traveled for several opped to eat. ing fires and melting snoer, c seal meat close by, Joo Lyra.

    “Lyra, can you see t instrument to read it?” he said.

    tself . t from ter t, but it ant. ugged out t bag.

    “Yes, I can see all rig I kno s, Lord Faa?”

    “I  to kno his place, Bolvangar,” he said.

    it even o t it, so point to t, t tle into t meanings like a complicated diagram in t once to ss message to tc calmly, content not to kno first but to kno a meaning  began to clear. S it dance on until it ain.

    “Its just like tcartars guarding tation, and t . t really expect to be attacked, ts  Lord Faa...”

    “, child?”

    “Its a telling me somet valley troubled by a g.”

    Joiently, and said, “t dont matter noo be spirits of all kinds among ts. tell me again about tartars. ance?  are th?”

    Lyra dutifully asked, and reported the answer:

    “ty men  a couple of larger guns, sort of cannons. t fire too. And... ts  says.”

    t caused a stir among tians, those whod campaigned before.

    “ts have wolf daemons,” said one.

    Jo fiercer. e so figigers. And consult t one.”

    Lyra ient, and said, “But Lord Faa, t—I ts t of one of the kids!”

    “ell, even if it is, Lyra, I dont kno it. Sixty Sibirsk riflemen, and fire tep over .”

    came to to the bear.

    “lorek, raveled this way before?”

    “Once,”  deep flat voice.

    “t there?”

    “Over trees.

    “Is it far?”

    “For you or for me?”

    “For me,” she said.

    “too far. Not at all far for me.”

    “ take you to get times by next moonrise.” “Because, lorek, listen: I got t tells me ts told me t tant I got to do over in t village, and Lord Faa  let me go t s to get on quick, and 1 knos important too. But unless I go and find out  is, he Gobblers are really doing.”

    tting up like a  pahing.

    Pantalaimon spoke: “Can you take us tcer on?”

    “I could. But I o Lord Faa to obey  anyone else.”

    “If I got hen yes.”

    Surned and ran back takes me over to t  is, and tce,” s ask, except its like  c understand it t it rue, and  soon after. I got t understand properly s saying, only I knos important. And lorek Byrnison kno times by next moonrise, and I couldnt be safer t  go  s Lord Faas permission.”

    t grimly.

    But before  put in:

    “Lord Faa, if lorek Byrnison takes ttle girl, srue, but Ive knoo take care of , make no mistake. As for speed,  tiring.”

    “But w some men go?” said John Faa.

    “ell, to ed out, “because you couldnt run a sledge over t ridge. lorek Byrnison can go faster t sort of country, and Im lig be slo to be any longer t to give anyt us, or to get in any danger.”

    “Youre sure you need to do t symbol reader ent playing th you?”

    “It never does, Lord Faa, and I dont t could.”

    John Faa rubbed his chin.

    “ell, if all comes out righan we do now.

    lorek Byrnison,” o do as this child bids?”

    “I do your bidding, Lord Faa. tell me to take there, and I will.”

    “Very o take o go and do as sand?”

    “Yes, Lord Faa.”

    “You go and searcever it is, and urn rigraveling on by t time, so youll o catch us up.”

    t head.

    “Are to Lyra.

    “ill I need my armor? e ser  it.” “No,” sain of t, lorek. t as you say.”

    tony Costa gave rip of dried seal meat to calaimon as a mouse inside o t bears back, gripping tens and oo trees.

    It took some time before so t, and t a er arctic cold and th.

    lorek Byrnisons paunted undra, but they were cobwebs.

    tcrops of black rock, and  of sigy beed to talk to terms  range and  s for t time in  legs sirelessly, s  and said not anytle prattling cub, only just past babyhe eyes of an armored bear.