Ellie Yates – The City of Magpies

By: Ellie Yates

In their new world Lyra (Dafne Keen) and Pan (voiced by Kit Connor) find the “city in the sky” that could be seen in Lord Asriel’s photograms. They soon find that the city has been left desolate, with apples strewn across an empty market square and washing left abandoned on the lines. It’s eerily quiet as they make their way to the cathedral at the to3ind a cafe and break in to see if there is any food left. Will (Amir Wilson) appears and as he goes to touch Lyra. Her instincts kick in and she flips him onto the table and holds his arm behind his back. When she finally lets him go Will is shocked to find that Pan can talk and Lyra and Pan are equally shocked to find that Will has no daemon. As Lyra leaves Will behind in the cafe, Pan tells her not to make assumptions about Will, he could be helpful.

Back in Lyra’s world Cardinal Sturrock (Ian Peck) asks his clergy if they have a way of blocking the “hole” to the new world. He takes his frustrations at Asriel’s discovery out on Father MacPhail (Will Keen) and Fra Pavel (Frank Bourke) who tell him that he needs to accept it. Fra Pavel suggests using Katja (Marama Corlett), the witch they have captive, to help them understand the discovery of the new world. Mrs Coulter (Ruth Wilson) emerges from the shadows to suggest that she talks with Katja. The Cardinal asks her what she and Asriel discussed on the mountain the night that the portal opened. Mrs Coulter lies and says that she never reached Asriel, which Garret doesn’t believe. Mrs Coulter says that Asriel needs stopping and they shouldn’t ignore him. She wants to find out information from the witches about the possibility of new worlds, but Garrett says they can’t let her be in control. Mrs Coulter calls them all failures before she persuades the Cardinal to let her talk to Katja. With the Cardinal’s permission, Mrs Coulter tortures the wtch in the hopes of gaining information as to Lyra’s whereabouts. Katja refuses to talk and Mrs Coulter removes her cloud-pine. A witches ability to fly and create magic is now very much in the wrong hands…

Will finds Lyra and apologizes. They talk about how they both found themselves in this new world and Will suggests that they stick together. Lyra questions why, out of all of the worlds, Asriel found this one. She wonders if it is something to do with Dust. The trio hear bottles clanging and a young girl pokes her head out from around the corner. They chase after her and her friend and Lyra wrestles them to the ground. Will tells them that they’re the only other people they’ve seen and they want to learn about this new place. Angelica (Bella Ramsey) fetches them a drink and some bread. Will asks the girls where the grown-ups are and Angelica tells him that the clever ones have run and since the attack the Spectres are everywhere. It transpires that the Spectres only go after adults and only adults can see them. Paola (Ella Schrey-Yeats) says that the Spectres take out your insides and, even though you’d be alive, anything that makes you human is gone. It happened to their parents. The girls leave and Will leaves money on the abandoned bar to pay for what they ate. Lyra tells him if he starts acting like a grown-up, the Spectres will get him. The pair agree that they don’t trust the girls and Will says that they should keep Pan hidden, but Pan says he’s not hiding.

Serifina (Ruta Gedmintas) has invited Lee (Lin-Manuel Miranda) to talk to the witches about Lyra’s disappearance. He says that he’s learned of an object that gives magical protection and thinks it’s something that Lyra will need, considering the trouble she’s in. Serifina says it will be useful to Lyra and hands Lee a totem and tells him to call to her if he needs her. Queen Ruta (Jade Anouka) swoops down to tell Serifina that Lee doesn’t belong there and that Katja has been captured by the Magisterium. She tells the witches that it’s time to act and show the Magisterium that their actions have consequences and begs Serifna to join her in rescuing Katja. Serifina and Ruta’s daemons argue about what action to take with the Magisterium before Ruta and her daemon race across the turbulent sky to rescue Katja. Whilst Ruta races across the sky to get to Katja, she hears her telling Mrs Coulter that the prophecy is about Lyra, who is known by another name, but she won’t betray her. Katja calls for death and Ruta gets there just in time to release Katja from her torture and, literally, into thin air. Mrs Coulter wants Ruta to be stopped, but she is too powerful and takes out anyone standing in her way before stabbing the Cardinal in the chest. The Cardinal isn’t quite dead, but he will be by the time Mrs Coulter has finished with him. She’s managed to get her own way with Garrett and persuades him that he will be the best leader for the Magisterium.

Meanwhile, in Citagazze, Will has made Lyra an omelet – not that she knows what one is. Lyra moves herself into Will’s house, much to his annoyance. Pan praises Lyra for finally making a good decision. Will gets the shower working whilst Lyra looks at the alethiometer. She has a lot of questions that she wants to ask it. She hides it away as Will brings her a towel and some soap so that she can take a shower. Lyra questions whether she needs a “stand up bath,” but Pan tells her that’s one question she doesn’t need to ask the alethiometer. Lyra and Will later head out to explore the city some more. Pan spots a man filling a bucket at a watering station, but he isn’t moving and his bucket is overflowing. When Lyra reaches out to touch him, he slowly turns to face her so she sees his pale and zombie-like face. As he slowly walks away, screeches can be heard and the trio rush to the noise. They find children attempting to beat a cat. Will saves the cat and Angelica tells him that he doesn’t understand why they are doing it. When Angelica refuses to move out of Will’s way, Pan turns into a snarling bear and the children quickly leave.

As night falls the Spectres roam the city. Unaware of what surrounds them, Lyra and Will discuss how their worlds are similar, but all the word are mixed up. They both realize that they’re from Oxford and Lyra pleads with Will to take her through the window back to his Oxford. She explains that she is in danger in her Oxford, but Will says he is in danger in his Oxford too. However, he agrees that he will take her there first thing in the morning. Lyra tells him that he does have a daemon and it will eventually show. As Lyra finally takes a shower, Will heads outside to read the letters from his father. After washing, Lyra picks up the alethiometer and asks it about Will. It shows her that he is a murderer, but the good kind like Iorek. Will has a vision of a knife which spurs him to head towards the cathedral. As he stands staring at it, a Spectre looms over him.