Reading progress update: I've read 318 out of 397 pages.
[...]....
'She didnt finish, because something hideous happened. A creature half the size of a man, with leathery wings and hooked claws, was crawling over the side of the basket towards Lee Scoresby. It had a flat head, with bulging eyes and a wide frog-mouth, and from it came wafts of abominable stink. Lyra had no time to scream, even, before Iorek Byrnison reached up and cuffed it away. It fell out of the basket and vanished with a shriek.
"cliff-ghast," said Iorek briefly.'
haha love that first line. something hideous happened!
1
