THE GOLDEN COMPASS
There are many universes and many earths, parallel to eachother.
Worlds like yours, where peoples souls live inside their bodies.
And worlds like mine, where they walk beside us,
as animal spirits we call, deamons.
Are we going to see the child?
I should think so.
So many worlds, but connecting them all, is Dust.
Dust was here before the witches of the air, the jypsies of the water,
The bears of the ice.
In my world, scolars invented an Alethiometer.
A golden compass. And it showed them all that was hidden.
But the ruling power, fearing any truth but their own, destroyed these devices,
And forbade the very mention of Dust.
One compass remains, however, and only only who can read it.
You'll never catch me!
Lets go get him Lyra.
Billy!, You come back here!.
Run, Roger!
..Will do what ever we say!
Hurry up Roger, or they'll "gobbel" you!
Hurry Up!
Stop! If you value your lives, come no further.
- Why? We played the game fair and square. - This ain't no game, Billy Costa.
-Don't you know what gate that is? -It's the back door to your stupid college.
- So? -There's a curse on this gate.
You gypsians ought to know that. Crossing this gate, is worse
than touching another person's deamon with your bare hands.
- Why hasn't anything happened to you? - Because we live here. We got safe passage, y'see?
Anyway, my mother was the one who put the curse on this place in the first place.
What mother? I heard you were an orfan.
And your uncle only left you here cause' nobody wants you.
Come here and say that.
Don't, Billy!
You should listen to your mate. The scolars got this special ring mail ideal for trespassers.
They got this poison ring, and it burns you alive!
Rubbish. Hand him over.
It ain't rubbish. I'll prove it, i'll steal it! You can have Roger, as long as you try it on.
Alright. Bring it with you tonight. Or else.. - War;
Billy, don't!
- See you later then. - Ok.
You weren't really gonna hand me over to them?
Of couse not. I'll steal one of the scolar's gown. He'll never try it on anyway.
- Lord Asriel? -Good morning, Hunt.
Well the Master we be relieved that you've arrived safely.
I'm sure he will.
-You should listen to me once in a while. -Stop being such a coward.
If I weren't such a coward, where would you be?
In the retirering room already.
Come on, quick!
Let's find a robe and get out of here.
Don't be silly. I want to look around.
You know that if you get a smack, I hurt too.
You're gonna get us caught.
Oh no! I told you!.
Lord Asriel is an eminent fellow of the collegues.
As Headmaster of Jordan...
You must force him to abandon his plan.
They're talking about Uncle Asriel.
-I speak for the Magisteria. - The Magisteria has no authorities within these walls.
My dear fellow,
The Magistirium has authority everywhere.
And Asriel will be silenced.. One way or another.
That may be... But while he's at Jordan, his proposal will be heard.
I'm not dispenced with centuries of intolerance, free enquiry..
And that's my final word on the matter.
Now, if you'll excuse me..
I shall call the counsil to order.
- I guess we lost that bet. - Hush, Pan.
Lyra! He's leaving, let's go!. Lyra!
Oh no, Stelmaria.
The Master asked me to decant a bottle of bourbon 1995 for you, Lord Asriel. He remember you were partial to it.
Thank You.
- Lyra! - It's poisoned!
- Nonsense. - It ain't nonsense.
I saw that man from the Magistirium pour som white powder into the wine.
Go back in there. Keep your eyes open and your mouth shut... Go on.
Ahh, Lord Asriel this a rare pleasure..
May I introduce Fra Pavel from the Magisterium.
We've never met, but I follow your exploits... Closely, Lord Asriel.
That's what the smell is...
Master, Gentlemen, I shall go straight to the point. Hunt, the lights.
This photograil is taken at the magnetic north pole.
In Svalbard.
Kingdom of the Ice bears.
Lord Asriel, is that light rising from the man's body or is it coming down.
No, that's coming down from the sky, but that's not light.
It's Dust.
- What's Dust? - I know, it can't be the normal sort.
There's plenty of that here.
Parague dictum, gentlemen. Allow Lord Asriel to explain himself.
It could be an aborational malfunction of some kind.
No it isn't. No aboration of any kind.
The behaviour of these particles is quite unmistakeable
Dust is floothing in to this man, through his deamon.
From a city in another world. A world very much like our own in a parallel universe.
coexisting with our own, invisible, intangeable, inexcessable.
Until now. From there, and from a billion other worlds Dust flows.
Worlds of infinite possibilities, somewhere people have no deamons,
somewhere deamons have no men... -Men without deamons. That's impossible.
Even some who have no Magistirium... And no authority.
That is herecy.
That...
...is the truth.
I wouldn't recommend that you defy, gentlemen. It's cought.
To discover the souce of Dust, I intend to travel to these worlds.
With this sufficient source of energy. And... Well... a sufficient source of funds.
I cannot thank the crossing.
I humbelly beg the college counsil to fund such a journey.
It wasn't my fault, She wouldn't listen to me.
I will not have my niece slithering round like an alley-cat.
You're not verey greatful, are You?
I've just saved your life!
- Uncle, why did he try to poison You? - You wouldn't understand.
- Yes, I would. - Well, I don't see why.
Apparently you are impossible to educate, a miscreant, and a liar.
What will the Magisterium do to You now?
The Magisterium's day's are numbered.
- What does that mean? - Trouble, with a bit of luck
Did you get the money you needed? Are you going North again?
The college counsel has defied The Magistirium. I'm leaving immediately.
Can I come with you? I wanna see the Ice bears, and glechiers, and learn about Dust and everything.
What do you know about dust?
- Nothing. - Good.
Keep it that way. Be a good girl and do what you're told.
But you don't do what you're told! You don't let anyone tell you what to do!.
Yes, and look at the welcome I got!
- Hush Pan. - I can see your deamon still changes shape.
- Has it settled yet? - Yeah.
That's got to do with Dust, isn't it. Why kids deamons can change shape but grownups' can't.
Lyra, Dust is none of your buisness. Now, You try and behave.
My uncle Asriel said He'd take me to the north, the next time he goes.
- He svore it. Cause' he needs my help you see.. - Ahh!. Whatfor?
Fighting probably. Or spying. He uses me as a spy sometimes.
Like now for instance. I'm supposed to keep an eye on them Gobblers.
They took them gypsian kids out Boundry Ray. Billy Costa told me.
I heard them Gobblers take them down to hell.
Of course they don't!.
- You're afraid of them, aren't you? - No I ain't.
But the adults are. Kids keep disappearing.
They go after the poor kids, you see?. The orfans... And the servant kids as well.
Roger, I promise: If you were taken by the Gobblers, I'd come and rescue you.
- You'd come get me to wouldn't you? - Off course. It's everybody who would come looking for you, if you were in trouble.
- You're a lady. - Says Who!?.
Cook. He says that's why you are the only one who live here. To make you a lady.
Nobody can make me a lady! Not the master and the scolars and porces combined. Right!?.
-Take it back, or we ain't best mates no more. - Alright, You ain't a lady!
Lyra! Lyra Belaqua get down off them roofs!
The Master wants you at High Table.
The state of your knees. And your hair.
Well... It's not surprising.
Roger and me has been hunting Gobblers. It's dirty work.
Don't you make jokes about them Gobblers. Ain't nothing to play about when children go missing.
Lyra, my dear, the tutor in Metaphysics tells me you missed your lesson again.
Now, I know you do not always understand our need to educate you, but sometimes you must do,
what others think's best.
- But I disagree, Master. -Mrs. Coulter.
When I was a young woman i knew that no one could truly ever understand me.
Except of course my deamon. And that it would be best if we were to do as we pleased.
Sit down, Gentlemen.
- Who's she? - Don't know, but she shut up the Master, alright.
Mrs. Coulter, this is our Lyra, Lyra Belaqua, Lord Asriel's niece.
Lyra, this is Mrs. Coulter, a friend of the college.
- Lovely to meet you. - Lovely to meet you, too.
You know, I've met Lord Asriel? It was at the Royal Arctic Institute.
We discussed the political structure of the Ice bears of Svalbard.
You've seen an Ice bear?
As the matter of fact, I have had an audience with the Bear king himself, Ragnar Stursson.
And I'll tell you something I probably shouldn't:.
King Ragnar is desperate to have a deamon of his own.
...And Ragnar likes to think of himself as a person,
And he will stop at nothing to get one.
- But you mustn't repeat that. - Oh, I'd never!
I feel I can trust you.
I have to go back to the north very soon. I'm going to need an assistant.
- Me? Got to the North? - North?
- It's cold up there. -We'd better get the Master's permission.
Master, I was wondering if I might borrow dear Lyra?
Only for a while, of course.
I'm not sure that would be consistant with Lord Asriels wishes for her education.
I'll deal with Asriel. You mustn't deny me this little thing, you mustn't.
Very well.
A bet's a bet. Lyra was supposed to show up with the gown.
- I told you they wouldn't let her out of the college. Which one is her room?
- What are you gonna do? - Give her a fright, that's what.
If we get caught, I'll be skinned alive.
The night pool is bound to be going his rounds.
Ratter, check if the coast is clear.
It's all clear.
Billy! Billy!
The scolars still refuse to hand over the last alethiomether.
And now they've given Asriel all the funds he needs.
If he succeeds in proving the existence of these other worlds it will contradict centuries of teaching.
There will always be free thinkers, and heretics.
Unless we deal with the root of the problem.
That is why Mrs. Coulter's work is so important.
- What progress has she made? - The doctors at Bolvanger,
are close to perfecting the anoculation against the effects of Dust.
I am relieved to hear that.
If we can protect our children from the corrupting influence of Dust,
before their deamon's setteled, we will nurture a generation at peace with itself.
One that will never question our authority again.
We owe it to the young. Do we not?
I fear, our defiance will not go unpunished.
- We failed her. - We protected her as long as we could.
- She's still a child. She can't possibly be a threat to them. - She is.
She is meant to play a major part in what is to come.
How do you know such things?
The Witches.
Could you stay by the door? Mrs. Longsdale, it is important to know if I was followed.
Yes, Master.
- For you, Lyra. - What is this?
An alethiometer. Also known as a Golden Compass.
It was given to the college by Lord Asriel, years ago.
And now, I'm giving it to you. I feel, you are meant to have it.
- What's it for? - It tells the truth.
We've always tried to aqquaint you with the truth, but the secrets of the heart and things,
elude scolars and authorities.
This lets you glimpse things as they are.
Keep the alethiometer to yourself.
It is of the utmost importance, that Mrs. Coulter does not know that you have it, Do you understand?. Of the utmost importance.
Lyra! Are you ready?
There's someone missing.
- I want to say goodbye to Roger. - Roger? Who's Roger?
My friend. He works in the kitchen.
We must go. The ferrie's about to take off.
Why don't you write him a letter? You can tell him all about the journey and even leave a photograph.
What do you think? Yeah, I suppose.
Mrs. Coulter, what's that?.
That is the Magistirial seat, Lyra.
What's the Magistirium for?.
The Magistirium is what people need. It keep things working.
- By telling people what to do. - But you told the Master you did what ever you pleased.
That's Right. Clever girl.
Well... Some people know what's good for them, and some people don't.
Besides, they don't people what to do in a mean, pety way. They tell them what to do in a kindly way.
Keeps them out of danger.
Sugar?
SVALBARD
Look Pan, it's got lots of pictures in the end.
- What do they mean? - Don't know.
The needle keeps stopping at the same symbols.
Lady, lightningbolt and a baby.
- Then it goes back, and does it again, see? - What do you think makes the needle move?
I don't know. Maybe uncle Asriel knows.
Maybe we're supposed to take it to him.
All washed, and ready for bed...
We have a busy few weeks.
Oh it was a stylish enough party. But why they don't offer more ice with their drinks, I shall never understand.
I'll only be a moment, Darling.
- What? - She likes to show off her new pet, doesn't she?.
She's never taking us to the North. We're like prisoners in this house. All these rules,
and rooms we aren't allowed in to.
Perhaps we shouldn't have invited Professor Docker. He's such a bore isn't he?.
And he had sauce in his beard.
But he is one of the foremost experts on particle Metaphysics.
- Have I told you what a particle is? - Oh I know about particles.
Like Dust. That's a particle isn't it. - Dust?...
- I mean the Dust from space. That Dust. Like in the north. - Where did you hear about that?
It must have been one of the scolars at Jordan.
A wise person knows, Lyra, there are some thing we best ignore. Subjects that you...
...Well... never speak about.
- But I... - Yes, You didn't know, so I forgive you.
Just don't mention it again.
Now, Darling, You take off that childish shoulder bag.
I don't like seeing you wearing it indoors.
- But please Mrs. Coulter. I do love it. - But I do NOT.
Put it away.
- Lyra, put it away now. - I don't want to.
If you will not obey me, we will have an argument which I wil win. Now put it away at once!.
It's absurd to be carrying around a shoulder bag in your own home.
Jordan is my home.
Lyra!
Don't!. Please, it hurts!
- Do as I tell you. - I promise.
Thank you.
And while you're at it, you must learn to control your deamon. He is much to wild.
Now, kiss me.
I hate her!
I hate them. And look. They're spying on us.
What do they want with us? Why are we here?
Did you see her deamon? He began to shock when you mentioned the word, Dust.
And what does she keep in that room? Let's go find out.
Maybe this isn't such a good idea.
Over here.
- That's just one of her stupid guest lists. - No it isn't. Look at it.
"Intercision". What does it mean, Pan?
And that?... General Oblation Board...
- G.O.B. - Gobblers. From the letters. G.O.B.
Workman, Edwards, Parslow, Costa.
Billy and Roger!
- Pan, it's her. She's running the Gobblers! - Lyra, where are you?
We have to get out of here.
Lyra!
- Lyra, what have you been doing? - Nothing.
Well we must find something for you to do. Will you help me arrange our passage to the North?.
- You do want to come to the north with me, don't you? - Where is he?. I don't see him.
Lyra, this way!
Quick, Lyra!
Lyra!
What are we gonna do, Pan?
We got to save Roger. And Billy.
We've got to save ourselves first. Where are we gonna go?
Anywhere is better than here.
Come on, this way!
Split up, the girl can't be far.
- Spread out. Search all the buildings. - Gobblers!
You, cover the canal.
There they are!
- Pan! - Run, Lyra!
Don't be afraid now, Lyra. Come here.
- You're save with us. - Your Mama Costa.
Billy's Mum.
- But, what are you doing here? - We've been in your shadow ever since,
you left Jordan College, watching over you. An a good thing too. You best come with us.
- Where are we going? - To see Lord Faa, Lord of the Gypsians..
- Not very friendly, are they? - What are you looking at?.
Ma Costa!
This is the child.
It's alright.
How do you do, Lord Faa?
Lyra... Come and sit by my side.
This is Fader Coram.
These are the chiefs of the gypsian families.
You're are our guest here and you are under our protection.
Lord Faa, I want to thank you. For keeping watch with me and all...
But why did you do it?
Lord Asriel has been a good friend to the gypsians this many a year and...
This many a year it has been our charge to bring him news of you,
as we travelled along our ways. But you didn't know that, did you?
And when Mrs. Coulter got a hold of you, well... we suspected she had something to do with the Gobblers.
And she did. She and them Gobblers took my little boy, Billy.
We know your tale up until the Costas found you.
Is there anything else you can tell us? Is there anything you may have forgot?
Don't show it to them.
The Master of Jordan gave me this.
I thought they was all take by the Magisterium.
It's an alethiometer. It's a truth measurer.
A golden compass. It enables you to see, what others wish to hide.
You've got three handles that you can control.
By pointing at three symbols, You can ask any sort of question you can imagine.
Once you've got your question framed, this blue needle points to more symbols,
- that give you the answer. - Could it be used to find the missing children?
- Not by me. The art was Jalousi-guarded. - Can I try?
- Alright. - What are you doing, Lyra? You don't know how to read it.
Well, the serpent is cunning, like the Gobblers. And the Pot could mean a recipe or a plan...
the baby. That means kids.
One thing I do know, Lyra: You mustn't grasp at the answer.
Hold the question in your mind and lightly,
like it was something alive.
It's an hourglass.
But it came around to it on the second time. The first time it only stopped there a moment.
On top of the hourglass, is a scull.
Thank you children. Finish your letters now.
Billy Costa, why didn't you write anything? Your mother must be missing you terribly.
I don't know what to put in the letter, miss. They haven't told us what we're here for.
You're here to help us. And just as soon as you've helped us, we'll send you back home.
That's what you should write. Or don't they teach gypsian children to write?
They teach us to write the truth.
Billy, just write the letter.
Well, as I'll be posting these straight away, I'm afraid your parents will be disappointed.
I confess, I am puzzled by your interest in the Belaqua-girl.
- For one thing, she is in possession of the alethiometer. - How?... Oh yes, the Master.
- Can she read it? - Of couse not.
- Are you familiar with the prophecies of the witches? - You think she is that child?
Impossible. None the less, she must be found.
They'll seek her out, like bees to honey.
Svalbard.
Kingdom of the Ice bears.
We shall have to watch ourselves, Stelmaria. You can bet, that Coulter-woman has hired every samojed-bandit, from here to the pole, to hunt us down.
Don't be so hasty. We can work this out like gentlemen.
Don't worry, Lyra. We'll find Roger.
I'm alright.
- What is it? - It's a spy fly.
Is it dangerous?
The one that got away is.
If you was to crack it open, you'd find no living thing in there. No animal or insect, at any rate.
There's a clockwork. And in it is a bad spirit with a sleeping poison in its sting.
We'll keep him safe... In here...
- What was it after? - You, Lyra..
Why me? Why are they doing this?
We don't know. But we gypsians are being hurt worse than most by these Gobblers.
These child thieves, They're taking our children up North.
The land of cold and dark. And what they are doing with them there, we don't know.
But we have heard terrible rumors.
Our aim is first and beyond all to save these children. Both gypsian and landloof or like.
But if they have been harmed...
I promise you, if they have been harmed...
...There is not a place, nor on land, nor on sea for these Gobblers.
And when the time comes to punish, we will strike such a blow, as will make their hearts faint.
And fearfull. We will strike the strenght out of them.
We will leave them, broken and shattered.
- Are you getting scared, Pan? - Scared?... A little.
It's all bigger and scrarier than we ever thought.
- Maybe we shouldn't be doing this. - But we've got to, ain't we?
Go on, I mean.
Who are you?
My name is Serafina Pekkala. Clan queen of the witches of Lake Enara.
- A witch. Where's your deamon? - Kaysa can fly a long way from me.
Are you the girl, the Magisterium seeks? The one with the symbol reader?
Let me see you read it. I want to know if you can tell me,
which of the men on this ship, was once my lover.
Father Coram.
He ws young and beautiful once. And we witches live for hundreds of years.
Father Coram wishes to know where the child-cutters take their prey.
It is a place they call Bolvangar.
A place of fear. A regiment of tatars with wolf-deamons guards it. Birds do not fly above.
Animals flee from it.
Even the samojeds fear it.
It is a weeks march from Trolleund on the coast of Norway. You will find something to help you in Trollesund.
You will need all your courage.
I'm glad I've lived long enough to see you... Child.
Can you see anything? Lyra, you're not listening to me!
That's a mighty fancy clockwork you got there.
- It's just a toy. - Uhuh. Then it's a mighty fancy toy.
- How did you come by something like that? - Oh lord, Lee when are you gonna learn to mind your own buisness?
I do beg your pardon. Lee Scoresby. And this old girl is Hester.
I'm Lyra. This is Pan. Pantalaimon.
Mighty pleased, miss Lyra. You rode in with them gypsian fellows, am I right?
Here I go again. Don't answer that.
- What are you doing in Trollesund, mr. Scoresby? - Oh, a friend of mine got himself into a fix.
- So I come to see what I can do about it. - Me to.
Of couse, that ain't my normal occupation. Most of the time I plan my trade up in the sky.
You're an airenot!
- Can I go up in your ship? - I'd be honored.
Just as soon as I get her out of hawk.
Miss Lyra, I'd like to give you a word of advice.
If I was on the kind of scout, that I recon your on,
I'd hire myself an aeronot, and an armered bear.
- An armered bear? - There's one in town.
Iorek Byrnison's his name. Works at the sled depot behind Arson's Bar.
He would be good to have on your side in a scrap. Not that you're looking for that.
Iorek Byrnison, Iorek Byrnison. May I speak to you?
- What!? - We want to offer you employment.
I am employed. By the town's people.
I mend broken machinery. I lift heavy objects.
What kind of work is that for a panser-bjorn?
Paid work!
Is that what they pay you? Whisky?
Iorek Byrnison, you are the first Ice bear, I have ever met.
I was ever so excited and scared. But now i'm just disappointed.
I heard that bears lived to hunt and to fight. Why are you wasting your time here, drinking whisky?
I stay in this town because the town's people gave me spirits and let me drink till I was asleep,
And they took my armor away. And without my armor, I cannot go to war.
And I am an armoured bear. War is the sea, I sleep in,
there I breathe, without my armour I am nothing!.
But... Can't you make new armour? I thought bears were good at that.
- There's all this metal around. - Worthless!
My armour is made of sky iron, from the falling stars that land in Svalbard.
A bear's armour is his soul, like your deamon is your soul.
Irreplaceable. 'May as well take him away and replace him with a dog.
- It must have been terrible to loose your armour. - I was no less than I deserved.
I am in exile. I was sent away from Svalbard because I was unworthy.
I fought another bear in single combat and was defeated.
Come child. We can't involve ourselves.
He was prince.
He would have been the king, if the other bear hadn't defeated him.
He lost everything. Oh Pan, it really hurt him.
Iorek Byrnison.
- Be careful. - I know where your armour is.
They tricked you out of it. They shouldn't have done that, Iorek Byrnison.
It's in the district office of the Magisterium, right here, in Trollesund.
- What's your name child? - Lyra Belaqua.
Then Lyra Belaqua, I owe you a debt.
I will serve you in your campaign, until I am dead, or you have a victory.