5. Impossible Reunion
Will was on the train to Oxford. He had told Mary he was heading to the Botanic Garden. She had understood.
He was making it up as he went, he didn't have the faintest idea how he was going to get Kirjava on the train, but some good fortune had caused the train station to be deserted, so smuggling Kirjava aboard had not been a problem.
He sat at the back of the carriage, which also seemed to be empty, staring out of the window at the landscape rushing past.
'D'you think she's feeling the same as us?' said Will,
She was silent for a second or two, but then said yes.
The train slowed and stopped at Oxford station and Will disembarked.
The Man behind the ticket booth was busy watching a women digging coins out of her purse, so Will walked straight past, Kirjava was slightly ahead, leading the way. No one seemed to notice him as he walked out the station and set course for the Botanic Gardens.
Lyra and Pantalaimon were also on the move. They were about 5 minutes away from the gate. Lyra pulled out her key to the Garden and glanced around. There was no one else in sight.
Slipping the key into the lock she stole into the gardens silently, without looking where she was going she was off toward the bench. But she didn't need to see where she was going, her feet seemed to know the way. At any rate she was more co-ordinated than she ever had been as she turned defiantly on each corner.
Will and Kirjava were nearly at the bench. With each step they took the hurt at their heart seemed to grow less and less.
They saw no one in the other gardens he walked through.
He rounded the last corner and their stood before them, the Bench.
Lyra reached the same point and stood at Wills side, unknowingly, in a different universe.
In perfect sympathy, the two lovers approached the Bench and sat down, Will on the left, Lyra on the right, both facing where the other would be.
And the pain and hurt left them.
Will sighed a great sigh of relief, and looked at the other side of the bench. If he screwed up his imagination, he could almost see her.
Lyra's imagination was too, straining to create the image of her unreachable lover. A hazy vision of him appeared in front of her they smiled at each other.
Slowly inch-by-inch, second by second, they leaned toward the other and reached out to embrace these teasing shadows.
As they enclosed their arms, the shadow disappeared, but their arms touched and they felt warmth and the untouchable touch beneath their fingers.
The two worlds span about them as carts passed Lyra then passed Will as cars. The only solid existence to them was themselves and not even the fabric of the worlds could block them love between them.
Will opened his eyes. So did Lyra. They looked at each other and for a full half-second saw each other, then each disappeared to the other and their arms fell slack.
That was it. It was gone. Their time was up.
However, they were being watched.
Floating upon a pine branch about fifteen feet from the ground was a women who looked to be in her early thirties, but it was Serafina Pekkala, and she had seen everything.
Through half-closed eyes she saw the frozen space of time where the love of the two children had smashed through into each other's worlds.
But it was gone now and Lyra lay silent on the bench.
Perhaps the war between the church and the rebellion was not over… she thought.
Will was on the train to Oxford. He had told Mary he was heading to the Botanic Garden. She had understood.
He was making it up as he went, he didn't have the faintest idea how he was going to get Kirjava on the train, but some good fortune had caused the train station to be deserted, so smuggling Kirjava aboard had not been a problem.
He sat at the back of the carriage, which also seemed to be empty, staring out of the window at the landscape rushing past.
'D'you think she's feeling the same as us?' said Will,
She was silent for a second or two, but then said yes.
The train slowed and stopped at Oxford station and Will disembarked.
The Man behind the ticket booth was busy watching a women digging coins out of her purse, so Will walked straight past, Kirjava was slightly ahead, leading the way. No one seemed to notice him as he walked out the station and set course for the Botanic Gardens.
Lyra and Pantalaimon were also on the move. They were about 5 minutes away from the gate. Lyra pulled out her key to the Garden and glanced around. There was no one else in sight.
Slipping the key into the lock she stole into the gardens silently, without looking where she was going she was off toward the bench. But she didn't need to see where she was going, her feet seemed to know the way. At any rate she was more co-ordinated than she ever had been as she turned defiantly on each corner.
Will and Kirjava were nearly at the bench. With each step they took the hurt at their heart seemed to grow less and less.
They saw no one in the other gardens he walked through.
He rounded the last corner and their stood before them, the Bench.
Lyra reached the same point and stood at Wills side, unknowingly, in a different universe.
In perfect sympathy, the two lovers approached the Bench and sat down, Will on the left, Lyra on the right, both facing where the other would be.
And the pain and hurt left them.
Will sighed a great sigh of relief, and looked at the other side of the bench. If he screwed up his imagination, he could almost see her.
Lyra's imagination was too, straining to create the image of her unreachable lover. A hazy vision of him appeared in front of her they smiled at each other.
Slowly inch-by-inch, second by second, they leaned toward the other and reached out to embrace these teasing shadows.
As they enclosed their arms, the shadow disappeared, but their arms touched and they felt warmth and the untouchable touch beneath their fingers.
The two worlds span about them as carts passed Lyra then passed Will as cars. The only solid existence to them was themselves and not even the fabric of the worlds could block them love between them.
Will opened his eyes. So did Lyra. They looked at each other and for a full half-second saw each other, then each disappeared to the other and their arms fell slack.
That was it. It was gone. Their time was up.
However, they were being watched.
Floating upon a pine branch about fifteen feet from the ground was a women who looked to be in her early thirties, but it was Serafina Pekkala, and she had seen everything.
Through half-closed eyes she saw the frozen space of time where the love of the two children had smashed through into each other's worlds.
But it was gone now and Lyra lay silent on the bench.
Perhaps the war between the church and the rebellion was not over… she thought.
