Will's heart ached as he walked into the botanic garden in Oxford. He stood into thin air, imagining the window to Lyra's world. He kept walking to the bench thinking of nothing but Lyra. The warm air around him meant nothing. He collapsed onto the bench and looked at the ground. He sensed Kirjava coming towards him. "Do you think they're there?" He asked his dæmon.

"Not yet, but they'll be coming," She purred.

Lyra flopped down onto the bench feeling Pan leap up onto her lap. Then she felt somethiing different. It was like somone was sitting very close to her. "Do you think that's Will?" She asked Pan.

"Yeah," The dæmon replied. He could feel that Kirjava was there too.

Will felt an odd sensation like somone sitting near him. "It's Lyra!" he whispered.

"And Pan," Kirjava said.

"I wish her could her her," Will sighed. He thought about Lyra and concentrated on only her. Seconds later he thought he heard something like a whisper inside his head. 'Will,"

Lyra sat there for a while enjoying the feeling that Will was so close before she heard something. 'Lyra, Lyra, Lyra.' It sounded like Will.

She looked around before realising the voice was in her head. She looked at Pan sadly. "I think I'm going crazy,"

"You're not! I heard it too!"

'Lyra. Lyra, I wish you could hear me!' The voice started again. She concentrated on one word 'Will'. She thought it over and over again then Will's voice replied.

'Can you hear me?'

'Yes!'

'So, we can talk?'

'I think so!"

Will nearly leapt off the bench but stopped himself because hewould lose Lyra again.

'I've missed you,' he thought.

'And I, you. Can the dæmons talk?'

Will asked Kirjava who told him they could after flicking her long cat tail.

'Kirjava says they can,'

'So does Pan. Good, it wouldn't be fair if only you and me could talk,'

'No, it wouldn't,'

Lyra felt strange she had wanted so badly to talk to Will but now she couldn't think of anything to say. Apart from one thing. Three little words. Words which she wanted to give and receive. She turned her mind back to Will and thought 'I love you,'

'I love you,' came the reply.

She sighed her heart content.