ill set off at once to. After several ts and turns t into t of tone to morning.

    ty or so c toicks in tones at rapped against t first Lyra t it  coming from inside the semicircle

    all. And too, in fear as well as red.

    ill ran up to t one back. It  riped t-s. As urned Lyra sae rims around  o look. Angelica and tle brotoo, stones in tered fiercely in t.

    t. Only tinued, and t it abby cat, co tos ear torn and its tail bent. It  ill  o the window.

    As soon as o t, furious, but t.

    And to  and ood to face t for a crazy second t  last.

    quot; are you ing t for?quot;  ansood trembling at ills anger, breatcicks and tones, and t speak.

    But t;You ain from  Specters, you don kno cats eit;

    triped t-s o fig  been for t in ills arms,  ill s and teet, and ill le. t of electric red bet only violence could ground. But t.

    quot;; emptuously.

    quot;Doesnt matter ake o you, s out of t;

    For a moment ill t tred o put t dourned to see Lyra standing  spotted leopard e as alaimon, ened for a second.

    Its effect on tic: turned and fled at once. A feer ty.

    But before t, Lyra looked up at toalaimon prompted  briefly sop, looking dotle-mented rim, and not a c a young man, h curly hair.

    er t above tin of condensed milk, and t  o lick alaimon -formed out of curiosity, and at first tabby cat led  s alaimon  nor a t, and proceeded to ignore him.

    Lyra cending tion. to in  from t or anots  for making pets of.

    quot;I tails broken,quot; ill said. quot;I dont knoo do about t. Maybe itll self.

    Ill put some  t someiseptic....quot;

    It  at least it kept  off, and tting cleaner all time.

    quot;You sure t; she said.

    quot;Oened of cats, t be many in t find ;

    quot;t crazy,quot; Lyra said. quot;t.quot;

    quot;I ; said ill.

    But   to talk about it, and ster to ask. S even ask ter.

    Sired, so presently s to bed and slept at once.

    A little later, ook a cup of coffee and ting case, and sat on t corning to read by, and ed to look at the papers.

    t many. As , tters, ten on airmail paper in black ink.

    ted so muco find; o rying to get closer to tarted to read.

    Fairbanks, Alaska ednesday, 19 June 1985 My darling—ture of efficiency and cores are  t, a genial dim called Nelson,  made any arrangements for carrying o tains—o transport. But it means I o talk to an old boy I met last time, a gold miner called Jake Petersen.

    tracked o a dingy bar and under tV I asked  t talk took me back to ment. ittle of Jack Daniels alked for a long time— seen it   an Eskimo o t  it for centuries; pan of tiation of a medicine man involved going trop s at 69°0211quot; N, 157°1219quot; ,ona spur of Lookout Ridge a mile or t on to otic legends—ts been drifting unmanned for sixty years, stuff like t. ts are a decent creo get to aining tience o keep it like t. My fondest love to you both. Johnny.

    Umiat, Alaska Saturday, 22 June 1985 My darling—-so muc did I call —t Nelson is not, and if Im not mistaken ually looking for trated by  t of team   to  for anytransport,  a  by accident, and I o ask  t when I overheard him

    talking on to someone—describing t  knoion. Later on I bougic ;more t; line. Pretended to tease ations of science—bet you cant explain Bigfoot, etc.—co spirit . I pretended not to notice and  on to c, told ory.

    So I  me doitious military block Im rig too. tion is, do I tell ? Got to  w his game is.

    Fondest love to both— Johnny.

    Colville Bar, Alaska Monday, 24 June 1985 Darling—I  get a co post anotter for a oake to ts are fizzing to get up tation ted. I said old me of some naro some incredible age, side t . ouldnt it be strange if talking of  buddy noo imply t  I kno c. And I pretend to be bluff Major Parry, stout fello not too muc. But I kno. For one tually comes from try of Defense—I kno. I looked in te—a radiation suit if ever Ive seen one. A rum do, my darling. I sick to my plan: take ts to t and go off by my self for a feo look for to Nelson  on Lookout Ridge, Ill play it by ear.

    Later. A real bit of luck. I met Jake Petersen s pal tt Kigalik. Jake old me o old me ts oo; c being seen, because  , and turned out to be Russian, a spy.  tell me more t; I got t o me. Its like a gap in t of  and you see anot its not easy to find because t part of t like ts on ty paces or so to t of a tall rock sanding bear, and tion Jake gave me is not quite rigs nearer 12quot; N than 11.

    isrop he boy for me—Johnny.

    ill found his head ringing.

    ly  be on t track. And t t oo.

    ill  a baby ter ten. Seven years after t  ect  follo to protect he more.

    And tally, tion t not all ter all. ter er tters, tion.

    it meant. But  deeply  ant to s Joely, discovered traordinary t, talk about it, and  ill steps.

    t  and till. ters away and fell asleep.