Mrs Coulter is interrogated

Mrs Coulter has arrived at The Consistorial Court of Discipline. She has been greeted with suspicion and placed in a cell. She’s about to undress when she sees Lord Roke. He tells her he has done a full recognisance of the Court and he can report that the church has not found Lyra, the army continues to grow, and they are trying to make contact with the Authority.

The President and Brother Jasper arrive to interrogate Mrs Coulter, feigning politeness. They ask her a series of questions which she smartly answers. But the president grows angry and demands to know why she betrayed them when she found Lyra and hid in the cave. Mrs Coulter becomes angry too, ranting about how she doesn’t believe in the Authority and how she thinks he only wreaks poverty and misery in the world. The president and Brother Jasper leave her. Mrs Coulter knows she has gone too far.

Once outside the President asks what the alethiometer has told Brother Jasper about where Lyra is, he says it shows only grey and he can’t work out what world it is referring to.

The President is clearly frustrated. He tells Brother Jaspar that Mrs Coulter is of no use to them and she must be killed the next day.