f t meeting t Im oday.”

    “Are you an explorer too?” said Lyra.

    “In a kind of o times. Last year I spent tions of the Aurora.”

    t ; noted now for Lyra. S Mrs.

    Coulter ened rapt and silent to ales of igloo building, of seal ing, of negotiating co tell, and sat in silence until the men came in.

    Later, o leave, ter said, “Stay beo talk to you for a minute or to my study, c do for me.”

    Puzzled, tired, exed, Lyra did as old  sedly left t  so from ts. Lyra cer, but s see er came into tudy and s the door.

    do by ly as ter said:

    “So, Lyra. Youve been talking to Mrs. Coulter. Did you enjoy  she said?”

    “Yes!”

    “She is a remarkable lady.”

    “S .”

    ter sig and black tie  t one day, quite soon,  under tory, and an artist ure of e for h his.

    “I sime before noalk er a fes. “I ending to do so in any case, but it seems t time is furt. You  found it easy to obey us, but ness in your nature, and a lot of determination. Youre going to need all of t.

    to protect you from—by keeping you  ts no longer possible.”

    Sared. ere to send her away?

    “You kne sometime youd o go to scer  on. “e aug not ematically. Our kno kind. You need to kno elderly men are not able to teac t .

    Youre not a servants c put you out to be fostered by a to  your needs are different. You see, o you, Lyra, is t t of your life t belongs to Jordan College is coming to an end.”

    “No,” s  to leave Jordan. I like it  to s