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?”