“THISwasn’tagarden,”saidSusanpresently.“Itwasacastleandthismusthavebeenthecourtyard.”
“Iseewhatyoumean,”saidPeter.“Yes.Thatistheremainsofatower.Andthereiswhatusedtobeaflightofstepsgoinguptothetopofthewalls.Andlookatthoseothersteps-thebroad,shallowones-goinguptothatdoorway.Itmusthavebeenthedoorintothegreathall.”
“Agesago,bythelookofit,”saidEdmund.
“Yes,agesago,”saidPeter.“Iwishwecouldfindoutwhothepeoplewerethatlivedinthiscastle;andhowlongago.”
“Itgivesmeaqueerfeeling,”saidLucy.
“Doesit,Lu?”saidPeter,turningandlookinghardather.“Becauseitdoesthesametome.Itisthequeerestthingthathashappenedthisqueerday.Iwonderwhereweareandwhatitallmeans?”
Whiletheyweretalkingtheyhadcrossedthecourtyardandgonethroughtheotherdoorwayintowhathadoncebeenthehall.Thiswasnowverylikethecourtyard,fortheroofhadlongsincedisappearedanditwasmerelyanotherspaceofgrassanddaisies,exceptthatitwasshorterandnarrowerandthewallswerehigher.Acrossthefarendtherewasakindofterraceaboutthreefeethigherthantherest.
“Iwonder,wasitreallythehall?”saidSusan.“Whatisthatterracekindofthing?”
“Why,yousilly,”saidPeter(whohadbecomestrangelyexcited),“don’tyousee?ThatwasthedaiswheretheHighTablewas,wheretheKingandthegreatlordssat.AnyonewouldthinkyouhadforgottenthatweourselveswereonceKingsandQueensandsatonadaisjustlikethat,inourgreathall.”
“InourcastleofCairParavel,”continuedSusaninadreamyandrathersingsongvoice,“atthemouthofthegreatriverofNarnia.HowcouldIforget?”
“Howitallcomesback!”saidLucy.“WecouldpretendwewereinCairParavelnow.Thishallmusthavebeenverylikethegreathallwefeastedin.”
“Butunfortunatelywithoutthefeast,”saidEdmund.“It’sgettinglate,youknow.Lookhowlongtheshadowsare.Andhaveyounoticedthatitisn’tsohot?”
“Weshallneedacamp-fireifwe’vegottospendthenighthere,”saidPeter.“I’vegotmatches.Let’sgoandseeifwecancollectsomedrywood.”
Everyonesawthesenseofthis,andforthenexthalf-hourtheywerebusy.Theorchardthroughwhichtheyhadfirstcomeintotheruinsturnedoutnottobeagoodplaceforfirewood.Theytriedtheothersideofthecastle,passingoutofthehallbyalittlesidedoorintoamazeofstonyhumpsandhollowswhichmustoncehavebeenpassagesandsmallerroomsbutwasnowallnettlesandwildroses.Beyondthistheyfoundawidegapinthecastlewallandsteppedthroughitintoawoodofdarkerandbiggertreeswheretheyfounddeadbranchesandrottenwoodandsticksanddryleavesandfir-conesinplenty.Theywenttoandfrowithbundlesuntiltheyhadagoodpileonthedais.Atthefifthjourneytheyfoundthewell,justoutsidethehall,hiddeninweeds,butcleanandfreshanddeepwhentheyhadclearedtheseaway.Theremainsofastonepavementranhalf-wayroundit.Thenthegirlswentouttopicksomemoreapplesandtheboysbuiltthefire,onthedaisandfairlyclosetothecornerbetweentwowalls,whichtheythoughtwouldbethesnuggestandwarmestplace.Theyhadgreatdifficultyinlightingitandusedalotofmatches,buttheysucceededintheend.Finally,allfoursatdownwiththeirbackstothewallandtheirfacestothefire.Theytriedroastingsomeoftheapplesontheendsofsticks.Butroastapplesarenotmuchgoodwithoutsugar,andtheyaretoohottoeatwithyourfingerstilltheyaretoocoldtobewortheating.Sotheyhadtocontentthemselveswithrawapples,which,asEdmundsaid,madeonerealizethatschoolsuppersweren’tsobadafterall—“Ishouldn’tmindagoodthicksliceofbreadandmargarinethisminute,”headded.Butthespiritofadventurewasrisinginthemall,andnoonereallywantedtobebackatschool.
Shortlyafterthelastapplehadbeeneaten,Susanwentouttothewelltogetanotherdrink.Whenshecamebackshewascarryingsomethinginherhand.
“Look,”shesaidinaratherchokingkindofvoice.“Ifounditbythewell.”ShehandedittoPeterandsatdown.Theothersthoughtshelookedandsoundedasifshemightbegoingtocry.EdmundandLucyeagerlybentforwardtoseewhatwasinPeter’shand—alittle,brightthingthatgleamedinthefirelight.
“Well,I’m—I’mjiggered,”saidPeter,andhisvoicealsosoundedqueer.Thenhehandedittotheothers.
Allnowsawwhatitwas—alittlechess-knight,ordinaryinsizebutextraordinarilyheavybecauseitwasmadeofpuregold;andtheeyesinthehorse’sheadweretwotinylittlerubies-orratheronewas,fortheotherhadbeenknockedout.
“Why!”saidLucy,“it’sexactlylikeoneofthegoldenchessmenweusedtoplaywithwhenwewereKingsandQueensatCairParavel.”
“Cheerup,Su,”saidPetertohisothersister.
“Ican’thelpit,”saidSusan.“Itbroughtback—oh,suchlovelytimes.AndIrememberedplayingchesswithfaunsandgoodgiants,andthemer-peoplesinginginthesea,andmybeautifulhorse—and—and—”
“Now,”saidPeterinaquitedifferentvoice,“it’sabouttimewefourstartedusingourbrains.”
“Whatabout?”askedEdmund.
“Havenoneofyouguessedwhereweare?”saidPeter.
“Goon,goon,”saidLucy.“I’vefeltforhoursthattherewassomewonderfulmysteryhangingoverthisplace.”
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