And then there would be no need for a book about it. And then Merlyn wouldn't have made BttA. And we'd all have very boring lives.Will only finds his father because A) he was at the right time and place to see the cat go through the window and B) his father was looking for the person who had the knife, which happened to be him. If Will had turned up 30 seconds after he did at the hornbeam trees, he'd never have found his father or Lyra and would probably be in police custody after a few days.
Those right time-right place moments are cool, no?