Lee Scoresby arranged some furs over Lyra. So Roger and toget on to cruments from time to time, c o his own furs.

    “ttle girls pretty important, er several minutes.

    “More than she will know,” Serafina Pekkala said.

    “Does t mean t? You understand, Im speaking as a practical man o earn. I cant afford to get busted up or s to pieces  some kind of compensation agreed to in advance. I aint trying to loone of tion, believe me, maam. But Joians paid me a fee ts enougo cover my time and skill and tear on ts all. It didnt include acts-of- me tell you, maam,  as an act of war.”

    a piece of smokeleaf delicately overboard.

    “So Id like to kno in tions,” he finished.

    “ting,” said Serafina Pekkala. “But you  before.”

    “Sure,  is, I t traigransportation contract, and I cer t little dust-up doransportation responsibility extends. o risk my life and my equipment in a tle c-tempered as t Bolvangar. I merely mention all tion.”

    “Mr. Scoresby,” said tcion. All I can say is t all of us, c all of us kno. , under arms, a soldier.”

    “ell, t seems kinda precipitate. Seems to me a man so take up arms or not.”

    “e  t to be born.”

    “Oake and t and t and yarn  you wish for a choice once in a while ?”

    Serafina Pekkala considered, and t mean tc interested in preserving value or making profits, and as for t every opportunity  in good condition, and t takes time and trouble, I see t; but for us to fly, all ear off a brancy more. e dont feel cold, so  from mutual aid. If a cc to o be foug consider cost one of tors in deciding  is rigo figion of ance. An insult to a bear is a deadly to us... inconceivable.  a c  matter if you did?”

    “ell, Im kinda . Sticks and stones, Ill break yer bones, but names aint  maam, you see my dilemma, I , and Id like to end my days in comfort. Buy a little farm, a fele, some ice. No palace or slaves or  trouble is, t costs money. So I do my flying in excer every job I send some gold back to t enougeamer to Port Galveston, and Ill never leave the ground again.”

    “tco fly is to be perfectly ourselves.”

    “I see t, maam, and I envy you; but I aint got your sources of satisfaction. Flying is just a job to me, and Im just a tec as ing valves in a gas engine or s. But I c, you see. It  been told not kinda troubling.”

    “lorek Byrnisons quarrel  of it too,” said tch.

    “tined to play a part in t.”

    “You speak of destiny,”   sure I like t any more ted in  kno it. o me to . Are you telling me t s some kind of clockoy  going on a course s change?”

    “e are all subject to tes. But  all act as if ,” said tc tined to bring about tiny. But s do so  kno iny to do it. If sold   riumperlocking macy of t, feeling, life...”

    t Lyra, tle of it tubborn little frown.

    “I guess part of ,” said t. “Looks prepared for it, anytle boy? You know so save es, back in Oxford or somewhere.

    Did you kno?”

    “Yes, I did kno. Lyra is carrying somet seems t tes are using o take it to o find  kno  to tes, in order t s folloo her.”

    “ts , huh?”

    For t time tch seemed unsure.

    “t is  seems....But  read t is more t I might be wrong.”

    “And his, if I can ask?”

    “ever t Bolvangar,  it s. Lyra is t see more clearly t. But also tian people, ime ies of obligation h Lord Asriel.”

    “I see. So youre too Svalbard for tians sake. And does t friendsend to to for a kindly ime? Once again, maam, Im asking merely in a spirit of friendly enquiry.”

    “If rollesund, Mr. Scoresby,  kno of favor; it mig landing. And I dont knoo do, except t e is involved h hers.”

    “I dont knotaco ttle girl as a kind of protector. S  bears feel? But if a bear ever loved a s never been easy. Still, if I can call on you for a tug in t direction, Ill feel kinda easier in my mind; and if turn, you only o say. But just so as I knoelling me whis invisible war?”

    “e are both on Lyras side.”

    “O about t.”

    telling  till  to ting at self  nocead of , and resisting t, too, because treamlined smoot, t s, rocking and bumping muc.

    Lee Scoresby  concerned for  so mucruments, and  some time making sure to truts.

    According to timeter, ten t up. temperature  muc  to get any colder no of to keep off to back h his old comrade in arms, lorek Byrnison, and falling asleep.

    ed, from to t spears and icicles on the balloon.

    Roger , ceadily.

    “how far are we from Svalbard?” Lyra said.

    “If  no winds, we swelve hours or so.”

    “o land?”

    “It depends on try to avoid tures living t moves. If  you doerior, away from lofur Raknisons palace.”

    “s going to  to come back to Oxford, or  knoell   to pretend ill my uncle. I dont  all.”

    “  to go back to Oxford, Lyra. It seems t to be done in anot  o help him.”

    “ter!” Lyra said. “ter of Jordan gave it to me and I t ted to say about Lord Asriel, except  really  to poison o read it and see o make t I could  as good as anyone now.”

    “I dont kno tell. to us, and ts even from t high.”

    “ter ell me! I could read it now....”

    But it oo cold; so . Sig t to look ttle beloended from tcting on tars s and cold and hard as diamonds.

    “ you cold, Serafina Pekkala?”

    “e feel cold, but  mind it, because  come to  t feel ot tingle of tars, or t of all t on our skin. Its .” “Could I feel them?”

    “No. You ook your furs off. Stay wrapped up.”

    “c you dont look old at all.”

    “I am t chousand.

    One day, Yambe-Akka  is time to die.”

    “Are tches? Or only women?”

    “t trollesund. And take for lovers or oo young to understand t I sell you anyand it later: men pass in front of our eyes like butterflies, creatures of a brief season. e love tiful, clever; and t at once. t our s are continually racked c; and t. Our sons, too. tle boy is groil finally your  is broken. Per is wundra. Perco us.”

    “Did you love Farder Coram?”

    “Yes. Does ?”

    “I dont kno I know he loves you.”

    “rong and full of pride and beauty. I loved  once. I ingle and t up in a moment,  a t, to be a gyptian boat  c you are, only cayed o bear him a child....”

    “ a girl? A ch?”

    “No. A boy, and  epidemic of forty years ago, t came out of t. Poor little co life and out of it like a mayfly. And it tore pieces out of my , as it al broke Corams. And to return to my o, as I o.”

    “Did you never see Farder Coram again?”

    “Never. I  o  I  strong enougo see er t, and udied and read, and I ayed aimes for my clan, and cening, and besides, I t  me and find a human wife....”

    “outly. “You ougill loves you, I know he does.”

    “But   to make .”

    “Per you ougo send a message to  least. ts hink.”

    Serafina Pekkala said notime. Pantalaimon became a tern and fleo o ackno per.

    then Lyra said, “hy do people have daemons, Serafina Pekkala?”

    “Everyone asks t, and no one knos  from animals.”

    “Yea from t....Like bears. trange, ent trange or ferocious you tand t you knoo me,   a daemon is for a person. Its  ts  trollesund, t s and stole it a  back....But   kill  coming.”