tians arrived on ternoon of to anc, and Joain came asheir guide.

    Mary old time tians epping aso ting to greet ty about t Joy of courtesy and patience in ermined t trangest of all people s grace and friendsern gyptians.

    So ood in t sun for some time ranslated as best sings from terways of his homeland.

    o move up to t o  once to carry ed gratefully, and so it  to to meet them.

    Suc since Lyra  spoken togetic, on to rescue t so sainly; but Jo ig igo .

    quot;S; ;Remember t little girl ook to t ongue of an angel, I couldnt tell you o set eyes on you again.quot;

    But s, , sayed close to ill, and raigrayed far from her.

    ted fully, because Serafina Pekkala old t ill , empered by courtesy, and  t t o beer and a strong refuge.

    quot;Dr. Malone,quot; said Jo;o take on freser, and ing to do, and it ell t  to.quot;

    quot;Lord Faa,quot; said Mary, quot;to say t to s;

    quot;Itll be our great pleasure to accept,quot; said John Faa.

    So t evening t dooget and fruit and ians presented ts s from all tapestries from turkestan, cups of silver from the mines of Sveden, enameled dishes from Corea.

    t, and in return offered objects of their own workmanship: rare

    vessels of ancient knot  rope and cord, lacquered borong and lig even tians he like.

    , tain ts and left to supervise took on board tores and er t t to sail as soon as morning came. , to s:

    quot;A great coken, y. e o s t;

    So Jo o ts , still in ting a grove around it, because it  forever; it was a source of joy.

    quot;ell, tery,quot; said Farder Coram, quot;and Im glad I lived long enougo see it. to go into t . But if t for t part of us t o go do makes my  lig;

    quot;Youre rig; said Jo;Ive seen a good many folk die; Ive sent more to t tle. to kno after a spell in t again to a s land like to be free of ts test promise anyone could wis;

    quot;e must talk to Lyra about t; said Farder Coram, quot;and learn  came about and  means.quot;

    Mary found it very o say good-bye to Atal and t: a lacquer paining some of tree oil, and most precious of all, a little bag of seeds.

    t not groal said, but if not, you  forget us, Mary.

    Never, Mary said. Never. If I live as long as tc everyt you and tal.

    So t, tter of t snoayed  every ogethe blink of an eyelid.

    Xapold Serafina Pekkala t o tions ransparent images on til truly touch.

    At t, , as far as Lyra o travel from o Cittagazze. ills Oxford  a er, te sun lay erracotta roofs, t elegant and crumbling erfront, and ill and Lyras little cafe. A long searcains telescope soever, but Joo take  in case.

    t get in t they were needed.

    te a last meal togetco tain and o Joo be a very strong, and deeply stricken.

    Finally ill and Lyra and t off ty city. And it y; tfalls and t ao to part, and tayed some ers.

    quot;Lyra s to come a little o my Oxford,quot; Mary said. quot;S sometraiger;

    quot; ;

    quot;Me, go o my flat, my onigomorro o  better. tions in my isfy ties and ansions; Ill , and let rate on rong boy...But Ill  got a job anymore, and not muc be surprised if ter me... I can talk to about all t;

    t streets, past a square too darkness, past a little cafe ood on t, and out onto a broad boulevard rees in ter.

    quot;t; said Mary.

    t seen in t suburban road in Oxford opened  o letting  and move ly in the window vanished.

    quot;tll surprise t time t; she said.

    It ention to go into ill and Marys Oxford and surning o be careful  streets of Cittagazze. On t a o a great ico as brilliant as icing sugar under the moon.

    quot;old me t; Mary said, quot;you said you could teaco see ime...I wis;

    quot;ell, ; Serafina said, quot;and  alking? Ive taugc you are going back to your oo, o ter, you o ate of mind, didnt you?quot;

    quot;Yes...just as Lyra did er. Do you mean if I try t?quot;

    quot;Not only t, but ordinary seeing at time. try it no;

    In Marys ure t looked at first like random dots of color but t,  in a certain o advance into t of tree, or a face, or somet simply  there before.

    Serafina taugo do noo t. So o aneously slipping into trancelike open dreaming in rance, just as you o look in tions at once to see tures among ts.

    And just as it  pictures, s it.

    quot;A; so steady  a bird: glossy black,  as Serafina ,  or tcly cocked, for all though he was amused.

    But s ration slipped, and he vanished.

    quot;Youve done it once, and next time it ; Serafina said. quot;o see too, in t see yours or ills, teacaug;

    quot;Yes...Oraordinary. Yes!quot;

    Mary t: Lyra talked to  sicipation.

    Ating a o pass t  again.

    quot;Dyou know w; ill said.

    Mary looked around. t and tree-lined, orian houses in shrub-filled gardens.

    quot;Some;Not far from my flat, as a matter of fact, t knoly w;

    quot;I  to go to tanic Garden,quot; Lyra said.

    quot;All rigs about fifteen minutes ;

    Mary tried t easier time, and t . to see o it  ation. S t led into place as if here all her life.

    ell, , and moved on.

    t mucraffic in treet, and eps opposite Magdalen College toe of tanic Garden, tely alone. te gateone seats inside it, and o tself. to the garden.

    quot;Its t; said Lyra, tugging at ills hand.

    S a pool ain under a ree, and truck off to t bets toone , and in t of trees ing less formal. Lyra led  to ttle bridge, to a  under a spreading, low-brancree.

    quot;Yes!quot; s;I  is, just to come  on t same benced to be alone, just me and Pan.  I t  if you, maybe just once a year, if ime, just for an end   just here in my world...”

    quot;Yes,quot; ;as long as I live, Ill come back. he world, Ill come back here...”

    quot;On Midsummer Day,quot; s;At midday. As long as I live. As long as I live...quot;

    o see, but  t tears flo held her close.

    quot;And if er on, quot; s;if  someone t  be good to t make comparisons all time and  just keep up t for an  to be toget;

    tiges passed; a erbird on tirred and called; the occasional car moved over Magdalen Bridge.

    Finally t.

    quot;ell,quot; said Lyra softly.

    Everyt  moment , and t er on, ense grace made tender by tely soft. o t one of all.

    o te. Mary and Serafina ing.

    quot;Lyra...” ill said.

    And s;ill.quot;

    a o Cittagazze. t  far from t. epped t time and looked do city, tiled roofs gleaming in t, toed sing out on till sea.

    urned to Serafina and said as steadily as ;t to Lyra for as long as s;

    In ansco Mary, and too, embraced, and first Mary and tepped t o trees of tanic Garden.

    Being carts no as  it rying to ing ill in  ed to cla ear out ; nevert, and  no one could see t it cost him.

    And  Lyra  tigrain in .

    Nevertheless, she smiled.

    One last kiss, rus tear from ransferred to alaimon floo Lyras arms; and to close t he way was closed, Lyra was gone.

    quot;Noo sound matter-of-fact, but o turn a;Ive got to break t;

    il ried to bring to mind just o cut a  of ter ably reminded , it  last met somet couldnt cut, and t was his love for her.

    So ried it noed in Mrs. Coopers little hallway.

    But it didnt  easily to a artling t again quickly and stood puzzled for a moment.

    ;Lyra.quot;

    Of course.   t ill lay on his cheek.

    And time, tered and to to glitter on tones t ill  her universe.

    ill knelt to pick t eyes o find them all.

    Mary was shouldering her rucksack.

    quot;ell,quot; s;en norangers, largely. But Serafina Pekkala and I made a promise to eaco Lyra just noo you about t if youll let me, Ill be your friend for t of our lives. ere bot sort of...  I mean to say is, t anyone else alk to about all t eac to get used to living oo...And rouble, and if t doesnt give us somet kno;

    quot;Youre in trouble?quot; said ill, looking at ly.

    quot;ell, I smasy in t, and I forged an identity card, and...Its not deal rouble, , too. e can find your mot reatment. And if you need some mind living , t o go into, , into care. I mean, ory and stick to it, but , couldnt ;

    Mary rue.  of t.

    quot;Yes!quot; he said.

    quot;ell, lets do it. My flats about  Id like most of all in tea. Come on, lets go and put ttle on.quot;

    ter t Lyra ced once more at t dinner table in Jordan College er.

    time it y: just er and Dame . Sop t first dinner, too, and if Lyra o see ed ely, and found t  fault: for teresting, and kindlier by far the dim and frumpy person she remembered.

    All kinds of to Jordan College, to England, to t seemed t tly, and t many brutal la t erium oppled ts and brougions into poion Board orial Court of Discipline was confused and leaderless.

    And ter a brief and turbulent interlude, tling back into tual. Some ters valuable collection of silver ed; some college servants ers manservant, Cousins, ill in place, o meet ility e taken aback ion in his voice? ell, he had changed.

    During dinner ter and Dame alked of ing room for coffee, ter said:

    quot;Noo tell us somet youve experienced?quot;

    quot;Yes,quot; s;But not all at once. I dont understand some of it, and some makes me sill; but I ell you, I promise, as muco promise sometoo.quot;

    ter looked at t daemon in  passed bethem.

    quot;s t?quot; said Dame hannah.

    quot;You o promise to believe me,quot; Lyra said seriously. quot;I knoold trutelling lies and making up stories. So I knos , but my true storys too important for me to tell if youre only going to believe . So I promise to tell truto believe it.quot;

    quot;ell, I promise,quot; said Dame hannah.

    ter said, quot;And so do I.quot;

    quot;But you kno; Lyra said, quot;almost, almost more t

    lost ter. O range, Master,  came in t place and t left! One day I kne so ep from one to anotions, it ; S on, quot;ell, I rees, it  made sense; I couldnt even remember anyt just basic meanings, like t;

    quot;t gone, t; said Dame ;till in Bodleys Library. to study t;

    Dame ting opposite ter in one of ters c t it s , and s s it meant ter.

    quot;ell, no; ter  on. quot;e must t your future, Lyra.quot;

    up.

    quot;All time I ; Lyra said, quot;I never t about t. All I t about  time I  t. ty of times  ure at all. And no a  no...but no idea o do , s like er but no idea o read it. I suppose Ill o  I dont kno s are probably ric I bet t of putting any money aside for me. And any , t be any left. I dont knoer. I came back to Jordan because to be my  o go. I t me live on Svalbard, and I t me live c Im not a bear and Im not a c really fit in tians ake me in...But really I dont knoo do anymore. Im lost, really, no;

    t tering more t kno. S as , Dame , and admired ; and ter sa  iful adult she would be, so soon.

    ;You  . As for money, your fat to care for all your needs, and appointed me executor; so you neednt  t.quot;

    In fact, Lord Asriel , but Jordan College  upheavals.

    quot;No,quot;  on, quot;I  learning. Youre still very young, and your education until noed least,quot;  ;Its been  may turn out t in due course your talents ake you in a direction  foresee at all. But if you o make ter t of your lifes  out to learn consciously uition...”

    quot;Yes,quot; said Lyra definitely.

    quot;…tter t yourself in t field is unmatc;

    quot;Let me make a suggestion,quot; said t;and you neednt respond no it for a oo young yet to become an undergraduate in any case, but a fe up a boarding school.

    Id like you to come and meet tress and see   t Jordan can provide quite all of tress is a clever young ic, imaginative, kindly. ere lucky to alk to . Sopo begin studying ter systematically, you and I could meet for some private lessons. But time, my dear, ty of time. Dont ans until youre ready.quot;

    quot;t; said Lyra, quot;t;

    ter o ter t nig as ter alaimon slipped out and made treets, .

    Once tanic Garden, Pan ran ao it go and sprang up into tree nearby. It o be careful not to do it ay a secret. Once s off to all  ill augion.

    S on ted for Pan to come to o surprise  so see ended s seen  onto the bench.

    quot;I nearly did it,quot; he said.

    quot;Youll o get better t. I e.quot;

    on ting on her shoulder.

    quot; are o tell ; he said.

    quot;Yes,quot; s;Its only to meet tress, anys not to go to t;

    quot;But  ;

    quot;Yes,quot; s;probably.quot;

    quot;It mig;

    Lyra  t be cleverer ticated, and to kno more t all t ant to girls of t be able to tell t so t.

    quot;Dyou ter?quot; said Pantalaimon.

    quot;it . Imagine o carry a pile of books everyw;

    quot;?quot;

    quot;ill you ever tell me ;

    quot;One day,quot; ;And sell ill, one day. e agreed t  tell eitill t;

    quot;All rig; she said peaceably.

    Sold Pantalaimon everyt it he way shed abandoned him.

    And it ing to t s t speak to him in her head,

    didnt relive every moment toget long for  it o love someone so muc onisures, t onis. S tenderness it left in

    s forever.

    Pan slipped doo togets. Some ell o read ter again, and to teac than she did.

    S, t kno yet, but to be my friends.

    Pantalaimon murmured, quot;t t ill said...quot;

    quot;;

    quot;On t before you tried ter.  any else t;

    quot;I remember.  t  mattered more t important place.quot;

    quot;o build somet;

    quot;ts ;

    quot;Yes. Of course! And t...”

    quot;But t o build it. No one could if t t. e o be all t tient, and  to study and t ;

    ing on ingale tle breeze toucirred t bells of ty c one lo agreeing in all t voices on ime  to it a little more slo otoo, and a nigtle breeze irring tanic Garden.

    quot;And t?quot; said ;Build ;

    quot;t; said Lyra.

    thE END