  We present a parameter--free calculation of the dispersive and absorptive
contributions to the pion--deuteron scattering length based on chiral
perturbation theory. We show that once all diagrams contributing to leading
order to this process are included, their net effect provides a small
correction to the real part of the pion--deuteron scattering length.
  At the same time the sizable imaginary part of the pion--deuteron scattering
length is reproduced accurately.
