1.Overview
Young adult magic fantasy is a sub genre of fantasy appearing around 1990s，represented by Harry Potter series by J.K.Rowling（1965）.Generally aimed at young adult readers，young adult magic fantasy is characterized by representing a magic world full of fantastic imaginations.This new type of writing，inheriting the tradition of 19th century's classic magic fantasy but greatly emphasizing a sense of modernity and reality in the writing，shortens the distance between them and the readers.
The huge success of Tolkien（18921973）'s The Lord of the Rings（1955）led directly to a popular resurgence of heroic fantasy writing in Britain and America.Especially during the 1970s and 1980s，the fantasy market was flooded with slavish imitations of The Lord of the Rings trilogy.This phenomenon was mercilessly satirized in Diana Wynne Jones（1934）'s The Tough Guide to Fantasyland（1996）.The fantasy marketing ran into difficulty in the late 1980s，when many publishers came to the conclusion that teenagers much preferred reading“adult fantasy”on image grounds.At the same time，many writers found that，works aimed at younger reader could be more adventurously varied and more imaginatively enterprising than the Tolkien clones that initially dominated the field of commoditized fantasy.1990s witnessed enormous successes of young adult fantasy.First in 1995，Philip Pullman（1946）published his Northern Lights（1997，also published as The Golden Compass in North America），and then in 1997，the first Harry Potter book by J.K.Rowling came into being.The two fictions were characterized by presenting a fantastic magic world.Both caused sensation in the publication world，especially in the case of Harry Potter book，the astonishing commercial success of the Harry Potter series inevitably sparked a boom in magical school stories.The era of young adult magic fantasy thus began.
Like the 19th century's classic magic fantasy fiction，the stories of young adult magic writings take place in a magic world.The magic world is often paralleled to the real world we are living in，with unique channels connecting them.In this paralleled world，there are wizards，witches，mysterious animals，magic objects and magic places.However，the difference between young adult magic fantasy fiction and the classic type is manifest.The former，by combining the traditional magic fiction elements with modern everyday life，strives to create a sense of reality and modernity.In young adult magic writings，however，ancient nations and cities which frequently appeared in the classic magic fictions rarely appear.More often，the stories are set in some ordinary places in the modern society in which we are living.Combining magic world with everyday life and thus shortening the distance to readers is one of the great appeals of the new sub genre.Besides，as a product of fast growing young adult's market，this new writing is aiming at young readers.Most of the protagonists are children; and children's adventures through the magic world are the main subjects of young adult magic fantasy fiction.
Notable writers of young adult magic fantasy include J.K.Rowling，Philip Pullman and Diana Wynne Jones.J.K.Rowling is a brilliant and imaginative writer，and she is best known for her Harry Potter series.Combining comedy with dark fantasy and blending the traditional British boarding school story with the American high school horror story，the series became the best selling books of their era throughout Europe and the United States.Being a writer of great range，depth，and imagination，Philip Pullman is recognized as one of the most talented creators of children's literature to have entered the field in the last quarter century.Philip Pullman's works are featured by metaphysical imagination，literary depth，suspenseful and emotional storytelling.Pullman is best known for his Dark Material trilogy，which is distinguished not only for its narrative and poetic power but also for its awareness of literary tradition.Diana Wynne Jones is a highly imaginative writer.She writes challenging and wildly entertaining fantasies for children，drawing on references as wide as ancient Celtic mythology，mediaeval theology，and Steven Hawkings' theories of time.She presents intriguing possibilities about time and history，most notably in her creation of“related worlds”，where new worlds split off from the one we know at significant points in history.She is without doubt one of the most significant authors writing for young people at the moment.Her better known works include Howl's Moving Castle（1986）and Dark Lord of Derkholm（1998）.
In addition to the three writers mentioned above，many other writers commit themselves to young adult magic fantasy fiction.Neil Gaiman（1960），for example，is an immensely popular writer; some critics even go as far as seeing him as the future of fantasy literature.His notable works include Stardust（2002）and The Graveyard Book（2008）.Jenny Nimmo（1944）is a British author of numerous books for children，including her representative Charlie Bone series.Susan Price（1955）also writes excellent fantasy for younger children.She is best known for her award winning novel The Sterkarm Handshake（1998）and its sequel A Sterkarm Kiss（2003）.
2.Philip Pullman：His Dark Materials，Northern Lights
A.Biographical Introduction
Born in 1946，Philip Pullman（1946）began life in Norwich，an old Saxon town in the eastern English county of Norfolk.Pullman's father was a pilot in Britain's Royal Air Force，a job that took the Pullman family around the world.Before he was eleven years old，Pullman had lived in England，South Africa，and Australia，had traveled by boat through the Suez Canal，and had visited countries as diverse as India，Yemen，Sri Lanka，Zimbabwe，and the Canary Islands.These childhood voyages are at the root of the intricately imagined universe of his most famous work，the trilogy entitled“His Dark Materials”.
When Pullman was seven，his father died in combat in Kenya.Pullman's mother eventually married another man in the Royal Air Force.By the time Pullman was eleven years old，his family had settled in North Wales.There，Pullman enrolled in a comprehensive school.
Some of Pullman's fondest memories from childhood are of his grandfather，who was a clergyman in the Church of England.Pullman's grandfather regaled Pullman with classic stories and tales of his own invention，and comforted him after the death of his father.Though a major theme of the His Dark Materials trilogy is the treachery of organized religion，Pullman did not feel oppressed by the Anglican Church in his youth and his grandfather did not practice the kind of religious fundamentalism under attack in the books.Pullman has said that the church was a source of security when he was a child.As a teenager，however，Pullman gradually realized that religion wasn't for him.
From 1963 Pullman attended Exeter College，Oxford，receiving a Third class BA in 1968.He was the first pupil from his school to win a place at Oxford，where he studied English literature.In an interview with the Oxford Student he stated that he“did not really enjoy the English course”and that“I thought I was doing quite well until I came out with my third class degree and then I realized that I wasn't—it was the year they stopped giving fourth class degrees otherwise I'd have got one of those”.At Oxford he focused on the work of the seventeenth century poet and essayist John Milton.The title of Pullman's trilogy，“His Dark Materials”，comes from a phrase in Milton（16081674）'s epic poem Paradise Lost（1667），which retells the biblical story of Adam and Eve and their fall into sin.
Pullman married Judith Speller in 1970 and began teaching children and writing school plays.His first published work was The Haunted Storm（1972），which joint won the New English Library's Young Writer's Award in 1972.He nevertheless refuses to discuss it.Galatea（1978），an adult fantasy fiction novel，followed in 1978，but it was his school plays which inspired his first children's book，Count Karlstein（1982），in 1982.He stopped teaching around the publication of The Ruby in the Smoke（1986），his second children's book，whose Victorian setting is indicative of Pullman's interest in that era.
Pullman taught part time at Westminster College，Oxford between 1988 and 1996，continuing to write children's stories.He taught courses on the Victorian novel and the folk tale.Both of these subjects influence his work.The Sally Lockhart series takes place in Victorian England and Lyra Belacqua's world is a warped version of that time.Folk tales inform His Dark Materials，which features characters like Serafina Pekkala，the witch queen，and John Faa，the king of the Gyptians.
After he had already enjoyed some success with his Sally Lockhart novels and a number of books for younger children，Pullman published The Northern Lights（1995，published in US as The Golden Compass），the first book in the His Dark Materials trilogy，in 1995，and won the Carnegie Medal，one of the most prestigious British children's fiction awards，and the Guardian Children's Fiction Award.When setting out to write Northern Lights，Pullman thought about writing a Paradise Lost for kids.Pullman discussed the background of His Dark Materials in an interview：“What I really wanted to do was Paradise Lost in 1，200 pages.From the beginning I knew the shape of the story.It's the story of The Fall which is the story of how what some would call sin，but I would call consciousness，comes to us.The more I thought about it the clearer it became.It fell naturally into three parts.Though it's long，I've never been in danger of getting lost because the central strand is so simple.”Pullman's central thrust is to reveal the Biblical God as an elderly，powerless figurehead，manipulated by a head angel named Metatron，who is power hungry and autocratic in the extreme.Lord Asriel and his wife Mrs.Coulter—both ambiguous figures capable of both good and evil—oppose Metatron and the powers of Heaven.It is Lyra and Will，and their various fantastic helpers，who finally bring about，in Volume Three，The Amber Spyglass（2000），literally the death of God.
The initial setting of the trilogy is an alternate version of contemporary England，a magical variant reality where every child is paired with a shape shifting demon that will not assume its final form until its partner reaches maturity，at which point its appearance is dictated by the character of the other.The cast of very well realized characters is expanded and developed in The Subtle Knife（1997）and the concluding volume，The Amber Spyglass，but only after a series of adventures，quests fulfilled，betrayals，revelations，encounters with ghosts，and other adventures.The trilogy is unusually complex stylistically for young adult literature but was enormously successful nonetheless.In 2001，Pullman won the prestigious Whitbread Prize for The Amber Spyglass.He is the first children's author ever to win the prize.Additionally，Pullman has published a book called Lyra's Oxford（2003），which fleshes out the details of the fictionalized world.
Pullman's most recent fantasy novel is considerably less ambitious.I Was a Rat（2002）is about a young boy who insists that he has spent part of his life as a rat.Pullman has also written occasional short fantasy fiction and an adaptation of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein（1818）for the stage.The dramatic success of His Dark Materials has raised expectations for Pullman's subsequent work.To date he seems content to produce lighter fantastic tale，although his non fantastic Sally Lockhart trilogy，set in the slums of 19th century London，is a superior young adult mystery sequence.
He is currently working on The Book of Dust，a sequel to his completed His Dark Materials trilogy and“The Adventures of John Blake”，a story for the British children's comic The DFC.
Pullman has been writing full time since 1996，but continues to deliver talks and writes occasionally for The Guardian.He was awarded a CBE in the New Year's Honors list in 2004.He also co judged the prestigious Christopher Tower Poetry Prize（awarded by Oxford University）in 2005 with Gillian Clarke.Pullman also began lecturing at a seminar in English at his alma mater，Exeter College，Oxford，in 2004.On 24 June 2009，Pullman was awarded the degree of D.Litt.（Doctor of Letters），honoris causa，by the University of Oxford at the Encnia ceremony in the Sheldonian Theatre.
B.Introduction to His Dark Materials
The opening volume of the His Dark Materials trilogy，published in England as Northern Lights，is a complex and rewarding fantasy novel inspired in part by John Milton's Paradise Lost（1667）.The series is effectively a single novel in three volumes rather than three related adventures.The premise is that many worlds exist parallel to one another，and in one of these a war in heaven is being mirrored by a power struggle among factions within a dominant church in a Europe very similar to that of our Victorian era.The protagonist is Lyra Belacqua，later known as Lyra Silvertongue，an 11 year old orphan living in Oxford，England，although not in our universe.She lives in a reality where everyone is born with a demon companion，not an evil demon but an animus，which has a malleable shape at first，growing into its final form as the human to whom it is bonded matures.
The complex plot picks up very quickly.Lyra is the ward of Baron Asniel，who arrives at Oxford on mysterious business，having to do with the apparition of a city suspended in the Aurora Borealis.Lyra is instrumental in averting an assassination attempt aimed at her guardian thanks to the aid of Pantalaimon，her personal demon，more familiarly known as Pan.She overhears references to the Dust，a mystery with which the Baron is seriously concerned.When he is called away，she is left in the custody of the enigmatic Mrs.Coulter，who will prove to be one of the most complex characters in the trilogy.
Lyra feels compelled to act when her best friend，Roger，becomes yet another in a series of children who have disappeared under mysterious circumstances，taken away perhaps by the menacing gobblers，about whom little is known.Her pursuit takes her into the Arctic，where she encounters witchcraft as well as an intelligent race of bears who are armoring themselves for war.It is a war that is coming，after all，a war in heaven that is reflected on Earth，or in many parallel Earths as we eventually discover.Lyra also has the advantage of possessing a magical device that detects falsehoods and dispenses advice.
The novel is richly textured and is sometimes criticized as being too subtle and complex for younger readers，although that does not seem to have prevented large numbers of them from enjoying it and its sequels.The subject matter also generated some controversy because of its portrayal of elements within the church as being thoughtless or even outright evil.Pullman seems to be indicting no particular faith or institution，however，as much as opposing the maintenance of any power structure through the enforced ignorance of those subject to its will.He also avoids the relentlessly cheerful atmosphere found in much lesser young adult fantasy.His characters experience guilt and deep distress; some of them die unjustly，and the line of demarcation between good and evil is not always readily apparent.
The trilogy continues with The Subtle Knife and concludes with The Amber Spyglass.In the middle volume，Lyra Belacqua returns to join forces with a new protagonist，Will Parry，a 12 year old boy from our world whose father disappeared while exploring the Arctic and whose mother is under psychiatric care.Mysterious strangers have been asking about his father，and when he accidentally kills one of them，Will becomes a fugitive.Together and separately the two children experience a series of adventures，while the underlying plot slowly advances around them.Lyra is surprised to meet a child who is not bonded to a demon，since that is unheard of in her world.For his part，Will is confused by the strangeness around him，particularly in the city of magpies，a region ruled by children.Serafina Pekkala，a witch，and other characters from the previous volume show up，along with several new ones，the most significant of whom is Mary Malone，a scientist.There are also some new creatures，the Specters，and another magical artifact，the subtle knife of the title，which allows its wielder to cut windows between realities.Once again，Philip Pullman demonstrates that he is ready to kill off major characters，sometimes surprisingly so，and there is considerable violence this time as well as a cliffhanger ending in which Lyra is kidnapped.
Some readers and reviewers were troubled by the concept of a war against God in a children's book.The author rarely describes anything or anyone as wholly good or wholly evil，and that ambiguity is what makes his characters so rich.Some of the religious undertones drawn from Milton's Paradise Lost become more manifest this time，and we learn that Lyra faces a challenge that could determine the fate of worlds.Although the novel suffers from some of the structural necessities of the middle volume of a trilogy—no clear ending and the assumption that the reader knows what has gone before—it is still a remarkable achievement and a major work of children's fantasy.
His Dark Materials trilogy came to a conclusion with The Amber Spyglass.The previous volume left Lyra in the hands of kidnappers，and readers now learn that she has fallen once again into the hands of the mysterious Mrs.Coulter，whose allegiances and morality are never quite clear.
According to a prophecy，Lyra will face a temptation that will affect the fate of the world，and at least one group within the church has decided to kill her to prevent her from possibly making the wrong choice.She and Will have adventures separately and together，and some of the subsidiary characters have their own story lines to follow，the most interesting of which is Mary Malone's sojourn among the mulefa，a race of wheeled creatures whose fate is inevitable if all of the mysterious“Dust”is drained from their world.
The children visit the underworld in search of their friend Roger and his missing father，but the outcome is not what they hoped for.Eventually Lyra will face temptation，just as Eve did，but of a very different nature.The conclusion is very surprising and quite low key，and some readers were disappointed by its subtlety and by the very many loose ends Pullman did not feel required to clear up.His indictment of entrenched authority's tendency to withhold information is stronger than ever.The trilogy is unquestionably one of the most rewarding children's fantasies ever written and one of the most sophisticated as well.Although Pullman has continued to write in the genre，His Dark Materials is likely to endure as his masterpiece.
C.From His Dark Materials
Chapter 4The Northern Lights
“I hope you'll sit next to me at dinner，”said Mrs.Coulter，making room for Lyra on the sofa.“I'm not used to the grandeur of a Master's lodging.You'll have to show me which knife and fork to use.”
“Are you a female Scholar?”said Lyra.She regarded female Scholars with a proper Jordan disdain：there were such people，but，poor things，they could never be taken more seriously than animals dressed up and acting a play.Mrs.Coulter，on the other hand，was not like any female Scholar Lyra had seen，and certainly not like the two serious elderly ladies who were the other female guests.Lyra had asked the question expecting the answer No，in fact，for Mrs.Coulter had such an air of glamour that Lyra was entranced.She could hardly take her eyes off her.
“Not really，”Mrs.Coulter said.“I'm a member of Dame Hannah's college，but most of my work takes place outside Oxford ...Tell me about yourself，Lyra.Have you always lived at Jordan College?”
Within five minutes Lyra had told her everything about her half wild life：her favorite routes over the rooftops，the battle of the claybeds，the time she and Roger had caught and roasted a rook，he intention to capture a narrowboat from the gyptians and sail it to Abingdon，and so on.She even（looking around and lowering her voice）told her about the trick she and Roger had played on the skulls in the crypt.
“And these ghosts came，right，they came to my bedroom without their heads! They couldn't talk except for making sort of gurgling noises，but I knew what they wanted all right.So I went down next day and put their coins back.They'd probably have killed me else.”
“You're not afraid of danger，then?”said Mrs.Coulter admiringly.They were at dinner by this time，and as Lyra had hoped，sitting next to each other.Lyra ignored completely the Librarian on her other side and spent the whole meal talking to Mrs.Coulter.
When the ladies withdrew for coffee，Dame Hannah said，“Tell me，Lyra—are they going to send you to school?”
Lyra looked blank.“I dun—I don't know，”she said.“Probably not，”she added for safety.“I wouldn't want to put them to any trouble，”she went on piously.“Or expense.It's probably better if I just go on living at Jordan and getting educated by the Scholars here when they've got a bit of spare time.Being as they're here already，they're probably free.”
“And does your uncle Lord Asriel have any plans for you?”said the other lady，who was a Scholar at the other women's college.
“Yes，”said Lyra.“I expect so.Not school，though.He's going to take me to the North next time he goes.”
“I remember him telling me，”said Mrs.Coulter.
Lyra blinked.The two female Scholars sat up very slightly，though their demons，either well behaved or torpid，did no more than flick their eyes at each other.
“I met him at the Royal Arctic Institute，”Mrs.Coulter went on.“As a matter of fact，it's partly because of that meeting that I'm here today.”
“Are you an explorer too?”said Lyra.
“In a kind of way.I've been to the North several times.Last year I spent three months in Greenland making observations of the Aurora.”
That was it; nothing and no one else existed now for Lyra.She gazed at Mrs.Coulter with awe，and listened rapt and silent to her tales of igloo building，of seal hunting，of negotiating with the Lapland witches.The two female Scholars had nothing so exciting to tell，and sat in silence until the men came in.
Later，when the guests were preparing to leave，the Master said，“Stay behind，Lyra.I'd like to talk to you for a minute or two.Go to my study，child; sit down there and wait for me.”Puzzled，tired，exhilarated，Lyra did as he told her.Cousins the manservant showed her in，and pointedly left the door open so that he could see what she was up to from the hall，where he was helping people on with their coats.Lyra watched for Mrs.Coulter，but she didn't see her，and then the Master came into the study and shut the door.
He sat down heavily in the armchair by the fireplace.His daemon flapped up to the chair back and sat by his head，her old hooded eyes on Lyra.The lamp hissed gently as the Master said：
“So，Lyra.You've been talking to Mrs.Coulter.Did you enjoy hearing what she said?”
“Yes!”
“She is a remarkable lady.”
“She's wonderful.She's the most wonderful person I've ever met.”
The Master sighed.In his black suit and black tie he looked as much like his daemon as anyone could，and suddenly Lyra thought that one day，quite soon，he would be buried in the crypt under the oratory，and an artist would engrave a picture of his daemon on the brass plate for his coffin，and her name would share the space with his.
“I should have made time before now for a talk with you，Lyra，”he said after a few moments.“I was intending to do so in any case，but it seems that time is further on than I thought.You have been safe here in Jordan，my dear.I think you've been happy.You haven't found it easy to obey us，but we are very fond of you，and you've never been a bad child.There's a lot of goodness and sweetness in your nature，and a lot of determination.You're going to need all of that.Things are going on in the wide world I would have liked to protect you from—by keeping you here in Jordan，I mean—but that's no longer possible.”
She merely stared.Were they going to send her away?
“You knew that sometime you'd have to go to school，”the Master went on.“We have taught you some things here，but not well or systematically.Our knowledge is of a different kind.You need to know things that elderly men are not able to teach you，especially at the age you are now.You must have been aware of that.You're not a servant's child either; we couldn't put you out to be fostered by a town family.They might have cared for you in some ways，but your needs are different.You see，what I'm saying to you，Lyra，is that the part of your life that belongs to Jordan College is coming to an end.”
“No，”she said，“no，I don't want to leave Jordan.I like it here.I want to stay here forever.”
“When you're young，you do think that things last forever.Unfortunately，they don't.Lyra，it won't be long—a couple of years at most—before you will be a young woman，and not a child anymore A young lady.And believe me，you'll find Jordan College a far from easy place to live in then.”
“But it's my home!”
“It has been your home.But now you need something else.”
“Not school.I'm not going to school.”
“You need female company.Female guidance.”
The word female only suggested female Scholars to Lyra，and she involuntarily made a face.To be exiled from the grandeur of Jordan，the splendor and fame of its scholarship，to a dingy brick built boardinghouse of a college at the northern end of Oxford，with dowdy female Scholars who smelled of cabbage and mothballs like those two at dinner!
The Master saw her expression，and saw Pantalaimon's polecat eyes flash red.He said，“But suppose it were Mrs.Coulter?”Instantly Pantalaimon's fur changed from coarse brown to downy white.Lyra's eyes widened.
“Really?”
“She is by way of being acquainted with Lord Asriel.Your uncle，of course，is very concerned with your welfare，and when Mrs.Coulter heard about you，she offered at once to help.There is no Mr.Coulter，by the way; she is a widow.Her husband died very sadly in an accident some years ago; so you might bear that in mind before you ask.”
Lyra nodded eagerly，and said，“And she's really going to ...look after me?”
“Would you like that?”
“Yes!”
She could hardly sit still.The Master smiled.He smiled so rarely that he was out of practice，and anyone watching（Lyra wasn't in a state to notice）would have said it was a grimace of sadness.
“Well，we had better ask her in to talk about it，”he said.
He left the room，and when he came back a minute later with Mrs.Coulter，Lyra was on her feet，too excited to sit.Mrs.Coulter smiled，and her daemon bared his white teeth in a grin of implike pleasure.As she passed her on the way to the armchair，Mrs.Coulter touched Lyra's hair briefly，and Lyra felt a current of warmth flow into her，and blushed.
When the Master had poured some brantwijn for her，Mrs.Coulter said，“So，Lyra，I'm to have an assistant，am I?”
“Yes，”said Lyra simply.She would have said yes to anything.
“There's a lot of work I need help with.”
“I can work!”
“And we might have to travel.”
“I don't mind.I'd go anywhere.”
“But it might be dangerous.We might have to go to the North.”
Lyra was speechless.Then she found her voice：“Soon?”
Mrs.Coulter laughed and said，“Possibly.But you know you'll have to work very hard.You'll have to learn mathematics，and navigation，and celestial geography.”
“Will you teach me?”
“Yes.And you'll have to help me by making notes and putting my papers in order and doing various pieces of basic calculation，and so on.And because we'll be visiting some important people，we'll have to find you some pretty clothes.There's a lot to learn，Lyra.”
“I don't mind.I want to learn it all.”
“I'm sure you will.When you come back to Jordan College，you'll be a famous traveler.Now we're going to leave very early in the morning，by the dawn zeppelin，so you'd better run along and go straight to bed.I'll see you at breakfast.Goodnight!”
“Goodnight，”said Lyra，and，remembering the few manners she had，turned at the door and said，“Goodnight，Master.”
He nodded.“Sleep well，”he said.
“And thanks，”Lyra added to Mrs.Coulter.
She did sleep，finally，though Pantalaimon wouldn't settle until she snapped at him，when he became a hedgehog out of pique.It was still dark when someone shook her awake.
“Lyra—hush—don't start—wake up，child.”
It was Mrs.Lonsdale.She was holding a candle，and she bent over and spoke quietly，holding Lyra still with her free hand.
“Listen.The Master wants to see you before you join Mrs.Coulter for breakfast.
Get up quickly and run across to the lodging now.Go into the garden and tap at the French window of the study.You understand?”
Fully awake and on fire with puzzlement，Lyra nodded and slipped her bare feet into the shoes Mrs.Lonsdale put down for her.
“Never mind washing—that'll do later.Go straight down and come straight back.I'll start your packing and have something for you to wear.Hurry now.”
The dark quadrangle was still full of the chill night air.Overhead the last stars were still visible，but the light from the east was gradually soaking into the sky above the Hall.Lyra ran into the Library Garden，and stood for a moment in the immense hush，looking up at the stone pinnacles of the chapel，the pearl green cupola of the Sheldon Building，the white painted lantern of the Library.Now that she was going to leave these sights，she wondered how much she'd miss them.
Something stirred in the study window and a glow of light shone out for a moment.She remembered what she had to do and tapped on the glass door.It opened almost at once.
“Good girl.Come in quickly.We haven't got long，”said the Master，and drew the curtain back across the door as soon as she had entered.He was fully dressed in his usual black.
“Aren't I going after all?”Lyra asked.
“Yes; I can't prevent it，”said the Master，and Lyra didn't notice at the time what an odd thing that was to say.“Lyra，I'm going to give you something，and you must promise to keep it private.Will you swear to that?”
“Yes，”Lyra said.
He crossed to the desk and took from a drawer a small package wrapped in black velvet.When he unfolded the cloth，Lyra saw something like a large watch or a small clock：a thick disk of gold and crystal.It might have been a compass or something of the sort.
“What is it?”she said.
“It's an alethiometer.It's one of only six that were ever made.Lyra，I urge you again：keep it private.It would be better if Mrs.Coulter didn't know about it.Your uncle —”
“But what does it do?”
“It tells you the truth.As for how to read it，you'll have to learn by yourself.Now go—it's getting lighter—hurry back to your room before anyone sees you.”
He folded the velvet over the instrument and thrust it into her hands.It was surprisingly heavy.Then he put his own hands on either side of her head and held her gently for a moment.
She tried to look up at him，and said，“What were you going to say about Uncle Asriel?”
“Your uncle presented it to Jordan College some years ago.He might —”
Before he could finish，there came a soft urgent knock on the door.She could feel his hands give an involuntary tremor.
“Quick now，child，”he said quietly.“The powers of this world are very strong.Men and women are moved by tides much fiercer than you can imagine，and they sweep us all up into the current.Go well，Lyra; bless you，child，bless you.Keep your own counsel.”
“Thank you，Master，”she said dutifully.
Clutching the bundle to her breast，she left the study by the garden door，looking back briefly once to see the Master's daemon watching her from the windowsill.The sky was lighter already; there was a faint fresh stir in the air.
“What's that you've got?”said Mrs.Lonsdale，closing the battered little suitcase with a snap.
“The Master gave it me.Can't it go in the suitcase?”
“Too late.I'm not opening it now.It'll have to go in your coat pocket，whatever it is.Hurry on down to the buttery; don't keep them waiting ...”
It was only after she'd said goodbye to the few servants who were up，and to Mrs.Lonsdale，that she remembered Roger; and then she felt guilty for not having thought of him once since meeting Mrs.Coulter.How quickly it had all happened! But no doubt Mrs.Coulter would help her look for him，and she was bound to have powerful friends who could get him back from wherever he'd disappeared to.He was bound to turn up eventually.
And now she was on her way to London：sitting next to the window in a zeppelin，no less，with Pantalaimon's sharp little ermine paws digging into her thigh while his front paws rested against the glass he gazed through.On Lyra's other side Mrs.Coulter sat working through some papers，but she soon put them away and talked.Such brilliant talk! Lyra was intoxicated; not about the North this time，but about London，and the restaurants and ballrooms，the soirees at embassies or ministries，the intrigues between White Hall and Westminster.Lyra was almost more fascinated by this than by the changing landscape below the airship.What Mrs.Coulter was saying seemed to be accompanied by a scent of grownupness，something disturbing but enticing at the same time：it was the smell of glamour.
* * *
The landing in Falkeshall Gardens，the boat ride across the wide brown river，the grand mansion block on the Embankment where a stout commissionaire（a sort of porter with medals）saluted Mrs.Coulter and winked at Lyra，who sized him up expressionlessly.And then the flat ...
Lyra could only gasp.
She had seen a great deal of beauty in her short life，but it was Jordan College beauty，Oxford beauty—grand and stony and masculine.In Jordan College，much was magnificent，but nothing was pretty.In Mrs.Coulter's flat，everything was pretty.It was full of light，for the wide windows faced south，and the walls were covered in a delicate gold and white striped wallpaper.Charming pictures in gilt frames，an antique looking glass，fanciful sconces bearing anbaric lamps with frilled shades; and frills on the cushions too，and flowery valances over the curtain rail，and a soft green leaf pattern carpet underfoot; and every surface was covered，it seemed to Lyra's innocent eye，with pretty little china boxes and shepherdesses and harlequins of porcelain.
Mrs.Coulter smiled at her admiration.
“Yes，Lyra，”she said，“there's such a lot to show you! Take your coat off and I'll take you to the bathroom.You can have a wash，and then we'll have some lunch and go shopping ...”
The bathroom was another wonder.Lyra was used to washing with hard yellow soap in a chipped basin，where the water that struggled out of the taps was warm at best，and often flecked with rust.But here the water was hot，the soap rose pink and fragrant，the towels thick and cloud soft.And around the edge of the tinted mirror there were little pink lights，so that when Lyra looked into it she saw a softly illuminated figure quite unlike the Lyra she knew.
Pantalaimon，who was imitating the form of Mrs.Coulter's daemon，crouched on the edge of the basin making faces at her.She pushed him into the soapy water and suddenly remembered the alethiometer in her coat pocket.She'd left the coat on a chair in the other room.She'd promised the Master to keep it secret from Mrs.Coulter ...Oh，this was confusing.Mrs.Coulter was so kind and wise，whereas Lyra had actually seen the Master trying to poison Uncle Asriel.Which of them did she owe most obedience to?
She rubbed herself dry hastily and hurried back to the sitting room，where her coat still lay untouched，of course.
“Ready?”said Mrs.Coulter.“I thought we'd go to the Royal Arctic Institute for lunch.I'm one of the very few female members，so I might as well use the privileges I have.”
Twenty minutes' walk took them to a grand stone fronted building where they sat in a wide dining room with snowy cloths and bright silver on the tables，and ate calves' liver and bacon.
“Calves' liver is all right，”Mrs.Coulter told her，“and so is seal liver，but if you're stuck for food in the Arctic，you mustn't eat bear liver.That's full of a poison that'll kill you in minutes.”
As they ate，Mrs.Coulter pointed out some of the members at the other tables.
“D'you see the elderly gentleman with the red tie? That's Colonel Carborn.He made the first balloon flight over the North Pole.And the tall man by the window who's just got up is Dr Broken Arrow.”
“Is he a Skraeling?”
“Yes.He was the man who mapped the ocean currents in the Great Northern Ocean ...”
Lyra looked at them all，these great men，with curiosity and awe.They were Scholars，no doubt about that，but they were explorers too.Dr Broken Arrow would know about bear livers; she doubted whether the Librarian of Jordan College would.
After lunch Mrs.Coulter showed her some of the precious arctic relics in the institute library—the harpoon with which the great whale Grimssdur had been killed; the stone carved with an inscription in an unknown language which was found in the hand of the explorer Lord Rukh，frozen to death in his lonely tent; a fire striker used by Captain Hudson on his famous voyage to Van Tieren's Land.She told the story of each one，and Lyra felt her heart stir with admiration for these great，brave，distant heroes.
And then they went shopping.Everything on this extraordinary day was a new experience for Lyra，but shopping was the most dizzying.To go into a vast building full of beautiful clothes，where people let you try them on，where you looked at yourself in mirrors ...And the clothes were so pretty ...Lyra's clothes had come to her through Mrs.Lonsdale，and a lot of them had been handed down and much mended.She had seldom had anything new，and when she had，it had been picked for wear and not for looks; and she had never chosen anything for herself.And now to find Mrs.Coulter suggesting this，and praising that，and paying for it all，and more ...
By the time they'd finished，Lyra was flushed and bright eyed with tiredness.Mrs.Coulter ordered most of the clothes packed up and delivered，and took one or two things with her when she and Lyra walked back to the flat.Then a bath，with thick scented foam.Mrs.Coulter came into the bathroom to wash Lyra's hair，and she didn't rub and scrape like Mrs.Lonsdale either.She was gentle.Pantalaimon watched with powerful curiosity until Mrs.Coulter looked at him，and he knew what she meant and turned away，averting his eyes modestly from these feminine mysteries as the golden monkey was doing.He had never had to look away from Lyra before.
Then，after the bath，a warm drink with milk and herbs; and a new flannel nightdress with printed flowers and a seal' loped hem，and sheepskin slippers dyed soft blue; and then bed.
So soft，this bed! So gentle，the anbaric light on the bed' side table! And the bedroom so cozy with little cupboards and a dressing table and a chest of drawers where her new clothes would go，and a carpet from one wall to the other，and pretty curtains covered in stars and moons and planets! Lyra lay stiffly，too tired to sleep，too enchanted to question anything.
When Mrs.Coulter had wished her a soft goodnight and gone out，Pantalaimon plucked at her hair.She brushed him away，but he whispered，“Where's the thing?”
She knew at once what he meant.Her old shabby overcoat hung in the wardrobe; a few seconds later，she was back in bed，sitting up cross legged in the lamplight，with Pantalaimon watching closely as she unfolded the black velvet and looked at what it was the Master had given her.
“What did he call it?”she whispered.
“An alethiometer.”
There was no point in asking what that meant.It lay heavily in her hands，the crystal face gleaming，the golden body exquisitely machined.It was very like a clock，or a compass，for there were hands pointing to places around the dial，but instead of the hours or the points of the compass there were several little pictures，each of them painted with extraordinary precision，as if on ivory with the finest and slenderest sable brush.She turned the dial around to look at them all.There was an anchor; an hourglass surmounted by a skull; a chameleon，a bull，a beehive ...Thirty six altogether，and she couldn't even guess what they meant.
“There's a wheel，look，”said Pantalaimon.“See if you can wind it up.”
There were three little knurled winding wheels，in fact，and each of them turned one of the three shorter hands，which moved around the dial in a series of smooth satisfying clicks.You could arrange them to point at any of the pictures，and once they had clicked into position，pointing exactly at the center of each one，they would not move.The fourth hand was longer and more slender，and seemed to be made of a duller metal than the other three.Lyra couldn't control its movement at all; it swung where it wanted to，like a compass needle，except that it didn't settle.
“Meter means measure，”said Pantalaimon.“Like thermometer.The Chaplain told us that.”
“Yes，but that's the easy bit，”she whispered back.“What d'you think it's for?”
Neither of them could guess.Lyra spent a long time turning the hands to point at one symbol or another（angel，helmet，dolphin; globe，lute，compasses; candle，thunderbolt，horse）and watching the long needle swing on its never ceasing errant way，and although she understood nothing，she was intrigued and delighted by the complexity and the detail.Pantalaimon became a mouse to get closer to it，and rested his tiny paws on the edge，his button eyes bright black with curiosity as he watched the needle swing.
“What do you think the Master meant about Uncle Asriel?”she said.
“Perhaps we've got to keep it safe and give it to him.”
“But the Master was going to poison him! Perhaps it's the opposite.Perhaps he was going to say don't give it to him.”
“No，”Pantalaimon said，“it was her we had to keep it safe from —”
There was a soft knock on the door.
Mrs.Coulter said，“Lyra，I should put the light out if I were you.You're tired，and we'll be busy tomorrow.”
Lyra had thrust the alethiometer swiftly under the blankets.
“All right，Mrs.Coulter，”she said.
“Goodnight now.”
“Goodnight.”
She snuggled down and switched off the light.Before she fell asleep，she tucked the alethiometer under the pillow，just in case.3.J.K.Rowling：Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
A． Biographical Introduction
J.K.Rowling（1965）was born to Peter James Rowling and Anne Rowling，on 31 July 1965 in Yate，Gloucestershire，England，ten miles northeast of Bristol.Her childhood was generally happy，although she does remember getting teased because of her name，“Rowling”—she recalls often getting called“Rowling pin”by her less than ingenious school friends.J.K.Rowling says she never really liked her own name，although，she does remember having a fondness for the name Potter from quite an early age.J.K.Rowling studied at a school in Gloucestershire，before moving to Chepstow，South Wales at the age of 9.
From an early age，J.K.Rowling had an ambition to be a writer.She often tried her hand at writing，although little came from her early efforts.In her own autobiography she remembers with great fondness，when her good friend Sean became the first person to give her the confidence that one day she would be able to make a very good writer.She said，“...he was also the only person who thought I was bound to be a success at it，which meant much more to me than I ever told him at the time.”Sean was also the owner of a battered old Ford Anglia，which would later appear in one of the Harry Potter series as a flying car.
After finishing school，her parents encouraged her to study French at the University of Essex.She slightly regretted choosing French，saying she would have preferred to study English.However，it was her parents who wish that she study something“more useful”than English.
After having spent a year in Paris，J.K.Rowling graduated from university and took various jobs in London.One of her favorite jobs was working for Amnesty International，the charity，which campaigns against human rights abuses throughout the world.Amnesty International，is one of the many charities，which J.K.Rowling has generously supported since she attained a new found wealth.
It was in 1990 that J.K.Rowling first conceived of the idea about Harry Potter.As she recalls，it was on a long train journey from London to Manchester when she began forming in her mind，the characters of the series.At the forefront，was a young boy，not aware that he was a wizard.The train was delayed for over 4 hours，as she didn't have a pen，and was too shy to ask for one，so nothing was written down.But she remembers being very enthusiastic，and excited about the ideas which were filling her mind.
On arriving in Manchester，she began working on writing the book immediately，although，it would take several years to come to fruition.It was also in December of 1990 that Rowling lost her mother，who died of Multiple Sclerosis.Rowling was very close to her mother，and she felt the loss deeply.Her own loss gave an added poignancy to the death of Harry Potter's mother in her book.She says her favorite scene in the Philosopher's Stone is，The Mirror of Erised，where Harry sees his parents in the mirror.
In 1991，Rowling left England to get a job as an English teacher in Portugal.It was here that she met her first husband，and they had a child Jessica.However，after a couple of years，the couple split after a fierce argument and Rowling was thrown out of the house.So she returned to England in 1994，still trying to finish her first book.She was also working full time，and bringing up her daughter as a single parent.Eventually，she finished her first copy，and sent it off to various agents.She found an agent，Christopher，who spent over a year trying to get a publisher.Eventually，a quite small publisher，Bloomsbury agreed to take the book on.The editor Barry Cunningham also agreed to pay her an advance of ￡1500.The decision to take on the book was，in large part，due to his 8 year old daughter's enthusiastic reception of the first chapter（However she was advised to continue teaching as writers of children's books that don't tend to get very well paid.）
Rowling took the publishing world by surprise with the appearance of the first of her Harry Potter series，Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone（1997，published as Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone in US）.Her series of seven projected novels about a young wizard in training and his effort to survive adolescence along with the attacks of an evil magician named Voldemort and his allies has attracted an amazingly large and diverse reading audience，and each new volume has been greeted by long lines at bookstores on their first day of sales.
Rowling introduced her major characters and the ongoing plot in the opening volume and developed both in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secret（1998），providing hints of the darker scenes that would follow.The third volume，Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban（1999）has such a complex plot that there was some concern that young readers would not be able to follow its intricacies，but these fears proved to be unfounded.Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire（2000）runs more than 700 pages，but readers of all ages took it in stride，as they also did the considerably darker tone that Rowling continues to develop.Good characters die in the course of the story，which makes no effort to disguise the deep cruelty of the villains and the occasional thoughtlessness of even the more admirable characters.Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix（2003）is even longer and more convoluted.The sixth book is titled Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince（2005）.A seventh and final volume was published in 2007，under the title of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows（2007）.