THEworstofsleepingoutofdoorsisthatyouwakeupsodreadfullyearly.Andwhenyouwakeyouhavetogetupbecausethegroundissohardthatyouareuncomfortable.Anditmakesmattersworseifthereisnothingbutapplesforbreakfastandyouhavehadnothingbutapplesforsupperthenightbefore.WhenLucyhadsaid—trulyenough—thatitwasagloriousmorning,theredidnotseemtobeanythingelsenicetobesaid.Edmundsaidwhateveryonewasfeeling,“We’vesimplygottogetoffthisisland.”
Whentheyhaddrunkfromthewellandsplashedtheirfacestheyallwentdownthestreamagaintotheshoreandstaredatthechannelwhichdividedthemfromthemainland.
“We’llhavetoswim,”saidEdmund.
“ItwouldbeallrightforSu,”saidPeter(Susanhadwonprizesforswimmingatschool).“ButIdon’tknowabouttherestofus.”By“therestofus”hereallymeantEdmundwhocouldn’tyetdotwolengthsattheschoolbaths,andLucy,whocouldhardlyswimatall。
“Anyway,”saidSusan,“theremaybecurrents.Fathersaysit’sneverwisetobatheinaplaceyoudon’tknow.”
“But,Peter,”saidLucy,“lookhere.IknowIcan’tswimfornutsathome—inEngland,Imean.Butcouldn’tweallswimlongago—ifitwaslongago—whenwewereKingsandQueensinNarnia?Wecouldridethentoo,anddoallsortsofthings.Don’tyouthink—?”
“Ah,butweweresortofgrown-upthen,”saidPeter.
“Wereignedforyearsandyearsandlearnedtodothings.Aren’twejustbackatourproperagesagainnow?”
“Oh!”saidEdmundinavoicewhichmadeeveryonestoptalkingandlistentohim.
“I’vejustseenitall,”hesaid.
“Seenwhat?”askedPeter.
“Why,thewholething,”saidEdmund.“Youknowwhatwewerepuzzlingaboutlastnight,thatitwasonlyayearagosinceweleftNarniabuteverythinglooksasifnoonehadlivedinCairParavelforhundredsofyears?Well,don’tyousee?Youknowthat,howeverlongweseemedtohavelivedinNarnia,whenwegotbackthroughthewardrobeitseemedtohavetakennotimeatall?”
“Goon,”saidSusan.“IthinkI’mbeginningtounderstand.”
“Andthatmeans,”continuedEdmund,“that,onceyou’reoutofNarnia,youhavenoideahowNarniantimeisgoing.Whyshouldn’thundredsofyearshavegonepastinNarniawhileonlyoneyearhaspassedforusinEngland?”
“ByJove,Ed,”saidPeter.“Ibelieveyou’vegotit.InthatsenseitreallywashundredsofyearsagothatwelivedinCairParavel.Andnowwe’recomingbacktoNarniajustasifwewereCrusadersorAnglo—SaxonsorAncientBritonsorsomeonecomingbacktomodernEngland?”
“Howexcitedthey’llbetoseeus—”beganLucy,butatthesamemomenteveryoneelsesaid,“Hush!”or“Look!”Fornowsomethingwashappening.
Therewasawoodedpointonthemainlandalittletotheirright,andtheyallfeltsurethatjustbeyondthatpointmustbethemouthoftheriver.Andnow,roundthatpointtherecameintosightaboat.Whenithadclearedthepoint,itturnedandbegancomingalongthechanneltowardsthem.Thereweretwopeopleonboard,onerowing,theothersittinginthesternandholdingabundlethattwitchedandmovedasifitwerealive.Boththesepeopleseemedtobesoldiers.Theyhadsteelcapsontheirheadsandlightshirtsofchain-mail.Theirfaceswerebeardedandhard.Thechildrendrewbackfromthebeachintothewoodandwatchedwithoutmovingafinger.
“This’lldo,”saidthesoldierinthesternwhentheboathadcomeaboutoppositetothem.
“Whatabouttyingastonetohisfeet,Corporal?”saidtheother,restingonhisoars.
“Garn!”growledtheother.“Wedon’tneedthat,andwehaven’tbroughtone.He’lldrownsureenoughwithoutastone,aslongaswe’vetiedthecordsright.”Withthesewordsheroseandliftedhisbundle.PeternowsawthatitwasreallyaliveandwasinfactaDwarf,boundhandandfootbutstrugglingashardashecould.Nextmomentheheardatwangjustbesidehisear,andallatoncethesoldierthrewuphisarms,droppingtheDwarfintothebottomoftheboat,andfelloverintothewater.HeflounderedawaytothefarbankandPeterknewthatSusan’sarrowhadstruckonhishelmet.Heturnedandsawthatshewasverypalebutwasalreadyfittingasecondarrowtothestring.Butitwasneverused.Assoonashesawhiscompanionfall,theothersoldier,withaloudcry,jumpedoutoftheboatonthefarside,andhealsoflounderedthroughthewater(whichwasapparentlyjustinhisdepth)anddisappearedintothewoodsofthemainland.
“Quick!Beforeshedrifts!”shoutedPeter.HeandSusan,fullydressedastheywere,plungedin,andbeforethewaterwasuptotheirshoulderstheirhandswereonthesideoftheboat.InafewsecondstheyhadhauledhertothebankandliftedtheDwarfout,andEdmundwasbusilyengagedincuttinghisbondswiththepocket-knife.(Peter’sswordwouldhavebeensharper,butaswordisveryinconvenientforthissortofworkbecauseyoucan’tholditanywherelowerthanthehilt.)WhenatlasttheDwarfwasfree,hesatup,rubbedhisarmsandlegs,andexclaimed:
“Well,whatevertheysay,youdon’tfeellikeghosts.”
LikemostDwarfshewasverystockyanddeep-chested.Hewouldhavebeenaboutthreefeethighifhehadbeenstandingup,andanimmensebeardandwhiskersofcoarseredhairleftlittleofhisfacetobeseenexceptabeak—likenoseandtwinklingblackeyes.
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