Mrs. Coulter's windowstare was very rudely interrupted when the daemon dug his nails on her lap. She spun to him, hand raised to slap, when she realized what had caused it.
A boy and an animal.
The golden monkey no longer wore his hard look, and instead its black beady eyes were round with both surprise and excitement. It did not really cease digging its nails on his human yet.
The boy held their interest for two things, first that he was a child, and second, that he had an animal.
No, it was impossible, Mrs. Coulter thought at once. She knew all her children, like a school teacher who had committed all her pupils' names and faces to memory, even as years would pass. This boy certainly did not strike a familiarity...yet, she could not discount his reality. He had an animal, of what it is she did not know exactly but she had traveled around the world and seen strange daemons. The fact that it was strange was actually an encouragement. It could be a coincidence. Or not?
"Hello," The word was spoken low, and came out sooner than she expected it to. Her manner was exercised with care and respect like a mother approaching her sleeping babe. With a small smile on her face, she called to him. "Are you well?"