Beyond 'The Golden Compass': The Magic of Philip Pullman Page #3

All these rules, and rooms

that we aren't allowed into.

Perhaps we shouldn't have

invited Professor Docker.

He's such a bore, isn't he?

And he had sauce in his beard.

But he is one of the foremost

experts on particle metaphysics.

Have I taught you

what a particle is?

Oh, I know about particles.

Like Dust.

That's a particle, isn't it?

Dust?

I mean the Dust from space.

That Dust, like in the North.

Where did you hear about that?

It must have been

one of the scholars at Jordan.

A wise person knows, Lyra...

that there are some things

that we best ignore...

subjects that you...

well, you never speak about.

- But I didn't...

- Yes.

You didn't know, so I forgive you.

Just don't mention it again.

Now, darling...

will you take off that

childish shoulder bag?

I don't like to see you

wearing it indoors.

Please, Mrs. Coulter.

I do love it.

But I do not.

Put it away.

Lyra, put it away now.

I don't want to.

If you do not obey me...

we will have an argument

which I will win.

Now put it away at once.

It's absurd to be carrying

around a shoulder bag...

in your own home.

Jordan is my home.

No! Lyra!

Don't. Please, it hurts!

Lyra!

Lyra!

Will you do as I tell you?

I promise.

Lyra.

Thank you.

And while you're at it, you must

learn to control your dmon.

He's much too wild.

Now...

Kiss me.

I hate her!

I hate them!

And look.

They're spying on us.

What do they want with us?

Why are we here?

Did you see her dmon?

He went all sharp

when you mentioned Dust.

And what does she keep

in that room?

Let's go find out.

Maybe this isn't such a good idea.

Over here.

Look.

That's just one of

her stupid guest lists.

No, it isn't.

Look at it.

"Inter... cision. "

What does it mean, Pan?

And that...

"General... Oblation Board. "

G... O... B.

Gobblers.

From the letters, G... O... B.

"Workman, Edwards, Parslow, Costa!"

Billy and Roger!

Pan, it's her.

She's running the Gobblers.

Lyra, where are you?

We have to get out of here.

Lyr...

Lyra.

What have you been doing?

Nothing.

Well, we must find

something for you to do.

Shall you help me

arrange our passage to Norroway?

Oh, you do want to come

to the North with me, don't you?

Where is he? I don't see him.

Lyra, this way!

Quick, Lyra!

Lyra!

What are we gonna do, Pan?

We've got to save Roger...

and Billy.

We've got

to save ourselves first!

Where are we gonna go?

Anywhere's better than here.

Come on! This way!

All right, then.

Split up. The girl can't be far.

Spread out.

Search all the buildings.

Gobblers!

You, cover the canal.

She's gotta be here somewhere.

Wait up, Johnny!

Put your back into it!

We'll need two more of them.

Come on, lovely, lovely

and fresh. Lovely and fresh.

Hurry!

Get her!

Get it!

Pan!

Hurry, Lyra!

Lyra!

Hold her!

No!

- Lyra!

- Pan.

Gyptians.

Don't fret none, Lyra.

Come 'ere.

You're safe with us.

You're Ma Costa.

Billy's mum.

But what are you doing here?

We been in your shadow...

ever since you left

Jordan College, watchin' over you.

And a good thing too.

You best come with us.

Hurry, lads.

Hurry, lads.

Where are we going?

To see Lord Faa,

King of the Gyptians.

Come on, get yourself aboard.

Not very friendly, are they?

What are you lookin' at?

So now all the clans are here...

we'll head North on the next tide.

Ma Costa.

This is the child?

It's all right.

How do you do, Lord Faa?

Hello, Lyra.

You come and sit by my side.

Right, boys, get your heads up!

This is Farder Coram.

Head for the ice lake!

And these are the chiefs

of the Gyptian families.

You are our guest here,

and you're under our protection.

Lord Faa...

I want to thank you.

For keeping watch on me and all.

But why did you do it?

Lord Asriel has been

a good friend to the Gyptians...

this many a year, and this many

a year it has been our charge...

to bring him news of you

as we travel along our ways.

Bet you didn't know that, did you?

And when Mrs. Coulter

got a hold of you, well...

we suspected that she had

something to do with the Gobblers.

And she did.

She and them Gobblers

took my little boy Billy.

Lyra.

We know your tale

all the way up until...

you run away

and the Costas found you.

But is there anything else

you can tell us?

Is there anything

you may have forgot?

Don't show it to them.

The Master of Jordan gave me this.

I thought they was

all taken by the Magisterium.

It's an alethiometer.

It's a truth measurer.

A golden compass.

It enables you to see

what others wish to hide.

You got three hands

you can control.

By pointing at three symbols...

you can ask any sort of question

you can imagine.

Once you got your question framed...

this blue needle points

to more symbols...

that give you the answer.

Could it be used

to find the missing children?

Not by me.

The art was jealously guarded.

Can I try?

All right.

What are you doing, Lyra?

You don't know how to read it.

Hush, Pan.

Well, the serpent is cunning,

like the Gobblers.

And... the pot could mean

a recipe or a plan.

And...

the baby...

that means kids.

One thing I do know, Lyra...

you mustn't grasp at the answer.

Hold the question

in your mind, but lightly.

Like it was something alive.

It's an hourglass.

But it came round to it

on the second time.

The first time it only

stopped there a moment.

On top of the hourglass...

there's a skull.

Thank you, children.

Finish your letters now.

Billy Costa,

why didn't you write anything?

Your mother must be

missing you terribly.

I don't know what to put

in the letter, miss.

You haven't told us

what we're here for.

You're here to help us.

And just as soon as you've helped us,

we'll send you back home.

That's what you should write.

Or don't they teach

Gyptian children to write?

They teach us

to write the truth, miss.

Billy, just write the letter.

Well, as I'll be posting

these straight away...

I'm afraid your parents

will be disappointed.

I confess I am puzzled

by your interest in the Belacqua girl.

For one thing, she is

in possession of the alethiometer.

How...? Ah, yes. The Master.

Can she read it?

Of course not.

Mrs. Coulter...

are you familiar with

the prophesies of the witches?

You think she is that child?

Impossible.

Nonetheless, she must be found.

They'll seek her out

like bees to honey.

Svalbard.

Kingdom of the ice bears.

We shall have

to watch ourselves, Stelmaria.

You can bet

that Coulter woman has hired...

every Samoyed bandit from here

to the Pole to hunt us down.

Let's not be so hasty.

Why don't we just...

We can work this out

like gentlemen.

Don't worry, Lyra.

We'll find Roger.

I'm all right.

What is it?

It's a spy-fly.

Is it dangerous?

The one that got away is.

If you was to crack it open...

you'd find no living thing in there.

No animal or insect, at any rate.

There's a clockwork...

and pinned to the spring of it

is a bad spirit...

with a sleeping poison in its sting.

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