Sara ran into the courtyard and inside Jordan College. Lyra was already a ways ahead. She ran after her with Pete on her shoulder, in the form of a snowy white ferret. "LYRA! Wait for me!!!" Sara shouted after her. Lyra stopped at the stairs and looked back. Pan looked back as well and motioned Sara and Pete to come on. The two of them ran up beside them. Lyra started running again with Sara close behind.

Lyra stopped at a big door and opened it. To there luck no one was in it. "We shouldn't be in here this is the Retiring Room." Pete and Pan exclaimed.

"Pipe down! We don't want to get caught!" Lyra answered. Sara and Lyra started exploring the wondrous room. This room was the room for the scholars and ladies weren't aloud in. All of a sudden they heard footsteps outside the door. Lyra ran inside a closet with pan in her pocket and Sara hid under a table with a cloth on it. Pete was hovering around as a moth until he finally landed on top of a wardrobe. The door opened and two men stepped in. It was the Master and the Butler.

"Has Lord Asriel arrived yet?" The Master asked.

"No, Master," said the Butler. "No word from the aerodock either."

"I expect he will be hungry when he arrives so make sure to bring him straight to the Hall."

"Very good, Master"

"And you've decanted some of the special Tokay for him?"

"Yes Master. The 1898, as you ordered. His Lordship is very partial to that, I remember."

"Good. Now leave me, please."

"Do you need the lamp master?"

"Yes leave that too. Look in during dinner to trim it, will you?"

The Butler bowed slightly and left. Just as he had shut the door the Master took a wine glass and poured some wine into it. He then pulled a small, white package from the inside of his sleeve. Sara gasped. "Its poison isn't it?" She whispered

"I think it is but I don't think it's any of our business!" Pete whispered back.

"I wonder what Lyra..."Sara stopped short when she saw the Master pour the mixture into the wine and stir it. There was a sudden knock on the door. Lord Asriel stepped through inside. "Why Lord Asriel welcome, welcome." The Master said.

"Thank you. Would you please leave me?" Lord Asriel said. The Master smiled and stepped out the door. The door shut behind him. Lord Asriel took the wine and began to carry it to his mouth. Lyra burst out of the door. "NO! STOP ITS POISON!!" Lyra exclaimed.

"Lyra! What are you doing in here! This is off limits to women!" Lord Asriel said.

"I saw the Master put poison in it!" Lyra answered. Lord Asriel looked at Lyra really hard. Lyra tried to fight the tears back. All of a sudden Sara ran out from under the table.

"It's true! I saw the whole thing!" Sara said.

Lord Asriel was just about to speak when the clatter of foot steps was heard outside the door.

"Now you two go back into the closet and keep you're eyes open and you're mouths shut. I'm not going to help you anymore." Lord Asriel commanded. Sara and Lyra went back into the closet. Lyra leaned against the back and looked out through the small peep holes while Sara, Pan as a mouse, and Pete as a robin sat on the floor and silently played concentration. Lord Asriel laid the wine on the table and got out a projector. A bunch of men herded into the room. The room filed with there busy chatter. Lord Asriel slipped a small marble into the opening of the projector and turned it on. Sara looked up and saw Lyra mouthing something. She tugged on Lyra's pants and asked "What's up?" Lyra shrugged and went back to watching. Sara took down a robe and laid it down on the floor. She sat on it and kept playing with Pan and Pete. After about 2 hours of waiting Pete finally asked Sara in her mind "When are we getting out of here?" Sara replied "I'm not sure. This has been going on for a long time. Let me ask ..." But she was cut short by the sound of busy chatter and the clatter of footsteps rushing out the door. "Never mind" Sara answered. The door swung open and Lord Asriel stood there. Lyra tumbled out and Sara, Pan, and Pete followed after her. Pete started coughing and said "What a stuffy closet!" Sara nodded and stood up. She helped Lyra stand and scooped up Pete the cat in her arms. Lord Asriel took Lyra and Sara by the ear and led them out of the room.

Lord Asriel, Lyra, Sara, Pete, and Pan all walked in the courtyard. "So tell me. What were you doing in the Retiring Room in the first place?" Lord Asriel demanded. Lyra just kind of shrugged and looked away. Sara, to afraid to meet his gaze, looked away too. Pete said "We stumbled in there by accident sir. Were not exactly sure how we got in there." Sara immediately looked up and nodded. "Well fine but still. Don't ever let me catch you in there again!" Lord Asriel said. The 5 of them walked on for a while. Lyra kept asking about the slideshow and Lord Asriel didn't seem amused by it. Sara kept thinking about what Lyra had been mouthing. She tried to make sense of it but couldn't.

Later that day, Roger, Sara, and Lyra plus there daemons, sat on the roof. "So what happened? Did you get the robe?" Roger asked eagerly.

"Does it look like we got the robe?!" Lyra snapped.

"No. But what happened in there? Anything exciting?" Roger asked.

"We saw the Master try to poison Lord Asriel. Also he caught us. Does that count for anything?" Sara answered. Rogers's mouth hung open. "Lord Asriel? Poison? OF COURSE THAT COUNTS FOR EXCITEMENT!" Roger shouted. Sara giggled and Lyra starred out into space. Sara wondered what she was thinking but didn't want to ask. Last time she interrupted Lyra in her train of thought she started yelling WHAT IS IT?!! WHAT DO YOU WANT ALL READY??!! DAMNIT YOU MADE ME LOSE IT! Nice going asshole! And Sara really didn't want that to happen again. But of course Roger asked "Hey Lyra what's up? You thinking again?" And of course Lyra shouted "WHAT IS IT!!!! DAMNIT WHAT DO YOU WANT!? SHIT YOU MADE ME LOSE IT! Nice going asshole!" Roger took this personally and walked up behind Sara and said "What's her problem?"

Sara replied "Wow. Don't you know? Lyra doesn't like being disturbed in her train of thought. Just don't do it again if I were you." Roger nodded and walked back over to Lyra. Lyra was now frowning and muttering under her breath. "I'm sorry Lyra. Can ya forgive me?" Roger said. Lyra looked up, smiled and started laughing hysterically. "Of course I forgive ya!" Lyra exclaimed. They all sat there talking but Sara was the one who brought up the topic of Gobblers. "Hey have you heard of them Gobblers? The ones who steal kids?" Sara asked.

"Yeah! Those guys are evil!" Roger said.

"If I got taken by 'em Gobblers would one of you rescue me?" Lyra asked.

"Of course! And if one of us were taken by them Gobblers would you save us?" Sara and Roger asked.

"Sure I would!" Lyra said. The three of them sat on the roof for the rest of the afternoon.