When the knock came, Will became conscious of the fact that he'd been holding his breath. He let it out now, and moved to the door to open it. He felt hesitant; that was a weird feeling where Lyra was concerned, because whatever else she was to him, she was his best friend. So why was he afraid?
Kirjava did not seem to share his fear, and when he opened the door, she immediately moved to greet Pan. Will felt her joy at the reunion as well as his own, but couldn't seem to make himself do much more than stare. She looked almost exactly as she had when he'd seen her last, except for small details: different clothes, less dirt. He felt like he was looking at a photograph of her, though he'd never had one of those. It was like she'd been frozen in time, like an insect in amber.
Or in her world, he thought vaguely, electrum.
"Lyra," he said, as a small smile started to appear on his face. "I never thought I'd see you again."