"Now, girls, turn to page 298 in your text books. We will be reading about
the Consistorial Court of Discipline influenced the foundation of Oxford,"
Sister Mary stated.
Lyra turned to the page, but was soon lost in her own little world with Pan. She was dreaming about going to visit the mulefa.
The truth was that Lyra was bored. St. Sofia's was so boring and unexciting. Nothing ever happened. Lyra always went to class, but was not truly there; she was often lost in her dreams.
Lyra pictured herself walking through the forest with Will. They were chatting merrily about angels when -
"Lyra, why would the Consistorial Court have wanted to build one great cathedral, instead of many smaller ones?"
"Because . . . Because . . ." Lyra stammered, "Because they thought that they would rather . . . Uh, build one masterpiece than, uh, a whole bunch of lesser works?"
"That's right," Sister Mary said.
And so this went on and on. Sister Mary suspected Lyra wasn't paying attention but she couldn't prove it. She almost always answered questions correctly.
One day, Lyra and Pan were going to their next class when an idea popped into Lyra's head, "Let's leave, Pan. Let's just go get our stuff and escape."
"Where'd you get that idea?" Pan demanded, "You think we could actually get out of here unnoticed?"
Pan and Lyra spoke in hushed voices and continued down the long dark hall.
"Sure. You'd just go and get the stuff and I'll go to class," Lyra explained.
Pan wasn't so thrilled, "Won't they notice that I'm gone?"
"I can run the rest of the way to be early so no one will see," Lyra suggested, "Then I'll sit in the back. Sister Gladys never notices me. I could say you aren't fixed yet. The other girls might believe it. And then, after class I'll meet you in the lavatory."
"I don't know," Pan said doubtfully.
"Just do it Pan, okay? This is nothing compared to the world of the dead."
Pan had to admit that she had a point, so he agreed.
-----------------
"Hurry!" Lyra urged, "Before they catch us!"
Pan and Lyra ran through the wet grass, sodden with dew. The brilliant green courtyard shone in the midsummer sun. They were only a little ways from the gate in the immense brick wall surrounding the school.
Pan and Lyra opened the old, iron gate. CREAK!
"Oh no!" Lyra cursed.
The two stole out of the courtyard.
"We aren't safe yet," Pan warned.
They continued running until they were far enough.
"Stop a minute," Pan gasped for breath, "Now what?"
"We go to the Gyptians, they'll help us," Lyra stated matter-of-factly, "But for now, we'll just have to find an inn."
"You have money?" Pan asked.
"Well . . ."
"We aren't stealing!" Pan exclaimed.
"Just give me a while to think," Lyra said.
The two continued walking along. The afternoon air was dry; there hadn't been rain for quite some time. The Earth was still experiencing the consequences of Lord Asriel's opening in the sky, even though it had been closed.
"Look," Lyra pointed towards an old rusty shack. It looked abandoned. "Maybe we could stay there."
The ancient planks forming the walls were beginning to rot. The straw roof was drooping in the centre and the door was coming of its hinges.
"It'll do," Lyra said.
"I've got a bad feeling about this, we shouldn't go in. We'll look first, then if we need to, we'll run."
"Oh, grow up Pan, there's nothing to be afraid of."
They pushed open the door, and peeked inside. To their surprise, Will was there, sitting on a rusted, metal bed.
Lyra rushed over to him and embraced him. But she was shocked; he did not return the hug.
"Will! What's wrong with you? It's me, Lyra, your lover," she was panicked.
Will spoke, but it was not the voice Lyra remembered, "You will pay for the Authority's end!"
"Will! Will! Who are you?" Lyra said, fear quavered in her voice.
"Will? I am not Will. I am a member of the Consistorial Court of Discipline! As long as you live you will be damned forever." the person, whoever it was, said.
The shack door slammed shut. 'Will' slowly disintegrated into nothingness. It was only then that Lyra and Pantalaimon looked around. The inside walls of the shack were made of steel, as was the door. They were trapped.
Lyra turned to the page, but was soon lost in her own little world with Pan. She was dreaming about going to visit the mulefa.
The truth was that Lyra was bored. St. Sofia's was so boring and unexciting. Nothing ever happened. Lyra always went to class, but was not truly there; she was often lost in her dreams.
Lyra pictured herself walking through the forest with Will. They were chatting merrily about angels when -
"Lyra, why would the Consistorial Court have wanted to build one great cathedral, instead of many smaller ones?"
"Because . . . Because . . ." Lyra stammered, "Because they thought that they would rather . . . Uh, build one masterpiece than, uh, a whole bunch of lesser works?"
"That's right," Sister Mary said.
And so this went on and on. Sister Mary suspected Lyra wasn't paying attention but she couldn't prove it. She almost always answered questions correctly.
One day, Lyra and Pan were going to their next class when an idea popped into Lyra's head, "Let's leave, Pan. Let's just go get our stuff and escape."
"Where'd you get that idea?" Pan demanded, "You think we could actually get out of here unnoticed?"
Pan and Lyra spoke in hushed voices and continued down the long dark hall.
"Sure. You'd just go and get the stuff and I'll go to class," Lyra explained.
Pan wasn't so thrilled, "Won't they notice that I'm gone?"
"I can run the rest of the way to be early so no one will see," Lyra suggested, "Then I'll sit in the back. Sister Gladys never notices me. I could say you aren't fixed yet. The other girls might believe it. And then, after class I'll meet you in the lavatory."
"I don't know," Pan said doubtfully.
"Just do it Pan, okay? This is nothing compared to the world of the dead."
Pan had to admit that she had a point, so he agreed.
-----------------
"Hurry!" Lyra urged, "Before they catch us!"
Pan and Lyra ran through the wet grass, sodden with dew. The brilliant green courtyard shone in the midsummer sun. They were only a little ways from the gate in the immense brick wall surrounding the school.
Pan and Lyra opened the old, iron gate. CREAK!
"Oh no!" Lyra cursed.
The two stole out of the courtyard.
"We aren't safe yet," Pan warned.
They continued running until they were far enough.
"Stop a minute," Pan gasped for breath, "Now what?"
"We go to the Gyptians, they'll help us," Lyra stated matter-of-factly, "But for now, we'll just have to find an inn."
"You have money?" Pan asked.
"Well . . ."
"We aren't stealing!" Pan exclaimed.
"Just give me a while to think," Lyra said.
The two continued walking along. The afternoon air was dry; there hadn't been rain for quite some time. The Earth was still experiencing the consequences of Lord Asriel's opening in the sky, even though it had been closed.
"Look," Lyra pointed towards an old rusty shack. It looked abandoned. "Maybe we could stay there."
The ancient planks forming the walls were beginning to rot. The straw roof was drooping in the centre and the door was coming of its hinges.
"It'll do," Lyra said.
"I've got a bad feeling about this, we shouldn't go in. We'll look first, then if we need to, we'll run."
"Oh, grow up Pan, there's nothing to be afraid of."
They pushed open the door, and peeked inside. To their surprise, Will was there, sitting on a rusted, metal bed.
Lyra rushed over to him and embraced him. But she was shocked; he did not return the hug.
"Will! What's wrong with you? It's me, Lyra, your lover," she was panicked.
Will spoke, but it was not the voice Lyra remembered, "You will pay for the Authority's end!"
"Will! Will! Who are you?" Lyra said, fear quavered in her voice.
"Will? I am not Will. I am a member of the Consistorial Court of Discipline! As long as you live you will be damned forever." the person, whoever it was, said.
The shack door slammed shut. 'Will' slowly disintegrated into nothingness. It was only then that Lyra and Pantalaimon looked around. The inside walls of the shack were made of steel, as was the door. They were trapped.