ne rescued from drowning. ill frowned, puzzled.

    quot;Its ; s;;

    quot;Sorry. Did you see anyt; ;Stairs,quot; said Pantalaimon. quot;Stairs and dark rooms. the young man.

    ;

    quot;Dancing?quot;

    quot;Moving to and fro,  sa;

    quot;Figer?quot; Lyra guessed. But t guess any better, so toopped ain (once again Pantalaimon fleo look); and to to, like frowning eyes.

    quot;ell o go in t, t; said ill. eps and pushe door wide.

    Sunligruck in, and took a step or t in fartones uries, and t a fligeps going do far enougo see t it opened into a  one end, ; but t up to trance o her lips, looking up.

    quot;I can ; s;alking to ;

    ill listened  too: a loerrupted occasionally by a  cry of anger. It sounded like the voice of a madman.

    ill ble  off to climb taircase. It eps as ones: far too solid to creak underfoot. t diminision  ened, climbed t, and t of ing, rsteps. It came from a room across tood ajar.

    ill tiptoed to it and pus open another few inches so he could see.

    It ered on taining badly preserved volumes orted y tables, and ot back higgledy-piggledy.

    In ter of talaimon ly like t. o to one side, to time   of acles. In t  a special-looking knife, just a dull blade about eig it for side, jab up and down, all

    in ty air.

    o turn, and ill  a finger to o Lyra, and led o tairs and up to t floor.

    quot;s ; she whispered.

    as well as he could.

    quot;; said Lyra. quot;Is ;

    quo