Will said, "Who is this man whos got the knife?"
They were in the Rolls-Royce, driving up through Oxford. Sir Charles sat in the front, half-turned around, and Will and Lyra sat in the back, with Pantalaimon a mouse now, soothed in Lyras hands.
"Someone who has no mht to the khan I have to the alethiometer," said Sir Charles.
"Unfortunately for all of us, the alethiometer is in my possession, and the knife is in his."
"How do you know about that other world anyway?"
"I know many things that you dont. What else would you expect? I am a good deal older and siderably better informed. There are a number of doorways between this world and that; those who know where they are easily pass bad forth. In Cittagazze theres a Guild of learned men, so called, who used to do so all the time."
"You ent from this world at all!" said Lyra suddenly. "Youre from there, ent you?"
And again came that strange her memory. She was almost certain shed seen him before.
"No, Im not," he said.
Will said, "If weve got to get the knife from that man, we o know more about him. Hes not going to just give it to us, is he?"
"Certainly not. Its the ohing keeping the Specters away. Its not going to be easy by any means."
"The Specters are afraid of the knife?"
"Very much so."
"Why do they attaly grownups?"
"You doo know that now. It doesnt matter. Lyra," Sir Charles said, turning to her, "tell me about your remarkable friend."
He meant Pantalaimon. And as soon as he said it, Will realized that the snake hed seen cealed in the mans sleeve was a daemon too, and that Sir Charles must e from Lyras world. He was asking about Pantalaimon to put them off the track: so he didnt realize that Will had seen his own daemon.
Lyra lifted Pantalaimon close to her breast, and he became a black rat, whipping his tail around and around her wrist and glaring at Sir Charles with red eyes.
"You werent supposed to see him," she said. "Hes my daemon. You think you ent got daemons in this world, but you have. Yoursd be a dule."
"If the Pharaohs of Egypt were tent to be represented by a scarab, so am I," he said. "Well, youre from yet another world. How iing. Is that where the alethiometer es from, or did you steal it on your travels?"
"I was given it," said Lyra furiously. "The Master of Jordan College in my ave it to me. Its mine by right. And you wouldnt know what to do with it, you stupid, stinky old man; youd never read it in a hundred years. Its just a toy to you. But I , and so does Will. Well get it back, dont worry."
"Well see," said Sir Charles. "This is where I dropped you before. Shall we let you out here?"
"No," said Will, because he could see a police car farther down the road. "You t e into Cigazze because of the Specters, so it doesnt matter if you know where the window is. Take us farther up toward the ring road."
"As you wish," said Sir Charles, and the car moved on. "When, or if, you get the knife, call my number and Allan will e to pick you up."
They said no more till the chauffeur drew the car to a halt.
As they got out, Sir Charles lowered his window and said to Will, "By the way, if you t get the knife, dont bother to return. e to my house without it and Ill call the police. I imagiheyll be there at once when I tell them your real is William Parry, isnt it? Yes, I thought so.
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