.

    “One trelao boast about,” she bears—”

    “Boast! Es!  a popinjay! And a pirate! Not a scrap of original researco ter men!”

    “Yeas rigly. “And  wrong.”

    “Yes! Yes! Absolutely! No talent, no imagination, a fraud from top to bottom!”

    “I mean, for example,” said Lyra, “I bet you kno tart.”

    “Bears,” said te a treatise on ts w me away, you know.”

    “?”

    “I knooo muc t kill me. t do it, muco. I know, you see. I have friends. Yes! Powerful friends.”

    “Yea youd be a eac on. “Being as you got so much knowledge and experience.”

    Even in ttle common sense still flickered, and   as if ed  sion t hed.

    “teaceaceac pupil, and I  a fire in his mind!”

    “Because your knoo just vanis ougo be passed on so people remember you.”

    “Yes,” s very perceptive of you, c is your name?”

    “Lyra,” sold eac the bears?”

    “tfully.

    “Id really like to kno cosmology and Dust and all, but Im not clever enoug. You need really clever students for t. But I could learn about teac t. And  of practice on t and o Dust, maybe.”

    he nodded again.

    “Yes,” . tars are alive, c?

    Everyt tentions, you knoo remind me of t. Good, good—in my despair I ten. Good! Excellent, my child!”

    “So, he king? lofur Raknison?”

    “Yes. O ation, you knoo set up a university. o make me Vice-C ic Institute, e scoundrel trelawney! ha!”

    “ happened?”

    “I rayed by lesser men. trela my qualifications. Calumny! Sl