02x02 - The Cave

[bunniefuu]

It's a city in the sky.

Someone left in a hurry.

Lyra Silvertongue.

Will Parry.

We must find the child.

The prophecy is about a girl named Lyra.

HISSES: Tell me...

..who Lyra Belacqua is!

I will make it my sin.

Lyra.

There's an Oxford in your world, too?

This house...

This family.

I don't care how you do it.

I want the letters.

He trusts me.

I need to know whether I can trust him.

He's a m*rder*r.

Ahhh!

But there's something else about him, too.

He's got something to do here.

I think we both do.

I'll take you as far as the broad, then I've got to go see my mum's lawyer.

LYRA: I know, you already said.

No.

Definitely not.

Oh, yes.

What do you think?

No capes, Lyra.

MOCKING: "No capes." Eh, what does he know?

Or hats.

The point is to blend in.

Is this good enough for you, Pan?

You can't put Pan in that.

Lyra, people are going to be looking for me.

Bad people, the police.

You mustn't look different or you'll draw attention to us.

They'll start asking questions.

They'll find this window and everything.

This is a good hiding place.

I'm safer here, so let's keep it that way.

Lyra?

Sorry, Pan.

Unbelievable.

PAN: It stinks of old goat!

WIND CHIMES TINKLE You're sure you remember where this is?

This is the gate.

I can see it, Will.

Lyra, wait!

Wait!

CAR HORN BEEPS Are you OK?

Yeah.

They don't have cars that fast in my Oxford.

You don't have the word "wait" either?

Come on, get up.

SHE GRUNTS This way.

PAN: I'm fine, thanks for asking.

Is this similar to your Oxford?

I guess.

Sort of.

We need to be careful.

Blend in.

CAMERA CLICKS Sorry.

PERFORMER: Would you like a picture?

TOURIST: Oh, look at that guy!

PAN SQUEAKS Come on.

Mind out!

Oh!

Lyra.

Wait, that building's close to Jordan in my world.

Lyra, slow down!

I've never heard of Jordan College.

The tower's right there - it's right next to it!

Oh!

So sorry, so sorry.

Further back that way.

What's the matter?

You were right - Jordan College doesn't exist in your world.

This isn't like our Oxford at all.

Come on.

GRUNTS SOFTLY Your Eminences, venerable brothers, I will not use this solemn day to tell of the wildness of the witch whom I saw strike our brother Sturrock down.

But have no fear.

She and her kind will be brought to account.

As acting cardinal...

..of this Magisterium, I have a duty to tell you that these troubled times call for strong, decisive leadership.

And the Authority has blessed me with a clarity of purpose which cuts through my grief...

..like a Kn*fe!

In deepest respect, I dedicate myself...

..to this great task.

That's nothing.

One time, I fell off a tree, and the librarian thought I'd broken my leg.

So he carried me all the way from the Botanic Gardens back to Jordan.

We have the Botanic Gardens.

My mum used to take me.

Good as new.

What's that thing, anyway?

Why do you keep looking at it?

I just need to do something.

What's it do?

You phone people on it and it tells you stuff, like the news.

I have something a bit like that, but better.

Mm-hm.

I asked it about you, Will.

It told me you're a m*rder*r.

What?!

I needed to know about you, so I asked it.

And it's fine - it's the good kind of m*rder*r, like...

Stop saying that word.

You don't know what you're talking about.

I had no choice.

PHONE PINGS REPEATEDLY What's it saying?

It's saying I need to see my mum.

I have to make sure she's all right.

Stay out of trouble, OK?

I'll meet you at the Botanic Gardens, 5pm.

PAN: You shouldn't have called him a m*rder*r.

This looks more like our Oxford.

I do not like this place.

Get in!

Huh?

Sh.

Where do I find the scholar to tell me about Dust?

Keys - which saint held the keys?

St Peter, wasn't it?

So there must be a St Peter's College.

ALETHIOMETER WHIRS It's telling me to look for the door with the mountain on it.

ALETHIOMETER WHIRS It's saying...

..not to lie to the scholar.

How are you going to manage that?

It's telling me to focus on the boy.

ALETHIOMETER WHIRS To help him find his father.

But...

..I thought Will was supposed to be helping us.

We don't have much time.

Let's find the scholar first.

OK.

MECHANICAL WHIRRING, PINGING SHE GASPS You're interested in skulls?

Huh?

Did you know...

..that people still do that?

Drill holes in their heads.

They must be lunatics.

There's a name for it.

I've forgotten what it's called.

Trepanning.

Are you a student in Oxford?

No, it says it there.

HE CHUCKLES I wish I knew so much at your age.

Charles.

Lizzie.

I'm a collector.

I've donated various items to this place.

Listen, if you ever want to know more about these artefacts...

Thanks.

Nice to meet you, Lizzie.

CAR DOOR SHUTS LOCK BEEPS MESSAGE ALERT MUFFLED TV IN BACKGROUND You were right.

Will texted me - he'll be in touch soon.

The head of the Magisterium, Ruta?

He was a bloated monster who spread hate and fear and blindness.

I had to send Dr Lanselius as a peace envoy to clean up this mess.

We can't get drawn into this cycle of futile revenge.

We must focus on the girl and the prophecy.

You speak as if you are above this.

And you act as if you have no self-control.

I protected the prophecy.

Thanks to me, our enemies still don't know the child's name.

We need to unite the nine clans.

We've cut the head off the Magisterium.

So let's finish what they started.

The world's changing.

We've all sensed it.

The skies are darkening.

The light is dull.

I'm trying to reach for the child, but...she feels indistinct...

..like she's behind a veil.

If we cannot reach her, all will be lost.

This is it, St Peter's College.

You mustn't go lying to the scholar, remember that.

Pan, I won't lie to him.

I can do that.

Hi.

Er, can you please tell me where the physicist is?

Well, what kind of physicist are you after?

Will I do?

You're a scholar?

Believe it or not, I am, yeah.

What were you doing?

Oh, I'm watching...

There's a nest of fledglings in the drain - wrens.

They come back every year.

Sorry, you are?

Lyra Silvertongue.

Mary Malone.

You're not a student, are you?

Can you please tell me about Dust?

Dust?

What do you mean?

Well, we call it Dust in my world, or we also call it Rusakov particles - you ever heard of them?

In your world...

In your school, you mean?

No.

We're not allowed to study Dust because the Magisterium thinks it's original sin.

They take children to the North, and now there's an opening.

And my father is...

I'm saying it all wrong.

I didn't think it would be this difficult.

I'm not sure I'm who you're looking for, Lyra.

Yes.

Yes, you are.

I know you are.

Is there someone I can call to help, your parents or...?

No.

This matters.

This matters...

..so much.

You see, my friend was k*lled.

Because of Dust.

I've travelled so far.

I found myself here.

And Jordan's gone...

..and I don't know where to go.

I need to find out about Dust, because if I don't find out about Dust, it will all be for nothing.

Roger's death will be for nothing.

I miss him so much.

I'm sorry about your friend.

I need you to tell me about the particles you study.

Please.

OK.

OK.

Hmm.

You missed the funeral.

You know, I'm not sure you've shown Cardinal Sturrock the respect he deserves.

Will you help MacPhail keep the top job?

I vote this evening, but he has stiff competition.

Father Graves.

I think you'd make a better cardinal than either of them.

Graves is on quite the crusade.

He's arrested half the North, and the council seem rather pleased.

I saw they're holding that manservant of Asriel's down in the basement.

Any sign of the man himself?

Uh-uh.

Not a trace.

Where have you been hiding?

HE CHUCKLES Away.

On business.

And you?

How is that charming daughter of yours?

The escape artist.

They grow up so fast.

Has her daemon settled yet?

My daughter is none of your business.

You are Dr Martin Lanselius, consul to the witches of the North, and you claim to have been sent here as a peace envoy.

Is that correct?

Appointed by Queen Serafina Pekkala to reaffirm the mutual tolerance between our cultures.

I was sorry to hear of the cardinal's death, but that witch acted alone.

We have grounds to believe you are here as a spy.

Do you deny that the witches have been conspiring against the Magisterium with the heretic Asriel, and you are here to gain intelligence?

Absolutely.

To side in human conflict is against their nature.

You will find no evidence of conspiracy because...

..there is none.

I am here to offer our deep regret and broker peace.

That is all.

May I question the prisoner?

MURMURS FROM THE GALLERY Dr Lanselius, you are the son of a witch, born out of wedlock.

This witch, did she raise you?

I spent my childhood in the lakes, then, as is the tradition...

..when my daemon settled, I left home.

Ah.

What sort of a mother would send her child away?

Is this not all a perversion of all that is natural?

She sent me to my father to spare me the pain of the daemon ritual.

A barbaric practice.

No, the ritual is beautiful.

There is a region in the furthest North where daemons cannot go.

To become a witch, a girl must cross it alone.

It allows separation without breaking the soul.

Witches have been hiding the power of daemon separation for centuries.

Rituals aren't a secret.

The witches have no quarrel with you.

Witches are the enemies of men.

They use their soft, deceitful ways to seduce us.

They steal men's seed and then they abandon their offspring.

Well, then, you have misunderstood them.

Oh, please, enlighten me.

Witches see...

..the mysteries and beauty of this planet in ways that men cannot see.

Blasphemy!

Did you hear that?

Blasphemy!

Thank you, Father Graves.

Only the Authority can know the mysteries of this world.

All rise.

Dr Lanselius...

..you are hereby condemned as a traitor.

By Magisterium decree, on the charges of heresy, collusion and conspiracy, you are sentenced to eight years' hard labour and daemon captivity.

Take him downstairs.

Next detainee to be called, number 1584.

Thank you.

Please.

Thank you for seeing me.

I'm Will Parry, Elaine and John Parry's son.

In this letter he wrote to my mum, he said if there was ever any trouble, she should contact you.

I expect he was talking about the trust I helped him set up.

Your mum's been getting a small payment from the fund every month.

William...

We need the money now.

I'm afraid, by law, you're still a minor, and therefore I can't let you have the money just like that.

Your mum would need to come and see me herself.

She's not very well.

I'm sorry to hear that.

Your file, Ms Perkins.

Well...

DOOR CLOSES ..you could ask one of the other trustees.

Hmm.

Graham and Annabel Parry, your grandparents.

What?

Ah.

I recall there was some dispute over your father's estate.

Yes, here we are.

They have an Oxford address.

I have grandparents in Oxford.

Thanks.

So...

..you wanted to ask me some questions?

Sorry, they're a bit stale.

OK.

I promise to answer your questions if you promise to answer mine in return.

Deal?

Fire ahead.

Do you study Dust?

I don't know what your dust is, but we study something called dark matter.

And what's dark matter?

We don't really know, that's sort of the point.

It's...

It's not visible.

It's the matter in between all the known bits of the universe, stars and galaxies.

You study physics?

Er, sort of.

Well, we were trying to find a particular type of particle, one that doesn't respond to light, so it's very difficult to detect.

We call them shadow particles.

We built an electromagnetic field around a detector to try and isolate their signal, and then we fed that through the Cave - our computer - to amplify it.

And...

..what we discovered was actually pretty extraordinary.

I started testing objects to see if the particles would respond differently.

I saw more activity when the items were man-made - a chess piece, my I Ching box in particular.

BEEPING Finally, in a moment of madness, I attached myself.

But it was only afterwards, when I was lost in thought, that it happened.

What did you find?

The set of particles made contact.

They seemed to be...

..conscious.

SHE LAUGHS SOFTLY I don't know how else to put it.

You can't see them unless you expect to, unless you put your mind in a certain state.

Do you know the poet John Keats?

He has a phrase for it - negative capability.

You have to hold your mind in a state of expectation, without impatience.

And then they flock to your thoughts like birds.

That's Dust.

Lyra, how do you know about my work?

None of it's published.

Because of this.

That's really beautiful.

Is it some kind of game?

It's not a game.

It told me to look for the door with a mountain on it.

Ask me something I'd never be able to know.

Oh, gosh.

Um...

OK.

Tell me what I did before I became a scientist.

ALETHIOMETER WHIRS You were a nun...

..but you stopped believing and you left.

They'd never let you do that in my world.

Wha...?

STAMMERS: How did you do that?

Well...

..it's like you said.

I put my mind in a sort of...

..in-between state...

..and the meanings just come to me.

And that's how you knew about my research?

It told me you'd tell me about Dust.

It's the original sin.

Original sin?

SHE LAUGHS I became a physicist so I wouldn't have to think about things like that.

Well, you need to.

The Magisterium in my world want to destroy it.

Who are the Magisterium?

They control everything.

They think Dust is evil.

But I think what they do is evil.

Sometimes people are afraid of things they don't understand.

Dark matter does sound pretty ominous, but in my experience, it's actually quite beautiful.

Can I see your computer Cave?

Please.

We've been waiting for you to come and see us, hoping you would.

Why don't I know you?

When your dad went missing...

SHE SIGHS ..we were all very upset.

Some thoughtless words were said.

But we're very happy that you've found us.

How is Elaine?

We know she had a hard time after your father disappeared.

Is she OK now?

Why did he leave us?

I know Johnny found it very hard to be away from you.

Anyway, it doesn't matter.

I just need your help with this trust stuff.

Oh, for heaven's sake.

You see.

What did I tell you?

She sent him here for money.

Graham.

She didn't send me anywhere.

Graham!

Oh, I'm sorry.

Just give him a moment.

RINGING TONE PHONE BUZZES DI Walters.

It's Graham Parry.

You were right, he came to us.

Keep him there, I'm coming now.

I understand why you're angry.

John's absence has been hard on all of us, but we can help you.

You can even stay here if you like.

Can Mum stay?

It sounds like your mum needs some professional help.

How do you know that?

Mum's fine.

She's not fine, is she, Will?

And neither are you.

Your parents exchanged letters and, for some reason, the police think that they're important.

If you could just explain and help us find them, then all of this can be over.

Oh!

I'm sorry.

Don't worry at all.

You can sit just here.

I'm just going to attach these electrodes to your temples to hook you up, and when I do, just try to clear your mind.

You can look at that screen there.

I've only managed to do this once with a small response, so let's just see what happens.

Oh, you can relax, it won't hurt you.

All set.

Just...give it a go.

DISCORDANT BUZZING BUZZING FLUCTUATES What?

Did I do something wrong?

No, no, no.

That's the...

That's the best display I've ever seen.

What were you thinking?

I was just asking if it was Dust.

I think that means yes, but I can get it clearer than that - look.

What...?

Those are pictures.

It must be Dust.

Your particles...

It's talking in the alethiometer's language now, but you could get it fixed into words very easily.

Wait, wait, wait, wait.

Say that again.

It says you're important.

You have something important to do.

But you have to make the connection yourself.

The Chinese box you have upstairs - you'll need it where you're going.

You mean the I Ching?

Time...

Oh, no.

Um, I have to leave, I'm late.

What?!

No, you can't go.

Sorry.

I've got someone waiting for me.

Will you come back?

Tomorrow, please!

OK.

Bye.

Come on, Lyra.

Well, now that party's over, I think I'll take my leave.

Leave?

What kind of woman raised Father Graves, do you think?

Did you see how he paraded himself?

I cannot understand why he is afforded such admiration.

SHE SIGHS Sometimes, subtlety is overrated.

What are you suggesting?

You must go one step further to b*at him.

My thanks to you, Lord.

Mm.

You heard Lanselius.

We know where the witches are vulnerable.

It would be most irregular to act before the trials have terminated.

Graves is a man of big words.

Be a man of big actions.

The cardinalship is yours, you just need to show some...

..strength.

Will, I found the scholar!

She's called Mary Malone and she's got an engine that can see Dust, and she's going to make it talk.

Will, it was incredible.

I found out the Dust might not be sin at all.

I don't know what it is, but we need to find out.

We need to go...now.

SIRENS WAIL Will.

I never knew there were so many ways to talk to Dust, actually talk to it.

I mean, the alethiometer, the Cave, the Chinese sticks...

If I could just go back there tomorrow and play a bit more with the engine...

Will, what's the matter?

I thought you'd been caught!

I was waiting for you out there when the police were looking for me, and you were playing.

I was doing something important.

What am I doing around waiting for you?

What am I doing here?

I came back here to make sure my mum was OK, not to mess around with you.

Because you need my help.

Why do I need your help?

To find your father!

What do you know about my father?

I only...

I don't know, I've only been told we need to find him.

Told by whom?

They're lying.

OK?

My dad left me and my mum took off to the Arctic.

OK?

He's dead.

Will you let me show you?

It's called an alethiometer.

If you ask it a question, it will tell you the truth.

I've asked it about your father.

He took some letters and he ran away.

It was a man.

I think he was thief.

And...

..and you k*lled him.

I wasn't meant to.

They were scaring my mum.

He tried to steal her letters...

..and he fell.

I can't stop thinking about it.

Can you ask it whether my mum's OK?

I need to know she'll be all right.

PAN WARBLES ALETHIOMETER WHIRS She's worried, but the man you left her with, he's kind.

She's safe.

It says she's safe, Will.

And that thing only tells you the truth?

Yeah, not good or bad, just truth.

Did it really say my dad was alive?

It said we need to find him.

I don't know who to trust any more.

I didn't either.

People that I thought were safe...

..turned out not to be.

But you can trust me.

I won't give you away, not to anyone, I promise.

I've done that before.

I betrayed someone.

I hate myself for it.

I'm going to have to leave her, aren't I?

Just like my dad did.

I don't want to, Lyra.

But I'll put her in danger if I stay.

The alethiometer told me you're connected to Cittagazze.

Maybe your father is, too.

I like it here.

PAN WARBLES Me too.

I think it was the most extraordinary discussion I've ever had.

She had this quality about her.

And the things she knew!

Listen, Oliver, she achieved the best results we've ever had.

What we need is a tangible solution to this funding situation.

She hasn't got a spare million as well, has she?

She's going to come back tomorrow, and then you'll see for yourself.

Have a little faith.

Oh, let's leave faith out of it, shall we?

Just get a good night's sleep.

HE SIGHS See you tomorrow.

DOOR OPENS Mm-hm.

Sorry to disturb.

The council have approved your proposal.

The men are ready.

The order only needs your signature, and we shall launch the airships.

A great many of us are in support of this, Father.

The witches must be cleansed.

I'm praying for your success at the vote this evening.

Hmm.

It has to be done.

It all...

..had to be done.

Yes, a necessary sin.

But still a sin.

We will atone for it.

Put your hand out.

HE GRUNTS SIZZLING GRUNTING AND SIZZLING BOLT CLANKS I gave you every chance to escape...

..and yet here you are.

I haven't got long, Thorold.

I believe Lyra's in danger, so if Asriel knew anything of her whereabouts, you must tell me.

Well, they came to the lab.

What?

When?

She travelled all that way to find him...

.and he was going to...

What, Thorold?

..cut her...

..and use the energy to create a window.

Instead, he used a boy, the kitchen boy.

He never mentioned the prophecy.

Where did she go?

She went to save the boy.

She's...

She's followed Asriel, she's followed him through that window.

She's in another world entirely.

KNOCKS Thank you, Thorold.

LOW MURMURING Marisa.

They voted unanimously in my favour.

I owe you my thanks.

You have nothing to thank me for.

Don't you see?

This...

..is a curse.

A web of my design in which you are both the spider and the fly.

I have had to bite my lip while all of you parade around, concocting your fearful little schemes, daring to judge me.

And all the while, there's a myriad of universes out there that you could only hope to fathom.

Careful.

You forget yourself.

I forget myself?

MONKEY GRUNTS No, Cardinal.

I have a very, very good memory.

And since you need the past to remain buried, you'll turn the other cheek while I take what I want.

Where are you going?

I'm leaving.

Where?

Are you going to find Asriel?

SHE LAUGHS No.

I'm in search of something infinitely more valuable.

Good luck, Hugh.

GRUNTS SOFTLY