she hadn’t got time to berate herself,

For the first time ever I felt I was doing something with all of my nature and not only a part of it.

men pass in front of our eyes like butterflies, creatures of a brief season.

but it wasn’t only imagination the nurse lacked, it was curiosity as well.

smiling happily, because Yambe-Akka was merry and light-hearted and her visits were gifts of joy.

They felt as if they were home again. The wide warm night, and the scent of flowers and the sea, and the silence, bathed them like soothing water.

“Cry as much as you need to, darling,”

His part was simply to listen. His eyes were locked on hers, and he was paying profound attention; there was no need to respond.

Lyra knew that Pantalaimon’s impulse was to reach out and cuddle the little half-child, to lick him and gentle him and warm him as his own dæmon would have done; but the great taboo prevented that, of course.