His Dark Materials Omnibus Read Free Page A

slowly. She was agog: cases of specimens? A projecting lantern? What did he have to show the Scholars that was so urgent and important?
    Then Lord Asriel stood up and turned away from the fire. She saw him fully, and marveled at the contrast he made with the plump Butler, the stooped and languid Scholars. Lord Asriel was a tall man with powerful shoulders, a fierce dark face, and eyes that seemed to flash and glitter with savage laughter. It was a face to be dominated by, or to fight: never a face to patronize or pity. All his movements were large and perfectly balanced, like those of a wild animal, and when he appeared in a room like this, he seemed a wild animal held in a cage too small for it.
    At the moment his expression was distant and preoccupied. His dæmon came close and leaned her head on his waist, and he looked down at her unfathomably before turning away and walking to the table. Lyra suddenly felt her stomach lurch, for Lord Asriel had taken the stopper from the decanter of Tokay, and was pouring a glass.
    “No!”
    The quiet cry came before she could hold it back. Lord Asriel heard and turned at once.
    “Who’s there?”
    She couldn’t help herself. She tumbled out of the wardrobe and scrambled up to snatch the glass from his hand. The wine flew out, splashing on the edge of the table and the carpet, and then the glass fell and smashed. He seized her wrist and twisted hard.
    “Lyra! What the hell are you doing?”
    “Let go of me and I’ll tell you!”
    “I’ll break your arm first. How dare you come in here?”
    “I’ve just saved your life!”
    They were still for a moment, the girl twisted in pain but grimacing to prevent herself from crying out louder, the man bent over her frowning like thunder.
    “What did you say?” he said more quietly.
    “That wine is poisoned,” she muttered between clenched teeth. “I saw the Master put some powder in it.”
    He let go. She sank to the floor, and Pantalaimon fluttered anxiously to her shoulder. Her uncle looked down with a restrained fury, and she didn’t dare meet his eyes.
    “I came in just to see what the room was like,” she said. “I know I shouldn’t have. But I was going to go out before anyone came in, except that I heard the Master coming and got trapped. The wardrobe was the only place to hide. And I saw him put the powder in the wine. If I hadn’t—”
    There was a knock on the door.
    “That’ll be the Porter,” said Lord Asriel. “Back in the wardrobe. If I hear the slightest noise, I’ll make you wish you were dead.”
    She darted back there at once, and no sooner had she pulled the door shut than Lord Asriel called, “Come in.”
    As he’d said, it was the Porter.
    “In here, my lord?”
    Lyra saw the old man standing doubtfully in the doorway, and behind him, the corner of a large wooden box.
    “That’s right, Shuter,” said Lord Asriel. “Bring them both in and put them down by the table.”
    Lyra relaxed a little, and allowed herself to feel the pain in her shoulder and wrist. It might have been enough to make her cry, if she was the sort of girl who cried. Instead she gritted her teeth and moved the arm gently until it felt looser.
    Then came a crash of glass and the glug of spilled liquid.
    “Damn you, Shuter, you careless old fool! Look what you’ve done!”
    Lyra could see, just. Her uncle had managed to knock the decanter of Tokay off the table, and made it look as if the Porter had done it. The old man put the box down carefully and began to apologize.
    “I’m truly sorry, my lord—I must have been closer than I thought—”
    “Get something to clear this mess up. Go on, before it soaks into the carpet!”
    The Porter hurried out. Lord Asriel moved closer to the wardrobe and spoke in an undertone.
    “Since you’re in there, you can make yourself useful. Watch the Master closely when he comes in. If you tell me something interesting about him, I’ll keep you from getting further into the trouble