t village, in and out of t-formed across t gatside the open door of Marys house.

    Cautiously t again, toer tree.

    Its long brancrailed t corkscre doo t to rustle a leaf or snap a fallen t asleep in eachers arms.

    toucly  being infinitely careful not to hem.

    As tly cleaning ills fast-ing t sound behem.

    Instantly, in total silence, bot eyes, bare eeth, menace in every line.

    A ood tlined by t  Mary, and whough her voice made no sound.

    quot;Come ; she said.

    Pantalaimons daemon  leapt  il  ree.

    quot;Serafina Pekkala!quot; ;s ;

    quot;s fly to a place ; she sleeping villagers.

    ook it up, t s cro.

    ttled on t comfortable branc, and two birds perched nearby.

    quot;You  be birds for long,quot; s;Very soon nole. Look around and take t into your memory.quot;

    quot; ; said Pantalaimon.

    quot;Youll find out sooner ten,quot; said Serafina Pekkala, quot;and Ill tell you some c none but c is t you are  is possible?quot;

    quot;itc; said Pantalaimon, quot;and s;

    quot;In leaving you bot kno, t c time tce, abominable place, astroper it. to become a c cross it alone and leave  undergo.

    But , t t severed, as in Bolvangar; till one o far places and see strange things and bring back knowledge.

    quot;And you are not severed, are you?quot;

    quot;No,quot; said Pantalaimon. quot;e are still one. But it was so painful, and we were so frig;

    quot;ell,quot; said Serafina, quot;t fly like c live as long as  to c t.quot;

    trangeness of this knowledge.

    quot;Does t mean alaimon.

    quot;Be patient.quot;

    quot;And c all c;

    quot;t c   os ;

    t. Serafina turned to tingale and said, quot; is your name?quot;

    quot;I  knoil I orn a;

    quot;t;

    quot;Kirjava,quot; said Pantalaimon, trying t; does it mean?quot;

    quot;Soon you  means. But no; Serafina  on, quot;you must listen carefully, because Im going to tell you w you s;

    quot;No,quot; said Kirjava forcefully.

    Serafina said gently, quot;I can one t you knoo say.quot;

    quot;e dont  to !quot; said Pantalaimon.

    quot;Its too soon,quot; said tingale. quot;Its mucoo soon.quot;

    Serafina , because s sorroo guide to ation subside before s on.

    quot;; she said.

    quot;t; said Pantalaimon. quot;Every.quot;

    quot;And you saw...”

    quot;Yes,quot; said Kirjava, quot;we looked closely, and we saw w was ;

    quot;e sa an angel,quot; said Pantalaimon quickly. quot;And tle people come from, too, ;

    told tc trying to distract ; but s talk, because of thers voice.

    But eventually t of to tell . tle, endless wil Serafina Pekkala said:

    quot;You o punis; my Kaisa did just ter I came te barrens. But o me eventually, because o  o be done next. Because you o tell t you kno;

    Pantalaimon cried aloud, a pure, cold os and burroure table fear came into being.

    Serafina c not compassion until s ills daemon, Kirjava tingale. Salking to tca Skadi, o. ttle broing an implacable ferocity as palpable as , and Serafina .

    Finally Pantalaimons wild screaming died away, and Kirjava said:

    quot;And ell t;

    quot;Yes, you do,quot; said tcly.

    Gradually ty left ttle bro e sadness in its place.

    quot;t; Serafina said. quot;I left it to fly ians, all t;

    t close, and in a moment two doves.

    Serafina  on: quot;t time you fly. I can see a little a you o climb trees t I t be birds ake in all t you can, and remember it  you and Lyra and ill are going to t c it is yours to make, and no one elses.quot;

    t speak. Sook ed aoreetops, circling ingle of tarlig sifting of t Dust she had never seen.

    So t silently into t Mary except t s  in ts  so  startling .

    S on t tc in time ly o s Mary e uning a string. t Serafina epped in among to Mary, and sant easy affection t imes feel for people  in dreams.

    A moment later talking togeter remembered notrical transformers. It ime for Serafina to take charge.

    quot;In a fes,quot; s;youll  be alarmed. Youll find me beside you. Im s quite safe and to  you. And talk properly.quot;

    Saking til stering as t her.

    quot;You must be tc; Mary whispered.

    quot;I am. My name is Serafina Pekkala.  are you called?quot;

    quot;Mary Malone. Ive never been ly. Am I a;

    quot;Yes. e must talk togetalk is o control, and o remember. Its better to talk ao stay inside, or ?quot;

    quot;Ill come,quot; said Mary, sitting up and stretc;;

    quot;Asleep under tree.quot;

    t of t tree s curtain of all-concealing leaves, and o the river.

    Mary cure of ion: s of age came in ed sadness.

    t on ter, and Serafina told  so the childrens daemons.

    quot;t looking for today,quot; Mary said, quot;but somet knoain t ;

    quot;ell, ;

    Mary stared at her.

    quot;If you could see ; Serafina  on, quot;you  yello;

    quot;An Alpine c;

    quot;itime, I could teaco see oo, and to see ts strange for us to t see t;

    told Mary  it meant.

    quot;And to tell t; Mary said.

    quot;I t of o tell t of telling you and letting you he

    responsibility. But I sa .quot;

    quot;t;

    quot;I kno;

    quot;t discovered it...quot;

    Mary tried to take in all tions of  oo hard.

    After a minute or so Mary said, quot;Can you see Dust?quot;

    quot;No, Ive never seen it, and until t.quot;

    Mary took t and  to tc it to her eye and gasped.

    quot;t is Dust... Its beautiful!quot;

    quot;turn to look back at ter tree.quot;

    Serafina did and exclaimed again. quot;t; she said.

    quot;Sometoday, or yesterday if its after midnig; Mary said, trying to find to explain, and remembering  flo river like t;Sometiny but crucial... If you ed to divert a migo a different course, and all you , as long as you put t place to send t trickle of er t ead of t erday. I dont kno ly, or sometil t felt like t, but suddenly t tracted to t stopped flo;

    quot;So t o ; said Serafina, marveling. quot;And nos safe, or it will be w c;

    Sold Mary about t .

    quot;I  an angel: a female angel. Srange; soget; s on, forgetting t t ;old me many t all tory of ruggle betupidity. Sried to open minds; ty and ried to keep t;

    quot;I can t;

    quot;And for most of t time, , ws and palaces are occupied by ;

    quot;Yes,quot; said Mary, quot;I recognize t, too.quot;

    quot;And truggle isnt over no a setback. trongly, and  be ready to resist.quot;

    quot;But ; said Mary.

    quot; t of atron, and led o tatron is gone forever. So is Lord Asriel.quot;

    Mary caug;And Mrs. Coulter?quot; she said.

    As an anscook an arroing it: t, traig, t perfectly balanced.

    And s in two.

    quot;Once in my ; s;I sa orturing a co myself t I  arroo . No toget.quot;

    Mary, distressed, said, quot;ell Lyra?quot;

    quot;ait until s; said Serafina. quot;And s not. In any case, s ell s to kno;

    t in silence for a wars slowly whe sky.

    quot;Can you see a to do?quot; said Mary.

    quot;No, but if Lyra returns to er as long as s ;

    quot;Mary began, and found s considered t for a moment. quot;I suppose I belong in my oo leave t Ive ever been in my life, I t;

    quot;ell, if you do return er in anot; said Serafina, quot;and so salk more on t forever. Embrace me noer.quot;

    Mary did so, and Serafina Pekkala fleil Mary could see her no more.

    At about time, one of turned to t afternoon by a different route and  seen it; t lay undisturbed ures, and by an ancient understanding itled to take any creature left dead after dark.

    ts body back to , and ed very  lay in t doly turning to rust.