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〃Yeah； that's it。 And in the lights of the Roarer there was like a city。 All towers and churches and domes and that。 It was a bit like Oxford； that's what I thought； anyway。 And Uncle Asriel； he was more interested in that； I think； but the Master and the other Scholars were more interested in Dust； like Mrs。 Coulter and Lord Boreal and them。〃
〃I see；〃 said Farder Coram。 〃That's very interesting。〃
〃Now； Lyra；〃 said John Faa； 〃I'm a going to tell you something。 Farder Coram here； he's a wise man。 He's a seer。 He's been a follering all what's been going on with Dust and the Gobblers and Lord Asriel and everything else； and he's been a follering you。 Every time the Costas went to Oxford； or half a dozen other families； e to that； they brought back a bit of news。 About you； child。 Did you know that？〃
Lyra shook her head。 She was beginning to be frightened。 Pantalaimon was growling too deep for anyone to hear； but she could feel it in her fingertips down inside his fur。
〃Oh； yes；〃 said John Faa； 〃all your doings； they all get back to Farder Coram here。〃
Lyra couldn't hold it in。
〃We didn't damage it！ Honest！ It was only a bit of mud！ And we never got very far…〃
〃What are you talking about； child？〃 said John Faa。
Farder Coram laughed。 When he did that； his shaking stopped and his face became bright and young。
But Lyra wasn't laughing。 With trembling lips she said； 〃And even if we had found the bung； we'd never've took it out！ It was just a joke。 We wouldn't've sunk it； never！〃
Then John Faa began to laugh too。 He slapped a broad hand on the table so hard the glasses rang； and his massive shoulders shook； and he had to wipe away the tears from his eyes。 Lyra had never seen such a sight； never heard such a bellow； it was like a mountain laughing。
〃Oh； yes；〃 he said when he could speak again； 〃we heard about that too； little girl！ I don't suppose the Costas have set foot anywhere since then without being reminded of it。 You better leave a guard on your boat； Tony； people say。 Fierce little girls round here！ Oh； that story went all over the fens； child。 But we en't going to punish you for it。 No； no！ Ease your mind。〃
He looked at Farder Coram； and the two old men laughed again； but more gently。 And Lyra felt contented； and safe。
Finally John Faa shook his head and became serious again。
〃I were saying； Lyra； as we knew about you from a child。 From a baby。 You oughter know what we know。 I can't guess what they told you at Jordan College about where you came from； but they don't know the whole truth of it。 Did they ever tell you who your parents were？〃
Now Lyra was pletely dazed。
〃Yes；〃 she said。 〃They said I was…they said they…they said Lord Asriel put me there because my mother and father died in an airship accident。 That's what they told me。〃
〃Ah； did they。 Well now； child； I'm a going to tell you a story； a true story。 I know it's true； because a gyptian woman told me； and they all tell the truth to John Faa and Farder Coram。 So this is the truth about yourself； Lyra。 Your father never perished in no airship accident； because your father is Lord Asriel。〃
Lyra could only sit in wonder。
〃Here's how it came about；〃 John Faa went on。 〃When he was a young man； Lord Asriel went exploring all over the North； and came back with a great fortune。 And he was a high…spirited man； quick to anger； a passionate man。
〃And your mother； she was passionate too。 Not so well born as him； but a clever woman。 A Scholar； even； and those who saw her said she was very beautiful。 She and your father； they fell in love as soon's they met。
〃The trouble was； your mother was already married。 She'd married a politician。 He was a member of the king's party； one of his closest advisers。 A rising man。
〃Now when your mother found herself with child； she feared to tell her husband the child wasn't his。 And when the baby was born…that's you； girl…it was clear from the look of you that you didn't favor her husband； but your true father； and she thought it best to hide you away and give out that you'd died。
〃So you was took to Oxfordshire； where your father had estates； and put in the care of a gyptian woman to nurse。 But someone whispered to your mother's husband what had happened； and he came a flying down and ransacked the cottage where the gyptian woman had been； only she'd fled to the great house； and the husband followed after； in a murderous passion。
〃Lord Asriel was out a hunting； but they got word to him and he came riding back in time to find your mother's husband at the foot of the great staircase。 Another moment and he'd have forced open the closet where the gyptian woman was hiding with you； but Lord Asriel challenged him； and they fought there and then； and Lord Asriel killed him。
〃The gyptian woman heard and saw it all； Lyra； and that's how we know。
〃The consequence was a great lawsuit。 Your father en't the kind of man to deny or conceal the truth； and it left the judges with a problem。 He'd killed all right； he'd shed blood； but he was defending his home and his child against an intruder。 On t'other hand； the law allows any man to avenge the violation of his wife； and the dead man's lawyers argued that he were doing just that。
〃The case lasted for weeks； with volumes of argument back and forth。 In the end the judges punished Lord Asriel by confiscating all his property and all his land； and left him a poor man； and he had been richer than a king。
〃As for your mother； she wanted nothing to do with it； nor with you。 She turned her back。 The gyptian nurse told me she'd often been afeared of how your mother would treat you； because she was a proud and scornful woman。 So much for her。
〃Then there was you。 If things had fallen out different； Lyra； you might have been brought up a gyptian； because the nurse begged the court to let her have you； but we gyptians got little standing in the law。 The court decided you was to be placed in a priory； and so you were； with the Sisters of Obedience at Watlington。 You won't remember。
〃But Lord Asriel wouldn't stand for that。 He had a hatred of priors and monks and nuns； and being a high…handed man he just rode in one day and carried you off。 Not to look after himself； nor to give to the gyptians； he took you to Jordan College； and dared the law to undo it。
〃Well； the law let things be。 Lord Asriel went back to his explorations； and you grew up at Jordan College。 The one thing he said； your father； the one condition he made； was that your mother shouldn't be let see you。 If she ever tried to do that； she was to be prevented； and he was to be told； because all the anger in his nature had turned against her now。 The Master promised faithfully to do that； and so time passed。
〃Then e all this anxiety about Dust。 And all over the country； all over the world； wise men and women too began a worrying about it。 It weren't of any account to us gyptians； until they started taking our kids。 That's when we got interested。 And we got connections in all sorts of places you wouldn't imagine； including Jordan College。 You wouldn't know； but there's been someone a watching over you and reporting to us ever since you been there。 'Cause we got an interest in you； and that gyptian woman who nursed you； she never stopped being anxious on your behalf。〃
〃Who was it watching over me？〃 said Lyra。 She felt immensely important and strange； that all her doings should be an object of concern so far away。
〃It was a kitchen servant。 It was Bernie Johansen； the pastry cook。 He's half…gyptian； you never knew that； I'll be bound。〃
Bernie was a kindly； solitary man； one of those rare people whose daemon was the same sex as himself。 It was Bernie she'd shouted at in her despair when Roger was taken。 And Bernie had been telling the gyptians everything！ She marveled。
〃So anyway；〃 John Faa went on； 〃we heard about you going away from Jordan College； and how it came about at a time when Lord Asriel was imprisoned and couldn't prevent it。 And we remembered what he'd said to the Master that he must never do； and we remembered that the man your mother had married； the politician Lord Asriel killed； was called Edward Coulter。〃
〃Mrs。 Coulter？〃 said Lyra； quite stupefied。 〃She en't my mother？〃
〃She is。 And if your father had been free； she wouldn't never have dared to defy him； and you'd still be at Jordan； not knowing a thing。 But what the Master was a doing letting you go is a mystery I can't explain。 He was charged with your care。 All I can guess is that she had some power over him。〃
Lyra suddenly understood the Master's curious behavior on the morning she'd left。
〃But he didn't want to 。 。 。 〃 she said； trying to remember it exactly。 〃He 。 。 。 I had to go and see him first thing that morning； and I mustn't tell Mrs。 Coulter 。 。 。 。It was like he wanted to protect me from her 。 。 。 〃 She stopped； and looked at the two men carefully； and then decided to tell them the whole truth about the Retiring Room。 〃See； there was something else。
That evening I hid in the Retiring Room； I saw the Master try to poison Lord Asriel。 I saw him put some powder in the wine and I told my uncle and he knocked the decanter off the table and spilled it。 So I saved his life。 I could never understand why the Master would want to poison him； because he was always so kind。 Then on the morning I left he called me in early to his study； and I had to go secretly so no one would know； and he said 。 。 。 〃 Lyra racked her brains to try and remember exactly what it was the Master had said。 No good； she shook her head。 〃The only thing I could understand was that he gave me something and I had to keep it secret from her； from Mrs。 Coulter。 I suppose it's all right if I tell you 。 。 。 。〃
She felt in the pocket of the wolfskin coat and took out the velvet package。 She laid it on the table； and she sensed John Faa's massive simple curiosity and Farder Coram's bright flickering intelligence both trained on it like searchlights。
When she laid the alethiometer bare； it was Farder Coram who spoke first。
〃I never thought I'd ever set eyes on one of them again。 That's a symbol reader。 Did he tell you anything about it； child？〃
〃No。 Only that I'd have to work out how to read it by myself。 And he called it an alethiometer。〃
〃What's that mean？〃 said John Faa； turning to his panion。
〃That's a Greek word。 I reckon it's from aktheia； which means truth。 It's a truth measure。 And have you worked out how to use it？〃 he said to her。
〃No。 Least； I can make the three short hands point to different pictures； but I can't do anything with the long one。 It goes all over。 Except sometimes； right； sometimes when I'm sort of concentrating； I can make the long needle go this way or that just by thinking it。〃
〃What's it do； Farder Coram？〃 said John Faa。 〃And how do you read it？〃
〃All these pictures round the rim；〃 said Farder Coram； holding it delicately toward John Faa's blunt strong gaze； 〃they're symbols； and each one stands for a whole series of things。 Take the anchor； there。 The first meaning of that is hope； because hope holds you fast like an anchor so you don't give way。 The second meaning is steadfastness。 The third meaning is snag； or prevention。 The fourth meaning is the sea。 And so on； down to ten； twelve； maybe a never…ending series of meanings。〃
〃And do you know them all？〃
〃I know some； but to read it fully I'd need the book。 I seen the book and I know where it is； but I en't got it。〃
〃We'll e back to that；〃 said John Faa。 〃Go on with how you read it。〃
〃You got three hands you can control；〃 Farder Coram explained； 〃and you use them to ask a question。 By pointing to three symbols you can ask any question you can imagine； because you've got so many levels of each one。 Once you got your question framed； the other needle swings round and points to more symbols that give you the answer。〃
〃But how does it know what level you're a thinking of when you set the question？〃 said John Faa。
〃Ah； by itself it don't。 It only works if the questioner holds the levels in their mind。 You got to know all the meanings； first； and there must be a thousand or more。 Then you got to be able