quot;I cant do very muc is diseased beyond to cure it. I  effort left in me, per I kno, someto knoo succeed.

    quot;You see, I rigued by t ed o knoo being. And as a s  mucime in trance, exploring t  turies ago, ed a tool for trument tle knife. It , far more t, t ters into their world.

    quot;ell, I kno tle knife and  can do. And I kno use it, and I knoask. So I o fly me norto t to find tle knife.

    quot;t is a dangerous ers are hing in your world or mine.

    e so be careful and courageous. I s return, and if you  to see your country again, youll need all your courage, all your craft, all your luck.

    quot;ts your task, Mr. Scoresby. t is .quot;

    And t.  s.

    quot;t damn idea I ever ; said Lee.

    ood up in ation and , c on ching Lee warily.

    quot;Do you  money?quot; Grumman said after a fes. quot;I can get you some gold. ts not o do.quot;

    quot;Damn, I didnt come ; said Lee ly. quot;I came o see if you  you ys kinda satisfied on t point.quot;

    quot;Im glad to .quot;

    quot;And to too,quot; Lee added, and told Grumman of tc Lake Enara, and tion tco. quot;You see,quot; ;t little girl Lyra ...  to c place. You say you brought

    me  Navajo ring. Maybe ts so and maybe it aint.  I kno, I didnt kno mig confers a protection on anyone  must be tle knife.

    quot;So taking you into t gold, but t subtle knife. And I dont  it for myself; I  it for Lyra. You o s ection of t object, and take you o go.quot;

    tened closely, and said, quot;Very rust my oat;

    quot; ;

    quot;Name anyt;

    Lee t and t;S urn docs t important t;

    Grummans eyes . I give you my  Ill make certain tection of tle knife. But I  knife ask to do, and it may be t   o even greater danger.quot;

    Lee nodded soberly. quot;Maybe so,quot; ;but tle cy t o .quot;

    quot;You  go into t take me.quot;

    quot;And t been too sick to observe t;

    quot;Leave to me.quot;

    Lee nodded.  on turquoise ring  back do track to the village.

    t some lengt to touco mutter a feo receive urn. Lee, meano ted breeze  lifting tirring tops. to till  it  time for days t to be a promise of clearing it.

    At tage ed Grummans pack into t, and filled ttle engine,  sped do, darting under trees and skimming out into t t Lee  sraveler, ; why was he so damn jumpy?

    * * * t at to find every el, every lodging e room commandeered by soldiers. Not just any soldiers, eitroops of t ferociously trained and laviso uperium.

    Lee ended to rest a nigting off, because Grumman looked in need of it, but there was no chance of finding a room.

    quot;s going on?quot; o tman .

    quot;e dont kno arrived yesterday and commandeered every billet, every scrap of

    food, and every so, too, if you  taken it.quot;

    quot;Dyou know w;

    quot;Nort; said tman. quot;to be fougs, test ;

    quot;Norto t ne;

    quot;ts rigroops coming; t t be a loaf of bread or a gallon of spirit left in a ime. You did me a favor taking t—t;

    ting up noy about  at once to t it,  ough.

    ting out some spare engine parts to a requisitioning sergeant of the Guard, looked up briefly from his clipboard.

    quot;Balloon—too bad—requisitioned yesterday,quot; ;You can see  is. Ive got no c;

    er flicked ood w s.

    quot;?quot; he said.

    quot;to collect it ternoon.quot;

    quot;No, t,quot; said Lee, quot;because I y t trumps t;

    And aken from t, beside  ter, stopped  t of token, but for all  prevent a flicker of puzzlement passing over his face.

    quot;So ; said Lee, quot;and you can set some men to fill it. And I mean at once. And t includes food, and er, and ballast.quot;

    t t, o to tanks o supervise talk quietly.

    quot; t ring?quot; said Grumman.

    quot;Off a dead mans finger. Kinda risky using it, but I couldnt see anotting my balloon back. You reckon t sergeant suspected anyt;

    quot;Of course   question ts it at all, ime t it. ell, I promised you a wind, Mr.

    Scoresby; I .quot;

    t ill ain range over t tient for the air again.

    As to s and stoicular care; for in t turbulence t? ruments, too, o ttention, even te uselessly. Finally  for ballast.

    ing breeze, and tus straining against tout ropes anc do of o t. turned to t to give to let go.

    But before terruption. From t the

    t of command:

    quot;!quot;

    t t o Lee, and ;Let go! Cast off!quot;

    t tention on till  around t t too, and ig.

    Lee sed, quot;Let go, you damn fools! S;

    too great, and t, couldnt  back.

    One let go, and self loose from t t, instinctively clung on instead of letting go. Lee . t oer it rengto ter.

    But ts  t, one striking a spark from ting , but none of time t, t out of range, ling up into t over t  lift . o Serafina Pekkala t  care for flying, t it   meant it. Soaring up—ter in this life?

    go of t er was crouching in her usual corner, eyes halfclosed.

    From far beloile volley of rifle fire. to, and ttering in t belohem.

    quot;ell, Dr. Grumman,quot; ;I dont kno you, but I feel better  poor man  go of ts so damned easy to do, and if you dont let go at once t;

    quot;t; said t;You managed t very tle doeful for till cold.quot;