　Consistorial　Court　of　Discipline　had　taken　its　place　as　the　most　active　and　the　most　feared　of　all　the　Church's　bodies。
　　But　it　was　always　possible　for　independent　agencies　to　grow　up　under　the　protection　of　another　part　of　the　Magisterium；　and　the　Oblation　Board；　which　the　Librarian　had　referred　to；　was　one　of　these。　The　Librarian　didn't　know　much　about　it；　but　he　disliked　and　feared　what　he'd　heard；　and　he　pletely　understood　the　Master's　anxiety。
　　〃The　Palmerian　Professor　mentioned　a　name；〃　he　said　after　a　minute　or　so。　〃Barnard…Stokes？　What　is　the　Barnard…Stokes　business？〃
　　〃Ah；　it's　not　our　field；　Charles。　As　I　understand　it；　the　Holy　Church　teaches　that　there　are　two　worlds：　the　world　of　everything　we　can　see　and　hear　and　touch；　and　another　world；　the　spiritual　world　of　heaven　and　hell。　Barnard　and　Stokes　were　two…how　shall　I　put　it…renegade　theologians　who　postulated　the　existence　of　numerous　other　worlds　like　this　one；　neither　heaven　nor　hell；　but　material　and　sinful。　They　are　there；　close　by；　but　invisible　and　unreachable。　The　Holy　Church　naturally　disapproved　of　this　abominable　heresy；　and　Barnard　and　Stokes　were　silenced。
　　〃But　unfortunately　for　the　Magisterium　there　seem　to　be　sound　mathematical　arguments　for　this　other…world　theory。　I　have　never　followed　them　myself；　but　the　Cassington　Scholar　tells　me　that　they　are　sound。〃
　　〃And　now　Lord　Asriel　has　taken　a　picture　of　one　of　these　other　worlds；〃　the　Librarian　said。　〃And　we　have　funded　him　to　go　and　look　for　it。　I　see。〃
　　〃Quite。　It'll　seem　to　the　Oblation　Board；　and　to　its　powerful　protectors；　that　Jordan　College　is　a　hotbed　of　support　for　heresy。　And　between　the　Consistorial　Court　and　the　Oblation　Board；　Charles；　I　have　to　keep　a　balance；　and　meanwhile　the　child　is　growing。　They　won't　have　forgotten　her。　Sooner　or　later　she　would　have　bee　involved；　but　she'll　be　drawn　in　now　whether　I　want　to　protect　her　or　not。〃
　　〃But　how　do　you　know　that；　for　God's　sake？　The　alethiometer　again？〃
　　〃Yes。　Lyra　has　a　part　to　play　in　all　this；　and　a　major　one。　The　irony　is　that　she　must　do　it　all　without　realizing　what　she's　doing。　She　can　be　helped；　though；　and　if　my　plan　with　the　Tokay　had　succeeded；　she　would　have　been　safe　for　a　little　longer。　I　would　have　liked　to　spare　her　a　journey　to　the　North。　I　wish　above　all　things　that　I　were　able　to　explain　it　to　her　。　。　。　〃
　　〃She　wouldn't　listen；〃　the　Librarian　said。　〃I　know　her　ways　only　too　well。　Try　to　tell　her　anything　serious　and　she'll　half…listen　for　five　minutes　and　then　start　fidgeting。　Quiz　her　about　it　next　time　and　she'll　have　pletely　forgotten。〃
　　〃If　I　talked　to　her　about　Dust？　You　don't　think　she'd　listen　to　that？〃
　　The　Librarian　made　a　noise　to　indicate　how　unlikely　he　thought　that　was。
　　〃Why　on　earth　should　she？〃　he　said。　〃Why　should　a　distant　theological　riddle　interest　a　healthy；　thoughtless　child？〃
　　〃Because　of　what　she　must　experience。　Part　of　that　includes　a　great　betrayal　。　。　。　。〃
　　〃Who's　going　to　betray　her？〃
　　〃No；　no；　that's　the　saddest　thing：　she　will　be　the　betrayer；　and　the　experience　will　be　terrible。　She　mustn't　know　that；　of　course；　but　there's　no　reason　for　her　not　to　know　about　the　problem　of　Dust。　And　you　might　be　wrong；　Charles；　she　might　well　take　an　interest　in　it；　if　it　were　explained　in　a　simple　way。　And　it　might　help　her　later　on。　It　would　certainly　help　me　to　be　less　anxious　about　her。〃
　　〃That's　the　duty　of　the　old；〃　said　the　Librarian；　〃to　be　anxious　on　behalf　of　the　young。　And　the　duty　of　the　young　is　to　scorn　the　anxiety　of　the　old。〃
　　They　sat　for　a　while　longer；　and　then　parted；　for　it　was　late；　and　they　were　old　and　anxious。
　　
　　
　　THREE　
　　LYRA'S　JORDAN　
　　
　　Jordan　College　was　the　grandest　and　richest　of　all　the　colleges　in　Oxford。　It　was　probably　the　largest；　too；　though　no　one　knew　for　certain。　The　buildings；　which　were　grouped　around　three　irregular　quadrangles；　dated　from　every　period　from　the　early　Middle　Ages　to　the　mid…eighteenth　century。　It　had　never　been　planned；　it　had　grown　piecemeal；　with　past　and　present　overlapping　at　every　spot；　and　the　final　effect　was　one　of　jumbled　and　squalid　grandeur。　Some　part　was　always　about　to　fall　down；　and　for　five　generations　the　same　family；　the　Parslows；　had　been　employed　full　time　by　the　College　as　masons　and　scaffolders。　The　present　Mr。　Parslow　was　teaching　his　son　the　craft；　the　two　of　them　and　their　three　workmen　would　scramble　like　industrious　termites　over　the　scaffolding　they'd　erected　at　the　corner　of　the　library；　or　over　the　roof　of　the　chapel；　and　haul　up　bright　new　blocks　of　stone　or　rolls　of　shiny　lead　or　balks　of　timber。
　　The　College　owned　farms　and　estates　all　over　England。　It　was　said　that　you　could　walk　from　Oxford　to　Bristol　in　one　direction　and　London　in　the　other；　and　never　leave　Jordan　land。　In　every　part　of　the　kingdom　there　were　dye　works　and　brick　kilns；　forests　and　atomcraft　works　that　paid　rent　to　Jordan；　and　every　quarter…day　the　bursar　and　his　clerks　would　tot　it　all　up；　announce　the　total　to　Concilium；　and　order　a　pair　of　swans　for　the　feast。　Some　of　the　money　was　put　by　for　reinvestment…Concilium　had　just　approved　the　purchase　of　an　office　block　in　Manchester…and　the　rest　was　used　to　pay　the　Scholars'　modest　stipends　and　the　wages　of　the　servants　（and　the　Parslows；　and　the　other　dozen　or　so　families　of　craftsmen　and　traders　who　served　the　College）；　to　keep　the　wine　cellar　richly　filled；　to　buy　books　and　anbarographs　for　the　immense　library　that　filled　one　side　of　the　Melrose　Quadrangle　and　extended；　burrow…like；　for　several　floors　beneath　the　ground；　and；　not　least；　to　buy　the　latest　philosophical　apparatus　to　equip　the　chapel。
　　It　was　important　to　keep　the　chapel　up　to　date；　because　Jordan　College　had　no　rival；　either　in　Europe　or　in　New　France；　as　a　center　of　experimental　theology。　Lyra　knew　that　much；　at　least。　She　was　proud　of　her　College's　eminence；　and　liked　to　boast　of　it　to　the　various　urchins　and　ragamuffins　she　played　with　by　the　canal　or　the　claybeds；　and　she　regarded　visiting　Scholars　and　eminent　professors　from　elsewhere　with　pitying　scorn；　because　they　didn't　belong　to　Jordan　and　so　must　know　less；　poor　things；　than　the　humblest　of　Jordan's　under…Scholars。
　　As　for　what　experimental　theology　was；　Lyra　had　no　more　idea　than　the　urchins。　She　had　formed　the　notion　that　it　was　concerned　with　magic；　with　the　movements　of　the　stars　and　planets；　with　tiny　particles　of　matter；　but　that　was　guesswork；　really。　Probably　the　stars　had　daemons　just　as　humans　did；　and　experimental　theology　involved　talking　to　them。　Lyra　imagined　the　Chaplain　speaking　loftily；　listening　to　the　star　daemons'　remarks；　and　then　nodding　judiciously　or　shaking　his　head　in　regret。　But　what　might　be　passing　between　them；　she　couldn't　conceive。
　　Nor　was　she　particularly　interested。　In　many　ways　Lyra　was　a　barbarian。　What　she　liked　best　was　clambering　over　the　College　roofs　with　Roger；　the　kitchen　boy　who　was　her　particular　friend；　to　spit　plum　stones　on　the　heads　of　passing　Scholars　or　to　hoot　like　owls　outside　a　window　where　a　tutorial　was　going　on；　or　racing　through　the　narrow　streets；　or　stealing　apples　from　the　market；　or　waging　war。　Just　as　she　was　unaware　of　the　hidden　currents　of　politics　running　below　the　surface　of　College　affairs；　so　the　Scholars；　for　their　part；　would　have　been　unable　to　see　the　rich　seething　stew　of　alliances　and　enmities　and　feuds　and　treaties　which　was　a　child's　life　in　Oxford。　Children　playing　together：　how　pleasant　to　see！　What　could　be　more　innocent　and　charming？
　　In　fact；　of　course；　Lyra　and　her　peers　were　engaged　in　deadly　warfare。　There　were　several　wars　running　at　once。　The　children　（young　servants；　and　the　children　of　servants；　and　Lyra）　of　one　college　waged　war　on　those　of　another。　Lyra　had　once　been　captured　by　the　children　of　Gabriel　College；　and　Roger　and　their　friends　Hugh　Lovat　and　Simon　Parslow　had　raided　the　place　to　rescue　her；　creeping　through　the　Precentor's　garden　and　gathering　armfuls　of　small　stone…hard　plums　to　throw　at　the　kidnappers。　There　were　twenty…four　colleges；　which　allowed　for　endless　permutations　of　alliance　and　betrayal。　But　the　enmity　between　the　colleges　was　forgotten　in　a　moment　when　the　town　children　attacked　a　colleger：　then　all　the　collegers　banded　together　and　went　into　battle　against　the　town…ies。This　rivalry　was　hundreds　of　years　old；　and　very　deep　and　satisfying。
　　But　even　this　was　forgotten　when　the　other　enemies　threatened。　One　enemy　was　perennial：　the　brickburners'　children；　who　lived　by　the　claybeds　and　were　despised　by　collegers　and　townies　alike。　Last　year　Lyra　and　some　townies　had　made　a　temporary　truce　and　raided　the　claybeds；　pelting　the　brick…burners'　children　with　lumps　of　heavy　clay　and　tipping　over　the　soggy　castle　they'd　built；　before　rolling　them　over　and　over　in　the　clinging　substance　they　lived　by　until　victors　and　vanquished　alike　resembled　a　flock　of　shrieking　golems。
　　The　other　regular　enemy　was　seasonal。　The　gyptian　families；　who　lived　in　canal　boats；　came　and　went　with　the　spring　and　autumn　fairs；　and　were　always　good　for　a　fight。　There　was　one　family　of　gyptians　in　particular；　who　regularly　returned　to　their　mooring　in　that　part　of　the　city　known　as　Jericho；　with　whom　Lyra'd　been　feuding　ever　since　she　could　first　throw　a　stone。　When　they　were　last　in　Oxford；　she　and　Roger　and　some　of　the　other　kitchen　boys　from　Jordan　and　St。　Michael's　College　had　laid　an　ambush　for　them；　throwing　mud　at　their　brightly　painted　narrowboat　until　the　whole　family　came　out　to　chase　them　away…at　which　point　the　reserve　squad　under　Lyra　raided　the　boat　and　cast　it　off　from　the　bank；　to　float　down　the　canal；　getting　in　the　way　of　all　the　other　water　traffic　while　Lyra's　raiders　searched　the　boat　from　end　to　end；　looking　for　the　bung。　Lyra　firmly　believed　in　this　bung。　If　they　pulled　it　out；　she　assured　her　troop；　the　boat　would　sink　at　once；　but　they　didn't　find　it；　and　had　to　abandon　ship　when　the　gy