Beyond 'The Golden Compass': The Magic of Philip Pullman Page #4

We'll keep him safe in here.

What was it after?

- You, Lyra.

- Why me?

Why are they doing this?

We don't know.

But we Gyptians...

have been hurt worse than most

by these Gobblers...

these child-thieves.

They're takin' those children up North...

the land of cold and dark...

and what they're doing

with them there, we don't know...

but we have heard terrible rumor.

Our aim...

is first to go North

and to rescue these children...

both Gyptian and landloper alike.

But if they have been harmed...

I promise you...

if they have been harmed...

there is not a place

nor on land nor on sea...

for these Gobblers.

And when the time comes to punish...

we will strike such a blow as'll make

their hearts faint and fearful.

Yes!

We will strike the strength

out of them.

We will leave them

broken and shattered.

Yes!

Are you getting scared, Pan?

Scared?

A little.

It's all bigger and scarier

than we ever thought.

Maybe we shouldn't be doing this.

But we've got to, though, ain't we?

Go on, I mean.

Who are you?

My name is Serafina Pekkala...

clan-queen of the witches

of Lake Enara.

A witch?

Where's your dmon?

Kaisa can fly a long way from me.

Are you the girl

the Magisterium seeks?

The one with a symbol reader?

Let me see you read it.

I want to know

if you can tell me...

which of the men

on this ship was once...

my lover.

Farder Coram?

But...

He was young and beautiful once.

And we witches live

for hundreds of years.

Farder Coram wishes to know...

where the child-cutters

take their prey.

It is a place...

they call Bolvangar.

The place of fear.

A regiment of Tartars

with wolf daemons guards it.

Birds do not fly above.

Animals have fled.

Even the Samoyeds fear it.

It is a week's march from Trollesund,

on the coast of Norroway.

You will find something

to help you in Trollesund.

You will need all your courage.

I'm glad I've lived long enough

to see you...

child.

Who's going to help us?

Can you see anything?

Lyra, you're not listening to me.

That's a mighty fancy

clockwork you got there.

It's just a toy.

Well, then,

it's a mighty fancy toy.

How'd you come by somethin' like that?

Oh, Lord. Lee, when you gonna learn

to mind your own business?

I do beg pardon.

Lee Scoresby.

And this old gal is Hester.

I'm Lyra. And this is Pan.

Pantalaimon.

- Howdy.

- Mighty pleased, Miss Lyra.

You rode in with them Gyptian fellers.

Am I right?

- Whoa, boy.

- There I go again.

Don't answer that.

What are you doing

in Trollesund, Mr. Scoresby?

Oh, a friend of mine

got himself in a fix.

So I come to see

what I could do about it.

Me too.

Course, that ain't

my normal occupation.

Most of the time,

I ply my trade up in the sky.

You're an aeronaut!

Can I go up in your ship?

I'd be honored.

Just as soon as

I get her out of hock.

Miss Lyra...

I'd like to give you

a word of advice...

though you ain't asked for none.

If I was on the kinda... scout...

that I reckon you're on...

I'd hire myself an aeronaut...

and an armoured bear.

An armoured bear?

There's one in town.

lorek Byrnison's his name.

Works at the sled depot

behind Einarsson's Bar.

Good one to have

on your side in a scrap.

Not that you're lookin' for that.

lorek Byrnison? lorek Byrnison?

May I speak to you?

What?

We want to offer you employment.

I am employed, by the townspeople.

I mend broken machinery.

I lift heavy objects.

What kind of work is that

for a Panserbjrn?

Paid work!

Is that what they pay you?

Whisky?

lorek Byrnison...

you're the first ice bear I ever met.

I was ever so excited,

and scared.

But now I'm just disappointed.

I heard that bears

lived to hunt and to fight.

Why are you

wasting your time here...

drinking whisky?

I stay because

the people of this town...

gave me spirits...

and let me drink till I was asleep.

Then they took my armour away.

And without my armour,

I cannot go to war.

And I am an armoured bear.

War is the sea I swim in...

the air I breathe.

Without my armour, I am nothing.

But... can't you make new armour?

I thought bears were good at that.

There's all this metal around.

Worthless!

My armour is made of sky iron...

from the falling stars

that land in Svalbard.

A bear's armour is his soul...

as your dmon is your soul.

Irreplaceable.

You may as well take him away

and replace him with a doll.

It must have been terrible

to lose your armour.

It was no less than I deserved.

I am an exile.

I was sent away from Svalbard

because I was unworthy.

I fought another bear

in single combat...

and was defeated.

- Come, child.

- But Farder Coram...

We can't involve ourselves.

He was a prince.

He would have been a king

if the other bear hadn't defeated him.

He lost everything.

Oh, Pan, they've really hurt him.

lorek Byrnison? lorek Byrnison.

- Be careful.

- I know where your armour is.

They tricked you out of it.

They shouldn't have done that,

lorek Byrnison.

It's in the district office

of the Magisterium.

Right here in Trollesund.

What is your name, child?

Lyra Belacqua.

Then, Lyra Belacqua...

I owe you a debt.

I will serve you in your campaign...

until I am dead...

or you have a victory.

lorek!

lorek Byrnison!

lorek, listen.

Don't fight these men.

What they done ain't right, I know.

But if you fight, you'll kill them.

And there'll be more fighting...

and we'll never get away

to rescue those kids.

Let's not be too hasty.

Way I see it,

there's no need for a dust-up.

Howdy, lorek.

I was down South.

Heard you ran into

a little local trouble.

Didn't have the first notion

on how to spring ya.

Fortunately, little girls...

come in real resourceful

up in these parts.

Well, looky here. Reinforcements.

What do you say you fellers

just call it a day?

Just been hired on

by these gentlemen...

of the Gyptian persuasion.

You figurin' on joining

this turkey shoot?

Yes. I have a contract

with the child.

That's some pretty

fast work, Miss Lyra.

My lord.

Rise, Fra Pavel.

I have received your news...

about the Gyptian party

heading to the North.

The matter is of

the first importance.

They must be eliminated,

and Bolvangar protected.

The intercision process is

more important than ever.

Which is why it must be

taken out of the hands...

of the Coulter woman.

It was Mrs. Coulter

who took the Belacqua child...

from Jordan College

and then let her slip away.

Yes, that is

the most troubling of all.

No matter.

One way or another...

it's better that I've sent

Mrs. Coulter after the child.

- You've sent her?

- Yes.

She is to demonstrate

the improvements...

to the intercision process

upon the Belacqua girl.

I'm sorry.

I would never hurt you.

Oh, Lyra.

I'll find you.

I will find you.

Careful now, boys.

Airship machinery's kind of finicky.

I want to die in a rocking chair,

not a hydrogen fire.

And she was ever so clever,

Mrs. Coulter...

but she was always

telling me what to do.

I don't like people

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