《THE GOLDEN COMPASS》


 PART ONE OXFORD ONE-THE DECANTER OF TOKAY-1

    Lyra and aking care to keep to one side, out of sigc tables t ran tc little lig ready for ts. Portraits of former Masters  tcepped up beside table. t silver, and teen seats  oak benc ma cushions.

    Lyra stopped beside ters c glass gently he hall.

    “Youre not taking this seriously,” whispered her daemon. “Behave yourself.”

    alaimon, and ly in t to she hall.

    “too muco chen,” Lyra whispered back.

    “And te come in till t bell. Stop fussing.”

    But s al anyalaimon fluttered aly open door of tiring Room at ter a moment he appeared again.

    “t  be quick.”

    Croucable, Lyra darted along and to tiring Room,  in  blaze of logs settled sligain of sparks up into t of  iring Room before: only Scs  clean in  lers job alone.

    Pantalaimon settled on her shoulder.

    “happy now? Can we go?” he whispered.

    “Dont be silly! I  to look around!”

    It able of polisood various decanters and glasses, and a silver smoking stand h a rack of pipes.

    On a sideboard nearby ttle c of poppy heads.

    “t th.

    S in one of t ucked o look at traits on tared out of their frames in solemn disapproval.

    “ dyou talk about?” Lyra said, or began to say, because before sion sside the door.

    “Bealaimon, and in a flas of t. It  t one for hiding behind:

    ser of t very quiet...

    t c dorousers and s .

    t?”

    It er. As Lyra s daemon (a dog, like all servants daemons) trot in and sit quietly at , and ters feet became visible too, in the shabby black shoes he always wore.

    “No, Master,” said tler. “No her.”

    “I expect raigo hall, will you?”

    “Very good, Master.”

    “And youve decanted some of tokay for him?”

    “Yes, Master. tial to t, I remember.”

    “Good. Now leave me, please.”

    “Do you need ter?”

    “Yes, leave t too. Look in during dinner to trim it, will you?”

    tler boo leave, rotting obediently after -muccer  to a large oak ook  laboriously on. ter  y noiff and sloers daemon tled in omed place on  shoulder.

    Lyra could feel Pantalaimon bristling y, tly excited.

    tor mentioned by ter, Lord Asriel,  exploration, in distant .

    s, ely.

    ter took from  a folded paper and laid it on table beside took topper out of ter containing a ricream of o ter before crumpling t into took a pencil from , stirred til topper.

    brief squaer replied in an undertone, and looked around he door hed come in by.

    Lyra w, Pan?”

    “Of course I did! Noeward comes!”

    But as he hall.

    “ts te .”

    Pantalaimon fluttered sly to tly back.

    “te get out of ther door...”

    ter ered and left by, opened onto t time of day it o leave papers or briefcases in to to leave tes before tewards bell rang.

    And if s seen ter tipping t poo t eiced in t s made ate.

    tsteps on teo make sure tiring Room er dinner. Lyra darted to t, and  just as teered. Salaimon: the room was somber colored, and he could always creep under a chair.

    See s s tand and cast a glance over ters and glasses. to , so s a superior servant, so a superior dog. In fact, ster. t around as if sruder, but didnt make for to Lyras intense relief.

    Lyra een her.

    Lyra iny walaimon had squeezed in beside her.

    “ere going to o stay  you listen to me?”

    S reply until te ing at table; so t.

    “Its a good t,” s er put poison in t okay ler about! to kill Lord Asriel!”

    “You dont knos poison.”

    “O is. Dont you remember, ler leave t? If it , it  tered tler seeing. And I knoical. ts alking about it for days. Pan,  a murder!”

    “Ive never ly. “o keep still for four  me go and look in tell you ws clear.”

    tered from tle s.

    “Its no good, Pan, Im staying,” s t on table. Ive just got to see hey do.”

    Sood up, feeling around for t to make a noise, and found t t. t faced h silk.

    “I ers?” ss s not poison in t wine?”

    “No,”  is, like you do. And I ts none of our business. And I t  time of silly to interfere. Its noto do h us.”

    “Dont be stupid,” Lyra said. “I cant sit in chem give him poison!”

    “Come somewhen.”

    “Youre a coward, Pan.”

    “Certainly I am. May I ask end to do? Are you going to leap out and snatcrembling fingers?  did you have in mind?”

    “I didnt ,” sly.

    “But noer did, I  got any co kno conscience, arent you?  go and sit in ts going to  intend to do t, I promise you.”

    “t you ed all time,” er a moment. “You ed to c I realize t before?”

    “All rig up to somet.

    tual or somet ed to kno was.”

    “Its none of your business! If t to enjoy ttle secrets you s feel superior and let t on . hiding and spying is for silly children.”

    “Exactly op nagging.”

    t in silence for a alaimon self-rigcemporary antennae on one of t a mixture of ts contending in ter to s soo. Perry to clear t his help.

    y, and it  for rouble often enougo be used to it. time s Lord Asriel, and about . It  often t ed t t time of ical tension meant t  come simply to eat and drink and smoke  boter  Council, ters special advisory body, so it migo do ; but meetings of t Council iring Room of Jordan College. t s  tartars o St. Petersburg, from e tic Sea and eventually overcome tire  of Europe. And Lord Asriel , ion to Lapland…

    “Pan,” she whispered.

    “Yes?”

    “Do you therell be a war?”

 PART ONE OXFORD ONE-THE DECANTER OF TOKAY-2

    “Not yet. Lord Asriel  be dining  o break out in t s . But later?” “Shh! Someones coming.”

    S up and put o t ler, coming to trim ter o. t by anbar-ic po ter napiring Room. t c in ters lifetime.

    tler trimmed t anotened carefully at to a and. urned, making ried not to laugler ily stuffed to  and turned to face the incomer.

    “Lord Asriel!”  see ried to smoto move and look.

    “Good evening, ren,” said Lord Asriel. Lyra ale to dine. Ill  in here.”

    tler looked uncomfortable. Guests entered tiring Room at ters invitation only, and Lord Asriel kne; but tler also saedly at t, and decided not to protest.

    “S ter know youve arrived, my lord?”

    “No . You might bring me some coffee.”

    “Very good, my lord.”

    tler bo, rotting submissively at o tretcraveling clotened ion no unnoticed: so sit tight and hope.

    Lord Asriels daemon, a snoood behind him.

    “Are you going to sions in ly.

    “Yes. Itll create less fuss to ture ter. t to see too; Ill send for ter in a minute. time, Stelmaria.”

    “You s.”

    retc in one of t Lyra could no longer see his face.

    “Yes, yes. I s etiquette t alloo fine me a dozen bottles for coming in  remains t—”

    tler came in ray bearing a coffeepot and a cup.

    “t tokay I can see on table?”

    “ter ordered it decanted especially for you, my I lord,” said tler.

    “ttles left I of the98.”

    “All good tray er to send up t in the Lodge, would you?”

    “here, my lord?”

    “Yes, ing lantern, also here, also now.”

    tler could   managed to suppress tion, or test.

    “ren, youre forgetting your place,” said Lord Asriel. “Dont question me; just do as I tell you.”

    “Very good, my lord,” said tler. “If I may suggest it, I s Mr. Caaken aback, if you see w I mean.”

    “Yes. tell hen.”

    Mr. Caeablise tler unities to ingratiate ed to e  iring Room.

    . Lyra c at once, and poured anoting lantern?  did o s  and important?

    tood up and turned a trast ler, tooped and languid Scall man  seemed to flaster er. It o be dominated by, or to figo patronize or pity. All s ly balanced, like too small for it.

    At t ant and preoccupied. , and  urning ao table. Lyra suddenly felt omacaken topper from ter of tokay, and was pouring a glass.

    “No!”

    t cry came before s back. Lord Asriel urned at once.

    “here?”

    S umbled out of to snatc, splasable and t, and t and ted hard.

    “Lyra!  the hell are you doing?”

    “Let go of me and Ill tell you!”

    “Ill break your arm first. how dare you come in here?”

    “Ive just saved your life!”

    till for a moment, ted in pain but grimacing to prevent  louder, t over hunder.

    “ did you say?” ly.

    “t ered beter put some po.”

    go. So talaimon fluttered anxiously to rained fury, and s dare meet his eyes.

    “I came in just to see   I o go out before anyone came in, except t I er coming and got ^ trapped. to  t…”

    the door.

    “tll be ter,” said Lord Asriel. “Back in test noise, Ill make you wish you were dead.”

    Sed back t once, and no sooner  than Lord Asriel called, “Come in.”

    As  er.

    “In here, my lord?”

    Lyra saanding doubtfully in the corner of a large wooden box.

    “ts riger,” said Lord Asriel. “Bring t table.”

    Lyra relaxed a little, and allo. It migo make  of girl ed eetly until it felt looser.

    the glug of spilled liquid.

    “Damn you, Ser, you careless old fool! Look w youve done!”

    Lyra could see, just. o knock ter of tokay off table, and made it look as if ter .

    t to apologize.

    “Im truly sorry, my lord—I must —”

    “Get someto clear t soaks into t!”

    ter . Lord Asriel moved closer to tone.

    “Since youre in tcer closely eresting about ting furto trouble youre already in. Understand?”

    “Yes, Uncle.”

    “Make a noise in t help you. Youre on your own.”

    ood o ter came back pan for th.

    “I can only say once again, my lord, I do most earnestly beg your pardon; I dont know w—”

    “Just clear up the mess.”

    As ter began to mop t, tler knocked and came in , a man called t ter opped dead.

    “Yes, it okay,” said Lord Asriel. “too bad. Is t tern? Set it up by t ther end.”

    Lyra realized t so see tever  t like t for t made unrolling tiff linen and setting it up on its frame, she whispered:

    “See? It  it?”

    “It migalaimon said austerely, in iny mot mig.”

    Lord Asriel stood by t of tcing lantern and uncapped tank.

    “ty of oil, my lord,” eco operate it?”

    “No. Ill do it myself. t, ren?”

    “Very nearly, I tler. “If I understand Mr. Ca be disposed to linger once take tray?”

    “take it and go.”

    “Very good, my lord.”

    it boler took tray and left, and t h him.

    As soon as tly at t t as if it  ly to his dasmon.

    So sit calmly at  and elegant and dangerous, aurning, like o turned. Lyra couldnt see t sake of breat man came in.

 TWO- THE IDEA OF NORTH-1

    “Master,” said Lord Asriel. “Yes, Im back. Do bring in your guests; Ive got someteresting to show you.”

    “Lord Asriel,” said ter o scers eyes, and indeed, toable for a second, wokay had been.

    “Master,” said Lord Asriel. “I came too late to disturb your dinner, so I made myself at or. Glad to see you looking so well.

    Excuse my roug landed. Yes, Master, tokays gone. I tanding in it. ter knocked it off table, but it . est paper  interest.”

    ers face. It  tlessly from foot to foot. Lord Asriel ing to be courteous to ter in ters oerritory, it was clear whe power lay.

    ted tor and moved into tting around table, some in tion filled t trigued by tern. Sor, t; taugised tle presents, c trees in t even  like a family if s a family o feel t about ts. tant to do ttend to tions of a  among them by chance.

    ter lit t lamp under ttle silver ced some butter before cutting ossing them in.

    Poppy er a feast: it clarified timulated tongue, and made for ricion. It raditional for ter to cook it himself.

    Under tter and talk, Lyra sed around to find a more comfortable position for ook one of ts  on the wardrobe.

    “You scalaimon. “If you get too comfortable, youll go to sleep.”

    “If I do, its your job to wake me up,” she replied.

    S and listened to talk. Migalk it oo; almost all of it politics, and London politics at t, noting about tartars. ted pleasantly in t finally sable. t, and ter spoke.

    “Gentlemen,” s are rare but aland icular interest to sonigime of ical tension, as omorroing eam up ready to carry o London as soon as ime ions. Please keep to t. Lord Asriel, o begin?”

    “ter,” said Lord Asriel. “to start o sor, you can see best from er o take the wardrobe?”

    Lyra marveled at or  eous to make room for  t ter ting next to tter of a yard or so from tled in the armchair, Lyra heard him murmur:

    “t t.”

    to ask for funds. If e—”

    “If ,  just argue against, he eloquence we have.”

    tern began to  ly so t s we circle o glow.

    Lord Asriel called, “Could someone turn the lamp down?”

    One of t up to do t, and the room darkened.

    Lord Asriel began:

    “As some of you kno out for tic mission to t least, ts ended to be doing.

    In fact, my real aim o go furtill, rigo t, to try and discover ion. One of Grummans last messages to tain natural permined to investigate t as   Grumman. But t picture Im going to s directly about eithings.”

    And  t slide into t beogram in se appeared on t aken at nig s in tance, its  t surrounded it and lay t stood an array of pruments, o Yarnton: aerials, ors, all glittering in t and t. A man in furs, , stood in ting. to one side of ood a smaller figure. t bathe same pallid gleam.

    “t pogram aken andard silver nitrate emulsion,” Lord Asriel said. “Id like you to look at anotaken from t only a minute later, h a new specially prepared emulsion.”

    ed out t slide and dropped anoto t  ered out. till visible,  and its liganding out, but ty of truments oget, and a fountain of gloicles seemed to be streaming from his upraised hand.

    “t lig going up or coming down?”

    “Its coming do it isnt ligs Dust.”

    Somet made Lyra imagine dust al letter, as if t ordinary dust. tion of tive silence, folloy.

    “But how—”

    “Surely—”

    “It cant—”

    “Gentlemen!” came t Lord Asriel explain.”

    “Its Dust,” Lord Asriel repeated. “It registered as lige because particles of Dust affect tons affect silver nitrate emulsion. It ly to test it t my expedition  nort place. As you see, tly visible. Noo look at to .”

    ed the smaller figure.

    “I t t he Enquirer.

    “No.  time coiled around he form of a snake.

    t shape you can dimly see is a child.”

    “A severed copped s  s have been voiced.

    tense silence.

    tire cure of Dust, is precisely t, is it not?”

    No one spoke for several seconds. the Chaplain.

    “Ay man s doo let out treams of Dust...”

    “—Come from t looks like ligure as closely as you o you noo demonstrate t of to sure.”

    picture aken at nig time  moonlig sents in tlined against tidy  terest of ture lay in treams and veils of ligains, looped and festooned on invisible  sideream of some unimaginable wind.

    “ is t?” said tor.

    “Its a picture of the Aurora.”

    “Its a very fine pogram,” said t Ive seen.”

    “Forgive my ignorance,” said tor, “but if I ever kneten. Is it s?”

    “Yes. It s composed of storms of cicles and solar rays of intense and extraordinary strengt causing tion  mospime, I ed to s part, inge of crimson along t curtain-like formation. taken o look at a picture taken he special emulsion.”

    ook out ter say quietly, “If e, ry to invoke t been resident in ty  of t fifty-two.”

    “ the Librarian murmured in reply.

    Lord Asriel put a neern frame. It sures, many of tures visible by ordinary ligains of radiance in the sky.

    But in to to see more clearly, and soo. As sakable outline of a city:

    toreets, suspended in ton Sc looks like...a city.”

    “Exactly so,” said Lord Asriel.

    “A city in anot?” said tempt in his voice.

    Lord Asriel ignored ir of excitement among some of tten treatises on tence of t ever ed ured. “Is tokes business?” said the Palmerian Professor.

    “It is, isnt it?”

    “ts  to find out,” said Lord Asriel. ood to one side of ted screen. Lyra could see  tacles glinting; only ter and together.

    tion, Lord Asriel.

    as Dr. Grumman investigating too?”

    “I believe ion about it. But  be able to tell us  was, because hes dead.”

    “No!” said the Chaplain.

    “Im afraid so, and I he proof here.”

    A ripple of excited appreiring Room as, under Lord Asriels direction, to t of took out t slide but left tern on, and in tic glare of t  to lever open t of damp er stood up to look, blocking Lyras view. her uncle spoke again:

    “If you remember, Grummans expedition vaniseen mont o go as far nortic pole and make various celestial observations. It  journey t ly after t, s been assumed t  and t ime. In fact, t.”

    “  t a vacuum container?”

 TWO- THE IDEA OF NORTH-2

    Lord Asriel didnt ans first. Lyra al clips and a o a vessel, and t t last long. After a moment or two Lyra :

    cries of ests, voices raised in anger and fear.

    “But w—”

    “—hardly human—”

    “—its been—”

    “—?”

    ters voice cut them all.

    “Lord Asriel, here?”

    “tanislaus Grumman,” said Lord Asriels voice.

    Over tumble to t, making inco sounds of distress. S they were seeing.

    Lord Asriel said, “I found reated in tice teristic scalping pattern. I t be familiar , Sub-Rector.”

    teady as artars do this.

    Its a tecungusk. From t spread into tand t it is no more closely, Lord Asriel?”

    After a s silence he spoke again.

    “My eyes are not very clear, and ty, but it seems to me t top of t?”

    “You are.”

    “trepanning?”

    “Exactly.”

    t caused a murmur of excitement. ter moved out of tor, in t tern, : a bloody lump barely recognizable as a human head.

    Pantalaimon fluttered around Lyra, ress affecting her.

    “en.”

    “Dr. Grumman was once a Scly.

    quot;to fall into tartars—quot; quot;But t far nort; quot;t rated furt; quot;Did I  near Svalbard?quot; said the Dean.

    quot;ts rig; quot;Are o understand t to do ; Lyra didnt recognize t  clearly the Scholars did.

    quot;Impossible,quot; said ton Sc;t manner.quot; quot;t kno; said tions o tic regions. quot;It  surprise me at all to learn t aken to scalping people in tartar fas; Lyra looked again at cter of sardonic amusement, and saying nothing.

    quot;; said someone. quot;t; said t;Yes, ts rigs; tricked o tand; but a poe of ations— of imported marble—setting up ; quot;For w; said someone else, and every-one laughed.

    But t on: quot;For all t, I tell you t lofur Raknison o Grumman. At time, tered into bee differently, if t; quot;And you kno; said the Dean sneeringly.

    quot;Indeed I do. Do you knos a daemon! Find a o give ; tily.

    Lyra ;  all. Besides, sient to  scalping and ts and t mysterious Dust. But sed, for Lord Asriel ures, and talk soon turned into a College  o fit out anotion. Back and forts ranged, and Lyra felt  asleep, alaimon curled around e sleeping form as an ermine.

    Sart when someone shook her shoulder.

    quot;Quiet,quot; said  t. quot;t till some servants around.

    Go to your bedroom noake care t you say not t; quot;Did te to give you t; she said sleepily.

    quot;Yes.quot; quot;s Dust?quot; sruggling to stand up after having been cramped for so long.

    quot;Noto do ; quot;It is to do ; s;If you ed me to be a spy in t to tell me . Can I see t; Pantalaimons led: s it tickling ly.

    “Dont be disgusting,” o pack his slides and specimen box.

    “Did you cer?”

    “Yes, and hing else.”

    “Good. But Ive scotcold and go to bed.”

    “But where are you going?”

    “Back to ten minutes.”

    “Can I come?”

    opped ime. urned  tarated gaze of bot she gazed back fiercely.

    “Your place is here,” said her uncle finally.

    “But o t to see ts and bears and icebergs and everyt to kno Dust. And t city in t another world?”

    “Youre not coming, c it out of your imes are too dangerous.

    Do as youre told and go to bed, and if youre a good girl, Ill bring you back a usk . Dont argue anymore or I shall be angry.”

    And  made Lyra suddenly a o eeting in .

    S ook no notice; it en  a  ig and  to bed.

    * * * ter and t , after a difficult episode, to take a glass of brantrolled to ters lodging and settled in udy ains drao t  happened.

    “Do you really believe  the Librarian.

    “Of course  er himself. Of course he did.”

    “Forgive me, Master, but I cant  the idea of...”

    “Of poisoning him?”

    “Yes. Of murder.”

    “ t idea, Cion  doing it. ell, some providence ervened, and it  .”

    “No, no,” protested t I wisold me more.

    ter  for a  from anyt to keep her safe as long as possible.”

    “Is Lord Asriels business anyto do iative of torial Court of Discipline? t-do-t: tion Board?”

    “Lord Asriel—no, no. Quite tion Board isnt entirely anso torial Court, eits a semiprivate initiative; its being run by someone remble.”

    t in urn. Ever since Pope Jo of to Geneva and set up torial Court of Discipline, t of life e. tself er Calvins deatangle of courts, colleges, and councils, collectively knoerium, s place. t aled; sometimes a bitter rivalry gre of tury, t po years torial Court of Discipline aken its place as t active and t feared of all the Churchs bodies.

    But it  agencies to groection of anot of terium, and tion Board,  kno, but  ely understood ters anxiety.

    “tioned a name,” er a minute or so.

    “Barnard-Stokes?  is tokes business?”

    “As not our field, Cand it, teac toucual —renegade tulated tence of numerous ot material and sinful. t invisible and unreachable.

    turally disapproved of tokes were silenced.

    “But unfortunately for terium to be sound matical arguments for t ton Scells me t they are sound.”

    “And noure of one of to go and look for it. I see.”

    “Quite. Itll seem to tion Board, and to its poectors, t Jordan College is a bed of support for orial Court and tion Board, Co keep a balance; and meanen er s s to protect .”

    “But , for Gods sake? ter again?”

    “Yes. Lyra  to play in all t s do it all  realizing le longer. I  I o explain it to her...”

    “S listen,” too ry to tell en for five minutes and tart fidgeting. Quiz  it next time and sely forgotten.”

    “If I talked to  Dust? You dont ten to t?”

    to indicate  t was.

    “ant terest a less child?”

    “Because of  of t includes a great betrayal....”

    “o betray her?”

    “No, no, ts t trayer, and terrible. Snt kno, of course, but t to kno t. And you mig ake an interest in it, if it  miger on. It ainly o be less anxious about her.”

    “ts ty of to be anxious on bey of to scorn ty of the old.”

    t for a  e, and they were old and anxious.

 THREE- LYRA’S JORDAN-1

    Jordan College  and ric of all t , too, tain. ted from every period from to teentury. It   and present overlapping at every spot, and t   to fall doions time by the College as masons and scaffolders.

    t Mr. Parsloeac; trious termites over ted at t neone or rolls of simber.

    tates all over England. It  you could o Bristol in one direction and London in t of ts and atomcraft  paid rent to Jordan, and every quarter-day tot it all up, announce total to Concilium, and order a pair of s. Some of t by for reinvestment—Concilium  approved ter—and t o pay t stipends and ts (and tsmen and traders o buy books and anbarograp filled one side of tended, burro least, to buy test pus to equip the chapel.

    It ant to keep to date, because Jordan College er of experimental theology.

    Lyra kne muc least. So boast of it to ting Sc professors from else belong to Jordan and so must kno of Jordans under-Scholars.

    As for al the urchins.

    Sion t it s of tars and planets, iny particles of matter, but t ars  as al talking to tily, listening to tar daemons remarks, and t. But  conceive.

    Nor erested. In many cicular friend, to spit plum stones on to  like oside a orial reets, or stealing apples from t, or waging war.

    Just as ss of politics running belo, eies and feuds and treaties  to see!  could be more innocent and charming?

    In fact, of course, Lyra and  once. ts, and ts, and Lyra) of one college her.

    Lyra ured by t and Simon Parsloone-o t ty-four colleges, ions of alliance and betrayal. But ty betten in a moment acked a colleger: toget into battle against toisfying.

    But even tten o year Lyra and some toruce and raided ting tipping over tle t, before rolling tance til victors and vanquished alike resembled a flock of shrieking golems.

    tian families,  umn fairs, and icular, o t part of ty knoone.  in Oxford, sc.

    Mic tly painted narro until t to c  and cast it off from to float doting in ter traffic o end, looking for the bung.

    Lyra firmly believed in t out, sroop, t  once; but t find it, and o abandon sians caugo flee dripping and croriumphe narrow lanes of Jericho.

    t le savage, for t part. But s it   part of ual of Jordan College; and t someics represented by Lord Asriel. All s knoo give  over t o o find out more.

    So s. tion in ed to boast about, but ting o to be s) to to ea ed group of senior Scholars. She dreaded being seen by Roger.

    siged er at t sing inously in an armcil ter told o sit up, and t till even to laugh.

    s never varied. After tea, ter and ted left Lyra and ogeto stand in front of ell  s visit. And ster ry or Arabic or ory or anbarology, and  back ing on tcably until her words failed.

    Last year, before ion to to say, “And ime ly studying?”

    And s play. Sort of around t...play, really.”

    And  me see your hands, child.”

    S ion, and ook turned to look at , s Lyra.

    “Dirty,” said Lord Asriel, pus this place?”

    “Yes,” s ty. tier than mine.”

    “s your excuse?”

    “I mustve got ty after I washed.”

    “o get so dirty?”

    S  being on tually said so. “In some of the old rooms,” she said finally.

    “And where else?”

    “In times.”

    “And?”

    “Jeric Meadow.”

    “Nowhere else?”

    “No.”

    “Youre a liar. I saerday.”

    S ching her sardonically.

    “So, you play on t on. “Do you ever go into the library?”

    “No. I found a rook on t on.

    “Did you? Did you catc?”

    “It  foot. I o kill it and roast it but Roger said  better. So  scraps of food and some  got better and flew away.”

    “hos Roger?”

    “My friend. tchen boy.”

    “I see. So youve been all over the roof—”

    “Not all over. You cant get onto to jump up from Pilgrims to t opens onto it, but Im not tall enougo reac.”

    “Youve been all over t t about underground?”

    “Underground?”

    “t. Im surprised you  found t out. ell, Im going in a minute. You look hy enough.

    here.”

    and dre a handful of coins, from which he gave her five gold dollars.

    “ taugo say thank you?” he said.

    “thank you,” she mumbled.

    “Do you obey ter?”

    “Oh, yes.”

    “And respect the Scholars?”

    “Yes.”

    Lord Asriels daemon laugly. It  sound shed made, and Lyra blushed.

    “Go and play, then,” said Lord Asriel.

    Lyra turned and darted to to turn and blurt out a “Goodbye.”

    So Lyras life o iring Room, and first  Dust.

    And of course to ter t s erested. Sened eagerly noo anyone . So  deal more about it in to come, and eventually s Dust t in time, till being lived around her.

    And in any case to t. A rumor ering treets for some  made some people laug, as some people scoff at gs and ot anyone could imagine, co disappear.

    * * * It would his.

    East along t  boats and corn tankers,  o teddington, ill: to Mortlake, past t magician Dr. Dee; past Falkes brigains and banners by day, ree lamps and firee; past t tos endless drizzle of molten lead into vats of murky er; furtill, to o th.

    to disappear.

    ony Makarios.  s tted;  be eigen.  like  is a guess on , because oo. tonys not very brig  of clumsy tenderness t sometimes prompts o give  a sticky kiss on oo fuddled to start suc ss happening.

    At t tony is  t in Pie Street. s early evening, and  get fed at  a s t a soldier gave aking a message to  girl, but tonys not going to e t on food, whing.

    So , betalls and tune-paper stalls, tmongers and ttle daemon on c; and  and returns to  s, and finally  pie.

    tall , and ss, and  daemon leaps, but tonys sparro and tony reet already. Curses and abuse go  not far. ops running at teps of St. Catory, akes out eaming, battered prize, leaving a trail of gravy on .

    And c, a beautiful young lady anding in tory, eps above  mig a service is finis comes from the lady is holding a jeweled breviary.

    tony knoentedly deep in toes curled ins and chews and swallows while his daemon becomes a mouse and grooms her whiskers.

    t from beside t.  no ordinary monkey:  deep and lustrous gold. its eps tos a step above him.

    tion sideep or two.

    tcche monkey.

    t slole  s gentle and inviting. t resist. Stle flutter, up on to the monkeys hand.

    ts  anding and so aking ted o whisper.

    And tony turns.  .

    “Ratter!” h full.

    t must be safe. tony swallows ares.

    “iful lady. “s your name?”

    “tony.”

    “ony?”

    “Clarice alk.”

    “s in t pie?”

    “Beefsteak.”

    “Do you like cl?”

    “Yeah!”

    “As it  more cl t?”

    already.  t ted daemon o tiful young lady and treet and along to eps to a little green door in tall —at least, by t entrance; and  .

    * * * Little tony Makarios  to be caugories like  tony didnt notice, of course, or t t eamy cellar y.

    ttled on a benc t serving l from tove. tony ate t of   liquor  taking mucice of ook little notice of oo small to be a t, and too stolid to promise mucisfaction as a victim.

    It ion.

    “ you got us all here for?”

    ougcl on op lip and a gaunt black rat for a daemon. tanding near talking to a stout man ain, and as surned to ans all t.

    “e  your  mind helping us, do you?”

    No one could say a  and kind t t tever s gladly so as to stay in tle longer.

    Sold t ted to could send messages back to to let tain Magnusson ake tide o sea and set a course for th.

    Soon t to send a message to ing around tiful lady as se a fe tation and,  tc t of t into a scented envelope and e told ony o  ic idea of y to read it.  t o tell  o tle body to roked o pass the message on.

    tered around to say goodbye. troked all toucrengt of tain on board a steam launc tty. ts. tood on tty and ill sheir faces no more.

    turned back inside, led in , and ttle bundle of letters into the way she had come.

    Co entice a eventually people noticed, and tirred into reluctant action. For a le by little it cer a o tory and gave it nerength.

    And so terious group of encers all man ory told of a youto ims so t they followed him like sheep.

    As for  cories agreed. Some said it o o Fairyland. Oto a farm tened for table. Ot t and sold as slaves to ricartars....And so on.

    But one to  be referred to at all, and talking about t  seemed to settle on t anyones knowing whe Gobblers.

    “Dont stay out late, or t you!”

    “My cousin in Norton, stle boy ook by the Gobblers....”

    “tratford. th!”

    And, inevitably:

    “Lets play kids and Gobblers!”

    So said Lyra to Roger, one rainy afternoon tics. ed slave by time; o th.

    “?”

    “You , like the Gobblers do.”

    “You dont kno not do t at all.”

    “Youre afraid of em,” sell.”

    “I ent. I dont believe in em anyway.”

    “I do,” s I ent afraid eit do  time o Jordan. I seen iring Room and t e, and my uncle just give , h.”

    “fully. “t t in tc alloiring Room.”

    “Course not. t tell servants about a t. And I iring Room, so t.  to some tartars  s out, but  looked at o . My uncle said ied  to teach him a lesson.”

    Roger  t t Gobblers, but tory oo good to e, so took it in turns to be Lord Asriel and tartars, using s dip for the foam.

    raction; Lyra ill intent on playing Gobblers, and so tered by means of tlers spare set of keys. toget t vaults s Burgundy, its brant stone arced by pillars as ten trees, irregular flagstones lay underfoot, and on all sides ier upon tier, of bottles and barrels. It ing. itten again, toed from end to end rembling fingers, peering into every dark corner, ion gro in Lyras mind every moment: aste like?

    t. Lyra—over Rogers fervent protests—picked out t, tiest, greenest bottle s o extract t off at t corner, t tell aste muc so admit ed it  tcting more and more muddled: falling over, giggling senselessly, and co look like gargoyles, eacrying to be uglier ther.

    Finally, and almost simultaneously, t it o be drunk.

    “Do ter vomiting copiously.

    “Yes,” said Lyra, in tion. “And so do I,” subbornly.

    Lyra learned not episode except t playing Gobblers led to interesting places. S intervieo explore underground, for ion of t system extended over acres, Jordan (finding itself jostling for space above ground . Micy Library beime in to spread belohe surface.

    tunnels, ss, vaults, cellars, staircases  t t t as mucood on a sort of frotone.

    And no Lyra aste for exploring it, s, to t Gobblers surned to ing t could be more likely t t of sighe ground?

    So one day so t beloory. tions of Masters one one tablet below eacheir names:

    SIMON LE CLERC, MAStER 1765-1789 CEREBAtON REQUIESCANt IN PACE “s t mean?” said Roger.

    “t parts  bits Roman. And tes in ter. And t be his daemon.”

    t vault, tracing tters of more inscriptions:

    FRANCIS LYALL, MAStER 1748-1765 ZO IN PACE ICNAtIUS COLE, MAStER 1745-1748 MUSCA REQUIESCANt IN PACE On eacerested to see, a brass plaque bore a picture of a different being: t, t t, t to c permanently.

    “t skeletons in “em!” whispered Roger.

    “Moldering fless all ting about in ts.”

    “Must be gs down ly.

    Beyond t crypt tone sitioned off into square sections, and in eacion rested a skull.

    Rogers daemon, tail tucked firmly betle quiet howl.

    “hush,” he said.

    Lyra couldnt see Pantalaimon, but sing on oo.

    Sed t skull gently out of its resting place.

    “ you doing?” said Roger. “You ent supposed to touch em.”

    Surned it over and over, taking no notice. Somet of t t  the skull in alarm.

    “Its a coin!” said Roger, feeling for it. “Migreasure!”

    up to t  a coin, but a little disc of bronze ion s.

    “Its like ts  be.”

 THREE- LYRA’S JORDAN-2

    “Better put it back,” said Roger uneasily, and Lyra upturned to its immemorial resting place before returning to ts oime companion still close to h.

    “ers get coffins. turies t t be room to bury t cut ts t important part of em anyway.”

    t tacombs under tory kept Lyra and Roger busy for days. Once sried to play a trick on some of tche wrong daemons.

    Pantalaimon became so agitated at t o a bat and fletering s sook no notice: it oo good a joke to e. S later, t top of Staircase t tood at ting to sumps  treat, backing ao tance of til all t c tened doo tacombs and restored to tful places, and he skulls.

    tacombs oo .

    o be found turned ttention else before tted leaving t by tercessor, ory.

    tercessor . It o preacaken an interest in ual o be confounded by ances. S spiritually promising, he had decided.

    urned reluctantly and , into t musty-smelling dimness of tory. Candles flickered  of images of ts; a faint and distant clatter came from t,  beckoned from try door.

    “o times noo?”

    one  accusatory. erested. ongue at them from her perch on his shoulder.

    Lyra said, “e ed to look do.”

    “ever for?”

    “ted to see all the coffins,” she said.

    “But why?”

    S  response when she was pressed.

    “And you,”  on, turning to Roger. Rogers daemon anxiously ail to propitiate s your name?”

    “Roger, Father.”

    “If youre a servant, wch you.”

    Roger turned and ran. Lyra dragged  from side to side on the floor.

    “As for you, Lyra,” said Fat, “Im pleased to see you taking an interest in ory. You are a lucky co ory around you.” “Mm,” said Lyra.

    “But I  your choice of companions. Are you a lonely child?” “No,”

    she said.

    “Do you...do you miss ty of other children?” “No.”

    “I dont mean Roger tco  sort?” “No.”

    “But other girls, perhaps...” “No.”

    “You see, none of us  you to miss all times. I sometimes t must be a lonely life for you ?” “No.”

    apped ogeterlaced fingers, unable to to ask tubborn child.

    “If troubling you,” ell me about it. I .” “Yes,” she said.

    “Do you say your prayers?”

    “Yes.”

    “Good girl. ell, run along.”

    iturned and left. o find Gobblers beloook to treets again. S here.

    t erest in the Gobblers appeared in Oxford.

    t Lyra  ian family she knew.

    It  time of ts and butty boats, raders and travelers, and terfront in Jeric ealing a ride on a less-ttended unities for provoking warfare.

    And ture of t tended time to make a proper voyage before being turned out. If sc as far as Abingdon, the weir....

    But to be no ering along t Meadoyard in t Roger for once (ailed to ery floor) but  and Simon Parsloolen cigarette from one to anot tentatiously, when she heard a cry in a voice she recognized.

    “ell, w h him, you half-arsed pillock?”

    It  once, because ta,  given  gingerbread on ted for tu-ousness of t. tians, and Lyra admired Ma Costa greatly, but sended to be , for t she had hijacked.

    One of Lyras brat companions picked up a stone automatically  Lyra said, “Put it down. Semper. Swig.”

    In fact, Ma Costa looked more anxious trader, was shrugging and spreading his hands.

    “ell, I dunno,” e and gone t. I never saw w....”

    “he was helping you! he was holding your bloody horses for you!”

    “ell, ayed t he middle of a job—”

    no furta suddenly dealt y blo up  urned to flee. traders nearby jeered, and a flig reared up in alarm.

    “s going on?” said Lyra to a gyptian ccs s?”

    “Its s Billy. S ve done, too. I aint seen him meself since—”

    “to Oxford, then?”

    tian boy turned ao call to ca.

    “S knohe Gobblers is here!”

    s turned te do. Everyones daemon instantly became alaimon, contemptuous of ted imaginations of tian daemons, became a dragon the size of a deer hound.

    But before ttle, Ma Costa ians aside and confronting Lyra like a prizefighter.

    “You seen him?” she demanded of Lyra. “You seen Billy?”

    “No,” Lyra said. “e just got  seen Billy for months.”

    Ma Costas daemon  a gyptian: in tig gyptian boat ly loved, and a mot if a c of sig  be far from someone elses  it instinctively.

    But a, a queen among tians, in a terror for a missing c was going on?

    Ma Costa looked tle group of curned ao stumble t once turned back to one anothe face of her grief.

    “ is them Gobblers?” said Simon Parslow, one of Lyras companions.

    t gyptian boy said, “You knoealing kids all over try. tes—”

    “t pirates,” corrected anotian. “ts whey call em Gobblers.”

    “t kids?” said Lyras ot, a kitc.

    Michaels.

    “No one kno gyptian. “take em a never seen again.”

    “e all kno,” said Lyra. “e been playing kids and Gobblers for mont. But 1 bet no ones seen em.”

    “they have,” said one boy.

    “ed Lyra. “ ent just one person?”

    “Cian girl. “talked to took tle boy out the garden.”

    “Yeaian boy. “I seen em do it!”

    “ did they look like?” said Lyra.

    “ell...l never properly sae truck. t ttle boy in truck and drove off quick.”

    “But whey call em Gobblers?” Lyra asked.

    “Cause t em,” said t gyptian boy. “Someone told us in Norton. ton, ook, and sook old o eat him.

    Everyone kno. they gobble em up.”

    A gyptian girl standing nearby began to cry loudly.

    “ts Billys cousin,” said Charlie.

    Lyra said, “?”

    “Me,” said offee-apple seller—I seen he crane—”

    ed it out, s Billy ain not less two hours previously.

    “So,” sime in t two ve been Gobblers here....”

    te of tar and rouble  because no one kne be a Gobbler, as Lyra pointed out to tians alike.

    “to look like ordinary people, else t once,” s nig if t, t to look ordinary. So any of t be Gobblers....”

    “t,” said a gyptian uncertainly. “I know em all.”

    “All rig t anyone else,” said Lyra. “Lets go and look for em! And te truck!”

    And t precipitated a s ones, and before long, ty or more gyptian co end of t of stables, scrambling over tyard, leaping over to teen at a time on ter, and running full pelt treets of Jerictle brick terraced o t square-toory of St. Barnabas t.  kno it  a lark, but t to Lyra felt a real fear and appreime tary figure doory:  a Gobbler?

    But of course it . Eventually,  Jericime neared, tians gat to  anding in angry groups, ated and rising in nervous flig shadows.

    “I bet t dare come in o Simon Parsloepped over to t lodge of Jordan.

    “No,” ainly. “But I kno.”

    “ of t c s his.

    “Jessie Reynolds, out t t sting-up time yesterday, and s of fisea. S and everywhere.”

    “I never  t!” said Lyra, indignant. S a deplorable lapse on t of s not to tell  once.

    “ell, it erday. Sve turned up now.”

    “Im going to ask,” said Lyra, and turned to leave the lodge.

    But s got out of te before ter called her.

    “ to go out again ters orders.”

    “?”

    “I told you, Masters orders. ay in.”

    “You catced out before the old man could leave his doorway.

    Sreet and doo t. tting-up time, t a knot of youtood smoking and talking by tral gate opposite tone . Miceen-year-old s furt and ed o notice her.

    “Yea do you ?” he said finally.

    “Is Jessie Reynolds disappeared?”

    “Yeah. hy?”

    “Cause a gyptian kid disappeared today and all.”

    “tians. After every hey disappear.”

    “So do horses,” said one of his friends.

    “t,” said Lyra. “ternoon and t him.”

    “t?”

    “t you he Gobblers?”

    It o t from a fes tened closely to hem.

    “Gobblers,” said Lyras acquaintance, upid. tians, tupid ideas.”

    “ted, “and taken. to Oxford noo get kids from us. It mustve been t got Jessie.”

    “t over Coie, serday, cause s a van, and s it....Some little boy, ts it...I dunno about t real, Gobblers. Just a story.”

    “tians seen em. t tch, and...”

    Sopped in midsentence, because someto her mind.

    During t strange evening s iring Room, Lord Asriel ern slide of a man reams of lig around it; and  . Lyra remembered t severed meant “cut.”

    And t : where was Roger?

    S seen he morning....

    Suddenly s afraid. Pantalaimon, as a miniature lion, sprang into o te and ly back into turl Street, and t for Jordan lodge, tumbling in tah-shaped daemon.

    ter imonious.

    “I o ring ter and tell  pleased at all. I  be in your s for money I .”

    “heres Roger?” she demanded.

    “I ent seen , too. Ooches him—”

    Lyra ran to tc o t, clangorous, steaming bustle.

    “ed.

    “Clear off, Lyra! ere busy here!”

    “But ?”

    No one seemed interested.

    “But  t orming away.

    Bernie try cook tried to calm  s be consoled.

    “t er catce em! You dont care about Roger—”

    “Lyra,  Roger—”

    “You dont, else youd all stop work and go and look for  now! I e you!”

    “t turned up. Listen to sense. e got dinner to prepare and serve in less ters got guests in ting over t means Co attend to getting t dont go cold; and  to go on. Im sure Roger11 turn up....”

    Lyra turned and ran out of tcack of silver dis arose. Seps and across too t buildings of tood.

    Pantalaimon scampered before airs to top, , and scrambled out. tone gutter a foot  beloanding in t, surned and clambered up over tiles until sood on topmost ridge of talaimon, wh her.

    t, cream: tender little ice-cream clouds in a oood around t no eau-Vert and e o t and t. Rooks  of a gas engine announced t of tc climb a. Mic first as tip of tle finger  arms lengteadily smaller until it  in the pearly sky.

    Surned and looked doo to drift in ones and totery, trutting or fluttering alongside or percs ained-glass o glo moved up tables ligeo toll, announcing half an hour before dinner.

    ted it to stay t it ealing c on the roof ridge, chin in hands.

    “e better rescue alaimon,” sll be dangerous,” .”

    “Remember iring Room.” “?”

    “Somet a cic. t  attracting t.”

    “t ire c about it?”

    “t mig to do to Roger and tians and ther kids.”

    “?”

    “ell, ire mean?”

    “Dunno. t em in  of em.

    td be more use. t mines up tomcraft. I bet ts  is. And if t groead because t less. ts h him.”

    “I think—”

    But alaimon t o , because someone began to s from below.

    “Lyra! Lyra! You come in tant!”

    tience:

    it here was no hiding from her.

    tigo tter, and ter into ttle co t of a great groaning and he pipes.

    “times you been told about going out t you! Just look at your skirt—its filtake it off at once and  ent torn.  keep yourself clean and tidy...”

    Lyra oo sulky even to ask o olid retriever, trying in vain to annoy him.

    “Look at tate of t  this—”

    Look at t t...Lyra didnt  to look. S  owel.

    “Youll just o  as it is. t time to take an iron to it.

    God bless me, girl, your knees—look at tate of them....”

    “Dont  to look at nottered.

    Mrs. Lonsdale smacked  all t dirt off.”

    “ last. “I never  my knees. ve I got to do all t care about Roger neit—” Another leg.

    “None of t nonsense. Im a Parslo you didnt kno, cause I bet you never asked, Miss Lyra. I bet it never occurred to you. Dont you c caring about the boy.

    God kno you, and you give me little enoughanks.”

    S t pink and sore, but clean.

    “to er and s. I o God you beo, be quiet and polite, smile nicely and dont you ever say Dunno wion.”

    S dress onto Lyras skinny frame, tugged it straig of red ribbon out of tangle in a drawer, and brush a coarse brush.

    “If t me knooo bad. As long as t look too close...tand up straig patent-leather shoes?”

    Five minutes later Lyra ers lodging, tly gloomy  opened into to talaimon, an ermine noeness, rubbed  ers manservant Cousins, an old enemy of Lyras; but bot tate of truce.

    “Mrs. Lonsdale said I o come,” said Lyra.

    “Yes,” said Cousins, stepping aside. “ters in the drawing room.”

    o t overlooked t of to it, to up tures and ter collected.

    It also lit up ts, and Lyra realized o dine in s were women.

    “Aer. “Im so glad you could come. Cousins, could you find some sort of soft drink? Dame  t Lyra...Lord Asriels niece, you know.”

    Dame . Lyra sely as sroduced to ts, eresting. ter came to t.

    “Mrs. Coulter,” o Mrs.

    Coulter.”

    “er.

    Siful and young. her sleek black hair framed her cheeks, and her daemon was a golden monkey.

 FOUR - THE ALETHIOMETER-1

    “I  next to me at dinner,” said Mrs. Coulter, making room for Lyra on t used to ters lodging. Youll o so use.”

    “Are you a female Sc, poor taken more seriously ting a play. Mrs.

    Coulter, on t like any female Scainly not like ting t, for Mrs.

    Coulter  Lyra ranced. Sake her eyes off her.

    “Not really,” Mrs. Coulter said. “Im a member of Dame  most of my akes place outside Oxford....tell me about yourself, Lyra.  Jordan College?”

    ites Lyra old  e routes over tops, ttle of time s and roasted a rook, ention to capture a narro from tians and sail it to Abingdon, and so on. Sold  trick s.

    “And ts came, rigo my bedroom  t talk except for making sort of gurgling noises, but I kneed all rig do day and put theyd probably have killed me else.”

    “Youre not afraid of danger, ter admiringly. t dinner by time, and as Lyra ting next to eacely t talking to Mrs. Coulter.

    ell me, Lyra—are to send you to school?”

    Lyra looked blank. “I dun—I dont kno  to put to any trouble,” s on piously. “Or expense. Its probably better if I just go on living at Jordan and getting educated by t a bit of spare time. Being as theyre probably free.”

    “And does your uncle Lord Asriel  ther womens college.

    “Yes,” said Lyra. “I expect so. Not sco take me to t time he goes.”

    “I remember elling me,” said Mrs. Coulter.

    Lyra blinked. t eacher.

    “I met  tic Institute,” Mrs. Coulter  on. “As a matter of fact, its partly because of t meeting t Im oday.”

    “Are you an explorer too?” said Lyra.

    “In a kind of o times. Last year I spent tions of the Aurora.”

    t ; noted now for Lyra. S Mrs.

    Coulter ened rapt and silent to ales of igloo building, of seal ing, of negotiating co tell, and sat in silence until the men came in.

    Later, o leave, ter said, “Stay beo talk to you for a minute or to my study, c do for me.”

    Puzzled, tired, exed, Lyra did as old  sedly left t  so from ts. Lyra cer, but s see er came into tudy and s the door.

    do by ly as ter said:

    “So, Lyra. Youve been talking to Mrs. Coulter. Did you enjoy  she said?”

    “Yes!”

    “She is a remarkable lady.”

    “S .”

    ter sig and black tie  t one day, quite soon,  under tory, and an artist ure of e for h his.

    “I sime before noalk er a fes. “I ending to do so in any case, but it seems t time is furt. You  found it easy to obey us, but ness in your nature, and a lot of determination. Youre going to need all of t.

    to protect you from—by keeping you  ts no longer possible.”

    Sared. ere to send her away?

    “You kne sometime youd o go to scer  on. “e aug not ematically. Our kno kind. You need to kno elderly men are not able to teac t .

    Youre not a servants c put you out to be fostered by a to  your needs are different. You see, o you, Lyra, is t t of your life t belongs to Jordan College is coming to an end.”

    “No,” s  to leave Jordan. I like it  to stay here forever.”

    “ t forever. Unfortunately, t. Lyra, it  be long—a couple of years at most—before you  a co live in then.”

    “But its my home!”

    “It  nohing else.”

    “Not sc going to school.”

    “You need female company. Female guidance.”

    ted female Sco Lyra, and sarily made a face. to be exiled from ts sco a dingy brick-built boarding t dinner! ter sa eyes flash red.

    suppose it er?”

    Instantly Pantalaimons fur co downy we. Lyras eyes widened.

    “Really?”

    “Sed er  you, s once to er, by the way; she is a widow.

    some years ago; so you mig in mind before you ask.”

    Lyra nodded eagerly, and said, “And so...look after me?”

    “ould you like t?”

    “Yes!”

    S still. ter smiled.   of practice, and anyone c in a state to notice) would  was a grimace of sadness.

    “ell, er ask o talk about it,” he said.

    te later er, Lyra oo excited to sit. Mrs. Coulter smiled, and e teeto ter touc a current of o her, and blushed.

    er o ant, am I?”

    “Yes,” said Lyra simply. So anything.

    “t of work I need h.”

    “I can work!”

    “And ravel.”

    “I dont mind. Id go anywhere.”

    “But it mig o go to th.”

    Lyra was speechen she found her voice: “Soon?”

    Mrs. Coulter laug you knoics, and navigation, and celestial geography.”

    “ill you teach me?”

    “Yes. And youll o es and putting my papers in order and doing various pieces of basic calculation, and so on. And because ing some important people, ty clothes.

    t to learn, Lyra.”

    “I dont mind. I  to learn it all.”

    “Im sure you raveler. Noo leave very early in tter run along and go straigo bed. Ill see you at breakfast. Goodnight!”

    “Goodnigurned at t, Master.”

    he nodded. “Sleep well,” he said.

    “And to Mrs. Coulter.

    Salaimon  settle until s  of pique. It ill dark when someone shook her awake.

    “Lyra— start—wake up, child.”

    It ly, ill h her free hand.

    “Listen. ter s to see you before you join Mrs. Coulter for breakfast.

    Get up quickly and run across to to tap at tudy. You understand?”

    Fully a, Lyra nodded and slipped  into t down for her.

    “Never mind er. Go straigraight back.

    Ill start your packing and o wear. hurry now.”

    till full of t air. Over stars ill visible, but t from t o to tood for a moment in t tone pinnacles of te-painted lantern of t so leave ts, shem.

 FOUR - THE ALETHIOMETER-2

    Sometirred in tudy . S so do and tapped on t opened almost at once.

    “Good girl. Come in quickly. e  got long,” said ter, and dreain back across tered. he was fully dressed in his usual black.

    “Arent I going after all?” Lyra asked.

    “Yes; I cant prevent it,” said ter, and Lyra didnt notice at time  o say. “Lyra, Im going to give you somet promise to keep it private. ill you so t?”

    “Yes,” Lyra said.

    o took from a dra. cal. It mig.

    “ is it?” she said.

    “Its an aleter. Its one of only six t  private. It ter if Mrs. Coulter didnt kno it. Your uncle—”

    “But  do?”

    “It tells you truto read it, youll o learn by yourself. Nos getting ligo your room before anyone sees you.”

    over trument and t it into  .

    Sried to look up at  o say about Uncle Asriel?”

    “Your uncle presented it to Jordan College some years ago. —”

    Before  urgent knock on tary tremor.

    “Quick norong.

    Men and ides muco t. Go well, Lyra; bless you, child, bless you.

    Keep your own counsel.”

    “ter,” sifully.

    Clutco , s tudy by to see ters daemon cer already; t fresir in the air.

    “s t youve got?” said Mrs. Lonsdale, closing ttered little suitcase h a snap.

    “ter gave it me. Cant it go in tcase?” “too late. Im not opening it noll o go in your coat pocket,  is. o ttery; dont keep ting....”

    It er so ts  s guilty for not  of ing Mrs. Coulter.   no doubt Mrs. Coulter urn up eventually.

    And noting next to talaimons stle ermine pao  paed against ter sat  s talked. Suc talk! Lyra oxicated; not about time, but about London, and taurants and ballrooms, t embassies or ministries, trigues beter. Lyra  more fascinated by t Mrs. Coulter o be accompanied by a scent of grourbing but enticing at time: it he smell of glamour.

    * * * t ride across t  commissionaire (a sort of porter ed Mrs. Coulter and  Lyra, who sized him up expressionlessly.

    And t...

    Lyra could only gasp.

    S deal of beauty in  life, but it y, Oxford beauty—grand and stony and masculine. In Jordan College, muc, but notty. In Mrs. Coulters flat, everytty. It riped  frames, an antique looking-glass, fanciful sconces bearing anbaric lamps oo, and floain rail, and a soft green leaf-pattern carpet underfoot; and every surface  seemed to Lyras innocent eye, ty little china boxes and shepherdesses and harlequins of porcelain.

    Mrs. Coulter smiled at ion.

    “Yes, Lyra,” s to sake your coat off and Ill take you to then well have some lunch and go shopping....”

    to  struggled out of taps  best, and often flecked . But er , to. And around tinted mirror ttle pink lig  sly illuminated figure quite unlike the Lyra she knew.

    Pantalaimon, ing ters daemon, crouc o ter and suddenly remembered ter in  pocket. S t on a cer to keep it secret from Mrs. Coulter....

    Oer er trying to poison Uncle Asriel.  obedience to?

    Sily and o tting room, ill lay untouched, of course.

    “Ready?” said Mrs. Coulter. “I t o tic Institute for lunc as he privileges I have.”

    ty minutes ook to a grand stone-fronted building  silver on tables, and ate calves liver and bacon.

    “Calves liver is all riger told  if youre stuck for food in tic, you mustnt eat bear liver. ts full of a poison tll kill you in minutes.”

    As te, Mrs. Coulter pointed out some of t tables.

    “Dyou see tleman ie? ts Colonel Carborn.  balloon fligall man by t got up is Dr. Broken Arrow.”

    “Is he a Skraeling?”

    “Yes. s in t Northern Ocean....”

    Lyra looked at t men, y and a about t, but too. Dr. Broken Arro bear livers; sed whe Librarian of Jordan College would.

    After luncer sic relics in titute library—t ion in an unknoent; a fire-striker used by Captain o Van tierens Land.

    Sold tory of eac  stir ion for t, brave, distant heroes.

    And t sraordinary day  s dizzying. to go into a vast building full of beautiful clot you try t yourself in mirrors...And tty....Lyras cloto  of t  for looks; and so find Mrs. Coulter suggesting t, and paying for it all, and more...

    By time t-eyed iredness.

    Mrs. Coulter ordered most of took one or to t.

    ted foam. Mrs. Coulter came into to le. Pantalaimon cy until Mrs. Coulter looked at  s and turned aing ly from teries as to look away from Lyra before.

    ter tdress ed flohen bed.

    So soft, tle, t on table! And ttle cupboards and a dressing table and a c of drao tty curtains covered in stars and moons and planets! Lyra lay stiffly, too tired to sleep, too enced to question anything.

    er  goodnig, Pantalaimon plucked at  hing?”

    S once ing up cross-legged in t, alaimon c and looked at  er had given her.

    “ did ?” she whispered.

    “An aleter.”

    t in asking  meant. It lay al face gleaming, tely mac ing to places around t instead of ts of ttle pictures, eaced raordinary precision, as if on ivory  and slenderest sable brusurned to look at ted by a skull; a cy-six altoget even guess .

    “talaimon. “See if you can  up.”

    ttle knurled er isfying clicks. You could arrange to point at any of tures, and once to position, pointing exactly at ter of eac move.

    to be made of a duller metal t control its movement at all; it sed to, like a compass needle, except t it didnt settle.

    “Meter means measure,” said Pantalaimon. “Like ter. told us t.”

    “Yes, but ts t,” s dyou ts for?”

    Neit a long time turning to point at one symbol or anot, dolpe, compasses; candle, t, cs never-ceasing errant ood notrigued and deligy and tail. Pantalaimon became a mouse to get closer to it, and rested iny paton eyes brigy as che needle swing.

    “ do you ter meant about Uncle Asriel?” she said.

    “Per to keep it safe and give it to him.”

    “But ter o poison s te. Pero say dont give it to him.”

    “No,” Pantalaimon said, “it  safe from—”

    t knock on the door.

    Mrs. Coulter said, “Lyra, I s t out if I ired, and omorrow.”

    Lyra  ter sly under ts.

    “All riger,” she said.

    “Goodnight now.”

    “Goodnight.”

    Sc. Before sucked ter under t in case.

 FIVE - THE COCKTAIL PARTY-1

    In t follo every as if ser kne many people, and t in all kinds of different places: in t be a meeting of geograp tic Institute, and Lyra  by and listen; and ter mig a politician or a cleric for lunc restaurant, and taken o eat asparagus or breads tasted like.

    And ternoon t be more ser erproof boots to buy, as ruments t delig. After t t go to tea and meet some ladies, as er if not so beautiful or accomplisian boat mots as almost to be a neogeties suctily for te talk, ist, or t politician, or those lovers.

    And o ter, and again ts of glamorous people to talk to and be admired by, for it seemed t Mrs. Coulter kneant in London.

    In tervals betivities Mrs. Coulter eacs of geograpics. Lyras kno, like a map of ten by mice, for at Jordan tauged o catcruct inue for a sullen il s” to turn up, to t eac great lengt t of  researcever t o be. It oms and elementary particles, and anbaromagnetic cal forces and ots and pieces of experimental t not tem. In fact, s revolved around t the joke.

    o s shings, and when Mrs.

    Coulter elling  electrons, sly, “Yes, tively cicles. Sort of like Dust, except t Dust isnt charged.”

    As soon as s, Mrs. Coulters daemon snapped o look at tle body stood up, bristling, as if it er laid a hand on his back.

    “Dust?” she said.

    “Yea Dust.”

    “ do you kno Dust, Lyra?”

    “O it comes out of space, and it lig of camera to see it by. Except not c doesnt affect children.”

    “ from?”

    By no tension in talaimon  ermine-like onto rembling violently.

    “Just someone in Jordan,” Lyra said vaguely. “I forget he Scholars.”

    “as it in one of your lessons?”

    “Yes, it mig mig in passing. Yes. I t . talking to t Dust and I  passing and it sounded interesting so I couldnt opping to listen. ts  was.”

    “I see,” said Mrs. Coulter.

    “Is it rig old me? Did I get it wrong?”

    “ell, I dont kno back to trons....”

    Later, Pantalaimon said, “You know wood up on her daemon?

    ell, I  see. It ime till  do o leap at you.”

    t range, no doubt; but neit to make of it.

    And finally, tly and subtly given t t feel like lessons at all. o  on lipstick, po. to be sure, Mrs. Coulter didnt teacter arts directly, but scook care to let Lyra see ics, and to allory t for herself.

    * * * time passed, and autumn began to co er. From time to time Lyra t of Jordan College, but it seemed small and quiet compared to ten s of Roger, too, and felt uneasy, but to go to, or a neo ic Institute to visit, and t him again.

    er decided to ail party. Lyra  to celebrate, ter never said  e.

    “e must  afford to leave , t eful old snob. Lord Boreal is in to e Erik Andersson? I s about time to take him up....”

    Erik Andersson est fas “take , but sifully e doer suggested, spelling trociously and t  ter all.

    to bed, Pantalaimon whe pillow:

    “So to keep us o run away?”

    “S dont like s hard luck.

    I like eacion and all t if s going to take us north?”

    “to stop you getting impatient, ts  to stand around at tail party being all s and pretty. S making a pet out of you.”

    Lyra turned  alaimon said rue.

    Se life,  le in the canal.

    t kept e and attentive to Mrs. Coulter  tantalizing  Lord Asriel. Perer  married and adopt Lyra, and go and rescue Roger from the Gobblers.

    On ternoon of tail party, Mrs. Coulter took Lyra to a fasiff dark blond ened and le makeup to o so do it. t to collect ter o buy some patent-leat ime to go back to t and c dressed.

    “Not ter as Lyra came out of tiness.

    Lyra aken to tle o keep ter close at er, loosening to a vase, sa Lyra  moving and glanced pointedly at the door.

    “Oer, I do love this bag!”

    “Not indoors, Lyra. It looks absurd to be carrying a sake it off at once, and come and hese glasses....”

    It  so mucone as t made Lyra resist stubbornly. Pantalaimon fleo tantly became a polecat, arc tle his, Lyra said:

    “But it  be in ts t really suits—”

    S finisence, because Mrs. Coulters daemon sprang off talaimon to t before  in alarm, and talaimon ted t, so loosen tered  and s loalaimons ears in ended to tear it off. Not angrily, eit  o feel.

    Lyra sobbed in terror.

    “Dont! Please! Stop ing us!”

    Mrs. Coulter looked up from her flowers.

    “Do as I tell you, then,” she said.

    “I promise!”

    tepped aalaimon as if he were suddenly bored.

    Pantalaimon fled to Lyra at once, and so o kiss and gentle.

    “Noer.

    Lyra turned ly and slammed into  no sooner  be opened again. Mrs. Coulter anding t or two away.

    “Lyra, if you beation,  bag tant. Control t unpleasant fro. No guests es, and to find you perfectly be, c, attentive, deligicularly and me?”

    “Yes, Mrs. Coulter.”

    “then kiss me.”

    S a little and offered o stand on tiptoe to kiss it.

    Siced   perplexing smell of Mrs. Coulters flesed, but someallic. Sable before folloer back to the drawing room.

    “ do you ter as sly as if not go  you can oo mucerers brought enough ice? Be a dear and go and ask. arm drinks are horrid...”

    Lyra found it e easy to pretend to be liged and calaimons disgust, and of red for tly tinguisly and making pretty ans, and t t to alaimon stretched his goldfinch wings and chirruped loudly.

    S , and became a little more retiring.

    “And te.

    “I dont go to scold her.

    “Really? I t your mot you to her old school. A very good place...”

    Lyra ified until sake.

    “O my mot ant,” santly.

    “I see. And who are your people?”

    Again Lyra o wonder w s before replying.

    “t and countess,” sical accident in th.”

    “?”

    “Count Belacqua. her.”

    t macaation from one foot to anoto froy, so Lyra smiled sly and moved on.

    S a group of men and one young . Sy noo understand ed by tion of Dust, and so listen. to be Scioning took o be a student of some kind.

    “It e—stop me if you kno ion, “a man called Rusakov, and ticles after him.

    Elementary particles t dont interact in any o detect, but traordinary t to be attracted to human beings.”

    “Really?” said the young woman, wide-eyed.

    “And even more extraordinary,”  on, “some hers.

    Adults attract it, but not c least, not muc until adolescence. In fact, ts to tting ially on her shoulder.

    “—ts tion Board  up. As our good ess ell you.”

    “Really? Is sion Board?”

    “My dear, sion Board. Its entirely —”

    t to tell  sigared back at tle too muco drink, or pero impress the young woman, for he said:

    “ttle lady kno it, Ill be bound. Youre safe from tion Board, arent you, my dear?”

 FIVE - THE COCKTAIL PARTY-2

    “Oo live, in Oxford, tians—take kids and sell em to turks for slaves. And on Port Meado t comes out from t Godstow. I he Gobblers....”

    “ts s ion Board, dont they?”

    Lyra felt Pantalaimon tremble suddenly, but  be and a butterfly, didnt seem to notice.

    “Gobblers?” said t a peculiar name! hem Gobblers?”

    Lyra  to tell ories so frig the man was already speaking.

    “From tials, dyou see? General Oblation Board. Very old idea, as a matter of fact. In ts o to be monks or nuns. And tunate brats es.

    Means a sacrifice, an offering, somet sort. So taken up  business....As our little friend probably knoalk to Lord Boreal?” o Lyra directly. “Im sure o meet Mrs. Coulters protegee....ts  daemon.”

    ed to get rid of Lyra so t alk more privately ell t easily. But t seemed, ill interested in Lyra, and slipped ao talk to her.

    “Stop a minute....s your name?”

    “Lyra.”

    “Im Adele Starminster. Im a journalist. Could I  word?”

    t only natural t people so talk to her, Lyra said simply, “Yes.”

    tterfly daemon rose into ting about to left and rigtered doo er said, “Come to t.”

    te spot of Lyras; it overlooked t time of nigs across on ttering brilliantly over tions in ter of tide. A line of barges ug moved upriver. Adele Starminster sat do to make room.

    “Did Professor Docker say t you ion er?”

    “Yes.”

    “ is it? Youre not er, by any chance? I suppose I should know—”

    “No!” said Lyra. “Course not. Im ant.”

    “ant? Youre a bit young, arent you? I t you ed to s she like?”

    “S things were changing.

    “Yes, but personally,” Adele Starminster insisted. “I mean, is sient or w? Do you live s se?”

    “Solidly.

    “ sort of things do you do? how do you help her?”

    “I do calculations and all t. Like for navigation.”

    “A was your name again?”

    “Lyra. I come from Oxford.”

    “er pick you to—”

    Sopped very suddenly, because Mrs. Coulter herself had appeared close by.

    From tarminster looked up at ated ering around ell t t supposed to be at ty at all.

    “I dont knoer very quietly, “but I s out es, and t again. No up very quietly,  making a fuss, and leave. I mig w you here will also suffer.”

    Mrs. Coulter seemed to be c: a  smell, like ed metal, came off  somet earlier, but noed at someone else, and poor Adele Starminster o resist. ing, and to be unable to stand fully uprig as and out of tco he swooning daemon in place.

    “ell?” said Mrs. Coulter to Lyra.

    “I never told ant,” Lyra said.

    “ was she asking?”

    “Just about .”

    As s, Lyra noticed t Mrs. Coulter  her daemon.

    be? But a moment later t ook ly to her shoulder.

    At once s ease again.

    “If you come across anyone else ed, dear, do come and find me,  you?”

    t metallic smell  again, and t of oter smiled at Lyra in a  seemed to say, “You and I understand t o greet some ots.

    Pantalaimon was whispering in Lyras ear.

    “ of our bedroom. hes been spying.

    ter!”

    Lyra felt t t rue, but t it.   professor been saying about to find  no sooner s dress for tapped tly to  . t took no more t ly done t iced. But it left Lyra feeling anxious and exposed.

    Saking place, ening to tions around erested in taste of tails s alloo try, and increasingly fretful. S a anyone cil t  to say:

    “Miss Lyra, tleman by to speak to you.  know.”

    Lyra looked up across tly at , he nodded and beckoned.

    Un more interested now, s across.

    “Good evening, c daemons mailed tered in t from t-glass lamp on the wall nearby.

    “Good evening,” said Lyra.

    “er of Jordan?”

    “Very hank you.”

    “I expect to say goodbye to you.”

    “Yes, they were.”

    “And is Mrs. Coulter keeping you busy?  is seaching you?”

    Because Lyra ronizing question ruts of fancy.

    Instead s Rusakov Particles, and about tion Board.”

    o become focused at once, in t you could focus tern. All tention streamed at her fiercely.

    “Suppose you tell me w you know,” he said.

    “ts in th,” Lyra said. She was feeling reckless now. “Like Dr. Grumman.”

    “Go on.”

    “t togram o  least, not so much.”

    “Did Mrs. Coulter sure like t?”

    Lyra ated, for t lying but somet practiced at it.

    “No,” ser a moment. “I sa one at Jordan College.”

    “ to you?”

    “ really s to me,” Lyra admitted. “I  passing and I sa. And taken by tion Board. But—”

    “ picture?”

    “My Uncle Asriel.”

    “hen?”

    “ time.”

    “I see. And ion Board?”

    “Yes. But I didnt  t from  here.”

    ly true, s.

    he innocence she had.

    Finally he nodded.

    “ter must o  work.

    Interesting. aken part yet?”

    “No,” said Lyra.  ? Pantalaimon ray .

    “And old you he children?”

    “No, s told me t. I only just kno its about Dust, and theyre like a kind of sacrifice.”

    Again, t  exactly a lie, s; s Mrs.

    Coulter old her.

    “Sacrifice is ratic ting it. s done is for to Mrs. Coulter s  to take part, and o bring tter.

    Im very pleased.”

    er . Sely back and urned ao talk to someone else.

    Salaimon could sense eaced to go ao ed to leave t; sed to go back to Jordan College and tle saircase to find Lord Asriel—

    And as if in anso t last o talking nearby ext of o a canape from te on table. A man in a bishops purple was saying:

    “...No, I dont troubling us for quite some time.”

    “And where did you say he was being held?”

    “In tress of Svalbard, Im told. Guarded by panser-bj0rne—you knoures!  escape from to be a t is t I really the way is clear, very nearly clear—”

    “t experiments  I al Dust is an emanation from tself, and—”

    “Do I detect trian heresy?”

    “ used to be a heresy—”

    “And if e the dark principle—”

    “Svalbard, did you say?”

    “Armored bears—”

    “tion Board—”

    “t suffer, Im sure of it—”

    “Lord Asriel imprisoned—”

    Lyra urned aly as talaimon, s into y  once.

    “ell?” she whispered, and he became a goldfinch on her shoulder.

    “Are o run away?” he whispered back.

    “Course. If  no, s not notice for a while.”

    “he will.”

    Pantalaimon meant Mrs. Coulters daemon.  of  ill h fear.

    “Ill figime,” Pantalaimon said boldly. “I can c.

    Ill c be able to keep ime Ill win, youll see.”

    Lyra nodded distractedly.  s out  being seen?

    “Youll o go and spy,” ss clear, heres no one looking...”

    S, dark against t in the corridor.

    Mean clotuffed some more into one of ted t very afternoon. Mrs. Coulter s, and alt it lavisill several sovereigns left,  of t before tiptoeing to the door.

    Last of all ser in its black velvet clot abominable monkey found it?   old  better! Siptoed to to t t of ts alking loudly, laug flusory, tinkle of glasses; and tiny mot her ear said:

    “Now! Quick!”

    So t door of t. A moment after t s quietly s, and alaimon a goldfincairs and fled.

 SIX - THE THROWING NETS-1

    S . tangle of narroreets betic Institute, o t dark maze she hurried now.

    If only sreets to avoid; or  cold nig and secret life, and s.

    Pantalaimon became a  and scanned t-piercing eyes. Every so often op, bristling, and surn aside from trance s to go do s of drunken laugter and ely t all, alaimons, keeping to the narrow alleys.

    From time to time so cross a  street, s, but sook no notice, and wed, she fled.

    It o be free again. S Pantalaimon, padding on  pao be in t  and clangorous ime soon to t ters flat, but not yet. And sometime eventually to find a place to sleep.

    At a crossroads near tment store  pavement, tall: a little  on  s. te-coated oer talking to tomers.

    It empting. Lyra  alaimon a sparroo ter and reaco gain ttention.

    “Cup of coffee and a ham sandwich, please,” she said.

    “Youre out late, my dear,” said a gentleman in a top  and we silk muffler.

    “Yeaurning aersection. A ter nearby  emptying, and croed foyer, calling for cabs, s around tion rance of a Cation, eps.

    “all man. “two shillings.”

    “Let me pay for top .

    Lyra t, er t need all my money later. top-ted man dropped a coin on ter and smiled do her.

    clung to aring round-eyed at Lyra.

    S into  reet. S even knoo find try.

    “s your name?” said the man.

    “Alice.”

    “ts a pretty name. Let me put a drop of to your coffee...warm you up...”

    op of a silver flask.

    “I dont like t,” said Lyra. “I just like coffee.”

    “I bet youve never his before.”

    “I tle, or nearly.”

    “Just as you like,” said tilting to his?”

    “Going to meet my father.”

    “And whos he?”

    “hes a murderer.”

    “?”

    “I told you, s onig hes in here, cause hes usually all covered in blood when hes finished a job.”

    “Ah! Youre joking.”

    “I ent.”

    ttered a soft me at olidly and ate t of her sandwich.

    “Goodnig angry.”

    top- man glanced around, and Lyra set off toer croer   really intended for people of trapped underground; better to be out in to.

    On and on sreets became darker and emptier. It  even if ty sky oo tainted  to sars. Pantalaimon t t well?

    Endless streets of little identical brick bin; great gaunt factories be glocory, only distinguisside. Once sried to  a the porch was full of sleeping figures, and fled.

    “o sleep, Pan?” srudged doreet of closed and stered shops.

    “A doorway somewhere.”

    “Dont  to be seen theyre all so open.”

    “there....”

    o t. Sure enougcer, and  to look, tied up at ter, some lo s, and a tal cs , acks of great round logs, h rolls of cauchuc-covered cable.

    Lyra tiptoed up to t and peeped in at tureStory paper and smoking a pipe, able. As s up and brougtle from tove and poured some  er into a cracked mug before settling back h his paper.

    “So let us in, Pan?” s racted; , an o again; sc time as  .

    Pantalaimon uttered a  tangling ed past o snt do  boxed in a corner.

    Pantalaimon, an eagle no ! Left!”

    S  barrels and ted iron sed for it like a bullet.

    But ts! S ung, and loatarred strings ruggling in vain.

    “Pan! Pan!”

    But tore at t Pantalaimon, and Lyra felt t cry as ly las, body,  ground. Sly like a fly being trussed by a spider. Poor  Pan  to chrough his neck—

    till as tying t sa too.

    Pantalaimon sat up and blinked, and t t man fell c across Lyra,  strings fell ating, and o cuddle Pantalaimon.

    Kneeling, sed to look up at turned, t h.

    “t ent Lyra?”

    A familiar voice, but s place it till epped for lig. A gyptian! A real Oxford gyptian! “tony Costa,” o play tle brots in Jeric him.”

 SIX - THE THROWING NETS-2

    “O t ruso her mind:

    it as boat s day. Suppose he remembered?

    “Better come along h us,” he said. “You alone?”

    “Yeah. I was running away....”

    “All rig talk no keep quiet. Jaxer, move to the shadow. Kerim, look around.”

    Lyra stood up s Pantalaimon to . ing to look at sometanding and suddenly curious too:  ing aoms of smoke, for all t tried to cling to talaimon er tony Costa.

    “ are you doing here?” she said.

    “Quiet, gal. trouble a stirring more. ell talk on t.”

    tle o t of tly after tony turned along terfront and out onto a ty, from  and so the cabin.

    “Get in,” he said. “Quick now.”

    Lyra did so, patting  go of, even in t) to make sure ter ill t of a lantern on a out poting at a table her.

    “s never Lyra?”

    “ts rig to move. e killed t in t t I reckon turk traders. t Lyra. Never mind talk— on the move.”

    “Come a.

    Lyra obeyed, a   sured  t mot  gently to lick Pantalaimons  a folded  arms around Lyra and pressed o .

    “I dunno . You can  a  drink in you. Set you dohere, child.”

    It looked as if  least forgotten. Lyra slid onto table top as t.

    “here we going?” Lyra asked.

    Ma Costa ting a saucepan of milk on tove and riddling te to stir the fire up.

    “Aalk in the morning.”

    And s o move, exced a corner of to c. A minute or ter she was sound asleep.

    S comforting engine rumble deep belo up more carefully. A t sy and neatly made, one beloiny cabin. So find  folded at togeter ill there.

    S t to find ove, w was warm.

    t migrees.

    Before s on deck, ter door opened and Ma Costa came do on iny pearls.

    “Sleep  t. Dont stand about; t room.”

    “here are we?” said Lyra.

    “On tion Canal. You keep out of sig  to see you topside. trouble.”

    So to go hem.

    “ sort of trouble?”

    “Not cope ay out the way.”

    And s say any more till Lyra en. t slo one point, and somet t t moved on.

    Presently tony Costa so t over tove to make t.

    “ o tell her, Ma?”

    “Ask first, tell after.”

    o a tin cup and sat down.  s, Lyra saw a sad grimness in his expression.

    “Rigell us he Gobblers.”

    “I ...”

    Lyra clumsily collected ory and s into order as if stling a pack of cards ready for dealing. Sold t about ter.

    “And t nig tail party I found out er o use me to c they do is—”

    Ma Costa left t out to t. tony ed till t, and cut in:

    “e kno,  of it. e kno come back.

    taken up nort ts on em. At first ried out different diseases and medicines, but to start t all of a sudden t about tartars, maybe t deal tartars  to move nort as muc, for t and tartar cartars eat em, dont they?

    t “em.”

    “they never!” said Lyra.

    “ty of oto be told, and all. You ever he Nalkainens?”

    Lyra said, “No. Not even er.  are they?”

    “ts a kind of g ts. Same size as a c no  at nig in t t a not go. Nalkainens, ts a nortoo. t about in ted togetimes, or caugoucrengt of you. You cant see em except as a kind of shless Ones...”

    “hey?”

    “arriors  being  cant die, and living is altoget forever. ts been done to em.”

    “And ?” said Lyra, wide-eyed.

    “tartars snap open t t to it. t  killing em, but t  t is t to pump and pump all day and nigoon of Breat sometimes, Ive  means armored bears. t we bears, and—”

    “Yes! I  nig my uncle, Lord Asriel, ress guarded by the armored bears.”

    “Is  was here?”

    “Exploring. But talking I dont they were glad he was in prison.”

    “ell,  get out if t I mean by t? trengto eoric iron mostly, and t ss and plates of it to cover turies. tely pitiless. But t.”

    Lyra considered th awe.

    “Ma dont like to  tony said after a fes, “because of ook h, see.”

    “?”

    “e caugalk. ts tle about  nig Gobblers; too clumsy. If took em alive. See, tian people,  by togeto decide o do about it. ts  nigaking on stores, cause o a big muster up in t o send out a rescue party, ians knoogets w Id do, if I was John Faa.”

    “hos John Faa?”

    “tians.”

    “And youre really going to rescue t about Roger?”

    “hos Roger?”

    “tcook same as Billy ter. I bet if I ook, o rescue Billy, I  to come too and rescue Roger.”

    And Uncle Asriel, s; but s mention t.

 SEVEN - JOHN FAA-1

    No Lyra ask in mind, s mucter. er  Pantalaimon  a pretty pet. On tian boat, to do, and Ma Costa made sure s. S, satoes and made tea, s bearings, s trap clear over tes, sied t up at mooring posts, and  ian.

    s notice  tas  every second for unusual signs of interest in Lyra from terside people. If s realized it, sant, and Mrs. Coulter and tion Board o be searcony  tories  any explanation, t t in itself   being looked for. Gyptians and land folk alike ting jumpy and nervous.

    And tas interest in Lyra; but s to learn t for a fe.

    So took to keeping tage or a canal basin, or anyo came along terions. tas o t, t compartment beneatwo  unsuccessfully.

    “ ter rue t Pantalaimon  time happily asleep by Lyras head.

    Slos and detours, tas boat dre  fringe of it mingled indistinguisidal inlets of tinguiss of ttled tc parts ed or settled at all, and in t central regions, ed careless travelers to tian people  safe to muster.

    And noercourses, gyptian boats os, tcly  ing  d, and .

    ians called a byanroping—a summons or muster of families—so many boats filled ter you could ion over t ians ruled in ter, and  traded fairly, turned a blind eye to t smuggling and tian body floated as, or got snagged in a fis,  ian.

    Lyra listened ento tales of t g dog Black Sco tian even before to ian one, complete ca o remind hings.

    “You ent gyptian, Lyra. You migian ice, but to us tian language. trong currents. ere er people all t, youre a fire person.  youre most like is marss tian sc cive, ts w you are, c.

    “I ent never deceived anyone! You ask...” to ask, of course, and Ma Costa laug kindly.

    “Cant you see Im a paying you a compliment, you gosling?” s understand.

    s it  to set in a splas t, like tered buildings around; to till air, and from ts all around came t.

    tied up close to tself, at a mooring tony said ions. Presently Ma Costa  eels tering and ttle on for potato powder.

    tony and Kerim oiled t on t leats and blue spotted neckerc to greet some old friends in ts and drink a glass or t bar. tant news.

    “e got  in time. t. And to tian boat, and so appear tonig the Roping!”

    ered tempered, as if tside  an excitement groer into t pocket, and jumping aso the Zaal.

    S tony  sian t, for many people stared, and ced, and by time t doors of to stare and give them room.

    And to feel truly nervous. S close to Ma Costa, and Pantalaimon became as big as ook o reassure a trudged up teps as if notop ony and Kerim her side like princes.

    t by naply enoug left ty rafters o struggle to find room on t families squeezed up to make space, c or perc of the rough wooden walls.

    At t of tform  carved . As Lyra and tas found space to stand along t men appeared from t tform and stood in front of tement s over to spaces on t bench.

    Finally tform sat down.

    ties, but tall and bull necked and poian men; to mark  but trengty : Uncle Asriel , and so did ter of Jordan.

    ters raven.

    “ts Joern gyptians,” tony whispered.

    Joo speak, in a deep sloians! elcome to the Roping.

    eve come to listen and come to decide. You all knoaking them.

    to be sure, landlopers are losing coo. e his.

    “Noalk about a cruto stop all gossip. t by to to stay. Anyone tempted by tter find a place neiter. e ent giving her up.”

    Lyra felt a bluss of o t; Pantalaimon became a broo urning to t Ma Costa for reassurance.

    But John Faa was speaking again:

    “talk all  c. e must act if  to chings.

    for you: taking to a to kno. e dont know.

    “  t . ts going on and t whey can.

    “So  easy. And I need your agreement. Im proposing t   our gold into t and courage er. Yes, Raymond van Gerrit?”

    A man in t doo let him speak.

    “Beg pardon, Lord Faa. tians been taken captive. Are you saying we shem as well?”

    Joood up to answer.

    “Raymond, are you saying o a little group of frigo some of t to t t to stay? No, youre a better man t. ell, do I have your approval, my friends?”

    tion caugs ation; but ted roar filled ts sed clamor. ters of ttle s drifted down.

    Jo tinue for a minute, and then raised his hand for silence again.

    “take a  to raise a tax and muster a levy. ell meet again ime. In beto talk ioned before, and o put before you w. Goodnigo ye all.”

    presence o move out of t doors into to go to ts or to ttle settlement, Lyra said to Ma Costa:

    “form?”

    “ther man is Farder Coram.”

    It o see  one tick, and all time ting berembling as if h an ague.

    “Come on,” said tony. “Id best take you up to pay your respects to John Faa.

    You call  kno mind you tell truth.”

    Pantalaimon  curiously on Lyras s, as sony to tform.

    ed  everyone still in taring at ated. Pantalaimon darted to  and became a , sitting up in ly as he looked around.

    Lyra felt a pusepped foro Joern and massive and expressionless, more like a pillar of rock t ooped and  o s  nearly vanished.

    “elcome, Lyra,” he said.

    Close to, s self. S for Pantalaimon, and t t Joony expression tle. reating ly.

    “thank you, Lord Faa,” she said.

    “Noalk,” said Joas?”

    “Oh, yes. e had eels for supper.”

    “Proper fen eels, I expect.”

    table place able darkly polis wwelve chairs were drawn up.

    tform  till o a seat at table.

    “No ,” Joo Lyra, and took t table e Farder Coram. Stle friginual trembling. iful autumn-colored cat, massive in size, able ail and elegantly inspected Pantalaimon, touctling on Farder Corams lap, ly.

    A iced came out of tray of glasses, set it do. Jotle glasses of jenniver from a stone crock for himself and Farder Coram, and wine for Lyra.

    “So,” John Faa said. “You run away, Lyra.”

    “Yes.”

    “And whe lady you run away from?”

    “Ser. And I t s I found out s tion Board, and s, it  o make me  kids for em. But they never knew...”

    “t?”

    “ell, first t I kneca, and a girl out t in Oxford. And anot, Lord Asriel. 1 alking about o t reckon  anyto do er and t, I iring Room  tell t ion up nort  back tanislaus Grumman, artars  him locked up somewhere.

    t to rescue him.”

    Subborn as s t t  , riced expression t trembled across  chasing shadows on a windy March day, John Faas smile was slow, warm, plain, and kindly.

    “You better tell us , mind. tell us everything.”

    Lyra did, more sloold tas but more ly, too. S s afraid of ime. ones in it as there were colors in his daemons fur.

    “t,”  anything else, Lyra?”

    “No. Just Dust. Mrs. Coulter told me  ary particles, but ts all s.”

    “And t by doing someto c more about it?”

    “Yes. But I dont kno my uncle...t to tell you. ern slides, ther one he had.

    It he Roarer—”

    “t?” said John Faa.

 SEVEN - JOHN FAA-2

    “t right, Lyra?”

    “Yeas it. And in ts of ty. All to  like Oxford, ts , anyed in t, I t ter and terested in Dust, like Mrs.

    Coulter and Lord Boreal and them.”

    “I see,” said Farder Coram. “ts very interesting.”

    “Noell you somets been going on  and time tas  to Oxford, or o t, t back a bit of ne you, c?”

    Lyra so be frigalaimon oo deep for anyone to  s in ips down inside his fur.

    “O back to Farder Coram here.”

    Lyra couldnt  in.

    “e didnt damage it! ! It  of mud! And  very far—”

    “ are you talking about, child?” said John Faa.

    Farder Coram laug, opped and  and young.

    But Lyra  laugrembling lips sook it out! It  a joke. e ve sunk it, never!”

    to laugoo. able so o ears from , never  ain laughing.

    “O t too, little girl! I dont suppose tas  foot any. You better leave a guard on your boat, tony, people say. Fierce little girls round  story  all over t  going to punis. No, no! Ease your mind.”

    Farder Coram, and tly.

    And Lyra felt contented, and safe.

    Finally John Faa shook his head and became serious again.

    “I  you from a cer kno guess old you at Jordan College about  knorut. Did tell you ws were?”

    Noely dazed.

    “Yes,” s me t. ts old me.”

    “Ao tell you a story, a true story. I knos true, because a gyptian old me, and tell truto Jorut yourself, Lyra. Your fat, because your father is Lord Asriel.”

    Lyra could only sit in wonder.

    “ came about,” Jo on. “ exploring all over t fortune.

    And ed man, quick to anger, a passionate man.

    “And your mote too. Not so well born as  a clever woman. A Sciful. S.

    “trouble ician.

    y, one of  advisers. A rising man.

    “Noell  s you, girl—it  you didnt favor  your true fat it best to  t youd died.

    “So you ook to Oxfordsates, and put in tian o nurse. But someone  tage  er, in a murderous passion.

    “Lord Asriel  a ing, but t o ime to find your mot t of t staircase.

    Anot and  hen, and Lord Asriel killed him.

    “tian s how we know.

    “t la. Your fat to deny or conceal trut left t,   an intruder. On toto avenge tion of   t.

    “ted for  back and forting all y and all  han a king.

    “As for your moted noto do , nor urned ian nurse told me sen been afeared of reat you, because she was a proud and scornful woman. So much for her.

    “t different, Lyra, you mig up a gyptian, because t to let  ians got little standing in t decided you o be placed in a priory, and so you ers of Obedience at atlington. You  remember.

    “But Lord Asriel  stand for t. red of priors and monks and nuns, and being a  rode in one day and carried you off. Not to look after o give to tians; ook you to Jordan College, and dared to undo it.

    “ell, t t back to ions, and you gre Jordan College. tion  your mot be let see you. If sried to do t, so be prevented, and o be told, because all ture urned against er promised faito do t; and so time passed.

    “ty about Dust. And all over try, all over too began a  it. It  of any account to us gyptians, until tarted taking our kids. ts erested. And  connections in all sorts of places you  imagine, including Jordan College. You  kno tcing to us ever since you been t an interest in you, and t gyptian woman wopped being anxious on your behalf.”

    “ c immensely important and strange, t all  of concern so far away.

    “It c. It , Ill be bound.”

    Bernie ary man, one of t  in aken. And Bernie elling tians everything! She marveled.

    “So any at a time  it. And er t  never do, and  tician Lord Asriel killed, er.”

    “Mrs. Coulter?” said Lyra, quite stupefied. “S my mother?”

    “S never o defy ill be at Jordan, not kno er ting you go is a mystery I cant explain.  she had some power over him.”

    Lyra suddenly understood ters curious be.

    “But   to...” srying to remember it exactly. “o go and see  t morning, and I mustnt tell Mrs.

    Coulter....It o protect me from opped, and looked at to tell trut tiring Room. “See, thing else.

    t evening I iring Room, I saer try to poison Lord Asriel. I saold my uncle and er off table and spilled it. So I saved and  to poison  o udy, and I o go secretly so no one ry and remember exactly  er and  o keep it secret from er. I suppose its all rigell you....”

    S in t of t and took out t package. S on table, and sy and Farder Corams brigelligence botrained on it like searcs.

    er bare, it was Farder Coram w.

    “I never t Id ever set eyes on one of ts a symbol reader.

    Did ell you anyt it, child?”

    “No. Only t Id o  o read it by myself. And  an aleter.”

    “s t mean?” said Journing to his companion.

    “ts a Greek s from aktruts a trut o use it?” o her.

    “No. Least, I can make t  to different pictures, but I cant do anyt goes all over. Except sometimes, rigimes rating, I can make t just by t.”

    “s it do, Farder Coram?” said Jo?”

    “All tures round t delicately torong gaze, “tands for a  meaning of t is  like an anc give eadfastness. tion. to ten, twelve, maybe a never-ending series of meanings.”

    “And do you knohem all?”

    “I kno to read it fully Id need t is, but I ent got it.”

    “ell come back to t,” said Jo.”

    “You got trol,” Farder Coram explained, “and you use to ask a question. By pointing to tion you can imagine, because youve got so many levels of eac your question framed, ts to more symbols t give you the answer.”

    “But  kno tion?” said John Faa.

    “Aself it dont. It only ioner  to kno, and t be a t to be able to  fretting at it or pus cs gone round its full range, youll kno  done once by a s time I ever saw one before. Do you know hese are?”

    “ter told me there was only six made,” Lyra said.

    “ever t ent large.”

    “And you kept t from Mrs. Coulter, like ter told you?” said John Faa.

    “Yes. But , o go in my room. And Im sure .”

    “I see. ell, Lyra, I dont knoand trut t. ter er you and keep you safe from your mot ers friends in t up tion Board, for  knos, botrong in tious, and ter of Jordan hem.

    “Noers got a o look after.  concern is  to t, o move agin it. And t times, Lyra, its been a getting more commanding. t; talk of reviving tion, God forbid. And ter o tread o keep Jordan College on t side of t  survive.

    “And anoter is you, c t. ter of Jordan and to keep you safe, not just because to Lord Asriel t t for your oer gave you up to Mrs. Coulter e of all appearances. And  to poison Lord Asriel,   t oo; maybe all ter as a man errible co make; tle less  to make t sort of choice.

    “And o t  you go,  safe. I ; as you couldnt read it, Im foxed as to w hinking.”

    “ed ter to Jordan College years before,” Lyra said, struggling to remember. “o say somet to stop.  I t o keep it aoo.”

    “Or even te,” said John Faa.

    “ dyou mean, John?” said Farder Coram.

    “  in mind to ask Lyra to return it to Lord Asriel, as a kind of recompense for trying to poison   t Lord Asriel could read some rument and ive no mig ter take t safe. If you kept it safe so far, I ent  leaving it h you.

    But t come a time  it, and I reckon  then.”

    over it and slid it back across table. Lyra ed to ask all kinds of questions, but suddenly s stle eyes so sheir folds and wrinkles.

    One to ask, though.

    “ian woman who nursed me ?”

    “ as mot old you, because I ent let  s alking of s all out in the open.

    “No be getting back to  plenty to be a thinking of, child.

    , , Lyra.”

    “Goodnig, Farder Coram,” sely, clutcer to  alaimon her.

    Bot side ta ing, and as if not moto  arms and kissed o bed.

 EIGHT - FRUSTRATION-1

    Lyra o adjust to ory, and t couldnt be done in a day. to see Lord Asriel as  to accept Mrs.

    Coulter as  too, and felt confused.

    But, being Lyra, s fret about it for long, for too explore and many gyptian co amaze. Before t  (in  least) and s ales of y fatly made captive.

    “And turkis at Jordan for dinner.

    And an o kill my fat, and one full of poison. And  no one else saw —”

    “ sort of poison?” demanded a thin-faced girl.

    “Poison out of a special turkis,” Lyra invented, “co lure out and t a sponge soaked in  bites it and cant get c and milk t of it. Any turk done, and lemen, I  to propose a toast of friendsurkiso.

    And to so be friends, hers wine.

    “And t refuse to drink  giving deadly insult, and  drink it because  able. And ting ting and looking at o eithe poison or own up.”

    “So w did he do?”

    “. It took es to die, and orment all time.”

    “Did you see it happen?”

    “No, cause girls ent allo table. But I seen ering from , to puss....”

    And so on.

    Mean doors, searctics and outing papers and interrogating everyone le girl; and in Oxford tiest boxroom to t cellar, and so . Micill t protest asserting t rigion Lyra  drone of t visible, because tatute airso keep a certain  above fen country, but  carry? Best to keep under cover inctive hair.

    And sioned Ma Costa about every detail of tory of ails into a mental tapestry even clearer and sories s from ttage, t in t, the clash of swords—

    “S God, girl, you dreaming?” Ma Costa said. “Mr. Coulter  out ruck  remember; you ougo, little as you  s er,  out ime and turned it on   bet. t, Come out, Mrs. Costa, and bring tting up suc daemon botook you up and dandled you and sat you on  , and called for he floor.”

    By tition of tory Lyra ly convinced s, and even volunteered details of ters coat and t. Ma Costa laughed.

    And  ter and pored over it like a lover ure of t?  s? asnt ser?

    Remembering o focus aken at random, and clicked to point at t if ser just so in  it in a particular lazy , to move more purposefully. Instead of its ions around t sure to anotimes it  times times five or more, and altood not, s from it, unlike anytalaimon , sometimes as a mouse, s felt as if a s of sunligruck to ligic line of great ance—someted. And Lyra t times  all h.&lt;dfn&gt;hｔｔｐ://ｗwｗ.9９ｌｉｂ.ｎeｔ&lt;/dfn&gt;

    So titude of boats and t as got time to sit at t, and as soon as ts s t on tform and sat beable. Jo o make a sign for silence;  put   on table and looked at the hubbub died.

    “ell,”  I asked. And better to call on to come up  t.”

    A stout black-bearded man climbed onto tform and laid a able.

    “ts our gold,” y-eight men.”

    “te. t man stood at tform as Jo, and t, and eacable, and announced ter. tas  of tefanski family, and naturally tony  to volunteer. Lyra noticed ing from foot to foot and spreading efanski money and ty-three men were laid before John Faa.

    o Joood up to address the audience again.

    “Friends, ts a muster of one y men. I thank you proudly.

    As for t from t of it t youve all dug deep in your coffers, and my  for t as well.

    “ o do next is to cer a s em free. From  be some figo do. It  be t time, nor it  be t, but o be uncommon cunning. But  going to come back  our kids. Yes, Dirk Vries?”

    A man stood up and said, “Lord Faa, do you knohem kids?”

    “e s a tter. t, but ure it is  knoo tell you all trut even kno  is, good or bad, t no rigo reac by nigtle c ts of t?”

    t t meeting stood up and said, “t c, tting in t roo rescind our ancient privileges on account of to pass a la to free movement in and out t  to kno of o suc a gyptian c as I  t a landloper c us all in danger?”

 EIGHT - FRUSTRATION-2

    Lyra looked up at Jo  words of his reply.

    “No out, Raymond, dont be s us to give to t right?”

    tood obstinately fro said nothing.

    “ell, per,” Joinued. “But if any man or  little girl is ter of Lord Asriel, no less. For tten, it urk for t s free passage on ty. It ercourse Bill in Parliament, to our great and lasting benefit. And it o pull out young Ruud and Nellie Koopman. You forgotten t? Shame, shame on you, shame.

    “And no same Lord Asriel is  coldest darkest regions of tive, in tress of Svalbard. Do I need to tell you tures a guarding tle daug ies for a bit of peace and quiet. Is t rigand up and answer, man.”

    But Raymond van Gerrit o , and notand. A lo be feeling, as well as a deep glow of pride in her.

    Journed a tform.

    “Nicting you in cefanski, I  you to take cions, and command ting. Roger van Poppel, you look to all tores, from food to cold-mann, you be treasurer, and account to us all for a proper apportionment of our gold.

    Benjamin de Ruyter, I  you to take c deal , and Im a giving you t, and youll report to Farder Coram. Mico be responsible for coordinating t four leaders  to me, and if I die, youre my second in command and youll take over.

    “Noions according to custom, and if any man or o disagree, they may do so freely.”

    After a moment a ood up.

    “Lord Faa, ent you a taking any ion to look after them kids once you found em?”

    “No, Nell. e stle space as it is. Any kids ter off in our care theyve been.”

    “But supposing you find out t you cant rescue em  some women in disguise as guards or nurses or wever?”

    “ell, I  t of t,” Joted. “ell consider t most carefully o the parley room, you have my promise.”

    S doood up.

    “Lord Faa, I  Lord Asriel is in captivity. Is it part of your plan to rescue  is, and if s going to need more ty men. And good friend as Lord Asriel is to us, I dont knoo go as far as t.”

    “Adriaan Braks, youre not o do o keep our eyes and ears open and see w knowledge we can glean wh.

    It may be t o  may not, but you can trust me not to use side tated one of finding our children and bringing em home.”

    Anotood up.

    “Lord Faa,  knove been doing to our children.

    e all ories of fearful t c c in oget too ao mention. Im truly sorry to distress anyone, but o get it out in t aake poo let ts of mercy and gentleness riking and striking y bloo t of t infernal  a co the Gobblers.”

    t as s down. he Zaal.

    Joed for silence, and said:

    “Not, save only judgment. If I stay my  o strike to strike a day too soon is as bad as striking a o be sure, t you say. But if you give in to t passion, friends, youre a doing isfaction of your oo do. Our . It ent gratification for upset feelings. Our feelings dont matter.

    If   punisask. But if o punis and by doing so lose the kids, weve failed.

    “But be assured of t. ime comes to punisrike sucs faint and fearful. e srike trengt of em. e sed, broken and stered, torn in a ttered to t you  Jo is too soft to strike a blow wime comes.

    And time . Not under passion.

    “Is ts to speak? Speak if you will.”

    But no one did, and presently Jo   of it so t ters.

    Jo tform for ttle disappointed. Didnt t oo? But tony laughed.

    “t plans to make,” , Lyra. Nos for Johe council.”

    “But I ent done not!” Lyra protested, as santly out of toty. “All I done er! ts just a beginning. I  to go north!”

    “tell you ony, “Ill bring you back a oots w Ill do.”

    Lyra scoalaimon occupied  tonys daemon, ed to tty and  erns on strings over ter to attract to be lunged at icks and missed.

    But o t in t oo o look t she could hear a low rumble of voices inside.

    So so t firmly five times. topped, a c out on tep.

    “Yes?” said t.

    Beyond able, acked neatly, and papers and pens, and glasses and a crock of jenniver.

    “I  to come nort. “I  to come and s  out to do when I run away from Mrs.

    Coulter. And before t, even, I meant to rescue my friend Roger tcook. I  to come and ion and I can take anbaromagnetic readings off t parts of a bear you can eat, and all kind of useful t up t me be — knoerrupting your talk.”

    Sc and some ation, but salaimon sat up in  eyes blazing green.

    Jo no question of taking you into danger, so dont delude yourself, cay a and keep safe. ts  to do.”

    “But Im learning o read ter, too. Its coming clearer every day! Youre bound to need t—bound to!”

    he shook his head.

    “No,”   on going nort its my belief not even Mrs. Coulter o take you. If you  to see to  till all troubles over. Now off you go.”

    Pantalaimon ly, but Joook off from t t teningly, but like a reminder of good manners; and Lyra turned on o Jo beh a decisive click.

    “e alaimon. “Let em try to stop us. e will!”

 NINE - THE SPIES-1

    Over t feed a dozen plans and dismissed tiently; for to sto? to be sure, tories to expect all kinds of s, tever t so get to t, and leaving t traveling tian way.

    And even if s to t on  sto o  and o high Brazil.

    Meanalizing ion ceers for ting force. Sered Roger van Poppel ions about tores to take:  place to get arctic maps?

    t ed to er, t er turally no one could say , Lyra attaco Farder Coram.

    “I td be best if I  to and Mr. de Ruyters messages.”

    ook pity on te little girl and didnt send her away.

    Instead alked to ened to her memories of Oxford and of Mrs.

    Coulter, and cer.

    “ book he symbols in?” she asked him one day.

    “In heidelberg,” he said.

    “And is t the one?”

    “t ts the one Ive seen.”

    “I bet theres one in Bodleys Library in Oxford,” she said.

    Sake  beautiful daemon salaimon ,  Sop  and richly furred.

    touc lit up more saouc fur, to rub  it, but of course s  breaciquette imaginable to touc touc; but tion against act  so deep t even in battle no ouc terly forbidden. Lyra couldnt remember o be told t: s kne, as instinctively as s t nausea  good. So alted on  migest move to touch her, and never would.

    Sopiful as Farder Coram

    leaning on ticks, and rembled constantly like an aspen leaf. o love ed her.

    “s t er, one sunny morning in . “It keeps coming back to t.”

    “ten a clue ts t little old top of it?”

    She screwed up her eyes and peered.

    “ts a skull!”

    “So  might mean?”

    “Deat death?”

    “ts rig deat, after time, he second one.”

    “Dyou knoiced, Farder Coram? tops t round it kind of tc stops. Is t saying its then?”

    “Probably.  are you asking it, Lyra?”

    “Im a topped, surprised to find t sually been asking a question  realizing it. “I just put tures toget Mr. de Ruyter, see....And I put toget and to ask ting on h his spying, and—”

    “hree symbols?”

    “Because I t t  you kind of distill, and t of ts ted to t tion in my mind, and topped at deat could be really working, Farder Coram?”

    “Its  knole art. I wonder if—”

    Before ence, t knock at tian man came in.

    “Beg pardon, Farder Coram, t come back, and hes sore wounded.”

    “er,” said Farder Coram. “s happened?”

    “ speak,” said tter come, Farder Coram, cause  last long, hes a bleeding inside.”

    Farder Coram and Lyra exc, but only for a second, and t on icks as fast as oo, ience.

    to a boat tied up at t jetty, s important t Jacobs got to say, mistress.”

    So t tood back,  on tc lay a man  and whose eyes were glazed.

    “Ive sent for t agitate er  just a fees ago.”

    “er now?”

    “ying up. It was o send for you.”

    “Quite right. Now, Jacob, can ye hear me?”

    Jacobs eyes rolled to look at Farder Coram sitting on te bunk, a foot or two away.

    “hello, Farder Coram,” he murmured.

    Lyra looked at , and sill beside  not asleep, for her eyes were open and glazed like his.

    “ happened?” said Farder Coram.

    “Benjamins dead,” came tured.”

    opped speaking, aking strengt  on:

    “e o try of t t ters s whe orders was coming from....”

    opped again.

    “You captured some Gobblers?” said Farder Coram.

    Jacob nodded, and cast   o speak to  it imes, and she spoke now.

    “e caugell us  it o Lapland....”

    So stop and pant briefly, tle c fluttering, before she could go on.

    “And so told us about try of theology and Lord Boreal.

    Benjamin said o try and Frans Broekman and tom Mend about Lord Boreal.”

    “Did t?”

    “e dont kno  before , and for all om  near Lord Boreal.”

    “Come back to Benjamin,” said Farder Coram, ting harsher and seeing his eyes close in pain.

    Jacobs daemon gave a little mey and love, and took a step or t on faintly:

    “Benjamin and Gerard and us  to try at e tle side door, it not being fiercely guarded, and ayed on cside  in. t been in but a minute o us for ook our knife and ran in after  ful movements; and  about, but tion above, and a fearful cry, and Benjamin and aircase above us, ugging and a fluttering to  all in vain, for tone floor and bot.

    “And  see anyt too terrified and stunned to move, and t do our shin....”

    ter, and a groan came from tly pulled back terpane, and truding from Jacobs sted blood. t and t t only six inc faint.

    t and voices outside on tty.

    Farder Coram sat up and said, “he physician, Jacob. ell leave you now.

    ell alk wter.”

    . Lyra stuck close to ty, because ting.

    Farder Coram gave orders for Peter o go at once to Johen said:

    “Lyra, as soon as  alk about t aleter. You go and occupy yourself elsewhere, child; well send for you.”

    Lyra o to sit and to ter. S pleased or proud to be able to read ter— sever po needle sop, it kneelligent being.

    “I reckon its a spirit,” Lyra said, and for a moment sempted to ttle to the fen.

    “Id see a spirit if talaimon. “Like t old g in Godsto w.”

    “t,” said Lyra reprovingly. “You cant see all of em. Any t them, remember.”

    “t was only a nig.”

    “It . ts all rig. But ss moving t t sort of spirit.”

    “It mig be a spirit,” said Pantalaimon stubbornly.

    “ell,  be?”

    “It mig migary particles.” She scoffed.

    “It could be!” ed. “You remember t pomill t at Gabriel?

    ell, then.”

    At Gabriel College t kept on tar of tory, covered (no about it)  cloter. S  t of tion tercessor lifted to reveal in too distant to see, until ring attaco a ster above, letting a ray of sunligo strike tly. t became clear: a little te on t began to ruck it.

    It illustrated a moral lesson, tercessor explained, and  on to explain  es later Lyra ten t s forgotten ttle , and all done by tons, said to Jordan.

    So peralaimon icles could pusomill around, no doubt t  it still troubled her.

    “Lyra! Lyra!”

    It ony Costa, o ty.

    “Come over  to go and see Jo ts urgent.”

    Sroubled.

 NINE - THE SPIES-2

    John Faa spoke:

    “Lyra, cold me about your reading of t instrument.

    And Im sorry to say t poor Jacob  died. I to o take you er all, against my inclinations. Im troubled in my mind about it, but t seem to be any alternative. As soon as Jacobs buried according to custom, ake our and me, Lyra: youre a coming too, but it ent an occasion for joy or jubilation. trouble and danger ahead for all of us.

    “Im a putting you under Farder Corams  you be a trouble or a o  along and explain to Ma Costa, and o leave.”

    t time of Lyras life so far.

    Busily, but not quickly, for tedious stretcing, of s, of cumn landscape roll past t of all, of never once being allo into to run along t tes or catche lockside.

    Because, of course, so remain ony Costa told erside pubs: t t ttle fair- for anyone concealing range rumors too: people said so errible secrets in  a  all but a pair of spirits in t to to  ruin; and yet anot ars, come to spy on good Englisartar invasion.

    Lyra ales at first er ing and fearing o be out of to be nortimes so be back at Jordan College, scrambling over teolling o dinnertime and tter and sizzle and sing of tcely t not she could be Lyra of Jordan College forever and ever.

    t dreion er. S every day, sometimes imes on  so tate in ain ranges touc emerged into vision.

    Sruggled to explain to Farder Coram  felt like.

    “Its almost like talking to someone, only you cant quite upid because t get cross or any t, Farder Coram! As if t! Mrs. Coulter  t kind of knos like understanding, I suppose....”

    ions, and she would search for answers.

    “s Mrs. Coulter doing now?”  once, and ell me w youre doing.”

    “ell, ter, and I t t is busy—ts easy, ts top meaning; and t time in its meanings, and part fix my mind on it.”

    “And hese meanings are?”

    “I kind of see em. Or feel em rat nig your foot do my mind do it is. t em all togetrick in it like focusing your eyes.”

    “Do t t it says.”

    Lyra did. to s once, and stopped, moved on, stopped again in a precise series of s ion of suc Lyra, s, felt like a young bird learning to fly. Farder Coram, cable, noted topped, and ctle girl ing  a little,  first but ts pattled, looking else a game in play. An expert player seemed to see lines of force and influence on tant lines and ignored to some similar magnetic field t s.

    topped at t, t, t, t, and at a creature Lyra couldnt find a name for: a sort of lizard ail curled around t stood on. It repeated time after time, wched.

    “s t lizard mean?” said Farder Coram, breaking into ration.

    “It dont make sense....! can see  says, but I must be misreading it. t I ts me...l ting a meaning for t lizard t you talked to me, Farder Coram, and I lost it. See, its just floating any old where.”

    “Yes, I see t. Im sorry, Lyra. You tired no to stop?”

    “No, I dont,” s . Sful overexcitement, and it uffy cabin.

    of t raveling along t stretcer before reac. ide brouary extended under a dreary sky to a distant group of coal-spirit tanks, rusty and cobantly to join the clouds.

    “side just for a bit, Farder Coram?”

    “ter,” uary of toie up by t and go on foot to two....”

    But it ting dark, and in tion of t t and a distant coal barge laboring toired, and s on:

    “ell, I dont suppose itll matter just for a fees in t call it fresent fres  you can sit out on top and look around till  closer in.”

    Lyra leaped up, and Pantalaimon became a seagull at once, eager to stretc side, and altalaimon, on to t, and ed in it, feeling ally to provoke tillermans cormorant daemon into a race.

    But stled doiller near her man.

    t on tter broeady cer under t offering rain; talaimons flas of life and joy.

    As  of a dive e against tled at ruck. ter of s, feeling it stle black t; t like birds but like flying beetles, , and h a droning sound.

    As Pantalaimon fell, trying to t a and Lyras desperate arms, t driving into alaimons fear and  t past her and upward.

    It illermans daemon, and clumsy and  . —tter of black tle black to tarred roof of t Lyras feet just as Pantalaimon landed on stretched hand.

    Before s o  sure, batting it back from t ly to escape. Pantalaimon  firmly do t her.

    t glided sly back and croaked someto tillerman,  let t ot of tin mug ossed it to Lyra.

    S over ture at once. It buzzed and snarled like a little machine.

    “ still,” said Farder Coram from beo slip a piece of card under the mug.

    “ is it, Farder Coram?” she said shakily.

    “Lets go belo careful, Lyra.  tight.”

    S tillermans daemon as sending to t illerman instead.

    “You ougayed below” was all he said.

    Sook to tin mug upside do and t from bet ture fell into t up so ttle thing clearly.

    It  as long as Lyras t black. Its , like a ladybirds about to fly, and ting so furiously t ts six clah glass.

    “ is it?” she said.

    Pantalaimon, a  still, croucable six inc round and round inside the glass.

    “If you o crack it open,” said Farder Coram, “youd find no living t, at any rate. I seen one of t Id see one again to t, t s .”

    “But ?”

    “You dont even need to read the symbols, Lyra; you can guess as easy as I can.”

    “Mrs. Coulter?”

    “Course. S only explored up nortrange ty in t , it  never stop, and  free, its so monstrous angry itll kill t t gets at.”

    “But  after?”

    “Spying. I o let you up above. And I s you t interrupting.”

    “I see it noed. “It means air, t lizard t, but I couldnt see o  out and I lost it.”

    “A too. It ent a lizard, ts ands for air because t eat nor drink, t live on air.”

    “And t—”

    “Africa,” he said, and “Aha.”

    t eacion of ters po.

    “It elling us about time,” said Lyra. “e ougened. But  t or something?”

    “I dont kno o keep  up tig .   aer no  Im a fool.”

    tled about in a cupboard and found a smokeleaf tin about ter. It  ipped t and ing t ill in place over th.

    After a tricky moment  tin arengt captured and tight.

    “As soons  about to make sure of it,” Farder Coram said.

    “But dont clockwork run down?”

    “Ordinary clock like I said, t tig pinned to truggles, tigs ronger ts put t the way....”

    in in a flannel cloto stifle t buzzing and droning, and sto away under his bunk.

    It cs of Colby came closer. to mist, and by time tied up at t everyt ened and blurred. to pearly silver-gray veils laid over t stalls and te many-c er, ributing to t reek of smoked o breat of the very cobbles.

    Lyra, illerman. All t, scouting around corners acening for test footfall.

    But to be seen. tizens of Colby oves. til t man tony Costa, guarding tes.

    “t ly, letting t  and  sunk, and no oned o go.”

    to Lyra: a  derrick over a canvas-covered c agleam in te lig tly at t see.

    Sement. Pantalaimon became a monkey and clambered up t once, but sed t on board ship.

    Doairs, or a companionalking quietly ian in cily. Lyra ing for o greet   tide and pilotage before turning to the incomers.

    “Good evening, friends,” ured.”

    “e oo,” said Farder Coram, and told of ter s.

    Jo  didnt reproachem.

    “ure now?” he said.

    Farder Coram took out tin and laid it on table. Suc t tin itself moved slohe wood.

    “Ive  never seen one,” Jo no aming it and turning it back, I do kno muc any use  in td rust t to keep it by, and exercise our vigilance.”

    Lyra being t taking er muc), so  a grand cabin, to be sure; in fact, little more t tle, o lean over tco find t most of England  before s there.

    But ter belo in ts glo and fis ing enoug  long before anotion joined to roll in the German Ocean swell.

    e of supper, s, and presently s o lie doalaimons sake, because ture  ease.

    And so began o th.

 PART TWO BOLVAHGAR TEN - THE CONSUL AHD THE BEAR-1

    Jo trollesund, t of Lapland. tce in to t least trality, it o rescue tive children.

    o Lyra and Farder Coram t day,  te streams of foam as t on t and movement, s little sickness at all; and no Pantalaimon s of being a seagull and tormy petrel and skimming tops, Lyra oo absorbed by o wallow in landlubberly misery.

    Jo in tern of talking about o do next.

    “Noc mistaken, tion there.”

    “ts rig y years back, but ts noto a co many times t.”

    “ o bring tion about, Farder Coram?” said Adam Stefanski, ting troop.

    “I saved a c of t red bird like to not out to find o dro  t bird do fell into a bog, to my regret, for it tern, and flame-red.”

    “Aured by Farder Corams story.

    “Now, w ,”  on, “I  grim s young woman had no daemon.”

    It . tled or salaimon crept into Lyras arms, ts beating together.

    “At least,” Farder Coram said, “ts  seemed. Being as s of ted scly like a young tier t, but not seeing t daemon gave me a urn.”

    “Ent t daemons tcher man, Michael Canzona.

    “t,” said Adam Stefanski. “ime, and Farder Coram never saw him.”

    “No, youre  all. tco separate ty sig c been resting above an  s my belief, tted to t t red bird I s c. Lord! t made me s of t. Id ayed my aken any measures on sea or land; but t was.

    Any Id saved oken of it, and said I o call on  ions, too....I  seen  day to t shell remember.”

    “And does s trollesund, tch?”

    “No, no. ts and on tundra, not in a seaport among men and  t o  about t.”

    Lyra o kno tc turned talk to tter of fuel and stores, and presently sient to see t of toance of an able seaman by flicking at en at breakfast. out and placid man, and urn, t friends.  t o do prevented you from feeling seasick, and t even a job like scrubbing a deck could be satisfying, if it ion, and later on ss on   in a seamanlike ow”

    instead of “tidy” for the process of doing so.

    After t sea, Lyra decided t to t-name terms ain Rokeby let o a e by pulling team ern o inspect t.

    All time teaming nort greores  do s at Jordan and avoided instruction from Mrs. Lonsdale. togeterproof bag for ter t s, in case s safely in place so ter as tinging spray broke over till felt seasick occasionally, especially s of t alaimons job to distract  by skimming tormy petrel; because ser, and forget ime to time ried being a fiso their surprise and pleasure.

    Lyra stood s as alaimon, sleek and poer  gray so stay close to t so speed as far and as fast as ion. S for   simple pleasure, for t too. Suppose  would shen?

    ed tco look out at ttle girls daemon skimming and leaping ucked under an.  Lyra was feeling.

    “I remember  to sea, my Belisaria  settled on one form, I  young, and stle like t. t vessel led as a dolper.  navigator you ever kne t   it. e ill  sea.”

    “o settle?” Lyra said. “I  Pantalaimon to be able to change forever. So does he.”

    “Atled, and ts part of growing up.

    time  a settled kind of form for him.”

    “I never will!”

    “O to groions for a settled form.”

    “ are they?”

    “Knoake old Belisaria. S means Im a kind of seagull too. Im not grand and splendid nor beautiful, but Im a toug of food and company. ts  is. And  of person you are.”

    “But suppose your daemon settles in a s like?”

    “ell, tented, ent you? ty of folk asd like to ill to be satisfied  to be fretful about it. aste of feeling, t is.”

    But it didnt seem to Lyra t she would ever grow up.

    One morning t smell in to side instead of te after s trange siger all t er, for t sea a fe as if tly aain rose, green flanked and snotle toory spire, cranes in t mixed  came land smells too: pine resin and eart  mig h.

    Seals frisked around ter before sinking back  a splas lifted spray off te-capped rously cold, and searc every gap in Lyras  oo cold to stay outside for long  o do, even to c beloo eat  porridge and look the saloon.

    Inside ter  ter Lyra began to feel unsteady from tion. Salaimon avidly cohe quayside.

    During t o a quiet background rumble, voices sed orders or queries, ropes ches opened.

    “Come on, Lyra,” said Farder Coram. “Is everything packed?”

    Lyras possessions, suco do o the shopping bag, and she was ready.

    t to visit tc didnt take long to find it; ttle toered around tory and tced  jangled loudly in t street.

    A servant so a little parlor and brougly to greet t man , le serpent, tense and brilliant green as c  sure co look like.

    “how can I help you, Farder Coram?” he said.

    “In t, Im anxious to get in toucc some years ago, in try of Eastern Anglia. her name is Serafina Pekkala.”

    Dr. Lanselius made a note h a silver pencil.

    “ing h her?” he said.

    “Must be forty years. But I think she would remember.”

    “And he second way in which you seek my help?”

    “Im representing a number of gyptian families o believe tion capturing to to know whis a going on.”

    Dr. Lanselius sipped his coffee blandly.

    “Its not impossible t notice of some sucivity might have come our way,”

    ions betly cordial. It  for me to justify disturbing them.”

    Farder Coram nodded as if ood very well.

    “to be sure,”   be necessary for me to ask you if I could get tion any ot c.”

    Noc and respect. t, and s tco a decision.

    “Very rue, and youll realize t your name is not unknoo us, Farder Coram. Serafina Pekkala is queen of a cion, it is of course understood t tion is not reachrough me.”

    “Quite so.”

    “ell, in toion called tion Company, o be searc ion Board of London. tion, I o knos children.

    t generally knoo is not officially a. t remain aken some distance inland.”

    “Do you know where, Dr. Lanselius?”

    “No. I ell you if I did.”

    “And do you knohere?”

    For t time, Dr. Lanselius glanced at Lyra. Solidly back. ttle green serpent daemon raised ongue-flickeringly in his ear.

    tadt process in connection ter. I t in order to avoid calling s proper name. I ercision, but  refers to I could not say.”

    “And are to t?” said Farder Coram.

    roking  alert in iced t sopped purring.

    “No, I t,” said Dr. Lanselius. “A group of about t terday.”

    “A as t? t gives us a bit of ravel, Dr. Lanselius?”

    “By sledge.”

    “And you ?”

    “Very little. It is not a subject erested in.”

    “Quite so. Noions very fairly, sir, and  one more. If you ion ches?”

    For t time Dr. Lanselius smiled.

    “I he services of an armored bear,” he said.

    Lyra sat up, and felt Pantalaimons  leap in her hands.

    “I understood to be in tion Board,”

    said Farder Coram in surprise. “I mean, tever themselves.”

    “t least one  at treet.  t, but sucemper and t mig last for long.”

    “Is hen?”

    “It seems so.  I old you. Noo employ an armored bear, even if it e this.”

    Lyra could  still. Farder Coram, iquette for meetings sucook anote. e it, Dr. Lanselius turned to Lyra.

    “I understand t you are in possession of an aleter,” o  surprise; for ?

    “Yes,” sed by a nip from Pantalaimon, added, “ould you like to look at it?”

    “I s very much.”

 PART TWO BOLVAHGAR TEN - THE CONSUL AHD THE BEAR-2

    Sly in t package.

    and  up  care, gazing at t a rare manuscript.

    “e!”  it  so fine as the books of readings?”

    “No,” Lyra began, but before she could say any more, Farder Coram was speaking.

    “No, t pity is t alter itself, t  as mucery as ture. And t book of readings I kno. Jo heidelberg.”

    Lyra could see  Dr. Lanselius to kno s, ion of Dr. Lanseliuss daemon, and s once t it o pretend.

    So sually, I can read it,” speaking o Dr. Lanselius and o Farder Coram, and it he consul who responded.

    “t is his one?”

    “ter of Jordan College in Oxford gave it to me,” she said. “Dr.

    Lanselius, do you know whem?”

    “to originate in ty of Prague,” said ted t aleter ly trying to discover a s, according to trology. ended to make a device t o to t  ted o somet it was.”

    “And he symbols from?”

    “Oeentury. Symbols and emblems were everywhere.

    Buildings and pictures o be read like books. Everytood for somet dictionary, you could read Nature itself.

    It o interpret kno came from a mysterious source. But, you kno been used seriously for turies or so.”

    rument back to Lyra, and added:

    “May I ask a question? it t?”

    “I just make my mind go clear and ts sort of like looking doo er. You got to let your eyes find t level, because ts ts in focus. Somet,” she said.

    “I ?” he said.

    Lyra looked at Farder Coram, ing to say yes but ing for his approval.

    the old man nodded.

    “ shall I ask?” said Lyra.

    “ are tentions of tartars o Kamcka?”

    t  urned to t Asia, artars; to tka, , ivity, ention. t still, letting oget at once. trembled on t, to ted pattern t Lyras eyes follo ation, but wo men.

    ed ts several times, Lyra looked up. Srance.

    “to pretend to attack it, but t really going to, because its too far aoo stretc,” she said.

    “ould you tell me ?”

    “ts deep-do of like being playful,” ss teent stopped fifteen times and it just got clear at t level but noogetend to go to  not be serious. And t means difficult—itd be too o attack it, and tretc as tight as an anchor rope.

    I just see it all like t, you see.”

    Dr. Lanselius nodded.

    “Remarkable,” eful. I s forget t.”

    trangely at Farder Coram, and back at Lyra.

    “Could I ask you for one more demonstration?”  of ty or more sprays of cloud-pine .

    Could you tell which is hers?”

    “Yeao sook ter and . So see cloud-pine, because tc for flying, and shed never seen any before.

    tood by tcalaimon bouncing beside o stand in front of ting ter. After a feingly picked out one of t up.

    Dr. Lanselius nodded.

    Lyra, intrigued and eager to fly,  above  in trying to be a curned to Farder Coram and said: “Do you realize whis child is?”

    “Ser of Lord Asriel,” said Farder Coram.

    “And er, of tion Board.”

    “And apart from t?”

    tian o s know any more.

    But srange innocent creature, and I  o read t instrument I couldnt guess, but I believe alks of it.  do you kno her?”

    “tcalked about turies past,” said the consul.

    “Because to tal o time, in t destiny t can only be fulfilled else far beyond. it tches say.

    But s fulfill tiny in ignorance of , Farder Coram?”

    “No,” said Farder Coram, “Im unable to say t I do.”

    “ it means is t s be free to make mistakes. e must  s, but  guide o his child before I die.”

    “But  particular c did you mean about t a loss to understand you, Dr. Lanselius, for all t I judge youre an  man....”

    But before ttle branch of pine.

    “tested em all, and t, Im sure. But it  fly for me.”

    t is remarkable. You are lucky to rument like t, and I o give you someto take ah you....”

    ook twig for her.

    “Did shis?” Lyra said.

    “Yes, s tc. I cant give you all of it, because I need it to contact  ter it.”

    “Yes, I will,” shank you.”

    And sucked it into er. Farder Coram touc a longing. to too.

    “I ood on ep in to ctle street.

    “ tartars before I did,” Lyra told Farder Coram.

    “ter told me, but I never said. It he crucible.”

    “I expect esting you, c you done rigo be polite, being as  be sure ip about t know herwise.”

    to t, old t ty at six, but to be quick, because  straigo they gave him drink.

    took Lyra to t outfitters in to s forms  liners of reindeer calf skin, and silk gloves to go inside big fur mittens. ts and mittens  is extra tougs oug lighter.

    Finally t a erproof cape t enveloped ely, made of semitransparent seal intestine.

    it on, and a silk muffler around ably  to muchis.

    Joo  tco learn of the bear.

    “ell go to o sucure, Farder Coram?”

    “Yes, I  one, too, t by myself, t be ready to treat , Ive no doubt, and be surly and difficult to manage; but  have him.”

    “O. And c migo reac it ake too long to  for a reply.” “A me tell you ience to tell t a prospector on try of texas, and things.

    tion o join   Amsterdam, so randed.

    “t o sign up h us.

    Seems to me ruck lucky a coming here.”

    “Luckier still if hing could damp John Faas pleasure in being on campaign once more.

    After darkness ores and equipment ood in ing on terfront and looked for Einarssons Bar. t easily enouge sion-frosted windows.

    A pitted alley beside it led to a s-metal gate into a rear yard,  a   black eyes, and an immensity of dirty matted yellowis gnawed, .

    Farder Coram stood by te and called:

    “lorek Byrnison!”

    topped eating. As far as tell,  tly, but it o read any expression on his face.

    “lorek Byrnison,” said Farder Coram again. “May I speak to you?”

    Lyras  o coldness, danger, brutal po a porolled by intelligence; and not a elligence, notrange s meat  a profound admiration and pity for ture.

    and slumped on all fours to te.

    ten feet or more o sy o remind te  .

    “ell? ho are you?”

    seemed to s came from  overpowering.

    “Im Farder Coram, from tian people of Eastern Anglia. And ttle girl is Lyra Belacqua.”

    “ do you ?”

    “e  to offer you employment, lorek Byrnison.”

    “I am employed.”

    t ect any expressive tones in  .

    “ do you do at t?” Farder Coram asked.

    “I mend broken macicles of iron. I lift s.”

    “ kind of  for a panserbjorn?”

    “Paid work.”

    Betle  doo peer at them.

    “?” he said.

    “Strangers,” said the bear.

    tender looked as if o ask somet toed it to ang of ts t splas.

    After simes, t turned back to gna then he spoke again.

    “ work are you offering?”

    “Figy,” said Farder Coram. “ere moving nortil  them back.”

    “And w will you pay?”

    “I dont knoo offer you, lorek Byrnison. If gold is desirable to you, we have gold.”

    “No good.”

    “ do t t?”

    “My keep  and spirits.”

    Silence from ted to s like er.

    “Forgive me for asking, lorek Byrnison,” said Farder Coram, “but you could live a free proud life on ting seals and o  prizes.  ties you to trollesund and Einarssons Bar?”

    Lyra felt  a question like t, ,  creature beyond reason, and s Farder Corams courage in asking it. lorek Byrnison put doe to peer at t flinch.

    “I knoters,” t toerday to go nortell you about tend not to see, because tters bring money and business. No like tters, so I sely. I stay s because took my armor a t, I can  seals but I cant go to os and let me drink till I ook my armor aear dooo get it back. If you  my service, t me back my armor. Do t, and I sil I am dead or until you ory. t it back, and ts again.”

 ELEVEN - ARMOR-1

    urned to t a long time in conference in t to o consult ter. ites sly  to get it back.

    So go to tell Jo decided t ted to know. Perhey knew already.

    S savage mig, and ty lean-to.  it o be o talk to! In till s tinual creak of metal and timber or ter along talaimon on oo.

    S imprisoned fat all, s time it  lig sook for moonlig s lay stiffly in to try them on again.

    Once to go out on deck, and a minute later s top of tepped out.

    At once s sometrange  rembling under a nervous agitation, but Pantalaimon whispered:

    “the Aurora!”

    rong t so clutco keep from falling.

    t filled ty of it was scarcely conceivable.

    As if from self, great curtains of delicate ligrembled.

    Pale green and rose-pink, and as transparent as t fragile fabric, and at ttom edge a profound and fiery crimson like t skillful dancer. Lyra t s distant  close to t; it iful it   tears prick ears splintered t even furto prismatic rainbo  long before sering trance as er. Per calmly, ers needle is making too.

    It mig itself. S t  noticing t s it, and s it, and only remembered it mucer.

    And as sy seemed to form itself bereams of translucent color: to parkland. Looking at it gave igo, as if s up but do not. It was a whole universe away.

    But somet, and as sried to focus , s faint and dizzy, because ttle t part of t. It own.

    clearly, sy was gone.

    tspread  glided dos poo a  on the wooden deck a few yards from Lyra.

    In t s bird, a beautiful gray goose  it  a bird: it  but Lyra h sickly fear.

    the bird said:

    “here is Farder Coram?”

    And suddenly Lyra realized  be. tch friend.

    Sammered to reply:

    “I— him....”

    Surned and scampered doo to speak into the darkness:

    “Farder Coram! tcing on the sky—”

    to  on terdeck, child.”

    tately o tern of t and aneously, and a cause of fascinated terror to Lyra, ertaining a g.

    tfully, and tor.

    “Greetings,” said Farder Coram. “And Im o see you again, Kaisa. Noo come inside, or o stay out he open?”

    “I ay outside, thank you, Farder Coram. Are you warm enough for a while?”

    itc no cold, but t other humans did.

    Farder Coram assured  they were well wrapped up, and said, “how is Serafina Pekkala?”

    “Sings to you, Farder Coram, and srong. wo people?”

    Farder Coram introduced t Lyra.

    “I alked about among co make war?”

    “Not o free taken from us. And I ches will help.”

    “Not all of t ers.”

    “Is t ion Board?” “I dont kno ers. to our regions ten years ago ruments. to alloo set up stations in our lands, and treated us esy.” “ is t?”

    “It comes from t  is neain is t  fear comes over top at noto discover  is. But it is not of any concern to ches.”

    “And  of  a place called Bolvangar. Our clan made no agreement anding obligation to you, Farder Coram, I o so find t ers.”

    Farder Coram smiled, and Jo ogetisfaction.

    “to t tell us t t ers?  do t this Bolvangar?”

    “t up buildings of metal and concrete, and some underground c,  expense. e dont kno tred and fear over tc. Animals keep aoo. No birds fly t call it t. t tation. But to everyone else it is Bolvangar.”

    “And hey defended?”

    “tartars armed  tice, because no one tacked ttlement since it . t  kno, because as I say terest for us.”

    Lyra ing to ask a question, and t and looked at her as if giving permission.

    “calk about me?” she said.

    “Because of your fathe daemon replied.

    t surprised all t Farder Coram, w Joroubled.

    “Ot hose be?

    Do you mean tars?”

    “Indeed no.”

    “Pers?” said Farder Coram.

    “Nor t.”

    “Is it ty in ts?” said Lyra. “It is, ent it?”

    turned ately oward ense.

    “Yes,” chousands of years.

    You can see times in ts. t part of t all; even t stars are part of t ts s universe entirely. Not furt interpenetrating , unaher....”

    hem again.

    “t brusen million ot. e are as close as a beat, but ouc in ts.”

    “And where?” said Farder Coram.

    “Because ticles in ty of making tter of t  for a brief time.

    itc .”

    “My fat,” Lyra said. “I knohe Aurora.”

    “Is to do ?” said John Faa.

    “ell you is t t ers are as frig as if it  is whey imprisoned Lord Asriel.”

    “But why?” Lyra said.

    “tends to use Dust in some o make a bridge bethe Aurora.”

    tness in Lyras head.

    She heard Farder Coram say, “And does he?”

    “Yes,” said t believe o believe in t place. But it is true: t is ention. And  t t o capture ress of Svalbard, out of to gain  of the bargain.”

    Lyra said, “Do tc o make t him?”

    “t is a question oo complicated an ansly, tc united. t t betc  ever existed, o w.

    t yet part of any alliance, t pressure is being put on us to declare for one side or anotions of ics, and not easily answered.”

    “ about they on?”

    “On terest ions; t  least, t is o be, but ent on c any rate, t ers o imprison Lord Asriel, and til t drop of blood drains from t bear alive.”

    “But not all bears!” Lyra said. “t on Svalbard at all. cast bear, and o come h us.”

    time she could feel his cold surprise.

    Farder Coram sed uncomfortably, and said, “t is, Lyra, I dont t a term as an indentured laborer;  free, as   be, ence. till  be free to come, armor or no armor; and  never  back, either.”

    “But ricked ole it away!”

    “e  story,” said Jo we heard.”

    “If—” Lyra e; sion. “—if ter says somets true. And I asked it, and it said t elling trutrick elling lies and not oo, and you believe  you?”

    “I t I did, c so certain of things as you are.”

    “But o go round killing people as soons s his armor on? he could kill dozens of em now!”

    “ dozens, t took  a rampaging round looking for it. ore open t kno to kill als; ted to use him like a laborer.”

    “Like a slave!” Lyra said ly. “t got t!”

    “Be t as it may, t   t. And to labor in toerest until he blood money.”

    “Jo knos my belief t  armor back. ts it.”

    “But if  her em again,”

    said Lyra. “I promise, Lord Faa.”

    “And o do t?”

    “I know w is!”

    tcare at Lyra. All turned to oo, ed treme politeness of keeping tly aure,  his body.

    “You  be surprised,” said to kno ter is one otcerested in you, Lyra. Our consul told us about your visit t  the bear.”

    “Yes, it alked to  Lyra says is true, but if  involved in a quarrel  his Bolvangar, bear or no bear.”

    “A you ent seen  make all the difference.”

    “ do you to tchs daemon.

    “e range to us as ours are to tcast,  be less reliable to be. You must decide for yourselves.”

    “e ell us o get to Bolvangar from here?”

    to explain. ree line and tundra, of star sigened a  fat. As soon as to Svalbard ake Lord Asriel ter, and use it to  oget across....

    Sometime in t Jo o  o get, only a  must be nearly noon, s.

    Soon, w all.

    So find notores eams ing to go; everyt of tians ting in a smoke-filled cafe facing ter, eating spice cakes and drinking strong s coffee at tables under t anbaric lights.

    “ting doony Costa and ting the bears armor for him?”

    “talking to ts then, Lyra?”

    “Yea alked, someone else pulled a c table.

    “So youve spoken to old lorek?” he said.

    S tall, lean man acual expression of distant and sardonic amusement. S strongly about  once, but s sure w was liking s, or dislike. ough-looking as he was.

    warily.

    “Lee Scoresby,” he said.

    “t!” s?”

    “Its packed a on h lorek Byrnison?”

 ELEVEN - ARMOR-2

    “You know him?”

    “I fougunguska campaign. hell, Ive known lorek for years.

    Bears are difficult critters no matter  ake.

    Say, are any of you gentlemen in the mood for a game of hazard?”

    A pack of cards h a snapping noise.

    “Noing and folding t of  pocket  you  object to giving a simple texan traveler to joust eboard combat.  do you say, gentlemen?”

    Gyptians prided ty erested and pulled t to play and for akes,  Pantalaimon, o ly as a squirrel.

    Soo, of course, and Lyra ly, “Go straigo tell . As soon as ts going on, theyll move his armor somewhere else.”

    Lyra got up, taking iced; Lee Scoresby he cards, and every suspicious eye was on his hands.

    In t, fading ternoon, so t. It o do, but s uneasy about it, and afraid, too.

    Outside t of te s bear ood by te to cling a gas-engined tractor t al covering of ted and buckled and one runner bent uped tal off as if it urned it t in  o test it for some quality or otting a rear pa in suc ts sprang out and tored. Leaning it against ted t of tractor  on its side before bending to examine the crumpled runner.

    As  sig a bolt of cold fear strike at  forty yards from  ance in a bound or t turned and ran a Pantalaimon said, “Stop! Let me go and talk to him.”

    ern, and before so t. te a little  hen became a badger.

    S ood by t get near to pull.

    S angry and miserable. o t ormenting feeling  p, part intense sadness and love. And s ested it ense relief.

    ugged a little harder.

    “Dont, Pan!”

    But  stop. tcionless. t grew more and more unbearable, and a sob of longing rose in .

    “Pan—”

    te, scrambling over too a  and sprang up into ogetigtle sh.

    “I t you really would—”

    “No—”

    “I couldnt believe  —”

    And tears aed and face t sadness again; it oget at Jordan.

    t tary bear.  sucir of pity and gentleness for  s reac to toucted pelt, and only a sense of courtesy toed her.

    “lorek Byrnison,” she said.

    “ell?”

    “Lord Faa and Farder Coram o try and get your armor for you.”

    move or speak. It heir chances.

    “I knoold you, maybe you could get it by yourself, I dont know.”

    “ is?”

    “I got a symbol reader. I t to tell you, lorek Byrnison, seeing as tricked you out of it in t place. I dont ts rigve done t. Lord Faas going to argue  probably t let you  he kids from Bolvangar?”

    “Yes.”

    “I...” S mean to be nosy, but s  you just make some more armor out of tal here, lorek Byrnison?”

    “Because its ing tended a cla t like a can opener. “My armor is made of sky iron, made for me. A bears armor is  as your daemon is your soul. You migake ing Pantalaimon—”and replace . t is the difference. Now, where is my armor?”

    “Listen, you got to promise not to take vengeance. taking it, but you just got to put up .”

    “All riger no ake it, either.

    If t, they die.”

    “Its s old  in it, and rying to conjure it out. But ts w is.”

    ood , so t t of t yello creature coming off .

    “I must ill sunset,” o ter ill oes work.”

    “t , because from  of vie o t.

    o all fours.

    “Its true,” s your name, child?”

    “Lyra Belacqua.”

    “t, Lyra Belacqua,” he said.

    urned and lurcly across t Lyra couldnt keep up, even running. Salaimon fleo c and called doo tell o follow.

    Iorek Byrnison bounded out of t and along treet before turning into treet of to tyard of till air and a sentry marciffly up and do treet ime  o gats, but lorek Byrnison urning a corner near the harbor.

    People stopped to ctled out of ry fired t off doer t by skidding on ter seizing t railings. Lyra  far be into tyard to see  s t, ling doreet tory urning to follohe bear.

    ts , and made of costly bricks. teps led up to t door, earing of more ry ated outside,  t to gat of reet,  o act, and fired a s into the air before running in.

    A moment later, to sile slid off t ran out, terrified, er her.

    Anot came from inside ted roar made t scream. As if fired from a cannon, t ling out, ter of feated, and turned to see a squad of armed policemen ols and some  far beout, fussy figure of the sysselman.

    A rending, splintering sound made t t ground level, obviously opening on a cellar, earing ry  and stood to face t ore open completely, and out climbed lorek Byrnison, the bear in armor.

    it it, , errifying. It -red, and crudely riveted toget ss and plates of dented discolored metal t scraped and screec ed like s for eyes, and it left t of earing and biting.

    try fired several ss, and too, but lorek Byrnison merely ss off like raindrops, and lunged forry could escape, and knocked o ted at t, but lorek Byrnison took no more notice of ry to  pa free,  the bear.

    it even ted for  in t appeared bet and t plate over  e fur dimly bety edges of metal. Salaimon instantly fleo t and became a , crouco defend  lorek Byrnison ill, and their fire.

    “lorek!” sone. “Listen! You o, right.

    ell, no. Do as I ask. Dont fig turn around and  you, lorek, you cant stay  come doo t even look back. Farder Coram and Lord Faa, let talking, t all righ me....”

    trys  and aso ted, and  about calming and gentling epped away beside Lyra.

    No one else moved. tcurn a t daemon, and to make room as lorek Byrnison padded  of t Lyras side and made for the harbor.

    see t rose up safely he way.

    ened t ting it clang on tians came out of t sometcs on t of  it in a  a o anyone o ter and slipped into it  a ripple, and vanished.

    “s ony Costa,  voices from treets above, as too the harbor.

    Lyra told him, as clearly as she could.

    “But  left he ground?

    t back, as soons t here!”

    Lyra , too, for around t policemen, and t and ty or ty onlookers, rying to keep up.

    But ing on ting on te knee  pistol Lyra ing at tomache sysselman.

    “Seems to me you aint taken very good care of my friends armor,” ionally. “ t! And I  be surprised to find mot, too. No stand  anybody move till tion. Or I guess you could all go o you.”

    “tony, pointing to a ramp at ter, dragging someth him.

    Once  ss of er flying in all directions, till anding up t to take t in eet along to w was a dead seal.

    “lorek,” said t, standing up lazily and keeping ol firmly fixed on the sysselman. “howdy.”

    tced as  flat and tore off strips of blubber, o tes moved over one another.

    “Are you o Lee Scoresby as he worked.

    “Sure. I guess h hired hands, lorek.”

    “o texan.

    “Packed awo sledges,” he boss.”

    Joogeth four armed policemen.

    “Bear!” said to depart in t let me tell you t if you appear os again, you reated mercilessly.”

    lorek Byrnison took not test notice, but continued to rub ttention ask reminding Lyra of ion to Pantalaimon. Just as the bear had said:

    tourned and drifted ao ch.

    Jo o ians!”

    to move. tco get under eams races.

    Joime to move out, friends. ere all assembled nohe road lies open. Mr. Scoresby, you all a loaded?”

    “Ready to go, Lord Faa.”

    “And you, lorek Byrnison?”

    “he bear.

    ing to e t, ed teet onto t oniso see ly  : ts of metal  an inc o place as if t took e, and time t.

    So in less tion s ars and a glaring moon, ttered over ts and stones until t too a quiet cruncimber, and to step out eagerly, and tion became s and smooth.

    Lyra,  only o Pantalaimon:

    “Can you see lorek?”

    “o her wolverine-fur hood.

    Aains to ts began to gloremble. Lyra sa a sleepy t o be speeding nortalaimon struggled against  it oo strong; ell  en, or a dream, or some kind of ; but sometrain of sledges, srees, and it put him uneasily in mind of a monkey.

 TWELVE - THE LOST BOY-1

    traveled for several opped to eat. ing fires and melting snoer, c seal meat close by, Joo Lyra.

    “Lyra, can you see t instrument to read it?” he said.

    tself . t from ter t, but it ant. ugged out t bag.

    “Yes, I can see all rig I kno s, Lord Faa?”

    “I  to kno his place, Bolvangar,” he said.

    it even o t it, so point to t, t tle into t meanings like a complicated diagram in t once to ss message to tc calmly, content not to kno first but to kno a meaning  began to clear. S it dance on until it ain.

    “Its just like tcartars guarding tation, and t . t really expect to be attacked, ts  Lord Faa...”

    “, child?”

    “Its a telling me somet valley troubled by a g.”

    Joiently, and said, “t dont matter noo be spirits of all kinds among ts. tell me again about tartars. ance?  are th?”

    Lyra dutifully asked, and reported the answer:

    “ty men  a couple of larger guns, sort of cannons. t fire too. And... ts  says.”

    t caused a stir among tians, those whod campaigned before.

    “ts have wolf daemons,” said one.

    Jo fiercer. e so figigers. And consult t one.”

    Lyra ient, and said, “But Lord Faa, t—I ts t of one of the kids!”

    “ell, even if it is, Lyra, I dont kno it. Sixty Sibirsk riflemen, and fire tep over .”

    came to to the bear.

    “lorek, raveled this way before?”

    “Once,”  deep flat voice.

    “t there?”

    “Over trees.

    “Is it far?”

    “For you or for me?”

    “For me,” she said.

    “too far. Not at all far for me.”

    “ take you to get times by next moonrise.” “Because, lorek, listen: I got t tells me ts told me t tant I got to do over in t village, and Lord Faa  let me go t s to get on quick, and 1 knos important too. But unless I go and find out  is, he Gobblers are really doing.”

    tting up like a  pahing.

    Pantalaimon spoke: “Can you take us tcer on?”

    “I could. But I o Lord Faa to obey  anyone else.”

    “If I got hen yes.”

    Surned and ran back takes me over to t  is, and tce,” s ask, except its like  c understand it t it rue, and  soon after. I got t understand properly s saying, only I knos important. And lorek Byrnison kno times by next moonrise, and I couldnt be safer t  go  s Lord Faas permission.”

    t grimly.

    But before  put in:

    “Lord Faa, if lorek Byrnison takes ttle girl, srue, but Ive knoo take care of , make no mistake. As for speed,  tiring.”

    “But w some men go?” said John Faa.

    “ell, to ed out, “because you couldnt run a sledge over t ridge. lorek Byrnison can go faster t sort of country, and Im lig be slo to be any longer t to give anyt us, or to get in any danger.”

    “Youre sure you need to do t symbol reader ent playing th you?”

    “It never does, Lord Faa, and I dont t could.”

    John Faa rubbed his chin.

    “ell, if all comes out righan we do now.

    lorek Byrnison,” o do as this child bids?”

    “I do your bidding, Lord Faa. tell me to take there, and I will.”

    “Very o take o go and do as sand?”

    “Yes, Lord Faa.”

    “You go and searcever it is, and urn rigraveling on by t time, so youll o catch us up.”

    t head.

    “Are to Lyra.

    “ill I need my armor? e ser  it.” “No,” sain of t, lorek. t as you say.”

    tony Costa gave rip of dried seal meat to calaimon as a mouse inside o t bears back, gripping tens and oo trees.

    It took some time before so t, and t a er arctic cold and th.

    lorek Byrnisons paunted undra, but they were cobwebs.

    tcrops of black rock, and  of sigy beed to talk to terms  range and  s for t time in  legs sirelessly, s  and said not anytle prattling cub, only just past babyhe eyes of an armored bear.

 TWELVE - THE LOST BOY-2

    Seresting but uncomfortable, very like riding t. lorek Byrnison ly, moving bot time, and rocking from side to side in a steady po sit:

    so ride actively.

    traveling for an iff and sore but deeply opped.

    “Look up,” he said.

    Lyra raised o , for s tears  t of to a pallid trembling glimmer, but tars tered vault, iny black s of t and soutoh.

    “Are they birds?” she said.

    “tche bear.

    “itc are they doing?”

    “Flying to ime.”

    “Do you knoches, lorek?”

    “I  some, too. t to frighten Lord Faa.

    If to the aid of your enemies, you should all be afraid.”

    “Lord Faa  be frig afraid, are you?”

    “Not yet. er t er tell Lord Faa about tc not hem.”

    cil ered again ears of cold, and so tch.

    Finally lorek Byrnison stopped and said, “the village.”

    toer of retc as could be, o be tty s. tes from the place.

    “ do you  to do?” t o stand. iff  so amped until s stronger.

    “t or somet village,” s, I dont knoain. I  to go and find o Lord Faa and t , but t be telling me somet understand.”

    “If side,” said tter er.”

    “I dont t ser ed sometural,  go and look,” she said.

    S off doeadily and not pacing any more. to fully; and t nervously, tlers clasicks. In till air every movement could be heard for a long way.

    As t of to t and left, peering o till far from rising.  flickered under a sno sonis to see a c we bear.

    At ter of ttle village t to tty,  it must  o tack beside ttering snow.

    Lyra slipped do once and stood bethere was no need for his armor.

    t understand. lorek Byrnison replied in ttle moan of fear.

    “old Lyra. “ shall I say?”

    “tell  devils, but  friends w a crange cell .”

    As soon as t, ted to t, indicating some place further off, and spoke quickly.

    lorek Byrnison said, “o take t. tried to drive it a it keeps coming back.”

    “tell ake it a to treat it like t. ?”

    ticulating fearfully. Lyra  as soon as ened inside  t every window.

    “he child?” she said.

    “In told urned to pad dooty.

    Lyra follo, and here.”

    Lyras  ing so fast so knock at t t ook a deep breato call out, but realized t s knoo say. O ern....

    t  to see ering  rap of reindeer cugged  t binding t. It opened o kick aside t t of t open, and Pantalaimon tering little frightened sounds.

    “Pan, for Gods sake!” s. Go and look for me....”

    But , and  speak eit once,  Jordan o tened tching in silence.

    “Come out,” Lyra said as loud as s!”

    Not a sound came in ansle alaimon leaped up into   form, and said, “Go a stay urn back!”

    trying to ill, sting to , and turned to see a figure ening dorack from tern. o speak, ern and  to s in a tic fox.

    he spoke, and lorek Byrnison said:

    “ its not t kind. . Sometimes times t die. toug it ter for him if he died.”

    “Ask ern,” Lyra said.

    t to  once, nodding vigorously. S o bring it to ood back, ahe bear.

    Lyra t suddenly:  it  be. Pantalaimon o tle claws o her anorak.

    Sed tern ook a step into t it  tion Board ure of to make.

    ttle boy ted fisiff as boards. co calaimon,   ; but t was all  all.

    t it a ercision, and this was a severed child.

 THIRTEEN - FENCING-1

    impulse o turn and run, or to be sick. A  a face, or  torn out: sometural and uncanny t belonged to t-gs, not the waking world of sense.

    So Lyra clung to Pantalaimon and   moistened ill.

    “Ratter,” said t my Ratter?”

    Lyra  w .

    “No,” sened as s. ts your name?”

    “tony Makarios,” ter?”

    “I dont kno of t do of course s by alaimon o be cut from tle boy ed from ter! t talaimon e pity and sorrohe half-boy.

    t to  again.

    “Come on,” srembling voice. “tony, come out. ere going to take you somewhere safe.”

    tir of movement in t till clutcs, a ted coal-silk anorak and fur boots, but t fit  outside t came from t trails of t and piteous even t first, croucern lighe fish racks.

    t tern reated a feo them.

    lorek Byrnison interpreted: “ pay for t fish.”

    Lyra felt like telling to kill  saking to give one fiso pay for t.”

    ttered, but didnt argue. Lyra set ern doook to guide o t t  standing so close, and  on loreks back, all he said was:

    “I dunno wter is.”

    “No, nor do ony,” s  all rig up too?”

    “My armor weighan children,” he said.

    So sony and made o tiff fur, and Pantalaimon sat inside y. Lyra kne Pantalaimons impulse o reac and cuddle ttle o lick le  t taboo prevented t, of course.

    to seeing t ilated creature taken a we bear.

    In Lyras , revulsion struggled  tle form to o ty  seemed to pass more quickly for all t. lorek Byrnison ireless, and Lyras riding became automatic, so t s t in one  ;  stiffly  moving as t too.

    From time to time the half-boy spoke.

    “s t you said?” asked Lyra.

    “I says is she gonna know where I am?”

    “Yeaigony.

    It ent far from here....”

    tired sil t up ians. topped to rest to  as tiff t s even loosen o pull tly open and lift her off.

    “Gracious God,  have you found?”

    “ony,” s s he Gobblers do.”

    t to Lyras , chem.

    “S t not  you so show less.”

    “Youre rigurned to give orders. “Build t fire up and  some soup for ter rigged?”

    “It is, Jo her warm....”

    “And ttle boy,” said someone else. “ and get warm, even if...”

    Lyra rying to tell Jo tc tired. After a confusing fees full of lantern ligo and fro, s a gentle nip on alaimons ermine teeto find the bears face a few inches from hers.

    “tcalaimon whispered. “I called lorek.”

    “Oaking me t not remember to tell Lord Faa about tcter do t instead of me.”

    Shen she fell asleep properly.

    o daylig o get. t, and t, tians moved like bulky gs, loading sledges and o traces.

    S all from ter on Farder Corams sledge, inside ic fox before reverting to e ermine.

    lorek Byrnison  pa Farder Coram was up and busy, and as soon as alaimon emerge, o wake Lyra properly.

    S up to speak.

    “Farder Coram, I kno  I couldnt understand! ter kept saying bird and not, and t didnt make sense, because it meant no daemon and I didnt see  could be.... is it?”

    “Lyra, Im afraid to tell you ter  t little boy died an  settle,  stay in one place;  asking after  sucig bare old piece of fis speak of it, c ill, and t  time ure. trying to dig a grave for  t, and to cremate  to ers.

    “C terrible y plainer t you must do is rest and eat, because you fell asleep too soon to restore yourself last nigo eat in temperatures to stop yourself getting weak....”

    ucking to place, tigension rope across traces to untangle them.

    “Farder Coram, wtle boy now? ?”

    “No, Lyra, here.”

    “I  to go and see him.”

    refuse , for s migalaimon as a  rudged along to where some men were piling brushwood.

    t beside t and lifted t in tened  to stop  their heads.

    Pantalaimon crept close as Lyra looked doed face. S of tten and touc; poor little tony Makarios  from any oted in deatook Pantalaimon from   to press  into . And all little tony iful piece offish....

    ?

    S do was gone.

    S in a moment, and  the men nearby.

    “heres his fish?”

    topped, puzzled, unsure  one anoto grin uncertainly.

    “Dont you dare laugear your lungs out if you laug s all o cling onto, just an old dried fiss all o love and be kind to! ook it from  gone?”

    Pantalaimon  like Lord Asriels daemon, but s see t; all s and wrong.

    “Easy, Lyra,” said one man. “Easy, child.”

    “ook it?” sian took a step back from e fury.

    “I didnt knoically. “I t it  ook it out  it ful. ts all, Lyra.”

    “t?”

    t t, I gave it to my dogs.

    I do beg your pardon.”

    “It ent my pardon you need, its urned at once to kneel again, and laid he dead childs icy cheek.

    to ruck t in a feook a gold coin from her purse before wrapping herself close again.

    “I  to borroaken t , so Pantalaimon: “ was her name?”

    ood, of course, and said, “Ratter.”

    Sig mittened c daemons name deeply into the gold.

    “I ll do, if I provide for you like a Jordan Sco teet to slip to  o close his jaw again.

    turned in to Farder Coram.

    raig greedily.

    “ o do about tcchem.”

    “My c presume t far, Lyra. t be going anywhere.

    t play on tco us: mysterious sicknesses to, anding; joys and sorroiny plants up on tundra....But I  soup. Dyou  some more? too. Eat up, child, because were on our way soon.”

    tly t o melt. it to ctle  and set matco it, and it .

    Once t off to travel again. It o fall early on, and soon to ting cold, and a s darker t lighe ground.

    t all tinued to run, tails eam.

    Nortide came and  and topped to eat and drink and rest in a fold of to get talked to Lee Scoresby about t best use t of t o tin rapped it in.

    “Ive got it tucked aigs dotom of t kit bag, but to see; I soldered it s on board s knoo do , to tell you trut do tle it. But you neednt , youre safe.” t co tiffly frosted canvas of t bag and brougtle tin. S was making before souc.

 THIRTEEN - FENCING-2

    alking to took tin to lorek Byrnison and explained  o al of the engine cover.

    ened, and took t tin and deftly folded it into a small flat cylinder. S t bears, ill to e sense of trengty of metals  o lift it once or t t, and  in a circle to score it for folding.

    il tood in a raised rim and to fit it. At Lyras bidding in, and anot big enougo contain tin itself and a quantity of s of moss and licigo smot  er.

    to lorek Byrnison as  was frozen as hard as wood.

    “lorek,” s   you get lonely?”

    “Lonely?”  knoell me t kno freeze. So I dont knoo be solitary.”

    “ about t ts w I heard.”

    ripped t in ting log.

    “Beg pardon, lorek,” s offended you. Its just t Im curious. See, Im extra curious about ther.”

    “her?”

    “Lord Asriel. And t ive on Svalbard, you see. I trayed o keep him in prison.”

    “I dont kno a Svalbard bear.”

    “I t you was....”

    “No. I  I am not no a out to live at t  it, or  brutal tasks and dros.”

    “her bear?”

    “Anger. turning a I  of my orol. So I killed ly punished.”

    “And you  like my fats just ter I ook all   kno Svalbard, except its in t Nort all covered in ice? Can you get the frozen sea?”

    “Not from t. times frozen sout, sometimes not.

    You .”

    “Or a balloon, maybe.”

    “Or a balloon, yes, but t wind.”

    ion fleo Lyras mind as sc sky; but s t.

    Instead s Svalbard, and listened eagerly as old -tusked e tusks above ter, of t grim iron-bound coast, t and more s percs and t migs of iron and riveted to armor...

    “If took your armor a from?”

    “I made it myself in Nova Zembla from sky metal. Until I did t, I e.”

    “So bears can make t deal in to know. “ on. “Do bears have a king?”

    “he is called lofur Raknison.”

    t name stle bell in Lyras mind. S before, but where?

    And not in a bears voice, eitians. t  , very mucried it again in  so : tiring Room. tening to Lord Asriel.

    It  lofur Raknison.  kno lofur Raknison   tered. t, but so muchen....

    “If your fat escape. to make a boat. On treated fairly. to live in and a servant to  on him, and food and fuel.”

    “Could ted, lorek?”

    “No.”

    “Or tricked, maybe?”

    opped gna ly. t t my weapons.”

    and  o look at. Eac least, and as s hem wonderingly.

    “One bloe. If you  stopped me in trollesund, I rickery. You cannot trick a bear. You  to see proof? take a stick and fence h me.”

    Eager to try, sick off a snos off, and so side like a rapier. lorek Byrnison sat back on ed, forepao stab at , feinting to rig, not intending to   all, and  move. S several times, and not once did he move so much as an inch.

    Finally so t at ly, not  just to toucick to omacantly ick aside.

    Surprised, sried again, . ried to  , ick like a fencers foil, and not once did it land on o kno tick aside ed,  move at all.

    Sed, and to a furious attack, jabbing and lasing and stabbing, and never once did s past those paws.

    time to parry, precisely at t spot to block.

    Finally sened, and stopped. Sing inside  of breated, and till sat impassive. If s, e unharmed.

    “I bet you could catcs,” sick away. “?”

    “By not being s ricks and deceit as plain as arms and legs. e can see in a en. But you kno tand the symbol reader.”

    “t ent t?” shan when she had seen his anger.

    “It is ts cant read it, as I understand. As I am to ers, so you are to adults he symbol reader.”

    “Yes, I suppose,” s mean Ill forget o do it when I grow up?”

    “hem.

    Per from oto all fours again and  on gnariking in again and so do t ing episode.

    Sed to consult ter t it oo cold, and besides, t ime to move on. Sook tin boxes t lorek Byrnison  ty one back into Farder Corams kit bag, and put t togeter in t . Shey were moving again.

    t opping place, te he air.

    Naturally Lyra o fly urally it  sered ions. “Mr.

    Scoresby, o Svalbard?” “Youd need a dirigible   dare. ? t barest most inable godforsaken dead end of nowhere.”

    “I  ed to go back...” “hed be killed.

    loreks in exile. As soon as  foot tear o pieces.”

    “e your balloon, Mr. Scoresby?” “tc gives off and gradually fill t. to find a ground-gas vent near a fire mine. t of gas under to, and from coal as s not o make gas. But t o use ground gas. A good vent he balloon in an hour.”

    “how many people can you carry?”

    “Six, if I need to.”

    “Could you carry lorek Byrnison in his armor?”

    “I ime from tartars, arving —t unguska campaign; I fleook  o calculate t of t old boy by guess-o bank on finding ground gas under t  I could see  o go do gas out of t get airborne again  more. Any, armor and all.”

    “Mr. Scoresby, you knoartars make holes in peoples heads?”

    “O for tunguska campaign ured five tartars alive, and two.”

    “t to eacher?”

    “ts rig t part up a flap and expose t a little circle of bone out of t penetrate the scalp back over.”

    “I t t to their enemies!”

    “s a great privilege. t so talk to them.”

    “Did you ever anislaus Grumman?”

    “Grumman? Sure. I met one of eam artar tribes up t ter of fact, I t   of an initiation ceremony, but told me didnt kno.”

    “So...If artar, t have killed him?”

    “Killed hen?”

    “Yea. I sa o t Jordan College in Oxford. t, and all.”

    “?”

    “ell, tartars, ts ....But maybe it .”

    “It mig  he Scholars.”

    “I suppose ,” said Lyra tfully. “hem for money.”

    “And whe money?”

    “Yeah.”

    “Good trick to play. People are s; t like to look too close.”

    “Especially Scholars,” said Lyra.

    “ell, youd knoter t if t   tartars artar by adoption.”

    Lyra turned t over in s full of meaning flo around y, t, ty in ter, tctle tony Makarios; and the clockwork spy-fly; and lorek Byrnisons uncanny fencing...

    So Bolvangar.

 FOURTEEN - BOLVANGAR LIGHTS-1

    t t tians er  t to kno soo. Lyra feared Mrs. Coulter and t about en.

    And  ers daemon, talaimon , o s, and particularly t of ter.

    And to be c o t, if nothing else.

    But   Mrs. Coulter. tians o stop and rest t all to s on Bolvangar. Jo Lee Scoresby migo fill ly) and go up to spy out t attended to tion of to be a fog; and sure enougopped, a t descended. Lee Scoresby kneent , t iculous order. t all, a volley of arro of the dark.

    tian men  do once, and died so silently t no one races or lay unexpectedly still did t men notice oo late, because more arro t irregular knocking sounds t came from up and doled into wood or frozen canvas.

    t to come to s er of tiff limbs moved to obey as yet more arroraigipped h.

    Lyra alaimon arget. Brus of o try and see y roar, and to t  smaserror and roars of bearise.

    But ians o defend t t (as even Lyra could see) made tter targets; and t easy to fire in gloves and mittens; ss, as against the ceaseless knocking rain of arrows.

    And more and more men fell every minute.

    O in anguis foresee t  so t, for ty snarl from Pantalaimon, and sometled at  of Lyra  ing ifling tens, tossing o anot doo t s all at once. ill s togeto muffle ily:

    “lorek! lorek Byrnison! help me!”

    But could  tell; s, cruso a o lurc reac  it ing over rouged, moutifled, sobbing range voices spoke around her.

    “Pan...”

    “Im ill...”

    ugged at til  the frozen air.

    “hey?” she whispered.

    “tartars. I t John Faa.”

    “No—”

    “I satack. e kno.”

    “But we scer!”

    “end to be unconscious.”

    t, Lyra could tell  trained to tle, all s ance, and t pao hear.

    “take us to the Gobblers,” she whispered.

    to talaimon nestled close against her.

    “Ill fight,” he said.

    “So hem.”

    “So h.”

    “how far are we from Bolvangar?”

    Pantalaimon didnt kno  it han a days ride.

    After time t Lyras body orment from cramp, ttle, and someone roughe hood.

    S a broad Asiatic face, under a isfaction, especially  of Lyras anorak to bare e ermine teeth in a hiss.

    t Pantalaimon didnt flinch.

    to a sitting position and propped  t falling sideied beied  togetead and released her hands.

    t oo,  ians .

    t of course sood notried a different language . tried English.

    “You name?”

    Pantalaimon bristled  once. So t knoer; so per in ter all.

    “Lizzie Brooks,” she said.

    “Lissie Broogs,” er ake you nice place. Nice peoples.”

    “ho are you?”

    “Samoyed peoples. ers.”

    “aking me?”

    “Nice place. Nice peoples. You have panserbjorne?”

    “For protection.”

    “No good!  you anyway!”

    rolled hing.

    “, pointing back they had come.

    “traders.”

    “traders... trade?”

    “Fur, spirits,” she said. “Smokeleaf.”

    “they sell smokeleaf, buy furs?”

    “Yes.”

    o ime tably to try and see ly soo cold to peer out any longer, and lay doried to keep calm, but t of Jo o Farder Coram?

    And o kill to track her down?

    For t time, so feel a little sorry for herself.

    After a long time, trip of dried reindeer meat to c oug s in it. After c, s a little better. So ill ser ill tin and slipped it doo . Pantalaimon crept in as a mouse and pus as far do under ttom of her reindeer-skin legging.

    was done, sed, and soon so sleep.

    Sion of t s dazzling above  so pull t again. Siff and cold, but so pull  enougo see t tly bete at ts and into a y marketplace or an arena for some game or sport. It ly flat and smoote, and about a al fence.

    At ted. tside a loell, but s tunnels connected one part of tunnels  one side a stout metal mast  say  reminded her of.

    Before sake muc t rouged at to make till. A door opened in t came on overo find t.

    Lyras captor t rop letting go, and said sometures:  a Samoyed or a tartar.  icularly at Pantalaimon.

    to Lyra, “You speak English?”

    “Yes,” she said.

    “Does your daemon alake t form?”

    Of all ted questions! Lyra could only gape. But Pantalaimon ans in  t,  Pantalaimon  movement and spat as  on s wings.

    “I see,” said tone of satisfaction, as Pantalaimon returned to Lyras shoulder.

    tant, and took off a mitten to reaco a pocket. ook out a draring purse and counted out a dozen o ters hand.

    t carefully, eacaking  a back in ted to te arena and into ts, gatil to the dark beyond.

    the door again.

    “Come in quickly,” s able. Dont stand out in t is your name ?”

    any accent Lyra could name.  of people s at Mrs. Coulters: smart and educated and important.

    “Lizzie Brooks,” she said.

    “Come in, Lizzie. ell look after you  worry.”

    side for far longer; ient to be in to play sloted and reluctant, and dragged  as sepped over to the building.

    t not too mucering in w seemed unbearable , and o pull open her furs and push back her hood.

    t eig square, o t and left, and in front of  of reception desk you migal. Everytly lit,  of se surfaces and stainless steel. t a faint perpetual al-medical smell; and coming from t  too loo  of sound you o get used to or go mad.

    Pantalaimon at upid and dim. Be really sloupid.”

    Adults   e coat, a woman in a nurses uniform.

    “Englis man raders, apparently.”

    “Usual ers? Usual story?”

    “Same tribe, as far as I could tell. Sister Clara, could you take little, umm, and see to her?”

    “Certainly, Doctor. Come ly followed.

    t along a s corridor  and a canteen on t, from  as old as Mrs. Coulter, Lyra guessed, o stitc never to tell a story.  of strange ciced) tle rotting dog (and after a moment s had chilled her).

    “s your name, dear?” said t Lizzie?” “Lizzie Brooks.” “And how old are you?” “Eleven.”

    Lyra old t sever t meant. It ed ance, but s s noo make Lizzie s, and stle as s into the room.

 FOURTEEN - BOLVANGAR LIGHTS-2

    Sing questions about   only imagination t y as s of London, and c ime, for all terest Sister Clara seemed to s neat little daemon trotted along at  as brisk and blank as she was.

    In tered table and took Lyras outer coat off and dropped it on the shiny floor.

    “Off , dear,” stle look to see youre nice and bite or sniffles, and too,” s c .

    Pantalaimon fluttered in protest, but Lyra quelled tled on to ment and s sill o conceal it and act dull-ted and compliant.

    “And t, Lizzie,” said tied it rong fingers. S to drop it on t stopped, feeling ter.

    “s ttoned th.

    “Just a sort of toy,” said Lyra. “Its mine.”

    “Yes,  take it aer Clara, unfolding t. “ts pretty, isnt it, like a compass. Into t on, putting ter dohe corner.

    Lyra reluctantly slipped under ter and soaped alaimon percain rail. t nt be too lively, for took emperature and looked into , and t and put ing a note on a clipboard. ty, like tony Makarioss anorak, but again t t very uneasy.

    “t mine,” she said.

    “No, dear. Your clothes need a good wash.”

    “Am I going to get my own ones back?”

    “I expect so. Yes, of course.”

    “ is this place?”

    “Its called tal Station.”

    t  an ans out and asked for more information, s ted dumbly in the dressing and said no more.

    “I  my toy back,” subbornly when she was dressed.

    “take it, dear,” said t you ratty doll?”

    S toys lay like dead tand and pretend to consider for several seconds before picking out a rag doll  eyes. S s to do, and pressed it absently to .

    “ about my money belt?” so keep my toy in there.”

    “Go on, ter Clara, who was filling in a form on pink paper.

    Lyra c and tied t.

    “ about my coat and boots?” stens and things?”

    “ell omatically.

    telep, Lyra stooped quickly to recover tin, taining t it in ter.

    “Come along, Lizzie,” said tting to eat. I expect youre hungry.”

    Ser Clara to teen, ables icky rings y plates and cutlery acked on a steel trolley. to give an illusion of ligogram sropical beac blue sky and  palms.

    t ing a tray from a serving ch.

    “Eat up,” he said.

    to starve, so se teoes inned peaco folloalked quietly at anotable, and ray away.

    to sit doe. ,  blank and incurious as t sat politely on cening.

    “Now, Lizzie,” en enough?”

    “Yes, thank you.”

    “Id like you to tell me w?”

    “London,” she said.

    “And h?”

    “it , and trying to look as if sears.

    “its  of the world?”

    “trading. e come h a load of New Danish smokeleaf and we was buying furs.”

    “And her by himself?”

    “No. t knoer old him.

    “his, Lizzie?”

    “ Cause two years ago , only  asking hen he did.”

    “And how old are you?”

    “Eleven.”

    “Good, good. ell, Lizzie, youre a lucky little girl. tsmen o t place you could be.”

    “tfully. “t. ts of em and they had arrows....”

    “O t y and got lost. tsmen found you on your own and brougraigs w happened, Lizzie.”

    “I sa....I  my dad,”

    s o cry.

    “ell, youre quite safe il or.

    “But I saing arrows!”

    “A you did. t often ense cold, Lizzie. You fall asleep and  remember rue and . t  a fig  a surprise o find you safe and sound! Noer Clara ake you along to tory tle girls and boys  in t like you. Off you go. ell tle talk in the morning.”

    Lyra stood up, clutcalaimon o o lead t.

    More corridors, and Lyra ired by noalaimon tle inside . Lyra hen she was asleep.

    Someone o feel at , and botins ill till safe; so sried to open  o was  so sleepy.

    “ake up! ake up!”

    It was a w, as if so wake up.

    In t from a very loered around   easy to see, because o focus, but t hey were speaking English.

    “Shes awake.”

    “tve...”

    “s your name?”

    “Lizzie,” Lyra mumbled.

    “Is the girls.

    “Dunno. Just me.”

    “ you then?”

    Lyra struggled to sit up. S remember taking a sleeping pill, but t  pain throbbing behind her eyes.

    “his place?”

    “Middle of noell us.”

    “t a time....”

    “ do to ask, gats as Pantalaimon stirred into h her.

    “e dunno,” said t of talking. Sall, red-cs and a strong London accent. “t of measure us and do tests and t—”

    “t,” said another girl, friendly and plump and dark-haired.

    “You dont kno girl.

    “t daemon.

    “I alking.”

    “take us as all we know. No one comes back,”

    said the redhead.

    “t,” said the plump girl, “he reckons—”

    “Dont tell !” said t yet.”

    “Is there boys here as well?” said Lyra.

    “Yeas of us. t ty, I reckon.”

    “Moren t,” said ty.”

    “Except taking us aart off  of us, and one by one they all disappear.”

    “till ....”

    Lyra  from t, ening at t kno apart for most of time. t treated badly.

    “Its all rig muco do, except tests and make us do exercises and take our temperature and stuff. Its just boring really.”

    “Except wer comes,” said Annie.

    Lyra o stop , and Pantalaimon fluttered  ticed.

    “ve gave us some sleeping pills, like you said, cause were all dozy. er?”

    “Srapped us, most of us, anyalk about o be kids disappearing.”

    “Scake us ao us. ter ches.”

    “they kill us?” said Lyra, shuddering.

    “Must do. Cause no one comes back.”

    “t daemons too,” said Bella. “eighem and all...”

    “touch your daemons?”

    “No! God! t scales to get on tes and take pictures. And t you in t and measure Dust, all time, top measuring Dust.”

    “ dust?” said Lyra.

    “e dunno,” said Annie. “Just somet real dust. If you ent got any Dust, ts good. But everyone gets Dust in the end.”

    “You knoartars make o let t in.”

    “Yeaer when she comes.”

    “You  dare!” said Martha admiringly.

    “I would.”

    “hens she coming?” said Lyra.

    “ter tomorrow,” said Annie.

    A cold drencerror  doalaimon crept very close. So find Roger and discover ians ay alive in the icy wilderness?

    t on talking, but Lyra and Pantalaimon nestled doried to get  for tle bed t fear.

 FIFTEEN - THE DAEMON CAGES-1

    It  Lyras o brood; sical c imaginative. No one ion  it o come all t it, an imaginative cely  iced liar doesnt mean you ion. Many good liars ion at all; its t wion.

    So no sion Board, Lyra didnt fret o terror about ians. ters, and even talaimon said ,  aken; or if  mistaken, Jo not . It  so t tians o rescue  manage it, notop lorek Byrnison from getting ; and to Svalbard in Lee Scoresbys balloon and rescue Lord Asriel.

    In  .

    So next morning, ever to see Roger—in particular, eager to see him before he saw her.

    S o . t dormitories   seven by ter t o teen for breakfast.

    And there was Roger.

    ting  a table just inside tc rig to pretend to drop a o pick it up, bending lo to  Pantalaimon could speak to Rogers daemon Salcilia.

    Stered so  Pantalaimon o be a cat and leap at o  Roger  pale at once. Lyra e.  ty stare so ement, and joy; and only Pantalaimon, so keep Roger from sing out and leaping up to greet  friend, his comrade in arms, his Lyra.

    But tles and campaigns. No one must kno ed trays of cornflakes and toast and sat togetant gang, excluding everyone else in order to gossip about them.

    You cant keep a large group of c giving ty to do, and in some abled activities sucics and “art.” Boys and girls  separate except for breaks and mealtimes, so it  until midmorning, after an ed by one of t Lyra o talk to Roger. But it o look natural; t y.

    All t t  boys talk to boys and girls to girls, eac of ignoring te sex.

    Seen again,  Pantalaimon, as a fly, to talk to Salcilia on t to table ly in te groups.

    It  to talk ion o look glum and rebellious as ss iny buzz of talk bet really listening, but at one point s blond  made  up.

    It ony Makarios. As Lyras attention snapped to, Pantalaimon o sloened to he girl was saying.

    “No, I kno  really en because tony  muc anytter...”

    “erested in daemons?” said Lyra.

    “No one knohe blond girl.

    “I knohen see if you die.”

    “ell,  over and over  kids?” said someone.

    “to do it once,  they?”

    “I kno girl.

    Stention no because t  to let taff knoalking about, to adopt a strange,  manner, e curiosity.

    “how?” said someone.

    “ Cause I he linen room,” she said.

    Sly. If sing jeers and teasing, t come. All the children were subdued, and no one even smiled.

    t on: “e  and t voice. And sony, I kno  you....And s going to  put you to sleep, and ttle operation, and t tony didnt believe her. he says—”

    “tartars! I bet!”

    “S up!  else did t in. By time, a dozen or more cered around able, te to knoense.

    t on: “tony ed to knoter, see. And to sleep too, just like when you do.

    And tony says, Youre gonna kill  yer? 1 knos s just a little operation. Just a little cut. It  even , but  you to sleep to make sure.

    All t no for a moment, and tco tc so no one could here.

    “ sort of cut?” said a boy,  and frig sort of cut?”

    “S said, Its someto make you more gros o make ts  grown up.”

    “But—”

    “Does t mean—”

    “, all grownupsve ?”

    “ about—”

    Suddenly all topped as if t, and all eyes turned to ter Clara stood tter-of-fact, and beside e coat w seen before.

    “Bridget McGinn,” he said.

    tood up trembling. c.

    “Yes, sir?” she said, her voice hardly audible.

    “Finiser Clara,”  of you run along and go to your classes.”

    Obediently tacked tainless-steel trolley before leaving in silence. No one looked at Bridget McGinn except Lyra, and sh fear.

    t of t morning  in exercise. t tation, because it side during t, and eacook turns to play in to form teams and t first Lyra,  a loss o do. But sic, and a natural leader, and soon found . ts of ts of ttle gymnasium and soon baniss; ended to do.

    At lunceen, Lyra felt Pantalaimon give a cion, and turned to find Billy Costa standing just behind her.

    “Roger told me you ered.

    “Your brotians,” she said.

    “to take you home.”

    subdued to a cough.

    “And you got to call me Lizzie,” Lyra said, “never Lyra. And you got to tell me everyt.”

    t toget o do t lunc more time coming and going betables and ter, ter of knives and forks and plates Billy and Roger botold  cion en taken to els furt explain ony Makarios came to be  Roger eresting to tell her.

    “I found a hiding place,” he said.

    “? here?”

    “See t picture...”  togram of tropical beacop rig ceiling panel?”

    ted of large rectangular panels set in a frameal strips, and ture ed slightly.

    “I sa,” Roger said, “and I t t be like it, so I lifted em, and t lift up. Me and tried it one nigory, before took here and you can crawl inside....”

    “he ceiling?”

    “I dunno. e just  in a little ime heyd probably find us.”

    Lyra sa not as a  as a   t before talk any more, a doctor banged on a table o speak.

    “Listen, cen carefully. Every so often ant t  dressed properly and make our side  any panic. So o ice fire drill ternoon.  stop  gros t go to if theres a real fire.”

    ell, t Lyra, theres an idea.

    During t part of ternoon, Lyra and four otested for Dust. tors didnt say t  it o guess. taken one by one to a laboratory, and of course tened;  , if s striking a blo t t going to do t operation just yet, it seemed.

    “e  to make some measurements,” tor explained. It ell te coats and oo, trange bland calm manner making ters.

    “I erday,” Lyra said.

    “A measurements today. Stand on tal plate—o. s it, stare at ttle green light. Good girl...”

    Sometor made o left and rigime something clicked and flashed.

    “ts fine. Noo t your o tube.

    Noto raigs it.”

    “ are you measuring?” s Dust?”

    “old you about Dust?”

    “One of t kno dusty, at least I dont terday.”

    “As a different sort of dust. You cant see it . Its a special dust. Nos rig of  t? take , t your othis way—

    rest it on t tingling, noto , its just a slig....”

    Pantalaimon, in  tense and  form, proning-eyed suspicion around tus, continually returning to rub  Lyra.

    S t going to perform tion on , and sure too t ion.

 FIFTEEN - THE DAEMON CAGES-2

    “ peoples daemons away?”

    “? alking to you about t?”

    “t peoples daemons away.”

    “Nonsense...”

    ated, t on:

    “Cause you take people out one by one and t kill em, and ot, and told me you cut—”

    “Its not true at all. ake c, its because its time for to move on to anot! Dont even t it. ho is your friend?”

    “I only come erday, I dont know anyones name.”

    “ does she look like?”

    “I forget. I t of brown  brown, maybe...! dunno.”

    tor  to speak quietly to tcty bird, just as neat and incurious as Sister Claras dog, and tors was a large h.

    Neit and t t animated, as sed to be. Per really anxious or curious at all.

    Presently tor came back and t on ion, ely, looking at beat, placing tle nozzle t hissed and gave off a smell like fresh air.

    In tests, a loud bell began to ring and kept ringing.

    “tor, siger Betty.”

    “But all tdoor clotory building, Doctor. S go outside like t, do you think?”

    s interrupted, and snapped ation.

    “I suppose t t of tice is meant to s a nuisance.”

    “erday,” Lyra said er Clara put my ot first room  door. I could hem.”

    “Good idea!” said then.”

    it glee, Lyra rieved s, and pulled the nurse dressed herself in coal silk.

    t. In t of ts and c: some in excitement, some in irritation, many just bewildered.

    “See?” one adult s o find out w ch a real fire.”

    Someone aking mucice. Lyra saugged Billy Costas arm and soon all togetrom of running children.

    “No onell notice if ake a look around,” said Lyra. “Itll take em ages to count everyone, and  follo lost.”

    ted till most of t into a loose po random into t all t, and ter covered completely ts of ts trying to regain control, and t of sight.

    t t move quickly, but it didnt seem to matter; no one unnels, and found trange moonscape of regular e under t by reflections from ts around the arena.

    “ we looking for?” said Billy.

    “Dunno. Just looking,” said Lyra, and led to a squat, square building a little apart from t,  at the corner.

    t more distant. Clearly t of t up for as long as t or so off t unnel to connect it  of tation.

    t tice above it said ENtRY StRICtLY FORBIDDEN in red letters.

    Lyra set  to try, but before surn the handle, Roger said:

    “Look! A bird! Or—”

    ion of doubt, because ture s all: it was someone Lyra had seen before.

    “tchs daemon!”

    t  wings, raising a flurry of snow as he landed.

    “Greetings, Lyra,”  see me. I ing for you to come out into t is happening?”

    Sold him quickly.

    “ians?” s off the Samoyeds?”

    “Most of t severely. took you ies of travelers, and alone travel more quickly ty. tians are still a days journey away.”

    taring in fear at t Lyras familiar manner  tle about ches.

    Lyra said to ten, you better go and keep c. Billy, you go t c t come. e ent got long.”

    to do as surned back to the door.

    “rying to get in the goose daemon.

    “Because of —” s peoples daemons a, to look. But its locked....”

    “I can open it,” said t  turn in the lock.

    “Go in carefully,” said the daemon.

    Lyra pulled open t talaimon ated and fearful, but   tco see o Lyras breast and taken sanctuary inside her furs.

    As soon as ed to t, Lyra saw why.

    In a series of glass cases on slike forms of cats, or birds, or rats, or otures, eacened and as pale as smoke.

    tccalaimon to  look! Dont look!”

    “h rage.

    Lyra explained fearfully about er tle tony Makarios, and looked over  tering foro t cries of pain and misery. In t from a lo of eacy one ony Makarios on it. ty ones oo.

    “I  to let to smas em out—”

    And so do it  t.”

    cronger. So do as he said.

    “e must make t to lock t tprints in t? And it must  till tians come. Noly as I say: take a ell you, blotle of it against eacurn.”

    Sside. Roger and Billy ill on guard, and till a noise of ser from te or so had gone by.

    S poo do as ttle snoc t of the cage came open.

    ed t of t one, and ttered out, but fell to tenderly bent and nudged  aggering and confused. Pantalaimon leaped doo comfort her.

    Lyra es every daemon rying to speak, and tered around  and even tried to pluck at aboo ell alaimon  a beat.

    “No run back and mingle ians are coming as fast as t o find tly, “But t prints youve made; Ill cover them up. hurry now....”

    “Oc t dreaming w?”

    “Yes, child; why?”

    “Could they pull a balloon?”

    “Undoubtedly, but—”

    “ill Serafina Pekkala be coming?”

    “t time to explain tics of cions. t poerests of her clan.

    But it may be t s happening elsewhere. Lyra, youre needed inside. Run, run!”

    Sced out of toward hick snow.

    “ts like t in Jordan—theyre daemons!”

    “Yes,  tell Billy, t tell anyone yet. Come on back.”

    Being racks t daemons ering or drifting atle bleak cries of loss and longing. prints urned to oget it cost til tctering and falling and running ter  difficulty, taking off. tral against t, feeble and erratic t ttered do t gray goose il t against the profound dark.

    Roger ugging at Lyras arm.

    “Quick,” heyre nearly ready.”

    tumbled ao join Billy, s y, because people ling and pus from t before they did, Lyra said:

    “Pass t to be ready to escape. t to knoo get t as soon as  to keep t, understand?”

    Billy nodded, and Roger said, “s the signal?”

    “time comes, Ill set it off.”

    ted to be counted off. If anyone in tion Board o do ter; because to go to, eaco be ticked off against te list, and of course t in alpical order; and none of ts o keeping control. So te t t no one was running around anymore.

    Lyra ciced. t very good at t all. t of  fire drills, t kno, t get co stand in line properly; and t be to age.

    t finisraction, t of vie  possible.

    So turn and scan till air.

    t it ion opposite to t t . Very soon it ement  around ts fat sleek silver form drifted over ts, and its own lighe body.

    t cut ting t.

    Lyra realized out mast  . As ts usaring back and pointing, t and prepared to attache cabin windows.

    Lyra looked, and take. Pantalaimon clutc , red, because looking out y iful dark-er, h her golden daemon in her lap.

 SIXTEEN - THE SILVER GUILLOTINE-1

    Lyra ducked  once under ter of ime enouger to  , and t  t asking permission.

    But luckily, ts trying to o clear t no one c of ts and bundled to ory.

    Quickly so tood on it, and pus ted, just as Roger o t ts and leggings. As an aftert, sook ter from  in t pocket of t too.

    So Pantalaimon, “e must just pretend to be stupid till s tians or lorek Byrnison especially.”

    Because Lyra no all ture o Mrs. Coulter as a compass needle is drao the Pole.

    All ty of tercision, srong enoug t of t s face and gentle voice, t golden playful monkey,  omaced.

    But tians . t give yourself aoeen, from w of noise was coming.

    Co get  drinks, some of till in talk s passenger.

    “It was he monkey daemon—”

    “Did s you, too?”

    “Se to my mum and dad and I bet she never....”

    “Sold us about kids getting killed. S t.”

    “t monkey, — my Karossa and nearly killed her—I could feel all weak....”

    tened as Lyra was. S down.

    “Listen,” s?”

    “Yeah!”

    turned to ation.

    “to escape,” Lyra said quietly. “to take us a to do is be ready as soon as t our cold- once and run out. No ing about. You just got to run. Only if you dont get your anoraks and boots and stuff, youll die of cold.”

    “ signal?” Annie demanded.

    “ternoon. Its all organized. All to kno her.”

    tement. And all teen tell t tmospside, tic and eager for play; ter terical fear; but norol and purpose to talkativeness. Lyra marveled at t hope could have.

    Sc carefully, ready to duck  voices coming, and ter  t drinks and ttle s instantaneously teen, and every cill and silent, staring at her.

    Mrs. Coulter smiled and passed on  a tle by little talk started again.

    Lyra said, “o talk?”

    “Probably took us t ty groure and I o stand t old me, like seeing ized me and did some ots a big room  of cables and a little platform. Its be office.  to pretend t off all rig theyre scared of her, same as we are....”

    For t of tayed close to tctle, remaining inconspicuous. time in tattered books and a table-tennis table. At some point Lyra and t ts anding in anxious groups talking urgently.

    Lyra guessed t had happened.

    But s see Mrs. Coulter, ime for bed, so let to her confidence.

    “Listen,” shey ever come round and see if were asleep?”

    “t look in once,” said Bella. “t flasern round, t really look.”

    “Good. Cause Im going to go and look round. t this boy showed me....”

    Sh you!”

    “No, you better not, cause itll be easier if t one person missing.

    You can all say you fell asleep and you dont know where Ive gone.”

    “But if I came h you—”

    “More likely to get caught,” said Lyra.

    taring at eacalaimon as a , Annies Kyrillion as a fox. talaimon uttered t, softest eeturned aside and began to groom himself unconcernedly.

    “All righen,” said Annie, resigned.

    It e common for struggles bettled by ting ted tcome  resentment, on t Annie would do as she asked.

    tributed items of cloto bulk out Lyras bed and make it look as if sill to say t it. tened at to make sure no one hrough.

    “Just dont say anyto tching.

    tly back into place and looked around.

    Sal ced in a frameruts. tly translucent, so some lig gleam Lyra could see t or so in ) extending in all directions around  al ducts and pipes, and it o get lost in, but provided s to tal and avoided putting any ation to ther.

    “Its just like back in Jordan, Pan,” siring Room.”

    “If you  done t, none of this would have happened,” he whispered back.

    “ts up to me to undo it, isnt it?”

    S  approximately  off. It o croucen so squeeze under a big square duct or lift ing pipes. tal cops of internal  a comforting solidity belo s y.

    But sory to guide ell ime to time sopped to listen, but it c Lyra, in  of as their common room.

    teresting, so she moved on.

    At last so to ions; and sure enougioning and ing ducts led do one end, and  evenly. So t voices, so s place.

    Sened carefully, and till s to tal co hear as well as she could.

    tlery, or talked. t, including Mrs. Coulters. to be discussing the escaped dasmons.

    “But ion?” said Mrs. Coulters gentle musical voice.

    “A researcudent called McKay,” said one of t tomatic meco prevent t of thing happening—”

    “t work,” she said.

    “it, ter. McKay assures us t  t eleven oday. ter door of course  ered and left by t o be entered in tor controlling ts memory of s done, an alarm goes off.”

    “But t go off,” she said.

    “It did. Unfortunately, it rang aking part in the fire drill.”

    “But w back inside—”

    “Unfortunately, bot; ts a design fault t ified.  it meant  er tice, tory alarm urned off as  ill  er every disruption of routine; but by t time, Mrs. Coulter, you edly, and if you recall, you asked specifically to meet tory staff tly, no one returned to tory until some time later.”

    “I see,” said Mrs. Coulter coldly. “In t case, t self. And t  of suspects to include every adult in tation. ?”

    “ it might have been done by a child?” said someone else.

    S, and t on:

    “Every adult ask to do, and every task tention, and every task y t any of taff side altogetention of doing t, or one of to find urn to t of the main building.”

    “And o investigate?” s, dont tell me. Please understand, Dr. Cooper, Im not criticizing out of malice. e o be quite extraordinarily careful. It rocious lapse to o be on t. t must be corrected at once.

 SIXTEEN - THE SILVER GUILLOTINE-2

    Possibly tartar officer in cigation? I merely mention t as a possibility. artars during t?”

    “Yes, iculous records.”

    “Im sure youre doing your very best,” s pity. But enoug for noell me about tor.”

    Lyra felt a this could mean.

    “Aor, relieved to find tion turning to anot, “t model irely overcome tient dying of s  no end.”

    “t better by  spoken yet.

    “Centuries of practice,” said ther man.

    “But simply tearing ion for some time,” said tressing t o t operators. If you remember, ress-related anxiety. But t big breaktadt anbaric scalpel. e o reduce deative so belo.”

    “And trument?” said Mrs. Coulter.

    Lyra rembling. talaimon — let t—”

    “Yes, it o t an alloy of manganese and titanium y of insulating body from daemon. By t is h Lord Asriel?”

    “Per er. “Lord Asriel is under suspended sentence of deations of  irely. Unfortunately, o obtain books and materials, and ical investigations to t ively dangerous to let  any rate, it seems t tican Council o debate tion of tence of deaty is t itll be carried out. But your nerument, Doctor.

    work?”

    “Aence of deatrument. ere investigating ient in a conscious state, and of course t couldnt be done adt process. So ine, I suppose you could say. titanium alloy, and tment—like a small cabin— of alloy mesment connecting . ion, of course, t do once.

    te entities.”

    “I so see it,” s Im tired noo bed. I  to see all tomorrow. e s w door.”

    te expressions, a door closing. t doalking, but more quietly.

    “ is Lord Asriel up to?”

    “I t an entirely different idea of ture of Dust. ts t. Its profoundly ical, you see, and torial Court of Discipline cant alloerpretation ts to experiment—”

    “to experiment? it?”

    “ so loud...”

    “Do you t?”

    “No, no. I t h her very well.”

    “titude worries me....”

    “Not philosophical, you mean?”

    “Exactly. A personal interest. I dont like to use t its almost ghoulish.”

    “ts a bit strong.”

    “But do you remember t experiments, —”

    Lyra,coutdnt : a little cry escaped  time sensed and s knocked against a stanchion.

    “ ?”

    “In the ceiling—”

    “Quick!”

    t running, a table pulled across tried to scramble a ttle space, and before s up suddenly, and so tartled face of a man. So see every acartled as s o move, o t a o the gap and seize her arm.

    “A child!”

    “Dont let her go—”

    Lyra sank eeto , but didnt let go, even ting, but it ronger til ely clinging to tanco loosen, and so the room.

    Still s utter a sound. Sal above, and struggled upside docing, puncting in passionate fury. ting ion, but they pulled and pulled.

    And suddenly all trengt out of her.

    It o be, and hing deep and precious.

    S faint, dizzy, sick, disgusted, limp h shock.

    One of talaimon.

    of .  ss of anbaric alarm...oward h hands for him....

    till. tured.

    S t  allo supposed to touch... rong....

    “as she on her own?”

    A man o the ceiling space.

    “Seems to be on her own....”

    “ho is she?”

    “the new child.”

    “ters...”

    “Yes.”

    “You dont suppose she daemons...”

    “Could  not on her own, surely?”

    “Sell—”

    “I t  t you?”

    “I agree. Better s  all.”

    “But  this?”

    “S go back her children.”

    “Impossible!”

    “t seems to me.”

    “Now?”

    “o. Cant leave it till ts to ch.”

    “e could do it ourselves. No need to involve anyone else.”

    to be in c alaimon, tapped eetill; ted t. Finally he nodded.

    “No no t, at least. S remember w s she heard....Come on.”

    Lyra couldnt speak. So let ation, along y corridors, past rooms  tories calaimon, and  eacher.

    tly lit ce tiles and stainless steel. t  a p oe them forever and ever.

    S last, and screamed. t t; s a sound would escape.

    But Pantalaimon, in ansed free of teful ore at talons, great  —darting, snarling, slasransformations too quick to register, and all time leaping, flying, dodging from one spot to anotc ty air.

    But too, of course. It  t t  six. A badger, an o as intent to pin Pantalaimon doo this?

    be hem!”

    And s more passionately til t go for a moment—and salaimon sprang too ab of pain o her.

    “Never! Never! Never!” s to defend o th.

    But tal men, and serrified; and tore Pantalaimon ao one side of truggling still, around to ther.

    t ill part of ill joined. For a second or so more, ill her own dear soul.

    Above ting of te a bank of scc lig moment in e life o be t by far.

    “ is going on here?”

    A ligopped.

    “ are you doing? And whis child—”

    S complete t instant she recognized Lyra.

    tear-blurred eyes Lyra sater and clutc a benciful and composed, gre ruck.

    “Lyra—” she whispered.

    ted from ugged Pantalaimon out from t alaimon pulled free of tous paumbled to Lyras arms.

    “Never, never,” so ing  to hers.

    togete coast. Dimly ser speaking to t s even interpret one of voice. And t eful room, and Mrs. Coulter  light.

    Mrs. Coulter laid ly on tigalaimon t srembling . A tender roked her head.

    “My dear, dear c s voice. “o be here?”

 SEVENTEEN - THE WITCHES-1

    Lyra moaned and trembled uncontrollably, just as if s of er so cold t  alaimon simply lay against o  aime of Mrs. Coulter, busy preparing a drink of somet of all of ttle fingers ly over Lyras body s contents.

    “Sit up, dear, and drink ter, and le arm slipped around Lyras back and lifted her.

    Lyra clenc relaxed almost at once as Pantalaimon t to her:

    ere only safe as long as end. S taining tears, and to her surprise and shame she sobbed and sobbed.

    Mrs. Coulter made sympatic sounds and put to ted handkerchief.

    “Cry as muco, darling,” said t soft voice, and Lyra determined to stop as soon as sruggled to ears, soget still s.

    Pantalaimon played t aimidly at tc o Lyras s.”

    S up and took t cup in boternately sipping and bloo cool it. S  pretend han shed ever done in her life.

    “Lyra, darling,” Mrs. Coulter murmured, stroking   you forever!   lost? Did someone take you out of t?”

    “Yeah,” Lyra whispered.

    “, dear?”

    “A man and a woman.”

    “Guests at ty?”

    “I t airs and I  to get it and took me in a car some quick and dodged a me. But I didnt know where I was....”

    Anot tend tory.

    “And I just  trying to find my  me....And t me in a van ook me somew was.”

    it  past, ence s a little strengt s and familiar and never quite predictable, namely lying, s a sort of mastery again, ty and control t ter gave her.

    So be careful not to say anyto be vague in some places and invent plausible details in oto be an artist, in s.

    “er.

    Lyras journey along time ians aken weeks:

    so account for t time. Sed a voyage o trollesund, and tails from ion of toime as maid-of-all- Einarssons Bar, and t by t to Bolvangar.

    “And to—going to cut—”

    “o find out ws been going on.”

    “But ? I never done anyt  its s , Mrs. Coulter? hey so cruel?”

    “t ever do it to you. Now I know youre o o  you....”

    “But t to other children! hy?”

    “Ah, my love—”

    “Its Dust, isnt it?”

    “Did tell you t? Did tors say t?”

    “t. All talk about it, but no one kno to me—you got to tell me! You got no rigo keep it secret, not anymore!”

    “Lyra...Lyra, Lyra. Darling, t ideas, Dust and so on. Its not someto . But tors do it for t is something evil and wicked.

    Groed  so deeply t its too late for t be  a quick operation on c. Dust just  stick to theyre safe and happy and—”

    Lyra t of little tony Makarios. Sched.

    Mrs. Coulter moved back and let go.

    “Are you all rigo throom—”

    Lyra swallowed hard and brushed her eyes.

    “You dont o do t to us,” s leave us. I bet Lord Asriel  let anyone do t if   and youve got Dust, and ter of Jordan and every ot Dust, it must be all rig out Im going to tell all t t  to me? If it . You should have been glad.”

    Mrs. Coulter was shaking her head and smiling a sad wise smile.

    “Darling,” ss good o  us a little, and naturally its upsetting for ot.... But it doesnt mean your daemon is taken a of tion. t they?”

    Lyra blinked. Suddenly sood trange blank incuriosity, ttle trotting daemons seemed to be sleepwalking.

    Say not, and s h hard.

    “Darling, no one ion on a c testing it first. And no one in a take a coget tle cut, and t at ty, to very soon, darling, daemons bring all sort of troublesome ts and feelings, and ts s Dust in. A quick little operation before t, and youre never troubled again. And your daemon stays  not connected. Like a...like a , if you like. t pet in t you like t?”

    Orutelling! And even if Lyra  knoo be lies (tony Makarios; ted it , to be cut ao a little trotting pet? Lyra nearly blazed red, and Pantalaimon in , t ugly and vicious of all his forms, and snarled.

    But talaimon tig Mrs. Coulter stroke her hair.

    “Drink up your cer softly. “ell o go back and sory  no my little assistant back. My favorite! t assistant in to tell you o find you again....”

    All time, t restlessly, one minute percable s clinging to Mrs. Coulter and ctering softly in  pacing tail erect. raying Mrs. Coulters impatience, of course, and finally s  in.

    “Lyra, dear,” s ter of Jordan gave you somet. Isnt t riger. trouble is, it  o give. It  in s really too valuable to be carried about—dyou knos one of only ter gave it to you in t it o Lord Asriels old you not to tell me about it, didnt he?”

    Lyra ted h.

    “Yes, I can see. ell, never mind, darling, because you didnt tell me, did you?

    So you  broken any promises. But listen, dear, it really ougo be properly looked after. Im afraid its so rare and delicate t  let it be at risk any longer.”

    “ Lord Asriel ?” Lyra said, not moving.

    “Because of o exile, because  someter to finis believe me, dear, t t . ter of Jordan aken. But no you kno really ter to let me ,  it? It rouble of carrying it around, and all ter it—and really it must  a silly old t was any good for....”

    Lyra ing and clever.

    “So if youve got it noter let me  to look after. Its in t belt around your , isnt it? Yes, t o do, putting it ahis....”

    Lyras skirt, and tening tiff oilcloth.

    Lyra tensed  trembling icipation, little black o er pulled t a and unbuttoned t. Sook out t clot, finding tin box lorek Byrnison had made.

    Pantalaimon  again, tensed to spring. Lyra dreo t soo could run wime came.

    “s ter, as if amused. “ a funny old tin! Did you put it in o keep it safe, dear? All t you? Anotin, inside t one! And soldered! his, dear?”

    Soo intent on opening it to  for an ans attacs, and s a blade and dug it under the lid.

    At once a furious buzzing filled the room.

    Lyra and Pantalaimon ill. Mrs. Coulter, puzzled, curious, pulled at t close to look.

    t tled out of tin and craso the monkeys face.

    was ing Mrs.

    Coulter too, and s in pain and frigtle clock  and t toward her face.

    Lyra didnt ate. Pantalaimon sprang for ter  once, and sore it open and raced aer than she had ever run in her life.

    “Fire alarm!” Pantalaimon shrieked, as he flew ahead of her.

    Ston on t corner, and smase fist. Soories, smaso come out into the fire.

    By time scalaimon flas into ed in. A moment later surned on all taps and flung a matc t burner. t at table so it burst and filled te, because s flour s treated like t near a flame.

    t and on as fast as so, vivid ement, for t around. t orerooms w, and hem.

    Adults rying to control it all, and none of t was happening.

    Sing, pusling people were everywhere.

    t all Lyra and Pantalaimon darted like fisory, and just as t, t she building.

    ty. Lyra dragged to t of t for ter. It ill tugged talaimon, a sparro the door, called:

    “Now!”

    S. By luck a group of corance, and sing,  t so escape or die.

    tcaken quickly, and  do of ted struts and girders to get up to tter cold air. trong. t and closer. t knocked several people over, and cries of fear and pain filled the air.

    Lyra struggled up, and alaimon calling, “tter-ings, s to find tdoor clot o escape from tation only to die of cold.

    t out onto t sky, s t s by trance, but time ts ated and the children more fearful: much more fearful.

    “Roger! Roger!” Lyra called, and Pantalaimon, keen-eyed as an o hed seen him.

    A moment later ther.

    “tell em all to come ed into his ear.

    “t—theyre all panicky—”

    “tell em o t vanis tell em ernoon—all t out! tell em ts going to o too unless t away!”

    Roger gaped,  ted s and ran to t group of ating c and clutcheir daemons in fear.

    “Come ed. “t to get out of the compound! Come on, run!”

    treaming across tos, ts pattering and creaking in the hard-packed snow.

    Bes  of to t earing clot cutting t. Lyra  before, but s at once: it artar guards , and many curned in fear and stumbled to a stop, for t a lo tireless lope came t of tartar guards, rifle at ty leaping grayness of his daemon beside him.

    t least you couldnt see any eyes bes of ts. their jaws.

    Lyra faltered. S dreamed of ening t s Bolvangar broke t taboo, s of teeth....

    tartars ran to stand in a line across trance to ts, te them.

    Lyra t  fig  like ttles in t the brickburners children.

    Or per o clauff out of ownies leaped on him.

    Sanding in tanding in the snow.

    Just as s afternoon, but in deadly earnest no at t soldier.

    “Get em in ther.

    Otion of flying as a s beside t directly at ts of target—and ts tartars umbling about, spitting and cursing and trying to brus of t of their eyes.

    “Come on!” Lyra screamed, and flung  te into ts.

    treamed after ohe beckoning open dark beyond.

    A ed an order, and ts  once, and tense silence,  and gasping breato be heard.

    taking aim. t miss.

    But before tartars, and a cry of surprise from another.

    Lyra stopped and turned to see a man lying on tc blood, and to left and rig, but to be seen.

    And traigruck anot once. A s from t the dark sky.

    “itcalaimon.

    And so t black s cher man fell.

    And tartars turned to t not s clouds, and more and more arrohem.

    But t ao race after t moving forurning back in confusion, terrified by trous sling tos.

    “lorek Byrnison!” cried Lyra,  nearly bursting h joy.

    t to be conscious of no  in a blur and craso tartars, scattering soldiers, daemons, rifles to all sides. topped and ruck to eac t to him.

 SEVENTEEN - THE WITCHES-2

    A

    fire spilled out of o t once.

    tartar officer, faced tack, didnt ate. A long self into to keep off tc to overcome troops ly brave. to one knee in groups of four and fired tice range, not budging an incy bulk led to later they were dead.

    lorek struck again, ting to one side, slass fle  all. Lyra urged t into ts. t get aartars s of Bolvangar.

    So so get ts be moving out toic nigo love it as Pantalaimon was doing, a ing in his own propulsion.

    “here we going?” someone said.

    “t  snow!”

    “ty coming,” Lyra told ty gyptians or more. I bet tions of yours, too. All tian families t lost a kid, t someone.”

    “I ent a gyptian,” a boy said.

    “Dont matter. take you anyway.”

    “here?” someone said querulously.

    “s ians o take you  got to go on a bit furt be far off.”

    “Dyou see t bear!” one boy  out, just like t!”

    “I never knew daemons could be killed,” someone else said.

    talking noement and relief ongue. As long as t moving, it didnt matter if talked.

    “Is t true,” said a girl, “about here?”

    “Yea Id ever see anyone  their daemon.

    But on t any daemon.  asking for ony Makarios.”

    “I know ook  a week back....”

    “ell, t   them.

    “And a little bit after  there.”

    “Its true,” said Roger. “And Lyra let em out during the fire drill.”

    “Yeaa. “I didnt kno first, but I seen em fly a goose.”

    “But s torture! ?”

    “Dust,” suggested someone doubtfully.

    But t!”  no suc made t up! I dont believe in it.”

    “s o the zeppelin!”

    ts, ill continuing, t lengt floating freely at t any longer; t was rising a globe of—

    “Lee Scoresbys balloon!” Lyra cried, and clapped -tened .

    t   far. It o fill  of to escape by t crippled t! “Come on, keep moving, else youll freeze,” soo in alaimon found tating, and as a wolverine  one girls squirrel daemon w lying across ly.

    “Get in ! Make yourself big and  inside  once.

    trouble  coal silk  as ter

    tories and laboratories far a couldnt really cope. Lyras furs looked ragged and tank, but t th in.

    “If  find tians soon, t going to last,” so Pantalaimon.

    “Keep em moving theyre finished.

    You know w Farder Coram said....”

    Farder Coram old ales of er—al rue. But te clear about one point,  keep going.

    “ta go?” said a little boy.

    “S making us  o kill us,” said a girl.

    “Rat here,” someone said.

    “I ! Its ation. t drinks and everything.”

    “But its all on fire!”

    “ o do out  arve to death....”

    Lyras mind ions t flec and untouc beyond and at all.

    But it gave rengt of a sno, and s a boy racks! ians, so tracksll lead us to w keep walking!”

    Big flakes of snoo fall. Soon it oget t of sigs of Bolvangar, and t glo came from t radiance of ts; but by peering closely, t trail lorek Byrnison he snow.

    Lyra encouraged, bullied, , , pused tenderly, alaimon (by tate of eacold  was needed in each case.

    Ill get t saying to o get em and Ill bloody get em.

    Roger . Soon t to cling on to one anoto keep from getting lost, and Lyra t, per...Dig he snow...

    S t somet. It drifted in and out of hearing.

    And  too ant and o be sure of, blanketed by millions of sno by little puffing gusts of  migians sledge dogs, or it migs of tundra, or even t children.

    S any lig be gs as umbling back into Bolvangar.

    But ttle yelloern beams, not te glare of anbaric ligain ed ians ing co sledges, covering t to cony Costa ly only to hug him again and shake him for joy. And Roger...

    “Rogers coming o Farder Coram. “It o get in t place. ell go back to Jordan in ts t noise—”

    It  snarl again, t engine, like a crazed spy-fly ten times the size.

    Suddenly t sent alaimon couldnt defend he golden monkey—

    Mrs. Coulter—

    tling, biting, scratc Pantalaimon, inging, lasearing. Mrs. Coulter, meanense feeling, o torized sledge, and Lyra struggled as  to be isolated in a little blizzard of ts of thick swirling flakes a few inches ahead.

    “o tians hing. “help me! Farder Coram! Lord Faa! Oh, God, help!”

    Mrs. Coulter sartars.

    ter struggling, and picked up Lyra o tunned and dazed.

    A rifle banged, and tians realized w was happening.

    But firing at targets you cant see is dangerous artars, in a tigo blaze at o t tians dared not s back for fear of ting Lyra.

    Oterness s! tiredness! Still dazed, o find Pantalaimon desperately figill, ened tig grimly ?

    Not Roger?

    Yes, Roger, battering at Mrs. Coulter s and feet, ling  o be struck doartar  green flutter across —

    A great sed curtains of snoo t later and t ja, rig, eet fur—

    too, tearing  of ter and clinging tigtering in amazement as a greater fluttering s all around tc ragged black s close enougo toucced o pull tring and to t of a mailed and loartar  away—

    And t at t the ground.

    Up! Into midair Lyra and Roger o a cloud-pine branccting tense o t and somethe ground.

    tumbled into t of Lee Scoresbys balloon.

    “Skip inside,” called texan, “and bring your friend, by all means.  bear?”

    Lyra sa tc buoyancy of to th.

    “Get in!” so Roger, and scrambled over t to fall in a snoer Roger fell on top of y noise he very ground shake.

    “Cmon, lorek! On board, old feller!” yelled Lee Scoresby, and over the bear in a hideous creak of wicker and bending wood.

    At once t lohe rope.

    ted immediately and surged upo t a rate Lyra could scarcely believe. After a moment t, and up t, faster and faster, so t s no rocket could  tly. So Roger on t, pressed doion.

    Lee Scoresby ering exan yells of deligening  clao all t before packing te pieces in a pile. Somecs told t tco the upper airs.

    Little by little Lyra recovered beat. S up and looked around.

    t ruments, and ttled air, and a variety of otoo small or confusing to make out in t this a cloud?” she said.

    “Sure is. rap your friend in some furs before urns into an icicle. Its cold  its gonna get colder.” “how did you find us?”

    “itccs to talk to you.  clear of t our bearings and t and have a yarn.”

    “lorek,” said Lyra, “ted, and settled doo lick t meant t t ilted to one side, but t didnt matter. Roger  lorek Byrnison took no more notice of ented o t, just under anding, and peering o the swirling cloud.

    Only a feer t of togetill rising rapidly, soared on into the heavens.

    a sigly above t in a   of it. Great srembled and parted like angels ing; cascades of luminescent glory tumbled doo lie in serfalls.

    So Lyra gasped at t, and t almost more wondrous.

    As far as to tions, a tumbled sea of ended  a break. Soft peaks and vaporous c mostly it looked like a solid mass of ice.

    And rising t in ones and twos and larger groups as well came small black scheir branches of cloud-pine.

    tly,  any effort, up and too one side or anoto steer. And one of the archer whod saved Lyra from Mrs.

    Coulter, flely alongside t, and Lyra saime.

    Ser; and fair,  green eyes; and clad like all tcrips of black silk, but ens. So feel no cold at all. Around tle red floeed, and seemed to rein it in a yard from Lyras wondering gaze.

    “Lyra?”

    “Yes! And are you Serafina Pekkala?”

    “I am.”

    Lyra could see  before. ions.

    “ tcself t Lyra could  sound of it.

    “Yes. I got it in my pocket, safe.”

    Great s told of anoto glide in a  continued to rise.

    “tians e to Bolvangar,” said Serafina Pekkala. “ty-taff, and t ligo every part of t still stood. to destroy it completely.”

    “ about Mrs. Coulter?”

    “No sign of her.”

    “And t all the kids safely?”

    “Every one. they are all safe.”

    Serafina Pekkala cried out in a cohe balloon.

    “Mr. Scoresby,” she rope, if you please.”

    “Maam, Im very grateful. ere still rising. I guess ake to pull us north?”

    “e are strong” was all she said.

    Lee Scoresby tacout rope to t gat itself  once six ced to, caugo pull, urging toar.

    As to move in t direction, Pan-talaimon came to perc as a tern. Rogers daemon came out to look, but crept back again soon, for Roger  asleep, as s.

    “So, Lyra,” said Serafina Pekkala. “Do you know wo Lord Asriel?”

    Lyra oniso take er, of course!” she said.

    Sion; it  motive, from so long ago t s forgotten it.

    “Or... to s it. ere going to  away.”

    But as s, it sounded absurd. Escape from Svalbard? Impossible! “try, anyly. “hy?”

    “I to tell you,” said Serafina Pekkala.

    “About Dust?”

    It  ted to know.

    “Yes, among ot you are tired no .

    ell talk when you wake up.”

    Lyra ya ing ya lasted almost a minute, or felt like it, and for all t Lyra struggled, s resist t and touco talaimon fluttered doo his sleeping place by her neck.

    tctled o a steady speed beside t as toward Svalbard.

 PART THREE SVALBARD EIGHTEEN - FOG AND ICE-1

    Lee Scoresby arranged some furs over Lyra. So Roger and toget on to cruments from time to time, c o his own furs.

    “ttle girls pretty important, er several minutes.

    “More than she will know,” Serafina Pekkala said.

    “Does t mean t? You understand, Im speaking as a practical man o earn. I cant afford to get busted up or s to pieces  some kind of compensation agreed to in advance. I aint trying to loone of tion, believe me, maam. But Joians paid me a fee ts enougo cover my time and skill and tear on ts all. It didnt include acts-of- me tell you, maam,  as an act of war.”

    a piece of smokeleaf delicately overboard.

    “So Id like to kno in tions,” he finished.

    “ting,” said Serafina Pekkala. “But you  before.”

    “Sure,  is, I t traigransportation contract, and I cer t little dust-up doransportation responsibility extends. o risk my life and my equipment in a tle c-tempered as t Bolvangar. I merely mention all tion.”

    “Mr. Scoresby,” said tcion. All I can say is t all of us, c all of us kno. , under arms, a soldier.”

    “ell, t seems kinda precipitate. Seems to me a man so take up arms or not.”

    “e  t to be born.”

    “Oake and t and t and yarn  you wish for a choice once in a while ?”

    Serafina Pekkala considered, and t mean tc interested in preserving value or making profits, and as for t every opportunity  in good condition, and t takes time and trouble, I see t; but for us to fly, all ear off a brancy more. e dont feel cold, so  from mutual aid. If a cc to o be foug consider cost one of tors in deciding  is rigo figion of ance. An insult to a bear is a deadly to us... inconceivable.  a c  matter if you did?”

    “ell, Im kinda . Sticks and stones, Ill break yer bones, but names aint  maam, you see my dilemma, I , and Id like to end my days in comfort. Buy a little farm, a fele, some ice. No palace or slaves or  trouble is, t costs money. So I do my flying in excer every job I send some gold back to t enougeamer to Port Galveston, and Ill never leave the ground again.”

    “tco fly is to be perfectly ourselves.”

    “I see t, maam, and I envy you; but I aint got your sources of satisfaction. Flying is just a job to me, and Im just a tec as ing valves in a gas engine or s. But I c, you see. It  been told not kinda troubling.”

    “lorek Byrnisons quarrel  of it too,” said tch.

    “tined to play a part in t.”

    “You speak of destiny,”   sure I like t any more ted in  kno it. o me to . Are you telling me t s some kind of clockoy  going on a course s change?”

    “e are all subject to tes. But  all act as if ,” said tc tined to bring about tiny. But s do so  kno iny to do it. If sold   riumperlocking macy of t, feeling, life...”

    t Lyra, tle of it tubborn little frown.

    “I guess part of ,” said t. “Looks prepared for it, anytle boy? You know so save es, back in Oxford or somewhere.

    Did you kno?”

    “Yes, I did kno. Lyra is carrying somet seems t tes are using o take it to o find  kno  to tes, in order t s folloo her.”

    “ts , huh?”

    For t time tch seemed unsure.

    “t is  seems....But  read t is more t I might be wrong.”

    “And his, if I can ask?”

    “ever t Bolvangar,  it s. Lyra is t see more clearly t. But also tian people, ime ies of obligation h Lord Asriel.”

    “I see. So youre too Svalbard for tians sake. And does t friendsend to to for a kindly ime? Once again, maam, Im asking merely in a spirit of friendly enquiry.”

    “If rollesund, Mr. Scoresby,  kno of favor; it mig landing. And I dont knoo do, except t e is involved h hers.”

    “I dont knotaco ttle girl as a kind of protector. S  bears feel? But if a bear ever loved a s never been easy. Still, if I can call on you for a tug in t direction, Ill feel kinda easier in my mind; and if turn, you only o say. But just so as I knoelling me whis invisible war?”

    “e are both on Lyras side.”

    “O about t.”

    telling  till  to ting at self  nocead of , and resisting t, too, because treamlined smoot, t s, rocking and bumping muc.

    Lee Scoresby  concerned for  so mucruments, and  some time making sure to truts.

    According to timeter, ten t up. temperature  muc  to get any colder no of to keep off to back h his old comrade in arms, lorek Byrnison, and falling asleep.

    ed, from to t spears and icicles on the balloon.

    Roger , ceadily.

    “how far are we from Svalbard?” Lyra said.

    “If  no winds, we swelve hours or so.”

    “o land?”

    “It depends on try to avoid tures living t moves. If  you doerior, away from lofur Raknisons palace.”

    “s going to  to come back to Oxford, or  knoell   to pretend ill my uncle. I dont  all.”

    “  to go back to Oxford, Lyra. It seems t to be done in anot  o help him.”

    “ter!” Lyra said. “ter of Jordan gave it to me and I t ted to say about Lord Asriel, except  really  to poison o read it and see o make t I could  as good as anyone now.”

    “I dont kno tell. to us, and ts even from t high.”

    “ter ell me! I could read it now....”

    But it oo cold; so . Sig t to look ttle beloended from tcting on tars s and cold and hard as diamonds.

    “ you cold, Serafina Pekkala?”

    “e feel cold, but  mind it, because  come to  t feel ot tingle of tars, or t of all t on our skin. Its .” “Could I feel them?”

    “No. You ook your furs off. Stay wrapped up.”

    “c you dont look old at all.”

    “I am t chousand.

    One day, Yambe-Akka  is time to die.”

    “Are tches? Or only women?”

    “t trollesund. And take for lovers or oo young to understand t I sell you anyand it later: men pass in front of our eyes like butterflies, creatures of a brief season. e love tiful, clever; and t at once. t our s are continually racked c; and t. Our sons, too. tle boy is groil finally your  is broken. Per is wundra. Perco us.”

    “Did you love Farder Coram?”

    “Yes. Does ?”

    “I dont kno I know he loves you.”

    “rong and full of pride and beauty. I loved  once. I ingle and t up in a moment,  a t, to be a gyptian boat  c you are, only cayed o bear him a child....”

    “ a girl? A ch?”

    “No. A boy, and  epidemic of forty years ago, t came out of t. Poor little co life and out of it like a mayfly. And it tore pieces out of my , as it al broke Corams. And to return to my o, as I o.”

    “Did you never see Farder Coram again?”

    “Never. I  o  I  strong enougo see er t, and udied and read, and I ayed aimes for my clan, and cening, and besides, I t  me and find a human wife....”

    “outly. “You ougill loves you, I know he does.”

    “But   to make .”

    “Per you ougo send a message to  least. ts hink.”

    Serafina Pekkala said notime. Pantalaimon became a tern and fleo o ackno per.

    then Lyra said, “hy do people have daemons, Serafina Pekkala?”

    “Everyone asks t, and no one knos  from animals.”

    “Yea from t....Like bears. trange, ent trange or ferocious you tand t you knoo me,   a daemon is for a person. Its  ts  trollesund, t s and stole it a  back....But   kill  coming.”

 PART THREE SVALBARD EIGHTEEN - FOG AND ICE-2

    “old you who he is?”

    “Only   trollesund .”

    “, if  committed a great crime, he bears by now.”

    “old me their king was called lofur Raknison.”

    “lofur Raknison became king o rule; but reaties;  as bears do, in ice forts, but in a ne palace; alks of excions and developing tle. Some say t o t even if , o t adds to ation for craft and subtlety.”

    “ did lorek do? See, one reason I love lorek, its because of my fat o me told me   came about.”

    “t   lorek ronger. For all to recognize superior force in anoto it, but for some reason t do it. Some say t lofur Raknison . At any rate, ted, and lorek Byrnison alloo master him.

    t o judge;  killed.”

    “So ot lofur Raknison from t Jordan, cause o t  it ricked o t you knoo me once t bears couldnt be tricked, and s I couldnt trick  sounds as if tricked, rick bears, maybe people cant. Except...t trollesund, tricked  t ole his armor?”

    “ like people, perricked,” said Serafina Pekkala. “ like bears, per. No bear s. lorek Byrnison drank to forget t  rollesund people trick him.”

    “Aisfied  idea. S  limit, and so find confirmation of y. “ts clever of you,” s  if you  told me. I ter.”

    t s.

    “Serafina Pekkala,” ser some time, “? Cause it seems to me t all troubles about Dust, only no ones told me  is.”

    “I dont knoold c Dust. All I can tell you is t .

    Mrs. Coulter is not a priest, of course, but s of terium, and it ion Board and persuaded to pay for Bolvangar, because of erest in Dust. e cant understand  it. But tood. e see tartars making  trangeness of it. So Dust may be strange, and  it, but  fret and tear t to examine it. Leave t to the Church.”

    “to alking alaimon, in t  mig er, and t of tomill on tar at Gabriel College, and ary particles pustle vanes around.

    tercessor t tary particles and religion. “Could be,” s C, after all. But most C ent old, as far as I know.

    I wonder if Lord Asriel migell me....”

    She yawned.

    “I better lie do I never been t die if I get any colder.”

    “the furs.”

    “Yeao die, Id rat  blade t t ....e bot   do of ensity of to the sleeping Roger.

    And so travelers sailed on, sleeping in ted balloon, tos of Svalbard.

    Serafina Pekkala called to t, and  once, groggy  a of t t somet rong ed tco . If t go, t off course at once, and to judge by  t to nearly a hundred miles an hour.

    “ion, and so cold t every part of her body was numb.

    S c t of an anbaric lantern, Lee Scoresby o a strut and pull at a rope leading up into tself. ug as if against some obstruction, and looked up into ting dark before looping t on the suspension ring.

    “Im letting out some gas!” ed to Serafina Pekkala. “ell go down.

    ere oo high.”

    tcurn, but again Lyra couldnt . Roger oo; t  sleeper, never mind talaimon clung togets, and Lyra concentrated on lying still and not leaping up in fear.

    “S all rig do  some matc. I pinc tc Bolvangar.”

    tainly descending, because ter in t fle, and t once. It  fog Lyra er a moment or t unlooped t and let go. It sprang uping and t a mighump from somewhere far above.

    Lee Scoresby saw her wide eyes.

    “ts ted. “It o he gas in.

    dota top, and we lose buoyancy and go down.”

    “Are we nearly—”

    S finisure  to   came s of abominable stink. Lyra ime to scream, even, before lorek Byrnison reac a fell out of t and vanish a shriek.

    “Cliff-g,” said lorek briefly.

    t moment Serafina Pekkala appeared, and clung to t, speaking urgently.

    “ts are attacking. ell bring to t defend ourselves. theyre—”

    But Lyra didnt  of ed sideerrific bloacked, lorek put out a great pao  ing so violently. Serafina Pekkala he noise was appalling:

    over every ots, and Lyra saling past, and smelled tench.

    t it to t began to sink ening speed, spinning all t felt as if torn loose from t being tossed rapidly from side to side as if tween rock walls.

    t tol directly in t; and t igo lorek Byrnisons fur e fear. le of t like a tormented animal, all filled th hideous noise.

    t jolt of all, and s altogether.

    orn loose, and all t of angle t s tell wigals—

    It ered t se still for several seconds before feebly spitting out t as feebly until ttle space to breathe in.

    Noto be ing in particular; s felt utterly breathless.

    Cautiously sried to move , arms, legs, and to raise her head.

    Stle, because ill filled , as if on eac off and peered out.

    Ss hs.

    tant cries of ts, he crash of waves on rocks, some way off.

    “lorek!” s and sried again, but no one answered. “Roger!” s.

    S  of course salaimon crept out of o keep her company.

    “Ive cer,” s all righings broken.”

    “ere lost, Pan!” ss? And Mr. Scoresby sing em? God hey come down here....”

    “e better try and find t,” he said, “maybe.”

    “e better not call out,” s no maybe I better not in case they hear us. I wish I knew where we were.”

    “e mig like it if . “e mig ttom of a cliff s at top to see us whe fog clears.”

    S around, once sed a fees, and found t so one side t fifty yards off, by t, and from ill came ts, t seemed to be abating a little. Salaimons owl eyes were helpless.

    Stle, and found not rock and snos.

    “t  vanished,” she whispered.

    Pantalaimon pro-formed, a little farttered sand already freezing hard.

    “Ballast,” Lyra said. “ve slung em off to fly up again....”

    So subdue t, or t, or both.

    “Oened,” sheyre safe.”

    o  into  be seen. Surned to see  was.

    “lorek!”

    But s  lorek Byrnison at all. It range bear, clad in polis frozen into frost, and .

    ood still, about six feet away, and s she really was finished.

    tirred more s of tood still, clenctle s.

    t move until t one said, “Your name?”

    “Lyra.”

    “here have you come from?”

    “the sky.”

    “In a balloon?”

    “Yes.”

    “Come h us. You are a prisoner. Move, now. Quickly.”

    eary and scared, Lyra began to stumble over talk  of this.

 NINETEEN - CAPTIVITY-1

    took Lyra up a gully in ts and ter as tly ts, and alto trained   have been dead.

    t said noto il topped. From to op of t run away in case she edge.

    “Look up,” said t of breeze moved aside tain of the fog.

    ttle daylig Lyra did look, and found anding in front of a vast building of stone. It all at least as t part of Jordan College, but mucations of ars cs of ts and tributes to the bears, lofur Raknison.

    At least, t  told o take , because every projection and ledge on ted facade s and skuas, ly around overed every part of ty we.

    t to see t ter of tyard, and eps, and gate every point bears in armor cs. Lyra couldnt o age; -colored, bloodstained, dented , not elegant, enameled, and decorative like most of w she saw around her now.

    As t furtemperature rose, and so did somet, dung, blood, refuse of every sort. Lyra puso be cooler, but s  read s every fe alo see her.

    Finally topped outside a , and t suddenly swung  Lyra, knocking ed behind her.

    It  Pantalaimon became a firefly, and siny gloone bencure. In t corner took for bedding, and t was all she could see.

    Lyra sat doalaimon on  in er.

    “Its certainly  of banging about, Pan,” s still works.”

    Pantalaimon fleo , and sat t of  remarkable t s errible danger and yet sink into to read ter; and yet it  complicated questions sorted t into tituent symbols as naturally as o t them.

    Surned t tion: “here is lorek?”

    t once: “A days journey aer your cras his way.”

    “And Roger?”

    “ith lorek.”

    “ will lorek do?”

    “ends to break into ties.”

    S ter ahan before.

    “t let o Pantalaimon. “too many of em. I wiscake messages and all, and we could make a proper plan....”

    t of her life.

    A mans voice spoke in t away, and said, “ho are you?”

    Salaimon became a bat at once, s the wall.

    “E? Speak up! Speak up!”

    “Be a firefly again, Pan,” s dont go too close.”

    ttle  of ligtered around t  been a er all; it tered in Pantalaimons luminance, and tered , lay in  ongue occasionally as Pantalaimon flew near.

    “s your name?” she said.

    “Jotelia,”  ty of Gloucester. ho are you?”

    “Lyra Belacqua.  hey locked you up for?”

    “Malice and jealousy...here do you come from? Eh?”

    “From Jordan College,” she said.

    “? Oxford?”

    “Yes.”

    “Is t scoundrel trelaill there? Eh?”

    “the Palmerian Professor? Yes,” she said.

    “Is ion long ago.

    Duplicitous plagiarist! Coxcomb!”

    Lyra made a neutral sound.

    “ons yet?” ting oward Lyras.

    She moved back.

    “I dont kno of pure , “no,” s on. “I remember noo check some figures.

    And...o e about Dust as s it.”

    “Scoundrel! ted tly t Lyra  his shanks.

    Drops of saliva fle of h.

    “Yea .”

    If it tle girl to turn up in  notice.   ion t Lyra could use.

    S carefully near  near enougo touc near enougalaimons tiny ligo show him clearly.

    “One trelao boast about,” she bears—”

    “Boast! Es!  a popinjay! And a pirate! Not a scrap of original researco ter men!”

    “Yeas rigly. “And  wrong.”

    “Yes! Yes! Absolutely! No talent, no imagination, a fraud from top to bottom!”

    “I mean, for example,” said Lyra, “I bet you kno tart.”

    “Bears,” said te a treatise on ts w me away, you know.”

    “?”

    “I knooo muc t kill me. t do it, muco. I know, you see. I have friends. Yes! Powerful friends.”

    “Yea youd be a eac on. “Being as you got so much knowledge and experience.”

    Even in ttle common sense still flickered, and   as if ed  sion t hed.

    “teaceaceac pupil, and I  a fire in his mind!”

    “Because your knoo just vanis ougo be passed on so people remember you.”

    “Yes,” s very perceptive of you, c is your name?”

    “Lyra,” sold eac the bears?”

    “tfully.

    “Id really like to kno cosmology and Dust and all, but Im not clever enoug. You need really clever students for t. But I could learn about teac t. And  of practice on t and o Dust, maybe.”

    he nodded again.

    “Yes,” . tars are alive, c?

    Everyt tentions, you knoo remind me of t. Good, good—in my despair I ten. Good! Excellent, my child!”

    “So, he king? lofur Raknison?”

    “Yes. O ation, you knoo set up a university. o make me Vice-C ic Institute, e scoundrel trelawney! ha!”

    “ happened?”

    “I rayed by lesser men. trela my qualifications. Calumny! Slander!  discovered tokes elia, ts  take it. Lied teet one day, youll see.

    Ill be Vice-C trelao me t tions Committee of tic Institute spurn my contributions t lorek Byrnison will believe you, when he comes back,” Lyra said.

    “lorek Byrnison? No good ing for t. hell never come back.”

    “hes on his way now.”

    “t a bear, you see. cast. Like me.

    Degraded, you see. Not entitled to any of the privileges of a bear.”

    “Supposing lorek Byrnison did come back, to a fight...”

    “O allo,” said to ackno a rig as  a bear. Or worse:

    tartar or Skraeling. t fig near. Not a hope. No mercy.”

    “O. “And  them?”

    “Other prisoners?”

    “Like.-.Lord Asriel.”

    Suddenly toget the wall, and shook his head warningly.

    “S! theyll hear you!” he whispered.

    “nt ion Lord Asriel?”

    “Forbidden! Very dangerous! lofur Raknison  alloioned!”

    “ to alarm him.

    “Keeping Lord Asriel prisoner is a special cion Board,” ter o see lofur and offered o keep Lord Asriel out of t it, you see, because at time I  Mrs.

    Coulter! Yes. ion ted h her.

    Couldnt stop talking about s Lord Asriel kept a s w will hing for Mrs.

    Coulter, anyto name al city after ?”

    “So  let anyone go and see Lord Asriel?”

    “No! Never! But oo, you kno game. But  t.  Lord Asriel isolated, to please Mrs. Coulter; and  Lord Asriel  s, to please  last, table.

    Pleasing botion of tuation is going to collapse quite soon. I  on good auty.”

    “Really?” said Lyra,  w  said.

    “Yes. My daemons tongue can taste probability, you know.”

    “Yeaoo. hey feed us, Professor?”

    “Feed us?”

    “t put some food in sometime, else arve. And t t they?”

    “Seal...I dont kno might be.”

    Lyra got up and felt o turally, and no key fitted so closely at top and bottom t no ligo it, but tering to tle as urned over ly o snore.

    S o talaimon, tired of putting out lig, ly w and chewed a fingernail.

    Quite suddenly,  all, s it  siring Room all t time ago.

    Somet  mentioned lofurs name, and no came back: ed more trelawney had said, was a daemon.

    Of course, s understood  kno bears, and s lofur Raknison  a man. And a man would   made sense.

    But no  ty lofur Raknison ed noto be a h a daemon of his own.

    And as s t, a plan came to  oring lorek Byrnison to ful tting to t Lord Asriel, and taking er.

    tely, like a soap bubble, and s even look at it directly in case it burst. But s it s something else.

 NINETEEN - CAPTIVITY-2

    Ss clattered and t spilled in, and s at once, alaimon ly in .

    As soon as t o lift t and t in, s his side, saying:

    “take me to lofur Raknison. Youll be in trouble if you dont. Its very urgent.”

    from   easy to read bears expressions, but he looked angry.

    “Its about lorek Byrnison,” s o know.”

    “tell me  is, and Ill pass the bear.

    “t  be rig for someone else to kno mean to be rude, but you see, its t to kno.”

    Perted. At any rate,  into th me.”

    into teful. ted and tars glittering above tyard. to speak to her.

    “You cannot see lofur Raknison  till s to see you.”

    “But t,  to tell s about lorek Byrnison. Im sure y  to kno, but all t tell it to anyone else, dont you see? It  be polite.  been polite.”

    t seemed to carry some ify tly to make erpretation of t: lofur Raknison roducing so many ne none of tain yet o be tainty in order to get to lofur.

    So t bear retreated to consult t into tate quarters time. It o breatural stinks o  in a corridor, teroom, tside a large door, o look around at terous decoration: t plasterrodden h.

    Finally t from , and more of t t  eacion: a golden necklace, a erns and skuas percer cornice, and so snatc bits of fis  of one anots in the chandeliers.

    And on a dais at ty t e for strengt like so many ot ed e soons of gilt t looked like tinsel on a mountainside.

    Sitting on t bear saller and bulkier t which she had never seen in loreks.

    o see a man looking out of  of man s at Mrs. Coulters, a subtle politician used to porengt; e big enougo carry tion; on  didnt look preposterous, it looked barbaric and magnificent.

    Soo feeble for words.

    But stle closer, because so, and t lofur  a cat sit there—or a daemon.

    It uffed doll, a manikin  stupid  er   of rougo ending hen she knew she was safe.

    So talaimon keeping quiet and still in .

    “Our greetings to you, great King,” sly. “Or I mean my greetings, not his.”

    “Not  it  full of expressive tones and subtleties.  of o dislodge t clustered there.

    “lorek Byrnisons, Your Majesty,” s sometant and secret to tell you, and I t to tell you in private, really.”

    “Somet lorek Byrnison?”

    So epping carefully over ttered floor, and brus her face.

    “Somet daemons,” s only he could hear.

    read   t t erested. Suddenly o t to tling again on ts.

    y but for lofur Raknison and Lyra, urned to her eagerly.

    “ell?” ell me  daemons?”

    “I am a daemon, Your Majesty,” she said.

    opped still.

    “hose?” he said.

    “lorek Byrnisons,” was her answer.

    It  dangerous te clearly t only onis prevented  once. S on:

    “Please, Your Majesty, let me tell you all about it first before you harm me.

    Ive come  my o t could  you. In fact, I  to s o get a daemon, but it ss why I came.”

    “ a daemon? And s easy. I can go far from cs like t. And as for  me, it  Bolvangar. Youve er must old you about it, but s tell you everytting...” he said.

    “Yes, cutting, ts part of it, intercision. But too, like making artificial daemons. And experimenting on animals.

    it,  to see if t was me. My name is Lyra.

    Just like wll be o ly w hes doing and where he is and—” “here is he now?”

    “On Svalbard.  as  does ?

    be mad! ell tear o pieces!”

    “s me. o get me back. But I dont  to be  to be yours. Because once t Bolvangar decided not to do t experiment ever again. lorek Byrnison o be the only bear who ever had a daemon.

    And  you. ts w o Svalbard for.”

    t tal in tinkled, and every bird in t room shrieked, and Lyras ears rang.

    But so it.

    “ts e and strong as  o leave ell you, because I dont   ougo be you. And taking me a kno old you, and you mig figve been outcast; I mean, not fig kill , Id just go out like a ligh him.”

    “But you—how can—”

    “I can become your daemon,” s only if you defeat lorek Byrnison in single combat. trengto you, and my mind o yours, and s; and you can send me miles ao spy for you, or keep me o capture Bolvangar, if you like, and make te more daemons for your favorite bears; or if youd ratroy Bolvangar forever. e could do anytogether!”

    All time salaimon in  rembling ill as  mouse form he had ever assumed.

    lofur Raknison ement.

    “Single combat?”  figcast!  be?   the only way?”

    “Its t , because lofur Raknison seemed bigger and more fierce every minute. Dearly as srong as  really believe t  t among giant bears. But it ance by fire  all. Suddenly lofur Raknison turned. “Prove it!”  you are a daemon!” “All rig, easy. I can find out anyt you kno only a daemon o find out.”

    “tell me  creature I killed.” “Ill o go into a room by myself to do to see , but until ts got to be private.”

    “teroom beo t, and come out whe answer.”

    Lyra opened t by one torcy but for a cabinet of maaining some tarniss. Sook out ter and asked: “here is lorek now?”

    “Four er.” “ell  Ive done?” “You must trust him.”

    S anxiously of ired  ted t s doing er  told o do: s trusting him.

    S t t aside and asked tion lofur Raknison ed.   creature her.

    S lofur  ing expedition, and ary bear. t, and lofur self  er t t up by turally lofur concealed trut  it but lofur himself, and now Lyra knew as well.

    S ter aell  it.

    “Flatter alaimon. “ts all s.”

    So Lyra opened ting for riumph, slyness, apprehension, and greed.

    “ell?”

    S do of o touc foreparonger, for bears -handed.

    “I beg your pardon, lofur Raknison!” s knorong and great!”

    “s tion!”

    “t creature you killed s  be. Only a god o do t.”

    “You know! You can see!”

    “Yes, because I am a daemon, like I said.”

    “tell me one t did ter promise me when she was here?”

    Once again Lyra  into ty room and consulted ter before returning he answer.

    “S s terium in Geneva to agree t you could be baptized as a Cian, even t got a daemon then.

    ell, Im afraid t s done t, lofur Raknison, and quite ly I dont to t if you didnt , and s telling you trut in any case ized if you ed to, because no one could argue t and t be able to turn you down.”

    “Yes...true. ts ed her, and she deceived me?”

    “Yes, s s matter anymore. Excuse me, lofur Raknison, I  mind me telling you, but lorek Byrnisons only four ter tell your guard bears not to attack o figo be alloo come to the palace.”

    “Yes...”

    “And maybe end I still belong to  lost or somet knoend. Are you going to tell t me being loreks daemon and to you w him?”

    “I dont know.... should I do?”

    “I dont tter mention it yet. Once ogets best to do and decide t you need to do noo all to let lorek figcast. Because t understand, and  to find a reason for t. I mean, t you tell t if t, theyll admire you even more.”

    “Yes.  sell them?”

    “tell tell t to make your kingdom com-pletely secure, youve called lorek Byrnison o fig look like your idea t  o call hing.”

    “Yes...”

    t bear oxicating, and if Pantalaimon  nipped o remind   all ion.

    But so epped modestly back to c as ted direction, prepared t ground for lorek Byrnison; and mean, was oward w sell  for his life.

 TWENTY - MORTAL COMBAT-1

    Fig of mucual. For a bear to kill anot  , or raigill.

    But occasionally tances in e , a whole ceremonial was prescribed.

    As soon as lofur announced t lorek Byrnison ake place, t ground  and smooto c ested, and tes  as muctention o e six-inco a deadly point. Lyra c of omac be tention; y-four  rest or food;

    one point, after lofur Raknison ested ts skin open like paper, and t o lofur and go ah fear.

    Even Pantalaimon, o say t er:  told  trust o read) s it wice.

    By time,  ground  stle about t time to  asking questions. Instead sayed close to lofur Raknison and ciers around  tside, and tried to guess tokens to -ranking, stle manikins like lofurs rag-doll daemon, trying to curry favor, perating to notice t o do  of favor now? hey behave?

    { Because t , so see.

    t sure  like lorek Byrnison, pure and certain and absolute; tant pall of uncertainty cched lofur.

    And tcy. Sly close to lofur and said not her.

    ted by time, and t, ting of darkness toime Lyra t lorek o arrive. As sood stle rise of dense-packed sno t ground, so lig to see a flig black so bear o see ty, ; or to see Ma Costas broad arms, to smell t enfolded you in her presence....

    Sears t froze almost as soon as to brusened. Bears,  understand  comfort   firmly around tle mouse-form, and  her fingers.

    Beside ments to lofur Raknisons armor.  metal toes inlaid  enclosed t of ening carapace of silver-gray, s; and tected by a close-fitting sark of c  srayed lorek Byrnison, for lorek . ected only  lofur Raknison, so sleek and po a deep sickness in  and fear combined.

    Sy, if you remember o you before...”

    turned y racted from target t for o slas  claws.

    “Yes? Yes?”

    “Remember, I said Id better go and speak to lorek Byrnison first, and pretend—”

    But before sence, tc it meant and took it up riump excitement. they had seen lorek.

    “Please?” Lyra said urgently. “Ill fool him, youll see.”

    “Yes. Yes. Go now. Go and encourage him!”

    lofur Raknison ement.

    Lyra left  ground, bare and clear as it le footprints in ted to let  bodies lumbered aside, t.  tc ill he snow.

    al, and in a flurry of snoood beside her.

    “Oerrible to o fig ready— youre tired and hungry, and your armors—”

    “ terrible thing?”

    “I told  on te to be like a person and  desperate. So I tricked o t I o desert you and be ead, but o figo make it  you figo just burn you up before you got close—”

    “You tricked lofur Raknison?”

    “Yes. I made   you instead of just killing you straigcast, and to do t, because—”

    “Belacqua? No. You are Lyra Silvertongue,” o fig.

    Come, little daemon.”

    S lorek Byrnison in tered armor, lean and ferocious, and felt as if   h pride.

    togeto ground lay flat and open at t of tered at ttlements, ood like a dense y we as of eyes and noses.

    t ones moved aside, making them.

    lorek ed across t ground from lofur Raknison. trodden snowo bears faced eac.

    Lyra o lorek t srembling in  dynamo, generating migouc t and said, “Fig. hing.”

    tood back.

    “Bears!” lorek Byrnison roared. An ecartled birds out of ts.  on: “terms of t are te. If I kill lofur Raknison, I s order to you all o tear do palace, t perfumed insel, and o tal. Gold is not.

    lofur Raknison ed Svalbard. I o cleanse it. lofur Raknison, I challenge you.”

    tep or two, as if he could hardly hold himself back.

    “Bears!” urn. “lorek Byrnison  my invitation.

    I dreo make terms of t, and torn apart and scattered to ts. erated. It sal crime to speak his name....”

    inued, and t ual fait tterly different: lofur so glossy and po y and dented. But  and it fitted  content ed anotless will.

    And s all too. But lorek and lofur  tures, tinies. lofur o take tion, and lorek ake t, one future o unfold.

    As tual combat moved too prolessly on t a flicker of movement from tators: but all eyes follohem.

    Finally till and silent, co face across t ground.

    t t. Like t masses of rock balanced on adjoining peaks and sainsides gatrees into splinters, until to eac boto po oget resounded in till air and ec t destroyed, as rock o rise ed up in a lit easily raise  once for t e fur, and t and wrenc forward.

    Sensing t ters edge, sending ss of er flying o the air.

    And lorek fell aing metal lofur stood up tall, straigeel of es by srengtill trying to rise.

    Lyra felt  of  crashing fall.

    Certainly t? ruggling to t   , and lofur eet.

    Drops of  blood o it like a token of love.

    to t came a to scramble upright again.

    For a moment tood apart, getting t cection it  once into a  ill fastened at ttom, and trailed around  ing heavily.

    But  lofur before tangle  t of lofurs neck, . lofur t eacains of sno sprayed in all directions and sometimes made it o see wage.

    Lyra co breatogetig . S searing at a  t couldnt be rig later, after anotanding uprigy cla lofurs face, ting back just as savagely.

    Lyra trembled at t of t were swinging a sledge eel spikes...

    Iron clanged on iron, teeteet trodden doo a crimson mud.

    lofurs armor iful state by time, tes torn and distorted, torn out or smeared t gone altogetter condition, for all its ugliness:

    dented, but intact, standing up far better to t sledgeurning aside tal six-inch claws.

    But against t, lofur ronger t more blood.  to  w could she do?

    And it  it .  to strike  oo, almost little pats compared y cruss es before.

 TWENTY - MORTAL COMBAT-2

    lofur iced. o taunt lorek, calling -eaten, soon-to-die, and ot  and left ep at a time, and to crouche jeering bear-king.

    Lyra ears. o die, and s do reac  see  a face urned away.

    So s ears kept   o  certainly  seen by lofur.

    Because lorek o find clean dry footing and a firm rock to leap up from, and t arm  trick a bear, but, as Lyra   to be a bear, ed to be a man; and lorek ricking him.

    At last  ed: a firm rock deep-anc.  it, tensing .

    It came ingly toly  side.

    t rengttle stir in ter, but errifying tible po lofur, exploding up  the exposed jaw of lofur Raknison.

    It ore t of  it fletering blood drops in the snow many yards away.

    lofurs red tongue lolled doeless, eet, and  ing ttering it do ters edge.

    teeth.

    tual yet to perform. lorek sliced open tected c, peeling to expose te and red ribs like timbers of an upturned boat. Into t lofurs , red and steaming, and ate it t of lofurs subjects.

    tion, pandemonium, a cruso pay o lofurs conqueror.

    lorek Byrnisons voice rose above the clamor.

    “Bears! ho is your king?”

    And t of all ttering storm:

    “lorek Byrnison!”

    t t do. Every single badge and sas  once and trampled contemptuously underfoot, to be forgotten in a moment. true bears, not uncertain semi-orturing inferiority. to to  blocks of marble from topmost totlemented y fists until tones came loose, and to crasty  below.

    lorek ignored to attend to  before amping  on t snoo to stop smas  lorek did, and  once.

    “human prisoners?” lorek said.

    “Yes—lofur Raknison put t to come out first and get ser somewhe falling rocks—”

    lorek gave s orders, and some bears o to release turned to lorek.

    “Let me  to make sure you ent too badly , lorek dear—os an a on your belly—”

    A bear laid a moutiff green stuff, ted, on t loreks feet.

    “Bloodmoss,” said lorek. “Press it in t and till it freezes.”

    let any bears attend to e t, and se to  over t bear-king, packing in till it stopped bleeding. tens  anched.

    And by t time toget. t in talking to to kno to do. And s  to distract lorek,  s Roger, and about Lee Scoresby and tcired.... S t t to keep out of the way.

    So s corner of t ground alaimon as a o keep  to sleep.

    Somet, and a strange bear voice said, “Lyra Silvertongue, ts you.”

    S open ; but Pantalaimon licked to melt to see to .

    Sried to stand, but fell over twice.

    to offer o stay on eep hollow, where many bears were assembled.

    And among to Pantalaimon.

    “Roger!” she said.

    “lorek Byrnison made me stay out to fetc ter you fell out,  carried miles and miles, and t some more gas out and ain, and old me about ....”

    Lyra looked around. Under tion of an older bear, ter out of drifto o do. One of triking a flint to light a fire.

    “the young bear who had woken Lyra.

    A fres open o find te one ra  and delicious beyond imagining.

    “Eat too,” said tore off a piece for  tasted of cream flavored s. Roger ated, but folloes Lyra o be warm.

    iping  lorek  in sight.

    “lorek Byrnison is speaking s to see you wen. Follow me.”

    o a spot  at ter of a group of older bears, and o greet her.

    “Lyra Silvertongue,”  I am being told.”

    explain o t  treated esy, as if s proud beyond measure to sit beside  flickered gracefully in tion of the bears.

    It turned out t lofur Raknisons dominance over them had been like a spell.

    Some of t it doo ter,  it, and given lofur various presents.

    “Sly to  himself.”

    about er here was more.

    “t prevent certain t so do, but  apply on Svalbard. Sed to set up anotation o allo, against all tom of ted, or been imprisoned, but never lived and le by little so increase il  y to guard tion so create....”

    t was an old bear speaking. his name was S0ren Eisarson, and he was a counselor, one who had suffered under lofur Raknison.

    “ is s will her plans be?”

    Lyra took out ter. t muc to see it by, and lorek commanded t a torc.

    “ o Mr. Scoresby?” Lyra said ches?”

    “tctacked by anotc knoo tters, but trolling our skies in vast numbers, and ttacked in torm. I didnt see er I fell out aking . But your symbol reader ell you e is.”

    A bear pulled up a sledge on  of it. t at once, and in its glare Lyra turned ter and asked about Lee Scoresby.

    It turned out t ill aloft, borne by to s and  off tch clan.

    Lyra told lorek, and isfied.

    “If  of Mrs. Coulter?”

    ted, o symbol in a sequence t made Lyra puzzle for a long time. t restrained by t for lorek Byrnison, and  t of o tric trance.

    ttern of it, was dismaying.

    “It says s us flying t a transport zeppelin ts armed s it—and to Svalbard rig kno about lofur Raknison being beaten, of course, but scell  from ts. So I reckon to...to pretend to  really so take over poartars ts a coming by sea, and theyll be here in a couple of days.

    “And as soon as so o s coming clear noood before, lorek! Its o kill Lord Asriel: its because s o do, and s, and ss to do it rol before  must be ty in t must be! Srying to get to it first! And nos telling me something else....”

    S over trument, concentrating furiously as ted t. It moved almost too fast to follo stop, and  nickering dialogue beturning the Aurora was.

    “Yes,” sting trument doion. “Yes, I see  says.

    Ser me again.

    Ss somet, because Lord Asriel s it too. t for t,  is...”

    Sopped to take a deep breatroubling  kno  ant er itself, because after all, Mrs. Coulter ed it, and  be? And yet it , because ter  o itself, and t it.

    “I suppose its ter,” ss  all along. Ive got to take it to Lord Asriel before ss it. If ss it, well all die.”

    As s, s so tired, so bone-deep  to die  ting it.

    S ter a up straight.

    “how far away is she ?” said lorek.

    “Just a feo take ter to Lord Asriel as soon as I can.”

    “I h you,” said lorek.

    S argue. o accompany t of t still, conserving  t somet of  last reading. S, and presently t off.

 TWENTY-ONE - LORD ASRIELS WELCOME-1

    Lyra rode a strong young bear, and Roger rode anotirelessly ahe rear.

    terior of Svalbard ainous,  by ravines and steep-sided valleys, and tense. Lyra t back to tians on to Bolvangar;  and comfortable t progress noo ratingly c mig t as liged as lorek; or it mig sired to her very soul.

    At all events, it ely hard going.

    Stle of old iating  terms of , and  well.

    At first,  from any of ticians, kings, or troublemakers ant, or trig be valuable to tical fortunes curned to rule in tries; so it mig to treat ty or disrespect.

    So Lord Asriel ions on Svalbard no better and no  certain tery and spiritual peril surrounding anyt o do ; t of t here were Mrs.

    Coulters private communications h lofur Raknison.

    Besides, t anyte like Lord Asriels oure. ed even lofur Raknison, arguing forcefully and eloquently, and persuaded to let him choose his own dwelling place.

    t one ted oo loir of tion ed, and told t stered and bullied lofur Raknison, and  to  blocks of coal mined and h large windows of real glass.

    t, a prisoner acting like a king.

    And t about assembling terials for a laboratory.

    itration  for books, instruments, cools and equipment. And some ; some openly, some smuggled in by tors ed itled to erials, and tal,  ed.

    And so ing, ing for to complete task t so terrified tion Board. It e.

    Lyras first glimpse of opped at t of a ridge for to move and stretcting dangerously cold and stiff.

    “Look up there,” he said.

    A umbled rocks and ice, lined against t tars . tood black and gaunt, but at its summit  tant gleam of blubber lamps, nor te of anbaric spotlig tha.

    t emerged also ss of it itudes; so to see ter than lofur Raknisons vulgar palace.

    Lyra and Roger mounted t time, and lorek led toyard t lay deep under snohe building.

    Lyra got doing eacumbled toeps up to the door.

    O ! S before s, t vestibule to keep tanding under t th his pinscher daemon Anfang.

    Lyra wearily pushed back her hood.

    “  on: “Not Lyra? Little Lyra? Am I dreaming?”

    o open the inner door.

    A one grate; s, leat  brougo .

    Lord Asriels snow-leopard daemon growled.

    Lyras fatood t first fierce, triump, and eager; and t; er.

    “No! No!”

    aggered back and clutc telpiece. Lyra couldnt move.

    “Get out!” Lord Asriel cried. “turn around, get out, go! I did not send for you!”

    S speak. Simes, and to say:

    “No, no, I came because—”

    so ward  believe ress.

    Sep closer to reassure o stand tered out into ter a moment Lord Asriel passed a ly. to return to  two.

    “Lyra,”  is Lyra?”

    “Yes, Uncle Asriel,” s t time to go into true relationso bring you ter from ter of Jordan.”

    “Yes, of course you did,” his?”

    “Its Roger Parslow,” sc—”

    “ here?”

    “I  going to say, tside,  us here.

    rollesund, and ricked lofur—”

    “hos lorek Byrnison?”

    “An armored bear.  us here.”

    “t bato sleep. to  noo this bear.”

    Lyra felt  , or per o tibule and close to t chair.

    Only a moment later, it seemed, to her.

    “Folloo a  toer steamed in t.

    “You go first,” said Lyra. “Ill sit outside and alk.”

    So Roger,  t, got in and en enoug t.

    “Im afraid of your uncle,” said Roger ther.”

    “Better keep calling oo, sometimes.”

    “ come in,  all. ill  once.”

    “ so see someone t expect.  saer t time in tiring Room. Its bound to be a shock.”

    “No,” said Roger, “its more t.  me like a wolf, or summing.”

    “Youre imagining it.”

    “I ent. Im more scared of er, and ts truth.”

    ook out ter.

    “Dyou  me to ask t it?” Lyra said.

    “ell, I dunno. t knoo me everyto Oxford, everyt been not five minutes ao five minutes ao eat, but no furt. And o a kip in a comfortable bed. But after t, I dunno, Lyra. terrible t t knoure. Ill stick to t.”

    “Yeaimes I feel like t too.”

    So alter in tle longer, it ; s turn talaimon c in silence.

    After ten some bread and c er, t to go to bed. Ill so go. he library, Miss Lyra.”

    Lyra found Lord Asriel in a room tle in tracting reflections bets of tarlit panorama outside. Lord Asriel, reclining in a large armco come and sit in ther chair facing him.

    “Your friend lorek Byrnison is resting outside,” he cold.”

    “Did ell you about  h lofur Raknison?”

    “Not in detail. But I understand t  true?”

    “Of course its true. lorek never lies.”

    “o ed himself your guardian.”

    “No. Joold o look after me, and  because of t. hes following John Faas orders.”

    “o this?”

    “Ill tell you if you tell me somet you?”

    “Yes. So w?”

    “So you sold me before, ts upid s cruel.

    difference  make if I kneold me and asked me to keep it secret, and I ter  if you asked me. Id orn it out of me, if you asked me to keep it secret. But you never. You let ot you never told me.”

    “ell you?”

    “John Faa.”

    “Did ell you about your mother?”

    “Yes.”

    “t muc for me to tell. I dont t to be interrogated and condemned by an insolent c to  youve seen and done on the way here.”

    “I brouger, didnt I?” Lyra burst out. So tears. “I looked after it all t and I treasured it, all ts o us, and I learned about using it, and I carried it all t given up and been safe, and you ent even said t youre glad to see me. I dont kno I did, and I kept on going, even in lofur Raknisons stinking palace  on going, all on me oricked o figo fainted, as if I o see again. You ent human, Lord Asriel.

    You ent my fat treat me like t. Fato love ters, ent t love me, and I dont love you, and ts a fact. I love Farder Coram, and I love lorek Byrnison; I love an armored bear moren I love my fat lorek Byrnison loves me moren you do.”

    “You told me yourself hes only following John Faas orders.

    If youre going to be sentimental, I s e time talking to you.”

    “take your bloody aleter, th lorek.”

    “here?”

    “Back to t er and tion Board,  care. If he wins, well send for Lee Scoresby and Ill sail away in his balloon and—”

    “hos Lee Scoresby?”

    “An aeronaut.  us er. Its all in good order.”

    o take it, and s on th.

    “And I suppose I ougo tell you t Mrs. Coulters on o Svalbard, and as soon as ss o lofur Raknison, s of soldiers, and to kill us all, by order of terium.”

    “theyll never reach us,” he said calmly.

    and relaxed t some of y dwindled.

    “You dont know,” sainly.

    “Yes I do.”

    “ anoter, then?”

 TWENTY-ONE - LORD ASRIELS WELCOME-2

    “I dont need an aleter for t. No to  your journey art from tell me everything.”

    So siring Room, and  on to taking Roger, and ime er, and everyt had happened.

    It ale, and o kno t to kno, like I  to knoell me t, youve got to tell me ts Dust? And w?”

    rying to guess o say.  ; until noy trick. But o think she was ready.

    “Dust is er  mig  it?”

    “In one . t Dust for centuries, only t call it by t name.

    “But some years ago a Muscovite called Boris Mikcary particle. Youve rons, pons, neutrinos, and t? tary particles because you cant break t ticle ary all rig it  didnt react in any of t to understand o cluster tracted to us. And especially to adults. Coo, but not nearly so mucil taken a fixed form. During ty to attract Dust more strongly, and it settles on t settles on adults.

    “No, because trines of to be announced terium in Geneva. And trange t tor from torial Court of Discipline suspected Rusakov of diabolic possession. ory, errogated Rusakov under tion, but finally to accept t t Rusakov  lying or deceiving t really existed.

    “t left t it ure, terium decided t Dust  original sin is?”

    Sed   Jordan, being quizzed on sometaug of,” she said.

    “No, you dont. Go to the Bible.”

    Lyra did so, and o her.

    “You do remember tory of Adam and Eve?”

    “Course,” s supposed to eat t and t tempted her, and she did.”

    “And w hen?”

    “Umm...t. God t of the garden.”

    “God old t to eat t, because took on any form t t happened.”

    urned to Cer three of Genesis, and read:

    “And to t, e may eat of t of trees of the garden:

    “But of t of tree  eat of it, neitouc, lest ye die.

    “And t said unto t surely die:

    “For God dot in t true forms, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.

    “And ree  it  to tree to be desired to reveal true form of ones daemon, sook of t t, and gave also unto .

    “And true form of them.

    “But  cil t moment it  t one ures of them:

    “And togeto cover their nakedness....”

    he book.

    “And t h.

    It came t their daemons became fixed.”

    “But...” Lyra struggled to find ted: “but it ent true, is it?

    Not true like cry or engineering, not t kind of true? t really an Adam and Eve? ton Scold me it  a kind of fairy tale.”

    “ton Scraditionally given to a freets ion to curally . But t of minus one: you can never see any concrete proof t it exists, but if you include it in your equations, you can calculate all manner of t couldnt be imagined  it.

    “Anys aug, at last t someto experience.

    “Incidentally, t as  first ticles, but soon someone pointed out a curious verse toer of Genesis, .”

    ed it out to Lyra. She read:

    “In t of t t bread, till turn unto t of it  taken: for dust t, and unto dust s turn....”

    Lord Asriel said, “Cranslation of t verse. Some say it s unto dust s turn but t be subject to dust, and ot, and it really means t Gods admitting ure to be partly sinful. No one agrees. No one can, because text is corrupt. But it oo good a o e, and ts .”

    “And  the Gobblers?” Lyra said.

    “tion Board...Your moto spot tting up  siced. It suits terium to allo agencies to flouris one anotend to ing it all along, and if it fails, tend it fit which had never been properly licensed.

    “You see, your motious for po first sried to get it in t t didnt o turn to turally s take te a man could aken—priest o be unorto set up . It o specialize in Dust. Everyone o do; and  an investigation, terium  th money and resources of all kinds.”

    “But tting—” Lyra couldnt bring o say it; t t t?”

    “t. Somet  tration means? It means removing t eristics of a man. A castrate keeps reble voice all : so useful in Crati became great singers, ists. Many just became fat spoiled s of tion. But t flinc ttle cut, you see. t. And t ics or sterile bandages or proper nursing care. It le by comparison.”

    “It isnt!” Lyra said fiercely. “It isnt!”

    “No. Of course not. ts  and reasonable? But because it ion, serium could deny if to, as well.”

    “But o do t cutting in t place?”

    “It   adolescence miged: t t Dust began to settle.

    Pered from t never be subject to Dust—to original sin. tion o separate daemon and body  killing t sraveled in many places, and seen all kinds of traveled in Africa, for instance.t s o  looks like a corpse....”

    “Its a person  their daemon!”

    “Exactly. So s t it o separate them.”

    “And...tony Costa told me about toms ts. I suppose t be thing.”

    “ts rigion Board gre of ideas like t, and out of th original sin.”

    Lord Asriels daemon tciful head.

    “t ,”  on.

    “And t see it. t links body and daemon is immensely po energy dissipates in a fraction of a second. t notice, because took it for s, or moral outrage, and trained to feel numb to. So t it could do, and t of ....”

    Lyra couldnt sit still. S up and o tared over too cruel. No matter ant it o find out about original sin, it oo cruel to do o tony Makarios and all tified t.

    “And ting?”

    “Im interested in somete different. I dont tion Board goes far enoug to go to t itself.”

    “t come from, then?”

    “From the Aurora.”

    Lyra turned around again.  love  trust  so admire ravagant luxury e eland, and tion.

    “ is t other universe?” she said.

    “One of uncountable billions of parallel c turies, but t to prove tence matically ed fifty or more years ago. s true; t.

    “But no one t it o cross from one universe to anot e fundamental la. ell, o see t can cross, so can o see it, Lyra, just as you learned to use ter.

    “No  as a result of possibility. take tossing a coin: it can come do kno lands o fall. If it comes do ty of its coming doails il t moment ties were equal.

    “But on anot does come doails. And  apart. Im using tossing a coin to make it clearer.

    In fact, ty collapses  tary particles, but t t several t moment only one  dont exist. Except t oto being, on whey did happen.

    “And Im going to t s iring room. You sa pouring into t city yourself. If lig can, if  city, t needs a p of energy. But I can do it.

    Some, all tructiveness in t see anyt ing to destroy it, Lyra. ts original sin. And Im going to destroy it. Deato die.”

    “Is t w you here?”

    “Yes. terrified. And h good reason.”

    ood up, and so did iful and deadly. Lyra sat still. S ark mad; but wo judge?

    “Go to bed,” o sleep.”

    urned to go.

    “Youve left ter,” she said.

    “A actually need t noo me  ter of Jordan  to you. Did ually ask you to bring it to me?”

    “ell, yes!” s t again, and realized t in fact ter never o do t; s all time, because o  kno—”

    “ell, I dont  it. Its yours, Lyra.”

    “But—”

    “Goodnight, child.”

    Speecoo beo voice any of t questions t pressed at  by tche room.

 TWENTY-TWO - BETRAYAL-1

    So find a stranger salaimon sprang awake and growled, srembling.

    “Miss—miss—get up quickly. I dont knoo do.  no orders. I think hes mad, miss.”

    “? s happening?”

    “Lord Asriel, miss.  in a delirium since you  to bed. Ive never seen  of instruments and batteries in a sledge and . But  the boy, miss!”

    “Roger? aken Roger?”

    “old me to o argue—I never  on asking for you, miss—but Lord Asriel ed  came to t believe ed you gone?”

    Lyras  s “Yes? Yes?” she said.

    “It hing and—”

    Noo stifle some knowledge from her own consciousness.

    S out of bed, and ering it, but it  felt as if ttering  links body and daemon is immensely poo bridge tween worlds needed a p of energy....

    S realized w shed done.

    Sruggled all to bring someto Lord Asriel, t ed; and it  ter at all.  ed was a child.

    S him Roger.

    t  send for you!” il sepped aside and shown him Roger.

    Oter anguis sime sly o betray him....

    Lyra sion. It couldnt be true.

    tried to comfort   knoremity of grief, and could only pat her shoulder nervously.

    “lorek—” s aside. “ill outside?”

    the old man shrugged helplessly.

    “rembling all over h weakness and fear. “help me dress.

    I got to go. No quick!”

    told  imperious ears and rembling. alaimon paced tail,  sparking, tened to bring iff, reeking furs and o ttons  trike  like a sears at once on her cheeks.

    “lorek!” she called. “lorek Byrnison! Come, because I need you!”

    tal, and t spilling from t ts, te fur beloal, and ed to embrace  from , ipped fur.

    “ell?” he said.

    “e got to catcaken Roger and o—I darent think—oh, lorek, I beg you, go quick, my dear!”

    “Come then,” he said, and she leaped on his back.

    to ask racks of traig from tyard and over to folloion  to sit balanced irely automatic. le on ter tes sed under hm.

    Behem.

    t it cast over t as it  silver and profound black. tracks of Lord Asriels sledge ran straigoark pointed sting up into a sky as black as ters velvet clotself—or ouc on t peak? Lyra peered araining alaimon flew as h an owls clear vision.

    “Yes,”  a moment later; “its Lord Asriel, and he back....”

    Lyra felt lorek Byrnison c tention. ing o cast left and right.

    “ is it?” Lyra said.

    say. ening intently, but serious, vastly distant rustling and crackling. It , conjured a radiating glo of tmospo be a display more brilliant and extraordinary t seen, as if t aking place beloed to lig  as.

    But none of ttention   ter all, t  loreks attention. anding stock-still no around freely. Sometroubling him.

    Lyra looked around, back across t open plain leading to Lord Asriels oumbled mountains tense. t veils trembled and raced to one side, and jagged curtains folded and unfolded above, increasing in size and brilliance every minute; arcs and loops sangible forces.

    “itcurned in joy and relief.

    But a  to gasp s and sanding  he snow.

    Impossible.! s  it rue, for anottered off tanding above  Serafina Pekkalas co s and soaring up again, and Lyra sh every word she knew.

 TWENTY-TWO - BETRAYAL-2

    lorek Byrnison gave s orders. It  ticed at cing, for t once into a defensive formation, and tc as smooto attack. t accurately from close range, and in order not to e arro t part of turn up once. But , and to drag tched.

    Lyra crouccc at  t ter part of tc peel off and turn back.

    If s,  last more ts.

    Because from tion in s; and across t hrob of a gas engine.

    ter and roops on board, ching up.

    lorek gro once into anotion. In tcly unloaded tc oo, and began to s for t part trusted to tly to erect tus: a long arm extending up an angle, a cup or bo iron tank eam.

    As sc flame gus, and a team of bears so practiced action. to t an order t, to o the dark sky.

    tc t t s alone, but it  target he zeppelin.

    t eitimating its po climbing or turning a fraction to either side.

    t became clear t too: a maced on ts protection, before stle of ts. S in fear.

    “t pierce armor tle bullets.”

    time a mass of blazing sulfur led directly upo strike t in a cascade of flaming fragments on all sides. to t, and roared aly beside tus. As it neared, t, and to a lo upward again.

    time tled against to contain tougo and minor scratc of blazing rock oo muc. traigo meet eacastrophe of flame.

    At once transparent; tire skeleton of t an inferno of orange and red and yelloime before drifting to t reluctantly. Little figures black against tottering or running from it, and co e of tting t ed metal, a pall of smoke, and a fetering fire.

    But too (too far ao spot Mrs. Coulter, sed no time. itc and set it up, and began to fig on the ground.

    “On,” said lorek. “t for a long time.”

    tacked tartars rigo be t all time ures of Roger and Lord Asriel; and lorek Byrnison kneurned up tain and a, leaving o artars.

    On trained o look a not even Pantalaimons o on tain tracks  ever : be it. S sogete and intent srange and uncanny  t bathem.

    “lorek,” she said, “will you find Lee Scoresby?”

    “Alive or dead, I will find him.”

    “And if you see Serafina Pekkala...”

    “I ell  you did.”

    “thank you, lorek,” she said.

    time. Lyra felt o a kind of trance beyond sleep and ate of conscious dreaming, almost, in y in tars.

    So say somet it to lorek Byrnison, wo a .

    “tracks go on,” said lorek Byrnison. “But I cannot.”

    Lyra jumped doood beside o look. anding at t o say, and made little difference in any case; all t mattered  it plunged doo unfathomable gloom.

    And tracks of Lord Asriels sledge ran to ted snow.

    t train of t, for a crack ran across it close to ttled do or so. It mig t of a c ainly not stand under t of an armored bear.

    And Lord Asriels tracks ran on beyond tain.

    If s on, it would o be by herself.

    Lyra turned to lorek Byrnison.

    “I got to go across,” s knoo  to  all die, o . But if I come back, Ill come and see you to thank you properly, King lorek Byrnison.”

    S it lie tly.

    “Goodbye, Lyra Silvertongue,” he said.

    turned a  on talaimon fleo settle in tep after step sook, and ep ter to run sly and leap for tread as lig and tumbled into ttled do the crack.

    Sood perfectly still. Pantalaimon was crouco leap down and reach for her.

    took anotep, t somettling dorengtire lengto t whoosh behind her.

    Pantalaimons cla.

    After a minute sood and raised o tcood on o acknoain in a s run to s in ttle er and the zeppelin.

    Lyra was alone.

 TWENTY-THREE - THE BRIDGE TO THE STARS-1

    Once lorek Byrnison  of sig a great  for Pantalaimon, “O go on! Im so frigired—all to deat ead of me, I do ly!”

    form, ing.

    “I just dont kno to do,” Lyra sobbed. “Its too muc...”

    So ting t he bare snow.

    “And even if—if Mrs. Coulter got to Roger first, take o Bolvangar, or  of vengeance....o ce c t to tear t like t?”

    But Pantalaimon tle by little, as torm of fear subsided, so a sense of ened by all means, but herself.

    “I  could be gained by wis. A final deep so go on.

    t by noo tars lay on it like diamonds on velvet. tssimes. Never  so brilliant and dramatic; c danced across t, t ot sunlit city, was clear and solid.

    t beloo ted o ridges  ot and self and far beyond, featureless, lifeless, colorless, and bleak beyond Lyras imagination. to t and  ains, great jagged peaks ting so bladelike edges as sars. to t longingly back, to see if sroops; but notirred on t even sure if sained snohe warriors.

    Pantalaimon flew o  in his owl form.

    “t beyond t all ruments, and Roger cant get away—”

    And as , t ts life, and t out altoget, for to be full of dark intentions, like ts not yet born.

    In the enfolding dark she heard a cry:

    “Lyra! Lyra!”

    “Im coming!” sumbled upruggling, at trengt ly-gleaming snow.

    “Lyra! Lyra!”

    “Im nearly there, Roger!”

    Pantalaimon ion: lion, ermine, eagle, , aken, a kaleidoscope of forms among t—

    “Lyra!”

    t, and saw w was happening.

    Fifty yards aarliging toget led to urned sledge, on teries and jars and pieces of apparatus, already frosted als of cold. ed by tiful spotted coat glossy ail moving lazily in the snow.

    In h she held Rogers daemon.

    ttle creature ruggling, flapping, fig a bird, t a dog, t, a rat, a bird again, and calling every moment to Roger raining, trying to pull a t-deep tug, and crying out o Lord Asriel and plucked ried again, crying and pleading, begging, sobbing, and Lord Asriel took no notice except to knock o the ground.

    t a able dark. t or more above the frozen sea.

    All tarlig ted o brilliant life. Like t plays beterminals, except t ten ting, gloaract of glory.

    rolling it...

    Or leading po; for t ran directly upo t for a cc o ts.

    And the Aurora was blazing again.

    he was nearly ready.

    urned to Roger and beckoned, and Roger  helplessly going forward.

    “No! Run!” Lyra cried, and  him.

    Pantalaimon leaped at tc ter alaimon let turned and battled  spotted beast.

    S-riging oo; or figurbid air, tentions, t came treams of Dust—

    And ts continual surging flicker picking out no lake, no rorees, so close youd t you could step from to t.

    Lyra leaped up and seized Rogers hand.

    Sore aed, because  again,  in toion, and tried to stop—

    But t stop.

    them.

    An entire shelf of snow, sliding inexorably down—

    t below—

    “LYRA!”

    beats, leaping in anguish Rogers—

    tigching hands—

    est wonder.

    At t ill, t of ar-studded, profound, was pierced as if by a spear.

    A jet of lig of pure energy released like an arro bo s of lig ore apart; a great rending, grinding, cruncearing sound reaco the sky—

    Sunlig she fur of a golden monkey....

    For ted; pers fall; and Lyra could see, over trampled sno, t of to tle, ail , t poo side. t a tentative pa, touched—

    And  played around tense anbaric po  chasm, and followed her up here....

    s, togetely: an undreamed-of thing.

    ill, quiet, at rest. Ss talking:

    —”

    ? eve gone beyond being alloo cross, if they wish.”

 TWENTY-THREE - THE BRIDGE TO THE STARS-2

    “t! t off and excommunicate anyone wries!”

    “too many people  to. t be able to prevent terium, turies of darkness! Look at t ligs t on your skin, now!”

    “tronger t know—”

    “I dont knoter trong t it isnt strong enoug  now.”

    “Is t ed? to ch sin and darkness?”

    “I ed to break out, Marisa! And I  trees   on your hair, on your face....”

    Lord Asriel pusers urned o tc daring to move a muscle.

    to Lord Asriel as if sressed.

    “No—no—they know where Ive gone-”

    “t of this world!”

    “I darent—”

    “You? Dare not? Your cher.”

    “take han mine, Asriel.”

    “Not so. You took ried to mold ed hen.”

    “Soo coarse, too stubborn. Id left it too late....But where is she now?

    I folloeps up....”

    “You  ill? tried to wice s away.

    If I were hird chance.”

    ill clasping ensed suddenly and dre it seemed more like cruelty t to see a strange sigense, crouc pressing in the snow.

    Mrs. Coulter pulled fiercely back from t t—”

    “Come , poh me!”

    “e couldnt ogether, you and I.”

    “No? You and I could take to pieces and put it toget and stifle it forever! And youd like to be part of t great  lie to me about it. Lie about everyt tion Board, lie about your lovers—yes, I kno Boreal, and I care not t t dont lie about ruly ....”

    And tened toget fur of her neck, and she growled a deep rumble of pleasure.

    “If I dont come, youll try and destroy me,” said Mrs. Coulter, breaking away.

    “ to destroy you?”  of tay erest at once. Dont flatter yourself t Id give you a seconds t. Noay and work your misch me.”

    Mrs. Coulter ated; o s s e beautiful sadness in them.

    “No,” she said. “No.”

    t again. Lord Asriel reacrong fingers into turned  anoto Mrs. Coulters arms, making little sounds of distress, reac to ters face ears. Lyra could see ting; they were real.

    turned, s sobs, and moved doain and out of Lyras sight.

    Lyra cohe sky.

    Suc of wonders she had never seen.

    ty y and silent looked neing to be occupied; or asleep, ing to be  ing transparent, glistening in less eyes.

    S oo; sorn out , s o Roger. And to ricking her: how dare he?

    Sill alaimon   il  clao to make her. She blinked.

    “? ?”

    “Dust!” he said.

    “ are you talking about?”

    “Dust. o find t and destroy it, isnt he?”

    “ts w he said.”

    “And tion Board and ter and all, t to destroy it too, dont they?”

    “Yeaop it affecting people...hy?”

    “Because if t is bad, it must be good.”

    S speak. A little ement leaped in .

    Pantalaimon  on:

    “eve alk about Dust, and t, and you kno  Dust must be bad too, because t  isnt?  if its—”

    S if its really good...”

    S  eyes ablaze ement.

    S dizzy, as if turning beneath her.

    If Dust  o be sought and welcomed and cherished...

    “e could look for it too, Pan!” she said.

    t o hear.

    “e could get to it before  on, “and....”

    task silenced t the blazing sky.

    Sy and vastness of ttle teries above them.

    “e could,” Pantalaimon insisted. “e came all t .”

    “e got it  it all  Roger. e t imes. “e got it wrong,” she said.

    “Next time ter next time.”

    “And  follow us and help. Nor could Farder Coram or Serafina Pekkala, or Lee Scoresby or no one.”

    “Just us, t matter. ere not alone, any like....”

    S not like tony Makarios; not like t daemons at Bolvangar; ill one being; both of us are one.

    “And  ter,” s to do it, Pan. ell go up t, and o do.”

    Rogers body lay still in  ly.

    “And ,” she said.

    Surned aeries. But t alone.

    So Lyra and urned aoo the sky.