6. Parallel Paths

Whether the effect of their temporary reunion was positive or negative would be difficult so see.
No doubt the afternoon would prevent to two of them going over the peek of insanity. But they remained on the bench until six o'clock, where Will's mobile rang with a concerned mother and Mary on the line, asking why he had not come home, and Lyra, well. She had a friend in need.

That friend was currently on the fishing boat with her father. Their fishing boat was the average size of a speed boat, and they had hidden in the dock amongst many other boats similar to theirs.
Earlier that day they had cruised up and down the boat ways and fished for a while, they had caught 3 fish. Two to sell, one for dinner.
'What will they do if they find us?' whispered Katie,
'Chase us.'
Katie smiled at this feeble attempt at humour
'OK, what will they do if they catch us?'
'Don't know.'
It was five past six. The father got out a primus stove and a frying pan from a trunk at the end of the boat and set about frying their caught fish.
Katie sat up.
'Here comes Lyra.'
His dæmon looked up, sure enough the small figure of Lyra was trotting along the edge of the dock. Katie raised her hand to catch her attention.
'Hi- You're both OK?'
'Yeah, we just hung about on the river all day…'
'I'm sorry I roped you into this, I didn't mean too.'
Katie's father looked up from the frying pan, which was now spluttering and hissing.
'Don't worry, tell you what, this week is going to be a darn site more interesting than my job.'
'Thanks Mr…'
'Nauton- Daniel Nauton.' he said, smiling. 'Look, I dunno where you were today, but do you have to be home at all?'
Lyra looked in the direction of Jordan Collage.
'Yeah, I'd like to see if they've been snooping around Jordan.'
'OK. We're just going to have our trout here then we're going home. I don't want to abandon my house.'
Lyra nodded and left for Jordan.
Daniel Nauton watched her go. She's not at all like those rumours described her, he thought…

Lyra trudged across the collage grounds heading for the twelfth staircase. She kept looking around. Ever since the church had resumed it's quest against her for vengeance she'd felt like a million eyes were watching her. Especially when she learnt indirectly from Mr. Nauton that she was well known through out the land.
Her door was ajar.
Tiptoeing silently in case they were still there, Lyra stepped up the last few stairs. Pan went ahead and peeped round the corner.
'There's no one there.' he said, but the formality of his voice told Lyra more than she wanted to know.
The room was in turmoil. The bed was thrown about and the mattress sliced open. Her draws her scattered about the room and possessions everywhere.
'But what were they looking for?' asked Lyra
'The knife?'
'No. Even they must realise we wouldn't have it.'
'But if we did, they would have hit the jackpot.'
Lyra picked up pan and held her to her breast and lent against the wall.
'I thought it was over.'
They sat there for five minutes, looking around. Everything that had a hollow space inside had been smashed open, then discarded to a corner, into a pile of broken objects.
'Lyra!?'
The voice of the porter called up the stairs
'Lyra?' it came again, louder this time.
Footsteps ascended the stairs and the aging porter appeared.
'Ah good; you're ho- what the?!' He suddenly caught sight of the room, 'What happened here?'
He did not know about Lyra's adventure with Will and she had no wish to tell him right here and now.
'I dunno. I just got back and someone had wrecked the place.'
The Porter swallowed hard and looked around again. Then he reached out and pulled Lyra to her feet.
'C'mon.' he said,
He took Lyra at a fast pace toward the Master's lodging.
He said nothing, but he was obviously angry.
When they reached the lodge the Porter left Lyra and Pan outside and went in to speak with the Master.
Then he came out again and said:
'Go inside, I need to return to the front gate.'
They stepped inside and saw the master, on his feet. He beckoned her over.
'I hear you room had a visit. No one makes unauthorized visits in my collage. You know who did this, I can guess, but you can tell me more than that.'
'I- I don't know exactly, it was the magisterium though. They're still after me.'
'And did you know this before hand?'
'Sort of, my friend Katie, they got her to talk, and they found out I was still living here.'
The Master folded his arms and paced about the room. He was obviously angry like the Porter.
'As I said, I will not have random people searching the rooms of my collage. I will be commencing an investigation into this crime.
'In the mean time, do you want to move to somewhere else in the collage, or in oxford? I can move you anywhere you wish before the day is out.'
Lyra thought for a moment, but then a thought came floating up to her from Pantalaimon, Mr. Nauton's voice echoed 'I will not abandon my house.'
'No. I'll stay thank you. But would it be all right to have a lock on my door?'
'As you wish. I shall ask Mr. Parslow to fix a lock as soon as he can. But if you change your mind, my offer will still stand.'