The Dark Materialists unpack Serafina's words, Iofur's complex desires and Lyra's deceptions and continue to puzzle over Dust and Pullman's big ideas. We also talk a bit more about the upcoming series and some of the casting choices. NOTE: Our sign-off was cut off in the recording process, but rest assured, we said goodnight to all of you! Please check out our website at www.theamberspycast.com and follow us on Twitter and Instagram. Thank you so much for listening.
Flying high above the frozen tundra, Lyra sleeps peacefully as Lee Scoresby and Serafina Pekkala discuss the girl’s destiny and what it might mean for all involved. When she awakens, Lyra and Serafina talk for a long time about the nature of witches, her relationship with Farder Coram, the Church’s connection to Dust, and daemons. Serafina tells her that she doesn’t know why humans have daemons but she knows it is what separates humans from animals. Lyra muses about Iorek and his armor; she learns that although he is exiled, Iorek is the rightful king of the panserbjorne and the new king, named Iofur Raknison, is clever in a human way. Flying past mountains covered by a thick fog, the balloon is suddenly attacked by cliff ghasts, causing it to lerch and drop violently. Lyra is thrown from the balloon and lands in a large snow-drift, where she is discovered by armored bears. The bears bring her to Svalbard, once grand and majestic but now filthy and appalling, and throw her in the dungeon. Here she meets an old professor from Gloucester. He tells Lyra that Iofur Raknison is infatuated with Mrs. Coulter and would do anything for her, but that he is playing both sides of the game: isolating Lord Asriel to please Mrs. Coulter while still providing him with all the equipment he needs to continue his work. Lyra wants to force Iofur to fight Iorek so he can reclaim his kingdom. But Iofur won’t fight Iorek because it would be undignified for the king to fight an exile. In the dungeon, Lyra remembers hearing that Iofur Raknison wanted a daemon, just like a human. Lyra manipulates the guards into getting her a private audience with the king. Using the alethiometer, Lyra convinces Iofur that she is Iorek’s daemon. She says that if Iofur fights Iorek and wins, Lyra would become Iofur’s daemon instead. Iofur agrees; in an effort to protect Iorek, Lyra suggests Iofur tell the bears that he called Iorek back to fight so they do not kill him on the spot when he enters Svalbard. With Iorek only four hours away, the bears prepare the battle grounds while Lyra waits for him to rescue her.