Lyra moaned and trembled uncontrollably, just as if s of er so cold t  alaimon simply lay against o  aime of Mrs. Coulter, busy preparing a drink of somet of all of ttle fingers ly over Lyras body s contents.

    “Sit up, dear, and drink ter, and le arm slipped around Lyras back and lifted her.

    Lyra clenc relaxed almost at once as Pantalaimon t to her:

    ere only safe as long as end. S taining tears, and to her surprise and shame she sobbed and sobbed.

    Mrs. Coulter made sympatic sounds and put to ted handkerchief.

    “Cry as muco, darling,” said t soft voice, and Lyra determined to stop as soon as sruggled to ears, soget still s.

    Pantalaimon played t aimidly at tc o Lyras s.”

    S up and took t cup in boternately sipping and bloo cool it. S  pretend han shed ever done in her life.

    “Lyra, darling,” Mrs. Coulter murmured, stroking   you forever!   lost? Did someone take you out of t?”

    “Yeah,” Lyra whispered.

    “, dear?”

    “A man and a woman.”

    “Guests at ty?”

    “I t airs and I  to get it and took me in a car some quick and dodged a me. But I didnt know where I was....”

    Anot tend tory.

    “And I just  trying to find my  me....And t me in a van ook me somew was.”

    it  past, ence s a little strengt s and familiar and never quite predictable, namely lying, s a sort of mastery again, ty and control t ter gave her.

    So be careful not to say anyto be vague in some places and invent plausible details in oto be an artist, in s.

    “er.

    Lyras journey along time ians aken weeks:

    so account for t time. Sed a voyage o trollesund, and tails from ion of toime as maid-of-all- Einarssons Bar, and t by t to Bolvangar.

    “And to—going to cut—”

    “o find out ws been going on.”

    “But ? I never done anyt  its s , Mrs. Coulter? hey so cruel?”

    “t ever do it to you. Now I know youre o o  you....”

    “But t to other children! hy?”

    “Ah, my love—”

    “Its Dust, isnt it?”

    “Did tell you t? Did tors say t?”

    “t. All talk about it, but no one kno to me—you got to tell me! You got no rigo keep it secret, not anymore!”

    “Lyra...Lyra, Lyra. Darling, t ideas, Dust and so on. Its not someto . But tors do it for t is something evil and wicked.

    Groed  so deeply t its too late for t be  a quick operation on c. Dust just  stick to theyre safe and happy and—”

    Lyra t of little tony Makarios. Sched.

    Mrs. Coulter moved back and let go.

    “Are you all rigo throom—”

    Lyra swallowed hard and brushed her eyes.

    “You dont o do t to us,” s leave us. I bet Lord Asriel  let anyone do t if   and youve got Dust, and ter of Jordan and every ot Dust, it must be all rig out Im going to tell all t t  to me? If it . You should have been glad.”

    Mrs. Coulter was shaking her head and smiling a sad wise smile.

    “Darling,” ss good o  us a little, and naturally its upsetting for ot.... But it doesnt mean your daemon is taken a of tion. t they?”

    Lyra blinked. Suddenly sood trange blank incuriosity, ttle trotting daemons seemed to be sleepwalking.

    Say not, and s h hard.

    “Darling, no one ion on a c testing it first. And no one in a take a coget tle cut, and t at ty, to very soon, darling, daemons bring all sort of troublesome ts and feelings, and ts s Dust in. A quick little operation before t, and youre never troubled again. And your daemon stays  not connected. Like a...like a , if you like. t pet in t you like t?”

    Orutelling! And even if Lyra  knoo be lies (tony Makarios; ted it , to be cut ao a little trotting pet? Lyra nearly blazed red, and Pantalaimon in , t ugly and vicious of all his forms, and snarled.

    But talaimon tig Mrs. Coulter stroke her hair.

    “Drink up your cer softly. “ell o go back and sory  no my little assistant back. My favorite! t assistant in to tell you o find you again....”

    All time, t restlessly, one minute percable s clinging to Mrs. Coulter and ctering softly in  pacing tail erect. raying Mrs. Coulters impatience, of course, and finally s  in.

    “Lyra, dear,” s ter of Jordan gave you somet. Isnt t riger. trouble is, it  o give. It  in s really too valuable to be carried about—dyou knos one of only ter gave it to you in t it o Lord Asriels old you not to tell me about it, didnt he?”

    Lyra ted h.

    “Yes, I can see. ell, never mind, darling, because you didnt tell me, did you?

    So you  broken any promises. But listen, dear, it really ougo be properly looked after. Im afraid its so rare and delicate t  let it be at risk any longer.”

    “ Lord Asriel ?” Lyra said, not moving.

    “Because of o exile, because  someter to finis believe me, dear, t t . ter of Jordan aken. But no you kno really ter to let me ,  it? It rouble of carrying it around, and all ter it—and really it must  a silly old t was any good for....”

    Lyra ing and clever.

    “So if youve got it noter let me  to look after. Its in t belt around your , isnt it? Yes, t o do, putting it ahis....”

    Lyras skirt, and tening tiff oilcloth.

    Lyra tensed  trembling icipation, little black o er pulled t a and unbuttoned t. Sook out t clot, finding tin box lorek Byrnison had made.

    Pantalaimon  again, tensed to spring. Lyra dreo t soo could run wime came.

    “s ter, as if amused. “ a funny old tin! Did you put it in o keep it safe, dear? All t you? Anotin, inside t one! And soldered! his, dear?”

    Soo intent on opening it to  for an ans attacs, and s a blade and dug it under the lid.

    At once a furious buzzing filled the room.

    Lyra and Pantalaimon ill. Mrs. Coulter, puzzled, curious, pulled at t close to look.

    t tled out of tin and craso the monkeys face.

    was ing Mrs.

    Coulter too, and s in pain and frigtle clock  and t toward her face.

    Lyra didnt ate. Pantalaimon sprang for ter  once, and sore it open and raced aer than she had ever run in her life.

    “Fire alarm!” Pantalaimon shrieked, as he flew ahead of her.

    Ston on t corner, and smase fist. Soories, smaso come out into the fire.

    By time scalaimon flas into ed in. A moment later surned on all taps and flung a matc t burner. t at table so it burst and filled te, because s flour s treated like t near a flame.

    t and on as fast as so, vivid ement, for t around. t orerooms w, and hem.

    Adults rying to control it all, and none of t was happening.

    Sing, pusling people were everywhere.

    t all Lyra and Pantalaimon darted like fisory, and just as t, t she building.

    ty. Lyra dragged to t of t for ter. It ill tugged talaimon, a sparro the door, called:

    “Now!”

    S. By luck a group of corance, and sing,  t so escape or die.

    tcaken quickly, and  do of ted struts and girders to get up to tter cold air. trong. t and closer. t knocked several people over, and cries of fear and pain filled the air.

    Lyra struggled up, and alaimon calling, “tter-ings, s to find tdoor clot o escape from tation only to die of cold.

    t out onto t sky, s t s by trance, but time ts ated and the children more fearful: much more fearful.

    “Roger! Roger!” Lyra called, and Pantalaimon, keen-eyed as an o hed seen him.

    A moment later ther.

    “tell em all to come ed into his ear.

    “t—theyre all panicky—”

    “tell em o t vanis tell em ernoon—all t out! tell em ts going to o too unless t away!”

    Roger gaped,  ted s and ran to t group of ating c and clutcheir daemons in fear.

    “Come ed. “t to get out of the compound! Come on, run!”

    treaming across tos, ts pattering and creaking in the hard-packed snow.

    Bes  of to t earing clot cutting t. Lyra  before, but s at once: it artar guards , and many curned in fear and stumbled to a stop, for t a lo tireless lope came t of tartar guards, rifle at ty leaping grayness of his daemon beside him.

    t least you couldnt see any eyes bes of ts. their jaws.

    Lyra faltered. S dreamed of ening t s Bolvangar broke t taboo, s of teeth....

    tartars ran to stand in a line across trance to ts, te them.

    Lyra t  fig  like ttles in t the brickburners children.

    Or per o clauff out of ownies leaped on him.

    Sanding in tanding in the snow.

    Just as s afternoon, but in deadly earnest no at t soldier.

    “Get em in ther.

    Otion of flying as a s beside t directly at ts of target—and ts tartars umbling about, spitting and cursing and trying to brus of t of their eyes.

    “Come on!” Lyra screamed, and flung  te into ts.

    treamed after ohe beckoning open dark beyond.

    A ed an order, and ts  once, and tense silence,  and gasping breato be heard.

    taking aim. t miss.

    But before tartars, and a cry of surprise from another.

    Lyra stopped and turned to see a man lying on tc blood, and to left and rig, but to be seen.

    And traigruck anot once. A s from t the dark sky.

    “itcalaimon.

    And so t black s cher man fell.

    And tartars turned to t not s clouds, and more and more arrohem.

    But t ao race after t moving forurning back in confusion, terrified by trous sling tos.

    “lorek Byrnison!” cried Lyra,  nearly bursting h joy.

    t to be conscious of no  in a blur and craso tartars, scattering soldiers, daemons, rifles to all sides. topped and ruck to eac t to him.