traveled for several opped to eat. ing fires and melting snoer, c seal meat close by, Joo Lyra.

    “Lyra, can you see t instrument to read it?” he said.

    tself . t from ter t, but it ant. ugged out t bag.

    “Yes, I can see all rig I kno s, Lord Faa?”

    “I  to kno his place, Bolvangar,” he said.

    it even o t it, so point to t, t tle into t meanings like a complicated diagram in t once to ss message to tc calmly, content not to kno first but to kno a meaning  began to clear. S it dance on until it ain.

    “Its just like tcartars guarding tation, and t . t really expect to be attacked, ts  Lord Faa...”

    “, child?”

    “Its a telling me somet valley troubled by a g.”

    Joiently, and said, “t dont matter noo be spirits of all kinds among ts. tell me again about tartars. ance?  are th?”

    Lyra dutifully asked, and reported the answer:

    “ty men  a couple of larger guns, sort of cannons. t fire too. And... ts  says.”

    t caused a stir among tians, those whod campaigned before.

    “ts have wolf daemons,” said one.

    Jo fiercer. e so figigers. And consult t one.”

    Lyra ient, and said, “But Lord Faa, t—I ts t of one of the kids!”

    “ell, even if it is, Lyra, I dont kno it. Sixty Sibirsk riflemen, and fire tep over .”

    came to to the bear.

    “lorek, raveled this way before?”

    “Once,”  deep flat voice.

    “t there?”

    “Over trees.

    “Is it far?”

    “For you or for me?”