Chapter 5: Finding Mary
A/N: Disclaimer, disclaimer. . .don't own anyone. Yes, I am finally updating! To all the reviewers who said Emily is a ditz, or is getting the wrong impression on her, that's the point! You're not supposed to like her! She was supposed to be a bit smarter and a bit more appealing to readers, but character development didn't turn out that way. I myself am an avid W/L fan!
At this time, Will was lying asleep in the apartment he shared with Emily. He'd finally managed to fall asleep at 3:30 am, and was still out cold, but thankfully, today was a Saturday and he didn't have any classes. Emily did, and had left around 6.
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"Pan?" Lyra whispered. "How on earth are we going to find Will in the city? I don't know where he lives or where Dr. Malone lives. . .do you think he is still staying with her?"
"Ask the alethiometer, silly. Why don't you ever think of these things?"
Lyra hadn't thought of the alethiometer. It was sitting, wrapped in black velvet, in her rucksack (a different one from before). She quickly took off for the Botanic Garden for a comfortable place to sit, found a bench, and sat on it, tucking her hair behind her ears and bending over the alethiometer. She set the hands, a little slower than she once could, and waited for the message to come into her mind. Where can I find Will or Dr. Malone?
The alethiometer answered, but it took Lyra a few minutes to understand what it meant. Finally she had it. Left twice and round a bend, up five stories and down eight doors will you find Dr. Mary Malone. Will is found minutes away.
Nothing else came. Lyra couldn't tell from this where Will was, and she had a feeling that the alethiometer was playing a trick on her, as it seemed to do sometimes. Still, she followed its directions to Dr. Malone's flat, getting lost a few times, but finally she stood at Flat 508. Rapping a little shyly on the door, she waited until Dr. Malone opened it.
"May I help you?" Mary said curiously, looking for a clipboard or a box, something that would give this woman away as a canvasser or a delivery lady.
"Dr. Malone?" Lyra said in barely more than a whisper.
"Yes, that's me. What is it - oh my God," Mary exclaimed, suddenly recognizing the voice and the pine marten peering over the woman's shoulder. "God be praised. . .Lyra? No, it can't possibly be you - "
"Yes," Lyra cut her off in midsentence. "It's Lyra, and Pantalaimon. We've come to see Will."
Mary could hardly believe it. Ushering Pan and Lyra inside while rubbing her temples to make sure she wasn't hallucinating, she sat them down and bade them tell the story. Lyra explained it all, from yesterday in the garden to climbing the tower to now. When it was all over, Mary leaned back on the couch with a thump. "Dear Lord. . .this is not good. Lyra, there's something I have to tell you - "
Lyra cut her off again. "I know, I know, things won't be the same. Xaphania told me that too. But I know what I'm doing, and I will find him, no matter what's different."
Mary groaned, but Lyra was a stubborn person, and she knew Lyra would refuse to hear what it was. She had a feeling that deep down, Lyra already knew, but was not accepting it.
Mary gave Lyra directions to Will's flat, leaving out the fact that it was now Will and Emily's flat. Lyra took them, thanked Mary and said she'd be by to visit soon, and then quickly left, taking the stairs rather than the elevator. Mary peered out of her window and saw Lyra jogging swiftly down the road, Pan keeping pace with her easily. Sighing, Mary turned and leaned against the wall. "The poor child," she whispered, not caring that Lyra was twenty-three now. "She'll just have to find out on her own."
A/N: I was going to write more, but I'm lazy and don't feel like it right now. R/R and more is to come!
A/N: Disclaimer, disclaimer. . .don't own anyone. Yes, I am finally updating! To all the reviewers who said Emily is a ditz, or is getting the wrong impression on her, that's the point! You're not supposed to like her! She was supposed to be a bit smarter and a bit more appealing to readers, but character development didn't turn out that way. I myself am an avid W/L fan!
At this time, Will was lying asleep in the apartment he shared with Emily. He'd finally managed to fall asleep at 3:30 am, and was still out cold, but thankfully, today was a Saturday and he didn't have any classes. Emily did, and had left around 6.
************************************************************************
"Pan?" Lyra whispered. "How on earth are we going to find Will in the city? I don't know where he lives or where Dr. Malone lives. . .do you think he is still staying with her?"
"Ask the alethiometer, silly. Why don't you ever think of these things?"
Lyra hadn't thought of the alethiometer. It was sitting, wrapped in black velvet, in her rucksack (a different one from before). She quickly took off for the Botanic Garden for a comfortable place to sit, found a bench, and sat on it, tucking her hair behind her ears and bending over the alethiometer. She set the hands, a little slower than she once could, and waited for the message to come into her mind. Where can I find Will or Dr. Malone?
The alethiometer answered, but it took Lyra a few minutes to understand what it meant. Finally she had it. Left twice and round a bend, up five stories and down eight doors will you find Dr. Mary Malone. Will is found minutes away.
Nothing else came. Lyra couldn't tell from this where Will was, and she had a feeling that the alethiometer was playing a trick on her, as it seemed to do sometimes. Still, she followed its directions to Dr. Malone's flat, getting lost a few times, but finally she stood at Flat 508. Rapping a little shyly on the door, she waited until Dr. Malone opened it.
"May I help you?" Mary said curiously, looking for a clipboard or a box, something that would give this woman away as a canvasser or a delivery lady.
"Dr. Malone?" Lyra said in barely more than a whisper.
"Yes, that's me. What is it - oh my God," Mary exclaimed, suddenly recognizing the voice and the pine marten peering over the woman's shoulder. "God be praised. . .Lyra? No, it can't possibly be you - "
"Yes," Lyra cut her off in midsentence. "It's Lyra, and Pantalaimon. We've come to see Will."
Mary could hardly believe it. Ushering Pan and Lyra inside while rubbing her temples to make sure she wasn't hallucinating, she sat them down and bade them tell the story. Lyra explained it all, from yesterday in the garden to climbing the tower to now. When it was all over, Mary leaned back on the couch with a thump. "Dear Lord. . .this is not good. Lyra, there's something I have to tell you - "
Lyra cut her off again. "I know, I know, things won't be the same. Xaphania told me that too. But I know what I'm doing, and I will find him, no matter what's different."
Mary groaned, but Lyra was a stubborn person, and she knew Lyra would refuse to hear what it was. She had a feeling that deep down, Lyra already knew, but was not accepting it.
Mary gave Lyra directions to Will's flat, leaving out the fact that it was now Will and Emily's flat. Lyra took them, thanked Mary and said she'd be by to visit soon, and then quickly left, taking the stairs rather than the elevator. Mary peered out of her window and saw Lyra jogging swiftly down the road, Pan keeping pace with her easily. Sighing, Mary turned and leaned against the wall. "The poor child," she whispered, not caring that Lyra was twenty-three now. "She'll just have to find out on her own."
A/N: I was going to write more, but I'm lazy and don't feel like it right now. R/R and more is to come!