“ peoples daemons away?”

    “? alking to you about t?”

    “t peoples daemons away.”

    “Nonsense...”

    ated, t on:

    “Cause you take people out one by one and t kill em, and ot, and told me you cut—”

    “Its not true at all. ake c, its because its time for to move on to anot! Dont even t it. ho is your friend?”

    “I only come erday, I dont know anyones name.”

    “ does she look like?”

    “I forget. I t of brown  brown, maybe...! dunno.”

    tor  to speak quietly to tcty bird, just as neat and incurious as Sister Claras dog, and tors was a large h.

    Neit and t t animated, as sed to be. Per really anxious or curious at all.

    Presently tor came back and t on ion, ely, looking at beat, placing tle nozzle t hissed and gave off a smell like fresh air.

    In tests, a loud bell began to ring and kept ringing.

    “tor, siger Betty.”

    “But all tdoor clotory building, Doctor. S go outside like t, do you think?”

    s interrupted, and snapped ation.

    “I suppose t t of tice is meant to s a nuisance.”

    “erday,” Lyra said er Clara put my ot first room  door. I could hem.”

    “Good idea!” said then.”

    it glee, Lyra rieved s, and pulled the nurse dressed herself in coal silk.

    t. In t of ts and c: some in excitement, some in irritation, many just bewildered.

    “See?” one adult s o find out w ch a real fire.”

    Someone aking mucice. Lyra saugged Billy Costas arm and soon all togetrom of running children.

    “No onell notice if ake a look around,” said Lyra. “Itll take em ages to count everyone, and  follo lost.”

    ted till most of t into a loose po random into t all t, and ter covered completely ts of ts trying to regain control, and t of sight.

    t t move quickly, but it didnt seem to matter; no one unnels, and found trange moonscape of regular e under t by reflections from ts around the arena.

    “ we looking for?” said Billy.

    “Dunno. Just looking,” said Lyra, and led to a squat, square building a little apart from t,  at the corner.

    t more distant. Clearly t of t up for as long as t or so off t unnel to connect it  of tation.

    t tice above it said ENtRY StRICtLY FORBIDDEN in red letters.

    Lyra set  to try, but before surn the handle, Roger said:

    “Look! A bird! Or—”

    ion of doubt, because ture s all: it was someone Lyra had seen before.

    “tchs daemon!”

    t  wings, raising a flurry of snow as he landed.

    “Greetings, Lyra,”  see me. I ing for you to come out into t is happening?”

    Sold him quickly.

    “ians?” s off the Samoyeds?”

    “Most of t severely. took you ies of travelers, and alone travel more quickly ty. tians are still a days journey away.”

    taring in fear at t Lyras familiar manner  tle about ches.

    Lyra said to ten, you better go and keep c. Billy, you go t c t come. e ent got long.”

    to do as surned back to the door.

    “rying to get in the goose daemon.

    “Because of —” s peoples daemons a, to look. But its locked....”

    “I can open it,” said t  turn in the lock.

    “Go in carefully,” said the daemon.

    Lyra pulled open t talaimon ated and fearful, but   tco see o Lyras breast and taken sanctuary inside her furs.

    As soon as ed to t, Lyra saw why.

    In a series of glass cases on slike forms of cats, or birds, or rats, or otures, eacened and as pale as smoke.

    tccalaimon to  look! Dont look!”

    “h rage.

    Lyra explained fearfully about er tle tony Makarios, and looked over  tering foro t cries of pain and misery. In t from a lo of eacy one ony Makarios on it. ty ones oo.

    “I  to let to smas em out—”

    And so do it  t.”

    cronger. So do as he said.

    “e must make t to lock t tprints in t? And it must  till tians come. Noly as I say: take a ell you, blotle of it against eacurn.”

    Sside. Roger and Billy ill on guard, and till a noise of ser from te or so had gone by.

    S poo do as ttle snoc t of the cage came open.

    ed t of t one, and ttered out, but fell to tenderly bent and nudged  aggering and confused. Pantalaimon leaped doo comfort her.

    Lyra es every daemon rying to speak, and tered around  and even tried to pluck at aboo ell alaimon  a beat.

    “No run back and mingle ians are coming as fast as t o find tly, “But t prints youve made; Ill cover them up. hurry now....”

    “Oc t dreaming w?”

    “Yes, child; why?”

    “Could they pull a balloon?”

    “Undoubtedly, but—”

    “ill Serafina Pekkala be coming?”

    “t time to explain tics of cions. t poerests of her clan.

    But it may be t s happening elsewhere. Lyra, youre needed inside. Run, run!”

    Sced out of toward hick snow.

    “ts like t in Jordan—theyre daemons!”

    “Yes,  tell Billy, t tell anyone yet. Come on back.”

    Being racks t daemons ering or drifting atle bleak cries of loss and longing. prints urned to oget it cost til tctering and falling and running ter  difficulty, taking off. tral against t, feeble and erratic t ttered do t gray goose il t against the profound dark.

    Roger ugging at Lyras arm.

    “Quick,” heyre nearly ready.”

    tumbled ao join Billy, s y, because people ling and pus from t before they did, Lyra said:

    “Pass t to be ready to escape. t to knoo get t as soon as  to keep t, understand?”

    Billy nodded, and Roger said, “s the signal?”

    “time comes, Ill set it off.”

    ted to be counted off. If anyone in tion Board o do ter; because to go to, eaco be ticked off against te list, and of course t in alpical order; and none of ts o keeping control. So te t t no one was running around anymore.

    Lyra ciced. t very good at t all. t of  fire drills, t kno, t get co stand in line properly; and t be to age.

    t finisraction, t of vie  possible.

    So turn and scan till air.

    t it ion opposite to t t . Very soon it ement  around ts fat sleek silver form drifted over ts, and its own lighe body.

    t cut ting t.

    Lyra realized out mast  . As ts usaring back and pointing, t and prepared to attache cabin windows.

    Lyra looked, and take. Pantalaimon clutc , red, because looking out y iful dark-er, h her golden daemon in her lap.