莱拉的牛津 (2003)

《莱拉的牛津》（英语：Lyra's Oxford）是英国作家菲利普·普尔曼撰写的短篇小说，为《黑暗物质三部曲》的续篇，于2003年出版。收录了一则莱拉·贝拉克的冒险故事，以及明信片、牛津地图等其他几样物件。

情节简介

莱拉与其灵兽潘拉蒙在牛津约旦学院屋顶上聊天时，见到一只女巫的灵兽（显现为鸟类的型态）正被一群信天翁攻击，莱拉出手救下这只灵兽，对方自称与所属的女巫失散，并要莱拉去找一个名叫塞巴斯蒂安·梅可平斯的男人。

莱拉在夜间溜出学院，成功找到了炼金术师梅可平斯的住所，但她马上察觉到事情不对劲，随即便遭到一名女巫的暗算。该名女巫终因一只天鹅的突然攻击而死亡。炼金术师梅可平斯从昏迷中清醒过来后，向莱拉解释了事情的由来：原来梅可平斯与这名女巫叶莲娜·帕蕾姬曾是情侣，他们的儿子在那场艾塞列公爵发起的战役（见《琥珀望远镜》）中不幸被其母叶莲娜所误杀，叶莲娜因此迁怒于梅可平斯以及莱拉（因为女巫们之间曾传言这场仗是为莱拉而打的），于是费尽心思想陷害二人。

登场人物

莱拉·贝拉克

潘拉蒙，莱拉的灵兽

叶莲娜·帕蕾姬，女巫

睿基，叶莲娜的灵兽

塞巴斯蒂安·梅可平斯先生，炼金术师

波史代博士，牛津的学者

Lyra's Oxford is a 2003 novella by Philip Pullman depicting an episode involving the heroine of His Dark Materials, Pullman's best-selling trilogy. Lyra's Oxford is set when Lyra Belacqua is 15, two years after the end of the trilogy.

The book consists mainly of an illustrated short story, "Lyra and the Birds". A fold-out map of "Oxford by Train, River and Zeppelin" is bound in the book, a fictional map of Oxford as it exists in Lyra's world. It also includes some advertisements for books and travellers' catalogues. Two pages from a Baedeker published in Lyra's world (including entries for the Eagle Ironworks, the Oxford Canal, the Fell Press and the Oratory of St Barnabas the Chymist, all in the Jericho area of Lyra's Oxford), a postcard from the character Mary Malone, and a brochure for the cruise ship Zenobia are also included. The postcard contains four images of sites in the His Dark Materials trilogy: the physics lab in which Mary Malone works, the house occupied by Lord Boreal, the row of hornbeam trees where Will first discovered a window between the worlds, and the bench where Lyra and Will have pledged to visit each other in spirit once a year.

The preface by Pullman begins:

"This book contains a story and several other things. The other things might be connected with the story, or they might not; they might be connected to stories that haven't appeared yet. It's hard to tell."

"Lyra and the Birds" plot summary

Lyra is looking at a flock of birds from the tower of Jordan College in her Oxford, when she notices that the birds are attacking what turns out to be a dæmon in the shape of a fellow bird. This dæmon must be a witch's because there is no human near. Lyra saves the dæmon, called Ragi, from the flock, and he urges Lyra to help him find a man called Sebastian Makepeace. Lyra cleverly figures out where to find him and that he is the last remaining alchemist, and promises Ragi to bring him to the alchemist after school. In the evening, Lyra escapes from St Sophia's School and leads Ragi from outside Jordan College (Turl Street) to Juxon Street where Sebastian Makepeace lives. Ragi flies above Lyra and hides on roofs to avoid suspicion. On the way, Ragi is attacked by some pigeons, but manages to save himself. Ragi also tells Lyra why he needs Sebastian Makepeace's help: his witch, Yelena Pazhets, is seriously ill. This new illness causes witches to die while not affecting their dæmons, leaving them alive and lonely after their witch's death. Lyra is shocked by this.

Reaching Makepeace's house at the end of Juxon Street, near the Oxford Canal, Lyra's dæmon Pantalaimon manages to look through Makepeace's window without being noticed by Ragi. Pan sees the alchemist lying on the floor and witch's instruments nearby. Sensing something is wrong, Lyra continues walking, past Makepeace's house, at which Ragi cries for his witch. Lyra realises it was a trap and now finds herself being attacked by the witch. She moves towards the canal and decides to fight the witch, because this is what Will would do.

When Yelena charges, a swan rushes past Lyra and attacks her. Yelena dies shortly after. Lyra carries the swan back to the canal, after which a recovered Sebastian Makepeace takes her into his house and explains that Yelena wanted to kill Lyra and blame him for the murder: Yelena was once Sebastian's lover and their son died in the war that was waged in The Amber Spyglass. Yelena blamed Lyra for her son's death. The dead witch Yelena in the middle of the street caused some consternation; Sebastian helps Lyra to get away unnoticed. Lyra returns to St Sophia's. Back home, Lyra and Pan contemplate the day's events: the birds were actually helping her, and, looking for some meaning behind the events, Lyra feels that Oxford is protecting her.