The Book of Dust: La Belle Sauvage

The rain continues falling, and an official-looking van visits Hannah’s house. She knows people are often arrested without warrants or evidence and worries, but the men are just checking that her home is prepared for the possible flood.

Malcolm visits the priory, hoping to learn what Lord Asriel said to Sister Fenella, but she refuses to discuss it. On Malcolm’s way home, Asta spots a strange shape on the path, which materializes into a man and his dæmon, a hyena with three legs. As Malcolm and Asta look, the dæmon squats on the path and urinates before them. Shaken, Malcolm hurries back to the priory to tell Sister Benedicta. He babbles to her about the maimed dæmon, but he cannot articulate the “contempt and hatred” (159) he felt when she urinated in front of him. Sister Benedicta thanks Malcolm for the warning and, seeing how upset he is, offers to walk him home.

Malcolm refuses and hurries back to the Trout. He immediately looks for his father and is shocked to see the man with the hyena dæmon sitting at the bar. The other patrons are sitting as far from the man as possible, and Malcolm’s father forces a smile as he looks at his son.