Lyra has receded now. Only the horses remain, dreaming of Earth as it is in heaven. I walk through the fog, the old umbrella raised, toward that steady, strange light that reflects no orb above but a secret constellation in the heart of the ocean itself. I approach the shore. The waves flood over my toes; I become blue, luminescent. The stars have fallen into the sea, a dream become real, when Gabriel appears at last. He reaches for me as I enter the water. I can hear the music now. There has been music all this time. We walk deeper. The rain falls all over us. From the beach I hear a voice call for me, distant and lost beneath the ocean roar. My feet detach from this burning world. I know what I must do. It is time, after all, at last.