The shattered knife

Lyra and Will inspect the shattered knife. Lyra says she thinks Iorek could fix it as he is a master of metalwork.

Then Chevalier Tialys and Lady Salmakia appear before Lyra and Will. They explain that they are going to take the children to Lord Asriel.

Will is about to reveal to Chevalier Tialys and Lady Salmakia that they hope Iorek can fix the knife when Lyra speedily interrupts him. She quickly comes up with a cunning plan where she persuades Chevalier Tialys and Lady Salmakia to let her and Will say goodbye to the bears while they go and report to Lord Asriel.

Lyra also reveals that she has decided she must save Roger. Will is confused as Roger is dead and in the land of the dead. But as Lyra explains that the land of the dead is just another world to enter, Will realises he could speak to his father if they went to the land of the dead. They decide the knife might be able to cut a way in to this world.

Iorek finds them and they ask him to mend the knife. But at that exact moment Chevalier Tialys and Lady Salmakia appear and are furious with the children for lying to them. They say once the knife is fixed they will take it to Lord Asriel. Iorek is reluctant to fix it as he says he distrusts the knife’s intentions. They decide to ask the alethiometer what to do. Its answer is like a riddle. It says the knife can do good as well as bad. It says their plan is dangerous but if they don’t do it the future is blank.

Iorek says he will start working on the knife and asks them to build a fire.