Chapter 4: Climbing the Clock Tower
A/N Wow. . .I got 7 reviews for that one chapter, and 3 in one day! Don't own anybody but Sarika, Emily, and the names for the nameless daemons.
Lyra lay in bed for about five minutes after Xaphania had departed, trying to make herself wait until morning before she went to the clock tower, but her excitement was too great. Tossing back the covers, she rolled out of bed. Pan looked at her, blinking.
"This is foolish, Lyra. You won't be able to see a thing in the dark, and you know that the stairs stop many feet below the top of the clock tower. You'll fall and we'll die."
Lyra sighed. "I know it's foolish, Pan, but I can't wait. You want to see them again as much as I do!"
Pan gave up trying to be the voice of reason. He knew that nothing would sway Lyra once she had her mind set, and he had to admit she was right.
That settled the matter in Lyra's mind. Standing, she swiftly changed into warm clothes and headed for the clock tower.
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Half an hour later, Lyra stood at the top of the stairs to the clock tower, which opened onto a balcony surrounding the whole thing. The very peak of the tower was several yards above her head.
Pan stood on the railing, leaning back as far as he dared to see the peak. "It's too high, Lyra! We can't make it!"
"Pan, this is far less dangerous than some things we've done before. Stop being a chicken." With that, Lyra gripped the bricks in both hands and began to climb. In the old days of climbing roofs at Jordan College, this would have been almost nothing to Lyra, but she hadn't climbed a roof since coming back from her adventures, and that had been ten years ago. She still remembered some things, like to keep her body close to the wall.
Lyra struggled up the first few metres, and then reached the bottom of the clock face. The numbers were large and brass, screwed into the white face, and the brass hands pointed to 5:05. The eastern sky was growing pink, and the city was beginning to stir. She'd have to make this fast, before anyone saw her and reported the crazy lady to the police.
Climbing the clock face was a bit easier. Setting her foot inside the 6, she reached up, straining to grab the circle in the middle that held the hands. Grasping it tightly, she tried to pull herself up, her legs flailing for more holds. Pan sat on her shoulder, gripping it in his claws. Lyra's foot caught on the 5 and she reached for the minute hand, which was approaching the 3. Pulling herself onto that, she climbed onto the 2, and then the 1, and finally was standing on the raised edge of the face. Now all she had to do was get to the peak, and the window would be there.
The roof was easier to climb, being as it was sloped. She made quick work of that, and then finally stood on the very top. The streets below were beginning to fill with people on their way to work, and the sun was clearing the horizon. She walked all around the peak, looking for the window, but couldn't see anything. Finally, she looked up, and saw it hovering above her head. Carefully, she tried grasping the edges with her fingers, and jumped. Pan flowed over her head inside and dropped to an identical peak below, with Lyra awkwardly following. Within seconds, they sat on the rooftop in Will's Oxford.
"Now all we have to do is get down!" Lyra said, frowning. It took a while, but finally the woman and daemon stood on the balcony once more. Without a word, they took off down the stairs and into the city, the mission of finding Will clear in their minds.
A/N Yet another cliff-hanger. . .how will Lyra find Will? Does he know that she's coming? And what will her reaction to Emily be?
A/N Wow. . .I got 7 reviews for that one chapter, and 3 in one day! Don't own anybody but Sarika, Emily, and the names for the nameless daemons.
Lyra lay in bed for about five minutes after Xaphania had departed, trying to make herself wait until morning before she went to the clock tower, but her excitement was too great. Tossing back the covers, she rolled out of bed. Pan looked at her, blinking.
"This is foolish, Lyra. You won't be able to see a thing in the dark, and you know that the stairs stop many feet below the top of the clock tower. You'll fall and we'll die."
Lyra sighed. "I know it's foolish, Pan, but I can't wait. You want to see them again as much as I do!"
Pan gave up trying to be the voice of reason. He knew that nothing would sway Lyra once she had her mind set, and he had to admit she was right.
That settled the matter in Lyra's mind. Standing, she swiftly changed into warm clothes and headed for the clock tower.
************************************************************************
Half an hour later, Lyra stood at the top of the stairs to the clock tower, which opened onto a balcony surrounding the whole thing. The very peak of the tower was several yards above her head.
Pan stood on the railing, leaning back as far as he dared to see the peak. "It's too high, Lyra! We can't make it!"
"Pan, this is far less dangerous than some things we've done before. Stop being a chicken." With that, Lyra gripped the bricks in both hands and began to climb. In the old days of climbing roofs at Jordan College, this would have been almost nothing to Lyra, but she hadn't climbed a roof since coming back from her adventures, and that had been ten years ago. She still remembered some things, like to keep her body close to the wall.
Lyra struggled up the first few metres, and then reached the bottom of the clock face. The numbers were large and brass, screwed into the white face, and the brass hands pointed to 5:05. The eastern sky was growing pink, and the city was beginning to stir. She'd have to make this fast, before anyone saw her and reported the crazy lady to the police.
Climbing the clock face was a bit easier. Setting her foot inside the 6, she reached up, straining to grab the circle in the middle that held the hands. Grasping it tightly, she tried to pull herself up, her legs flailing for more holds. Pan sat on her shoulder, gripping it in his claws. Lyra's foot caught on the 5 and she reached for the minute hand, which was approaching the 3. Pulling herself onto that, she climbed onto the 2, and then the 1, and finally was standing on the raised edge of the face. Now all she had to do was get to the peak, and the window would be there.
The roof was easier to climb, being as it was sloped. She made quick work of that, and then finally stood on the very top. The streets below were beginning to fill with people on their way to work, and the sun was clearing the horizon. She walked all around the peak, looking for the window, but couldn't see anything. Finally, she looked up, and saw it hovering above her head. Carefully, she tried grasping the edges with her fingers, and jumped. Pan flowed over her head inside and dropped to an identical peak below, with Lyra awkwardly following. Within seconds, they sat on the rooftop in Will's Oxford.
"Now all we have to do is get down!" Lyra said, frowning. It took a while, but finally the woman and daemon stood on the balcony once more. Without a word, they took off down the stairs and into the city, the mission of finding Will clear in their minds.
A/N Yet another cliff-hanger. . .how will Lyra find Will? Does he know that she's coming? And what will her reaction to Emily be?