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.