21. Quiet Friends and Silent Enemies
The revolutionary new film that Lord Asriel had invented shortly after his capture and exile to Svalbard had not remained a secret, and by blending it with the state of the art camera technology the Magisterium had created what they christened the Moving Photogram Unit, or MPU as the shaking scientist preferred to call it as he presented it to the eager hands of the clergy people. Once set up, this camera could take numerous pictures in quick succession to make a moving picture up to 5 minutes long on each film cartridge.
Dear Father Jevons,
I give to you our new Moving Photogram Unit and a technician to operate it. We also supply you with ordinary Silver Nitrate Emulsion film and the proto-type special emulsion that can effectively see Dust.
You are to cause the equipment to be assembled and set up in a hidden location overlooking the bench previously discussed. A sentry should be on guard throughout the hours of day in wait for the child Lyra Belaqua to visit the bench.
Should she be seen, the technician is to be summoned at once to operate the camera and record every moment that the child is in the gardens.
Please reply with the utmost urgency to confirm your understanding of these instructions.
Regards-
Father Stewart
Geneva
It was after dark that the hooded figure approached the gate of Jordan College.
His intent was to have a 'friendly' interview with the evasive child and find out what her intentions were. Better yet he was hoping to gain her will so they could manipulate her. That would please Geneva and ensure his future in the Magisterium…
The Porter put down his mug of coffee and stepped outside his hut at the gate.
It was neither smart nor wise to open the door at this hour. Sliding back the peephole he saw a hooded figure, the street lamp behind him shrouded his face, but the Porter saw the glint of a crucifix round his neck.
'I am here on urgent business from the Magisterium. I believe the child Lyra Belaqua has residence at the halls within?'
The porter didn't know what business Lyra had with the church, but he suspected she wanted to avoid them. He thought for a moment and then said sardonically:
'Sorry mate, I don't speak English.' and shut the peephole with a snap.
'We know where you live Porter- don't make me go there instead.'
The peephole opened again and the porter narrowed his eyes. He was worried, but didn't back down.
'Are you threatening me?'
'Yes.'
'Well don't bother, cos it's dark and we're all shut up for the night. I'm not letting you in cos of spite- that would be petty. It's college rules.'
He shut the peephole again.
The visitor did not leave, nor did he say anything.
The Porter stood against the door listening for the leaving footsteps. He was getting worried now, he was out of his depth if he got in trouble with the church and now he'd taken on more responsibility than he wanted. What was worse was that this mysterious man knew that he knew that he was with the church and he probably knew he was worried too.
He shook himself and opened the peephole again.
'You still there?' he said in his harshest voice, 'you can't come in tonight. Come back tomorrow- and do it quick or I'll have to get the guard.'
'Are you threatening me?'
'Yes I bloody well am. Now shove off.'
The clergyman finally took the hint and with a swish of his cloak, he walked silent away. The porter breathed a sigh of relief. He resolved to talk to the Master in the morning.
The next morning a photographic technician appeared outside the Oxford Oratory with a case and a nervous assistance.
'I bring the experimental camera with compliments of Father Steward.' He said to the priest, 'Please inform Father Jevons.'
The priest led them to an anti chamber and disappeared. 'What ails you lad?!' he said to his shivering apprentice, 'I've seen a sentenced man shake less!'
'Sorry sir,' he replied, 'me mam's a god fearing person, I can't help but feel worried doing work like this.'
A voice suddenly spoke from the door,
'All the more reason to feel at ease my son.' Said Father Jevons striding into the room, 'you are performing the Lord's work. Why should you feel worried?'
'The new film. I've heard terrible stories about the stuff it captures on paper.'
'Ease yourself young man. Do not fear technology, this is the twenty-first century! Think how our grand fathers would feel to see us here in the year twenty-o-three with motor cars, anbaric lamps, and now cameras that can take moving images!'
The boy said nothing, but busied himself taking the camera from the case and setting it up for Father Jevons to inspect.
The photographer turned to Father Jevons and said, 'I trust you have arranged close lodgings to the gardens? This camera, even when set up, still requires five minutes to warm up before taking pictures. If you need a prompt performance, I must be at hand.'
'It is all taken care of. You have a chamber in the lodging house adjacent to the Botanical Gardens. It is no more than half a minute to the vantage point I have picked out for you to use.'
'And where is this vantage point?'
'The green houses. I have arranged a loft position in the roof of the nearest one with a window. It should serve you well.'
'Good. Here- the camera is ready, if it's to your satisfaction I'll move it to this greenhouse?'
'Show me you arm!'
Lyra stopped Katie on the way to college and she rolled her eyes and pulled up her sleeves for Lyra to check.
'I haven't done it for ages I promise.'
'Good. Keep it up then.'
They resumed their walk.
'Why is it such a crime for me to self harm anyway?' she said
'Erm… blood loss, infection, loss of life?'
Silence from Katie.
They walked on a bit further, stepping through the morning oxford crowds, then stopped at Julie's house. Katie threw a twig at her window and Julie appeared at it with damp hair.
'I'll be right down! Sarah's gone on, she needed to be in early!'
'Miss Organisation.' grumbled Lyra, 'we'll get fried if we're late again.'
'When are you going to the botanic gardens?' said Serafina,
'Tomorrow. That's when Will's coming.'
'But isn't Will in another world? Said Katie,
'Yeah, but when we meet at our bench, I dunno, something happens and we manage to be together.'
'How do you know he'll be there?' said the witch.
'Dunno.' She said again 'Just do.'
Then Lyra's brow furrowed and she turned to Serafina,
'Hang on- Serafina! What are you doing here?!'
Aware the Lyra had finally latched on; Serafina dropped her invisibility spell. Katie jumped and said, 'How long have you been there?!'
Serafina smiled,
'You walked past me on the path and I followed you to Julia's house. We've been talking for the past five minutes, but I had to use an invisibility spell to avoid too much attention. Even now I should cast it again very soon.'
'But why are you here?'
'I have to warn you, the church is up to something again- you mustn't go to the botanic garden tomorrow.'
'What? I can't just cancel. Will's going to be there. I'm not going to stand him up.'
'Lyra, this is the church. I can't keep stepping in when they make a grab for you again; I'm going to get caught myself sooner or later. Can't you tell Will you can't be there?'
'No.'
'You're lying.'
Lyra looked around for an answer.
'No- I can, but I won't. It's bad enough we're apart now, I'm not going to just say, "Sorry Will- can't do tomorrow- there's someone after me". He's got people after him too.'
Serafina saw a man looking at them as he passed and promptly went invisible again.
'If you don't heed me,' she said, 'you might end up never seeing him.
'That's a risk I'm willing to take.' Said Lyra offhandedly turning away.
Serafina nodded and left, but none of the girls noticed.
The revolutionary new film that Lord Asriel had invented shortly after his capture and exile to Svalbard had not remained a secret, and by blending it with the state of the art camera technology the Magisterium had created what they christened the Moving Photogram Unit, or MPU as the shaking scientist preferred to call it as he presented it to the eager hands of the clergy people. Once set up, this camera could take numerous pictures in quick succession to make a moving picture up to 5 minutes long on each film cartridge.
Dear Father Jevons,
I give to you our new Moving Photogram Unit and a technician to operate it. We also supply you with ordinary Silver Nitrate Emulsion film and the proto-type special emulsion that can effectively see Dust.
You are to cause the equipment to be assembled and set up in a hidden location overlooking the bench previously discussed. A sentry should be on guard throughout the hours of day in wait for the child Lyra Belaqua to visit the bench.
Should she be seen, the technician is to be summoned at once to operate the camera and record every moment that the child is in the gardens.
Please reply with the utmost urgency to confirm your understanding of these instructions.
Regards-
Father Stewart
Geneva
It was after dark that the hooded figure approached the gate of Jordan College.
His intent was to have a 'friendly' interview with the evasive child and find out what her intentions were. Better yet he was hoping to gain her will so they could manipulate her. That would please Geneva and ensure his future in the Magisterium…
The Porter put down his mug of coffee and stepped outside his hut at the gate.
It was neither smart nor wise to open the door at this hour. Sliding back the peephole he saw a hooded figure, the street lamp behind him shrouded his face, but the Porter saw the glint of a crucifix round his neck.
'I am here on urgent business from the Magisterium. I believe the child Lyra Belaqua has residence at the halls within?'
The porter didn't know what business Lyra had with the church, but he suspected she wanted to avoid them. He thought for a moment and then said sardonically:
'Sorry mate, I don't speak English.' and shut the peephole with a snap.
'We know where you live Porter- don't make me go there instead.'
The peephole opened again and the porter narrowed his eyes. He was worried, but didn't back down.
'Are you threatening me?'
'Yes.'
'Well don't bother, cos it's dark and we're all shut up for the night. I'm not letting you in cos of spite- that would be petty. It's college rules.'
He shut the peephole again.
The visitor did not leave, nor did he say anything.
The Porter stood against the door listening for the leaving footsteps. He was getting worried now, he was out of his depth if he got in trouble with the church and now he'd taken on more responsibility than he wanted. What was worse was that this mysterious man knew that he knew that he was with the church and he probably knew he was worried too.
He shook himself and opened the peephole again.
'You still there?' he said in his harshest voice, 'you can't come in tonight. Come back tomorrow- and do it quick or I'll have to get the guard.'
'Are you threatening me?'
'Yes I bloody well am. Now shove off.'
The clergyman finally took the hint and with a swish of his cloak, he walked silent away. The porter breathed a sigh of relief. He resolved to talk to the Master in the morning.
The next morning a photographic technician appeared outside the Oxford Oratory with a case and a nervous assistance.
'I bring the experimental camera with compliments of Father Steward.' He said to the priest, 'Please inform Father Jevons.'
The priest led them to an anti chamber and disappeared. 'What ails you lad?!' he said to his shivering apprentice, 'I've seen a sentenced man shake less!'
'Sorry sir,' he replied, 'me mam's a god fearing person, I can't help but feel worried doing work like this.'
A voice suddenly spoke from the door,
'All the more reason to feel at ease my son.' Said Father Jevons striding into the room, 'you are performing the Lord's work. Why should you feel worried?'
'The new film. I've heard terrible stories about the stuff it captures on paper.'
'Ease yourself young man. Do not fear technology, this is the twenty-first century! Think how our grand fathers would feel to see us here in the year twenty-o-three with motor cars, anbaric lamps, and now cameras that can take moving images!'
The boy said nothing, but busied himself taking the camera from the case and setting it up for Father Jevons to inspect.
The photographer turned to Father Jevons and said, 'I trust you have arranged close lodgings to the gardens? This camera, even when set up, still requires five minutes to warm up before taking pictures. If you need a prompt performance, I must be at hand.'
'It is all taken care of. You have a chamber in the lodging house adjacent to the Botanical Gardens. It is no more than half a minute to the vantage point I have picked out for you to use.'
'And where is this vantage point?'
'The green houses. I have arranged a loft position in the roof of the nearest one with a window. It should serve you well.'
'Good. Here- the camera is ready, if it's to your satisfaction I'll move it to this greenhouse?'
'Show me you arm!'
Lyra stopped Katie on the way to college and she rolled her eyes and pulled up her sleeves for Lyra to check.
'I haven't done it for ages I promise.'
'Good. Keep it up then.'
They resumed their walk.
'Why is it such a crime for me to self harm anyway?' she said
'Erm… blood loss, infection, loss of life?'
Silence from Katie.
They walked on a bit further, stepping through the morning oxford crowds, then stopped at Julie's house. Katie threw a twig at her window and Julie appeared at it with damp hair.
'I'll be right down! Sarah's gone on, she needed to be in early!'
'Miss Organisation.' grumbled Lyra, 'we'll get fried if we're late again.'
'When are you going to the botanic gardens?' said Serafina,
'Tomorrow. That's when Will's coming.'
'But isn't Will in another world? Said Katie,
'Yeah, but when we meet at our bench, I dunno, something happens and we manage to be together.'
'How do you know he'll be there?' said the witch.
'Dunno.' She said again 'Just do.'
Then Lyra's brow furrowed and she turned to Serafina,
'Hang on- Serafina! What are you doing here?!'
Aware the Lyra had finally latched on; Serafina dropped her invisibility spell. Katie jumped and said, 'How long have you been there?!'
Serafina smiled,
'You walked past me on the path and I followed you to Julia's house. We've been talking for the past five minutes, but I had to use an invisibility spell to avoid too much attention. Even now I should cast it again very soon.'
'But why are you here?'
'I have to warn you, the church is up to something again- you mustn't go to the botanic garden tomorrow.'
'What? I can't just cancel. Will's going to be there. I'm not going to stand him up.'
'Lyra, this is the church. I can't keep stepping in when they make a grab for you again; I'm going to get caught myself sooner or later. Can't you tell Will you can't be there?'
'No.'
'You're lying.'
Lyra looked around for an answer.
'No- I can, but I won't. It's bad enough we're apart now, I'm not going to just say, "Sorry Will- can't do tomorrow- there's someone after me". He's got people after him too.'
Serafina saw a man looking at them as he passed and promptly went invisible again.
'If you don't heed me,' she said, 'you might end up never seeing him.
'That's a risk I'm willing to take.' Said Lyra offhandedly turning away.
Serafina nodded and left, but none of the girls noticed.
