For centuries, they have been tried to keep us where they want us.

Why do demons disappear when you die?

And yet humans leave these nasty skeletons behind.

With our children back.

Welcome to the Authority, Slate's His Dark Materials Podcast.

It's season one, episode 8, the season finale, Betrayal.

We're Slate's resident scholars of experimental theology.

I'm Dan Coise and my demon is a prairie vole named Gilda.

I'm Laura Miller and my demon is a sea otter named Saki.

So in episode 8, Betrayal, Azrael has a late night conversation with Lira about dust and fatherhood, then steals away with

Roger. Up on a high mountaintop he cuts away Roger's demon and uses the energy that

produces to open a doorway to another world, the city in the sky.

A very, very rude thing for a dad to do

with his daughter's best friend, in my opinion.

Meanwhile, Mrs. Coulter claims she finally

wants to be Lyra's mother, but that doesn't stop her from shooting at Lyra's other best friend York from a blip.

Also rude behavior for her parents. You know what? Philip Larkin said it, the Fresh Prince said it.

Props to Roger for saying it straight out.

You know what I think?

Apparently, more trouble than the worst.

This season finale covers the last 30 pages of the Golden Compass.

The crucial, enormous twist and turning point of this story, the

...