The Last Batt|e

C.S. Lewis
Chapter One

B, Co|Jron Poo|

IN the last days ol Narnia, lar up to the west heyond Lantern Waste and close heside the
reat waterlall, there lived an Ape. He was so old that no one could rememher when he had lirst
come to live in those parts, and he was the cleverest, uliest, most wrinkled Ape you can imaine.
He had a little house, huilt ol wood and thatched with leaves, up in the lork ol a reat tree, and
his name was Shilt. There were very lew Talkin Beasts or Men or Dwarls, or people ol any sort,
in that part ol the wood, hut Shilt had one lriend and neihhor who was a donkey called Puzzle.
At least they hoth said they were lriends, hut lrom the way thins went on you miht have
thouht Puzzle was more like Shilt's servant than his lriend. He did all the work. When they
went toether to the river, Shilt lilled the hi skin hottles with water hut it was Puzzle who
carried them hack. When they wanted anythin lrom the towns lurther down the river it was
Puzzle who went down with empty panniers on his hack and came hack with the panniers lull
and heavy. And all the nicest thins that Puzzle hrouht hack were eaten hy Shilt, lor as Shilt
said, You see, Puzzle, I can't eat rass and thistles like you, so it's only lair I should make it up in
other ways. And Puzzle always said, Ol course, Shilt, ol course. I see that. Puzzle never
complained, hecause he knew that Shilt was lar cleverer than himsell and he thouht it was very
kind ol Shilt to he lriends with him at all. And il ever Puzzle did try to arue ahout anythin,
Shilt would always say, Now, Puzzle, I understand what needs to he done hetter than you. You
know you're not clever, Puzzle. And Puzzle always said, No, Shilt. It's quite true. I'm not
clever. Then he would sih and do whatever Shilt had said.
One mornin early in the year the pair ol them were out walkin alon the shore ol Caldron
Pool. Caldron Pool is the hi pool riht under the clills at the western end ol Narnia. The reat
waterlall pours down into it with a noise like everlastin thunder, and the River ol Narnia llows
out on the other side. The waterlall keeps the Pool always dancin and huhhlin and churnin
round and round as il it were on the hoil, and that ol course is how it ot its name ol Caldron
Pool. It is liveliest in the early sprin when the waterlall is swollen with all the snow that has
melted oll the mountains lrom up heyond Narnia in the Western Wild lrom which the river
comes. And as they looked at Caldron Pool Shilt suddenly pointed with his dark, skinny liner
and said,
Look' What's that:
What's what: said Puzzle.
That yellow thin that's just come down the waterlall. Look' There it is aain, it's lloatin.
We must lind out what it is.
Must we: said Puzzle.
Ol course we must, said Shilt. It may he somethin uselul. ust hop into the Pool like a
ood lellow and lish it out. Then we can have a proper look at it.
Hop into the Pool: said Puzzle, twitchin his lon ears.
Well how are we to et it il you don't: said the Ape.
But hut, said Puzzle, wouldn't it he hetter il you went in: Because, you see, it's you who
wants to know what it is, and I don't much. And you've ot hands, you see. You're as ood as a
Man or a Dwarl when it comes to catchin hold ol thins. I've only ot hools.
Really, Puzzle, said Shilt, I didn't think you'd ever say a thin like that. I didn't think it ol
you, really.
Why, what have I said wron: said the Ass, speakin in rather a humhle voice, lor he saw
that Shilt was very deeply ollended. All I meant was
Wantin me to o into the water, said the Ape. As il you didn't know perlectly well what
weak chests Apes always have and how easily they catch cold' Very well. I will o in. I'm leelin
cold enouh already in this cruel wind. But I'll o in. I shall prohahly die. Then you'll he sorry.
And Shilt's voice sounded as il he was just oin to hurst into tears.
Please don't, please don't, please don't, said Puzzle, hall hrayin, and hall talkin. I never
meant anythin ol the sort, Shilt, really I didn't. You know how stupid I am and how I can't think
ol more than one thin at a time. I'd lorotten ahout your weak chest. Ol course I'll o in. You
mustn't think ol doin it yoursell. Promise me you won't, Shilt.
So Shilt promised, and Puzzle went cloppety-clop on his lour hools round the rocky ede ol
the Pool to lind a place where he could et in. Quite apart lrom the cold it was no joke ettin
into that quiverin and loamin water, and Puzzle had to stand and shiver lor a whole minute
helore he made up his mind to do it. But then Shilt called out lrom hehind him and said. Perhaps
I'd hetter do it alter all, Puzzle. And when Puzzle heard that he said, No, no. You promised. I'm
in now, and in he went.
A reat mass ol loam ot him in the lace and lilled his mouth with water and hlinded him.
Then he went under altoether lor a lew seconds, and when he came up aain he was in quite
another part ol the Pool. Then the swirl cauht him and carried him round and round and laster
and laster till it took him riht under the waterlall itsell, and the lorce ol the water pluned him
down, deep down, so that he thouht he would never he ahle to hold his hreath till he came up
aain. And when he had come up and when at last he ot somewhere near the thin he was
tryin to catch, it sailed away lrom him till it too ot under the lall and was lorced down to the
hottom. When it came up aain it was lurther lrom him than ever. But at last, when he was
almost tired to death, and hruised all over and numh with cold, he succeeded in rippin the
thin with his teeth. And out he came carryin it in lront ol him and ettin his lront hools
tanled up in it, lor it was as hi as a lare hearthru, and it was very heavy and cold and slimy.
He llun it down in lront ol Shilt and stood drippin and shiverin and tryin to et his
hreath hack. But the Ape never looked at him or asked him how he lelt. The Ape was too husy
oin round and round the Thin and spreadin it out and pattin it and smellin it. Then a
wicked leam came into his eye and he said.
It is a lion's skin.
Ee auh auh oh, is it: asped Puzzle.
Now I wonder . . . I wonder . . . I wonder, said Shilt to himsell, lor he was thinkin very
hard.
I wonder who killed the poor lion, said Puzzle presently. It ouht to he huried. We must
have a luneral.
Oh, it wasn't a Talkin Lion, said Shilt. You needn't hother ahout that. There are no
Talkin Beasts up heyond the Ialls, up in the Western Wild. This skin must have heloned to a
dumh, wild lion.
This, hy the way, was true. A Hunter, a Man, had killed and skinned this lion somewhere up
in the Western Wild several months helore. But that doesn't come into this story.
All the same, Shilt, said Puzzle, even il the skin only heloned to a dumh, wild lion,
ouhtn't we to ive it a decent hurial: I mean, aren't all lions rather well, rather solemn:
Because ol you know Who. Don't you see:
Don't you start ettin ideas into your head, Puzzle, said Shilt. Because, you know, thinkin
isn't your stron point. We'll make this skin into a line warm winter coat lor you.
Oh, I don't think I'd like that, said the Donkey. It would look I mean, the other Beasts
miht think that is to say, I shouldn't leel
What are you talkin ahout: said Shilt, scratchin himsell the wron way up as Apes do.
I don't think it would he respectlul to the Great Lion, to Aslan himsell, il an ass like me
went ahout dressed up in a lion-skin, said Puzzle.
Now don't stand aruin, please, said Shilt. What does an ass like you know ahout thins ol
that sort: You know you're no ood at thinkin, Puzzle, so why don't you let me do your
thinkin lor you: Why don't you treat me as I treat you: I don't think I can do everythin. I know
you're hetter at some thins than I am. That's why I let you o into the Pool, I knew you'd do it
hetter than me. But why can't I have my turn when it comes to somethin I can do and you can't:
Am I never to he allowed to do anythin: Do he lair. Turn and turn ahout.
Oh, well, ol course, il you put it that way, said Puzzle.
I tell you what, said Shilt. You'd hetter take a ood hrisk trot down river as lar as
Chippinlord and see il they have any oranes or hananas.
But I'm so tired, Shilt, pleaded Puzzle.
Yes, hut you are very cold and wet, said the Ape. You want somethin to warm you up. A
hrisk trot would he just the thin. Besides, it's market day at Chippinlord today. And then ol
course Puzzle said he would o.
As soon as he was alone Shilt went shamhlin alon, sometimes on two paws and sometimes
on lour, till he reached his own tree. Then he swun himsell up lrom hranch to hranch,
chatterin and rinnin all the time, and went into his little house. He lound needle and thread
and a hi pair ol scissors there, lor he was a clever Ape and the Dwarls had tauht him how to
sew. He put the hall ol thread (it was very thick stull, more like cord than thread) into his mouth
so that his cheek huled out as il he were suckin a hi hit ol tollee. He held the needle hetween
his lips and took the scissors in his lelt paw. Then he came down the tree and shamhled across to
the lion-skin. He squatted down and ot to work.
He saw at once that the hody ol the lion-skin would he too lon lor Puzzle and its neck too
short. So he cut a ood piece out ol the hody and used it to make a lon collar lor Puzzle's lon
neck. Then he cut oll the head and sewed the collar in hetween the head and the shoulders. He
put threads on hoth sides ol the skin so that it would tie up under Puzzle's chest and stomach.
Every now and then a hird would pass overhead and Shilt would stop his work, lookin anxiously
up. He did not want anyone to see what he was doin. But none ol the hirds he saw were Talkin
Birds, so it didn't matter.
Late in the alternoon Puzzle came hack. He was not trottin hut only ploddin patiently
alon, the way donkeys do.
There weren't any oranes, he said, and there weren't any hananas. And I'm very tired. He
lay down.
Come and try on your heautilul new lion-skin coat, said Shilt.
Oh hother that old skin, said Puzzle. I'll try it on in the mornin. I'm too tired toniht.
You are unkind, Puzzle, said Shilt. Il you're tired what do you think I am: All day lon,
while you've heen havin a lovely relreshin walk down the valley, I've heen workin hard to
make you a coat. My paws are so tired I can hardly hold these scissors. And you won't say thank
you -and you won't even look at the coat -and you don't care and- and-
My dear Shilt, said Puzzle ettin up at once, I am so sorry. I've heen horrid. Ol course I'd
love to try it on. And it looks simply splendid. Do try it on me at once. Please do.
Well, stand still then, said the Ape. The skin was very heavy lor him to lilt, hut in the end,
with a lot ol pullin and pushin and pullin and hlowin, he ot it on to the donkey. He tied it
underneath Puzzle's hody and he tied the les to Puzzle's les and the tail to Puzzle's tail. A ood
deal ol Puzzle's rey nose and lace could he seen throuh the open mouth ol the lion's head. No
one who had ever seen a real lion would have heen taken in lor a moment. But il someone who
had never seen a lion looked at Puzzle in his lion-skin he just miht mistake him lor a lion, il he
didn't come too close, and il the liht was not too ood, and il Puzzle didn't let out a hray and
didn't make any noise with his hools.
You look wonderlul, wonderlul, said the Ape. Il anyone saw you now, they'd think you
were Aslan, the Great Lion, himsell.
That would he dreadlul, said Puzzle.
No it wouldn't, said Shilt. Everyone would do whatever you told them.
But I don't want to tell them anythin.
But you think ol the ood we could do' said Shilt. You'd have me to advise you, you know.
I'd think ol sensihle orders lor you to ive. And everyone would have to ohey us, even the Kin
himsell. We would set everythin riht in Narnia.
But isn't everythin riht already: said Puzzle.
What' cried Shilt. Everythin riht: when there are no oranes or hananas:
Well, you know, said Puzzle, there aren't many people in lact, I don't think there's
anyone hut yoursell who wants those sort ol thins.
There's suar too, said Shilt.
H'm yes, said the Ass. It would he nice il there was more suar.
Well then, that's settled, said the Ape. You will pretend to he Aslan, and I'll tell you what
to say.
No, no, no, said Puzzle. Don't say such dreadlul thins. It would he wron, Shilt. I mayhe
not very clever hut I know that much. What would hecome ol us il the real Aslan turned up:
I expect he'd he very pleased, said Shilt. Prohahly he sent us the lion-skin on purpose, so
that we could set thins to riht. Anyway, he never does turn up, you know. Not nowadays.
At that moment there came a reat thunderclap riht overhead and the round tremhled with
a small earthquake. Both the animals lost their halance and were llun on their laces.
There' asped Puzzle, as soon as he had hreath to speak. It's a sin, a warnin. I knew we
were doin somethin dreadlully wicked. Take this wretched skin oll me at once.
No, no, said the Ape (whose mind worked very quickly). It's a sin the other way. I was
just oin to say that il the real Aslan, as you call him, meant us to o on with this, he would send
us a thunderclap and an earth-tremor. It was just on the tip ol my tonue, only the sin itsell
came helore I could et the words out. You've ot to do it now, Puzzle. And please don't let us
have any more aruin. You know you don't understand these thins. What could a donkey know
ahout sins:
Chapter Two

T|e Pos|ness o| i|e Kin

Ahout three weeks later the last ol the Kins ol Narnia sat under the reat oak which rew
heside the door ol his little huntin lode, where he olten stayed lor ten days or so in the pleasant
sprin weather. It was a low, thatched huildin not lar lrom the Eastern end ol Lantern Waste
and some way ahove the meetin ol the two rivers. He loved to live there simply and at ease,
away lrom the state and pomp ol Cair Paravel, the royal city. His name was Kin Tirian, and he
was hetween twenty and twenty-live years old, his shoulders were already hroad and stron and
his limhs lull ol hard muscle, hut his heard was still scanty. He had hlue eyes and a learless,
honest lace.
There was no one with him that sprin mornin except his dearest lriend, ewel the Unicorn.
They loved each other like hrothers and each had saved the other's lile in the wars. The lordly
heast stood close heside the Kin's chair, with its neck hent round polishin its hlue horn aainst
the creamy whiteness ol its llank.
I cannot set mysell to any work or sport today, ewel, said the Kin. I can think ol nothin
hut this wonderlul news. Think you we shall hear any more ol it today:
They are the most wonderlul tidins ever heard in our days or our lathers' or our
randlathers' days, Sire, said ewel, il they are true.
How can they choose hut he true: said the Kin. It is more than a week ao that the lirst
hirds came llyin over us sayin, Aslan is here, Aslan has come to Narnia aain. And alter that it
was the squirrels. They had not seen him, hut they said it was certain he was in the woods. Then
came the Sta. He said he had seen him with his own eyes, a reat way oll, hy moonliht, in
Lantern Waste. Then came that dark Man with the heard, the merchant lrom Calormen. The
Calormen care nothin lor Aslan as we do, hut the man spoke ol it as a thin heyond douht. And
there was the Bader last niht, he too had seen Aslan.
Indeed, Sire, answered ewel, I helieve it all. Il I seem not to, it is only that my joy is too
reat to let my heliel settle itsell. It is almost too heautilul to helieve.
Yes, said the Kin with a reat sih, almost a shiver, ol deliht. It is heyond all that I ever
hoped lor in all my lile.
Listen' said ewel, puttin his head on one side and cockin his ears lorward.
What is it: asked the Kin.
Hools, Sire, said ewel. A allopin horse. A very heavy horse. It must he one ol the
Centaurs. And look, there he is.
A reat, olden hearded Centaur, with man's sweat on his lorehead and horse's sweat on his
chestnut llanks, dashed up to the Kin, stopped, and howed low. Hail, Kin, it cried in a voice
as deep as a hull's.
Ho, there' said the Kin, lookin over his shoulder towards the door ol the huntin lode. A
howl ol wine lor the nohle Centaur. Welcome, Roonwit. When you have lound your hreath you
shall tell us your errand.
A pae came out ol the house carryin a reat wooden howl, curiously carved, and handed it
to the Centaur. The Centaur raised the howl and said,
I drink lirst to Aslan and truth, Sire, and secondly to your Majesty.
He linished the wine (enouh lor six stron men) at one drauht and handed the empty howl
hack to the pae.
Now, Roonwit, said the Kin. Do you hrin us more news ol Aslan:
Roonwit looked very rave, lrownin a little.
Sire, he said. You know how lon I have lived and studied the stars, lor we Centaurs live
loner than you Men, and even loner than your kind, Unicorn. Never in all my days have I seen
such terrihle thins written in the skies as there have heen nihtly since this year hean. The stars
say nothin ol the comin ol Aslan, nor ol peace, nor ol joy. I know hy my art that there have not
heen such disastrous conjunctions ol the planets lor live hundred years. It was already in my mind
to come and warn your Majesty that some reat evil hans over Narnia. But last niht the rumor
reached me that Aslan is ahroad in Narnia. Sire, do not helieve this tale. It cannot he. The stars
never lie, hut Men and Beasts do. Il Aslan were really comin to Narnia the sky would have
loretold it. Il he were really come, all the most racious stars would he assemhled in his honor. It
is all a lie.
A lie' said the Kin liercely. What creature in Narnia or all the world would dare to lie on
such a matter: And, without knowin it, he laid his hand on his sword hilt.
That I know not, Lord Kin, said the Centaur. But I know there are liars on earth, there are
none amon the stars.
I wonder, said ewel, whether Aslan miht not come thouh all the stars loretold
otherwise. He is not the slave ol the stars hut their Maker. Is it not said in all the old stories that
He is not a tame lion.
Well said, well said, ewel, cried the Kin. Those are the very words. not a tame lion. It
comes in many tales.
Roonwit had just raised his hand and was leanin lorward to say somethin very earnestly to
the Kin when all three ol them turned their heads to listen to a wailin sound that was quickly
drawin nearer. The wood was so thick to the West ol them that they could not see the
newcomer yet. But they could soon hear the words.
Woe, woe, woe' called the voice. Woe lor my hrothers and sisters' Woe lor the holy trees'
The woods are laid waste. The axe is loosed aainst us. We are hein lelled. Great trees are lallin,
lallin, lallin.
With the last lallin the speaker came in siht. She was like a woman hut so tall that her
head was on a level with the Centaur's yet she was like a tree too. It is hard to explain il you have
never seen a Dryad hut quite unmistakahle once you have somethin dillerent in the color,
the voice, and the hair. Kin Tirian and the two Beasts knew at once that she was the nymph ol a
heech tree.
ustice, Lord Kin' she cried. Come to our aid. Protect your people. They are lellin us in
Lantern Waste.
Iorty reat trunks ol my hrothers and sisters are already on the round.
What, Lady' Iellin Lantern Waste: Murderin the talkin trees: cried the Kin, leapin to
his leet and drawin his sword. How dare they: And who dares it: Now hy the Mane ol Aslan-
A-a-a-h, asped the Dryad shudderin as il in pain shudderin time alter time as il under
repeated hlows. Then all at once she lell sideways as suddenly as il hoth her leet had heen cut
lrom under her. Ior a second they saw her lyin dead on the rass and then she vanished. They
knew what had happened. Her tree, miles away, had heen cut down.
Ior a moment the Kin's riel and aner were so reat that he could not speak. Then he said.
Come, lriends. We must o up river and lind the villains who have done this, with all the
speed we may. I will leave not one ol them alive.
Sire, with a ood will, said ewel.
But Roonwit said, Sire, he wary in your just wrath. There are strane doins on loot. Il there
should he rehels in arms lurther up the valley, we three are too lew to meet them. Il it would
please you to wait while
I will not wait the tenth part ol a second, said the Kin. But while ewel and I o lorward,
do you allop as hard as you may to Cair Paravel. Here is my rin lor your token. Get me a score
ol men-at-arms, all well mounted, and a score ol Talkin Dos, and ten Dwarls (let them all he
lell archers), and a Leopard or so, and Stoneloot the Giant. Brin all these alter us as quickly as
may he.
With a ood will, Sire, said Roonwit. And at once he turned and alloped Eastward down
the valley.
The Kin strode on at a reat pace, sometimes mutterin to himsell and sometimes clenchin
his lists. ewel walked heside him, sayin nothin, so there was no sound hetween them hut the
laint jinle ol a rich old chain that hun round the Unicorn's neck and the noise ol two leet and
lour hools.
They soon reached the River and turned up it where there was a rassy road. they had the
water on their lelt and the lorest on their riht. Soon alter that they came to the place where the
round rew rouher and thick wood came down to the water's ede. The road, what there was
ol it, now ran on the Southern hank and they had to lord the River to reach it. It was up to
Tirian's arm-pits, hut ewel (who had lour les and was therelore steadier) kept on his riht so as
to hreak the lorce ol the current, and Tirian put his stron arm round the Unicorn's stron neck
and they hoth ot salely over. The Kin was still so anry that he hardly noticed the cold ol the
water. But ol course he dried his sword very carelully on the shoulder ol his cloak, which was the
only dry part ol him, as soon as they came to shore.
They were now oin Westward with the River on their riht and Lantern Waste straiht
ahead ol them. They had not one more than a mile when they hoth stopped and hoth spoke at
the same moment. The Kin said What have we here: and ewel said Look'
It is a ralt, said Kin Tirian.
And so it was. Hall a dozen splendid tree-trunks, all newly cut and newly lopped ol their
hranches, had heen lashed toether to make a ralt, and were lidin swiltly down the river. On
the lront ol the ralt there was a water rat with a pole to steer it.
Hey' Water-Rat' What are you ahout: cried the Kin.
Takin los down to sell to the Calormen, Sire, said the Rat, touchin his ear as he miht
have touched his cap il he had had one.
Calormen' thundered Tirian. What do you mean: Who ave order lor these trees to he
lelled:
The River llows so swiltly at that time ol the year that the ralt had already lided past the
Kin and ewel. But the Water-Rat looked hack over its shoulder and shouted out.
The Lion's orders, Sire. Aslan himsell. He added somethin more hut they couldn't hear it.
The Kin and the Unicorn stared at one another and hoth looked more lrihtened than they
had ever heen in any hattle.
Aslan, said the Kin at last, in a very low voice. Aslan. Could it he true: Could he he lellin
the holy trees and murderin the Dryads:
Unless the Dryads have all done somethin dreadlully wron- murmured ewel.
But sellin them to Calormen' said the Kin. Is it possihle:
I don't know, said ewel miserahly. He's not a tame lion.
Well, said the Kin at last, we must o on and take the adventure that comes to us.
It is the only thin lelt lor us to do, Sire, said the Unicorn. He did not see at the moment
how loolish it was lor two ol them to o on alone, nor did the Kin. They were too anry to
think clearly. But much evil came ol their rashness in the end.
Suddenly the Kin leaned hard on his lriend's neck and howed his head.
ewel, he said, what lies helore us: Horrihle thouhts arise in my heart. Il we had died
helore today we should have heen happy.
Yes, said ewel. We have lived too lon. The worst thin in the world has come upon us.
They stood like that lor a minute or two and then went on.
Belore lon they could hear the hack-hack-hack ol axes lallin on timher, thouh they could
see nothin yet hecause there was a rise ol the round in lront ol them. When they had reached
the top ol it they could see riht into Lantern Waste itsell. And the Kin's lace turned white
when he saw it.
Riht throuh the middle ol that ancient lorest that lorest where the trees ol old and ol
silver had once rown and where a child lrom our world had once planted the Tree ol Protection
a hroad lane had already heen opened. It was a hideous lane like a raw ash in the land, lull ol
muddy ruts where lelled trees had heen draed down to the river. There was a reat crowd ol
people at work, and a crackin ol whips, and horses tuin and strainin as they draed at the
los. The lirst thin that struck the Kin and the Unicorn was that ahout hall the people in the
crowd were not Talkin Beasts hut Men. The next thin was that these men were not the lair-
haired men ol Narnia. they were dark, hearded men lrom Calormen, that reat and cruel country
that lies heyond Archenland across the desert to the south. There was no reason, ol course, why
one should not meet a Calormen or two in Narnia a merchant or an amhassador lor there
was peace hetween Narnia and Calormen in those days. But Tirian could not understand why
there were so many ol them. nor why they were cuttin down a Narnian lorest. He rasped his
sword tihter and rolled his cloak round his lelt arm. They came quickly down amon the men.
Two Calormen were drivin a horse which was harnessed to a lo. ust as the Kin reached
them the lo had ot stuck in a had muddy place.
Get on, son ol sloth' Pull, you lazy pi' cried the Calormen, crackin their whips. The horse
was already strainin himsell as hard as he could, his eyes were red and he was covered with
loam.
Work, lazy hrute, shouted one ol the Calormen. and as he spoke he struck the horse
savaely with his whip. It was then that the really dreadlul thin happened.
Up till now Tirian had taken it lor ranted that the horses which the Calormen were drivin
were their own horses, dumh, witless animals like the horses ol our own world. And thouh he
hated to see even a dumh horse overdriven, he was ol course thinkin more ahout the murder ol
the Trees. It had never crossed his mind that anyone would dare to harness one ol the lree
Talkin Horses ol Narnia, much less to use a whip on it. But as that savae hlow lell the horse
reared up and said, hall screamin.
Iool and tyrant' Do you not see I am doin all I can:
When Tirian knew that the Horse was one ol his own Narnians, there came over him and
over ewel such a rae that they did not know what they were doin. The Kin's sword went up,
the Unicorn's horn went down. They rushed lorward toether. Next moment hoth the Calormen
lay dead, the one heheaded hy Tirian's sword and the other ored throuh the heart hy ewel's
horn.
Chapter Three

T|e Ape in Iis C|or,

MASTER Horse, Master Horse, said Tirian as he hastily cut its traces, how came these
aliens to enslave you: Is Narnia conquered: Has there heen a hattle:
No, Sire, panted the horse, Aslan is here. It is all hy his orders. He has commanded
'Ware daner, Kin, said ewel. Tirian looked up and saw that Calormen (mixed with a lew
Talkin Beasts) were heinnin to run towards them lrom every direction. The two dead men
had died without a cry and so it had taken a moment helore the rest ol the crowd knew what
had happened. But now they did. Most ol them had naked scimitars in their hands.
Quick. On my hack, said ewel.
The Kin llun himsell astride ol his old lriend who turned and alloped away. He chaned
direction twice or thrice as soon as they were out ol siht ol their enemies, crossed a stream, and
shouted without slackenin his pace, Whither away, Sire: To Cair Paravel:
Hold hard, lriend, said Tirian. Let me oll. He slid oll the Unicorn's hack and laced him.
ewel, said the Kin. We have done a dreadlul deed.
We were sorely provoked, said ewel.
But to leap on them unawares without delyin them while they were unarmed lauh'
We are two murderers, ewel. I am dishonored lorever.
ewel drooped his head. He too was ashamed.
And then, said the Kin, the Horse said it was hy Aslan's orders. The Rat said the same.
They all say Aslan is here. How il it were true:
But, Sire, how could Aslan he commandin such dreadlul thins:
He is not a tame lion, said Tirian. How should we know what he would do: We, who are
murderers. ewel, I will o hack. I will ive up my sword and put mysell in the hands ol these
Calormen and ask that they hrin me helore Aslan. Let him do justice on me.
You will o to your death, then, said ewel.
Do you think I care il Aslan dooms me to death: said the Kin. That would he nothin,
nothin at all. Would it not he hetter to he dead than to have this horrihle lear that Aslan has
come and is not like the Aslan we have helieved in and loned lor: It is as il the sun rose one day
and were a hlack sun.
I know, said ewel. Or as il you drank water and it were dry water. You are in the riht,
Sire. This is the end ol all thins. Let us o and ive ourselves up.
There is no need lor hoth ol us to o.
Il ever we loved one another, let me o with you now, said the Unicorn. Il you are dead
and il Aslan is not Aslan, what lile is lelt lor me:
They turned and walked hack toether, sheddin hitter tears.
As soon as they came to the place where the work was oin on the Calormen raised a cry
and came towards them with their weapons in hand. But the Kin held out his sword with the
hilt towards them and said.
I who was Kin ol Narnia and am now a dishonored kniht ive mysell up to the justice ol
Aslan. Brin me helore him.
And I ive mysell up too, said ewel.
Then the dark men came round them in a thick crowd, smellin ol arlic and onions, their
white eyes llashin dreadlully in their hrown laces. They put a rope halter round ewel's neck.
They took the Kin's sword away and tied his hands hehind his hack. One ol the Calormen, who
had a helmet instead ol a turhan and seemed to he in command, snatched the old circlet oll
Tirian's head and hastily put it away somewhere amon his clothes. They led the two prisoners
uphill to a place where there was a hi clearin. And this was what the prisoners saw.
At the center ol the clearin, which was also the hihest point ol the hill, there was a little
hut like a stahle, with a thatched rool. Its door was shut. On the rass in lront ol the door there
sat an Ape. Tirian and ewel, who had heen expectin to see Aslan and had heard nothin ahout
an Ape yet, were very hewildered when they saw it. The Ape was ol course Shilt himsell, hut he
looked ten times ulier than when he lived hy Caldron Pool, lor he was now dressed up. He was
wearin a scarlet jacket which did not lit him very well, havin heen made lor a dwarl. He had
jeweled slippers on his hind paws which would not stay on properly hecause, as you know, the
hind paws ol an Ape are really like hands. He wore what seemed to he a paper crown on his
head. There was a reat pile ol nuts heside him and he kept crackin nuts with his jaws and
spittin out the shells. And he also kept on pullin up the scarlet jacket to scratch himsell. A
reat numher ol Talkin Beasts stood lacin him, and nearly every lace in that crowd looked
miserahly worried and hewildered. When they saw who the prisoners were they all roaned and
whimpered.
O Lord Shilt, mouthpiece ol Aslan, said the chiel Calormen. We hrin you prisoners. By
our skill and courae and hy the permission ol the reat od Tash we have taken alive these two
desperate murderers.
Give me that man's sword, said the Ape. So they took the Kin's sword and handed it, with
the sword-helt and all, to the monkey. And he hun it round his own neck. and it made him look
sillier than ever.
We'll see ahout those two later, said the Ape, spittin out a shell in the direction ol the two
prisoners. I ot some other husiness lirst. They can wait. Now listen to me, everyone. The lirst
thin I want to say is ahout nuts. Where's that Head Squirrel ot to:
Here, Sir, said a red squirrel, comin lorward and makin a nervous little how.
Oh you are, are you: said the Ape with a nasty look. Now attend to me. I want I mean,
Aslan wants some more nuts. These you've hrouht aren't anythin like enouh. You must
hrin some more, do you hear: Twice as many. And they've ot to he here hy sunset tomorrow,
and there mustn't he any had ones or any small ones amon them.
A murmur ol dismay ran throuh the other squirrels, and the Head Squirrel plucked up
courae to say.
Please, would Aslan himsell speak to us ahout it: Il we miht he allowed to see him
Well you won't, said the Ape. He may he very kind (thouh it's a lot more than most ol
you deserve) and come out lor a lew minutes toniht. Then you can all have a look at him. But
he will not have you all crowdin round him and pesterin him with questions. Anythin you
want to say to him will he passed on throuh me. il I think it's worth hotherin him ahout. In the
meantime all you squirrels had hetter o and see ahout the nuts. And make sure they are here hy
tomorrow evenin or, my word' you'll catch it.
The poor squirrels all scampered away as il a do were alter them. This new order was
terrihle news lor them. The nuts they had carelully hoarded lor the winter had nearly all heen
eaten hy now, and ol the lew that were lelt they had already iven the Ape lar more than they
could spare.
Then a deep voice it heloned to a reat tusked and shay Boar spoke lrom another
part ol the crowd.
But why can't we see Aslan properly and talk to him: it said. When he used to appear in
Narnia in the old days everyone could talk to him lace to lace.
Don't you helieve it, said the Ape. And even il it was true, times have chaned. Aslan says
he's heen lar too solt with you helore, do you see: Well, he isn't oin to he solt any more. He's
oin to lick you into shape this time. He'll teach you to think he's a tame lion'
A low moanin and whimperin was heard amon the Beasts, and, alter that, a dead silence
which was more miserahle still.
And now there's another thin you ot to learn, said the Ape. I hear some ol you are sayin
I'm an Ape. Well, I'm not. I'm a Man. Il I look like an Ape, that's hecause I'm so very old.
hundreds and hundreds ol years old. And it's hecause I'm so old that I'm so wise. And it's hecause
I'm so wise that I'm the only one Aslan is ever oin to speak to. He can't he hothered talkin to a
lot ol stupid animals. He'll tell me what you've ot to do, and I'll tell the rest ol you. And take my
advice, and see you do it in douhle quick time, lor he doesn't mean to stand any nonsense.
There was a dead silence except lor the noise ol a very youn hader cryin and its mother
tryin to make it keep quiet.
And now here's another thin, the Ape went on, littin a lresh nut into its cheek, I hear
some ol the horses are sayin, Let's hurry up and et this joh ol cartin timher over as quickly as
we can, and then we'll he lree aain. Well, you can et that idea out ol your heads at once. And
not only the Horses either. Everyhody who can work is oin to he made to work in luture. Aslan
has it all settled with the Kin ol Calormen The Tisroc, as our dark laced lriends the
Calormen call him. All you Horses and Bulls and Donkeys are to he sent down into Calormen to
work lor your livin pullin and carryin the way horses and such-like do in other countries.
And all you diin animals like Moles and Rahhits and Dwarls are oin down to work in The
Tisroc's mines. And
No, no, no, howled the Beasts. It can't he true. Aslan would never sell us into slavery to the
Kin ol Calormen.
None ol that' Hold your noise' said the Ape with a snarl. Who said anythin ahout slavery:
You won't he slaves. You'll he paid very ood waes too. That is to say, your pay will he paid
into Aslan's treasury and he will use it all lor everyhody's ood. Then he lanced, and almost
winked, at the chiel Calormen. The Calormen howed and replied, in the pompous Calormen
way.
Most sapient Mouthpiece ol Aslan, The Tisroc (may he-live-lorever) is wholly ol one mind
with your lordship in this judicious plan.
There' You see' said the Ape. It's all arraned. And all lor your own ood. We'll he ahle,
with the money you earn, to make Narnia a country worth livin in. There'll he oranes and
hananas pourin in and roads and hi cities and schools and ollices and whips and muzzles and
saddles and caes and kennels and prisons Oh, everythin.
But we don't want all those thins, said an old Bear. We want to he lree. And we want to
hear Aslan speak himsell.
Now don't you start aruin, said the Ape, lor it's a thin I won't stand. I'm a Man. you're
only a lat, stupid old Bear. What do you know ahout lreedom: You think lreedom means doin
what you like. Well, you're wron. That isn't true lreedom. True lreedom means doin what I tell
you.
H-n-n-h, runted the Bear and scratched its head, it lound this sort ol thin hard to
understand.
Please, please, said the hih voice ol a woolly lamh, who was so youn that everyone was
surprised he dared to speak at all.
What is it now: said the Ape. Be quick.
Please, said the Lamh, I can't understand. What have we to do with the Calormen: We
helon to Aslan. They helon to Tash. They have a od called Tash. They say he has lour arms
and the head ol a vulture. They kill Men on his altar. I don't helieve there's any such person as
Tash. But il there was, how could Aslan he lriends with him:
All the animals cocked their heads sideways and all their hriht eyes llashed towards the Ape.
They knew it was the hest question anyone had asked yet.
The Ape jumped up and spat at the Lamh.
Bahy' he hissed. Silly little hleater' Go home to your mother and drink milk. What do you
understand ol such thins: But the others, listen. Tash is only another name lor Aslan. All that old
idea ol us hein riht and the Calormen wron is silly. We know hetter now. The Calormen use
dillerent words hut we all mean the same thin. Tash and Aslan are only two dillerent names lor
you know Who. That's why there can never he any quarrel hetween them. Get that into your
heads, you stupid hrutes. Tash is Aslan. Aslan is Tash.
You know how sad your own do's lace can look sometimes. Think ol that and then think ol
all the laces ol those Talkin Beasts all those honest, humhle, hewildered Birds, Bears, Baders,
Rahhits, Moles, and Mice all lar sadder than that. Every tail was down, every whisker drooped.
It would have hroken your heart with very pity to see their laces. There was only one who did
not look at all unhappy.
It was a iner Cat a reat hi Tom in the prime ol lile who sat holt upriht with his
tail curled round his toes, in the very lront row ol all the Beasts. He had heen starin hard at the
Ape and the Calormen captain all the time and had never once hlinked his eyes.
Excuse me, said the Cat very politely, hut this interests me. Does your lriend lrom
Calormen say the same:
Assuredly, said the Calormen. The enlihtened Ape Man, I mean is in the riht.
Aslan means neither less nor more than Tash.
Especially, Aslan means no more than Tash: suested the Cat.
No more at all, said the Calormen, lookin the Cat straiht in the lace.
Is that ood enouh lor you, Giner: said the Ape.
Oh certainly, said Giner coolly. Thank you very much. I only wanted to he quite clear. I
think I am heinnin to understand.
Up till now the Kin and ewel had said nothin. they were waitin until the Ape should hid
them speak, lor they thouht it was no use interruptin. But now, as Tirian looked round on the
miserahle laces ol the Narnians, and saw how they would all helieve that Aslan and Tash were
one and the same, he could hear it no loner.
Ape, he cried with a reat voice, you lie damnahly. You lie like a Calormen. You lie like an
Ape.
He meant to o on and ask how the terrihle od Tash who led on the hlood ol his people
could possihly he the same as the ood Lion hy whose hlood all Narnia was saved. Il he had heen
allowed to speak, the rule ol the Ape miht have ended that day, the Beasts miht have seen the
truth and thrown the Ape down. But helore he could say another word two Calormen struck
him in the mouth with all their lorce, and a third, lrom hehind, kicked his leet lrom under him.
And as he lell, the Ape squealed in rae and terror.
Take him away. Take him away. Take him where he cannot hear us, nor we hear him. There
tie him to a tree. I will I mean, Aslan will do justice on him later.
Chapter Four

V|oi HoppeneJ T|oi Ni|i

THE Kin was so dizzy lrom hein knocked down that he hardly knew what was happenin
until the Calormen untied his wrists and put his arms straiht down hy his sides and set him with
his hack aainst an ash tree. Then they hound ropes round his ankles and his knees and his waist
and his chest and lelt him there. What worried him worst at the moment lor it is olten little
thins that are hardest to stand was that his lip was hleedin where they had hit him and he
couldn't wipe the little trickle ol hlood away althouh it tickled him.
Irom where he was he could still see the little stahle on the top ol the hill and the Ape sittin
in lront ol it. He could just hear the Ape's voice still oin on and, every now and then, some
answer lrom the crowd, hut he could not make out the words.
I wonder what they've done to ewel, thouht the Kin.
Presently the crowd ol heasts hroke up and hean oin away in dillerent directions. Some
passed close to Tirian. They looked at him as il they were hoth lrihtened and sorry to see him
tied up hut none ol them spoke. Soon they had all one and there was silence in the wood. Then
hours and hours went past and Tirian hecame lirst very thirsty and then very hunry, and as the
alternoon draed on and turned into evenin, he hecame cold too. His hack was very sore. The
sun went down and it hean to he twiliht.
When it was almost dark Tirian heard a liht pitter-patter ol leet and saw some small
creatures comin towards him. The three on the lelt were Mice, and there was a Rahhit in the
middle. on the riht were two Moles. Both these were carryin little has on their hacks which
ave them a curious look in the dark so that at lirst he wondered what kind ol heasts they were.
Then, in a moment, they were all standin up on their hind les, layin their cool paws on his
knees and ivin his knees snullly animal kisses. (They could reach his knees hecause Narnian
Talkin Beasts ol that sort are hier than the dumh heasts ol the same kind in Enland.)
Lord Kin' dear Lord Kin, said their shrill voices, we are so sorry lor you. We daren't untie
you hecause Aslan miht he anry with us. But we've hrouht you your supper.
At once the lirst Mouse climhed nimhly up till he was perched on the rope that hound
Tirian's chest and was wrinklin his hlunt nose in lront ol Tirian's lace. Then the second Mouse
climhed up and hun on just helow the lirst Mouse. The other heasts stood on the round and
hean handin thins up.
Drink, Sire, and then you'll lind you are ahle to eat, said the topmost Mouse, and Tirian
lound that a little wooden cup was hein held to his lips. It was only the size ol an e cup so
that he had hardly tasted the wine in it helore it was empty. But then the Mouse passed it down
and the others re-lilled it and it was passed up aain and Tirian emptied it a second time. In this
way they went on till he had quite a ood drink, which was all the hetter lor comin in little
doses, lor that is more thirst-quenchin than one lon drauht.
Here is cheese, Sire, said the lirst Mouse, hut not very much, lor lear it would make you
too thirsty. And alter the cheese they led him with oatcakes and lresh hutter, and then with
some more wine.
Now hand up the water, said the lirst Mouse, and I'll wash the Kin's lace. There is hlood
on it.
Then Tirian lelt somethin like a tiny spone dahhin his lace, and it was most relreshin.
Little lriends, said Tirian, how can I thank you lor all this:
You needn't, you needn't, said the little voices. What else could we do: We don't want any
other Kin. We're your people. Il it was only the Ape and the Calormen who were aainst you
we would have louht till we were cut into pieces helore we'd let them tie you up. We would,
we would indeed. But we can't o aainst Aslan.
Do you think it really is Aslan: asked the Kin.
Oh yes, yes, said the Rahhit. He came out ol the stahle last niht. We all saw him.
What was he like: said the Kin.
Like a terrihle, reat Lion, to he sure, said one ol the Mice.
And you think it is really Aslan who is killin the Wood-Nymphs and makin you all slaves
to the Kin ol Calormen:
Ah, that's had, isn't it: said the second Mouse. It would have heen hetter il we'd died
helore all this hean. But there's no douht ahout it. Everyone says it is Aslan's orders. And we've
seen him. We didn't think Aslan would he like that. Why, we we wanted him to come hack
to Narnia.
He seems to have come hack very anry this time, said the lirst Mouse. We must all have
done somethin dreadlully wron without knowin it. He must he punishin us lor somethin.
But I do think we miht he told what it was'
I suppose what we're doin now may he wron, said the Rahhit.
I don't care il it is, said one ol the Moles. I'd do it aain.
But the others said, Oh hush, and Do he carelul, and then they all said, We're sorry, dear
Kin, hut we must o hack now. It would never do lor us to he cauht here.
Leave me at once, dear Beasts, said Tirian. I would not lor all Narnia hrin any ol you into
daner.
Goodniht, oodniht, said the Beasts, ruhhin their noses aainst his knees. We will come
hack il we can. Then they all pattered away and the wood seemed darker and colder and
lonelier than it had heen helore they came.
The stars came out and time went slowly on imaine how slowly while that last Kin
ol Narnia stood still and sore and upriht aainst the tree in his honds. But at last somethin
happened.
Iar away there appeared a red liht. Then it disappeared lor a moment and came hack aain,
hier and stroner. Then he could see dark shapes oin to and lro on this side ol the liht and
carryin hundles and throwin them down. He knew now what he was lookin at. It was a
honlire, newly lit, and people were throwin hundles ol hrushwood on to it. Presently it hlazed
up and Tirian could see that it was on the very top ol the hill. He could see quite clearly the
stahle hehind it, all lit up in the red low, and a reat crowd ol Beasts and Men hetween the lire
and himsell. A small liure, hunched up heside the lire, must he the Ape. It was sayin somethin
to the crowd, hut he could not hear what. Then it went and howed three times to the round in
lront ol the door ol the stahle. Then it ot up and opened the door. And somethin on lour les
somethin that walked rather stillly came out ol the stahle and stood lacin the crowd.
A reat wailin or howlin went up, so loud that Tirian could hear some ol the words.
Aslan' Aslan' Aslan' cried the Beasts. Speak to us. Comlort us. Be anry with us no more.
Irom where Tirian was he could not make out very clearly what the thin was, hut he could
see that it was yellow and hairy. He had never seen the Great Lion. He had never seen a common
lion. He couldn't he sure that what he saw was not the real Aslan. He had not expected Aslan to
look like that still thin which stood and said nothin. But how could one he sure: Ior a moment
horrihle thouhts went throuh his mind. then he rememhered the nonsense ahout Tash and
Aslan hein the same and knew that the whole thin must he a cheat.
The Ape put his head close up to the yellow thin's head as il he were listenin to somethin
it was whisperin to him. Then he turned and spoke to the crowd, and the crowd wailed aain.
Then the yellow thin turned clumsily round and walked you miht almost say, waddled
hack into the stahle and the Ape shut the door hehind it. Alter that the lire must have heen put
out lor the liht vanished quite suddenly, and Tirian was once more alone with the cold and the
darkness.
He thouht ol other Kins who had lived and died in Narnia in old times and it seemed to
him that none ol them had ever heen so unlucky as himsell. He thouht ol his reat-randlather's
reat-randlather Kin Rilian who had heen stolen away hy a Witch when he was only a youn
prince and kept hidden lor years in the dark caves heneath the land ol the Northern Giants. But
then it had all come, riht in the end, lor two mysterious children had suddenly appeared lrom
the land heyond the world's end and had rescued him so that he came home to Narnia and had a
lon and prosperous rein. It's not like that with me, said Tirian to himsell. Then he went
lurther hack and. thouht ahout Rilian's lather, Caspian the Sealarer, whose wicked uncle Kin
Miraz had tried to murder him and how Caspian had lled away into the woods and lived amon
the Dwarls. But that story too had all come riht in the end. lor Caspian also had heen helped hy
children only there were lour ol them that time who came lrom somewhere heyond the
world and louht a reat hattle and set him on his lather's throne. But it was all lon ao, said
Tirian to himsell. That sort ol thin doesn't happen now. And then he rememhered (lor he had
always heen ood at history when he was a hoy) how those same lour children who had helped
Caspian had heen in Narnia over a thousand years helore, and it was then that they had done the
most remarkahle thin ol all. Ior then they had deleated the terrihle White Witch and ended the
Hundred Years ol Winter, and alter that they had reined (all lour ol them toether) at Cair
Paravel, till they were no loner children hut reat Kins and lovely Queens, and their rein had
heen the olden ae ol Narnia. And Aslan had come into that story a lot. He had come into all
the other stories too, as Tirian now rememhered. Aslan and children lrom another world,
thouht Tirian. They have always come in when thins were at their worst. Oh, il only they
could now.
And he called out Aslan' Aslan' Aslan' Come and help us now.
But the darkness and the cold and the quietness went on just the same.
Let me he killed, cried the Kin. I ask nothin lor mysell. But come and save all Narnia.
And still there was no chane in the niht or the wood, hut there hean to he a kind ol
chane inside Tirian. Without knowin why, he hean to leel a laint hope. And he lelt somehow
stroner. Oh Aslan, Aslan, he whispered. Il you will not come yoursell, at least send me the
helpers lrom heyond the world. Or let me call them. Let my voice carry heyond the world.
Then, hardly knowin that he was doin it, he suddenly cried out in a reat voice.
Children' Children' Iriends ol Narnia' Quick. Come to me. Across the worlds I call you, I
Tirian, Kin ol Narnia, Lord ol Cair Paravel, and Emperor ol the Lone Islands'
And immediately he was pluned into a dream (il it was a dream) more vivid than any he had
had in his lile.
He seemed to he standin in a lihted room where seven people sat round a tahle. It looked as
il they had just linished their meal. Two ol those people were very old, an old man with a white
heard and an old woman with wise, merry, twinklin eyes. He who sat at the riht hand ol the
old man was hardly lull rown, certainly youner than Tirian himsell, hut his lace had already the
look ol a kin and a warrior. And you could almost say the same ol the other youth who sat at
the riht hand ol the old woman. Iacin Tirian across the tahle sat a lair-haired irl youner than
either ol these, and on either side ol her a hoy and irl who were youner still. They were all
dressed in what seemed to Tirian the oddest kind ol clothes.
But he had no time to think ahout details like that, lor instantly the youner hoy and hoth the
irls started to their leet, and one ol them ave a little scream. The old woman started and drew
in her hreath sharply. The old man must have made some sudden movement too lor the wine
lass which stood at his riht hand was swept oll the tahle. Tirian could hear the tinklin noise as
it hroke on the lloor.
Then Tirian realized that these people could see him, they were starin at him as il they saw a
host. But he noticed that the kin-like one who sat at the old man's riht never moved (thouh
he turned pale) except that he clenched his hand very tiht. Then he said.
Speak, il you're not a phantom or a dream. You have a Narnian look ahout you and we are
the seven lriends ol Narnia.
Tirian was lonin to speak, and he tried to cry out aloud that he was Tirian ol Narnia, in
reat need ol help. But he lound (as I have sometimes lound in dreams too) that his voice made
no noise at all.
The one who had already spoken to him rose to his leet. Shadow or spirit or whatever you
are, he said, lixin his eyes lull upon Tirian. Il you are lrom Narnia, I chare you in the name ol
Aslan, speak to me. I am Peter the Hih Kin.
The room hean to swim helore Tirian's eyes. He heard the voices ol those seven people all
speakin at once, and all ettin lainter every second, and they were sayin thins like, Look' It's
ladin. It's meltin away. It's vanishin. Next moment he was wide awake, still tied to the
tree, colder and stiller than ever. The wood was lull ol the pale, dreary liht that comes helore
sunrise, and he was soakin wet with dew, it was nearly mornin.
That wakin was ahout the worst moment he had ever had in his lile.
Chapter Five

How He|p Come To i|e Kin

Bur his misery did not last lon. Almost at once there came a hump, and then a second hump,
and two children were standin helore him. The wood in lront ol him had heen quite empty a
second helore and he knew they had not come lrom hehind his tree, lor he would have heard
them. They had in lact simply appeared lrom nowhere. He saw at a lance that they were
wearin the same queer, diny sort ol clothes as the people in his dream, and he saw, at a second
lance, that they were the younest hoy and irl out ol that party ol seven.
Gosh' said the hoy, that took one's hreath away' I thouht
Hurry up and et him untied, said the irl. We can talk, alterwards. Then she added,
turnin to Tirian, I'm sorry we've heen so lon. We came the moment we could.
While she was speakin the Boy produced a knile lrom his pocket and was quickly cuttin
the Kin's honds. too quickly, in lact, lor the Kin was so still and numh that when the last cord
was cut he lell lorward on his hands and knees. He couldn't et up aain till he had hrouht some
lile hack into his les hy a ood ruhhin.
I say, said the irl. It was you, wasn't it, who appeared to us that niht when we were all at
supper: Nearly a week ao.
A week, lair maid: said Tirian. My dream led me into your world scarce ten minutes since.
It's the usual muddle ahout times, Pole, said the Boy.
I rememher now, said Tirian. That too comes in all the old tales. The time ol your strane
land is dillerent lrom ours. But il we speak ol Time, 'tis time to he one lrom here. lor my
enemies are close at hand. Will you come with me:
Ol course, said the irl. It's you we've come to help.
Tirian ot to his leet and led them rapidly down hill, Southward and away lrom the stahle.
He knew where he meant to o hut his lirst aim was to et to rocky places where they would
leave no trail, and his second to cross some water so that they would leave no scent. This took
them ahout an hour's scramhlin and wadin and while that was oin on nohody had any hreath
to talk. But even so, Tirian kept on stealin lances at his companions. The wonder ol walkin
heside the creatures lrom another world made him leel a little dizzy. hut it also made all the old
stories seem lar more real than they had ever seemed helore . . . anythin miht happen now.
Now, said Tirian as they came to the head ol a little valley which ran down helore them
amon youn hirch trees, we are out ol daner ol those villains lor a space and may walk more
easily. The sun had risen, dew-drops were twinklin on every hranch, and hirds were sinin.

What ahout some ruh: I mean lor you, Sir, we two have had our hreaklast, said the Boy.
Tirian wondered very much what he meant hy ruh, hut when the Boy opened a huly
satchel which he was carryin and pulled out a rather reasy and squashy packet, he understood.
He was ravenously hunry, thouh he hadn't thouht ahout it till that moment. There were two
hard-hoiled e sandwiches, and two cheese sandwiches, and two with some kind ol paste in
them. Il he hadn't heen so hunry he wouldn't have thouht much ol the paste, lor that is a sort
ol lood nohody eats in Narnia. By the time he had eaten all six sandwiches they had come to the
hottom ol the valley and there they lound a mossy clill with a little lountain huhhlin out ol it.
All three stopped and drank and splashed their hot laces.
And now, said the irl as she tossed her wet hair hack lrom her lorehead, aren't you oin
to tell us who you are and why you were tied up and what it's all ahout:
With a ood will, damsel, said Tirian. But we must keep on the march. So while they went
on walkin he told them who he was and all the thins that had happened to him. And now, he
said at the end, I am oin to a certain tower, one ol three that were huilt in my randsire's time
to uard Lantern Waste aainst certain perilous outlaws who dwelled there in his day. By Aslan's
ood will I was not rohhed ol my keys. In that tower we shall lind stores ol weapons and mail
and some victuals also, thouh no hetter than dry hiscuit. There also we can lie sale while we
make our plans. And now, prithee, tell me who you two are and all your story.
I'm Eustace Scruhh and this is ill Pole, said the Boy. And we were here once helore, aes
and aes ao, more than a year ao hy our time, and there was a chap called Prince Rilian, and
they were keepin this chap underround, and Puddlelum put his loot in
Ha' cried Tirian, are you then that Eustace and that ill who rescued Kin Rilian lrom his
lon enchantment:
Yes, that's us, said ill. So he's Kin Rilian now, is he: Oh ol course he would he. I lorot-
Nay, said Tirian, I am the seventh in descent lrom him. He has heen dead over two
hundred years.
ill made a lace. Uh' she said. That's the horrid part ahout comin hack to Narnia. But
Eustace went on.
Well now you know who we are, Sire, he said. And it was like this. The Prolessor and Aunt
Polly had ot all us lriends ol Narnia toether
I know not these names, Eustace, said Tirian.
They're the two who came into Narnia at the very heinnin, the day all the animals learned
to talk.
By the Lion's Mane, cried Tirian. Those two' The Lord Diory and the Lady Polly' Irom
the dawn ol the world' And still in your place: The wonder and the lory ol it' But tell me, tell
me.
She isn't really our aunt, you know, said Eustace. She's Miss Plummer, hut we call her Aunt
Polly. Well those two ot us all toether partly just lor lun, so that we could all have a ood jaw
ahout Narnia (lor ol course there's no one else we can ever talk to ahout thins like that) hut
partly hecause the Prolessor had a leelin that we were somehow wanted over here. Well then
you came in like a host or oodness-knows-what and nearly lrihtened the lives out ol us and
vanished without sayin a word. Alter that, we knew lor certain there was somethin up.
The next question was how to et here. You can't o just hy wantin to. So we talked and
talked and at last the Prolessor said the only way would he hy the Maic Rins. It was hy those
Rins that he and Aunt Polly ot here lon, lon ao when they were only kids, years helore we
youner ones were horn. But the Rins had all heen huried in the arden ol a house in London
(that's our hi town, Sire) and the house had heen sold. So then the prohlem was how to et at
them. You'll never uess what we did in the end' Peter and Edmund that's the Hih Kin
Peter, the one who spoke to you went up to London to et into the arden lrom the hack,
early in the mornin helore people were up. They were dressed like workmen so that il anyone
did see them it would look as il they'd come to do somethin ahout the drains. I wish I'd heen
with them. it must have heen lorious lun. And they must have succeeded lor next day Peter sent
us a wire that's a sort ol messae, Sire, I'll explain ahout it some other time to say he'd ot
the Rins. And the day alter that was the day Pole and I had to o hack to school we're the
only two who are still at school and we're at the same one. So Peter and Edmund were to meet us
at a place on the way down to school and hand over the Rins. It had to he us two who were to
o to Narnia, you see, hecause the older ones couldn't come aain. So we ot into the train that's a
kind ol thin people travel in in our world. a lot ol waons chained toether and the Prolessor
and Aunt Polly and Lucy came with us. We wanted to keep toether as lon as we could. Well
there we were in the train. And we were just ettin to the station where the others were to
meet us, and I was lookin out ol the window to see il I could see them when suddenly there
came a most lrihtlul jerk and a noise. and there we were in Narnia and there was your Majesty
tied up to the tree.
So you never used the Rins: said Tirian.
No, said Eustace. Never even saw them. Aslan did it all lor us in his own way without any
Rins.
But the Hih Kin Peter has them, said Tirian.
Yes, said ill. But we don't think he can use them. When the two other Pevensies Kin
Edmund and Queen Lucy were last here, Aslan said they would never come to Narnia aain.
And he said somethin ol the same sort to the Hih Kin, only loner ao. You may he sure he'll
come like a shot il he's allowed.
Gosh' said Eustace. It's ettin hot in this sun. Are we nearly there, Sire:
Look, said Tirian and pointed. Not many yards away rey hattlements rose ahove the tree-
tops, and alter a minute's more walkin they came out in an open rassy space. A stream ran
across it and on the lar side ol the stream stood a squat, square tower with very lew and narrow
windows and one heavy-lookin door in the wall that laced them.
Tirian looked sharply this way and that to make sure that no enemies were in siht. Then he
walked up to the tower and stood still lor a moment lishin up his hunch ol keys which he wore
inside his huntin-dress on a narrow silver chain that went round his neck. It was a nice hunch ol
keys that he hrouht out, lor two were olden and many were richly ornamented. you could see
at once that they were keys made lor openin solemn and secret rooms in palaces, or chests and
caskets ol sweet-smellin wood that contained royal treasures. But the key which he now put
into the lock ol the door was hi and plain and more rudely made. The lock was still and lor a
moment Tirian hean to he alraid that he would not he ahle to turn it. hut at last he did and the
door swun open with a sullen creak.
Welcome lriends, said Tirian. I lear this is the hest palace that the Kin ol Narnia can now
oller to his uests.
Tirian was pleased to see that the two straners had heen well hrouht up. They hoth said not
to mention it and that they were sure it would he very nice.
As a matter ol lact it was not particularly nice. It was rather dark and smelled very damp.
There was only one room in it and this room went riht up to the stone rool. a wooden staircase
in one corner led up to a trap door hy which you could et out on the hattlements. There were a
lew rude hunks to sleep in, and a reat many lockers and hundles. There was also a hearth which
looked as il nohody had lit a lire in it lor a reat many years.
We'd hetter o out and ather some lirewood lirst thin, hadn't we: said ill.
Not yet, comrade, said Tirian. He was determined that they should not he cauht unarmed,
and hean searchin the lockers, thanklully rememherin that he had always heen carelul to have
these arrison towers inspected once a year and to make sure that they were stocked with all
thins needlul. The how strins were there in their coverins ol oiled silk, the swords and spears
were reased aainst rust, and the amour was kept hriht in its wrappins. But there was
somethin even hetter. Look you' said Tirian as he drew out a lon mail shirt ol a curious
pattern and llashed it helore the children's eyes.
That's lunny-lookin mail, Sire, said Eustace.
Aye, lad, said Tirian. No Narnian Dwarl smithied that. 'Tis mail ol Calormen, outlandish
ear. I have ever kept a lew suits ol it in readiness, lor I never knew when I or my lriends miht
have reason to walk unseen in The Tisroc's land. And look on this stone hottle. In this there is a
juice which, when we have ruhhed it on our hands and laces, will make us hrown as Calormen.
Oh hurrah' said ill. Disuise' I love disuises.
Tirian showed them how to pour out a little ol the juice into the palms ol their hands and
then ruh it well over their laces and necks, riht down to the shoulders, and then on their hands,
riht up to the elhows. He did the same himsell.
Alter this has hardened on us, he said, we may wash in water and it will not chane.
Nothin hut oil and ashes will make us white Narnians aain. And now, sweet ill, let us o see
how this mail shirt hecomes you. 'Tis somethin too lon, yet not so much as I leared. Douhtless
it heloned to a pae in the train ol one ol their Tarkaans.
Alter the mail shirts they put on Calormen helmets, which are little round ones littin tiht
to the head and havin a spike on top. Then Tirian took lon rolls ol some white stull out ol the
locker and wound them over the helmets till they hecame turhans. hut the little steel spike still
stuck up in the middle. He and Eustace took curved Calormen swords and little round shields.
There was no sword liht enouh lor ill, hut he ave her a lon, straiht huntin knile which
miht do lor a sword at a pinch.
Hast any skill with the how, maiden: said Tirian.
Nothin worth talkin ol, said ill, hlushin. Scruhh's not had.
Don't you helieve her, Sire, said Eustace. We've hoth heen practicin archery ever since we
ot hack lrom Narnia last time, and she's ahout as ood as me now. Not that either ol us is
much.
Then Tirian ave ill a how and a quiver lull ol arrows. The next husiness was to liht a lire,
lor inside that tower it still lelt more like a cave than like anythin indoors and set one shiverin.
But they ot warm atherin wood the sun was now at its hihest and once the hlaze was
roarin up the chimney the place hean to look cheerlul. Dinner was, however, a dull meal, lor
the hest they could do was to pound up some ol the hard hiscuit which they lound in a locker
and pour it into hoilin water, with salt, so as to make a kind ol porride. And ol course there
was nothin to drink hut water.
I wish we'd hrouht a packet ol tea, said ill.
Or a tin ol cocoa, said Eustace.
A lirkin or so ol ood wine in each ol these towers would not have heen amiss, said Tirian.
Chapter Six

A CooJ Ni|i's VorI

ABOUT lour hours later Tirian llun himsell into one ol the hunks to snatch a little sleep.
The two children were already snorin. he had made them o to hed helore he did hecause they
would have to he up most ol the niht and he knew that at their ae they couldn't do without
sleep. Also, he had tired them out. Iirst he had iven ill some practice in archery and lound that,
thouh not up to Narnian standards, she was really not too had. Indeed she had succeeded in
shootin a rahhit (not a Talkin rahhit, ol course. there are lots ol the ordinary kind ahout in
Western Narnia) and it was already skinned, cleaned, and hanin up. He had lound that hoth the
children knew all ahout this chilly and smelly joh, they had learned that kind ol thin on their
reat journey throuh Giant-Land in the days ol Prince Rilian. Then he had tried to teach Eustace
how to use his sword and shield. Eustace had learned quite a lot ahout sword lihtin on his
earlier adventures hut that had heen all with a straiht Narnian sword. He had never handled a
curved Calormen scimitar and that made it hard, lor many ol the strokes are quite dillerent and
some ol the hahits he had learned with the lon sword had now to he unlearned aain. But Tirian
lound that he had a ood eye and was very quick on his leet. He was surprised at the strenth ol
hoth children. in lact they hoth seemed to he already much stroner and hier and more rown-
up than they had heen when he lirst met them a lew hours ao. It is one ol the ellects which
Narnian air olten has on visitors lrom our world.
All three ol them areed that the very lirst thin they must do was to o hack to Stahle Hill
and try to rescue ewel the Unicorn. Alter that, il they succeeded, they would try to et away
Eastward and meet the little army which Roonwit the Centaur would he hrinin lrom Cair
Paravel.
An experienced warrior and huntsman like Tirian can always wake up at the time he wants.
So he ave himsell till nine o'clock that niht and then put all worries out ol his head and lell
asleep at once. It seemed only a moment later when he woke hut he knew hy the liht and the
very leel ol thins that he had timed his sleep exactly. He ot up, put on his helmet-and-turhan
(he had slept in his mail shirt), and then shook the other two till they woke up. They looked, to
tell the truth, very rey and dismal as they climhed out ol their hunks and there was a ood deal
ol yawnin.
Now, said Tirian, we o due North lrom here hy ood lortune 'tis a starry niht and
it will he much shorter than our journey this mornin, lor then we went round-ahout hut now
we shall o straiht. Il we are challened, then do you two hold your peace and I will do my hest
to talk like a curst, cruel, proud lord ol Calormen. Il I draw my sword then thou, Eustace, must
do likewise and let ill leap hehind us and stand with an arrow on the strin. But il I cry 'Home',
then lly lor the Tower hoth ol you. And let none try to liht on not even one stroke alter I
have iven the retreat. such lalse valor has spoiled many notahle plans in the wars. And now,
lriends, in the name ol Aslan let us o lorward.
Out they went into the cold niht. All the reat Northern stars were hurnin ahove the
treetops. The North-Star ol that world is called the Spear-Head. it is hrihter than our Pole Star.
Ior a time they could o straiht towards the Spear-Head hut presently they came to a dense
thicket so that they had to o out ol their course to et round it. And alter that -lor they were
still overshadowed hy hranches it was hard to pick up their hearins. It was ill who set them
riht aain. she had heen an excellent Guide in Enland. And ol course she knew her Narnian
stars perlectly, havin traveled so much in the wild Northern Lands, and could work out the
direction lrom other stars even when the Spear-Head was hidden. As soon as Tirian saw that she
was the hest pathlinder ol the three ol them he put her in lront. And then he was astonished to
lind how silently and almost invisihly she lided on helore them.
By the Mane' he whispered to Eustace. This irl is a wondrous wood-maid. Il she had
Dryad's hlood in her she could scarce do it hetter.
She's so small, that's what helps, whispered Eustace. But ill lrom in lront said. S-s-s-h, less
noise.
All round them the wood was very quiet. Indeed it was lar too quiet. On an ordinary Narnia
niht there ouht to have heen noises an occasional cheery Goodniht lrom a Hedeho, the
cry ol an Owl overhead, perhaps a llute in the distance to tell ol Iauns dancin, or some
throhhin, hammerin noises lrom Dwarls underround. All that was silenced. loom and lear
reined over Narnia.
Alter a time they hean to o steeply uphill and the trees rew lurther apart. Tirian could
dimly make out the well-known hilltop and the stahle. ill was now oin with more and more
caution. she kept on makin sins to the others with her hand to do the same. Then she stopped
dead still and Tirian saw her radually sink down into the rass and disappear without a sound. A
moment later she rose aain, put her mouth close to Tirian's ear, and said in the lowest possihle
whisper, Get down. Thee hetter. She said thee lor see not hecause she had a lisp hut hecause
she knew the hissin letter S is the part ol a whisper most likely to he overheard. Tirian at once
lay down, almost as silently as ill, hut not quite, lor he was heavier and older. And once they
were down, he saw how lrom that position you could see the ede ol the hill sharp aainst the
star-strewn sky. Two hlack shapes rose aainst it. one was the stahle, and the other, a lew leet in
lront ol it, was a Calormen sentry. He was keepin very ill watch. not walkin or even standin
hut sittin with his spear over his shoulder and his chin on his chest. Well done, said Tirian to
ill. She had shown him exactly what he needed to know.
They ot up and Tirian now took the lead. Very slowly, hardly darin to hreathe, they made
their way up to a little clump ol trees which was not more than lorty leet away lrom the sentinel.
Wait here till I come aain, he whispered to the other two. Il I miscarry, lly. Then he
sauntered out holdly in lull view ol the enemy. The man started when he saw him and was just
oin to jump to his leet. he was alraid Tirian miht he one ol his own ollicers and that he would
et into trouhle lor sittin down. But helore he could et up Tirian had dropped on one knee
heside him, sayin.
Art thou a warrior ol the Tisroc's, may he live lor ever: It cheers my heart to meet thee
amon all these heasts and devils ol Narnians. Give me thy hand, lriend.
Belore he well knew what was happenin the Calormen sentry lound his riht hand seized in
a mihty rip. Next instant someone was kneelin on his les and a daer was pressed aainst his
neck.
One noise and thou art dead, said Tirian in his ear. Tell me where the Unicorn is and thou
shalt live.
B hehind the stahle, O My Master, stammered the unlortunate man.
Good. Rise up and lead me to him.
As the man ot up the point ol the daer never lelt his neck. It only traveled round (cold
and rather ticklish) as Tirian ot hehind him and settled it at a convenient place under his ear.
Tremhlin he went round to the hack ol the stahle.
Thouh it was dark Tirian could see the white shape ol ewel at once.
Hush' he said. No, do not neih. Yes, ewel, it is I. How have they tied thee:
Hohhled hy all lour les and tied with a hridle to a rin in the stahle wall, came ewel's
voice.
Stand here, sentry, with your hack to the wall. So. Now, ewel. set the point ol your horn
aainst this Calormen'ss hreast.
With a ood will, Sire, said ewel.
Il he moves, rive him to the heart. Then in a lew seconds Tirian cut the ropes. With the
remains ol them he hound the sentry hand and loot. Iinally he made him open his mouth, stulled
it lull ol rass and tied him up lrom scalp to chin so that he could make no noise, lowered the
man into a sittin position and set him aainst the wall.
I have done thee some discourtesy, soldier, said Tirian. But such was my need. Il we meet
aain I may happen to do thee a hetter turn. Now, ewel, let us o soltly.
He put his lelt arm round the heast's neck and hent and kissed its nose and hoth had reat joy.
They went hack as quietly as possihle to the place where he had lelt the children. It was darker in
there under the trees and he nearly ran into Eustace helore he saw him.
All's well, whispered Tirian. A ood niht's work. Now lor home.
They turned and had one a lew paces when Eustace said, Where are you, Pole: There was
no answer. Is ill on the other side ol you, Sire: he asked.
What: said Tirian. Is she not on the other side ol your
It was a terrihle moment. They dared not shout hut they whispered her name in the loudest
whisper they could manae. There was no reply.
Did she o lrom you while I was away: asked Tirian.
I didn't see or hear her o, said Eustace. But she could have one without my knowin. She
can he as quiet as a cat, you've seen lor yoursell.
At that moment a lar oll drumheat was heard. ewel moved his ears lorward. Dwarls, he
said.
And treacherous Dwarls, enemies, as likely as not, muttered Tirian.
And here comes somethin on hools, much nearer, said ewel.
The two humans and the Unicorn stood dead still. There were now so many dillerent thins
to worry ahout that they didn't know what to do. The noise ol hools came steadily nearer. And
then, quite close to them, a voice whispered.
Hallo' Are you all there:
Thank heaven, it was ill's.
Where the devil have you heen to: said Eustace in a lurious whisper, lor he had heen very
lrihtened.
In the stahle, asped ill, hut it was the sort ol asp you ive when you're strulin with
suppressed lauhter.
Oh, rowled Eustace, you think it lunny, do you: Well all I can say is
Have you ot ewel, Sire: asked ill.
Yes. Here he is. What is that heast with you:
That's him, said ill. But let's he oll home helore anyone wakes up. And aain there came
little explosions ol lauhter.
The others oheyed at once lor they had already linered lon enouh in that danerous place
and the Dwarl drums seemed to have come a little nearer. It was only alter they had heen
walkin Southward lor several minutes that Eustace said.
Got him: What do you mean:
The lalse Aslan, said ill.
What: said Tirian. Where have you heen: What have you done:
Well, Sire, said ill. As soon as I saw that you'd ot the sentry out ol the way I thouht
hadn't I hetter have a look inside the stahle and see what really is there: So I crawled alon. It was
as easy as anythin to draw the holt.
Ol course it was pitch hlack inside and smelled like any other stahle. Then I struck a liht and
would you helieve it: there was nothin at all there hut this old donkey with a hundle ol
lion-skin tied on to his hack. So I drew my knile and told him he'd have to come alon with me.
As a matter ol lact I needn't have threatened him with the knile at all. He was very led up with
the stahle and quite ready to come weren't you, Puzzle dear:
Great Scott' said Eustace. Well I'm jiered. I was jolly anry with you a moment ao,
and I still think it was mean ol you to sneak oll without the rest ol us. hut I must admit well, I
mean to say well it was a perlectly oreous thin to do. Il she was a hoy she'd have to he
knihted, wouldn't she, Sire:
Il she was a hoy, said Tirian, she'd he whipped lor disoheyin orders. And in the dark no
one could see whether he said this with a lrown or a smile. Next minute there was a sound ol
raspin metal.
What are you doin, Sire: asked ewel sharply.
Drawin my sword to smite oll the head ol the accursed Ass, said Tirian in a terrihle voice.
Stand clear, irl.
Oh don't, please don't, said ill. Really, you mustn't. It wasn't his lault. It was all the Ape.
He didn't know any hetter. And he's very sorry. And he's a nice Donkey. His name's Puzzle. And
I've ot my arms round his neck.
ill, said Tirian, you are the hravest and most woodwise ol all my suhjects, hut also the
most malapert and disohedient. Well. let the Ass live. What have you to say lor yoursell, Ass:
Me, Sire: came the Donkey's voice. I'm sure I'm very sorry il I've done wron. The Ape
said Aslan wanted me to dress up like that. And I thouht he'd know. I'm not clever like him. I
only did what I was told. It wasn't any lun lor me livin in that stahle. I don't even know what's
heen oin on outside. He never let me out except lor a minute or two at niht. Some days they
lorot to ive me any water too.
Sire, said ewel. Those Dwarls are comin nearer and nearer. Do we want to meet them:
Tirian thouht lor a moment and then suddenly ave a reat lauh out loud. Then he spoke,
not this time in a whisper. By the Lion, he said, I am rowin slow witted' Meet them:
Certainly we will meet them. We will meet anyone now. We have this Ass to show them. Let
them see the thin they have leared and howed to. We can show them the truth ol the Ape's vile
plot. His secret's out. The tide's turned. Tomorrow we shall han that Ape on the hihest tree in
Narnia. No more whisperin and skulkin and disuises. Where are these honest Dwarls: We
have ood news lor them.
When you have heen whisperin lor hours the mere sound ol anyone talkin out loud has a
wonderlully stirrin ellect. The whole party hean talkin and lauhin. even Puzzle lilted up his
head and ave a rand Haw-hee-haw-hee-hee, a thin the Ape hadn't allowed him to do lor days.
Then they set oll in the direction ol the drummin. It rew steadily louder and soon they could
see torchliht as well. They came out on one ol those rouh roads (we should hardly call them
roads at all in Enland) which ran throuh Lantern Waste. And there, marchin sturdily alon,
were ahout thirty Dwarls, all with their little spades and mattocks over their shoulders. Two
armed Calormen led the column and two more hrouht up the rear.
Stay' thundered Tirian as he stepped out on the road. Stay, soldiers. Whither do you lead
these Narnian Dwarls and hy whose orders:
Chapter Seven

Moin|, Abovi Dwor|s

THE two Calormen soldiers at the head ol the column, seein what they took lor a Tarkaan
or reat lord with two armed paes, came to a halt and raised their spears in salute.
O My Master, said one ol them, we lead these manikins to Calormen to work in the mines
ol The Tisroc, may-he-live-lorever.
By the reat od Tash, they are very ohedient, said Tirian. Then suddenly he turned to the
Dwarls themselves. Ahout one in six ol them carried a torch and hy that llickerin liht he could
see their hearded laces all lookin at him with rim and doed expressions. Has The Tisroc
louht a reat hattle, Dwarls, and conquered your land: he asked, that thus you o patiently to
die in the salt-pits ol Purahan:
The two soldiers lared at him in surprise hut the Dwarls all answered, Aslan's orders,
Aslan's orders. He's sold us. What can we do aainst him:
Tisroc indeed' added one and spat. I'd like to see him try it'
Silence, dos' said the chiel soldier.
Look' said Tirian, pullin Puzzle lorward into the liht. It has all heen a lie. Aslan has not
come to Narnia at all. You have heen cheated hy the Ape. This is the thin he hrouht out ol the
stahle to show you. Look at it.
What the Dwarls saw, now that they could see it close, was certainly enouh to make them
wonder how they had ever heen taken in. The lion-skin had ot pretty untidy already durin
Puzzle's imprisonment in the stahle and it had heen knocked crooked durin his journey throuh
the dark wood. Most ol it was in a hi lump on one shoulder. The head, hesides hein pushed
sideways, had somehow ot very lar hack so that anyone could now see his silly, entle,
donkeyish lace azin out ol it. Some rass stuck out ol one corner ol his mouth, lor he'd heen
doin a little quiet nihhlin as they hrouht him alon. And he was mutterin, It wasn't my lault,
I'm not clever. I never said I was.
Ior one second all the Dwarls were starin at Puzzle with wide open mouths and then one ol
the soldiers said sharply, Are you mad, My Master: What are you doin to the slaves: and the
other said, And who are you: Neither ol their spears was at the salute now hoth were down
and ready lor action.
Give the password, said the chiel soldier.
This is my password, said the Kin as he drew his sword. The liht is dawnin, the lie
hroken. Now uard thee, miscreant, lor I am Tirian ol Narnia.
He llew upon the chiel soldier like lihtnin. Eustace, who had drawn his sword when he saw
the Kin draw his, rushed at the other one. his lace was deadly pale, hut I wouldn't hlame him lor
that. And he had the luck that heinners sometimes do have. He lorot all that Tirian had tried to
teach him that alternoon, slashed wildly (indeed I'm not sure his eyes weren't shut) and suddenly
lound, to his own reat surprise, that the Calormen lay dead at his leet. And thouh that was a
reat reliel, it was, at the moment, rather lrihtenin. The Kin's liht lasted a second or two
loner. then he too had killed his man and shouted to Eustace, 'Ware the other two.
But the Dwarls had settled the two remainin Calormen. There was no enemy lelt.
Well struck, Eustace' cried Tirian, clappin him on the hack. Now, Dwarls, you are lree.
Tomorrow I will lead you to lree all Narnia. Three cheers lor Aslan'
But the result which lollowed was simply wretched. There was a leehle attempt lrom a lew
Dwarls (ahout live) which died away all at once. lrom several others there were sulky rowls.
Many said nothin at all.
Don't they understand: said ill impatiently. What's wron with all you Dwarls: Don't you
hear what the Kin says: It's all over. The Ape isn't oin to rule Narnia any loner. Everyone can
o hack to ordinary lile. You can have lun aain. Aren't you lad:
Alter a pause ol nearly a minute a not-very-nice-lookin Dwarl with hair and heard as hlack
as soot said. And who miht you he, Missie:
I'm ill, she said. The same ill who rescued Kin Rilian lrom the enchantment and this is
Eustace who did it too and we've come hack lrom another world alter hundreds ol years.
Aslan sent us.
The Dwarls all looked at one another with rins, sneerin rins, not merry ones.
Well, said the Black Dwarl (whose name was Grillle), I don't know how all you chaps leel,
hut I leel I've heard as much ahout Aslan as I want to lor the rest ol my lile.
That's riht, that's riht, rowled the other Dwarls. It's all a plant, all a hloomin plant.
What do you mean: said Tirian. He had not heen pale when he was lihtin hut he was pale
now. He had thouht this was oin to he a heautilul moment, hut it was turnin out more like a
had dream.
You must think we're hloomin solt in the head, that you must, said Grillle. We've heen
taken in once and now you expect us to he taken in aain the next minute. We've no more use
lor stories ahout Aslan, see' Look at him' An old moke with lon ears'
By heaven, you make me mad, said Tirian. Which ol us said that was Aslan: That is the
Ape's imitation ol the real Aslan. Can't you understand:
And you've ot a hetter imitation, I suppose' said Grillle. No thanks. We've heen looled
once and we're not oin to he looled aain.
I have not, said Tirian anrily, I serve the real Aslan.
Where's he: Who's he: Show him to us' said several Dwarls.
Do you think I keep him in my wallet, lools: said Tirian. Who am I that I could make
Aslan appear at my hiddin: He's not a tame lion.
The moment those words were out ol his mouth he realized that he had made a lalse move.
The Dwarls at once hean repeatin not a tame lion, not a tame lion, in a jeerin sin-son.
That's what the other lot kept on tellin us, said one.
Do you mean you don't helieve in the real Aslan: said ill. But I've seen him. And he has
sent us two here out ol a dillerent world.
Ah, said Grillle with a hroad smile. So you say. They've tauht you your stull all riht.
Sayin your lessons, ain't you:
Churl, cried Tirian, will you ive a lady the lie to her very lace:
You keep a civil tonue in your head, Mister, replied the Dwarl. I don't think we want any
more Kins il you are Tirian, which you don't look like him no more than we want any
Aslans. We're oin to look alter ourselves lrom now on and touch our caps to nohody. See:
That's riht, said the other Dwarls. We're on our own now. No more Aslan, no more Kins,
no more silly stories ahout other worlds. The Dwarls are lor the Dwarls. And they hean to lall
into their places and to et ready lor marchin hack to wherever they had come lrom.
Little heasts' said Eustace. Aren't you even oin to say thank you lor hein saved lrom the
salt-mines:
Oh, we know all ahout that, said Grillle over his shoulder. You wanted to make use ol us,
that's why you rescued us. You're playin some ame ol your own. Come on you chaps.
And the Dwarls struck up the queer little marchin son which oes with the drum-heat, and
oll they tramped into the darkness.
Tirian and his lriends stared alter them. Then he said the sinle word Come, and they
continued their journey.
They were a silent party. Puzzle lelt himsell to he still in disrace, and also he didn't really
quite understand what had happened. ill, hesides hein disusted with the Dwarls, was very
impressed with Eustace's victory over the Calormen and lelt almost shy. As lor Eustace, his heart
was still heatin rather quickly. Tirian and ewel walked sadly toether in the rear. The Kin had
his arm on the Unicorn's shoulder and sometimes the Unicorn nuzzled the Kin's cheek with his
solt nose. They did not try to comlort one another with words. It wasn't very easy to think ol
anythin to say that would he comlortin. Tirian had never dreamed that one ol the results ol an
Ape's settin up as a lalse Aslan would he to stop people lrom helievin in the real one. He had
lelt quite sure that the Dwarls would rally to his side the moment he showed them how they had
heen deceived. And then next niht he would have led them to Stahle Hill and shown Puzzle to
all the creatures and everyone would have turned aainst the Ape and, perhaps alter a scullle
with the Calormen, the whole thin would have heen over. But now, it seemed, he could count
on nothin. How many other Narnians miht turn the same way as the Dwarls:
Somehody's comin alter us, I think, said Puzzle suddenly.
They stopped and listened. Sure enouh, there was a thump-thump ol small leet hehind
them.
Who oes there' shouted the Kin.
Only me, Sire, came a voice. Me, Poin the Dwarl. I've only just manaed to et away
lrom the others. I'm on your side, Sire. and on Aslan's. Il you can put a Dwarlish sword in my list,
I'd ladly strike a hlow on the riht side helore all's done.
Everyone crowded round him and welcomed him and praised him and slapped him on the
hack. Ol course one sinle Dwarl could not make a very reat dillerence, hut it was somehow
very cheerin to have even one. The whole party hrihtened up. But ill and Eustace didn't stay
hriht lor very lon, lor they were now yawnin their heads oll and too tired to think ahout
anythin hut hed.
It was at the coldest hour ol the niht, just helore dawn, that they ot hack to the Tower. Il
there had heen a meal ready lor them they would have heen lad enouh to eat, hut the hother
and delay ol ettin one was not to he thouht ol. They drank lrom a stream, splashed their laces
with water, and tumhled into their hunks, except lor Puzzle and ewel who said they'd he more
comlortahle outside. This perhaps was just as well, lor a Unicorn and a lat, lull-rown Donkey
indoors always make a room leel rather crowded.
Narnian Dwarls, thouh less than lour leet hih, are lor their size ahout the touhest and
stronest creatures there are, so that Poin, in spite ol a heavy day and a late niht, woke lully
relreshed helore any ol the others. He at once took ill's how, went out and shot a couple ol
wood pieons. Then he sat pluckin them on the doorstep and chattin to ewel and Puzzle.
Puzzle looked and lelt a ood deal hetter this mornin. ewel, hein a Unicorn and therelore one
ol the nohlest and delicatest ol heasts, had heen very kind to him, talkin to him ahout thins ol
the sort they could hoth understand like rass and suar and the care ol one's hools. When ill and
Eustace came out ol the Tower yawnin and ruhhin their eyes at almost hall past ten, the Dwarl
showed them where they could ather plenty ol a Narnian weed called Wild Irenzy, which looks
rather like our wood-sorrel hut tastes a ood deal nicer when cooked. (It needs a little hutter and
pepper to make it perlect, hut they hadn't ot these.) So that what with one thin and another,
they had the makins ol a capital stew lor their hreaklast or dinner, whichever you choose to call
it. Tirian went a little lurther oll into the wood with an axe and hrouht hack some hranches lor
luel. While the meal was cookin which seemed a very lon time, especially as it smelled nicer
and nicer the nearer it came to hein done the Kin lound a complete Dwarlish outlit lor
Poin. mail shirt, helmet, shield, sword, helt, and daer. Then he inspected Eustace's sword and
lound that Eustace had put it hack in the sheath all messy lrom killin the Calormen. He was
scolded lor that and made to clean and polish it.
All this while ill went to and lro, sometimes stirrin the pot and sometimes lookin out
enviously at the Donkey and the Unicorn who were contentedly razin. How many times that
mornin she wished she could eat rass'
But when the meal came everyone lelt it had heen worth waitin lor, and there were second
helpins all round. When everyone had eaten as much as he could, the three humans and the
Dwarl came and sat on the doorstep, the lour-looted ones lay down lacin them, the Dwarl (with
permission hoth lrom ill and lrom Tirian) lit his pipe, and the Kin said.
Now, lriend Poin, you have more news ol the enemy, helike, than we. Tell us all you
know. And lirst, what tale do they tell ol my escape:
As cunnin a tale, Sire, as ever was devised, said Poin. It was the Cat, Giner, who told it,
and most likely made it up too. This Giner, Sire oh, he's a sly-hoots il ever a cat was said
he was walkin past the tree to which those villains hound your Majesty. And he said (savin
your reverence) that you were howlin and swearin and cursin Aslan. 'lanuae I wouldn't like
to repeat' were the words he used, lookin ever so prim and proper you know the way a Cat can
when it pleases. And then, says Giner, Aslan himsell suddenly appeared in a llash ol lihtnin
and swallowed your Majesty up at one mouthlul. All the Beasts tremhled at this story and some
lainted riht away. And ol course the Ape lollowed it up. There, he says, see what Aslan does to
those who don't respect him. Let that he a warnin to you all. And the poor creatures wailed and
whined and said, it will, it will. So that in the upshot your Majesty's escape has not set them
thinkin whether you still have loyal lriends to aid you, hut only made them more alraid and
more ohedient to the Ape.
What devilish policy' said Tirian. This Giner, then, is close in the Ape's counsels.
It's more a question hy now, Sire, il the Ape is in his counsels, replied the Dwarl. The Ape
has taken to drinkin, you see. My heliel is that the plot is now mostly carried on hy Giner or
Rishda that's the Calormen captain. And I think some words that Giner has scattered amon
the Dwarls are chielly to hlame lor the scurvy return they made you. And I'll tell you why. One
ol those dreadlul midniht meetins had just hroken up the niht helore last and I'd one a hit ol
the way home when I lound I'd lelt my pipe hehind. It was a real ood 'un, an old lavorite, so I
went hack to look lor it. But helore I ot to the place where I'd heen sittin (it was hlack as pitch
there) I heard a cat's voice say Mew and a Calormen voice say 'here . . . speak soltly,' so I just
stood as still as il I was lrozen. And these two were Giner and Rishda Tarkaan as they call him.
'Nohle Tarkaan,' said the Cat in that silky voice ol his, 'I just wanted to know exactly what we
hoth meant today ahout Aslan meanin no more than Tash.' 'Douhtless, most saacious ol cats,'
says the other, 'you have perceived my meanin.' 'You mean,' says Giner, 'that there's no such
person as either. All who are enlihtened know that,' said the Tarkaan. 'Then we can understand
one another,' purrs the Cat. 'Do you, like me, row a little weary ol the Ape:' 'A stupid, reedy
hrute,' says the other, 'hut we must use him lor the present. Thou and I must provide lor all
thins in secret and make the Ape do our will.' 'And it would he hetter, wouldn't it,' said Giner,
'to let some ol the more enlihtened Narnians into our counsels. one hy one as we lind them apt.
Ior the Beasts who really helieve in Aslan may turn at any moment. and will, il the Ape's lolly
hetrays his secret. But those who care neither lor Tash nor Aslan hut have only an eye to their
own prolit and such reward as The Tisroc may ive them when Narnia is a Calormen province,
will he lirm.' 'Excellent Cat,' said the Captain. 'But choose which ones carelully.'
While the Dwarl had heen speakin the day seemed to have chaned. It had heen sunny
when they sat down. Now Puzzle shivered. ewel shilted his head uneasily. ill looked up.
It's cloudin over, she said.
And it's so cold, said Puzzle.
Cold enouh, hy the Lion' said Tirian, hlowin on his hands. And lauh' What loul smell is
this:
Phew' asped Eustace. It's like somethin dead. Is there a dead hird somewhere ahout: And
why didn't we notice it helore:
With a reat upheaval ewel scramhled to his leet and pointed with his horn.
Look' he cried. Look at it' Look, look'
Then all six ol them saw, and over all their laces there came an expression ol uttermost
dismay.
Chapter Eight

V|oi News i|e Eo|e Brov|i

IN the shadow ol the trees on the lar side ol the clearin somethin was movin. It was
lidin very slowly Northward. At a lirst lance you miht have mistaken it lor smoke, lor it was
rey and you could see thins throuh it. But the deathly smell was not the smell ol smoke. Also,
this thin kept its shape instead ol hillowin and curlin as smoke would have done. It was
rouhly the shape ol a man hut it had the head ol a hird, some hird ol prey with a cruel, curved
heak. It had lour arms which it held hih ahove its head, stretchin them out Northward as il it
wanted to snatch all Narnia in its rip, and its liners all twenty ol them were curved like
its heak and had lon, pointed, hird-like claws instead ol nails. It lloated on the rass instead ol
walkin, and the rass seemed to wither heneath it.
Alter one look at it Puzzle ave a screamin hray and darted into the Tower. And ill (who
was no coward, as you know) hid her lace in her hands to shut out the siht ol it. The others
watched it lor perhaps a minute, until it streamed away into the thicker trees on their riht and
disappeared. Then the sun came out aain, and the hirds once more hean to sin.
Everyone started hreathin properly aain and moved. They had all heen still as statues while
it was in siht.
What was it: said Eustace in a whisper.
I have seen it once helore, said Tirian. But that time it was carved in stone and overlaid
with old and had solid diamonds lor eyes. It was when I was no older than thou, and had one as
a uest to The Tisroc's court in Tashhaan.
He took me into the reat temple ol Tash. There I saw it, carved ahove the altar.
Then that that thin was Tash: said Eustace.
But instead ol answerin him Tirian slipped his arm hehind ill's shoulders and said, How is it
with you, Lady:
A-all riht, said ill, takin her hands away lrom her pale lace and tryin to smile. I'm all
riht. It only made me leel a little sick lor a moment.
It seems, then, said the Unicorn, that there is a real Tash, alter all.
Yes, said the Dwarl. And this lool ol an Ape, who didn't helieve in Tash, will et more
than he harained lor' He called lor Tash. Tash has come.
Where has it he the Thin one to: said ill.
North into the heart ol Narnia, said Tirian. It has come to dwell amon us. They have
called it and it has come.
Ho, ho, ho' chuckled the Dwarl, ruhhin his hairy hands toether. It will he a surprise lor
the Ape. People shouldn't call lor demons unless they really mean what they say.
Who knows il Tash will he visihle to the Ape: said ewel.
Where has Puzzle ot to: said Eustace.
They all shouted out Puzzle's name and ill went round to the other side ol the Tower to see
il he had one there.
They were quite tired ol lookin lor him when at last his lare rey head peered cautiously
out ol the doorway and he said, Has it one away: And when at last they ot him to come out,
he was shiverin the way a do shivers helore a thunderstorm.
I see now, said Puzzle, that I really have heen a very had donkey. I ouht never to have
listened to Shilt. I never thouht thins like this would hein to happen.
Il you'd spent less time sayin you weren't clever and more time tryin to he as clever as you
could hean Eustace hut ill interrupted him.
Oh leave poor old Puzzle alone, she said. It was all a mistake, wasn't it, Puzzle dear: And
she kissed him on the nose.
Thouh rather shaken hy what they had seen, the whole party now sat down aain and went
on with their talk.
ewel had little to tell them. While he was a prisoner he had spent nearly all his time tied up
at the hack ol the stahle, and had ol course heard none ol the enemies' plans. He had heen kicked
(he'd done some kickin hack too) and heaten and threatened with death unless he would say
that he helieved it was Aslan who was hrouht out and shown to them hy lireliht every niht. In
lact he was oin to he executed this very mornin il he had not heen rescued. He didn't know
what had happened to the Lamh.
The question they had to decide was whether they would o to Stahle Hill aain that niht,
show Puzzle to the Narnians and try to make them see how they had heen tricked, or whether
they should steal away Eastward to meet the help which Roonwit the Centaur was hrinin up
lrom Cair Paravel and return aainst the Ape and his Calormen in lorce. Tirian would very much
like to have lollowed the lirst plan. he hated the idea ol leavin the Ape to hully his people one
moment loner than need he. On the other hand, the way the Dwarls had hehaved last niht was
a warnin. Apparently one couldn't he sure how people would take it even il he showed them
Puzzle. And there were the Calormen soldiers to he reckoned with. Poin thouht there were
ahout thirty ol them. Tirian lelt sure that il the Narnians all rallied to his side, he and ewel and
the children and Poin (Puzzle didn't count lor much) would have a ood chance ol heatin
them. But how il hall the Narnians includin all the Dwarls just sat and looked on: or even
louht aainst him: The risk was too reat. And there was, too, the cloudy shape ol Tash. What
miht it do:
And then, as Poin pointed out, there was no harm in leavin the Ape to deal with his own
dilliculties lor a day or two. He would have no Puzzle to hrin out and show now. It wasn't easy
to see what story he or Giner could make up to explain that. Il the Beasts asked niht alter
niht to see Aslan, and no Aslan was hrouht out, surely even the simplest ol them would et
suspicious.
In the end they all areed that the hest thin was to o oll and try to meet Roonwit.
As soon as they had decided this, it was wonderlul how much more cheerlul everyone
hecame. I don't honestly think that this was hecause any ol them was alraid ol a liht (except
perhaps ill and Eustace). But I daresay that each ol them, deep down inside, was very lad not to
o any nearer or not yet to that horrihle hird-headed thin which, visihle or invisihle, was
now prohahly hauntin Stahle Hill. Anyway, one always leels hetter when one has made up one's
mind.
Tirian said they had hetter remove their disuises, as they didn't want to he mistaken lor
Calormen and perhaps attacked hy any loyal Narnians they miht meet. The Dwarl made up a
horrid-lookin mess ol ashes lrom the hearth and rease out ol the jar ol rease which was kept
lor ruhhin on swords and spear-heads. Then they took oll their Calormen armor and went down
to the stream. The nasty mixture made a lather just like solt soap. it was a pleasant, homely siht
to see Tirian and the two children kneelin heside the water and scruhhin the hacks ol their
necks or pullin and hlowin as they splashed the lather oll. Then they went hack to the Tower
with red, shiny laces, like people who have heen iven an extra ood wash helore a party. They
re-armed themselves in true Narnian style, with straiht swords and three-cornered shields. Body
ol me, said Tirian. That is hetter. I leel a true man aain.
Puzzle heed very hard to have the lion-skin taken oll him. He said it was too hot and the
way it was rucked up on his hack was uncomlortahle. also, it made him look so silly. But they
told him he would have to wear it a hit loner, lor they still wanted to show him in that et-up
to the other Beasts, even thouh they were now oin to meet Roonwit lirst.
What was lelt ol the pieon-meat and rahhit-meat was not worth hrinin away hut they
took some hiscuits. Then Tirian locked the door ol the Tower and that was the end ol their stay
there.
It was a little alter two in the alternoon when they set out, and it was the lirst really warm
day ol that sprin. The youn leaves seemed to he much lurther out than yesterday. the
snowdrops were over, hut they saw several primroses. The sunliht slanted throuh the trees,
hirds san, and always (thouh usually out ol siht) there was the noise ol runnin water. It was
hard to think ol horrihle thins like Tash. The children lelt, This is really Narnia at last. Even
Tirian's heart rew lihter as he walked ahead ol them, hummin an old Narnian marchin son
which had the relrain.
Ho, rumhle, rumhle, rumhle, Rumhle drum helahored.
Alter the Kin came Eustace and Poin the Dwarl. Poin was tellin Eustace the names ol
all the Narnian trees, hirds, and plants which he didn't know already. Sometimes Eustace would
tell him ahout Enlish ones.
Alter them came Puzzle, and alter him ill and ewel walkin very close toether. ill had, as
you miht say, quite lallen in love with the Unicorn. She thouht- and she wasn't lar wron
that he was the shininest, delicatest, most racelul animal she had ever met. and he was so entle
and solt ol speech that, il you hadn't known, you would hardly have helieved how lierce and
terrihle he could he in hattle.
Oh, this is nice' said ill. ust walkin alon like this. I wish there could he more ol this sort
ol adventure. It's a pity there's always so much happenin in Narnia.
But the Unicorn explained to her that she was quite mistaken. He said that the Sons and
Dauhters ol Adam and Eve were hrouht out ol their own strane world into Narnia only at
times when Narnia was stirred and upset, hut she mustn't think it was always like that. In
hetween their visits there were hundreds and thousands ol years when peacelul Kin lollowed
peacelul Kin till you could hardly rememher their names or count their numhers, and there was
really hardly anythin to put into the History Books. And he went on to talk ol old Queens and
heroes whom she had never heard ol. He spoke ol Swanwhite the Queen who had lived helore
the days ol the White Witch and the Great Winter, who was so heautilul that when she looked
into any lorest pool the rellection ol her lace shone out ol the water like a star hy niht lor a year
and a day alterwards. He spoke ol Moonwood the Hare who had such ears that he could sit hy
Caldron Pool under the thunder ol the reat waterlall and hear what men spoke in whispers at
Cair Paravel. He told how Kin Gale, who was ninth in descent lrom Irank the lirst ol all Kins,
had sailed lar away into the Eastern seas and delivered the Lone Islanders lrom a draon and how,
in return, they had iven him the Lone Islands to he part ol the royal lands ol Narnia lor ever. He
talked ol whole centuries in which all Narnia was so happy that notahle dances and leasts, or at
most tournaments, were the only thins that could he rememhered, and every day and week had
heen hetter than the last. And as he went on, the picture ol all those happy years, all the
thousands ol them, piled up in ill's mind till it was rather like lookin down lrom a hih hill on
to a rich, lovely plain lull ol woods and waters and cornlields, which spread away and away till it
ot thin and misty lrom distance. And she said.
Oh, I do hope we can soon settle the Ape and et hack to those ood, ordinary times. And
then I hope they'll o on lor ever and ever and ever. Our world is oin to have an end some day.
Perhaps this one won't. Oh ewel wouldn't it he lovely il Narnia just went on and on like
what you said it has heen:
Nay, sister, answered ewel, all worlds draw to an end, except Aslan's own country.
Well, at least, said ill, I hope the end ol this one is millions ol millions ol millions ol years
away hallo' what are we stoppin lor:
The Kin and Eustace and the Dwarl were all starin up at the sky. ill shuddered,
rememherin what horrors they had seen already. But it was nothin ol that sort this time. It was
small, and looked hlack aainst the hlue.
I dare swear, said the Unicorn, lrom its lliht, that it is a Talkin hird.
So think I, said the Kin. But is it a lriend, or a spy ol the Ape's:
To me, Sire, said the Dwarl, it has a look ol Iar-siht the Eale.
Ouht we to hide under the trees: said Eustace.
Nay, said Tirian, hest stand still as rocks. He would see us lor certain il we moved.
Look' He wheels, he has seen us already, said ewel. He is comin down in wide circles.
Arrow on strin, Lady, said Tirian to ill. But hy no means shoot till I hid you. He may he a
lriend.
Il one had known what was oin to happen next it would have heen a treat to watch the
race and ease with which the hue hird lided down. He alihted on a rocky cra a lew leet lrom
Tirian, howed his crested head, and said in his strane eale's-voice, Hail, Kin.
Hail, Iarsiht, said Tirian. And since you call me Kin, I may well helieve you are not a
lollower ol the Ape and his lalse Aslan. I am riht lad ol your comin.
Sire, said the Eale, when you have heard my news you will he sorrier ol my comin than
ol the reatest woe that ever helell you.
Tirian's heart seemed to stop heatin at these words, hut he set his teeth and said, Tell on.
Two sihts have I seen, said Iarsiht. One was Cair Paravel lilled with dead Narnians and
livin Calormen. The Tisroc's hanner advanced upon your royal hattlements. and your suhjects
llyin lrom the city this way and that, into the woods. Cair Paravel was taken lrom the sea.
Twenty reat ships ol Calormen put in there in the dark ol the niht helore last niht.
No one could speak.
And the other siht, live leaues nearer than Cair Paravel, was Roonwit the Centaur lyin
dead with a Calormen arrow in his side. I was with him in his last hour and he ave me this
messae to your Majesty. to rememher that all worlds draw to an end and that nohle death is a
treasure which no one is too poor to huy.
So, said the Kin, alter a lon silence, Narnia is no more.
Chapter Nine

T|e Creoi Meeiin on Siob|e Hi||

Ior a lon time they could not speak nor even shed a tear. Then the Unicorn stamped the
round with his hool, and shook his mane, and spoke.
Sire, he said, there is now no need ol counsel. We see that the Ape's plans were laid deeper
than we dreamed ol. Douhtless he has heen lon in secret trallic with The Tisroc, and as soon as
he had lound the lion-skin he sent him word to make ready his navy lor the takin ol Cair Paravel
and all Narnia. Nothin now remains lor us seven hut to o hack to Stahle Hill, proclaim the
truth, and take the adventure that Aslan sends us. And il, hy a reat marvel, we deleat those
thirty Calormen who are with the Ape, then to turn aain and die in hattle with the lar reater
host ol them that will soon march lrom Cair Paravel.
Tirian nodded. But he turned to the children and said. Now, lriends, it is time lor you to o
hence into your own world. Douhtless you have done all that you were sent to do.
B hut we've done nothin, said ill who was shiverin, not with lear exactly hut hecause
everythin was so horrihle.
Nay, said the Kin, you loosed me lrom the tree. you lided helore me like a snake last
niht in the wood and took Puzzle. and you, Eustace, killed your man. But you are too youn to
share in such a hloody end as we others must meet toniht or, it may he, three days hence. I
entreat you nay, I command you to return to your own place. I should he put to shame il I
let such youn warriors lall in hattle on my side.
No, no, no, said ill (very white when she hean speakin and then suddenly very red and
then white aain.) We won't, I don't care what you say. We're oin to stick to you whatever
happens, aren't we, Eustace:
Yes, hut there's no need to et so worked up ahout it, said Eustace who had stuck his hands
in his pockets (lorettin how very odd that looks when you are wearin a mail shirt). Because,
you see, we haven't any choice. What's the ood ol talkin ahout our oin hack' How: We've
ot no maic lor doin it'
This was very ood sense hut, at the moment, ill hated Eustace lor sayin it. He was lond ol
hein dreadlully matter-ol-lact when other people ot excited.
When Tirian realized that the two straners could not et home (unless Aslan suddenly
whisked them away), he next wanted them to o across the Southern mountains into Archenland
where they miht possihly he sale. But they didn't know their way and there was no one to send
with them. Also, as Poin said, once the Calormen had Narnia they would certainly take
Archenland in the next week or so. The Tisroc had always wanted to have these Northern
countries lor his own. In the end Eustace and ill heed so hard that Tirian said they could come
with him and take their chance or, as he much more sensihly called it, the adventure that
Aslan would send them.
The Kin's lirst idea was that they should not o hack to Stahle Hill they were sick ol the
very name ol it hy now till alter dark. But the Dwarl told them that il they arrived there hy
dayliht they would prohahly lind the place deserted, except perhaps lor a Calormen sentry. The
Beasts were lar too lrihtened hy what the Ape (and Giner) had told them ahout this new anry
Aslan or Tashlan to o near it except when they were called toether lor these horrihle
midniht meetins. And Calormen are never ood woodsmen. Poin thouht that even hy
dayliht they could easily et round to somewhere hehind the stahle without hein seen. This
would he much harder to do when the niht had come and the Ape miht he callin the Beasts
toether and all the Calormen were on duty. And when the meetin did hein they could leave
Puzzle at the hack ol the stahle, completely out ol siht, till the moment at which they wanted to
produce him. This was ohviously a ood thin. lor their only chance was to ive the Narnians a
sudden surprise.
Everyone areed and the whole party set oll on a new line North-West towards the
hated Hill. The Eale sometimes llew to and lro ahove them, sometimes he sat perched on
Puzzle's hack. No one not even the Kin himsell except in some reat need would dream
ol ridin on a Unicorn.
This time ill and Eustace walked toether. They had heen leelin very hrave when they were
hein to he allowed to come with the others, hut now they didn't leel hrave at all.
Pole, said Eustace in a whisper. I may as well tell you I've ot the wind up.
Oh you're all riht, Scruhh, said ill. You can liht. But I I'm just shakin, il you want to
know the truth.
Oh shakin's nothin, said Eustace. I'm leelin I'm oin to he sick.
Don't talk ahout that, lor oodness' sake, said ill.
They went on in silence lor a minute or two.
Pole, said Eustace presently.
What: said she.
What'll happen il we et killed here:
Well we'll he dead, I suppose.
But I mean, what will happen in our own world: Shall we wake up and lind ourselves hack
in that train: Or shall we just vanish and never he heard ol any more: Or shall we he dead in
Enland:
Gosh. I never thouht ol that.
It'll he rum lor Peter and the others il they saw me wavin out ol the window and then
when the train comes in we're nowhere to he lound' Or il they lound two I mean, il we're
dead over there in Enland.
Uh' said ill. What a horrid idea.
It wouldn't he horrid lor us, said Eustace. We shouldn't he there.
I almost wish no I don't, thouh, said ill.
What were you oin to say:
I was oin to say I wished we'd never come. But I don't, I don't, I don't. Even il we are
killed. I'd rather he killed lihtin lor Narnia than row old and stupid at home and perhaps o
ahout in a hath-chair and then die in the end just the same.
Or he smashed up hy British Railways'
Why d'you say that:
Well when that awlul jerk came the one that seemed to throw us into Narnia I
thouht it was the heinnin ol a railway accident. So I was jolly lad to lind ourselves here
instead.
While ill and Eustace were talkin ahout this, the others were discussin their plans and
hecomin less miserahle. That was hecause they were now thinkin ol what was to he done this
very niht and the thouht ol what had happened to Narnia the thouht that all her lories
and joys were over was pushed away into the hack part ol their minds. The moment they
stopped talkin it would come out and make them wretched aain. hut they kept on talkin.
Poin was really quite cheerlul ahout the niht's work they had to do. He was sure that the Boar
and the Bear, and prohahly all the Dos would come over to their side at once. And he couldn't
helieve that all the other Dwarls would stick to Grillle. And lihtin hy lireliht and in and out
amon trees would he an advantae to the weaker side. And then, il they could win toniht, need
they really throw their lives away hy meetin the main Calormen army a lew days later:
Why not hide in the woods, or even up in the Western Waste heyond the reat waterlall and
live like outlaws: And then they miht radually et stroner and stroner, lor Talkin Beasts and
Archenlanders would he joinin them every day. And at last they'd come out ol hidin and sweep
the Calormen (who would have ot careless hy then) out ol the country and Narnia would he
revived. Alter all, somethin very like that had happened in the time ol Kin Miraz'
And Tirian heard all this and thouht But what ahout Tash: and lelt in his hones that none
ol it was oin to happen. But he didn't say so.
When they ot nearer to Stahle Hill ol course everyone hecame quiet. Then the real wood-
work hean. Irom the moment at which they lirst saw the Hill to the moment at which they all
arrived at the hack ol the stahle, it took them over two hours. It's the sort ol thin one couldn't
descrihe properly unless one wrote paes and paes ahout it. The journey lrom each hit ol cover
to the next was a separate adventure, and there were very lon waits in hetween, and several lalse
alarms. Il you are a ood Scout or a ood Guide you will know already what it must have heen
like. By ahout sunset they were all sale in a clump ol holly trees ahout lilteen yards hehind the
stahle. They all munched some hiscuit and lay down.
Then came the worst part, the waitin. Luckily lor the children they slept lor a couple ol
hours, hut ol course they woke up when the niht rew cold, and what was worse, woke up very
thirsty and with no chance ol ettin a drink. Puzzle just stood, shiverin a little with
nervousness, and said nothin. But Tirian, with his head aainst ewel's llank, slept as soundly as il
he were in his royal hed at Cair Paravel, till the sound ol a on heatin awoke him and he sat up
and saw that there was lireliht on the lar side ol the stahle and knew that the hour had come.
Kiss me, ewel, he said. Ior certainly this is our last niht on earth. And il ever I ollended
aainst you in any matter reat or small, lorive me now.
Dear Kin, said the Unicorn, I could almost wish you had, so that I miht lorive it.
Iarewell. We have known reat joys toether. Il Aslan ave me my choice I would choose no
other lile than the lile I have had and no other death than the one we o to.
Then they woke up Iarsiht, who was asleep with his head under his win (it made him look
as il he had no head at all), and crept lorward to the stahle. They lelt Puzzle (not without a kind
word, lor no one was anry with him now) just hehind it, tellin him not to move till someone
came to letch him, and took up their position at one end ol the stahle.
The honlire had not heen lit lor lon and was just heinnin to hlaze up. It was only a lew
leet away lrom them, and the reat crowd ol Narnian creatures were on the other side ol it, so
that Tirian could not at lirst see them very well, thouh ol course he saw dozens ol eyes shinin
with the rellection ol the lire, as you've seen a rahhit's or cat's eyes in the headlihts ol a car. And
just as Tirian took his place, the on stopped heatin and lrom somewhere on his lelt three
liures appeared. One was Rishda Tarkaan the Calormen Captain. The second was the Ape. He
was holdin on to the Tarkaan's hand with one paw and kept whimperin and mutterin, Not so
last, don't o so last, I'm not at all well. Oh my poor head' These midniht meetins are ettin
too much lor me. Apes aren't meant to he up at niht. It's not as il I was a rat or a hat oh my
poor head. On the other side ol the Ape, walkin very solt and stately, with his tail straiht up in
the air, came Giner the Cat. They were headin lor the honlire and were so close to Tirian that
they would have seen him at once il they had looked in the riht direction. Iortunately they did
not. But Tirian heard Rishda say to Giner in a low voice.
Now, Cat, to thy post. See thou play thy part well.
Miaow, miaow. Count on me' said Giner. Then he stepped away heyond the honlire and
sat down in the lront row ol the assemhled Beasts. in the audience, as you miht say.
Ior really, as it happened, the whole thin was rather like a theatre. The crowd ol Narnians
were like the people in the seats, the little rassy place just in lront ol the stahle, where the
honlire hurned and the Ape and the Captain stood to talk to the crowd, was like the stae, the
stahle itsell was like the scenery at the hack ol the stae, and Tirian and his lriends were like
people peerin round lrom hehind the scenery. It was a splendid position. Il any ol them stepped
lorward into the lull lireliht, all eyes would he lixed on him at once. on the other hand, so lon
as they stood still in the shadow ol the end-wall ol the stahle, it was a hundred to one aainst
their hein noticed.
Rishda Tarkaan draed the Ape up close to the lire. The pair ol them turned to lace the
crowd, and this ol course meant that their hacks were towards Tirian and his lriends.
Now, Monkey, said Rishda Tarkaan in a low voice. Say the words that wiser heads have put
into thy mouth. And hold up thy head. As he spoke he ave the Ape a little prod or kick lrom
hehind with the point ol his toe.
Do leave me alone, muttered Shilt. But he sat up straihter and hean, in a louder voice
Now listen, all ol you. A terrihle thin has happened. A wicked thin. The wickedest thin that
ever was done in Narnia. And Aslan
Tashlan, lool, whispered Rishda Tarkaan.
Tashlan I mean, ol course, said the Ape, is very anry ahout it.
There was a terrihle silence while the Beasts waited to hear what new trouhle was in store lor
them. The little party hy the end-wall ol the stahle also held their hreath. What on earth was
comin now:
Yes, said the Ape. At this very moment, when the Terrihle One himsell is amon us
there in the stahle just hehind me one wicked Beast has chosen to do what you'd think no one
would dare to do even il He were a thousand miles away. It has dressed itsell up in a lion-skin
and is wanderin ahout in these very woods pretendin to he Aslan.
ill wondered lor a moment il the Ape had one mad. Was he oin to tell the whole truth:
A roar ol horror and rae went up lrom the Beasts. Grrr' came the rowls. Who is he: Where
is he: ust let me et my teeth into him'
It was seen last niht, screamed the Ape, hut it ot away. It's a Donkey' A common,
miserahle Ass' Il any ol you see that Ass
Grrr' rowled the Beasts. We will, we will. He'd hetter keep out ol our way.
ill looked at the Kin. his mouth was open and his lace was lull ol horror. And then she
understood the devilish cunnin ol the enemies' plan. By mixin a little truth with it they had
made their lie lar stroner. What was the ood, now, ol tellin the Beasts that an ass had heen
dressed up as a lion to deceive them: The Ape would only say, That's just what I've said. What
was the ood ol showin them Puzzle in his lion-skin: They would only tear him in pieces.
That's taken the wind out ol our sails, whispered Eustace. The round is taken lrom under our
leet, said Tirian. Cursed, cursed cleverness' said Poin. I'll he sworn that this new lie is ol
Giner's makin.
Chapter Ten

V|o Vi|| Co Inio i|e Siob|e?

ILL lelt somethin ticklin her ear. It was ewel the Unicorn, whisperin to her with the
wide whisper ol a horse's mouth. As soon as she heard what he was sayin she nodded and tip-
toed hack to where Puzzle was standin. Quickly and quietly she cut the last cords that hound
the lion-skin to him. It wouldn't do lor him to he cauht with that on, alter what the Ape had
said' She would like to have hidden the skin somewhere very lar away, hut it was too heavy. The
hest she could do was to kick it in amon the thickest hushes. Then she made sins to Puzzle to
lollow her and they hoth joined the others.
The Ape was speakin aain.
And alter a horrid thin like that, Aslan Tashlan is anrier than ever. He says he's heen
a reat deal too ood to you, comin out every niht to he looked at, see' Well, he's not comin
out any more.
Howls and mewins and squeals and runts were the Animals' answer to this, hut suddenly a
quite dillerent voice hroke in with a loud lauh.
Hark what the monkey says, it shouted. We know why he isn't oin to hrin his precious
Aslan out. I'll tell you why. hecause he hasn't ot him. He never had anythin except an old
donkey with a lion-skin on its hack. Now he's lost that and he doesn't know what to do.
Tirian could not see the laces on the other side ol the lire very well hut he uessed this was
Grillle the Chiel Dwarl. And he was quite certain ol it when, a second later, all the Dwarls'
voices joined in, sinin. Don't know what to do' Don't know what to do' Don't know what to
do-o-o'
Silence' thundered Rishda Tarkaan. Silence, children ol mud' Listen to me, you other
Narnians, lest I ive command to my warriors to lall upon you with the ede ol the sword. The
Lord Shilt has already told you ol that wicked Ass. Do you think, hecause ol him that there is no
real Tashlan in the stahle' Do you: Beware, heware.
No, no, shouted most ol the crowd. But the Dwarls said, That's riht, Darkie, you've ot it.
Come on, Monkey, show us what's in the stahle, seein is helievin.
When next there was a moment's quiet the Ape said. You Dwarls think you're very clever,
don't you: But not so last. I never said you couldn't see Tashlan. Anyone who likes can see him.
The whole assemhly hecame silent. Then, alter nearly a minute, the Bear hean in a slow,
puzzled voice.
I don't quite understand all this, it rumhled, I thouht you said
You thouht' repeated the Ape. As il anyone could call what oes on in your head
thinkin. Listen, you others. Anyone can see Tashlan. But he's not comin out. You have to o in
and see him.
Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you, said dozens ol voices. That's what we wanted' We
can o in and see him lace to lace. And now he'll he kind and it will all he as it used to he. And
the Birds chattered, and the Dos harked excitedly. Then suddenly, there was a reat stirrin and
a noise ol creatures risin to their leet, and in a second the whole lot ol them would have heen
rushin lorward and tryin to crowd into the stahle door all toether. But the Ape shouted.
Get hack' Quiet' Not so last.
The Beasts stopped, many ol them with one paw in the with tails wain, and all ol them
with heads on one side.
I thouht you said, hean the Bear, hut Shilt interrupted.
Anyone can o in, he said. But, one at a time. Who'll o lirst: He didn't say he was leelin
very kind. He's heen lickin his lips a lot since he swallowed up the wicked Kin the other niht.
He's heen rowlin a ood deal this mornin. I wouldn't much like to o into that stahle mysell
toniht. But just as you please. Who'd like to o in lirst: Don't hlame me il he swallows you
whole or hlasts you into a cinder with the mere terror ol his eyes. That's your allair. Now then'
Who's lirst: What ahout one ol you Dwarls:
Dilly, dilly, come and he killed' sneered Grillle. How do we know what you've ot in
there:
Ho-ho' cried the Ape. So you're heinnin to think there's somethin there, eh: Well, all
you Beasts were makin noise enouh a minute ao. What's struck you all dumh: Who's oin in
lirst:
But the Beasts all stood lookin at one another and hean hackin away lrom the stahle. Very
lew tails were wain now. The Ape waddled to and lro jeerin at them. Ho-ho-ho' he
chuckled. I thouht you were all so eaer to see Tashlan lace to lace' Chaned your mind, eh:
Tirian hent his head to hear somethin that ill was tryin to whisper in his ear. What do you
think is really inside the stahle: she said. Who knows: said Tirian. Two Calormen with drawn
swords, as likely as not, one on each side ol the door. You don't think, said ill, it miht he . . .
you know . . . that horrid thin we saw: Tash himsell: whispered Tirian. There's no knowin.
But courae, child. we are all hetween the paws ol the true Aslan.
Then a most surprisin thin happened. Giner the Cat said in a cool, clear voice, not at all as
il he was excited, I'll o in, il you like.
Every creature turned and lixed its eyes on the Cat. Mark their suhtleties, Sire, said Poin
to the Kin. This cursed cat is in the plot, in the very centre ol it. Whatever is in the stahle will
not hurt him, I'll he hound. Then Giner will come out aain and say that he has seen some
wonder.
But Tirian had no time to answer him. The Ape was callin the Cat to come lorward. Ho-
ho' said the Ape. So you, a pert Puss, would look upon him lace to lace. Come on, then' I'll
open the door lor you. Don't hlame me il he scares the whiskers oll your lace. That's your allair.
And the Cat ot up and came out ol its place in the crowd, walkin primly and daintily, with
its tail in the air, not one hair on its sleek coat out ol place. It came on till it had passed the lire
and was so close that Tirian, lrom where he stood with his shoulder aainst the end-wall ol the
stahle, could look riht into its lace. Its hi reen eyes never hlinked. (Cool as a cucumher,
muttered Eustace. It knows it has nothin to lear.) The Ape, chucklin and makin laces,
shuttled across heside the Cat. put up his paw. drew the holt and opened the door. Tirian
thouht he could hear the Cat purrin as it walked into the dark doorway.
Aii-aii-aouwee' The most horrihle caterwaul you ever heard made everyone jump. You
have heen wakened yoursell hy cats quarrellin or makin love on the rool in the middle ol the
niht. you know the sound.
This was worse. The Ape was knocked head over heels hy Giner comin hack out ol the
stahle at top speed. Il you had not known he was a cat, you miht have thouht he was a iner-
colored streak ol lihtnin. He shot across the open rass, hack into the crowd. No one wants to
meet a cat in that state. You could see animals ettin out ol his way to lelt and riht. He dashed
up a tree, whisked around, and hun head downwards. His tail was hristled out till it was nearly
as thick as his whole hody. his eyes were like saucers ol reen lire. alon his hack every sinle hair
stood on end.
I'd ive my heard, whispered Poin, to know whether that hrute is only actin or whether
it has really lound somethin in there that lrihtened it'
Peace, lriend, said Tirian, lor the Captain and the Ape were also whisperin and he wanted
to hear what they said. He did not succeed, except that he heard the Ape once more whimperin
My head, my head, hut he ot the idea that those two were almost as puzzled hy the cat's
hehavior as himsell.
Now, Giner, said the Captain. Enouh ol that noise. Tell them what thou hast seen.
AiiAiiAaow Awah, screamed the Cat.
Art thou not called a Talkin Beast: said the Captain. Then hold thy devilish noise and
talk.
What lollowed was rather horrihle. Tirian lelt quite certain (and so did the others) that the
Cat was tryin to say somethin. hut nothin came out ol his mouth except the ordinary, uly
cat-noises you miht hear lrom any anry or lrihtened old Tom in a hackyard in Enland. And
the loner he caterwauled the less like a Talkin Beast he looked. Uneasy whimperins and little
sharp squeals hroke out lrom amon the other Animals.
Look, look' said the voice ol the Bear. It can't talk. It has lorotten how to talk' It has one
hack to hein a dumh heast. Look at its lace. Everyone saw that it was true. And then the
reatest terror ol all lell upon those Narnians. Ior every one ol them had heen tauht when it
was only a chick or a puppy or a cuh how Aslan at the heinnin ol the world had turned the
heasts ol Narnia into Talkin Beasts and warned them that il they weren't ood they miht one
day he turned hack aain and he like the poor witless animals one meets in other countries. And
now it is comin upon us, they moaned.
Mercy' Mercy' wailed the Beasts. Spare us, Lord Shilt, stand hetween us and Aslan, you
must always o in and speak to him lor us. We daren't, we daren't.
Giner disappeared lurther up into the tree. No one ever saw him aain.
Tirian stood with his hand on his sword-hilt and his head howed. He was dazed with the
horrors ol that niht. Sometimes he thouht it would he hest to draw his sword at once and rush
upon the Calormen. then next moment he thouht it would he hetter to wait and see what new
turn allairs miht take. And now a new turn came.
My Iather, came a clear, rinin voice lrom the lelt ol the crowd. Tirian knew at once that
it was one ol the Calormen speakin, lor in The Tisroc's army the common soldiers call the
ollicers My Master hut the ollicers call their senior ollicers My Iather. ill and Eustace didn't
know this hut, alter lookin this way and that, they saw the speaker, lor ol course people at the
sides ol the crowd were easier to see than people in the middle where the lare ol the lire made
all heyond it look rather hlack. He was youn and tall and slender, and even rather heautilul in
the dark, hauhty, Calormen way.
My Iather, he said to the Captain, I also desire to o in.
Peace, Emeth, said the Captain, Who called thee to counsel: Does it hecome a hoy to
speak:
My Iather, said Emeth. Truly I am youner than thou, yet I also am ol the hlood ol the
Tarkaans even as thou art, and I also am the servant ol Tash. Therelore . . .
Silence, said Rishda Tarkaan. Am not I thy Captain: Thou hast nothin to do with this
stahle. It is lor the Narnians.
Nay, my Iather, answered Emeth. Thou hast said that their Aslan and our Tash are all one.
And il that is the truth, then Tash himsell is in yonder. And how then sayest thou that I have
nothin to do with him: Ior ladly would I die a thousand deaths il I miht look once on the lace
ol Tash.
Thou art a lool and understandest nothin, said Rishda Tarkaan. These he hih matters.
Emeth's lace rew sterner. Is it then not true that Tash and Aslan are all one: he asked. Has
the Ape lied to us:
Ol course they're all one, said the Ape.
Swear it, Ape, said Emeth.
Oh dear' whimpered Shilt, I wish you'd all stop hotherin me. My head does ache. Yes, yes,
I swear it.
Then, my Iather, said Emeth, I am utterly determined to o in.
Iool, hean Rishda Tarkaan, hut at once the Dwarls hean shoutin. Come alon, Darkie.
Why don't you let him in: Why do you let Narnians in and keep your own people out: What
have you ot in there that you don't want your own men to meet:
Tirian and his lriends could only see the hack ol Rishda Tarkaan, so they never knew what his
lace looked like as he shrued his shoulders and said, Bear witness all that I am uiltless ol this
youn lool's hlood. Get thee in, rash hoy, and make haste.
Then, just as Giner had done, Emeth came walkin lorward into the open strip ol rass
hetween the honlire and the stahle. His eyes were shinin, his lace very solemn, his hand was on
his sword-hilt, and he carried his head hih. ill lelt like cryin when she looked at his lace. And
ewel whispered in the Kin's ear, By the Lion's Mane, I almost love this youn warrior,
Calormen thouh he he. He is worthy ol a hetter od than Tash.
I do wish we knew what is really inside there, said Eustace.
Emeth opened the door and went in, into the hlack mouth ol the stahle. He closed the door
hehind him. Only a lew moments passed hut it seemed loner helore the door opened aain.
A liure in Calormen armor reeled out, lell on its hack, and lay still. the door closed hehind it.
The Captain leaped towards it and hent down to stare at its lace. He ave a start ol surprise. Then
he recovered himsell and turned to the crowd, cryin out.
The rash hoy has had his will. He has looked on Tash and is dead. Take warnin, all ol you.
We will, we will, said the poor Beasts. But Tirian and his lriends stared at the dead
Calormen and then at one another. Ior they, hein so close, could see what the crowd, hein
lurther oll and heyond the lire, could not see. this dead man was not Emeth. He was quite
dillerent. an older man, thicker and not so tall, with a hi heard.
Ho-ho-ho, chuckled the Ape. Any more: Anyone else want to o in: Well, as you're all
shy, I'll choose the next. You, you Boar' On you come. Drive him up, Calormen. He shall see
Tashlan lace to lace.
O-o-mph, runted the Boar, risin heavily to his leet. Come on, then. Try my tusks.
When Tirian saw that hrave Beast ettin ready to liht lor its lile and Calormen soldiers
heinnin to close in on it with their drawn scimitars and no one oin to its help
somethin seemed to hurst inside him. He no loner cared il this was the hest moment to
interlere or not.
Swords out, he whispered to the others. Arrow on strin. Iollow.
Next moment the astonished Narnians saw seven liures leap lorth in lront ol the stahle, lour
ol them in shinin mail. The Kin's sword llashed in the lireliht as he waved it ahove his head
and cried in a reat voice.
Here stand I, Tirian ol Narnia, in Aslan's name, to prove with my hody that Tash is a loul
liend, the Ape a manilold traitor, and these Calormen worthy ol death. To my side, all true
Narnians. Would you wait till your new masters have killed you all one hy one:
Chapter E|even

T|e Poce vicIens

QUICK as lihtnin, Rishda Tarkaan leaped hack out ol reach ol the Kin's sword. He was no
coward, and would have louht sinle-handed aainst Tirian and the Dwarl il need were. But he
could not take on the Eale and the Unicorn as well. He knew how Eales can lly into your lace
and peck at your eyes and hlind you with their wins. And he had heard lrom his lather (who had
met Narnians in hattle) that no man, except with arrows, or a lon spear, can match a Unicorn,
lor it rears on its hind les as it lalls upon you and then you have its hools and its horn and its
teeth to deal with all at once. So he rushed into the crowd and stood callin out.
To me, to me, warriors ol The Tisroc, may-he-live-lorever. To me, all loyal Narnians, lest the
wrath ol Tashlan lall upon you'
While this was happenin two other thins happened as well. The Ape had not realized his
daner as quickly as the Tarkaan. Ior a second or so he remained squattin heside the lire starin
at the newcomers. Then Tirian rushed upon the wretched creature, picked it up hy the scrull ol
the neck, and dashed hack to the stahle shoutin, Open the door' Poin opened it. Go and
drink your own medicine, Shilt' said Tirian and hurled the Ape throuh into the darkness. But as
the Dwarl haned the door shut aain, a hlindin reenish-hlue liht shone out lrom the inside ol
the stahle, the earth shook, and there was a strane noise a cluckin and screamin as il it was
the hoarse voice ol some monstrous hird. The Beasts moaned and howled and called out
Tashlan' Hide us lrom him' and many lell down, and many hid their laces in their wins or
paws. No one except Iarsiht the Eale, who has the hest eyes ol all livin thins, noticed the lace
ol Rishda Tarkaan at that moment. And lrom what Iarsiht saw there he knew at once that
Rishda was just as surprised, and nearly lrihtened, as everyone else. There oes one, thouht
Iarsiht, who has called on ods he does not helieve in. How will it he with him il they have
really come:
The third thin which also happened at the same moment was the only really heautilul
thin that niht. Every sinle Talkin Do in the whole meetin (there were lilteen ol them)
came houndin and harkin joyously to the Kin's side. They were mostly reat hi dos with
thick shoulders and heavy jaws. Their comin was like the hreakin ol a reat wave on the sea
heach. it nearly knocked you down. Ior thouh they were Talkin Dos they were just as doy
as they could he. and they all stood up and put their lront paws on the shoulders ol the humans
and licked their laces, all sayin at once. Welcome' Welcome' We'll help, we'll help, help, help.
Show us how to help, show us how, how. How-how-how:
It was so lovely that it made you want to cry. This, at last, was the sort ol thin they had heen
hopin lor. And when, a moment later, several little animals (mice and moles and a squirrel or so)
came patterin up, squealin with joy, and sayin See, see. We're here, and when, alter that, the
Bear and the Boar came too, Eustace hean to leel that perhaps, alter all, everythin miht he
oin to come riht. But Tirian azed round and saw how very lew ol the animals had moved.
To me' to me' he called. Have you all turned cowards since I was your Kin:
We daren't, whimpered dozens ol voices. Tashlan would he anry. Shield us lrom Tashlan.
Where are all the Talkin Horses: said Tirian to the Boar.
We've seen, we've seen, squealed the Mice. The Ape has made them work. They're all tied
down at the hottom ol the hill.
Then all you little ones, said Tirian, you nihhlers and nawers and nutcrackers, away with
you as last as you can scamper and see il the Horses are on our side. And il they are, et your
teeth into the ropes and naw till the Horses are lree and hrin them hither.
With a ood will, Sire, came the small voices, and with a whisk ol tails those sharp-eyed and
sharp-toothed lolk were oll. Tirian smiled lor mere love as he saw them o. But it was already
time to he thinkin ol other thins. Rishda Tarkaan was ivin his orders.
Iorward, he said. Take all ol them alive il you can and hurl them into the stahle or drive
them into it. When they are all in we will put lire to it and make them an ollerin to the reat
od Tash.
Ha' said Iarsiht to himsell. So that is how he hopes to win Tash's pardon lor his unheliel.
The enemy line ahout hall ol Rishda's lorce was now movin lorward, and Tirian had
harely time to ive his orders.
Out on the lelt, ill, and try to shoot all you may helore they reach us. Boar and Bear next to
her. Poin on my lelt, Eustace on my riht. Hold the riht win, ewel. Stand hy him, Puzzle, and
use your hools. Hover and strike, Iarsiht. You Dos, just hehind us. Go in amon them alter the
sword-play has heun. Aslan to our aid'
Eustace stood with his heart heatin terrihly, hopin and hopin that he would he hrave. He
had never seen anythin (thouh he had seen hoth a draon and a sea serpent) that made his
hlood run so cold as that line ol dark-laced hriht-eyed men. There were lilteen Calormen, a
Talkin Bull ol Narnia, Slinkey the Iox, and Wrale the Satyr. Then he heard twan-and-zip on
his lelt and one Calormen lell. then twan-and-zip aain and the Satyr was down. Oh, well done,
dauhter' came Tirian's voice, and then the enemy were upon them.
Eustace could never rememher what happened in the next two minutes. It was all like a
dream (the sort you have when your temperature is over cc) until he heard Rishda Tarkaan's
voice callin out lrom the distance.
Retire. Back hither and re-lorm.
Then Eustace came to his senses and saw the Calormen scamperin hack to their lriends. But
not all ol them. Two lay dead, pierced hy ewel's horn, one hy Tirian's sword. The Iox lay dead at
his own leet, and he wondered il it was he who had killed it. The Bull also was down, shot
throuh the eye hy an arrow lrom ill and ashed in his side hy the Boar's tusk. But our side had
its losses too. Three dos were killed and a lourth was hohhlin hehind the line on three les and
whimperin. The Bear lay on the round, movin leehly. Then it mumhled in its throaty voice,
hewildered to the last, I I don't understand, laid its hi head down on the rass as quietly as a
child oin to sleep, and never moved aain.
In lact, the lirst attack had lailed. Eustace didn't seem ahle to he lad ahout it. he was so
terrihly thirsty and his arm ached so.
As the deleated Calormen went hack to their commander, the Dwarls hean jeerin at them.
Had enouh, Darkies: they yelled. Don't you like it: Why doesn't your reat Tarkaan o
and liht himsell instead ol sendin you to he killed: Poor Darkies'
Dwarls, cried Tirian. Come here and use your swords, not your tonues. There is still time.
Dwarls ol Narnia' You can liht well, I know. Come hack to your alleiance.
Yah' sneered the Dwarls. Not likely. You're just as hi humhus as the other lot. We don't
want any Kins. The Dwarls are lor the Dwarls. Boo'
Then the Drum hean. not a Dwarl drum this time, hut a hi hull's hide Calormen drum. The
children lrom the very lirst hated the sound. Boom hoom ha-ha-hoom it went. But they
would have hated it lar worse il they had known what it meant. Tirian did. It meant that there
were other Calormen troops somewhere near and that Rishda Tarkaan was callin them to his
aid. Tirian and ewel looked at one another sadly. They had just heun to hope that they miht
win that niht. hut it would he all over with them il new enemies appeared.
Tirian azed despairinly round. Several Narnians were standin with the Calormen, whether
throuh treachery or in honest lear ol Tashlan. Others were sittin still, starin, not likely to join
either side. But there were lewer animals now. the crowd was much smaller. Clearly, several ol
them had just crept quietly away durin the lihtin.
Boom hoom ha-ha-hoom went the horrihle drum. Then another sound hean to mix
with it. Listen' said ewel. and then Look' said Iarsiht. A moment later there was no douht
what it was. With a thunder ol hools, with tossin heads, widened nostrils, and wavin manes,
over a score ol Talkin Horses ol Narnia came charin up the hill. The nawers and nihhlers had
done their work.
Poin the Dwarl and the children opened their mouths to cheer hut that cheer never came.
Suddenly the air was lull ol the sound ol twanin howstrins and hissin arrows. It was the
Dwarls who were shootin and lor a moment ill could hardly helieve her eyes they were
shootin the Horses. Dwarls are deadly archers. Horse alter Horse rolled over. Not one ol those
nohle Beasts ever reached the Kin.
Little Swine, shrieked Eustace, dancin in his rae. Dirty, lilthy, treacherous little hrutes.
Even ewel said, Shall I run alter those Dwarls, Sire, and spit ten ol them on my horn at each
plune: But Tirian with his lace as stern as stone, said, Stand last, ewel. Il you must weep,
sweetheart (this was to ill), turn your lace aside and see you wet not your how-strin. And
peace, Eustace. Do not scold, like a kitchen-irl. No warrior scolds. Courteous words or else hard
knocks are his only lanuae.
But the Dwarls jeered hack at Eustace. That was a surprise lor you, little hoy, eh: Thouht
we were on your side, did you: No lear. We don't want any Talkin Horses. We don't want you
to win any more than the other an. You can't take us in. The Dwarls are lor the Dwarls.
Rishda Tarkaan was still talkin to his men, douhtless makin arranements lor the next
attack and prohahly wishin he had sent his whole lorce into the lirst. The drum hoomed on.
Then, to their horror, Tirian and his lriends heard, lar lainter as il lrom a lon way oll, an
answerin drum. Another hody ol Calormen had heard Rishda's sinal and were comin to
support him. You would not have known lrom Tirian's lace that he had now iven up all hope.
Listen, he whispered in a matter-ol-lact voice, we must attack now, helore yonder
miscreants are strenthened hy their lriends.
Bethink you, Sire, said Poin, that here we have the ood wooden wall ol the stahle at our
hacks. Il we advance, shall we not he encircled and et sword-points hetween our shoulders:
I would say as you do, Dwarl, said Tirian. Were it not their very plan to lorce us into the
stahle: The lurther we are lrom its deadly door, the hetter.
The Kin is riht, said Iarsiht. Away lrom this accursed stahle, and whatever ohlin lives
inside it, at all costs.
Yes, do let's, said Eustace. I'm comin to hate the very siht ol it.
Good, said Tirian. Now look yonder to our lelt. You see a reat rock that leams white like
marhle in the lireliht. Iirst we will lall upon those Calormen. You, maiden, shall move out on
our lelt and shoot as last as ever you may into their ranks. and you, Eale, lly at their laces lrom
the riht. Meanwhile we others will he charin them. When we are so close, ill, that you can no
loner shoot at them lor lear ol strikin us, o hack to the white rock and wait. You others, keep
your ears wide even in the lihtin. We must put them to lliht in a lew minutes or else not at
all, lor we are lewer than they. As soon as I call hack, then rush to join ill at the white rock,
where we shall have protection hehind us and can hreathe awhile. Now, he oll, ill.
Ieelin terrihly alone, ill ran out ahout twenty leet, put her riht le hack and her lelt le
lorward, and set an arrow to her strin. She wished her hands were not shakin so. 'That's a
rotten shot' she said as her lirst arrow sped towards the enemy and llew over their heads. But she
had another on the strin next moment. she knew that speed was what mattered. She saw
somethin hi and hlack dartin into the laces ol the Calormen. That was Iarsiht. Iirst one man,
and then another, dropped his sword and put up hoth his hands to delend his eyes. Then one ol
her own arrows hit a man, and another hit a Narnian woll, who had, it seemed, joined the enemy.
But she had heen shootin only lor a lew seconds when she had to stop. With a llash ol swords
and ol the Boar's tusks and ewel's horn, and with deep hayin lrom the dos, Tirian and his party
were rushin on their enemies, like men in a hundred yards' race. ill was astonished to see how
unprepared the Calormen seemed to he. She did not realize that this was the result ol her work
and the Eale's. Very lew troops can keep on lookin steadily to the lront il they are ettin
arrows in their laces lrom one side and hein pecked hy an eale on the other.
Oh well done. Well done' shouted ill. The Kin's party were cuttin their way riht into
the enemy. The Unicorn was tossin men as you'd toss hay on a lork. Even Eustace seemed to ill
(who alter all didn't know very much ahout swordsmanship) to he lihtin hrilliantly. The Dos
were at the Calormen's throats. It was oin to work' It was victory at last With a horrihle,
cold shock ill noticed a strane thin. Thouh Calormen were lallin at each Narnian sword-
stroke, they never seemed to et any lewer. In lact, there were actually more ol them now than
when the liht hean. There were more every second. They were runnin up lrom every side.
They were new Calormen. These new ones had spears. There was such a crowd ol them that she
could hardly see her own lriends. Then she heard Tirian's voice cryin.
Back' To the rock'
The enemy had heen reinlorced. The drum had done its work.
Chapter Twe|ve

T|rov| i|e Siob|e Door

ILL ouht to have heen hack at the white rock already hut she had quite lorotten that part
ol her orders in the excitement ol watchin the liht. Now she rememhered. She turned at once
and ran to it, and arrived there harely a second helore the others. It thus happened that all ol
them, lor a moment, had their hacks to the enemy. They all wheeled round the moment they had
reached it. A terrihle siht met their eyes.
A Calormen was runnin towards the stahle door carryin somethin that kicked and
struled. As he came hetween them and the lire they could see clearly hoth the shape ol the
man and the shape ol what he carried. It was Eustace.
Tirian and the Unicorn rushed out to rescue him. But the Calormen was now lar nearer to the
door then they. Belore they had covered hall the distance he had llun Eustace in and shut the
door on him. Hall a dozen more Calormen had run up hehind him. They lormed a line on the
open space helore the stahle. There was no ettin at it now.
Even then ill rememhered to keep her lace turned aside, well away lrom her how. Even il I
can't stop hluhhin, I won't et my strin wet, she said.
'Ware arrows, said Poin suddenly.
Everyone ducked and pulled his helmet well over his
nose. The Dos crouched hehind. But thouh a lew arrows came their way it soon hecame
clear that they were not hein shot at. Grillle and his Dwarls were at their archery aain. This
time they were coolly shootin at the Calormen.
Keep it up, hoys' came Grillle's voice. All toether. Carelully. We don't want Darkies any
more than we want Monkeys or Lions or Kins. The Dwarls are lor the Dwarls.
Whatever else you may say ahout Dwarls, no one can say they aren't hrave. They could easily
have ot away to some sale place. They prelerred to stay and kill as many ol hoth sides as they
could, except when hoth sides were kind enouh to save them trouhle hy killin one another.
They wanted Narnia lor their own.
What perhaps they had not taken into account was that the Calormen were mail-clad and the
Horses had had no protection. Also the Calormen had a leader. Rishda Tarkaan's voice cried out.
Thirty ol you keep watch on those lools hy the white rock. The rest, alter me, that we may
teach these sons ol earth a lesson.
Tirian and his lriends, still pantin lrom their liht and thanklul lor a lew minutes' rest, stood
and looked on while the Tarkaan led his men aainst the Dwarls. It was a strane scene hy now.
The lire had sunk lower. the liht it ave was now less and ol a darker red. As lar as one could
see, the whole place ol assemhly was now empty except lor the Dwarl and the Calormen. In that
liht one couldn't make out much ol what was happenin. It sounded as il the Dwarls were
puttin up a ood liht. Tirian could hear Grillle usin dreadlul lanuae, and every now and then
the Tarkaan callin, Take all you can alive' Take them alive'
Whatever that liht may have heen like, it did not last lon. The noise ol it died away. Then
ill saw the Tarkaan comin hack to the stahle. eleven men lollowed him, drain eleven hound
Dwarls. (Whether the others had all heen killed, or whether some ol them had ot away, was
never known.)
Throw them into the shrine ol Tash, said Rishda Tarkaan.
And when the eleven Dwarls, one alter the other, had heen llun or kicked into that dark
doorway and the door had heen shut aain, he howed low to the stahle and said.
These also are lor thy hurnt ollerin, Lord Tash.
And all the Calormen haned the llats ol their swords on their shields and shouted, Tash'
Tash' The reat od Tash' Inexorahle Tash' (There was no nonsense ahout Tashlan now.)
The little party hy the white rock watched these doins and whispered to one another. They
had lound a trickle ol water comin down the rock and all had drunk eaerly ill and Poin
and the Kin in their hands, while the lour-looted ones lapped lrom the little pool which it had
made at the loot ol the stone. Such was their thirst that it seemed the most delicious drink they
had ever had in their lives, and while they were drinkin they were perlectly happy and could not
think ol anythin else.
I leel in my hones, said Poin, that we shall all, one hy one, pass throuh that dark door
helore mornin. I can think ol a hundred deaths I would rather have died.
It is indeed a rim door, said Tirian. It is more like a mouth.
Oh, can't we do anythin to stop it: said ill in a shaken voice.
Nay, lair lriend, said ewel, nosin her ently. It may he lor us the door to Aslan's country
and we shall sup at his tahle toniht.
Rishda Tarkaan turned his hack on the stahle and walked slowly to a place in lront ol the
white rock.
Hearken, he said. Il the Boar and the Dos and the Unicorn will come over to me and put
themselves in my mercy, their lives shall he spared. The Boar shall o to a cae in The Tisroc's
arden, the Dos to The Tisroc's kennels, and the Unicorn, when I have sawn his horn oll, shall
draw a cart. But the Eale, the children, and he who was the Kin shall he ollered to Tash this
niht.
The only answer was rowls.
Get on, warriors, said the Tarkaan. Kill the heasts, hut take the two-leed ones alive.
And then the last hattle ol the last Kin ol Narnia hean.
What made it hopeless, even apart lrom the numhers ol the enemy, was the spears. The
Calormen who had heen with the Ape almost lrom the heinnin had had no spears. that was
hecause they had come into Narnia hy ones and twos, pretendin to he peacelul merchants, and
ol course they had carried no spears lor a spear is not a thin you can hide. The new ones must
have come in later, alter the Ape was already stron and they could march openly. The spears
made all the dillerence. With a lon spear you can kill a hoar helore you are in reach ol his tusks
and a unicorn helore you are in reach ol his horn, il you are very quick and keep your head. And
now the leveled spears were closin in on Tirian and his last lriends. Next minute they were all
lihtin lor their lives.
In a way it wasn't quite so had as you miht think.
When you are usin every muscle to the lull duckin under a spear-point here, leapin
over it there, lunin lorward, drawin hack, wheelin round you haven't much time to leel
either lrihtened or sad. Tirian knew he could do nothin lor the others now, they were all
doomed toether. He vauely saw the Boar o down on one side ol him, and ewel lihtin
luriously on the other. Out ol the corner ol one eye he saw, hut only just saw, a hi Calormen
pullin ill away somewhere hy her hair. But he hardly thouht ahout any ol these thins. His
only thouht now was to sell his lile as dearly as he could. The worst ol it was that he couldn't
keep to the position in which he had started, under the white rock. A man who is lihtin a
dozen enemies at once must take his chances wherever he can, must dart in wherever he sees an
enemy's hreast or neck unuarded. In a very lew strokes this may et you quite a distance lrom
the spot where you hean. Tirian soon lound that he was ettin lurther and lurther to the riht,
nearer to the stahle. He had a vaue idea in his mind that there was some ood reason lor keepin
away lrom it. But he couldn't now rememher what the reason was. And anyway, he couldn't help
it.
All at once everythin came quite clear. He lound he was lihtin the Tarkaan himsell. The
honlire (what was lelt ol it) was straiht in lront. He was in lact lihtin in the very doorway ol
the stahle, lor it had heen opened and two Calormen were holdin the door, ready to slam it shut
the moment he was inside. He rememhered everythin now, and he realized that the enemy had
heen edin him to the stahle on purpose ever since the liht hean. And while he was thinkin
this he was still lihtin the Tarkaan as hard as he could.
A new idea came into Tirian's head. He dropped his sword, darted lorward, in under the
sweep ol the Tarkaan's scimitar, seized his enemy hy the helt with hoth hands, and jumped hack
into the stahle, shoutin.
Come in and meet Tash yoursell'
There was a dealenin noise. As when the Ape had heen llun in, the earth shook and there
was a hlindin liht.
The Calormen soldiers outside screamed. Tash, Tash' and haned the door. Il Tash wanted
their own Captain, Tash must have him. They, at any rate, did not want to meet Tash.
Ior a moment or two Tirian did not know where he was or even who he was. Then he
steadied himsell, hlinked, and looked around. It was not dark inside the stahle, as he had
expected. He was in stron liht. that was why he was hlinkin.
He turned to look at Rishda Tarkaan, hut Rishda was not lookin at him. Rishda ave a reat
wail and pointed, then he put his hands helore his lace and lell llat, lace downwards, on the
round. Tirian looked in the direction where the Tarkaan had pointed. And then he understood.
A terrihle liure was comin towards them. It was lar smaller than the shape they had seen
lrom the Tower, thouh still much hier than a man, and it was the same. It had a vulture's head
and lour arms. Its heak was open and its eyes hlazed. A croakin voice came lrom its heak.
Thou hast called me into Narnia, Rishda Tarkaan. Here I am. What hast thou to say:
But the Tarkaan neither lilted his lace lrom the round nor said a word. He was shakin like a
man with a had hiccup. He was hrave enouh in hattle. hut hall his courae had lelt him earlier
that niht when he lirst hean to suspect that there miht he a real Tash. The rest ol it had lelt
him now.
With a sudden jerk -like a hen stoopin to pick up a worm Tash pounced on the
miserahle Rishda and tucked him under the upper ol his two riht arms. Then Tash turned his
head sidewise to lix Tirian with one ol his terrihle eyes. lor ol course, havin a hird's head, he
couldn't look at you straiht.
But immediately, lrom hehind Tash, stron and calm as the summer sea, a voice said.
Beone, Monster, and take your lawlul prey to your own place. in the name ol Aslan and
Aslan's reat Iather the Emperor-over-the-Sea.
The hideous creature vanished, with the Tarkaan still under its arm. And Tirian turned to see
who had spoken.
And what he saw then set his heart heatin as it had never heaten in any liht.
Seven Kins and Queens stood helore him, all with crowns on their heads and all in litterin
clothes, hut the Kins wore line mail as well and had their swords drawn in their hands. Tirian
howed courteously and was ahout to speak when the younest ol the Queens lauhed. He stared
hard at her lace, and then asped with amazement, lor he knew her. It was ill. hut not ill as he
had last seen her, with her lace all dirt and tears and an old drill dress hall slippin oll one
shoulder. Now she looked cool and lresh, as lresh as il she had just come lrom hathin. And at
lirst he thouht she looked older, hut then didn't, and he could never make up his mind on that
point. And then he saw that the younest ol the Kins was Eustace. hut he also was chaned as
ill was chaned.
Tirian suddenly lelt awkward ahout comin amon these people with the hlood and dust and
sweat ol a hattle still on him. Next moment he realized that he was not in that state at all. He
was lresh and cool and clean, and dressed in such clothes as he would have worn lor a reat least
at Cair Paravel. (But in Narnia your ood clothes were never your uncomlortahle ones. They
knew how to make thins that lelt heautilul as well as lookin heautilul in Narnia. and there was
no such thin as starch or llannel or elastic to he lound lrom one end ol the country to the other.)
Sire, said ill comin lorward and makin a heautilul curtsey, let me make you known to
Peter the Hih Kin over all Kins in Narnia.
Tirian had no need to ask which was the Hih Kin, lor he rememhered his lace (thouh here
it was lar nohler) lrom his dream. He stepped lorward, sank on one knee and kissed Peter's hand.
Hih Kin, he said. You are welcome to me.
And the Hih Kin raised him and kissed him on hoth cheeks as a Hih Kin should. Then he
led him to the eldest ol the Queens hut even she was not old, and there were no rey hairs on
her head and no wrinkles on her cheek and said, Sir, this is that Lady Polly who came into
Narnia on the Iirst Day, when Aslan made the trees row and the Beasts talk. He hrouht him
next to a man whose olden heard llowed over his hreast and whose lace was lull ol wisdom.
And this, he said, is the Lord Diory who was with her on that day. And this is my hrother,
Kin Edmund. and this my sister, the Queen Lucy.
Sir, said Tirian, when he had reeted all these. Il I have read the chronicle ariht, there
should he another. Has not your Majesty two sisters: Where is Queen Susan:
My sister Susan, answered Peter shortly and ravely, is no loner a lriend ol Narnia.
Yes, said Eustace, and whenever you've tried to et her to come and talk ahout Narnia or
do anythin ahout Narnia, she says, 'What wonderlul memories you have' Iancy your still
thinkin ahout all those lunny ames we used to play when we were children.'
Oh Susan' said ill. She's interested in nothin nowadays except nylons and lipstick and
invitations. She always was a jolly siht too keen on hein rown-up.
Grown-up, indeed, said the Lady Polly. I wish she would row up. She wasted all her
school time wantin to he the ae she is now, and she'll waste all the rest ol her lile tryin to stay
that ae. Her whole idea is to race on to the silliest time ol one's lile as quick as she can and then
stop there as lon as she can.
Well, don't let's talk ahout that now, said Peter. Look' Here are lovely lruit-trees. Let us
taste them.
And then, lor the lirst time, Tirian looked ahout him and realized how very queer this
adventure was.
Chapter Thirteen

How i|e Dwor|s Pe|vseJ io be ToIen In

TIRIAN had thouht or he would have thouht il he had time to think at all that they
were inside a little thatched stahle, ahout twelve leet lon and six leet wide. In reality they stood
on rass, the deep hlue sky was overhead, and the air which hlew ently on their laces was that ol
a day in early summer. Not lar away lrom them rose a rove ol trees, thickly leaved, hut under
every leal there peeped out the old or laint yellow or purple or lowin red ol lruits such as no
one has seen in our world. The lruit made Tirian leel that it must he autumn hut there was
somethin in the leel ol the air that told him it could not he later than une. They all moved
towards the trees.
Everyone raised his hand to pick the lruit he hest liked the look ol, and then everyone paused
lor a second. This lruit was so heautilul that each lelt It can't he meant lor me... surely we're not
allowed to pluck it.
It's all riht, said Peter. I know what we're all thinkin. But I'm sure, quite sure, we needn't.
I've a leelin we've ot to the country where everythin is allowed.
Here oes, then' said Eustace. And they all hean to eat.
What was the lruit like: Unlortunately no one can descrihe a taste. All I can say is that,
compared with those lruits, the lreshest rapelruit you've ever eaten was dull, and the juiciest
orane was dry, and the most meltin pear was hard and woody, and the sweetest wild strawherry
was sour. And there were no seeds or stones, and no wasps. Il you had once eaten that lruit, all
the nicest thins in this world would taste like medicines alter it. But I can't descrihe it. You can't
lind out what it is like unless you can et to that country and taste it lor yoursell.
When they had eaten enouh, Eustace said to Kin Peter, You haven't yet told us how you
ot here. You were just oin to, when Kin Tirian turned up.
There's not much to tell, said Peter. Edmund and I were standin on the platlorm and we
saw your train comin in. I rememher thinkin it was takin the hend lar too last. And I
rememher thinkin how lunny it was that our people were prohahly in the same train thouh
Lucy didn't know ahout it
Your people, Hih Kin: said Tirian.
I mean my Iather and Mother Edmund's and Lucy's and mine.
Why were they: asked ill. You don't mean to say they know ahout Narnia:
Oh no, it had nothin to do with Narnia. They were on their way to Bristol. I'd only heard
they were oin that mornin. But Edmund said they'd he hound to he oin hy that train.
(Edmund was the sort ol person who knows ahout railways.)
And what happened then: said ill.
Well, it's not very easy to descrihe, is it, Edmund: said the Hih Kin.
Not very, said Edmund. It wasn't at all like that other time when we were pulled out ol our
own world hy Maic. There was a lrihtlul roar and somethin hit me with a han, hut it didn't
hurt. And I lelt not so much scared as well, excited. Oh and this is one queer thin.
I'd had a rather sore knee, lrom a hack at ruer. I noticed it had suddenly one. And I lelt
very liht. And then here we were.
It was much the same lor us in the railway carriae, said the Lord Diory, wipin the last
traces ol the lruit lrom his olden heard. Only I think you and I, Polly, chielly lelt that we'd heen
unstillened. You younsters won't understand. But we stopped leelin old.
Younsters, indeed' said ill. I don't helieve you two really are much older than we are
here.
Well il we aren't, we have heen, said the Lady Polly.
And what has heen happenin since you ot here: asked Eustace.
Well, said Peter, lor a lon time (at least I suppose it was a lon time) nothin happened.
Then the door opened
The door: said Tirian.
Yes, said Peter. The door you came in or came out hy. Have you lorotten:
But where is it:
Look, said Peter and pointed.
Tirian looked and saw the queerest and most ridiculous thin you can imaine. Only a lew
yards away, clear to he seen in the sunliht, there stood up a rouh wooden door and, round it,
the lramework ol the doorway. nothin else, no walls, no rool. He walked towards it, hewildered,
and the others lollowed, watchin to see what he would do. He walked round to the other side ol
the door. But it looked just the same lrom the other side. he was still in the open air, on a
summer mornin. The door was simply standin up hy itsell as il it had rown there like a tree.
Iair Sir, said Tirian to the Hih Kin, this is a reat marvel.
It is the door you came throuh with that Calormen live minutes ao, said Peter smilin.
But did I not come in out ol the wood into the stahle: Whereas this seems to he a door
leadin lrom nowhere to nowhere.
It looks like that il you walk round it, said Peter. But put your eye to that place where
there is a crack hetween two ol the planks and look throuh.
Tirian put his eye to the hole. At lirst he could see nothin hut hlackness. Then, at his eyes
rew used to it, he saw the dull red low ol a honlire that was nearly oin out, and ahove that, in
a hlack sky, stars. Then he could see dark liures movin ahout or standin hetween him and the
lire. he could hear them talkin and their voices were like those ol Calormen. So he knew that he
was lookin out throuh the stahle door into the darkness ol Lantern Waste where he had louht
his last hattle. The men were discussin whether to o in and look lor Rishda Tarkaan (hut none
ol them wanted to do that) or to set lire to the stahle.
He looked round aain and could hardly helieve his eyes. There was the hlue sky overhead,
and rassy country spreadin as lar as he could see in every direction, and his new lriends all
round him lauhin.
It seems, then, said Tirian, smilin himsell, that the stahle seen lrom within and the stahle
seen lrom without are two dillerent places.
Yes, said the Lord Diory. Its inside is hier than its outside.
Yes, said Queen Lucy. In our world too, a stahle once had somethin inside it that was
hier than our whole world. It was the lirst time she had spoken, and lrom the thrill in her
voice, Tirian now knew why. She was drinkin everythin in even more deeply than the others.
She had heen too happy to speak. He wanted to hear her speak aain, so he said.
Ol your courtesy, Madam, tell on. Tell me your whole adventure.
Alter the shock and the noise, said Lucy, we lound ourselves here. And we wondered at
the door, as you did. Then the door opened lor the lirst time (we saw darkness throuh the
doorway when it did) and there came throuh a hi man with a naked sword. We saw hy his
arms that he was a Calormen. He took his stand heside the door with his sword raised, restin on
his shoulder, ready to cut down anyone who came throuh. We went to him and spoke to him,
hut we thouht he could neither see nor hear us. And he never looked round on the sky and the
sunliht and the rass. I think he couldn't see them either. So then we waited a lon time. Then
we heard the holt hein drawn on the other side ol the door. But the man didn't et ready to
strike with his sword till he could see who was comin in. So we supposed he had heen told to
strike some and spare others. But at the very moment when the door opened, all ol a sudden
Tash was there, on this side ol the door, none ol us saw where he came lrom. And throuh the
door there came a hi Cat. It ave one look at Tash and ran lor its lile. just in time, lor he
pounced at it and the door hit his heak as it was shut. The man could see Tash. He turned very
pale and howed down helore the Monster. hut it vanished away.
Then we waited a lon time aain. At last the door opened lor the third time and there came
in a youn Calormen. I liked him. The sentinel at the door started, and looked very surprised,
when he saw him. I think he'd heen expectin someone quite dillerent
I see it all now, said Eustace (he had the had hahit ol interruptin stories). The Cat was to
o in lirst and the sentry had orders to do him no harm. Then the Cat was to come out and say
he'd seen their heastly Tashlan and pretend to he lrihtened so as to scare the other Animals. But
what Shilt never uessed was that the real Tash would turn up, so Giner came out really
lrihtened. And alter that, Shilt would send in anyone he wanted to et rid ol and the sentry
would kill them.
And
Iriend, said Tirian soltly, you hinder the lady in her tale.
Well, said Lucy, the sentry was surprised. That ave the other man just time to et on
uard. They had a liht. He killed the sentry and llun him outside the door. Then he came
walkin slowly lorward to where we were. He could see us, and everythin else. We tried to talk
to him hut he was rather like a man in a trance. He kept on sayin Tash, Tash, where is Tash: I
o to Tash. So we ave it up and he went away somewhere over there. I liked him. And alter
that ... uh' Lucy made a lace.
Alter that, said Edmund, someone llun a monkey throuh the door. And Tash was there
aain. My sister is so tender-hearted she doesn't like to tell you that Tash made one peck and the
Monkey was one'
Serve him riht' said Eustace. All the same, I hope he'll disaree with Tash too.
And alter that, said Edmund, came ahout a dozen Dwarls. and then ill, and Eustace, and
last ol all yoursell.
I hope Tash ate the Dwarls too, said Eustace. Little swine.
No, he didn't, said Lucy. And don't he horrid. They're still here. In lact you can see them
lrom here. And I've tried and tried to make lriends with them hut it's no use.
Iriends with them' cried Eustace. Il you knew how those Dwarls have heen hehavin'
Oh stop it, Eustace, said Lucy. Do come and see them. Kin Tirian, perhaps you could do
somethin with them.
I can leel no reat love lor Dwarls today, said Tirian. Yet at your askin, Lady, I would do a
reater thin than this.
Lucy led the way and soon they could all see the Dwarls. They had a very odd look. They
weren't strollin ahout or enjoyin themselves (althouh the cords with which they had heen tied
seemed to have vanished) nor were they lyin down and havin a rest. They were sittin very
close toether in a little circle lacin one another. They never looked round or took any notice ol
the humans till Lucy and Tirian were almost near enouh to touch them. Then the Dwarls all
cocked their heads as il they couldn't see anyone hut were listenin hard and tryin to uess hy
the sound what was happenin.
Look out' said one ol them in a surly voice. Mind where you're oin. Don't walk into our
laces'
All riht' said Eustace indinantly. We're not hlind. We've ot eyes in our heads.
They must he darn ood ones il you can see in here, said the same Dwarl whose name was
Dile.
In where: asked Edmund.
Why you hone-head, in here ol course, said Dile. In this pitch-hlack, poky, smelly little
hole ol a stahle.
Are you hlind: said Tirian.
Ain't we all hlind in the dark' said Dile.
But it isn't dark, you poor stupid Dwarls, said Lucy. Can't you see: Look up' Look round'
Can't you see the sky and the trees and the llowers: Can't you see me:
How in the name ol all Humhu can I see what ain't there: And how can I see you any more
than you can see me in this pitch darkness:
But I can see you, said Lucy. I'll prove I can see you. You've ot a pipe in your mouth.
Anyone that knows the smell ol haccy could tell that, said Dile.
Oh the poor thins' This is dreadlul, said Lucy. Then she had an idea. She stopped and
picked some wild violets. Listen, Dwarl, she said. Even il your eyes are wron, perhaps your
nose is all riht. can you smell that: She leaned across and held the lresh, damp llowers to
Dile's uly nose. But she had to jump hack quickly in order to avoid a hlow lrom his hard little
list.
None ol that' he shouted. How dare you' What do you mean hy shovin a lot ol lilthy
stahle-litter in my lace: There was a thistle in it too. It's like your sauce' And who are you
anyway:
Earth-man, said Tirian, she is the Queen Lucy, sent hither hy Aslan out ol the deep past.
And it is lor her sake alone that I, Tirian your lawlul Kin, do not cut all your heads lrom your
shoulders, proved and twice-proved traitors that you are.
Well il that doesn't heat everythin' exclaimed Dile. How can you o on talkin all that
rot: Your wonderlul Lion didn't come and help you, did he: Thouht not. And now even now
when you've heen heaten and shoved into this hlack hole, just the same as the rest ol us,
you're still at your old ame. Startin a new lie' Tryin to make us helieve we're none ol us shut
up, and it ain't dark, and heaven knows what.
There is no hlack hole, save in your own lancy, lool, cried Tirian. Come out ol it. And,
leanin lorward, he cauht Dile hy the helt and the hood and swun him riht out ol the circle
ol Dwarls. But the moment Tirian put him down, Dile darted hack to his place amon the
others, ruhhin his nose and howlin.
Ow' Ow' What d'you do that lor' Banin my lace aainst the wall. You've nearly hroken
my nose.
Oh dear' said Lucy, What are we to do lor them:
Let 'em alone, said Eustace. hut as he spoke the earth tremhled. The sweet air rew
suddenly sweeter. A hrihtness llashed hehind them. All turned. Tirian turned last hecause he
was alraid. There stood his heart's desire, hue and real, the olden Lion, Aslan himsell, and
already the others were kneelin in a circle round his lorepaws and huryin their hands and laces
in his mane as he stooped his reat head to touch them with his tonue. Then he lixed his eyes
upon Tirian, and Tirian came near, tremhlin, and llun himsell at the Lion's leet, and the Lion
kissed him and said, Well done, last ol the Kins ol Narnia who stood lirm at the darkest hour.
Aslan, said Lucy throuh her tears, could you will you do somethin lor these poor
Dwarls:
Dearest, said Aslan, I will show you hoth what I can, and what I cannot, do. He came close
to the Dwarls and ave a low rowl. low, hut it set all the air shakin. But the Dwarls said to one
another, Hear that: That's the an at the other end ol the stahle. Tryin to lrihten us. They do
it with a machine ol some kind. Don't take any notice. They won't take us in aain'
Aslan raised his head and shook his mane. Instantly a lorious least appeared on the Dwarls'
knees. pies and tonues and pieons and trilles and ices, and each Dwarl had a ohlet ol ood
wine in his riht hand. But it wasn't much use. They hean eatin and drinkin reedily enouh,
hut it was clear that they couldn't taste it properly. They thouht they were eatin and drinkin
only the sort ol thins you miht lind in a stahle. One said he was tryin to eat hay and another
said he had a hit ol an old turnip and a third said he'd lound a raw cahhae leal. And they raised
olden ohlets ol rich red wine to their lips and said Uh' Iancy drinkin dirty water out ol a
trouh that a donkey's heen at' Never thouht we'd come to this. But very soon every Dwarl
hean suspectin that every other Dwarl had lound somethin nicer than he had, and they started
rahhin and snatchin, and went on to quarrellin, till in a lew minutes there was a lree liht and
all the ood lood was smeared on their laces and clothes or trodden under loot. But when at last
they sat down to nurse their hlack eyes and their hleedin noses, they all said.
Well, at any rate there's no Humhu here. We haven't let anyone take us in. The Dwarls are
lor the Dwarls.
You see, said Aslan. They will not let us help them. They have chosen cunnin instead ol
heliel. Their prison is only in their own minds, yet they are in that prison, and so alraid ol hein
taken in that they cannot he taken out. But come, children. I have other work to do.
He went to the Door and they all lollowed him. He raised his head and roared, Now it is
time' then louder, Time', then so loud that it could have shaken the stars, TIME. The Door
llew open.
Chapter Fourteen

Ni|i Fo||s On Nornio

THEY all stood heside Aslan, on his riht side, and looked throuh the open doorway.
The honlire had one out. On the earth all was hlackness. in lact you could not have told that
you were lookin into a wood il you had not seen where the dark shapes ol the trees ended and
the stars hean. But when Aslan had roared yet aain, out on their lelt they saw another hlack
shape. That is, they saw another patch where there were no stars. and the patch rose up hiher
and hiher and hecame the shape ol a man, the huest ol all iants. They all knew Narnia well
enouh to work out where he must he standin. He must he on the hih moorlands that stretch
away to the North heyond the River Shrihhle. Then ill and Eustace rememhered how once lon
ao, in the deep caves heneath those moors, they had seen a reat iant asleep and heen told that
his name was Iather Time, and that he would wake on the day the world ended.
Yes, said Aslan, thouh they had not spoken. While he lay dreamin his name was Time.
Now that he is awake he will have a new one.
Then the reat iant raised a horn to his mouth. They could see this hy the chane ol the
hlack shape he made aainst the stars. Alter that quite a hit later, hecause sound travels so
slowly they heard the sound ol the horn. hih and terrihle, yet ol a strane, deadly heauty.
Immediately the sky hecame lull ol shootin stars. Even one shootin star is a line thin to
see, hut these were dozens, and then scores, and then hundreds, till it was like silver rain. and it
went on and on. And when it had one on lor some while, one or two ol them hean to think
that there was another dark shape aainst the sky as well as the iant's. It was in a dillerent place,
riht overhead, up in the very rool ol the sky as you miht call it. Perhaps it is a cloud, thouht
Edmund. At any rate, there were no stars there. just hlackness. But all around, the downpour ol
stars went on. And then the starless patch hean to row, spreadin lurther and lurther out lrom
the centre ol the sky. And presently a quarter ol the whole sky was hlack, and then a hall, and at
last the rain ol shootin stars was oin on only low down near the horizon.
With a thrill ol wonder (and there was some terror in it too) they all suddenly realized what
was happenin. The spreadin hlackness was not a cloud at all. it was simply emptiness. The
hlack part ol the sky was the part in which there were no stars lelt. All the stars were lallin.
Aslan had called them home.
The last lew seconds helore the rain ol stars had quite ended were very excitin. Stars hean
lallin all round them. But stars in that world are not the reat llamin lohes they are in ours.
They are people (Edmund and Lucy had once met one). So now they lound showers ol litterin
people, all with lon hair like hurnin silver and spears like white-hot metal, rushin down to
them out ol the hlack air, swilter than lallin stones. They made a hissin noise as they landed and
hurnt the rass. And all these stars lided past them and stood somewhere hehind, a little to the
riht.
This was a reat advantae, hecause otherwise, now that there were no stars in the sky,
everythin would have heen completely dark and you could have seen nothin. As it was, the
crowd ol stars hehind them cast a lierce, white liht over their shoulders. They could see mile
upon mile ol Narnian woods spread out helore them, lookin as il they were lloodlit. Every hush
and almost every hlade ol rass had its hlack shadow hehind it. The ede ol every leal stood out
so sharp that you'd think you could cut your liner on it.
On the rass helore them lay their own shadows. But the reat thin was Aslan's shadow. It
streamed away to their lelt, enormous and very terrihle. And all this was under a sky that would
now he starless lorever.
The liht lrom hehind them (and a little to their riht) was so stron that it lit up even the
slopes ol the Northern Moors. Somethin was movin there. Enormous animals were crawlin
and slidin down into Narnia. reat draons and iant lizards and leatherless hirds with wins like
hats' wins. They disappeared into the woods and lor a lew minutes there was silence. Then there
came at lirst lrom very lar oll sounds ol wailin and then, lrom every direction, a rustlin
and a patterin and a sound ol wins. It came nearer and nearer. Soon one could distinuish the
scamper ol little leet lrom the paddin ol hi paws, and the clack-clack ol liht little hools lrom
the thunder ol reat ones. And then one could see thousands ol pairs ol eyes leamin. And at
last, out ol the shadow ol the trees, racin up the hill lor dear lile, hy thousands and hy millions,
came all kinds ol creatures Talkin Beasts, Dwarls, Satyrs, Iauns, Giants, Calormen, men lrom
Archenland, Monopods, and strane unearthly thins lrom the remote islands ol the unknown
Western lands. And all these ran up to the doorway where Aslan stood.
This part ol the adventure was the only one which seemed rather like a dream at the time
and rather hard to rememher properly alterwards. Especially, one couldn't say how lon it had
taken. Sometimes it seemed to have lasted only a lew minutes, hut at others it lelt as il it miht
have one on lor years. Ohviously, unless either the Door had rown very much larer or the
creatures had suddenly rown as small as nats, a crowd like that couldn't ever have tried to et
throuh it. But no one thouht ahout that sort ol thin at the time.
The creatures came rushin on, their eyes hrihter and hrihter as they drew nearer and
nearer to the standin Stars. But as they came riht up to Aslan one or other ol two thins
happened to each ol them. They all looked straiht in his lace, I don't think they had any choice
ahout that. And when some looked, the expression ol their laces chaned terrihly it was lear
and hatred. except that, on the laces ol Talkin Bears, the lear and hatred lasted only lor a
lraction ol a second. You could see that they suddenly ceased to he the Talkin Beasts. They were
just ordinary animals. And all the creatures who looked at Aslan in that way swerved to their
riht, his lelt, and disappeared into his hue hlack shadow, which (as you have heard) streamed
away to the lelt ol the doorway. The children never saw them aain. I don't know what hecame
ol them. But the others looked in the lace ol Aslan and loved him, thouh some ol them were
very lrihtened at the same time. And all these came in at the Door, in on Aslan's riht. There
were some queer specimens amon them. Eustace even reconized one ol those very Dwarls who
had helped to shoot the Horses. But he had no time to wonder ahout that sort ol thin (and
anyway it was no husiness ol his) lor a reat joy put everythin else out ol his head. Amon the
happy creatures who now came crowdin round Tirian and his lriends were all those whom they
had thouht dead. There was Roonwit the Centaur and ewel the Unicorn and the ood Boar and
the ood Bear, and Iarsiht the Eale, and the dear Dos and the Horses, and Poin the Dwarl.
Iurther in and hiher up' cried Roonwit and thundered away in a allop to the West. And
thouh they did not understand him, the words somehow set them tinlin all over. The Boar
runted at them cheerlully. The Bear was just oin to mutter that he still didn't understand,
when he cauht siht ol the lruit-trees hehind them. He waddled to those trees as last as he could
and there, no douht, lound somethin he understood very well. But the Dos remained, wain
their tails, and Poin remained, shakin hands with everyone and rinnin all over his honest
lace. And ewel leaned his snowy white head over the Kin's shoulder and the Kin whispered in
ewel's ear. Then everyone turned his attention aain to what could he seen throuh the
Doorway.
The Draons and Giant Lizards now had Narnia to themselves. They went to and lro tearin
up the trees hy the roots and crunchin them up as il they were sticks ol rhuharh. Minute hy
minute the lorests disappeared. The whole country hecame hare and you could see all sorts ol
thins ahout its shape all the little humps and hollows which you had never noticed helore.
The rass died. Soon Tirian lound that he was lookin at a world ol hare rock and earth. You
could hardly helieve that anythin had ever lived there. The monsters themselves rew old and
lay down and died. Their llesh shriveled up and the hones appeared. soon they were only hue
skeletons that lay here and there on the dead rock, lookin as il they had died thousands ol years
ao. Ior a lon time everythin was still.
At last somethin white a lon, level line ol whiteness that leamed in the liht ol the
standin stars came movin towards them lrom the Eastern end ol the world.
A widespread noise hroke the silence. lirst a murmur then a rumhle, then a roar. And now
they could see what it was that was comin, and how last it came. It was a loamin wall ol water.
The sea was risin. In that tree-less world you could see it very well. You could see all the rivers
ettin wider and the lakes ettin larer, and separate lakes joinin into one, and valleys turnin
into new lakes, and hills turnin into islands, and then those islands vanishin. And the hih moors
to their lelt and the hiher mountains to their riht crumhled and slipped down with a roar and a
splash into the mountin water, and the water came swirlin up to the very threshold ol the
Doorway (hut never passed it) so that the loam splashed ahout Aslan's loreleet. All now was
level water lrom where they stood to where the waters met the sky.
And out there it hean to row liht. A streak ol dreary and disastrous dawn spread alon the
horizon, and widened and rew hrihter, till in the end they hardly noticed the liht ol the stars
who stood hehind them. At last the sun came up. When it did, the Lord Diory and the Lady
Polly looked at one another and ave a little nod. those two, in a dillerent world, had once seen a
dyin sun, and so they knew at once that this sun also was dyin. It was three times twenty
times as hi as it ouht to he, and very dark red. As its rays lell upon the reat Time-iant, he
turned red too. and in the rellection ol that sun the whole waste ol shoreless waters looked like
hlood.
Then the Moon came up, quite in her wron position, very close to the sun, and she also
looked red. And at the siht ol her the sun hean shootin out reat llames, like whiskers or
snakes ol crimson lire, towards her. It is as il he were an octopus tryin to draw her to himsell in
his tentacles. And perhaps he did draw her. At any rate she came to him, slowly at lirst, hut then
more and more quickly, till at last his lon llames licked round her and the two ran toether and
hecame one hue hall like a hurnin coal. Great lumps ol lire came droppin out ol it into the sea
and clouds ol steam rose up.
Then Aslan said, Now make an end.
The iant threw his horn into the sea. Then he stretched out one arm very hlack it looked,
and thousands ol miles lon across the sky till his hand reached the Sun. He took the Sun and
squeezed it in his hand as you would squeeze an orane. And instantly there was total darkness.
Everyone except Aslan jumped hack lrom the ice-cold air which now hlew throuh the
Doorway. Its edes were already covered with icicles.
Peter, Hih Kin ol Narnia, said Aslan. Shut the Door.
Peter, shiverin with cold, leaned out into the darkness and pulled the Door to. It scraped
over ice as he pulled it. Then, rather clumsily (lor even in that moment his hands had one numh
and hlue) he took out a olden key and locked it.
They had seen strane thins enouh throuh that Doorway. But it was straner than any ol
them to look round and lind themselves in warm dayliht, the hlue sky ahove them, llowers at
their leet, and lauhter in Aslan's eyes.
He turned swiltly round, crouched lower, lashed himsell with his tail and shot away like a
olden arrow.
Come lurther in' Come lurther up' he shouted over his shoulder. But who could keep up
with him at that pace: They set out walkin Westward to lollow him.
So, said Peter, niht lalls on Narnia. What, Lucy' You're not cryin: With Aslan ahead, and
all ol us here:
Don't try to stop me, Peter, said Lucy, I am sure Aslan would not. I am sure it is not wron
to mourn lor Narnia. Think ol all that lies dead and lrozen hehind that door.
Yes and I did hope, said ill, that it miht o on lor ever. I knew our world couldn't. I did
think Narnia miht.
I saw it hein, said the Lord Diory. I did not think I would live to see it die.
Sirs, said Tirian. The ladies do well to weep. See, I do so mysell. I have seen my mother's
death. What world hut Narnia have I ever known: It were no virtue, hut reat discourtesy, il we
did not mourn.
They walked away lrom the Door and away lrom the Dwarls who still sat crowded toether
in their imainary stahle. And as they went they talked to one another ahout old wars and old
peace and ancient Kins and all the lories ol Narnia.
The Dos were still with them. They joined in the conversation hut not much hecause they
were too husy racin on ahead and racin hack and rushin oll to snill at smells in the rass till
they made themselves sneeze. Suddenly they picked up a scent which seemed to excite them
very much. They all started aruin ahout it Yes it is No it isn't That's just what I said
anyone can smell what that is Take your reat nose out ol the way and let someone else
smell.
What is it, cousins: said Peter.
A Calormen, Sire, said several Dos at once.
Lead on to him, then, said Peter. Whether he meets us in peace or war, he shall he
welcome.
The Dos darted on ahead and came hack a moment later, runnin as il their lives depended
on it, and harkin loudly to say that it really was a Calormen. (Talkin Dos, just like the
common ones, hehave as il they thouht whatever they are doin at the moment immensely
important.)
The others lollowed where the Dos led them and lound a youn Calormen sittin under a
chestnut tree heside a clear stream ol water. It was Emeth. He rose at once and howed ravely.
Sir, he said to Peter, I know not whether you are my lriend or my loe, hut I should count it
my honor to have you lor either. Has not one ol the poets said that a nohle lriend is the hest ilt
and a nohle enemy the next hest:
Sir, said Peter, I do not know that there need he any war hetween you and us.
Do tell us who you are and what's happened to you, said ill.
Il there's oin to he a story, let's all have a drink and sit down, harked the Dos. We're
quite hlown.
Well ol course you will he il you keep tearin ahout the way you have done, said Eustace.
So the humans sat down on the rass. And when the Dos had all had a very noisy drink out
ol the stream they all sat down, holt upriht, pantin, with their tonues hanin out ol their
heads a little on one side to hear the story. But ewel remained standin, polishin his horn aainst
his side.
Chapter Fifteen

Fvri|er Up onJ Fvri|er In

KNOW, O Warlike Kins, said Emeth, and you, O ladies whose heauty illuminates the
universe, that I am Emeth the seventh son ol Harpha Tarkaan ol the city ol Tehishhaan,
Westward heyond the desert. I came lately into Narnia with nine and twenty others under the
command ol Rishda Tarkaan Now when I lirst heard that we should march upon Narnia I
rejoiced, lor I had heard many thins ol your Land and desired reatly to meet you in hattle. But
when I lound that we were to o in disuised as merchants (which is a shamelul dress lor a
warrior and the son ol a Tarkaan) and to work hy lies and trickery, then my joy departed lrom
me. And most ol all when I lound we must wait upon a Monkey, and when it hean to he said
that Tash and Aslan were one, then the world hecame dark in my eyes. Ior always since I was a
hoy I have served Tash and my reat desire was to know more ol him, il it miht he, to look
upon his lace. But the name ol Aslan was hatelul to me.
And, as you have seen, we were called toether outside the straw-rooled hovel, niht alter
niht, and the lire was kindled, and the Ape hrouht lorth out ol the hovel somethin upon lour
les that I could not well see. And the people and the Beasts howed down and did honor to it.
But I thouht, the Tarkaan is deceived hy the Ape. lor this thin that comes out ol the stahle is
neither Tash nor any other od. But when I watched the Tarkaan's lace, and marked every word
that he said to the Monkey, then I chaned my mind. lor I saw that the Tarkaan did not helieve
in it himsell. And then I understood that he did not helieve in Tash at all. lor il he had, how
could he dare to mock him:
When I understood this, a reat rae lell upon me and I wondered that the true Tash did not
strike down hoth the Monkey and the Tarkaan with lire lrom heaven. Nevertheless I hid my
aner and held my tonue and waited to see how it would end. But last niht, as some ol you
know, the Monkey hrouht not lorth the yellow thin hut said that all who desired to look upon
Tashlan lor so they mixed the two words to pretend that they were all one must pass one
hy one into the hovel. And I said to mysell, douhtless this is some other deception. But when the
Cat had lollowed in and had come out aain in a madness ol terror, then I said to mysell, surely
the true Tash, whom they called on without knowlede or heliel, has now come amon us, and
will avene himsell. And thouh my heart was turned into water inside me hecause ol the
reatness and terror ol Tash, yet my desire was stroner than my lear, and I put lorce upon my
knees to stay them lrom tremhlin, and on my teeth that they should not chatter, and resolved to
look upon the lace ol Tash thouh he should slay me. So I ollered mysell to o into the hovel,
and the Tarkaan, thouh unwillinly, let me o.
As soon as I had one in at the door, the lirst wonder was that I lound mysell in this reat
sunliht (as we all are now) thouh the inside ol the hovel had looked dark lrom outside. But I
had no time to marvel at this, lor immediately I was lorced to liht lor my head aainst one ol
our own men. As soon as I saw him I understood that the Monkey and the Tarkaan had set him
there to slay any who came in il he were not in their secrets. so that this man also was a liar and a
mocker and no true servant ol Tash. I had the hetter will to liht him, and havin slain the villain,
I cast him out hehind me throuh the door.
Then I looked ahout me and saw the sky and the wide lands, and smelled the sweetness. And
I said, By the Gods, this is a pleasant place. it may he that I am come into the country ol Tash.
And I hean to journey into the strane country and to seek him.
So I went over much rass and many llowers and amon all kinds ol wholesome and
delectahle trees till lo' in a narrow place hetween two rocks there came to meet me a reat Lion.
The speed ol him was like the ostrich, and his size was an elephant's, his hair was like pure old
and the hrihtness ol his eyes like old that is liquid in the lurnace. He was more terrihle than the
Ilamin Mountain ol Laour, and in heauty he surpassed all that is in the world even as the rose
in hloom surpasses the dust ol the desert. Then I lell at his leet and thouht, Surely this is the
hour ol death, lor the Lion (who is worthy ol all honor) will know that I have served Tash all my
days and not him. Nevertheless, it is hetter to see the Lion and die than to he Tisroc ol the world
and live and not to have seen him. But the Glorious One hent down his olden head and touched
my lorehead with his tonue and said, Son, thou art welcome. But I said, Alas, Lord, I am no son
ol thine hut the servant ol Tash. He answered, Child, all the service thou hast done to Tash, I
account as service done to me. Then hy reasons ol my reat desire lor wisdom and understandin,
I overcame my lear and questioned the Glorious One and said, Lord, is it then true, as the Ape
said, that thou and Tash are one: The Lion rowled so that the earth shook (hut his wrath was
not aainst me) and said, It is lalse. Not hecause he and I are one, hut hecause we are opposites, I
take to me the services which thou hast done to him. Ior I and he are ol such dillerent kinds that
no service which is vile can he done to me, and none which is not vile can he done to him.
Therelore il any man swear hy Tash and keep his oath lor the oath's sake, it is hy me that he has
truly sworn, thouh he know it not, and it is I who reward him. And il any man do a cruelty in
my name, then, thouh he says the name Aslan, it is Tash whom he serves and hy Tash his deed is
accepted. Dost thou understand, Child: I said, Lord, thou knowest how much I understand. But I
said also (lor the truth constrained me), Yet I have heen seekin Tash all my days. Beloved, said
the Glorious One, unless thy desire had heen lor me thou wouldst not have souht so lon and so
truly. Ior all lind what they truly seek.
Then he hreathed upon me and took away the tremhlin lrom my limhs and caused me to
stand upon my leet. And alter that, he said not much, hut that we should meet aain, and I must
o lurther up and lurther in. Then he turned him ahout in a storm and llurry ol old and was
one suddenly.
And since then, O Kins and Ladies, I have heen wanderin to lind him and my happiness is
so reat that it even weakens me like a wound. And this is the marvel ol marvels, that he called
me Beloved, me who am hut as a do
Eh: What's that: said one ol the Dos.
Sir, said Emeth. It is hut a lashion ol speech which we have in Calormen.
Well, I can't say it's one I like very much, said the Do.
He doesn't mean any harm, said an older Do.
Alter all, we call our puppies Boys when they don't hehave properly.
So we do, said the lirst Do. Or irls.
S-s-sh' said the Old Do. That's not a nice word to use. Rememher where you are.
Look' said ill suddenly. Someone was comin, rather timidly, to meet them, a racelul
creature on lour leet, all silvery-rey. And they stared at him lor a whole ten seconds helore live
or six voices said all at once, Why, it's old Puzzle' They had never seen him hy dayliht with the
lion-skin oll, and it made an extraordinary dillerence. He was himsell now. a heautilul donkey
with such a solt, rey coat and such a entle, honest lace that il you had seen him you would have
done just what ill and Lucy did rushed lorward and put your arms round his neck and kissed
his nose and stroked his ears.
When they asked him where he had heen he said he had come in at the door alon with all
the other creatures hut he had well, to tell the truth, he had heen keepin out ol their way as
much as he could, and out ol Aslan's way. Ior the siht ol the real Lion had made him so
ashamed ol all that nonsense ahout dressin up in a lion-skin that he did not know how to look
anyone in the lace. But when he saw that all his lriends were oin away Westward, and alter he
had had a mouthlul ol rass (And I've never tasted such ood rass in my lile, said Puzzle), he
plucked up his courae and lollowed. But what I'll do il I really have to meet Aslan, I'm sure I
don't know, he added.
You'll lind it will he all riht when you really do, said Queen Lucy.
Then they went lorward toether, always Westward, lor that seemed to he the direction
Aslan had meant when he cried out, Iurther up and lurther in. Many other creatures were
slowly movin the same way, hut that rassy country was very wide and there was no crowdin.
It still seemed to he early, and the mornin lreshness was in the air. They kept on stoppin to
look round and to look hehind them, partly hecause it was so heautilul hut partly also hecause
there was somethin ahout it which they could not understand.
Peter, said Lucy, where is this, do you suppose:
I don't know, said the Hih Kin. It reminds me ol somewhere hut I can't ive it a name.
Could it he somewhere we once stayed lor a holiday when we were very, very small:
It would have to have heen a jolly ood holiday, said Eustace. I het there isn't a country like
this anywhere in our world. Look at the colors' You couldn't et a hlue like the hlue on those
mountains in our world.
Is it not Aslan's country: said Tirian.
Not like Aslan's country on top ol that mountain heyond the Eastern end ol the world, said
ill. I've heen there.
Il you ask me, said Edmund, it's like somewhere in the Narnian world. Look at those
mountains ahead and the hi ice-mountains heyond them. Surely they're rather like the
mountains we used to see lrom Narnia, the ones up Westward heyond the Waterlall:
Yes, so they are, said Peter. Only these are hier.
I don't think those ones are so very like anythin in Narnia, said Lucy. But look there. She
pointed Southward to their lelt, and everyone stopped and turned to look. Those hills, said
Lucy, the nice woody ones and the hlue ones hehind aren't they very like the Southern horder
ol Narnia:
Like' cried Edmund alter a moment's silence. Why, they're exactly like. Look, there's
Mount Pire with his lorked head, and there's the pass into Archenland and everythin'
And yet they're not like, said Lucy. They're dillerent. They have more colors on them and
they look lurther away than I rememhered and they're more. more. oh, I don't know.
More like the real thin, said the Lord Diory soltly.
Suddenly Iarsiht the Eale spread his wins, soared thirty or lorty leet up into the air, circled
round and then alihted on the round.
Kins and Queens, he cried, we have all heen hlind. We are only heinnin to see where we
are. Irom up there I have seen it all Ettinsmuir, Beaversdam, the Great River, and Cair Paravel
still shinin on the ede ol the Eastern Sea. Narnia is not dead. This is Narnia.
But how can it he: said Peter. Ior Aslan told us older ones that we should never return to
Narnia, and here we are.
Yes, said Eustace. And we saw it all destroyed and the sun put out.
And it's all so dillerent, said Lucy.
The Eale is riht, said the Lord Diory. Listen, Peter. When Aslan said you could never o
hack to Narnia, he meant the Narnia you were thinkin ol. But that was not the real Narnia. That
had a heinnin and an end. It was only a shadow or a copy ol the real Narnia which has always
heen here and always will he here. just as our world, Enland and all, is only a shadow or copy ol
somethin in Aslan's real world. You need not mourn over Narnia, Lucy. All ol the old Narnia
that mattered, all the dear creatures, have heen drawn into the real Narnia throuh the Door.
And ol course it is dillerent, as dillerent as a real thin is lrom a shadow or as wakin lile is lrom
a dream. His voice stirred everyone like a trumpet as he spoke these words. hut when he added
under his hreath It's all in Plato, all in Plato. hless me, what do they teach them at these schools'
the older ones lauhed. It was so exactly like the sort ol thin they had heard him say lon ao in
that other world where his heard was rey instead ol olden. He knew why they were lauhin
and joined in the lauh himsell. But very quickly they all hecame rave aain. lor, as you know,
there is a kind ol happiness and wonder that makes you serious. It is too ood to waste on jokes.
It is as hard to explain how this sunlit land was dillerent lrom the old Narnia as it would he
to tell you how the lruits ol that country taste. Perhaps you will et some idea ol it il you think
like this. You may have heen in a room in which there was a window that looked out on a lovely
hay ol the sea or a reen valley that wound away amon mountains. And in the wall ol that room
opposite to the window there may have heen a lookin lass. And as you turned away lrom the
window you suddenly cauht siht ol that sea or that valley, all over aain, in the lookin lass.
And the sea in the mirror, or the valley in the mirror, were in one sense just the same as the real
ones. yet at the same time they were somehow dillerent deeper, more wonderlul, more like
places in a story. in a story you have never heard hut very much want to know. The dillerence
hetween the old Narnia and the new Narnia was like that. The new one was a deeper country.
every rock and llower and hlade ol rass looked as il it meant more. I can't descrihe it any hetter
than that. il ever you et there you will know what I mean.
It was the Unicorn who summed up what everyone was leelin. He stamped his riht lore-
hool on the round and neihed, and then cried.
I have come home at last' This is my real country' I helon here. This is the land I have heen
lookin lor all my lile, thouh I never knew it till now. The reason why we loved the old Narnia
is that it sometimes looked a little like this. Bree-hee-hee' Come lurther up, come lurther in'
He shook his mane and spran lorward into a reat allop a Unicorn's allop, which, in our
world, would have carried him out ol siht in a lew moments. But now a most strane thin
happened. Everyone else hean to run, and they lound, to their astonishment, that they could
keep up with him. not only the Dos and the humans hut even lat little Puzzle and short-leed
Poin the Dwarl. The air llew in their laces as il they were drivin last in a car without a
windscreen. The country llew past as il they were seein it lrom the windows ol an express train.
Iaster and laster they raced, hut no one ot hot or tired or out ol hreath.
Chapter Sixteen

Forewe|| io S|oJow|onJs

II one could run without ettin tired, I don't think one would olten want to do anythin
else. But there miht he special reasons lor stoppin, and it was a special reason which made
Eustace presently shout.
I say' Steady' Look what we're comin to'
And well he miht. Ior now they saw helore them Caldron Pool and heyond the Pool the
hih unclimhahle clills and, pourin down the clills, thousands ol tons ol water every second,
llashin like diamonds in some places and dark, lassy reen in others, the Great Waterlall, and
already the thunder ol it was in their ears.
Don't stop' Iurther up and lurther in, called Iarsiht, tiltin his lliht a little upwards.
It's all very well lor him, said Eustace, hut ewel also cried out.
Don't stop. Iurther up and lurther in' Take it in your stride.
His voice could only just he heard ahove the roar ol the water hut next moment everyone
saw that he had pluned into the Pool. And helter-skelter hehind him, with splash alter splash, all
the others did the same. The water was not hitin cold as all ol them (and especially Puzzle)
expected, hut ol a delicious loamy coolness. They all lound they were swimmin straiht lor the
Waterlall itsell.
This is ahsolutely crazy, said Eustace to Edmund.
I know. And yet said Edmund.
Isn't it wonderlul: said Lucy. Have you noticed one can't leel alraid, even il one wants to:
Try it.
By ove, neither one can, said Eustace alter he had tried.
ewel reached the loot ol the Waterlall lirst, hut Tirian was only just hehind him. ill was last,
so she could see the whole thin hetter than the others. She saw somethin white movin steadily
up the lace ol the Waterlall. That white thin was the Unicorn. You couldn't tell whether he was
swimmin or climhin, hut he moved on, hiher and hiher. The point ol his horn divided the
water just ahove his head, and it cascaded out in two rainhow-colored streams all round his
shoulders. ust hehind him came Kin Tirian. He moved his les and arms as il he were
swimmin hut he moved straiht upwards. as il one could swim up the wall ol a house.
What looked lunniest was the Dos. Durin the allop they had not heen at all out ol hreath,
hut now, as they swarmed and wriled upwards, there was plenty ol splutterin and sneezin
amon them, that was hecause they would keep on harkin, and every time they harked they ot
their mouths and noses lull ol water. But helore ill had time to notice all these thins lully, she
was oin up the Waterlall hersell. It was the sort ol thin that would have heen quite impossihle
in our world. Even il you hadn't heen drowned, you would have heen smashed to pieces hy the
terrihle weiht ol water aainst the countless jas ol rock. But in that world you could do it. You
went on, up and up, with all kinds ol rellected lihts llashin at you lrom the water and all
manner ol colored stones llashin throuh it, till it seemed as il you were climhin up liht itsell
and always hiher and hiher till the sense ol heiht would have terrilied you il you could he
terrilied, hut later it was only loriously excitin. And then at last one came to the lovely, smooth
reen curve in which the water poured over the top and lound that one was out on the level
river ahove the Waterlall. The current was racin away hehind you, hut you were such a
wonderlul swimmer that you could make headway aainst it. Soon they were all on the hank,
drippin hut happy.
A lon valley opened ahead and reat snow-mountains, now much nearer, stood up aainst
the sky.
Iurther up and lurther in, cried ewel and instantly they were oll aain.
They were out ol Narnia now and up into the Western Wild which neither Tirian nor Peter
nor even the Eale had ever seen helore. But the Lord Diory and the Lady Polly had. Do you
rememher: Do you rememher: they said and said it in steady voices too, without pantin,
thouh the whole party was now runnin laster than an arrow llies.
What, Lord: said Tirian. Is it then true, as stories tell, that you two journeyed here on the
very day the world was made:
Yes, said Diory, and it seems to me as il it were only yesterday.
And on a llyin horse: asked Tirian. Is that part true:
Certainly, said Diory. But the Dos harked, Iaster, laster'
So they ran laster and laster till it was more like llyin than runnin, and even the Eale
overhead was oin no laster than they. And they went throuh windin valley alter windin
valley and up the steep sides ol hills and, laster than ever, down the other side, lollowin the river
and sometimes crossin it and skimmin across mountain lakes as il they were livin speed-hoats,
till at last at the lar end ol one lon lake which looked as hlue as a turquoise, they saw a smooth
reen hill. Its sides were as steep as the sides ol a pyramid and round the very top ol it ran a reen
wall. hut ahove the wall rose the hranches ol trees whose leaves looked like silver and their lruit
like old.
Iurther up and lurther in' roared the Unicorn, and no one held hack. They chared straiht
at the loot ol the hill and then lound themselves runnin up it almost as water lrom a hroken
wave runs up a rock out at the point ol some hay. Thouh the slope was nearly as steep as the
rool ol a house and the rass was smooth as a howlin reen, no one slipped. Only when they had
reached the very top did they slow up, that was hecause they lound themselves lacin reat
olden ates. And lor a moment none ol them was hold enouh to try il the ates would open.
They all lelt just as they had lelt ahout the lruit Dare we: Is it riht: Can it he meant lor us:
But while they were standin thus a reat horn, wonderlully loud and sweet, hlew lrom
somewhere inside that walled arden and the ates swun open.
Tirian stood holdin his hreath and wonderin who would come out. And what came was the
last thin he had expected. a little, sleek, hriht-eyed Talkin Mouse with a red leather stuck in a
circlet on its head and its lelt paw restin on a lon sword. It howed, a most heautilul how, and
said in its shrill voice.
Welcome, in the Lion's name. Come lurther up and lurther in.
Then Tirian saw Kin Peter and Kin Edmund and Queen Lucy rush lorward to kneel down
and reet the Mouse and they all cried out Reepicheep' And Tirian hreathed last with the sheer
wonder ol it, lor now he knew that he was lookin at one ol the reat heroes ol Narnia,
Reepicheep the Mouse who had louht at the reat Battle ol Beruna and alterwards sailed to the
World's end with Kin Caspian the Sealarer. But helore he had had much time to think ol this he
lelt two stron arms thrown ahout him and lelt a hearded kiss on his cheeks and heard a well
rememhered voice sayin.
What, lad: Art thicker and taller since I last touched thee'
It was his own lather, the ood Kin Erlian. hut not as Tirian had seen him last when they
hrouht him home pale and wounded lrom his liht with the iant, nor even as Tirian
rememhered him in his later years when he was a rey-headed warrior. This was his lather, youn
and merry, as he could just rememher him lrom very early days when he himsell had heen a little
hoy playin ames with his lather in the castle arden at Cair Paravel, just helore hedtime on
summer evenins. The very smell ol the hread-and-milk he used to have lor supper came hack to
him.
ewel thouht to himsell, I will leave them to talk lor a little and then I will o and reet the
ood Kin Erlian. Many a hriht apple has he iven me when I was hut a colt. But next moment
he had somethin else to think ol, lor out ol the ateway there came a horse so mihty and nohle
that even a Unicorn miht leel shy in its presence. a reat wined horse. It looked a moment at
the Lord Diory and the Lady Polly and neihed out What, cousins' and they hoth shouted
Ilede' Good old Ilede' and rushed to kiss it.
But hy now the Mouse was aain urin them to come in. So all ol them passed in throuh
the olden ates, into the delicious smell that hlew towards them out ol that arden and into the
cool mixture ol sunliht and shadow under the trees, walkin on spriny turl that was all dotted
with white llowers. The very lirst thin which struck everyone was that the place was lar larer
than it had seemed lrom outside. But no one had time to think ahout that lor people were
comin up to meet the newcomers lrom every direction.
Everyone you had ever heard ol (il you knew the history ol these countries) seemed to he
there. There was Glimleather the Owl and Puddlelum the Marshwile, and Kin Rilian the
Disenchanted, and his mother the Star's dauhter and his reat lather Caspian himsell. And close
heside him were the Lord Drinian and the Lord Berne and Trumpkin the Dwarl and Trullle-
hunter the ood Bader with Glenstorm the Centaur and a hundred other heroes ol the reat
War ol Deliverance. And then lrom another side came Cor the Kin ol Archenland with Kin
Lune his lather and his wile Queen Aravis and the hrave prince Corin Thunder-Iist, his hrother,
and Bree the Horse and Hwin the Mare. And then which was a wonder heyond all wonders to
Tirian there came lrom lurther away in the past, the two ood Beavers and Tumnus the Iaun.
And there was reetin and kissin and hand-shakin and old jokes revived, (you've no idea how
ood an old joke sounds when you take it out aain alter a rest ol live or six hundred years) and
the whole company moved lorward to the centre ol the orchard where the Phoenix sat in a tree
and looked down upon them all, and at the loot ol that tree were two thrones and in those two
thrones a Kin and Queen so reat and heautilul that everyone howed down helore them. And
well they miht, lor these two were Kin Irank and Queen Helen lrom whom all the most
ancient Kins ol Narnia and Archenland are descended. And Tirian lelt as you would leel il you
were hrouht helore Adam and Eve in all their lory.
Ahout hall an hour later or it miht have heen hall a hundred years later, lor time there is
not like time here Lucy stood with her dear lriend, her oldest Narnian lriend, the Iaun
Tumnus, lookin down over the wall ol that arden, and seein all Narnia spread out helow. But
when you looked down you lound that this hill was much hiher than you had thouht. it sank
down with shinin clills, thousands ol leet helow them and trees in that lower world looked no
hier than rains ol reen salt. Then she turned inward aain and stood with her hack to the wall
and looked at the arden.
I see, she said at last, thouhtlully. I see now. This arden is like the stahle. It is lar hier
inside than it was outside.
Ol course, Dauhter ol Eve, said the Iaun. The lurther up and the lurther in you o, the
hier everythin ets. The inside is larer than the outside.
Lucy looked hard at the arden and saw that it was not really a arden hut a whole world,
with its own rivers and woods and sea and mountains. But they were not strane. she knew them
all.
I see, she said. This is still Narnia, and more real and more heautilul then the Narnia down
helow, just as it was more real and more heautilul than the Narnia outside the stahle door' I see...
world within world, Narnia within Narnia...
Yes, said Mr. Tumnus, like an onion. except that as you o in and in, each circle is larer
than the last.
And Lucy looked this way and that and soon lound that a new and heautilul thin had
happened to her. Whatever she looked at, however lar away it miht he, once she had lixed her
eyes steadily on it, hecame quite clear and close as il she were lookin throuh a telescope. She
could see the whole Southern desert and heyond it the reat city ol Tashhaan. to Eastward she
could see Cair Paravel on the ede ol the sea and the very window ol the room that had once
heen her own. And lar out to sea she could discover the islands, islands alter islands to the end ol
the world, and, heyond the end, the hue mountain which they had called Aslan's country. But
now she saw that it was part ol a reat chain ol mountains which rined round the whole world.
In lront ol her it seemed to come quite close. Then she looked to her lelt and saw what she took
to he a reat hank ol hrihtly-colored cloud, cut oll lrom them hy a ap. But she looked harder
and saw that it was not a cloud at all hut a real land. And when she had lixed her eyes on one
particular spot ol it, she at once cried out, Peter' Edmund' Come and look' Come quickly. And
they came and looked, lor their eyes also had hecome like hers.
Why: exclaimed Peter. It's Enland. And that's the house itsell Prolessor Kirk's old
home in the country where all our adventures hean'
I thouht that house had heen destroyed, said Edmund.
So it was, said the Iaun. But you are now lookin at the Enland within Enland, the real
Enland just as this is the real Narnia. And in that inner Enland no ood thin is destroyed.
Suddenly they shilted their eyes to another spot, and then Peter and Edmund and Lucy asped
with amazement and shouted out and hean wavin. lor there they saw their own lather and
mother, wavin hack at them across the reat, deep valley. It was like when you see people
wavin at you lrom the deck ol a hi ship when you are waitin on the quay to meet them.
How can we et at them: said Lucy.
That is easy, said Mr. Tumnus. That country and this country all the real countries
are only spurs juttin out lrom the reat mountains ol Aslan. We have only to walk alon the
ride, upward and inward, till it joins on. And listen' There is Kin Irank's horn. we must all o
up.
And soon they lound themselves all walkin toether and a reat, hriht procession it was
up towards mountains hiher than you could see in this world even il they were there to he seen.
But there was no snow on those mountains. there were lorests and reen slopes and sweet
orchards and llashin waterlalls, one ahove the other, oin up lorever. And the land they were
walkin on rew narrower all the time, with a deep valley on each side. and across that valley the
land which was the real Enland rew nearer and nearer.
The liht ahead was rowin stroner. Lucy saw that a reat series ol many-colored clills led
up in lront ol them like a iant's staircase. And then she lorot everythin else, hecause Aslan
himsell was comin, leapin down lrom clill to clill like a livin cataract ol power and heauty.
And the very lirst person whom Aslan called to him was Puzzle the Donkey. You never saw a
donkey look leehler and sillier than Puzzle did as he walked up to Aslan, and he looked, heside
Aslan, as small as a kitten looks heside a St Bernard. The Lion howed down his head and
whispered somethin to Puzzle at which his lon ears went down, hut then he said somethin
else at which the ears perked up aain. The humans couldn't hear what he had said either time.
Then Aslan turned to them and said.
You do not yet look so happy as I mean you to he.
Lucy said, We're so alraid ol hein sent away, Aslan. And you have sent us hack into our
own world so olten.
No lear ol that, said Aslan. Have you not uessed:
Their hearts leaped and a wild hope rose within them.
There was a real railway accident, said Aslan soltly. Your lather and mother and all ol you
are as you used to call it in the Shadowlands dead. The term is over. the holidays have
heun. The dream is ended. this is the mornin.
And as He spoke He no loner looked to them like a lion, hut the thins that hean to
happen alter that were so reat and heautilul that I cannot write them. And lor us this is the end
ol all the stories, and we can most truly say that they all lived happily ever alter. But lor them it
was only the heinnin ol the real story. All their lile in this world and all their adventures in
Narnia had only heen the cover and the title pae. now at last they were heinnin Chapter One
ol the Great Story which no one on earth has read. which oes on lorever. in which every chapter
is hetter than the one helore.