The Subtle Knife Part 29

"Every moment."

"Did he know?"

"He had no idea."

"Why didn't you stop the witch, then? Why did you let her kill him?"

"We would have done, earlier. But his task was over once he'd led us to you."

Will said nothing. His head was ringing; this was no less difficult to understand than anything else.

"All right," he said finally. "I'll come with you. But first I must wake Lyra."

They stood aside to let him pa.s.s, and he felt a tingle in the air as he went close to them, but he ignored it and concentrated on getting down the slope toward the little shelter where Lyra was sleeping.

But something made him stop.

In the dimness, he could see the witches who had been guarding Lyra all sitting or standing still. They looked like statues, except that they were breathing, but they were scarcely alive. There were several black-silk-clad bodies on the ground, too, and as he gazed in horror from one to another of them, Will saw what must have happened: they had been attacked in midair by the Specters, and had fallen to their deaths, indifferently.

But- "Where's Lyra?" he cried aloud.

The hollow under the rock was empty. Lyra was gone.

There was something under the overhang where she'd been lying. It was Lyra's little canvas rucksack, and from the weight of it he knew without looking that the alethiometer was still inside it.

Will was shaking his head. It couldn't be true, but it was: Lyra was gone, Lyra was captured, Lyra was lost.

The two dark figures of the bene elim bene elim had not moved. But they spoke: "You must come with us now. Lord Asriel needs you at once. The enemy's power is growing every minute. The shaman has told you what your task is. Follow us and help us win. Come with us. Come this way. Come now." had not moved. But they spoke: "You must come with us now. Lord Asriel needs you at once. The enemy's power is growing every minute. The shaman has told you what your task is. Follow us and help us win. Come with us. Come this way. Come now."

And Will looked from them to Lyra's rucksack and back again, and he didn't hear a word they said.

END.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR.

Philip Pullman is the acclaimed author of the trilogy His Dark Materials: is the acclaimed author of the trilogy His Dark Materials:The Golden Compa.s.s, The Subtle Knife, The Subtle Knife, and and The Amber Spygla.s.s The Amber Spygla.s.s. His other books for children and young adults include I Was a Rat! I Was a Rat!, Count Karlstein Count Karlstein, and a trilogy of Victorian thrillers featuring Sally Lockhart: The Ruby in the Smoke The Ruby in the Smoke, The Shadow in the North, The Shadow in the North, and and The Tiger in the Well The Tiger in the Well.

A graduate of Oxford University with a degree in English, Philip Pullman lives with his family in Oxford, England.

Also by Philip Pullman

The Ruby in the Smoke

The Shadow in the North

The Tiger in the Well

Spring-Heeled Jack

The Broken Bridge

The White Mercedes

The Tin Princess

The Golden Compa.s.s