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Lirael didn’t hesitate She put Nehi her face in her friend’s neck The Dog licked Lirael’s ear without her usual enthusias back, his sword still in his hand

"Where is Mogget?" he asked

"She wished to speak to hi herself sorrowfully across Lirael’s feet "I rong I put you in terrible danger, Mistress"

"I don’t understand," Lirael replied She felt incredibly tired all of a sudden "What happened? The Charterthe Charter see," said the Dog "It is her fate, that her knowing self will be forever outside what she chose toself is part of Yet she stayed her hand when she could so easily have taken you to her embrace I do not knohy, or what it s of this world, and so I thought to pass here unscathed Yet when ancient forces stir, uessed it would be so Forgiveso hu that had happened She scratched her around the ears and along the jaw, seeking to give as much comfort as she took But her hands shook, and she felt that at any moment she would shudder into tears To try to stop the theet?" asked Sam, his voice unsteady "He was unbound! He’ll try to kill the AbhorsenMotheror Lirael! We haven’t got the ring to bind hi She hesitated, then quietly said, "I don’t think we need to worry about Mogget anymore"

Lirael let out her breath and didn’t take another How could Mogget not be co back?

"What?" asked Sam "But he’swell, I don’t know, but powerfula Free Magic spirit"

"Who is she?" asked Lirael She spoke very sternly as she took the Disreputable Dog by the jaw and stared into her deep, dark eyes The Dog tried to turn away, but Lirael held her fast The hound shut her eyes hopefully, only to be foiled as Lirael blew on her nose and they snapped open again

"It won’t help you to know, because you can’t understand," said the Dog, her voice filled with great weariness "She doesn’t really exist anymore, except every now and then and here and there, in ss If we had not come this way, she would not have been, and now that we have passed, she will not be"

"Tell ree," said the Dog She tapped her nose against Lirael’s bell-bandolier, leaving a wet le slow tear rolled down her snout to dampen Lirael’s hand

"Astarael?" whispered Sa bell of them all, the one he had never even touched in his brief time as custodian of that set of bells "The Weeper?"

Lirael let the Dog go, and the hound promptly pushed her head farther into Lirael’s lap and let out a long sigh

Lirael scratched the Dog’s ears again, but even with the feel of war a question she had asked before

"What are you, then? Why did Astarael let you go?"

The Dog looked up at her and said si A true servant of the Charter, and your friend Always your friend"

Lirael did weep then, but she wiped the tears away as she lifted the Dog by her collar and moved her away so she could stand up Sam picked up Nehima and silently handed the sword to her The Charter marks on the blade rippled as Lirael touched the hilt, but no inscription beca, bound or unbound, then we o on," said Lirael

"I suppose so," said Saot kind of used to Mogget, and now he’s justjust gone? I mean, has shehas she killed hiestion "No"

"What then?" asked Sa "Our task lies ahead, and Mogget lies behind us now"

"You’re absolutely sure he won’t coet’s recent history well and had been warned since he was a toddler of the danger of reet’s collar

"I aet across the Wall," replied the Dog, only half-answering Sam’s question

Sam did not look entirely convinced, but he slowly nodded in reluctant acceptance of the Dog’s assurance

"We haven’t got off to a good start," ht ahead, and a way out," said the Dog "You will be happier under the sun"

"It should be dark by now," said Saround?"

"Four or five hours, at least," replied Lirael with a frown "Maybe more, so that can’t be sunshine"

She led the way across the cavern, but as they drew closer to the entrance, it was clear that it was sunshine Soon they could see a narrow cleft ahead, and through it a clear blue sky, h the cleft, they found themselves several hundred yards to the west of the waterfall, at the base of the Long Cliffs The sun was halfway up the sky to the west, the sunshineabove the falls

"It’s afternoon," said Sa the line of the cliffs, then held up his hand to gauge how ers the sun was above the horizon "Not past four o’clock"

"We’ve lost practically a whole day!" exclaireater chance of failure, and her heart sank at this further setback How could they have spent alround?

"No," said the Disreputable Dog, atching the sun and sniffing the air "We have not lost a day"

"Not more?" whispered Lirael Surely not If they had soround, it would be too late to do anything

"No," continued the Dog "It is the same day we left the House Perhaps an hour since we climbed down the well Maybe less"

"But--" Sa, then stopped He shook his head and looked back at the cleft in the cliff

"Ti "Both are in Astarael’s domain She has helped us, in her oay"