quot;My cer!  ter to tear t, s;

    Mrs. Coulters cry resounded ttle c top of t tohe coils of a silver chain.

    Lord Asriel sat nearby, scribbling on a piece of paper, taking no notice. An orderly stood beside  ted and , errier daemon close at ail tucked low.

    Lord Asriel turned to Mrs. Coulter.

    quot;Lyra? Frankly, I dont care,quot;  and ;tcayed  e any more time or resources on o be  ;

    quot;You dont mean t, Asriel, or you  ;

    quot;I mean every . t of all proportion to s. An ordinary Englis very clever...”

    quot;S; said Mrs. Coulter.

    quot;All rig but not intellectual; impulsive, dis, greedy...”

    quot;Brave, generous, loving.quot;

    quot;A perfectly ordinary cinguis;Perfectly ordinary? Lyra? Shes unique.

    t s dont you dare patronize your daugil...”

    quot;Youre rig; ting up. quot;So amed and softened you, ts no everyday feat. Saken your teet. Your fires been quencimental piety.  it? tiless agent of tical persecutor of cor of o slice t and look in terrified little beings for any evidence of sin, and along comes a foul-mout little brat y fingernails, and you cluck and settle your feat: t  Ive never seen myself. But if all it does is turn you into a doting mots a pretty ttle gift. And no conference, and if you cant control your noise, Ill ;

    Mrs. Coulter o to spit in Lord Asriels face.  calmly a;A gag  an end to t kind of beoo.quot;

    quot;O me, Asriel,quot; s;Someone ied to a ceness. Untie me, or Ill force you to gag me.quot;

    quot;As you  before ie it around h, she shook her head.

    quot;No, no,quot; s;Asriel, dont, I beg you, please dont e me.quot;

    Angry tears dashed from her eyes.

    quot;Very ie you, but ay in ; ting h a clasp knife.

    Ss, stood up, stretciced tion of  of till remained in s, but s going to s.

    Lord Asriel said, quot;You can ing a small room .

    S Lord Asriel over  to make idier.

    to announce:

    quot;y King Ogun;

    temple fresly to table astride his blue hawk.

    Lord Asriel greeted t ep off, and to t by ting lig seemed to come from somewhere else.

    By time Mrs. Coulter idied, and all to  t inclined  down peaceably, he pinioned monkey in her arms.

    it ing time, Lord Asriel said, quot;tell me w ;

    t;e killed seventeen Sroyed t five men and one gyropter. tured ter, despite  reated eously.quot;

    quot;I am quite content reated me, sir,quot; sest possible stress on the you.

    quot;Any damage to ters? Any ; said Lord Asriel.

    quot;Some damage and some  all minor.quot;

    quot;Good. t ;

    t;My spies are  in a drugged sleep for many days. t ts in t, it broke in pieces. But it is noure from t bear, very skilled at smit to anot ty: o do anyt if to kill o us. For time being, tialys and t least rack of to o come  any rate. My t lose t;

    quot;Are t; said Lord Asriel.

    quot;t of large tree-ferns. to tialys not five minutes ago.quot;

    quot;t; said Lord Asriel. quot;No your ts are folloerium anymore. e so rely on ter. At least...”

    ter spoke, to their surprise.

    quot;I dont kno t; s;but as far as torial Court is concerned, t slo know w;

    Lord Asriel said, quot;t Lyra and tend to do next?quot;

    quot;No,quot; s;none. Ive spoken to to be a stubborn co keeping secrets. I cant guess o read.quot;

    quot;My lord,quot; said King Ogun;may  is ion? If not, s be taken elsew;

    quot;Sive and my guest, and as a distinguis of tion t ;

    quot;ill so be tortured?quot; said Lord Roke, cly as he spoke.

    Mrs. Coulter laughed.

    quot;I ter to expect truto come out of torture,quot; she said.

    Lord Asriel couldnt y.

    quot;I ee Mrs. Coulters be; ;S  , express it no;

    quot;I do,quot; said King Ogun;but I doubt you, not ;

    quot;; said Lord Asriel.

    quot;If sempted you, you  resist. It ure  o invite o treat esy, give est comfort, but place ay away from ;

    quot;ell, I invited you to speak,quot; said Lord Asriel, quot;and I must accept your rebuke. I value your presence more taken a;

    before er spoke.

    quot;Please,quot; sly, quot;listen to me first. I can o t of terium to find again. I knoheyll do.

    You  me, s simple: to kill my daug let  I found out c o leave t knoo you, t ery; but I kne I o set myself against t everyt ty ;

    Sopped. All tening intently. Noo e,  eyes glittering.

    quot;I  mot my only caken a, because I didnt care about . I didnt t o regret t of h.

    quot;But to take an interest in Dust and in cirred in my , and I remembered t I her and Lyra was... my child.

    quot;And because t, I saved . times noepped in to pluck  of danger. First, s  to Jordan College and I took o live  she ran away.

    quot;time  Bolvangar, ime, under t nearly stopped... It  I o ot  moment, I  I got ook ; I saved ime.

    quot;But even as I did t, I still felt myself part of t, a loyal and faited servant, because I ys work.

    quot;And tcime soon, be tempted, as Eve s  form temptation ake, I dont kno ser all. Its not o imagine. And no t, too, t all depends on ting ake t semptation,  will be?

    quot;No, to kill o tempted. Killing is not difficult for tations and psalms and  to their hands, shes dead already.

    quot;So cer for time. I took o a place ay.quot;

    quot;You drugged ; said King Ogun;You kept ;

    quot;I o,quot; said Mrs. Coulter, quot;because sed me,quot; and ion but under control, spilled over into a sob, and it trembled as s on: quot;Sed me, and s if I  drugged o oblivion. Do you kno means to a mot it o keep  time in t ... O sucenderness, suc time I o do ttle...! o tle one...quot;

    Sly; s declaim or raise   into a ifling ions for tesy. ive, Lord Asriel t ; she very marrow of her bones.

    Sed  King Ogun seeming to, and Lord Asriel sa, too. Not

    only o play on him.

    In fact, t  sest impression. Lord Roke sensed in ure as close to t of a scorpion as ered, and ing ect under le tone. Better to keep scorpions w.

    So ed King Oguner c say, and Lord Asriel found flanked: for ed  o abide by his commanders wishes.

    Mrs. Coulter looked at uous concern. ain t no one else could see tter of sly triumpiful eyes.

    quot;Stay, t; ;But youve spoken enougay quiet no to consider t: is it  desirable? Next I  to look at t to  tions of t, t;

    time, and Mrs. Coulter e kno of its leaders strengths.

    But no tialys and Salmakia erium, t of date. An idea came to Mrs. Coulters mind, and s felt like a po sroked ened to the commanders.

    t;Enoug is a problem er. Noand to test tention craft. ell go and look at it.quot;

    ook a silver key from  and unlocked t and oucip of one golden hair.

    Lord Roke mounted  off doairs of to onto ttlements.

    A cold  ty draft, w around ed ah daemons head.

    Mrs. Coulter said o the angel:

    quot;Excuse me, my lady: your name is Xap;

    quot;Yes,quot; said the angel.

    er, just as ca Skadi ure Mrs. Coulter had ever seen.

    quot;Are you one of t;

    quot;Yes. And since terprise t roying tyranny at last.quot;

    quot;But if you fail?quot;

    quot;troyed, and cruelty ;

    As trides along ten battlements to even ts on sconces do disclose ttom. Past to t making , until iny spark, and thing.

    to Lord Asriels side, and Mrs. Coulter found  to the African king.

    quot;Excuse my ignorance, sir,quot; s;but I il t in terday... ell me about  offend  if I speak  kno  be unintentionally rude.quot;

    quot;You do o ask,quot; said King Ogun;ly servants of ty, and trying to exterminate t time anyone can remember. till cannot quite trust t they are fierce and proud warriors, and deadly enemies, and valuable spies.

    quot;Are all ;

    quot;t most are ;

    quot;And t until recently t angels ion of t imaginary...to find yourself speaking to one is disconcerting, isnt it...;

    quot;Mrs. Coulter,quot; said t;tions are just t of t to find out.quot;

    quot;A fine sort of spy Id be, to ask you so transparently,quot; s;Im a captive, sir. I couldnt get ao. From no.quot;

    quot;If you say so, I am o believe you,quot; said t;Angels are more difficult to understand t all of one kind, to begin er poed alliances among t enmities, t tle about. ty o being.quot;

    Sopped. Sed beside  of tly shadows over her face.

    quot;You say t so casually,quot; s;as if it oo, but...  be? ty created t ed before everyto being?quot;

    quot;t; said Ogun;It soo, to learn t ty is not tor. tor, or t:  kno at some point ty took cruggled against oo. t rebellion. Never before est force ever assembled. But it may still not be enoug;

    quot;But end?  is t;

    quot;y. Empty of conscious life, t is. e are not colonialists, Mrs. Coulter. e  come to conquer, but to build.quot;

    quot;And is o attack t;

    Ogun her levelly.

    quot;ere not going to invade t; ;but if tter be ready for er, I am a king, but its my proudest task to join Lord Asriel in setting up a  name since ty first set  of t no part of it. t. e intend to izens of t;

    Mrs. Coulter ed to say more, to ask tions t rose to  the king had

    moved on, uno keep ing, and so follow.

    taircase led so far do by time it reac t e invisible. ell before tle breat, but s and moved on doill it opened out into a massive  by gloals in t supported tries, beams, and  them purposefully.

    Lord Asriel o er arrived, and  ing to let ,   figure  on tcer noticed t, presumably as a courtesy to Lord Roke, every pillar y bracket at  so t o be included in the discussion.

    But t stay in t  ttendant o let to tform of a railing ive.

    treated be t of to to t by tals, s against mirrored mahogany panels.

    As soon as Lord Asriel rain began to move, gliding smootform and into a tunnel, accelerating briskly. Only track gave any idea of their speed.

    quot;; Mrs. Coulter asked.

    quot;to t; Lord Asriel said sly, and turned ao talk quietly he angel.

    Mrs. Coulter said to Lord Roke, quot;My lord, are your spies al out in pairs?quot;

    quot;;

    quot;Simple curiosity. My daemon and I found ourselves at a stalemate ly in t cave, and I rigued to see .quot;

    quot;rigued? Did you not expect people of our size to be good fig;

    S y of his pride.

    quot;No,quot; s;I t  you easily, and you very nearly beat us. Im o admit my mistake. But do you always fig;

    quot;You are a pair, are you not, you and your daemon? Did you expect us to concede tage?quot; y stare, brilliantly clear even in t ligals, dared o ask more.

    Sly and said nothing.

    Several minutes  past, and Mrs. Coulter felt train taking to tains . S guess , but  fifteen minutes rain began to sloly to a platform  after tunnel.

    Lord Asriel opened t out into an atmosp and sulp Mrs. Coulter o gasp. ty one.

    An attendant form, and instantly t s over t made ted by t of sound and lig. ed, Mrs. Coulter looked around, alive y.

    Sories in  seemed like a village smited in a moment to tant ceiling and to flatten balks of iron tree trunks, pounding t in a fraction of a second  made tain tremble; from a vent in ten metal floil it  off by an adamant gate, and t seeto roo settle and cool in a cloud of evil smoke; gigantic slicing mac and folded and pressed ss of inc issue paper, and trous  flat again, layering metal upon metal  t layers became one tougher one, over and over again.

    If Iorek Byrnison could  ted t t al. Mrs. Coulter could only look and  o speak and be understood, and no one tried. And nouring to to follo beloo  metals from ther rock.

    talactites range colors and wer could feel a cool breeze on ed face.

    tals t gave t ed on sconces nor enclosed in glo scattered loosely on torco add to t, so little by little ty began to feel cold again; and presently t, quite suddenly, into t air.

    t a place ain , great iron doors in tainside, some open and some s; and from out of one of ty doorways, men were arpaulin.

    quot; is t?quot; Mrs. Coulter said to the African king, and he replied:

    quot;tention craft.quot;

    Mrs. Coulter  t could mean, and cense curiosity as to take off tarpaulin.

    Sood close to King Ogun;  do?quot;

    quot;ere about to see,quot; said the king.

    It looked like some kind of complex drilling apparatus, or t of a gyropter, or t   least a dozen levers and  of it. It stood on six legs, eaced and sprung at a different angle to t it seemed botic and ungainly; and tself ons, coiled cables, sc ell ructure and , because it  from be of it was hidden in gloom.

    Lord Roke on o it directly, circling above, examining it from all sides. Lord Asriel and t itself, one carrying a clipboard, anoth of cable.

    Mrs. Coulters eyes gazed at t  of it, making sense of its complexity. And as sco t, fastening a leat and sting a  securely on o folloo adjust someto the doorway.

    tention craft moved, ter  sure   as if it  e still, poised range energy on t legs. As s moved again, and t  urning t,

    scanning t busily moving t dial, adjusting t control; and tention craft vanished.

    Some o t op, turning sloo t. t of  y. It simply he air.

    quot;Listen,quot; said King Ogun;to t;

    Surned rained to  moaned around tain, and t t, and t door at some signal topped and ts inguis Mrs. Coulter could ly, ter engines on ts of wind.

    quot;; sly.

    quot;Decoys,quot; said t;My pilots, flying a mission to tempt to folloc;

    Srying to see anyt ts fears. Above tention craft   of  effect on it. No lig, so it  to see, and t of sigely.

    t t sigs lo t as to eadily. Six gyropters, flying fast, one of trouble, for smoke trailed from it, and it fleain, but on a course to take t it and beyond.

    And be, came a motley collection of fliers. It  easy to make out  Mrs. Coulter sarange kind, traig, one great bird t glided less speed carrying three or four angels.

    quot;A raiding party,quot; said King Ogunwe.

    ters. t blazed from one of traig, folloer by a sound, a deep crack. But ts target, ter, because in tant as t, and before tcain saion craft, and a shell exploded in midair.

    Mrs. Coulter ime to understand t almost instantaneous sequence of ligtle  at all easy to follo of every flier so quick; but a series of nearly silent flas tainside, accompanied by s eam. Eacruck some a different raider: t caug bird uttered a scream like tearing of a mountain-ain and plummeted onto t of gloicles til t like a dying firework.

    ters, cention craft, still someurning sloo look around. truction of ty e t Mrs. Coulter, ention craft, it seemed to sself, and t he ground again.

    King Ogun flood out over ter stayed ion craft.

    quot; to us?quot; ly.

    quot;Surely  ; sone.

    t in t to of making Lord Asriel a proposition: of offering to go to torial Court of Discipline and spying for e t  to convince t s. And no t to go  resist an offer like t.

    But no t strange flying macruck even more forcibly, and sh glee.

    quot;Asriel,quot; sly, quot;may I see ;

    racted and impatient, but full of excited satisfaction, too. ed ention craft; s be able to resist s off.

    King Ogunood aside, and Lord Asriel reaco t. o t and crols.

    quot; ?quot; she said.

    quot;Your intentions,quot; ;end to go for ;

    quot;ts no ansell me.  sort of engine is it?  fly? I couldnt see anyt all. But trols.. .from inside, its almost like a gyropter.quot;

    to tell  a cable at teeth.

    quot;Your demean,quot; ;o eet doesnt matter. And you o  . t floor amplifies it, os more complicated t, but to fly. e put in controls like a gyropter for ty, but eventually  need controls at all. Of course, only a .quot;

    quot;I see,quot; she said.

    And s  of the machine.

    In t s on crol t in a gyropter ilt ttle for once tention craft leapt into the air.

    But s quite  yet. t ill for some moments, sligilted, before srols to move it for to ;  up o stop King Oguno fire on tention craft; and ;Lord Roke, go ;

    t once, and traigo till-open cabin door. t; c, and t neiticed ttle figure of Lord Roke leaping from o them.

    A moment later, tention craft began to move, and to skim doo Lord Asriels . No more ter, t arry air.

    Lord Asriel cion.

    quot;ell, King, you e rig; ;and I sened to you in t place. S ed somet.quot;

    quot;Arent you going to pursue ; said King Ogunwe.

    quot;, and destroy a perfectly good aircraft? Certainly not.quot;

    quot;;

    quot;Not at first. S knoorial Court and give tention craft as an earnest pledge of good faithem for us.

    Sried every oty: t onell be a novel experience. And as soon as s w;

    quot;And w ;

    quot;O as a surprise, dont you?quot; to ter, more advanced model of tention craft ing tion.