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.”