Anita Schlesinger was a New Danish journalist and former actress. She lived in Smyrna with her husband Bud Schlesinger and helped Lyra Silvertongue to disguise herself when she and her husband met her in the city. Her dæmon, Telemachus, was a squirrel.[1]
Biography[]
During her acting career, Anita met and worked alongside the famous actress Sylvia Martine.
Lyra met Anita when Bud invited her to their apartment, suggesting that his wife's experience at changing appearances from her stage work might be useful in giving Lyra a disguise. Anita cut Lyra's hair much shorter and dyed it a dark chestnut-brown. She also gave Lyra a pair of plain glass horn-rimmed spectacles and encouraged her to change her whole way of moving and holding herself to deflect attention. Whilst she worked, Anita asked Lyra about her various experiences, including those with witches and Malcolm.
After applying the dye, she made lunch and told Lyra about her journalistic work, noting that it often overlapped with her husband's diplomatic work and meant she had seen much of the chaos and destruction resulting from the rose oil crisis.[1]
Anita was in her apartment when it was fire-bombed, but managed to escape, losing a lot of her work. After the death of Ted Cartwright at the hands of his nurse, he and Bud had tea with Malcolm at the consulate, where they were staying whilst the apartment was rebuilt. Anita told Malcolm that she had written a piece on Thuringia Potash, but that her editor had been too scared to publish, and gave him an overview of the company's activities. She and Bud believed her investigative work on TP was probably one of the reaons they were fire-bombed.[2]
Physical description[]
Anita had dark hair and dressed colourfully; she wore a scarlet smock and Persian slippers when Lyra met her. She was slim and spoke with a New Danish accent, although it was not as prominent as her husband's.[1]
Personality[]
Anita was friendly and Lyra found her very easy to talk to, thinking that she would make an 'irrestible interrogator' because she was so easy to talk to. When they first met, Anita examined Lyra with professional curiosity and Lyra wondered how often Anita helped Bud with Oakley Street business.[1] She was perceptive enough to pick up on Malcolm's feelings for Lyra.[2]
Appearances[]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 The Secret Commonwealth, Chapter 27
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 The Secret Commonwealth, Chapter 29