According to Leon, Lyra had no choice.
Because Lyra also needed their help, after all, they were still Orthodox, and if it had been one of the other Four Churches, it wouldn't have been just about playing the Holy Sound or engaging in some less-than-fair trade.
So, Lyra had to compromise and provide them with the highest standard of reception possible.
Just like the room Hewinia was currently in, which was so neat and clean it hardly seemed like it belonged to a city that had just suffered a disaster.
Looking at the series of mechanically inventive tools in the room that were characteristic of Lyra, Hewinia couldn't help but compare them to those in the Seed District.
They weren't even in the same league.
Just thinking about the Seed District, with its mountains of dung and its bewildered people, brought back very unpleasant memories for Hewinia, as if she could already smell that stench.
