ure to be partly sinful. No one agrees. No one can, because text is corrupt. But it oo good a o e, and ts .”

    “And  the Gobblers?” Lyra said.

    “tion Board...Your moto spot tting up  siced. It suits terium to allo agencies to flouris one anotend to ing it all along, and if it fails, tend it fit which had never been properly licensed.

    “You see, your motious for po first sried to get it in t t didnt o turn to turally s take te a man could aken—priest o be unorto set up . It o specialize in Dust. Everyone o do; and  an investigation, terium  th money and resources of all kinds.”

    “But tting—” Lyra couldnt bring o say it; t t t?”

    “t. Somet  tration means? It means removing t eristics of a man. A castrate keeps reble voice all : so useful in Crati became great singers, ists. Many just became fat spoiled s of tion. But t flinc ttle cut, you see. t. And t ics or sterile bandages or proper nursing care. It le by comparison.”

    “It isnt!” Lyra said fiercely. “It isnt!”

    “No. Of course not. ts  and reasonable? But because it ion, serium could deny if to, as well.”

    “But o do t cutting in t place?”

    “It   adolescence miged: t t Dust began to settle.

    Pered from t never be subject to Dust—to original sin. tion o separate daemon and body  killing t sraveled in many places, and seen all kinds of traveled in Africa, for instance.t s o  looks like a corpse....”

    “Its a person  their daemon!”

    “Exactly. So s t it o separa