Act One LYRA and WILL meet under a tree in the Botanic Garden, Oxford. It's Midsummer Day at 12 o'clock. As they talk of their life as students, it becomes clear that Will can't see Lyra and her daemon, Pantalaimon. They live in separate worlds... Lyra remembers her childhood at Jordan College: being looked after by Mrs Lonsdale, fighting BILLY COSTA and the other Gyptian kids, meeting ROGER PARSLOW. (In their world, everyone has a daemon always with them in the form of an animal or bird. Daemons of children frequently change shape.) She tells Roger about her famous uncle, Lord Asriel, and the Scholars at Jordan. The MASTER of Jordan introduces FRA PAVEL, an important figure in the Church, arrived from the Court of Discipline in Geneva, for his regular check on Lyra. She tells him her uncle is coming to the College. Pavel is irritated to hear this and tells the Master he must render Asriel harmless. Lyra and Roger hide in the room where Lord Asriel is to give a talk, and witness the Master putting poison in his wine. Lyra manages to stop LORD ASRIEL drinking, asks him to take her to the Arctic with him, and is hurriedly concealed as the Scholars gather for the talk. Asriel has been following in the steps of an occultist called Jopari, and shows a slide of him, hand raised, surrounded by a mysterious substance called Dust. Further pictures show a city "visible through the boundaries of the world we know". Asriel plans to return and build a bridge through the Aurora to this other world. The Master is furious - such things should not be discussed until the Church has given a ruling on Dust. Mrs Lonsdale warns Lyra and Roger to be on their guard as children are being stolen by the Gobblers; Billy Costa has disappeared. Lyra is summoned to the Master's study. "A very well-known and distinguished person" has offered to take her away. She hopes it is Lord Asriel, but MRS COULTER, and her daemon, the Golden Monkey, appear. She is Chief Executive Officer of the General Oblation Board, which "finds out all about Dust", and wants Lyra to come and be her assistant. As she describes the excitements and perils of her life, Lyra begins to be captivated and agrees to go with her. The Master, who realises Lyra had seen him drugging Lord Asriel's wine, secretly gives her an alethiometer; it will tell her the truth if she learns to read it. When Lyra comes out, she learns that Roger has disappeared, too. Roger, Billy and other children are waiting for collection by boat, and have been asked to write letters to their parents. Mrs Coulter sees them off, and gives the letters to her Monkey, who burns them. Pantalaimon warns Lyra not to trust Mrs Coulter and urges her to study the alethiometer to see if it can find Roger. Mrs Coulter is expecting guests and tells Lyra to take off her bag (containing the alethiometer). When she refuses, the Golden Monkey hurts Pantalaimon, which is agonising for Lyra. Mrs Coulter takes a lock of Lyra's hair to keep in her locket. At the party, Lyra hears about armoured bears, immensely strong and loyal creatures, learns more about Dust, and discovers through Lord Boreal that Mrs Coulter is the General Oblation Board, (G.O.B.) the organisation that is stealing children. Lyra escapes. Continues… |  | |
