The staircase led so far down that by the time it reached a level floor, the sky behind them at the head of the flight was quite invisible. Well before halfway she had little breath left, but she made no complaint and moved on down till it opened out into a massive hall lit by glowing crystals in the pillars that supported the roof. Ladders, gantries, beams, and walkways crossed the gloom above, with small figures moving about them purposefully. On the hawk's back sat a gray-haired lady, whose clear-eyed face looked first at Lyra, then at Salmakia clinging to her collar.  Can you tell how long it will take them to get here?" Will said. And Pantalaimon said, "Oh, Lyra, forgive us, but we have to tell you what we found out. Lyra said,  Excuse us for being in your house, but we had to escape from the men who were coming. I'm sorry if we startled you. I'm Lyra, and this is Will, and these are our friends, the Chevalier Tialys and the Lady Salmakia. Could you tell us your name and where we are?" He took a silver key from his pocket and unlocked the chain around the golden monkey's feet and hands, and carefully avoided touching even the tip of one golden hair. "Our old enemies vanished with the seals and the walruses. If we meet new ones, we know how to fight. Take your time, sir," Lord Asriel said gently. "Do you know where my daughter is?" As soon as they were out of earshot of the President's room, the Gallivespian sprang. Dr. Cooper, below him on the stairs, felt an agonizing stab in his shoulder and grabbed for the banister; but his arm was strangely weak, and he slipped and tumbled down the whole flight, to land semiconscious at the bottom. After three days in the company of the wheeled creatures, Mary Malone knew rather more about them, and they knew a great deal about her. But the Chevalier's expression, as he looked at Will, was displeased. "I been pretending to talk to you all the time since I died," he said. "I been wishing I could, and wishing so hard...Just wishing I could get out, me and all the other dead 'uns, 'cause this is a terrible place, Lyra, it's hopeless, there's no change when you're dead, and them bird-things... You know what they do? They wait till you're resting, you can't never sleep properly, you just sort of doze, and they come up quiet beside you and they whisper all the bad things you ever did when you was alive, so you can't forget 'em. They know all the worst things about you. They know how to make you feel horrible, just thinking of all the stupid things and bad things you ever did. And all the greedy and unkind thoughts you ever had, they know 'em all, and they shame you up and they make you feel sick with yourself... But you can't get away from 'em." Mary took the spyglass from her pocket and handed it to the witch. Serafina put it to her eye and gasped. "Leave me alone! I want to go! Let me go! Will, Will, help me, oh, help me ” FOUR - AMA AND THE BATS