Chapter 6

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Mrs. Coulter was looking out through her window in her room at Bolvanger watching yet another load of children to be studied come in. Constantly thinking about Lyra, Marisa was slowly starting to dislike her job and wanted to leave....... but she couldn't. A knock at the door startled Marisa and her golden monkey. "We are ready for you Mrs. Coulter" said Dr Cooper. Marisa let out a big sigh and walked off with the Dr.

Three more failed attempts at trying to remove Dust from children. Marisa went back to her room and sat at her desk staring at one off her photograms of her and Lyra. "Soon I'll be home my love" Marisa said softly to the picture of her daughter. If only Marisa knew what was happening to her daughter back in London.
                    —————————

In London the guards decided to release Asriel as he wasn't what they wanted, it was Lyra. So they were ordered to keep a close eye on the man, the child and the building.

Asriel knew where to look for his daughter and he knew she would be safe. "Oh dear, your face looks terrible" said Ma Costa. "I've had worse done to me, so I don't mind" said Asriel. "Best get you cleaned up, don't want to scare poor Lyra" Maggie said to Asriel. So he gave himself a quick wash and went straight to where Lyra was being kept safe. "Daddy" squealed Lyra, "you're ok, why were those men after us?" Asriel looking at his child, trying to gain the courage to tell her the truth, but he just can't..... not yet anyway. "They mistaken me for another man who had stole something."

Once Lyra went to sleep, Asriel and Ma Costa had a chat about Lyra and how to keep her safe till her mother returns. "Marisa has a right to know about this. It's not my place to tell her Asriel, she doesn't like us Gyptians" Asriel nodding at Maggie, "I'll send a telegram in the morning and mark it urgent so it gets to her quick"

"Marisa, I don't mean to alarm you but yesterday, Lyra and I were being chased by some men in uniform, I believe they work for the church. Lyra got away unhurt but they got me and tried to get out of me where our daughter was. She is safe for now but I don't know for how long. I hope this get to you quickly.
                      Asriel

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Back at Bolvanger, Marisa was trying to convince the Magisterium to let her come back early. "I'm sorry Mrs. Coulter, we can't let you do that. You are obligated to stay at Bolvanger till you have a 100% success rate with removing dust from children." Extremely mad Marisa slams the phone down and screams at it. The only thing that could calm her down was Lyra and she wasn't there. Her dæmon tried calming his human down, but Marisa just wanted Lyra.

The next day the telegram arrived. The first thing Marisa noticed that someone had tried to open it before her. Marking sure she was alone she read the contents. So angry and upset with what she had just read, Marisa ordered a airship to take her back to London. She wrote back to Asriel telling him that she was returning. The one time in her life, Marisa Coulter didn't care what would happen to her, as her child means more to her than her position in the church.

The Magisterium caught wind off what Marisa was planning on doing and forced her to stay in her room and only came out when a child was being separated from their dæmon. So mad at what was happening, the golden monkey found a vent system and found a way to the outside. Marisa put her warm clothes on and snuck through the vents. Once she got outside she snuck onto a airship. Lucky it wasn't super crowded and no one noticed her.

Several days later Marisa arrived back in London. Marisa knew where the Gyptians would be so she walked the several miles to the river. Asriel was sitting above deck and he heard Stelmaria hiss. Looking franticly around looking for the guards, he saw HER.

The golden monkey was rubbing himself against Stelmaria trying to start something. Marisa ran into Asriel's arms panting, trying to catch her breath. "Where......... is........... Lyra............Asriel?" All red in the face, trying to keep her calm, Ma Costa came out with a glass of water for Marisa to drink. "Marisa, sit down before you hurt yourself" said Asriel. "Lyra is safe, she is playing with Maggie's son down below" mortified, Marisa got up and rushes down below deck to find her daughter.

"HEY, that's not fair that's mine" yelled Lyra to Tony Costa "can't we share Lyra?" Lyra trying to give the poor boy a mean look, which ended up being rather cute as she's only three and couldn't act mean. Tony just laughed, he thought it was cute and went and did his own thing and left Lyra to play by herself.

"My Lyra, I've missed you" Marisa staring at her child, holding back tears. "Mummy, you came back, I missed you" Lyra jumps into her mothers arms to give her a big hug. Marisa picks up her child and whispers "I'm never leaving you again, I missed you too much" Asriel walks in staring at the woman who once was his lover and his daughter.

Marisa we need to talk

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