The Alethiometer
The Watch
It wasn't long before Lyra woke up, sweating. Her bright face shining in the moonlight, and sighing with relief, she sat up. It was just a dream, but it was horrible. Will, captured by a spetre, was calling her in a loud voice, almost screaming. He said, "Garden!"
In the boarding school, ran by Dame Hannah, she pretended to be an ordinary girl. She followed the other girls' examples, but could not join in with them so easily, for all she saw were boys until now. Being with friends of the same age and sex was somewhat of a relief to Lyra. So it was easy to blend in with the girls. In fact, wasn't she the daughter of Lord Asriel? Hadn't she done this back in Bolvangar?
It was all going very well, until she lost her alethiometer. It was one Sunday morning. Lyra sat on the comfortable sofa at the main hall of the school, waiting for her new close friend, Jen, to come out. While she was alone, Pantalaimon, now a pine marten, urged her to ask the alethiometer. Even though she had lost the control of it, now she was slowly, very slowly, gaining the skill back. So she took out the alethiometer out, and delicately turned the hands. The graceful deep sounds of smooth hands moving reminded of Will, but she tried to forget. There was no way to get to him. Trying hard, she asked a simple question. "Will I be able to do more with you?" She added 'you' in there, for she supposed that the alethiometer had a mind of it's own too, like the subtle knife of Will. Pantalaimon tugged her hand, saying,
"Lyra! Don't think of Will! It makes me think of Kirjava!"
Lyra tried to forget, but it was too painful. She was growing, and she needed Will. She could not think anything but the sweet kiss Will and Lyra shared at the world of mulefa's. She only thought of Will's injured hand, his deep, trusting voice, and his face. The alethiometer did not answer, as if saying,
"Forget Will! I'll be broken like the Subtle Knife if you don't concentrate!"
Then, came a calling. Jen! Lyra was relieved. Jen was one of the kids who were captured in Bolvangar. She was the one who understood what Lyra was doing when she threw a snowball at the group of children. So Jen had started throwing snowballs to other children to keep the adults distracted from Lyra, so she could do an important thing, whatever it was. Lyra felt a little more comfortable to talk to this girl than the others.
Jen was almost Lyra's age, 14, and was much similar to Lyra. Bright eyes, soft hair, but her daemon was a badger. A badger with broad stripes. He was called Creberus.
"Hey Lyra! What are you doing?"
Lyra hid the alethiometer swiftly, and tried to say in a bright voice.
"Oh, nothing. I was just thinking of my old friend. That's all. Really."
"Who was it?" Jen asked, her clever eyes staring into Lyra, some how like Mrs. Coulter.
"Oh, he's called Roger. We use to be at Jordan college."
Lyra felt her heart pounding. She had almost let it out. She almost talked about Will again. Even though she promised never to lie again, she could not help it.
"What was he like?" Jen asked, furious curiosity burning in her eyes.
"Oh, no. Let's not get into it." Said Lyra, in very sad tone.
"Alright. Let's go to the class."
The whole day, she could not concentrate on studying. That dream, and the word 'Garden.' Only if she read the alethiometer!
After the school was over, Lyra decided to ask Dame Hannah. Even though Pantalaimon resisted not going, Lyra threatened Pan that she would leave him again. The main office was gorgeous place with almost everything Lyra knew in it. Two gates led into the room, and there were only three windows. There were fifty teachers in the room, and they used the huge room together, somewhat like sisters or brothers. Dame Hannah's room was the second from the gate. Lyra could find it easily. Lyra almost opened the door without knocking, and Pantalaimon held her back. So she knocked, and went in.
Somehow, the room was empty. She started to look around. There were books, compasses, desks, and a lot more. Among them, the most interesting thing was a compass, much like the alethiometer, but with numbers in it. Twelve numbers. Like a watch, though Lyra knew this wasn't just a watch. She like it so much that she bent over it and almost took it from the shelf. No, it was drawing her to it.
"Lyra! Don't touch it!" Pantalaimon whispered.
"No, I mustn't." Lyra thought, and drew back. And then, Dame Hannah came in.
The Watch
It wasn't long before Lyra woke up, sweating. Her bright face shining in the moonlight, and sighing with relief, she sat up. It was just a dream, but it was horrible. Will, captured by a spetre, was calling her in a loud voice, almost screaming. He said, "Garden!"
In the boarding school, ran by Dame Hannah, she pretended to be an ordinary girl. She followed the other girls' examples, but could not join in with them so easily, for all she saw were boys until now. Being with friends of the same age and sex was somewhat of a relief to Lyra. So it was easy to blend in with the girls. In fact, wasn't she the daughter of Lord Asriel? Hadn't she done this back in Bolvangar?
It was all going very well, until she lost her alethiometer. It was one Sunday morning. Lyra sat on the comfortable sofa at the main hall of the school, waiting for her new close friend, Jen, to come out. While she was alone, Pantalaimon, now a pine marten, urged her to ask the alethiometer. Even though she had lost the control of it, now she was slowly, very slowly, gaining the skill back. So she took out the alethiometer out, and delicately turned the hands. The graceful deep sounds of smooth hands moving reminded of Will, but she tried to forget. There was no way to get to him. Trying hard, she asked a simple question. "Will I be able to do more with you?" She added 'you' in there, for she supposed that the alethiometer had a mind of it's own too, like the subtle knife of Will. Pantalaimon tugged her hand, saying,
"Lyra! Don't think of Will! It makes me think of Kirjava!"
Lyra tried to forget, but it was too painful. She was growing, and she needed Will. She could not think anything but the sweet kiss Will and Lyra shared at the world of mulefa's. She only thought of Will's injured hand, his deep, trusting voice, and his face. The alethiometer did not answer, as if saying,
"Forget Will! I'll be broken like the Subtle Knife if you don't concentrate!"
Then, came a calling. Jen! Lyra was relieved. Jen was one of the kids who were captured in Bolvangar. She was the one who understood what Lyra was doing when she threw a snowball at the group of children. So Jen had started throwing snowballs to other children to keep the adults distracted from Lyra, so she could do an important thing, whatever it was. Lyra felt a little more comfortable to talk to this girl than the others.
Jen was almost Lyra's age, 14, and was much similar to Lyra. Bright eyes, soft hair, but her daemon was a badger. A badger with broad stripes. He was called Creberus.
"Hey Lyra! What are you doing?"
Lyra hid the alethiometer swiftly, and tried to say in a bright voice.
"Oh, nothing. I was just thinking of my old friend. That's all. Really."
"Who was it?" Jen asked, her clever eyes staring into Lyra, some how like Mrs. Coulter.
"Oh, he's called Roger. We use to be at Jordan college."
Lyra felt her heart pounding. She had almost let it out. She almost talked about Will again. Even though she promised never to lie again, she could not help it.
"What was he like?" Jen asked, furious curiosity burning in her eyes.
"Oh, no. Let's not get into it." Said Lyra, in very sad tone.
"Alright. Let's go to the class."
The whole day, she could not concentrate on studying. That dream, and the word 'Garden.' Only if she read the alethiometer!
After the school was over, Lyra decided to ask Dame Hannah. Even though Pantalaimon resisted not going, Lyra threatened Pan that she would leave him again. The main office was gorgeous place with almost everything Lyra knew in it. Two gates led into the room, and there were only three windows. There were fifty teachers in the room, and they used the huge room together, somewhat like sisters or brothers. Dame Hannah's room was the second from the gate. Lyra could find it easily. Lyra almost opened the door without knocking, and Pantalaimon held her back. So she knocked, and went in.
Somehow, the room was empty. She started to look around. There were books, compasses, desks, and a lot more. Among them, the most interesting thing was a compass, much like the alethiometer, but with numbers in it. Twelve numbers. Like a watch, though Lyra knew this wasn't just a watch. She like it so much that she bent over it and almost took it from the shelf. No, it was drawing her to it.
"Lyra! Don't touch it!" Pantalaimon whispered.
"No, I mustn't." Lyra thought, and drew back. And then, Dame Hannah came in.