skull!”

    “So  might mean?”

    “Deat death?”

    “ts rig deat, after time, he second one.”

    “Dyou knoiced, Farder Coram? tops t round it kind of tc stops. Is t saying its then?”

    “Probably.  are you asking it, Lyra?”

    “Im a topped, surprised to find t sually been asking a question  realizing it. “I just put tures toget Mr. de Ruyter, see....And I put toget and to ask ting on h his spying, and—”

    “hree symbols?”

    “Because I t t  you kind of distill, and t of ts ted to t tion in my mind, and topped at deat could be really working, Farder Coram?”

    “Its  knole art. I wonder if—”

    Before ence, t knock at tian man came in.

    “Beg pardon, Farder Coram, t come back, and hes sore wounded.”

    “er,” said Farder Coram. “s happened?”

    “ speak,” said tter come, Farder Coram, cause  last long, hes a bleeding inside.”

    Farder Coram and Lyra exc, but only for a second, and t on icks as fast as oo, ience.

    to a boat tied up at t jetty, s important t Jacobs got to say, mistress.”

    So t tood back,  on tc lay a man  and whose eyes were glazed.

    “Ive sent for t agitate er  just a fees ago.”

    “er now?”

    “ying up. It was o send for you.”

    “Quite right. Now, Jacob, can ye hear me?”

    Jacobs eyes rolled to look at Farder Coram sitting on te bunk, a foot or two away.

    “hello, Farder Coram,” he murmured.

    Lyra looked at , and sill beside  not asleep, for her eyes were open an