Beyond 'The Golden Compass': The Magic of Philip Pullman Page #2

Or spying.

He uses me as a spy sometimes.

Like now, for instance.

I'm supposed to be keeping

an eye on them Gobblers...

Come on!

...'cause they took them

Gyptian kids up Banbury way.

Billy Costa told me.

I heard them Gobblers

take you down to hell.

Course they don't.

You're afraid of them, ain't you?

No, I ain't.

But the adults are,

because kids keep disappearin'.

They go after the poor kids, see.

The orphans

and the servant kids as well.

Roger, I promise...

if you was taken by the Gobblers...

I'd come and rescue you.

You'd come and get me too,

wouldn't you?

Course. But everybody would go

looking for you if you was Gobbled.

- You're a lady.

- Says who?

Cook. He says that's why your uncle

left you here, to make you a lady.

Nobody can make me a lady.

Not the master and scholars

and porters combined, right?

Take it back, or we ain't

best mates no more!

All right, all right,

you ain't a lady.

Lyra!

Lyra Belacqua,

get down off them roofs!

The Master wants you at high table!

It was really...

really quite surprising.

The state of your knees.

And your hair.

Well...

It's not surprising.

Roger and me's

been huntin' Gobblers.

It's dirty work.

'Ere, don't you make jokes

about them Gobblers.

Ain't nothin' to play about

when children go missing.

Lyra, my dear...

the tutor of metaphysics tells me

that you've missed your lesson again.

Now, I know you do not always

understand our need to educate you...

but sometimes you must do

what others think... best.

But I disagree, Master.

Mrs. Coulter.

When I was a young woman...

I knew that no one could ever

really truly understand me...

except, of course, my dmon...

and that it would be best

if we were free to do as we pleased.

Sit down, gentlemen.

- Who's she?

- Don't know.

But she shut up the Master, all right.

Mrs. Coulter? This is our Lyra,

Lyra Belacqua, Lord Asriel's niece.

Lyra, this is Mrs. Coulter...

a friend of the college.

Lovely to meet you.

Lovely to meet you too.

Do you know I've met Lord Asriel?

It was at the Royal Arctic Institute.

We discussed

the political structure...

of the ice bears of Svalbard.

You've seen an ice bear?

As a matter of fact...

I have had an audience

with the bear king himself...

Ragnar Sturlusson.

And I'll tell you something

I probably shouldn't...

King Ragnar is desperate

to have a dmon of his own.

Bears don't have them, you see,

and Ragnar...

he likes to think of himself

as a person...

and he will stop at nothing to get one.

But you mustn't repeat that.

Oh, I'd never.

You know, I feel I can trust you.

I have to go back

to the North very soon.

I'm going to need an assistant.

Me?

- Go to the North?

- North?

It's cold up there.

We'd better get

the Master's permission.

Master, I was wondering...

if I might borrow dear Lyra.

Only for a while, of course.

I'm not sure

that would be consistent with...

Lord Asriel's wishes

for her education.

Let me deal with Asriel.

You mustn't deny me

this little thing, you really mustn't.

Very well.

Yeah...

Yeah...

A bet's a bet...

and Lyra was supposed

to show up with the gown.

I told you they wouldn't

let her out of the college.

Which one's her room?

What are you gonna do?

Give her a fright, that's all.

We get caught,

I'll be skinned alive.

Night porter's bound

to be doin' his rounds.

Ratter, check if the coast is clear.

It's all clear.

Billy! Billy!

The scholars still refuse

to hand over the last alethiometer...

and now they've given Asriel

all the funds he needs.

If he succeeds in proving

the existence of these other worlds...

it will contradict

centuries of teaching.

There will always be

freethinkers and heretics...

unless we deal

with the root of the problem.

That is why Mrs. Coulter's work

is so important.

What progress has she made?

The doctors at Bolvangar...

are close to perfecting

the inoculation...

against the effects of Dust.

I am relieved to hear that.

If we can protect our children

from the corrupting influence of Dust...

before their daemons settle...

then we will nurture a generation

at peace with itself...

one that will never question

our authority again.

We owe it to the young...

do we not?

I fear our defiance

will not go unpunished...

now she'll be drawn into it.

We've failed her.

We've protected her

as long as we could, Master.

And she's still only a child.

She can't possibly be

a threat to them.

She is.

She's meant to play

a major part in what is to come.

How can you know such things?

The witches.

Thank you. Could you...

Could you stay

by the door, Mrs. Lonsdale?

It's important that I know

if I was followed.

Why yes, Master.

It's for you, Lyra.

What is this?

An alethiometer.

Also known as a golden compass.

It was given to the college

by Lord Asriel many years ago.

And now I'm giving it to you.

I feel you are meant to have it.

What's it for?

It tells the truth.

We've always tried

to acquaint you with the truth.

But the secrets at the heart

of things elude scholars...

and, uh, Authorities.

But this lets you

glimpse things as they are.

But, Lyra,

keep the alethiometer to yourself.

It is of the utmost importance...

that Mrs. Coulter

does not know that you have it.

Do you understand me?

Of the utmost importance.

Lyra. Are you ready?

There's someone missing.

I want to say goodbye to Roger.

Roger? Who's Roger?

My friend.

He works in the kitchens.

We must go.

The ferry's about to take off.

Why don't you write him a letter?

You can tell him

all about the journey, and...

you can even send him a photogram.

- Madam.

- What do you think?

Yeah. I suppose.

- Anything else, madam?

- That'll be all.

Mrs. Coulter, what's that?

That is the Magisterial seat, Lyra.

What's the Magisterium for?

Oh, you have been living

in an ivory tower, haven't you?

The Magisterium

is what people need.

They keep things working

by telling people what to do.

But... you told the Master

you did whatever you pleased.

That's right. Clever girl.

Well, some people know

what's best for them...

and some people don't.

Besides, they don't tell

people what to do...

in a mean, petty way...

they tell them what

to do in a kindly way...

to keep them out of danger.

Sugar?

Look, Pan, it's got

loads of pictures round the edge.

But what do they all mean?

Don't know.

The needle keeps stopping

at the same symbols...

Lady...

lightning bolt...

and the baby.

Then it goes back

and does it again. See?

What do you think

makes the needle move?

I don't know.

Maybe Uncle Asriel knows.

Maybe we're supposed

to take it to him.

All washed and ready for bed?

We have a busy few weeks.

Well, it was

a stylish enough party...

but why they don't offer

more ice with their drinks...

I shall never understand.

I'll only be a moment, darling.

Official business.

What?

She likes to show off

her new pet, doesn't she?

She's never taking us to the North.

We're like prisoners in this house.

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