"My cer!    ter to tear t, s;

        Mrs. Coulters cry resoule c top of t tohe coils of a silver .

        Lord Asriel sat nearby, scribbling on a piece of paper, taking no notice. An orderly stood beside    ted and , errier daemon close at ail tucked low.

        Lord Asriel turo Mrs. Coulter.

        "Lyra? Frankly, I dont care,"    and ;tcayed    e any more time or resources on o be    ;

        "You do, Asriel, or you    ;

        "I mean every . t of all proportion to s. An ordinary Englis very clever...”

        "S; said Mrs. Coulter.

        "All rig but not intellectual; impulsive, dis, greedy...”

        "Brave, generous, loving."

        "A perfectly ordinary guis;Perfectly ordinary? Lyra? Shes unique.

        t s dont you dare patronize your daugil...”

        "Youre rig; ting up. "So amed and softened you, ts no everyday feat. Saken your teet. Your fires been queal piety.    it? tiless agent of tical persecutor of cor of o slice t and look in terrified little beings for any evidence of sin, and along es a foul-mout little brat y fingernails, and you clud settle your feat: t    Ive never seen myself. But if all it does is turn you into a doting mots a pretty ttle gift. And no ference, and if you t trol your noise, Ill ;

        Mrs. Coulter o to spit in Lord Asriels face.    calmly a;A gag    ao t kind of beoo."

        "O me, Asriel," s;Someoo a ess. Untie me, or Ill force you to gag me."

        "As you    before ie it around h, she shook her head.

        "No, no," s;Asriel, dont, I beg you, please dont e me."

        Angry tears dashed from her eyes.

        "Very ie you, but ay in ; ting h a clasp knife.

        Ss, stood up, stretciced tion of    of till remained in s, but s going to s.

        Lord Asriel said, "You    ing a small room .

        S Lord Asriel over    to make idier.

        to announce:

        "y King Ogun;

        temple fresly to table astride his blue hawk.

        Lord Asriel greeted t ep off, and to t by ting lig seemed to e from somewhere else.

        By time Mrs. Coulter idied, and all to    t ined    down peaceably, he pinioned monkey in her arms.

        it ing time, Lord Asriel said, "tell me w ;

        t;e killed seventeen Sroyed t five men and one gyropter. tured ter, despite    reated eously."

        "I am quite teed me, sir," sest possible stress on the you.

        "Any damage to ters? Any ; said Lord Asriel.

        "Some damage and some    all minor."

        "Good. t ;

        t;My spies are    in a drugged sleep for many days. t ts in t, it broke in pieces. But it is noure from t bear, very skilled at smit to anot ty: o do anyt if to kill o us. For time being, tialys and t least rack of to o e    any rate. My t lose t;

        "Are t; said Lord Asriel.

        "t of large tree-ferns. to tialys not five minutes ago."

        "t; said Lord Asriel. "No your ts are folloerium anymore. e so rely on ter. At least...”

        ter spoke, to their surprise.

        "I dont kno t; s;but as far as torial Court is ed, t slo know w;

        Lord Asriel said, "t Lyra ao do ?"

        "No," s;none. Ive spoken to to be a stubborn co keepis. I t guess o read."

        "My lord," said King Ogun;may    is ion? If not, s be taken elsew;

        "Sive and my guest, and as a distinguis of tion t ;

        "ill so be tortured?" said Lord Roke, cly as he spoke.

        Mrs. Coulter laughed.

        "I ter to expect truto e out of torture," she said.

        Lord Asriel couldnt y.

        "I ee Mrs. Coulters be; ;S    , express it no;

        "I do," said King Ogun;but I doubt you, not ;

        "; said Lord Asriel.

        "If sempted you, you    resist. It ure    o ireat esy, give est fort, but place ay away from ;

        "ell, I invited you to speak," said Lord Asriel, "and I must accept your rebuke. I value your presence more taken a;

        before er spoke.

        "Please," sly, "listen to me first. I    o t of terium to find again. I knoheyll do.

        You    me, s simple: to kill my daug let    I found out c o leave t knoo you, t ery; but I kne I o set myself against t everyt ty ;

        Sopped. All tening ily. Noo e,    eyes glittering.

        "I    mot my only    a, because I didnt care about . I didnt t ret t of h.

        "But to take an i in Dust and in cirred in my , and I remembered t I her and Lyra was... my child.

        "And because t, I saved . times noepped in to pluck    of danger. First, s    to Jordan College and I took o live    she ran away.

        "time    Bolvangar, ime, u nearly stopped... It    I o ot    moment, I    I got ook ; I saved ime.

        "But even as I did t, I still felt myself part of t, a loyal and faited servant, because I ys work.

        "And tcime sooempted, as Eve s    form temptation ake, I dont kno ser all. Its not o imagine. And no t, too, t all depends on ting ake t semptation,    will be?

        "No, to kill o tempted. Killing is not difficult for tations and psalms and    to their hands, shes dead already.

        "So cer for time. I took o a place ay."

        "Yed ; said King Ogun;You kept ;

        "I o," said Mrs. Coulter, "because sed me," and ion but under trol, spilled over into a sob, and it trembled as s on: "Sed me, and s if I    drugged o oblivion. Do you kno means to a mot it o keep    time in t ... O suderness, suc time I o do ttle...! o tle one..."

        Sly; s declaim or raise     into a ifling ions for tesy. ive, Lord Asriel t ; she very marrow of her bones.

        Sed    King Ogun seeming to, and Lord Asriel sa, too. Not

        only o play on him.

        In fact, t    sest impression. Lord Roke sensed in ure as close to t of a scorpion as ered, and i under le tone. Better to keep scorpions w.

        So ed King Oguner c say, and Lord Asriel found flanked: for ed    o abide by his anders wishes.

        Mrs. Coulter looked at uous . ain t no one else could see tter of sly triumpiful eyes.

        "Stay, t; ;But youve spoken enougay quiet no to sider t: is it    desirable?    I    to look at t to    tions of t, t;

        time, and Mrs. Coulter e kno of its leaders strengths.

        But no tialys and Salmakia erium, t of date. An idea came to Mrs. Coulters mind, and s felt like a po sroked eo the anders.

        t;Enoug is a problem er. Noand to test tention craft. ell go and look at it."

        ook a silver key from    and unlocked t and oucip of one golden hair.

        Lord Roke mounted    off doairs of to onto ttlements.

        A cold    ty draft, w around ed ah daemons head.

        Mrs. Coulter said o the angel:

        "Excuse me, my lady: your name is Xap;

        "Yes," said the angel.

        er, just as ca Skadi ure Mrs. Coulter had ever seen.

        "Are you one of t;

        "Yes. And sierprise t roying tyranny at last."

        "But if you fail?"

        "troyed, and cruelty ;

        As trides along ten battlements to even ts on sces do disclose ttom. Past to t making , until iny spark, and thing.

        to Lord Asriels side, and Mrs. Coulter found    to the Afri king.

        "Excuse my ignorance, sir," s;but I il t in terday... ell me about    offend    if I speak    kno    be uionally rude."

        "You do o ask," said King Ogun;ly servants of ty, and trying to extermiime anyone    remember. till ot quite trust t they are fierd proud warriors, and deadly enemies, and valuable spies.

        "Are all ;

        "t most are ;

        "And t until retly t angels ion of t imaginary...to find yourself speaking to one is discerting, isnt it...;

        "Mrs. Coulter," said t;tions are just t of t to find out."

        "A fine sort of spy Id be, to ask you so transparently," s;Im a captive, sir. I could ao. From no."

        "If you say so, I am o believe you," said t;Angels are more difficult to uand t all of one kind, to begin er poed alliances among t enmities, t tle about. ty o being."

        Sopped. Sed beside    of tly shadows over her face.

        "You say t so casually," s;as if it oo, but...    be? ty created t ed before everyto being?"

        "t; said Ogun;It soo, to learn t ty is not tor. tor, or t:    kno at some point ty toled against oo. t rebellion. Never before est force ever assembled. But it may still not be enoug;

        "But end?    is t;

        "y. Empty of scious life, t is. e are not ialists, Mrs. Coulter. e    e to quer, but to build."

        "And is o attack t;

        Ogun her levelly.

        "ere not going to i; ;but if tter be ready for er, I am a king, but its my proudest task to join Lord Asriel iing up a    name siy first set    of t no part of it. t. e io izens of t;

        Mrs. Coulter ed to say more, to ask tions t rose to    the king had

        moved on, uno keep ing, and so follow.

        taircase led so far do by time it reac t e invisible. ell before tle breat, but s and moved on doill it opened out into a massive    by gloals in t supported tries, beams, and    them purposefully.

        Lord Asriel o er arrived, and    ing to let ,     figure    on toticed t, presumably as a courtesy to Lord Roke, every pillar y bracket at    so t o be included in the discussion.

        But t stay in t    ttendant o let to tform of a railing ive.

        treated be t of to to t by tals, s against mirrored mahogany panels.

        As soon as Lord Asriel rain began to move, gliding smootform and into a tunnel, accelerating briskly. Only track gave any idea of their speed.

        "; Mrs. Coulter asked.

        "to t; Lord Asriel said sly, and turned ao talk quietly he angel.

        Mrs. Coulter said to Lord Roke, "My lord, are your spies al out in pairs?"

        ";

        "Simple curiosity. My daemon and I found ourselves at a stalemate ly in t cave, and I rigued to see ."

        &quued? Did you not expect people of our size to be good fig;

        S y of his pride.

        "No," s;I t    you easily, and you very nearly beat us. Im o admit my mistake. But do you always fig;

        "You are a pair, are you not, you and your daemon? Did you expect us to cede tage?" y stare, brilliantly clear even in t ligals, dared o ask more.

        Sly and said nothing.

        Several minutes    past, and Mrs. Coulter felt train taking to tains . S guess , but    fifteen minutes rain began to sloly to a platform    after tunnel.

        Lord Asriel ope out into an atmosp and sulp Mrs. Coulter o gasp. ty one.

        An attendant form, and instantly t s over t made ted by t of sound and lig. ed, Mrs. Coulter looked around, alive y.

        Sories in    seemed like a village smited in a moment to tant ceiling and to flatten balks of irorunks, pounding t in a fra of a sed    made tain tremble; from a vent in teal floil it    off by an adamant gate, and t seeto roo settle and cool in a cloud of evil smoke; gigantic slig mad folded and pressed ss of inc issue paper, and trous    flat again, layerial upoal    t layers became oougher one, over and ain.

        If Iorek Byrnison could    ted t t al. Mrs. Coulter could only look and    o speak and be uood, and no oried. And n to to follo beloo    metals from ther rock.

        talactites range colors and wer could feel a cool breeze on ed face.

        tals t gave t ed on sor enclosed in glo scattered loosely on torco add to t, so little by little ty began to feel cold again; and presently t, quite suddenly, into t air.

        t a place ain , great iron doors in tainside, some open and some s; and from out of one of ty doorways, men were arpaulin.

        " is t?" Mrs. Coulter said to the Afri king, and he replied:

        "tention craft."

        Mrs. Coulter    t could mean, and se curiosity as to take off tarpaulin.

        Sood close to King Ogun;    do?"

        "ere about to see," said the king.

        It looked like some kind of plex drilling apparatus, or t of a gyropter, or t     least a dozen levers and    of it. It stood on six legs, eaced and sprung at a different ao t it seemed botid ungainly; and tself ons, coiled cables, sc ell ructure and , because it    from be of it was hidden in gloom.

        Lord Roke on o it directly, cirg above, examining it from all sides. Lord Asriel and t itself, one carrying a clipboard, anoth of cable.

        Mrs. Coulters eyes gazed at t    of it, making sense of its plexity. And as sco t, fastening a leat and sting a    securely on o folloo adjust someto the doorway.

        tention craft moved, ter    sure     as if it    e still, poised range energy on t legs. As s moved again, and t    urning t,

        sing t busily moving t dial, adjusting t trol; aion craft vanished.

        Some o t op, turning sloo t. t of    y. It simply he air.

        "Listen," said King Ogun;to t;

        Surned raio    moaned around tain, and t t, and t door at some signal topped and ts inguis Mrs. Coulter could ly, ter engines on ts of wind.

        "; sly.

        "Decoys," said t;My pilots, flying a mission to tempt to folloc;

        Srying to see anyt ts fears. Above tention craft     of    effe it. No lig, so it    to see, and t of sigely.

        t t sigs lo t as to eadily. Six gyropters, flying fast, one of trouble, for smoke trailed from it, and it fleain, but on a course to take t it and beyond.

        And be, came a motley colle of fliers. It    easy to make out    Mrs. Coulter sarange kind, traig, one great bird t glided less speed carrying three or fels.

        "A raiding party," said King Ogunwe.

        ters. t blazed from one , folloer by a sound, a deep crack. But ts target, ter, because in tant as t, and before t saion craft, and a shell exploded in midair.

        Mrs. Coulter ime to uand t almost instantaneous sequence of ligtle    at all easy to follo of every flier so quick; but a series of nearly silent flas tainside, apanied by s eam. Eacrue a different raider: t caug bird uttered a scream like tearing of a mountain-ain and plummeted onto t of gloicles til t like a dying firework.

        ters, tion craft, still s sloo look around. tru of ty e t Mrs. Coulter, ention craft, it seemed to sself, and t he ground again.

        King Ogun flood out over ter stayed ion craft.

        " to us?" ly.

        "Surely    ; sone.

        t in t to of making Lord Asriel a proposition: of    to go to torial Court of Discipline and spying for e t    to vi s. And no t to go    resist an offer like t.

        But no t strange flying macruck even more forcibly, and sh glee.

        "Asriel," sly, "may I see ;

        racted and impatient, but full of excited satisfa, too. ed ention craft; s be able to resist s off.

        King Ogunood aside, and Lord Asriel reaco t. o t and crols.

        " ?" she said.

        "Your iions," ;end to go for ;

        "ts no ansell me.    sort of engine is it?    fly? I couldnt see anyt all. But trols.. .from is almost like a gyropter."

        to tell    a cable at teeth.

        "Your demean," ;o eet doesnt matter. And you o    . t floor amplifies it, os more plicated t, but to fly. e put in trols like a gyropter for ty, but eventually    need trols at all. Of course, only a ."

        "I see," she said.

        And s    of the mae.

        In t s on crol t in a gyropter ilt ttle for oention craft leapt into the air.

        But s quite    yet. t ill for some moments, sligilted, before srols to move it for to ;    up o stop King Oguno fire oion craft; and ;Lord Roke, go ;

        t once, and traigo till-open    door. t; d t iced ttle figure of Lord Roke leaping from o them.

        A moment later, tention craft began to move, and to skim doo Lord Asriels . No more ter, t arry air.

        Lord Asriel .

        "ell, King, you e rig; ;and I seo you in t place. S ed somet."

        "Arent you going to pursue ; said King Ogunwe.

        ", aroy a perfectly good aircraft? Certainly not."

        ";

        "Not at first. S knoorial Court and give tention craft as an ear pledge of good faithem for us.

        Sried every oty: t onell be a novel experience. And as soon as s w;

        "And w ;

        "O as a surprise, dont you?" to ter, more advanced model of tention craft ing tion.
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