"I t do very muc is diseased beyond to cure it. I    effort left in me, per I kno, someto knoo succeed.

        "You see, I rigued by t ed o knoo being. And as a s    mucime in trance, expl t    turies ago, ed a tool for trument tle k , far more t, t ters into their world.

        "ell, I kno tle knife and     do. And I kno use it, and I knoask. So I o fly me norto t to find tle knife.

        "t is a dangerous ers are hing in your world or mine.

        e so be careful and ceous. I s return, and if you    to see your try again, youll need all your ce, all your craft, all your luck.

        "ts your task, Mr. Scoresby. t is ."

        And t.    s.

        "t damn idea I ever ; said Lee.

        ood up in ation and ,    g Lee warily.

        "Do you    money?" Grumman said after a fes. "I    get you some gold. ts not o do."

        "Damn, I didnt e ; said Lee ly. "I came o see if you    you ys kinda satisfied on t point."

        "Im glad to ."

        "And to too," Lee added, and told Grumman of tc Lake Enara, and tion tco. "You see," ;t little girl Lyra ...    to c place. You say yht

        me    Navaj. Maybe ts so and maybe it aint.    I kno, I didnt kno mig fers a prote on anyone    must be tle knife.

        "So taking you into t gold, but t subtle knife. And I dont    it for myself; I    it for Lyra. You o s e of t object, and take you o go."

        tened closely, and said, "Very rust my oat;

        " ;

        "Name anyt;

        Lee t and t;S urn docs t important t;

        Grummans eyes . I give you my    Ill make certaiion of tle knife. But I    knife ask to do, and it may be t     o eveer danger."

        Lee nodded soberly. "Maybe so," ;but tle cy t o ."

        "You    go into t take me."

        "And t been too sick to observe t;

        "Leave to me."

        Lee nodded.    on turquoise ring    back do track to the village.

        t some lengt to touutter a feo receive urn. Lee, meano ted breeze    lifting tirring tops. to till    it    time for days t to be a promise of clearing it.

        At tage ed Grummans pato t, and filled ttle engine,    sped do, darting urees and skimming out into t t Lee    sraveler, ; why was he so damn jumpy?

        * * * t at to find every el, every lodging e room andeered by soldiers. Not just any soldiers, eitroops of t ferociously trained and laviso uperium.

        Lee eo rest a nigting off, because Grumman looked in need of it, but there was no ce of finding a room.

        "s going on?" o tman .

        "e dont kno arrived yesterday and andeered every billet, every scrap of

        food, and every so, too, if you    taken it."

        "Dyou know w;

        "Nort; said tman. "to be fougs, test ;

        "Norto t ne;

        "ts rigroops ing; t t be a loaf of bread allon of spirit left in a ime. You did me a favor taking t—t;

        ting up noy about    at oo t it,    ough.

        ting out some spare engine parts to a requisitioning sergeant of the Guard, looked up briefly from his clipboard.

        "Balloon—too bad—requisitioned yesterday," ;You    see    is. Ive got no c;

        er flicked ood w s.

        "?" he said.

        "to collect it ternoon."

        "No, t," said Lee, "because I y t trumps t;

        And aken from t, beside    ter, stopped    t of token, but for all    prevent a flicker of puzzlement passing over his face.

        "So ; said Lee, "and you    set some men to fill it. And I mean at once. And t includes food, and er, and ballast."

        t t, o to tanks o supervise talk quietly.

        " t ring?" said Grumman.

        "Off a dead mans finger. Kinda risky using it, but I couldnt see anotting my balloon back. You re t sergeant suspected anyt;

        "Of course     question ts it at all, ime t it. ell, I promised you a wind, Mr.

        Scoresby; I ."

        t ill ain range over t tient for the air again.

        As to s and stoicular care; for in t turbule? ruments, too, o ttention, even te uselessly. Finally    for ballast.

        ing breeze, and tus straining against tout ropes anc do of o t. turo t to give to let go.

        But before terruption. From t the

        t of and:

        "!"

        t t o Lee, and ;Let go! Cast off!"

        t tention on till    around t t too, and ig.

        Lee sed, "Let go, you damn fools! S;

        too great, and t, couldnt    back.

        O go, and self loose from t t, instinctively g on instead of letting go. Lee . t oer it rengto ter.

        But ts    t, oriking a spark from ting , but none of time t, t out e, ling up into t over t    lift . o Serafina Pekkala t    care for flying, t it     meant it. S up—ter in this life?

        go of t er was croug in her usual er, eyes halfclosed.

        From far beloile volley of rifle fire. to, and ttering in t belohem.

        "ell, Dr. Grumman," ;I dont kno you, but I feel better    poor man    go of ts so damned easy to do, and if you do go at o;

        "t; said t;You ma very tle doeful for till cold."
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