The Perk, afternoon

[bookyeve]

Evie headed over to the Perk shortly after noon, and ordered an espresso because there was no one to stop her, and a muffin because they were good. Then she settled in at a window booth, waiting for Lyra.

[open for all your Perk needs]

Comments

[daemonridden]

Lyra walked into the coffee shop and waved to Evie. After becoming rapidly bewildered at the tea choices (back home they had Earl Grey and Orange Pekoe, period), told the barista, "I'll have what she ordered."

After getting her coffee (!) and paying, she settled down into the seat opposite Evie, sniffing her drink.

"So. What was it that I ordered?"

[bookyeve]

"Espresso. Very intense coffee, which is why they're served in such little cups," Evie said, smiling hello. "I rather like it, but you might want tea instead. How does this Thursday find you?"

[daemonridden]

"Oh, I see." she sniffed it again, and took a tiny sip. "It is strong."

She settled into her seat, pulling one leg up so that she was sitting half tailor fashion. "Not bad, I guess. Still getting used to being here. And you?"

[bookyeve]

"Trying to adjust, although I'm not sure with how much success." Evie smiled hesitantly. "In and around all the magic and science, the people are so very different, I have to keep notes on things that are new, or I fear I'll never stop being shocked."

[daemonridden]

"Yeah, I'll bet. That's one of the good things about having been to so many. Worlds, I mean. Nothing's so very surprising anymore." Lyra shrugged, then grinned. "Unexpected, disturbing and bewildering, but not surprising."

[bookyeve]

"Do you know how many you've been to?" Evie asked, curious, as she took another sip. "When did you start traveling like that? And, if you don't mind my asking... how? I'm not even sure how I got here."

[daemonridden]

Lyra looks down at her demitasse, suddenly serious.

"I can tell you a little. A bunch of it's... Well, I can tell you some."

She takes another sip fo the coffee, chasing the bitterness with the cookie on her plate that had been there the whole time.

"My father decided it would be a good idea to blast open the veil between the worlds, in the North where it's thin. Through the rift was another world, one that was warm, called Cittagaze." She pronounced it 'chit ah gatt say.'

I... met a boy there, named Will," her voice caught, just a little, easy to miss if you weren't listening. "He had a knife that could cut through the veil, and make openings into other worlds."

[bookyeve]

"Where it was thin," Evie repeated, this part familiar from what Agnes and Stark had said. "Where there's more magic? And why did he do that? Was your world cold?"

Evie frowned, picking up on something, but having no idea what. "So you could blast through it, or cut through it. Science *or* magic?"

[daemonridden]

Lyra's brow furrowed. "I... dunno. I guess there might be more magic in the North; that's where the witches live. I always thought it was, it was science." she stumbled over the word, as if it was unfamiliar.

"I could tell you why he did it, but it would just bring up a hundred more questions. Maybe later I'll tell you." She finished the cookie in between talking. "And it isn't cold at home. It's like this world. Cold at the top and bottom, hot in the middle.

"Anyway, after Cittagaze..." she trails off in thought. "We went to, let's see, at least eleven or twelve. I forget exactly, there were people chasing us through most of them. I lost track of them after a while."

[bookyeve]

"Good heavens." Evie perched her chin on her hands, fascinated. "You and Will? Why were people chasing you?" It was like an adventure novel, even more than a school in a castle on a magic island.

[daemonridden]

Lyra tilted her head to the side, considering both Evie and the question. She took a short breath and another sip of the coffee.

"It all goes back to why Lord Asriel -my father- blew a hole in our world, which I'll call Jordan for now. It's kind of complicated, are you sure you want to hear it all?"

[bookyeve]

"If you want to tell it," Evie said quickly. "I don't wish to pry. But it's all so new to me, and *I* don't have any adventures to tell. So if it's not too personal...?"

[daemonridden]

"It isn't. Well, mostly. Just long. Hold on a minute."

She finished her coffee and went to the counter to order a cola. Cup in hand, she came back to the table.

"My favorite thing about this world," she said. "Well, that and the cinema.

"Okay. So, I'm lead to believe that the Maginsterium, the Church, doesn't run things here. Well, in Jordan, it does. Everything is judged according to Church law, and anything sinful is outlawed. Scientists -eperimental theologians in Jordan- thought they found the source of sin. They called it Dust."

She squinted at Evie. "Any questions yet?"

[bookyeve]

"There is an entity called the Church, but then, there's many of them, so no, they don't run things. Not for the last few centuries, anyway." She frowned. "Was Dust a physical thing, or a theological construct?"

[daemonridden]

Lyra smiled at how quickly Evie was picking it up. And, it was nice ot be believed. Or at least, not openly questioned.

"A physical thing, but very small. An elementary partical, like electrons. See, it reacts differently to children and adults, and I'm really getting off track. Okay. There were two big factions. Or maybe three. The Church, who wanted to get rid of Dust and sin. My father and his people, who really didn't care, they just wanted to overthrow the Authority. And me. I just wanted to figure out what was going on."

Lyra popped the tab on the can and took a long sip, blinking rapidly. It was overly simple, but it'd do for now.

"Both sides wanted me, though, though I'm not entirely sure why. So Will and me ended up chased through a bunch of worlds."

[bookyeve]

Evie frowned and nodded along, trying to follow all this. "How dreadful. You're a girl, you shouldn't have to run away from the authorities." She finished off her espresso, and looked thoughtful, and raised one eyebrow. "Do you know if they're still looking for you?"