symbols hold infinite layers of meaning

Isabella studies her new alethiometer dictionary between magical assignments from Metis. She even found a book of sample questions and answers - the English originals of the questions and the professional readers' deciphering of the answers are given, and she can try her hand at composing symbolized versions of each. She uses the exercises sparingly. There aren't that many of them, and she doesn't want to contaminate her knowledge of the subject while she's still learning, not until she has an actual alethiometer in her hands and can try asking it questions to which she already knows the answers to calibrate.

distance is immaterial with cloudpine under you

A few days later, Kas and Petaal disappear.

Isabella decides that they're probably going to Nunavut. She doesn't worry about them.

(She thinks about them, sometimes. That feeling clinging to the back of her neck doesn't go away.)