He knew at once what she meant. He leapt to her breast, and they embraced. Then she found her furlined coat, and they very quietly left the chamber and made their way down the dark stairs. Will was still asleep under the shelter tree, the lazy thing. Lyra thought of waking him up, but if she was on her own, she could swim in the river. It is capable of killing the most high angels, and what is higher than them. There is nothing this knife cannot destroy. The bear himself, who had been gathering his strength to charge the gunners, stayed where he was, but every line of his body trembled with ferocity. His great claws dug into the ground, and his black eyes glowed with rage under the iron helmet. People are too complicated to have simple labels. Heavy and soft with love, they walked back to the gate. So her sleep was broken and shallow, on the floor of the shack with all the other sleepers, and her death sat watchfully beside her. Controlling it would involve enormous forces, but just as an atomic explosion is detonated by conventional explosives, this could be done by focusing a powerful anbaric current. Say whatever you like. If it all depends on her, could they risk letting her live? You should realize that, and listen to us. Will felt his head swim. I mean, these ghosts who come here, do they stay in this town forever? He helped her into the seat and watched as she looked around the controls. I want to get off and walk. He came back shaking his head, looking uneasy. She heard the trickling of the spring, and the night wind in the grass. She heard the quiet sound of the wheels crunching over the hardpacked earth, and she heard the mulefa ahead of her murmuring to one another, and then they stopped. Will looked back once. Just asleep, and dreaming. Let me show you where they are. He waited until a cloud of stinking smoke billowed off the yellow surface, and darted upward into the thick of it. It became a game. There is no disgrace in being weary. Had she been sweeping the floor? Her sleeves were rolled, and her hair was bound up with a scarf. Will could never have imagined her looking so domestic. God help me, they cut my throat. Coulter settled back comfortably and began to tell him, not everything, but he never thought for a moment that she would. She told him about the fortress, about the allies, about the angels, about the mines and the foundries. Father, you were wrong. Could that really be a way out? And all around there was gunfire. She cried a great wail of anguish, and shook and shook the cage, trying to loosen the hair with the little strength she had left. She tore at the mesh, helpless, and then hurled her whole weight against the machine as he brought two wires together with a spark. In utter silence the brilliant silver blade shot down.