Before you read this, I need to state that do not own Lyra, Will or any of
the other characters in this story. His Dark Materials, The Golden Compass,
The Subtle Knife, The Amber Spyglass and all related characters, concepts,
and commercial offspring are the property of Philip Pullman, Scholastic
Books, Random House Inc, New Line Cinema and all other right-holders. This
is not for profit and is not intended to infringe upon any commercial
endeavours.
"If they come this way we have two choices," said Will. "We can hide in here, let them go past and try to get out through the house, or we can try and open the big metal gate and see where that leads."
"As soon as they see the door at the top of the tunnel they will see the lock has been cut out," replied Lyra.
"Let's take another look at the gate then. I couldn't see any controls before." Will was still in command. Serafina was not feeling well enough to offer any advice yet. However, Will was starting to become more worried. They didn't know where the gate would lead to even if they did manage to open it.
"Pan," said Lyra. "Could you go and watch the witches up in that machine room? Let us know if it looks as if they are coming down."
Pan set off. Kirjava followed. They reached the top of the stairs and peered into the room. They could just see the witches in about the centre of the room. They were looking at a machine that looked like a box with a table like surface on the top of it.
Pan looked at the witches carefully. Kirjava was right Saeunn Leira was one of them and she certainly didn't look like she was a captive.
Saeunn Leira pressed a button on the side of the machine they were looking at and a shower of sparks shot of the top of the table. The other witch jumped back in surprise and Saeunn laughed.
Pan started to move towards the witches.
"What do you think you're doing?" hissed Kirjava.
"We need information," replied Pan. "We need to try to find out what is going on. You stay here."
He carefully moved towards the witches until he could hear what they were saying.
".. the boy got there I don't know. He must still have the knife. Can you imagine what I could do if I had the knife to cut doors into other worlds. The alethiometer will be useful of course and I know that was the main aim in luring her here, but the knife! And the boy will be useful as well."
"How so?" asked the other witch.
Saeunn threw her a filthy look.
"Torturing Lyra in order to get her to read the alethiometer for us is a waste of time. Even if we broke her she is a renowned liar. We could never trust what she told us. But if we were to threaten her friend Serafina with the delights of this room, with Lyra present, I was sure she would give us everything we want without daring to lie. If we have the boy in our power and threaten to tie him to this table, well, I think she will beg us to let her co-operate."
"They have strong feelings for each other then?" asked the witch.
"Oh yes! You could say that," Saeunn replied.
"How long will it take them to get here?"
"Not long. They mentioned some sort of craft but the Master did not want to let them have it." Saeunn paused. "He suspected something I think, but it is very hard to judge him. We must set a watch for them. In the meantime I think we should introduce Serafina Pekkala to this beauty." She patted the machine in front of them. "It's not just the amount of pain it inflicts, it's the spectacular nature of it. Yes. We practice on Serafina, then we capture Lyra and the boy, then we torture the boy in front of her and then we start asking the alethiometer questions."
"When do you want to start?" asked the witch.
"No time like the present," laughed Saeunn. "The cube should have drained her severely by now. A little electric current should be quite stimulating for her."
"Electric?" asked the witch.
"Oh, anbaric," said Saeunn dismissively. "Come on you can help me drag her up here."
Pan was already running back to the stairs down to the warehouse room. Kirjava saw him coming and sped off.
Lyra, Will and Serafina stood together looking at the door.
"Is it controlled by a spell?" Lyra wondered out loud.
"No, I don't think so," replied Serafina. "Anyway I think this dates from when The Church occupied this building. There may be a secret switch somewhere."
"Or perhaps it has to be operated from the other side," suggested Will. "I'll just have to cut a hole in it with the knife." He drew the knife and started to push it through the door.
"You didn't break it!" accused Serafina staring at the knife. "You didn't break it and you've used it to return here. Don't you realize what you've done?"
Will lost patience.
"Yes, I did break the knife. No, I don't know how it's been remade. I didn't cut a window to get here. And as to knowing the implications of what I've done, well, I would like a full explanation from you as to what the results of our actions have been."
"Stop it both of you!" said Lyra, hating to see her friends arguing. "Come on Will, let's get through the door."
Will cut a hole big enough for them to crawl through. The door was about two inches thick but that did not pose a problem for the knife. He pulled the piece of metal back just as first Kirjava and then Pan streaked back into the room sounding their warning of the witches arrival.
Lyra, Serafina and the daemons scrambled through the gap. Will tried to drag a crate in front of the hole he had created and squeezed through as well. He propped up the cut out piece of metal back in its place, but it was obvious that there escape route would soon be discovered.
He turned round to see where they were going now and felt an icy touch of fear. The tunnel behind the gate sloped downwards not up. Lyra and Serafina had already set off and Will realized that there was nothing else they could do.
The tunnel was unlit so Will used his torch to light the way. He joined Lyra and Serafina helping to support Serafina on one side with Lyra on her other. Even with their help, however, she was soon exhausted.
"Stop a moment," said Will. He threw Serafina over his shoulder and set off again. There was no sound of pursuit yet. Pan repeated everything he had heard the witches saying.
Lyra shivered as she heard their intentions regarding the alethiometer and herself.
"I can't even read it very well. Saeunn saw me trying to read it in the Masters house. She must know that."
"Maybe she thought you were putting on a show," said Will. "She must have heard how good you used to be at it."
"Will?" he heard Serafina say.
"Yes," he replied, sounding curter than he realized.
"I am sorry I questioned you." She was trying to be as dignified as a witch queen should be even in such circumstances as this. "I was wrong. I know what you have done in the past, at terrible risk to yourself and I should have known better than to doubt you."
Will stopped and Serafina was very glad at the moment that they were not able to look at each other as she knew she still would not be able to look into his eyes.
"Serafina Pekkala. I am sorry. I should not have been so rude to you. Lyra and I want your help and to see if you can answer some of our questions. Now since you and I have agreed to stop making fools of ourselves let's find our way out of here.
"Look!" shouted Lyra. "The floor is changing, it's starting to slope upwards."
They set off again. The floor started to slope up more and more until Will was starting to find it hard going.
"What are we going to do when we get out?" asked Serafina. "I don't know if I can fly even if we find a cloud pine and I certainly can't carry you two."
"We will have to decide when we get out," replied Will. Lyra and I came here in a flying craft and two of us can escape in that if we can get to it. If not," he hesitated. "I may have to cut a window. I know we probably shouldn't, but if we need to in order to save ourselves from that Saeunn Leira, then I'm going to have to do it."
They reached the end of the tunnel. It was covered by a huge wooden trapdoor. Will tried to push it up but it was too heavy. He was starting to reach for the knife again when Lyra found a control panel inset into the wall. Pressing a large green button caused the trapdoor to slowly creak upwards. They walked the last few steps out of the tunnel and found themselves in a large barn.
They couldn't find a control to close the trapdoor but when Will pushed it the door closed by itself. The barn was large but deserted. There was some old farm machinery in a corner. With the trapdoor closed it was almost impossible to see. The secret way into the cellars beneath the mansion was well disguised.
Will went to the barn door and carefully eased it open to look outside. The sun was well up now, but there was no one in sight. They all knew that they had to move on quickly. They still hadn't heard any sign of pursuit but the witches obviously knew that the barn was where the tunnel opened.
Will stepped outside the barn and a patch of ground ten feet in front of him exploded in flames, throwing him back through the door.
"You fool! I need them alive," a voice shrieked somewhere outside.
Will lay stunned on the floor. Lyra slammed the barn door closed and ran to help him up.
"Quick, cut a window," she cried.
Will struggled to his feet and drew the knife. The barn door exploded and the space inside filled with smoke. Will felt forwards with the knife and quickly found a familiar strand. The land of the Mulefa. He cut a window and seizing Lyra with one hand and Serafina with the other he dragged them through. The daemons jumped after them and just as Will was about to close the window Kaisa appeared and soared through to join them.
Will reached to close the window. He saw several witches running into the smoke filled barn but he was quick enough to find the edges and seal the opening before any of them could get through. The last thing he saw in the barn was the furious face of Saeunn Leira as she aimed something that resembled a missile launcher at him.
The gap closed and the smoke that had billowed through with them dissipated in the clear sunny sky.
"If they come this way we have two choices," said Will. "We can hide in here, let them go past and try to get out through the house, or we can try and open the big metal gate and see where that leads."
"As soon as they see the door at the top of the tunnel they will see the lock has been cut out," replied Lyra.
"Let's take another look at the gate then. I couldn't see any controls before." Will was still in command. Serafina was not feeling well enough to offer any advice yet. However, Will was starting to become more worried. They didn't know where the gate would lead to even if they did manage to open it.
"Pan," said Lyra. "Could you go and watch the witches up in that machine room? Let us know if it looks as if they are coming down."
Pan set off. Kirjava followed. They reached the top of the stairs and peered into the room. They could just see the witches in about the centre of the room. They were looking at a machine that looked like a box with a table like surface on the top of it.
Pan looked at the witches carefully. Kirjava was right Saeunn Leira was one of them and she certainly didn't look like she was a captive.
Saeunn Leira pressed a button on the side of the machine they were looking at and a shower of sparks shot of the top of the table. The other witch jumped back in surprise and Saeunn laughed.
Pan started to move towards the witches.
"What do you think you're doing?" hissed Kirjava.
"We need information," replied Pan. "We need to try to find out what is going on. You stay here."
He carefully moved towards the witches until he could hear what they were saying.
".. the boy got there I don't know. He must still have the knife. Can you imagine what I could do if I had the knife to cut doors into other worlds. The alethiometer will be useful of course and I know that was the main aim in luring her here, but the knife! And the boy will be useful as well."
"How so?" asked the other witch.
Saeunn threw her a filthy look.
"Torturing Lyra in order to get her to read the alethiometer for us is a waste of time. Even if we broke her she is a renowned liar. We could never trust what she told us. But if we were to threaten her friend Serafina with the delights of this room, with Lyra present, I was sure she would give us everything we want without daring to lie. If we have the boy in our power and threaten to tie him to this table, well, I think she will beg us to let her co-operate."
"They have strong feelings for each other then?" asked the witch.
"Oh yes! You could say that," Saeunn replied.
"How long will it take them to get here?"
"Not long. They mentioned some sort of craft but the Master did not want to let them have it." Saeunn paused. "He suspected something I think, but it is very hard to judge him. We must set a watch for them. In the meantime I think we should introduce Serafina Pekkala to this beauty." She patted the machine in front of them. "It's not just the amount of pain it inflicts, it's the spectacular nature of it. Yes. We practice on Serafina, then we capture Lyra and the boy, then we torture the boy in front of her and then we start asking the alethiometer questions."
"When do you want to start?" asked the witch.
"No time like the present," laughed Saeunn. "The cube should have drained her severely by now. A little electric current should be quite stimulating for her."
"Electric?" asked the witch.
"Oh, anbaric," said Saeunn dismissively. "Come on you can help me drag her up here."
Pan was already running back to the stairs down to the warehouse room. Kirjava saw him coming and sped off.
Lyra, Will and Serafina stood together looking at the door.
"Is it controlled by a spell?" Lyra wondered out loud.
"No, I don't think so," replied Serafina. "Anyway I think this dates from when The Church occupied this building. There may be a secret switch somewhere."
"Or perhaps it has to be operated from the other side," suggested Will. "I'll just have to cut a hole in it with the knife." He drew the knife and started to push it through the door.
"You didn't break it!" accused Serafina staring at the knife. "You didn't break it and you've used it to return here. Don't you realize what you've done?"
Will lost patience.
"Yes, I did break the knife. No, I don't know how it's been remade. I didn't cut a window to get here. And as to knowing the implications of what I've done, well, I would like a full explanation from you as to what the results of our actions have been."
"Stop it both of you!" said Lyra, hating to see her friends arguing. "Come on Will, let's get through the door."
Will cut a hole big enough for them to crawl through. The door was about two inches thick but that did not pose a problem for the knife. He pulled the piece of metal back just as first Kirjava and then Pan streaked back into the room sounding their warning of the witches arrival.
Lyra, Serafina and the daemons scrambled through the gap. Will tried to drag a crate in front of the hole he had created and squeezed through as well. He propped up the cut out piece of metal back in its place, but it was obvious that there escape route would soon be discovered.
He turned round to see where they were going now and felt an icy touch of fear. The tunnel behind the gate sloped downwards not up. Lyra and Serafina had already set off and Will realized that there was nothing else they could do.
The tunnel was unlit so Will used his torch to light the way. He joined Lyra and Serafina helping to support Serafina on one side with Lyra on her other. Even with their help, however, she was soon exhausted.
"Stop a moment," said Will. He threw Serafina over his shoulder and set off again. There was no sound of pursuit yet. Pan repeated everything he had heard the witches saying.
Lyra shivered as she heard their intentions regarding the alethiometer and herself.
"I can't even read it very well. Saeunn saw me trying to read it in the Masters house. She must know that."
"Maybe she thought you were putting on a show," said Will. "She must have heard how good you used to be at it."
"Will?" he heard Serafina say.
"Yes," he replied, sounding curter than he realized.
"I am sorry I questioned you." She was trying to be as dignified as a witch queen should be even in such circumstances as this. "I was wrong. I know what you have done in the past, at terrible risk to yourself and I should have known better than to doubt you."
Will stopped and Serafina was very glad at the moment that they were not able to look at each other as she knew she still would not be able to look into his eyes.
"Serafina Pekkala. I am sorry. I should not have been so rude to you. Lyra and I want your help and to see if you can answer some of our questions. Now since you and I have agreed to stop making fools of ourselves let's find our way out of here.
"Look!" shouted Lyra. "The floor is changing, it's starting to slope upwards."
They set off again. The floor started to slope up more and more until Will was starting to find it hard going.
"What are we going to do when we get out?" asked Serafina. "I don't know if I can fly even if we find a cloud pine and I certainly can't carry you two."
"We will have to decide when we get out," replied Will. Lyra and I came here in a flying craft and two of us can escape in that if we can get to it. If not," he hesitated. "I may have to cut a window. I know we probably shouldn't, but if we need to in order to save ourselves from that Saeunn Leira, then I'm going to have to do it."
They reached the end of the tunnel. It was covered by a huge wooden trapdoor. Will tried to push it up but it was too heavy. He was starting to reach for the knife again when Lyra found a control panel inset into the wall. Pressing a large green button caused the trapdoor to slowly creak upwards. They walked the last few steps out of the tunnel and found themselves in a large barn.
They couldn't find a control to close the trapdoor but when Will pushed it the door closed by itself. The barn was large but deserted. There was some old farm machinery in a corner. With the trapdoor closed it was almost impossible to see. The secret way into the cellars beneath the mansion was well disguised.
Will went to the barn door and carefully eased it open to look outside. The sun was well up now, but there was no one in sight. They all knew that they had to move on quickly. They still hadn't heard any sign of pursuit but the witches obviously knew that the barn was where the tunnel opened.
Will stepped outside the barn and a patch of ground ten feet in front of him exploded in flames, throwing him back through the door.
"You fool! I need them alive," a voice shrieked somewhere outside.
Will lay stunned on the floor. Lyra slammed the barn door closed and ran to help him up.
"Quick, cut a window," she cried.
Will struggled to his feet and drew the knife. The barn door exploded and the space inside filled with smoke. Will felt forwards with the knife and quickly found a familiar strand. The land of the Mulefa. He cut a window and seizing Lyra with one hand and Serafina with the other he dragged them through. The daemons jumped after them and just as Will was about to close the window Kaisa appeared and soared through to join them.
Will reached to close the window. He saw several witches running into the smoke filled barn but he was quick enough to find the edges and seal the opening before any of them could get through. The last thing he saw in the barn was the furious face of Saeunn Leira as she aimed something that resembled a missile launcher at him.
The gap closed and the smoke that had billowed through with them dissipated in the clear sunny sky.