The Golden Compass: Chapter Seventeen Summary & Analysis

Lyra trembles and moans as Pan presses himself into her bare chest. He notices the golden monkey quickly feel Lyra's body and discover the pouch on her waist. Mrs. Coulter offers Lyra tea, but Lyra begins to sob uncontrollably. While Mrs. Coulter comforts Lyra, Pan sniffs the drink and finds it innocuous. He thinks to Lyra that they must pretend in order to stay safe. Lyra answers Mrs. Coulter's questions and lies, saying that a couple kidnapped her from the party. She feels gradually stronger as she lies; it's something she knows how to do well. She accounts for her weeks with the gyptians, invents a stint as a maid at the bar in Trollesund, and hysterically asks why the doctors cut children from their dæmons.

Lyra asks if it has to do with Dust and demands an answer. Mrs. Coulter says that Dust is bad and evil, and separating children keeps them safe from Dust. Remembering Tony Makarios, Lyra vomits. She says that if all adults have Dust it must be okay, and she points out that if Dust is so bad, Mrs. Coulter should've let them cut her. With a smile, Mrs. Coulter says the procedure isn't bad, and points out that the adults here have had their dæmons cut away. Lyra then understands the blankness of the nurses' dæmons. Mrs. Coulter goes on and says that after the cut, everything is peaceful. She says that during puberty, dæmons bring about "troublesome thoughts" that let Dust in. The operation means that one's dæmon becomes a wonderful pet. Lyra knows she's lying, and feels a flash of anger.

Softly, Mrs. Coulter says that Lyra can sleep in here with her. The golden monkey paces, betraying Mrs. Coulter's impatience. Finally, Mrs. Coulter asks Lyra if the Master gave her an alethiometer. She says that it wasn't his to give, and that it shouldn't go to Lord Asriel. Lyra asks why, and Mrs. Coulter explains that Lord Asriel is doing evil and dangerous things. She unties the belt from Lyra's waist and pulls out the black pouch and then the tins. Lyra puts her feet on the floor as Mrs. Coulter, amused, opens the first tin and then the second. The spy-fly hurtles into the golden monkey's face, hurting him and Mrs. Coulter. Lyra and Pan race out of the room, set off the fire alarm, and set the kitchen on fire. Lyra grabs her furs and the alethiometer.

Lyra and the children struggle to get out as the fire spreads. They manage to escape and find Roger. She tells him to tell the other children that the adults will cut their dæmons away—hoping to scare them into following her. They follow, but soon come face to face with the Tartar guards and their wolf dæmons. Lyra hesitates, but shouts at the children to throw snow at the Tartars' eyes. It works. The children run, but Lyra knows that the Tartars are preparing to shoot. They never do, however; arrows come from witches above. Children begin screaming as they catch sight of Iorek charging past them to crash into the Tartars.

The children excitedly follow Lyra away from Bolvanger. They're thrilled to be saved but disturbed when Lyra tells them about Tony Makarios and the ghostly dæmons. One child points back toward Bolvanger and Lyra sees Lee Scoresby's balloon, which he's inflating using the gas from the zeppelin. The children begin to shiver, so Pan bullies their dæmons into warming them. They trudge on, following Iorek's tracks. Lyra begins to hear and see strange things, and finally falls into John Faa's arms. She tells Farder Coram that Roger is coming and asks what the strange noise is. Suddenly, the golden monkey attacks Pan while Mrs. Coulter pulls Lyra onto a motorized sledge.

Mrs. Coulter sets a group of Tartars on the gyptians and Lyra watches her wrestle with Roger. Suddenly, Iorek leaps into the fray and Lyra feels something pull her up. She grabs Roger and sees that witches are lifting her. She lands in Lee Scoresby's balloon and a moment later, Iorek crawls in. The balloon surges up through a cloud. When it rises above it, Lyra watches the Aurora ahead and the witches flying up from below. One beautiful witch flies up next to the balloon and says that she's Serafina Pekkala. Lyra realizes suddenly that Farder Coram loved the witch, and that it's breaking his heart to be so old when she's still so young and beautiful.

Serafina Pekkala confirms that Lyra still has the alethiometer. Kaisa flies up and Serafina passes on that Bolvanger is in ruins, the children are safe, and Mrs. Coulter escaped. Lee Scoresby attaches a rope to his balloon, throws it to the witches, and six witches pull the balloon north. Roger and Iorek fall asleep. Serafina asks Lyra why she's going to Lord Asriel. Lyra incredulously says that she needs to take him the alethiometer. She amends this to say that they're going to try to rescue him, and asks why Serafina is asking. Serafina says that there are things she needs to tell Lyra after Lyra sleeps.