the ▁Church ") ▁an ▁international ▁the ocracy ▁which ▁act ively ▁suppress es ▁her es y . ▁In ▁this ▁world , ▁humans ' ▁sou ls ▁naturally ▁exist ▁outside ▁of ▁their ▁bodies ▁in ▁the ▁form ▁of ▁sent ient ▁" d æ m ons " ▁in ▁animal ▁form ▁which ▁accomp any , ▁aid , ▁and ▁comfort ▁their ▁humans . ▁An ▁important ▁plot ▁device ▁is ▁the ▁ale th i ometer , ▁or ▁symbol ▁reader , ▁of ▁which ▁just ▁six ▁are ▁known ▁to ▁exist ▁in ▁this ▁world . ▁By ▁setting ▁three ▁of ▁the ▁ale th i ometer ' s ▁hands ▁to ▁point ▁to ▁symbols ▁around ▁a ▁d ial ▁a ▁sk illed ▁pract ition er ▁can ▁pose ▁questions , ▁which ▁are ▁answered ▁by ▁the ▁movement ▁around ▁the ▁d ial ▁of ▁a ▁fourth ▁hand . ▁ ▁Plot ▁ ▁Ele ven - year - old ▁Mal col m ▁Pol st ead ▁and ▁his ▁d æ mon ▁A sta ▁live ▁three ▁miles ▁from ▁Oxford . ▁ ▁Mal col m ▁works ▁alongside ▁fifteen - year - old ▁Alice ▁in ▁his ▁parents ' ▁inn , ▁The ▁Tr out , ▁close ▁to ▁the ▁Pri ory ▁of ▁St . ▁Ros am und ▁where ▁Mal col m ▁helps ▁the ▁n uns ▁with ▁maintenance ▁and ▁cook ing . ▁ ▁One ▁day , ▁three ▁men , ▁led ▁by ▁the ▁former ▁Lord ▁Chan cell or , ▁Lord ▁N ug ent , ▁arrive ▁at ▁the ▁inn ▁and ▁question ▁Mal col m ▁about ▁the ▁pri ory . ▁ ▁Short ly ▁afterwards , ▁an ▁infant ▁aged ▁around ▁six ▁months ▁named ▁Ly ra ▁arriv