Chapter One

A Gift from Mr. Parry

Rain beat on the window of the room that Will Parry had to call his own. He was in the little room that Mary Malone had given him in her little flat. His mother had gone to lie down, she wasn't feeling well today, and Mary had gone about town to look for a new job, since her former employers were not very keen to allow her to come back to her old job. This left Will to stare out the window into the rainy midday. Kirjava, his daemon, was now permanently fixed in the form of a large cat and sitting beside him on the windowsill.

"You're still thinking about her, aren't you?" Kirjava asked. Without looking away from the window, Will said, "Yeah." The daemon gave him a look of pity mixed with understanding as she proceeded to lick her human's hand. Will chuckled. The boy then proceeded to pick his daemon up and they left the room. What Kirjava had asked was quite true; Will could not get Lyra off of his mind. It seemed like only yesterday that he last embraced her, spoke to her. He still loved her, and it showed in more ways than one. He though about her many times every day, what she would do in any given situation, and what she would say.

Will couldn't remember the last time he'd eaten, though it was probably sometime yesterday. So he walked into the shabby little kitchen, opened the ragged refrigerator, and pulled an apple out of the crisper. He also poured a bit of the cat food that Mary had bough for Kirjava into a bowl for his daemon and the two of them sat on the floor, eating and chatting. "Do you think they're alright?" Kirjava asked.

"I dunno."

"I wonder if she's thinking about you."

"I think she is."

"Too bad we can't go back, huh?"

Will was silent as he turned to his daemon and gave her a piercing, calculating look. A drop of sweat glistened from Kirjava's forehead. Will's eyebrow raised.

"Is there something you want to tell me, Kirjava?" He asked, hiding his suspicious feelings. Kirjava shook her cat head and promptly took to grooming herself.

Mary Malone returned around seven-thirty that night, having had no luck at all, and dropped into an empty chair. Will gave her a look of sadness and admiration as he walked over to her, Kirjava beside him, and handed her a lilac mug full of freshly brewed coffee. "Thank you, Will." Mary said, taking the mug quite happily. "Is your mother okay?" "She went back to lie down for a little while, she's not feeling well at all." Will reported diligently. Mary nodded as she took a sip of the coffee and then choked a bit; it was a tad too strong.

"Sorry," said Will sheepishly.

Will lay in his bed that night, Kirjava curled up at his feet under the covers, purring in her sleep. Sleep refused to even pay Will a visit that night, so he eventually left the warmth of his bed and walked over to the window again. The rain had receded and the night was calm and clear. Stars twinkled overhead, bright. He then went on to imagine Lyra there with him, the light reflecting off of her eyes and smile. Both their lips coming closer and closer together.

"Will,"

Will came back to the present and looked about. Kirjava was still asleep under the covers and there was no one else in the room.

"Will, here my voice,"
The second time he heard it, Will could not mistake it for anything else. It was the voice of John Parry, his father.

"Will."

"I can hear you Dad," Will said.

"Good, I was afraid that you could not. My time is short and I am glad I found you."

"Can-?" He paused, "Can you become more solid?"

"No, I can't. I'm only a few particles of my former self. But there is something that I must tell you."

The voice of John Parry paused, as though in hesitation, and then spoke once again. "Do…do you still have the pieces of the Subtle Knife?"

Will raised an eyebrow, "Yes…why?"

"Bring them out quickly, I don't have much time."

Will went over to the small chest of drawers and, after moving a stack of shirts, pulled out a small black box. Inside were the broken fragments of the Subtle Knife. Will held them out, unsure of where he was supposed to hold it out to. The sound that followed was of Mr. Parry sucking his teeth.

"The tip,"

"The tip?" Will asked.

"The tip." John Parry's voice chimed in an assuring tone. Will picked up the jagged tip from the box. It began to glow. "What in the-?" Will nearly dropped the shard in surprise.

"The Infinity Star."

"The what-?" Will asked.

"I don't have much time left, so I'll make this simple. That is the tool you need to battle the coming darkness."

"I don't understand, what do you mean?" Will asked, frightened.

"I haven't the time to explain, I am fading. Will, promise me…promise me you will keep it safe. Everything depends on it!"

"I…" Will paused, "I will, Father."

Then, the voice of John Parry faded away after uttering "Goodbye, my son." Will was now alone, the glowing shard of the Subtle Knife in his palm. He looked back to Kirjava, still asleep and undisturbed beneath the covers.

Will closed his hand around the shard with a look of determination on his face. "I won't fail you, father. I won't." he vowed solemnly.