se I need you!”

    tal, and t spilling from t ts, te fur beloal, and ed to embrace  from , ipped fur.

    “ell?” he said.

    “e got to catcaken Roger and o—I darent think—oh, lorek, I beg you, go quick, my dear!”

    “Come then,” he said, and she leaped on his back.

    to ask racks of traig from tyard and over to folloion  to sit balanced irely automatic. le on ter tes sed under hm.

    Behem.

    t it cast over t as it  silver and profound black. tracks of Lord Asriels sledge ran straigoark pointed sting up into a sky as black as ters velvet clotself—or ouc on t peak? Lyra peered araining alaimon flew as h an owls clear vision.

    “Yes,”  a moment later; “its Lord Asriel, and he back....”

    Lyra felt lorek Byrnison c tention. ing o cast left and right.

    “ is it?” Lyra said.

    say. ening intently, but serious, vastly distant rustling and crackling. It , conjured a radiating glo of tmospo be a display more brilliant and extraordinary t seen, as if t aking place beloed to lig  as.

    But none of ttention   ter all, t  loreks attention. anding stock-still no around freely. Sometroubling him.

    Lyra looked around, back across t open plain leading to Lord Asriels oumbled mountains tense. t veils trembled and raced to one side, and jagged curtains folded and unfolded above, increasing in size and brilliance every minute; arcs and loops sangible forces.

    “itcurned in joy and relief.

    But a  to gasp s and sanding  he sn