Chapter 5
After a quick stopover at sickbay so Dr. McCoy could retrieve his tricorder, Will and Lyra followed him to Captain Kirk's conference room. Pan, still in the form of a white ermine, was draped lethargically over Lyra's shoulder. Though Lyra was anxious to try pizza, Pan urged restraint, as his hunger was more than sated by the two meals that she had just finished.
"Please, Lyra," said Pantalaimon. "Only a small, tiny nibble. No more than a morsel! Remember, if you get a tummy ache, so do I!"
"Oh, go on, Pan," replied Lyra. "En't you the least bit curious?"
"Actually, this'll be something new for me as well," said Will. "I've had pizza lots of times, Lyra! But I've never had one with Aldebaran Shellmouth and Andorian tuber root as toppings before!" Lyra smiled at Will, and for the first time since he was able to remember, he felt happy.
When they arrived at the captain's conference room, there were two red-shirted security guards standing outside. Lyra saw that both guards had the same kind of anbaric pistols that she and Will had found with the bodies they saw in Cittagazze almost two days ago. Since then, Lyra had learned that these pistols were called 'phasers,' and that if set at full force, they could incinerate a person, causing them to vanish without leaving a trace, or at the lowest setting, the 'phaser' could put a person in a deep, deep sleep.
At their approach, the door to the conference room split in the middle and opened swiftly, like all doors did on this ship of the stars, and Lyra stepped in with Will close behind her. Captain Kirk was there, and so was another man, who was unlike any person that Lyra had ever seen before. He wore a blue shirt, like Dr. McCoy and Nurse Chapel, and was tall and slender, but his most striking feature was his pointed ears, which made him look like an Elfish Prince from ancient Brytish mythology.
Lyra was so fascinated by the man-elf that she did not immediately notice the third person waiting in the room. Sitting at the far end of the table was a beautiful woman with long, dark hair. Though the woman smiled pleasantly, her golden monkey daemon grinned maliciously. "Oh Lyra, thank The Authority that I finally found you!"
Lyra shrieked with surprise and fear when she saw the woman and the golden monkey and Pantalaimon took the form of a timid little mouse. Immediately, Will stepped between Lyra and the woman, placing his right hand on the hilt of his Subtle Knife.
"Well, well," said the woman dryly. "Aren't you the brave knight errant protecting the damsel in distress?" Mrs. Coulter regarded Will as more of a nuisance than a true threat, though her golden monkey bared his teeth, hissing at the boy.
"Please, Captain Kirk," said Will urgently. "You mustn't let Mrs. Coulter take us!"
"I have no intention of taking you with me, little boy," said Mrs. Coulter, laughing contemptuously. "Since these . . . 'people' . . . are clearly members of your daemonless species, I shall leave you in their custody." Then, more ominously, she added, "Consider yourself fortunate that I do not demand your extradition, as I believe that you are responsible for kidnapping my dear Lyra!"
Will held his ground and tightened his grip on the handle of his Subtle Knife. There was no way this evil woman would ever take Lyra if he had anything to say about it.
"However," said Mrs. Coulter pleasantly as she turned her attention back to Captain Kirk. "In the interest of avoiding an ugly incident between the Magisterium of my world and your United Federation of Planets, I only ask that Lyra be returned to me immediately, safe and sound." The golden monkey tugged on Mrs. Coulter's sleeve and gestured towards the frightened children.
"Ah, yes," said Mrs. Coulter. "Why, thank you Ozymandias. I was so overjoyed at finding my dear Lyra that I nearly forgot all about the other matter. Captain Kirk, my daughter is currently in possession of an antique symbol-reader. This is a priceless family heirloom, and I shall want it returned as well. I shall also want the knife the boy is using to threaten me with, as it is the rightful property of the Magisterium."
"SHE EN'T ME MOTHER!" spat Lyra. AND THE ALETHIOMETER IS MINE! THE MASTER OF JORDAN COLLEGE GAVE IT TO ME! AS FOR THE KNIFE, WILL IS THE RIGHTFUL BEARER, HE IS! HE EARNED IT FAIR AND PROPER!"
Captain Kirk looked over at Dr. McCoy, who was holding his tricorder. "Jim, Mrs. Coulter is telling the truth," said Dr. McCoy, soberly. "At least the part about her being Lyra's biological mother. According to my tricorder, their mitochondrial DNA is a perfect match."
Mrs. Coulter's smile was refined and understated. Her golden monkey, however, rubbed his little hands together in triumph. "There, now," said Mrs. Coulter. "Lyra, darling, I think that we have caused these gentlemen enough trouble." Mrs. Coulter rose gracefully from her chair. "Now, come along with me. Let us return to our own world."
Lyra backed away, holding mouse-formed Pantalaimon close to her chest as tears ran down her cheeks. "No! I won't go with you! Oh, I won't!!"
Mrs. Coulter stepped away from the table, moving closer to Lyra, her monkey daemon jumped from the table to her shoulder. "Lyra, we are not going to argue about this. You are my daughter; I am your mother. You heard Dr. McCoy confirm the truth of my claim with his anbaric instrument. Now, come along, dear Lyra. Do as you are told."
"No . . . ." said Lyra, her voice shaking.
"Stay away from us!" said Will firmly. "Captain Kirk! Dr. McCoy! Please don't make Lyra go with her! Mrs. Coulter is evil! She means to kill Lyra!"
Mrs. Coulter ignored Will, but as she spoke to Lyra, her voice was cold. "Lyra, your behavior is most unbecoming for one of our station. It is time for you and I to leave and return home to our own world. Now, come along with me, I shan't ask you again!"
When Lyra didn't go to Mrs. Coulter, the dark haired woman said, "So be it . . . ."
Mrs. Coulter's monkey leapt from her shoulder, quickly scampered around Will, and jumped for Pantalaimon in Lyra's cupped hands. Pan changed from a mouse into a sparrow and attempted to fly out of the evil monkey's reach, but he was not fast enough. The monkey soon had Pan, grasping Lyra's daemon by his throat, squeezing hard. At the same moment, Lyra's hands went to her own throat and she fell to her knees, gasping for breath as though she were being choked. And through it all, Mrs. Coulter remained passive, observing the scene with cool detachment.
"Stop it!" said Dr. McCoy. "Jim! Spock! That woman is assaulting her child!"
Will Parry attempted to rush Mrs. Coulter, but Captain Kirk leapt over the table and grabbed Will from behind, pinning the boy's arms to his side. Kirk was mindful of the damage Will's knife had caused in the transporter room. If the boy were to draw his knife and accidentally sever a plasma conduit in the wall . . . .
Now Pan was able to change his form from a sparrow into a snake, slipping out of the monkey's hands, though the monkey was in hot pursuit. Moving quicker than any human could move, Spock snatched Pantalaimon off the deck and away from the monkey's grasp. Instantly, the Vulcan's expression became blank, and he fell limp to the deck in a catatonic stupor.
"NO!" exclaimed Will. Kirk now saw that Lyra had also fallen unconsciously to the deck. "PLEASE, CAPTAIN, LET ME GO!" said Will urgently. "I MUST HELP LYRA! I WON'T USE MY KNIFE, I SWEAR!"
Kirk released the boy. Immediately, Will pulled off his shirt and dropped to his knees by Pan. But the monkey was there, too. The monkey hissed menacingly at Will and slowly reached for Pan with his golden hands. But Kirk was at Will's side in two steps, and he drove his right foot into the monkey's mid-section, kicking the golden fiend against the bulkhead at the far end of the conference room, away from Will and Pan.
"Medical emergency!" said Dr. McCoy into the intercom. "I need two stretchers brought to the Captain's Conference Room. STAT!" A second later, McCoy had his tricorder activated, scanning Lyra, and Spock. "They're both alive, but unconscious, Jim. I'll need to get them to sickbay before I can say any more."
As this was going on, Will carefully wrapped the motionless, snake-formed Pan in his shirt, taking care not to touch him with his bare fingers, and gently set him on Lyra's chest. Then the conference room door opened and Nurse Chapel arrived with several orderlies, who were guiding stretchers that were actually floating in the air!
But there was no time for amazement or wonder now! Will carefully lifted Lyra and Pan onto the nearest stretcher as the orderlies lowered the other one to the deck, setting Spock on it before returning the stretcher to waist height.
"Please, sir," said Will, slipping his shirt back on. "Please let me go with Lyra!"
Captain Kirk nodded to Will, and soon found himself alone in the conference room with Mrs. Coulter. The exotic humanoid woman was gasping for breath and clutching her stomach as she pulled herself up from the deck and into the nearest chair. Her golden monkey climbed into her arms and she petted him soothingly.
"Captain Kirk," said Mrs. Coulter once she caught her breath. "You are on notice that I am officially registering a formal complaint against that . . . that thing . . . that dared to lay its . . . filthy paws . . . upon my daughter's . . . daemon!"
"Your complaint is noted," said Kirk. "Though as a witness to the incident in question, I will state in my account that Mr. Spock was attempting to protect Lyra's 'daemon' from being attacked by your own 'daemon.'"
Both Mrs. Coulter and her golden monkey glared at Kirk, though the monkey seemed to be keeping a respectful distance.
"In addition," continued Kirk. "Mr. Spock is not a 'thing;' he is a person, like you and me. Beyond that, he is a Starfleet Officer and second in command of the USS Enterprise, and he has my full confidence."
"I see," said Mr. Coulter, her voice now calm. Her golden monkey scampered from her arms onto the conference room table, where he began to groom himself. Mrs. Coulter rose from her chair. Still rubbing her stomach, she stepped closer to Captain Kirk, standing between him and her daemon.
"I hope that you can find it in your heart to forgive my outburst, Captain Kirk. Please try to understand my feelings in this matter. My daughter was taken from me, and now, after an exhaustive search, I find my Lyra on a ship that sails through space, crewed by people without daemons! I must say, I find this entire experience to be physically and emotionally draining!"
"I find this to be an unusual experience, myself, Mrs. Coulter," replied Kirk. "And let me assure you that I have been in many extraordinary situations throughout my career in Starfleet." Mrs. Coulter stepped close enough to Kirk for him to smell her perfume, which was floral-scented but with a slight underlying metallic tinge.
"Now, Captain Kirk," said Mrs. Coulter softly. "Would you be so kind as to escort me to your ship's sickbay? I do so want to be with my dear daughter, Lyra."
In spite of everything Kirk had seen and heard, he found it difficult to refuse the request of the persuasive Mrs. Coulter. She did have a legitimate claim; she was Lyra's biological mother. But when he thought of Lyra, gasping for breath as the golden monkey strangled Pantalaimon . . . .
"For now, Mrs. Coulter," said Kirk. "I will ask you to wait here, in my conference room. I am going to sickbay to speak with Dr. McCoy. I will be back soon to let you know what I have decided." Captain Kirk turned to leave, but Mrs. Coulter moved swiftly, placing herself between Kirk and the door.
"No, I will not stay here and wait, Captain Kirk!" said Mrs. Coulter with tightly controlled force. "Lyra is my daughter! That is information enough for you to render your decision! Though we may be on your ship, captain, I will remind you that Lyra and I are citizens of the Magisterium; not your United Federation of Planets or Starfleet.
"You would be well advised to not underestimate my determination. I do not know how similar situations are handled by the daemonless people of your own universe, Captain Kirk, though you should know that the most dangerous creature in any universe is a mother protecting her child!"
Captain Kirk gritted his teeth. "Well, according to Lyra, you have more than enough experience with that type of danger!"
Mrs. Coulter smiled patiently, though for a moment, Kirk saw her golden monkey daemon on the conference table bare its teeth and glare at him. The monkey's little hands were balled into fists of rage. Interesting, thought Kirk. One high-stakes game of poker with people from Coulter's world, and I could retire from Starfleet and buy my own ship!
"Oh, dear," said Mrs. Coulter. "Well, I see that that Lyra has been favoring you with some of her wild, fantastic stories . . . . Yes, that would explain the shabby treatment that I have received ever since I came aboard your ship!" Mrs. Coulter smiled knowingly. Her golden monkey leapt into her arms from the table. She cradled her daemon as an adult would hold a frightened toddler, no doubt attempting to adopt a more demure, sympathetic posture.
"Captain Kirk, I love Lyra dearly, for she is my daughter. And because she is my own flesh and blood, it pains me greatly to say that my sweet Lyra is a compulsive, reprobate, incorrigible liar." Mrs. Coulter sighed and her monkey shook its little head in shame.
"I am only able to assume from your 'clever' verbal jab that my Lyra has told you her currently favorite story. The one where she claims that I am the leader of a secret organization – 'The Gobblers,' I think she calls it – that snatches innocent children off of the street to meet with gruesome ends. Oh, Lyra has been frightening children all over Oxford for the past few weeks with that macabre little tale of hers!
"Now, which version of this story has Lyra told you, captain? Did she say that I sell these poor urchins to the Arabs to be used as slaves? Or did she say that I sell them to the Tartars to be butchered and eaten? Or did she tell you her latest version: That my 'Gobblers' send these unfortunate, terrified little waifs 'up north' to be used in all manner of unspeakable medical experiments?
"Tell me, Captain Kirk, did Lyra even give you her real name when you first met her, or did she say that her name was 'Lizzie,' or some variation thereof? Only the Authority himself knows what she told that highly impressionable boy from your own world. Oh, Lyra has poor Will Parry wrapped tightly around her little finger! You saw Will, captain. He was fully prepared to kill me in a misguided effort to 'protect' Lyra! You see, captain, her sobriquet, 'Lyra Silvertongue,' is well earned!
"Captain Kirk, at first I was furious with Will Parry, but now I can see that I was entirely wrong to blame him for taking Lyra from me. He did not kidnap her; she kidnapped him! Poor Will is just as much a victim of her lies as we all are." Ms. Coulter sighed again. "Now do you understand why it is best for all involved that I leave your ship with my daughter as soon as possible?"
"My mind is not changed, Mrs. Coulter." Kirk said firmly.
Mrs. Coulter smiled at Captain Kirk. "You know, there really is no need for us to be so formal. Do please call me Marisa. May I call you James in return? It should make further discussion so much more amenable." She reached out to touch his cheek with her hand, but Kirk took her wrist firmly before she could touch him. Again, the monkey glared at him menacingly.
"I prefer that you address me as 'Captain Kirk.' Or, you may just call me 'captain,' if you want to be quick about it. I think I'll keep calling you 'Mrs. Coulter,'" he looked at the monkey, ". . . and friend."
Mrs. Coulter maintained her composure. "Don't be too quick to dismiss my interest in you, Captain Kirk. I will have you to know that I find you fascinating. Fascinating and exotic. Other than Will Parry, I have never before met a properly living human being without a daemon; and Will is just a boy. But you . . . ." She leaned forward to kiss him.
"Security," said Kirk. The door to the conference room opened and a security guard came into the room, phaser drawn.
"Is there a problem, sir?"
"Nothing that you and your partner are unable to deal with, Mr. Striebeck. I am going to sickbay. Your orders are to guard the conference room until I return. Do not let anyone in or out; especially Mrs. Coulter and/or her monkey. If either of them attempts to leave without my permission; stun them."
Mrs. Coulter started to protest, but Kirk cut her off. "Mrs. Coulter, you have a choice: Either you and your little friend will wait here in my conference room until I return; or you may attempt to leave and regain consciousness in the brig! Your choice!"
When Captain Kirk arrived at sickbay, both Lyra and Spock were still unconscious. Will was sitting in a chair next to Lyra's bed, holding her hand. A blanket covered Lyra up to her neck. A small bump on her chest, no doubt Pan, was under the blanket with her. Kirk went over to Nurse Chapel, who was monitoring the readout over Spock's bed.
"How are they," said Kirk, keeping his voice low.
"We're treating Lyra for shock and expect her to be alright," said Nurse Chapel. "Pantalaimon became active shortly after we got everyone to sickbay, but only briefly. The poor thing changed into his white ermine form and asked me to unbutton Lyra's top so that he could have direct physical contact with her, just over her heart.
"Do you know what Will did then? He looked away before I started undoing Lyra's blouse without having to be asked, and he didn't look back until I told him that I covered Lyra and Pan with that blanket. And through it all, he never once let go of her hand. Quite the gallant, chivalrous little gentleman we have here!"
"What about Spock?"
Nurse Chapel sighed. "He's alive. Unconscious, almost comatose, but alive. If only Dr. M'Benga was here!"
When the Enterprise first made Earth orbit, before being assigned to assist the Volynov, Dr. M'Benga had requested and was granted some much overdo shore leave. Since Dr. M'Benga had interned on Vulcan, he seemed to feel, (though never explicitly stated,) that it was his duty to be constantly available to treat Spock, should the need arise. A decision that seemed justified when Spock was critically injured by a projectile from a flintlock rifle last year on the Neural mission.
"I'll let you know the moment there are any changes in Lyra's or Spock's condition," said Nurse Chapel. "In the mean time, Dr. McCoy said he wanted to see you as soon as you got here. He is waiting for you in his office, captain."