Lyra looked up at John Faas massive frame. Her heart was thumping so much she could hardly hear the first words of his reply.
「Now spell it out, Raymond, dont be shy,」 he said. 「You want us to give this child up to them shes a fleeing from, is that right?」
The man stood obstinately frowning, but said nothing.
「Well, perhaps you would, and perhaps you wouldnt,」 John Faa tinued. 「But if any man or woman needs a reason for doing good, ponder on this. That little girl is the daughter of Lord Asriel, no less. For them as has fotten, it were Lord Asriel who interceded with the Turk for the life of Sam Broekman. It were Lord Asriel who allowed gyptian boats free passage on the als through his property. It were Lord Asriel who defeated the Watercourse Bill in Parliament, treat and lasting be. And it were Lord Asriel who fought day and night in the floods of 53, and plunged headlong ier twice to pull out young Ruud and Nellie Koopman. You fotten that? Shame, shame on you, shame.
「And now that same Lord Asriel is held in the farthest coldest darkest regions of the wild, captive, in the fortress of Svalbard. Do I o tell you the kind of creatures a guarding him there? And this is his little daughter in our care, and Raymond va would hand her over to the authorities for a bit of pead quiet. Is that right, Raymond? Stand up and answer, man.」
But Raymond va had sunk to his seat, and nothing would make him stand. A low hiss of disapproval souhrough the great hall, and Lyra felt the shame he must be feeling, as well as a deep glow of pride in her brave father.
John Faa turned away, and looked at the other men on the platform.
「Nicholas Rokeby, Im a putting you in charge of finding a vessel, and anding her once we sail. Adam Stefanski, I want you to take charge of the arms and munitions, and and the fighting. Roger van Poppel, you look to all the other stores, from food to cold-weather clothing. Simon Hartmann, you be treasurer, and at to us all for a proper apportio of old.
Benjamin de Ruyter, I want you to take charge of spying. Theres a great deal we ought to find out, and Im a giving you the charge of that, and youll report to Farder . Michael zona, yoing to be responsible for coordinating the first four leaders work, and youll report to me, and if I die, youre my sed in and and youll take over.
「Now Ive made my dispositions acc to , and if any man or womao disagree, they may do so freely.」
After a moment a woman stood up.
「Lord Faa, ent you a taking any women on this expedition to look after them kids once you found em?」
「No, Nell. We shall have little space as it is. Any kids we free will be better off in our care thaheyve been.」
「But supposing you find out that you t rescue em without some women in disguise as guards or nurses or whatever?」
「Well, I hadnt thought of that,」 John Faa admitted. 「Well sider that most carefully wheire into the parley room, you have my promise.」
She sat down and a man stood up.
「Lord Faa, I heard you say that Lord Asriel is in captivity. Is it part of your plan to rescue him? Because if it is, and if hes in the power of them bears as I think you said, thats going to need more than a hundred ay men. And good friend as Lord Asriel is to us, I dont know as theres any call on us to go as far as that.」
「Adriaan Braks, youre n. What I had it in my mind to do was to keep our eyes and ears open and see what knowledge we gl