ANDnowthewindswhichhadsolongbeenfromthenorth-westbegantoblowfromthewestitselfandeverymorningwhenthesunroseoutoftheseathecurvedprowoftheDawnTreaderstooduprightacrossthemiddleofthesun.SomethoughtthatthesunlookedlargerthanitlookedfromNarnia,butothersdisagreed.Andtheysailedandsailedbeforeagentleyetsteadybreezeandsawneitherfishnorgull-norshipnorshore.Andstoresbegantogetlowagain,anditcreptintotheirheartsthatperhapstheymighthavecometoaseawhichwentonforever.Butwhentheverylastdayonwhichtheythoughttheycouldriskcontinuingtheireastwardvoyagedawned,itshowed,rightaheadbetweenthemandthesunrise,alowlandlyinglikeacloud.
Theymadeharbourinawidebayaboutthemiddleoftheafternoonandlanded.Itwasaverydifferentcountryfromanytheyhadyetseen.Forwhentheyhadcrossedthesandybeachtheyfoundallsilentandemptyasifitwereanuninhabitedland,
butbeforethemtherewerelevellawnsinwhichthegrasswasassmoothandshortasitusedtobeinthegroundsofagreatEnglishhousewheretengardenerswerekept.Thetrees,ofwhichthereweremany,allstoodwellapartfromoneanother,andtherewerenobrokenbranchesandnoleaveslyingontheground.Pigeonssometimescooedbuttherewasnoothernoise.
Presentlytheycametoalong,straight,sandedpathwithnotaweedgrowingonitandtreesoneitherhand.Faroffattheotherendofthisavenuetheynowcaughtsightofahouse—verylongandgreyandquiet—lookingintheafternoonsun.
AlmostassoonastheyenteredthispathLucynoticedthatshehadalittlestoneinhershoe.Inthatunknownplaceitmighthavebeenwiserforhertoasktheotherstowaitwhileshetookitout.Butshedidn’t;shejustdroppedquietlybehindandsatdowntotakeoffhershoe.Herlacehadgotintoaknot.
Beforeshehadundonetheknottheotherswereafairdistanceahead.Bythetimeshehadgotthestoneoutandwasputtingtheshoeonagainshecouldnolongerhearthem.Butalmostatoncesheheardsomethingelse.Itwasnotcomingfromthedirectionofthehouse.
Whatsheheardwasathumping.Itsoundedasifdozensofstrongworkmenwerehittingthegroundashardastheycouldwithgreatwoodenmallets.Anditwasveryquicklycomingnearer.Shewasalreadysittingwithherbacktoatree,andasthetreewasnotoneshecouldclimb,therewasreallynothingtodobuttositdeadstillandpressherselfagainstthetreeandhopeshewouldn’tbeseen.
Thump,thump,thump。。。andwhateveritwasmustbeveryclosenowforshecouldfeelthegroundshaking.Butshecouldseenothing.Shethoughtthething-orthingsmustbejustbehindher.Butthentherecameathumponthepathrightinfrontofher.Sheknewitwasonthepathnotonlybythesoundbutbecauseshesawthesandscatterasifithadbeenstruckaheavyblow.Butshecouldseenothingthathadstruckit.Thenallthethumpingnoisesdrewtogetherabouttwentyfeetawayfromherandsuddenlyceased.ThencametheVoice.
Itwasreallyverydreadfulbecauseshecouldstillseenobodyatall.Thewholeofthatpark-likecountrystilllookedasquietandemptyasithadlookedwhentheyfirstlanded.Nevertheless,onlyafewfeetawayfromher,avoicespoke.Andwhatitsaidwas:
“Mates,now’sourchance.”
Instantlyawholechorusofothervoicesreplied,“Hearhim.Hearhim.Now‘sourchance’,hesaid.Welldone,Chief.Youneversaidatruerword.”
“WhatIsay,”continuedthefirstvoice,“is,getdowntotheshorebetweenthemandtheirboat,andleteverymother’ssonlooktohisweapons.Catch’emwhentheytrytoputtosea.”
“Eh,that’stheway,”shoutedalltheothervoices.“Younevermadeabetterplan,Chief.Keepitup,Chief.Youcouldn’thaveabetterplanthanthat.”
“Lively,then,mates,lively,”saidthefirstvoice.“Offwego。
“Rightagain,Chief,”saidtheothers.“Couldn’thaveabetter
order.Justwhatweweregoingtosayourselves.Offwego.”
Immediatelythethumpingbeganagain—veryloudatfirstbutsoonfainterandfainter,tillitdiedoutinthedirectionofthesea.
Lucyknewtherewasnotimetositpuzzlingastowhattheseinvisiblecreaturesmightbe.Assoonasthethumpingnoisehaddiedawayshegotupandranalongthepathaftertheothersasquicklyasherlegswouldcarryher.Theymustatallcostsbewarned.
Whilethishadbeenhappeningtheothershadreachedthehouse.Itwasalowbuilding-onlytwostorieshighmadeofabeautifulmellowstone,many-windowed,andpartiallycoveredwithivy.EverythingwassostillthatEustacesaid,“Ithinkit’sempty,”butCaspiansilentlypointedtothecolumnofsmokewhichrosefromonechimney.
Theyfoundawidegatewayopenandpassedthroughitintoapavedcourtyard.Anditwasherethattheyhadtheirfirstindicationthattherewassomethingoddaboutthisisland.Inthemiddleofthecourtyardstoodapump,andbeneaththepumpabucket.Therewasnothingoddaboutthat.Butthepumphandlewasmovingupanddown,thoughthereseemedtobenoonemovingit.
“There’ssomemagicatworkhere,”saidCaspian.
“Machinery!”saidEustace.“Idobelievewe’vecometoacivilizedcountryatlast.”
AtthatmomentLucy,hotandbreathless,rushedintothecourtyardbehindthem.Inalowvoiceshetriedtomakethemunderstandwhatshehadoverheard.Andwhentheyhadpartlyunderstooditeventhebravestofthemdidnotlookveryhappy.
“Invisibleenemies,”mutteredCaspian.“Andcuttingusofffromtheboat.Thisisanuglyfurrowtoplough.”
“You’venoideawhatsortofcreaturestheyare,Lu?”askedEdmund.
“HowcanI,Ed,whenIcouldn’tseethem?”
“Didtheysoundlikehumansfromtheirfootsteps?”
“Ididn’thearanynoiseoffeet—onlyvoicesandthisfrightfulthuddingandthumping-likeamallet.”
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