Mary follows the strange creature, remembering when the angels told her to play the serpent by saving the girl and the boy.

The creature -- a zalif, one of the mulefa -- shows her how they travel on rolling seedpods in tracks in the earth. The zalif takes Mary to the gigantic trees, where she sets up camp and writes.

Mary studies the world and the flora. She observes the baby mulefa playing with the seedpods. She draws pictures of the first zalif to find her. The zalif introduces herself as Atal, and Mary introduces herself by name.

Mary learns about the seedpods from the trees. The seeds inside are oily. She learns their language, complete with words and trunk/arm signs.

Mary keeps hearing the word "Sraf" but can't figure out what it means. She asks Atal. Atal explains that they need "Sraf" to live.

Mary notices more dead seedpods, wondering about the lack of oil. Atal explains that the oil is centric to their life and gives them Sraf.

Mary asks how she can help. Atal tells her she needs to understand Sraf and that there is a reason she has been brought here.

Will asks Lyra what it's like to be apart from Pan. She says it's the worst pain. Will realizes he must have had a daemon, too, and maybe she's with Pan now.

Lyra assures him that they will get back to their daemons.

Will and Lyra arrive at the other side. The boatman wishes them luck, gives them a lantern, and lets them off. Lyra asks him to give Pan a message if he's still at the jetty. The boatman says he won't be there.

Together, Will and Lyra head into the darkness.

Roke observes Dr. Cooper.

Mrs. Coulter sits in her cell.

A guard brings Mrs. Coulter her meal, but she refuses it. Roke enters. Mrs. Coulter is surprised he hasn't returned to Asriel.

Roke says he doesn't want her to die, nor does Asriel, and tells her the bomb is nearing completion. He tells her he has enough poison to fell the guards outside the cell, but no more. Mrs. Coulter asks how Dr. Cooper is doing.

Roke says Dr. Cooper seems frightened and is acting against her will. He tells her the bomb is ready, and they plan to sever Mrs. Coulter from her daemon.

Will and Lyra walk past great rocks. Will realizes it is not rock but mountains of old objects. Will notices people coming towards them, many with lanterns. They are ghosts.

A little girl asks if they are alive. Lyra confirms that they are just visiting. Another woman tells them they shouldn't be here. They hear strange sounds overhead. Lyra tells them she's looking for Roger Parslow.

The little girl asks if Lyra comes from a world with daemons, and she confirms it. The children all start talking about their daemons.

A great screech echoes overhead. The ghosts all disperse. Lyra asks one girl, Olivia, if she'll help them, and she agrees.

Father MacPhail approaches the caged golden monkey and reaches out to touch it.

Father Gomez appears, asking about whether it's forbidden to touch another's daemon. MacPhail scolds him for entering without announcing himself. Father Gomez says he only answers to the Authority.

MacPhail slaps Gomez and tells him never to question him again.

Will and Lyra walk through the land of the dead, led by Olivia. The ghosts hang around, some in worse shape than others. Will asks if they all end up like this, and Olivia asks if he is also looking for someone.

Olivia says she was looking for her sister but never found her. A creepy voice says, "You left your sister all alone," and Olivia abandons them.

Lyra hears someone call her name. She loses Will. She sees Pan as a white ermine and goes after him.

Will, lost elsewhere, calls for Lyra.

Pan tells Lyra she's selfish, she already killed Roger, and she only came here to be a hero. Lyra realizes it isn't Pan and screams for Will. Will finds Lyra and assures her whatever "Pan" said wasn't true.

Lyra thinks it is horrible that this is where everyone ends up. She sees Roger and goes after him. Roger recognizes her, but he is listless and stone-faced. She touches him, but he doesn't react much.

Lyra says he is different. Roger replies she is, too. Lyra hugs him and apologizes. Roger assures her it's not her fault, saying he wanted to go with her to Asriel.

Lyra hugs him again. Will approaches and introduces himself. Roger walks away.

Lyra follows, telling Roger he can't stay here, and she intends to break them all out. He says that's not possible. She pursues, but he shouts at her, saying he doesn't want to return to the real world in his current state.

Will goes after Lyra. Lyra says this was a bad idea. Will urges her not to give up on Roger. She asks him to make a window, and she'll drag Roger through if she has to.

Will tries, but the knife doesn't work -- he can't cut a window. Lyra says they should try higher ground.

Strange winged creatures -- harpies -- start saying horrible things about Will, all his worst thoughts about himself, and he is entranced by them. The same thing happens to Lyra, but she realizes what is happening and breaks free of their hypnotism. Lyra shouts at Will, breaking him out of his trance.

The harpies fly away. Lyra says they will try the knife again at higher ground.

Gomez informs MacPhail that Fra Pavel has deduced that the serpent is in another world. Gomez offers to track her down. MacPhail tells him to do this task as his penance.

Father Gomez finds solitude and looks to the painting of Eve and the serpent.

Mary works on her mulefa language skills by the river. She discovers some pieces of amber in the water and brings them back to her tree camp.

Mary uses the oil from the seedpod to polish it. She realizes she needs a lens. She searches the river floor for a piece that will be suitable. Finally, Mary finds a large, round, thin piece and runs back to camp. She polishes the amber with oil and looks through it.

Mary sees the dust on Atal, the trees, and all around. She realizes that "Sraf" is dust. Atal tells her to look from the tree.

Mary climbs the tree to a great height. She sees the dust flowing up off the trees. Mary finds Atal, saying she understands -- the dust is leaving, and the trees are dying. Atal tells her that the mulefa are dying, too.

Will and Lyra find Roger again. Will gives them some privacy. Lyra asks what Roger remembers of Jordan College. He says Jordan's gone.

Lyra tells him she can still see it clearly. She recalls a time they snuck into the wine cellar. Roger remembers and smiles at her, and they laugh together about how they drank awful wine. 

Lyra recounts more good memories of them playing together. The light changes, glowing warm instead of white and grey. The ghosts and Will surround Roger and Lyra, eager to listen to their stories.

Lyra finds a place to stand where she is higher up and addresses them all. 

Lyra explains that she came for Roger because she didn't think he should be here, but then she realized that none of them should be -- it's a prison camp, not life after death.

Will stands beside her. He shows them the Æsahættr, saying he hopes to cut through the world and get them out. Someone asks what will happen if they leave, and Lyra tells them she doesn't know.

Harpies scream in the distance.

A woman, Hannah, laments that they were told they'd go to Heaven and realizes they wasted so much time in prayer, ignoring the joy of life around them.

Hannah says anything is better than this. The harpies swoop closer, observing Lyra while the ghosts hide.

A little girl approaches, asking what Lyra is talking about. Lyra says it was memories of the outside world, and she asks if she remembers her life.

The little girl asks her to tell them "real things" so they can remember too. Lyra speaks of Jordan College, and the ghosts come out again to listen. Roger joins in.

Lyra talks about when she first met Will, of Iorek Byrnison, and the alethiometer. The ghosts show up in greater numbers.

MacPhail prays. Guards take Mrs. Coulter to the room where she will be severed from her daemon. They pass the chapel where MacPhail and all the fathers -- except Gomez -- are praying.

Gomez sets out on his quest.

Mrs. Coulter arrives in the laboratory, where her golden monkey is in a cage. They sit her down. Dr. Cooper enters. She doesn't say anything. Mrs. Coulter asks if this is how things are to end.

Dr. Cooper doesn't answer as she straps Mrs. Coulter in. Mrs. Coulter urges her to think of what MacPhail will do. Mrs. Coulter grabs her hand and tells her that this is wrong. Dr. Cooper lets go.

MacPhail enters the lab. Mrs. Coulter tells him he doesn't understand the technology -- all he's going to do is blow up the Magisterium.

MacPhail explains that the technology has evolved -- it will use Lyra's hair to locate her and destroy her on the spot.

MacPhail tells her not to struggle and lets her know she still has time to repent, as the Authority has not forsaken her.

MacPhail goes to bless her, and she tells him not to touch her. MacPhail tells Dr. Cooper to initiate the process.

Crowds of ghosts listen to Lyra's stories. Hannah remembers some of her life. The ghosts are slowly changing from grey and white to gaining warm hues of color. Hannah says they will go with Lyra and Will. The harpies swoop down among the dead.

Lyra stares one harpy down, unmoving. The harpy roars at her. She asks the harpy's name. The harpy says she has no name and flies away.

Lyra leads the ghosts higher, telling them to hold on to their stories.

One dead man calls after Lyra. She turns, recognizing his voice. It's Lee Scoresby. They hug.

Lee is surprised she is alive -- she's surprised he's dead. Lyra introduces Will to Lee, and Roger recognizes him as the balloon driver.

Will pulls out the knife. Lee marvels that Lyra found the knife-bearer before the shaman did. Will says he plans to cut them out.

Lee volunteers to round up the stragglers, which he does with great enthusiasm.

In Heaven, Alarbus returns to the Regent Metatron, telling him the mortal Asriel has formed a Republic and has a technology that will challenge the Metatron.

Alarbus explains that there is a new knife bearer, an uncorrupted boy. The Metatron decides to send the mortal a warning.

Dr. Cooper powers up the device. Mrs. Coulter rants at them. Roke poisons the guards, and they fall unconscious.

MacPhail prays, and Dr. Cooper controls the machine. Alarms go off outside.

Dr. Cooper stops the blade just as it descends. She says she will not be part of this or hurt Mrs. Coulter.

Roke enters and frees the monkey. MacPhail strikes Dr. Cooper over the head, killing her. The monkey frees one of Mrs. Coulter's restraints, and she works on the other one.

MacPhail grabs Roke and throws him into the glass. Roke falls to the floor.

Mrs. Coulter attacks MacPhail and attempts to strangle him. They fight. She beats him in the head.

The target blinks. The bomb has found its mark and locked onto it. MacPhail straps himself in and sets the bomb off. Mrs. Coulter manages to pull it apart.

A divine light shines in from the heavens on MacPhail and Coulter. Metatron speaks to them.

The electronics go wild. The guillotine slices down, severing MacPhail from his daemon, Octavia. Octavia disappears, and MacPhail dies.

A great light comes down into the land of the dead, like a blue comet, and explodes on the ground.

Mrs. Coulter screams.

The lightning blast comes crashing toward Lyra and the ghosts.