Caspianpaused.“Well,yes.Thereisthat,”hesaid.Hestoodirresoluteforamomentandthenshoutedouttotheshipingeneral.
“Well,haveyourway.Thequestisended.Weallreturn.Gettheboatupagain.”
“Sire,”saidReepicheep,“wedonotallreturn.I,asIexplainedbefore—”
“Silence!”thunderedCaspian.“I’vebeenlessonedbutI’llnotbebaited.WillnoonesilencethatMouse?”
“YourMajestypromised,”saidReepicheep,“tobegoodlordtotheTalkingBeastsofNarnia.”
“Talkingbeasts,yes,”saidCaspian.“Isaidnothingaboutbeaststhatneverstoptalking.”Andheflungdowntheladderinatemperandwentintothecabin,slammingthedoor.
Butwhentheothersrejoinedhimalittlelatertheyfoundhimchanged;hewaswhiteandthereweretearsinhiseyes.
“It’snogood,”hesaid.“ImightaswellhavebehaveddecentlyforallthegoodIdidwithmytemperandswagger.Aslanhasspokentome.No—Idon’tmeanhewasactuallyhere.Hewouldn’tfitintothecabin,foronething.Butthatgoldlion’sheadonthewallcametolifeandspoketome.Itwasterrible—hiseyes.Notthathewasatallroughwithme—onlyabitsternatfirst.Butitwasterribleallthesame.Andhesaid—hesaid—oh,Ican’tbearit.Theworstthinghecouldhavesaid.You’retogoon—ReepandEdmund,andLucy,andEustace;andI’mtogoback.Alone.Andatonce.Andwhatisthegoodofanything?”
“Caspian,dear,”saidLucy.“Youknewwe’dhavetogobacktoourownworldsoonerorlater.”
“Yes,”saidCaspianwithasob,“butthisissooner.”
“You’llfeelbetterwhenyougetbacktoRamandu’sIsland,”saidLucy.
Hecheeredupalittlelateron,butitwasagrievouspartingonbothsidesandIwillnotdwellonit.Abouttwoo’clockintheafternoon,wellvictualledandwatered(thoughtheythoughttheywouldneedneitherfoodnordrink)andwithReepicheep’scoracleonboard,theboatpulledawayfromtheDawnTreadertorowthroughtheendlesscarpetoflilies.TheDawnTreaderflewallherflagsandhungouthershieldstohonourtheirdeparture.Tallandbigandhomelikeshelookedfromtheirlowpositionwiththeliliesallroundthem.Andevenbeforeshewasoutofsighttheysawherturnandbeginrowingslowlywestward.YetthoughLucyshedafewtears,shecouldnotfeelitasmuchasyoumighthaveexpected.Thelight,thesilence,thetinglingsmelloftheSilverSea,even(insomeoddway)thelonelinessitself,weretooexciting.
Therewasnoneedtorow,forthecurrentdriftedthemsteadilytotheeast.Noneofthemsleptorate.Allthatnightandallnextdaytheyglidedeastward,andwhenthethirddaydawned—withabrightnessyouorIcouldnotbearevenifwehaddarkglasseson—theysawawonderahead.Itwasasifawallstoodupbetweenthemandthesky,agreenish-grey,trembling,shimmeringwall.Thenupcamethesun,andatitsfirstrisingtheysawitthroughthewallanditturnedintowonderfulrainbowcolours.Thentheyknewthatthewallwasreallyalong,tallwave—awaveendlesslyfixedinoneplaceasyoumayoftenseeattheedgeofawaterfall.Itseemedtobeaboutthirtyfeethigh,andthecurrentwasglidingthemswiftlytowardsit.Youmighthavesupposedtheywouldhavethoughtoftheirdanger.Theydidn’t.Idon’tthinkanyonecouldhaveintheirposition.Fornowtheysawsomethingnotonlybehindthewavebutbehindthesun.TheycouldnothaveseeneventhesuniftheireyeshadnotbeenstrengthenedbythewateroftheLastSea.Butnowtheycouldlookattherisingsunandseeitclearlyandseethingsbeyondit.Whattheysaw—eastward,beyondthesun—wasarangeofmountains.Itwassohighthateithertheyneversawthetopofitortheyforgotit.Noneofthemremembersseeinganyskyinthatdirection.Andthemountainsmustreallyhavebeenoutsidetheworld.Foranymountainsevenaquarterofatwentiethofthatheightoughttohavehadiceandsnowonthem.Butthesewerewarmandgreenandfull,offorestsandwaterfallshoweverhighyoulooked.Andsuddenlytherecameabreezefromtheeast,tossingthetopofthewaveintofoamyshapesandrufflingthesmoothwaterallroundthem.Itlastedonlyasecondorsobutwhatitbroughttheminthatsecondnoneofthosethreechildrenwilleverforget.Itbroughtbothasmellandasound,amusicalsoundEdmundandEustacewouldnevertalkaboutitafterwards.Lucycouldonlysay,“Itwouldbreakyourheart.”“Why,”saidI,“wasitsosad?”“Sad!!No,”saidLucy.
NooneinthatboatdoubtedchattheywereseeingbeyondtheEndoftheWorldintoAslan’scountry.
Atthatmoment,withacrunch,theboatranaground.Thewaterwastooshallownowforit.“This,”saidReepicheep,“iswhereIgoonalone.”
Theydidnoteventrytostophim,foreverythingnowfeltasifithadbeenfatedorhadhappenedbefore.Theyhelpedhimtolowerhislittlecoracle.Thenhetookoffhissword(“Ishallneeditnomore,”hesaid)andflungitfarawayacrosstheliliedsea.Whereitfellitstooduprightwiththehiltabovethesurface.Thenhebadethemgood-bye,tryingtobesadfortheirsakes;buthewasquiveringwithhappiness.Lucy,forthefirstandlasttime,didwhatshehadalwayswantedtodo,takinghiminherarmsandcaressinghim.Thenhastilyhegotintohiscoracleandtookhispaddle,andthecurrentcaughtitandawayhewent,veryblackagainstthelilies.Butnoliliesgrewonthewave;itwasasmoothgreenslope.Thecoraclewentmoreandmorequickly,andbeautifullyitrushedupthewave’sside.ForonesplitsecondtheysawitsshapeandReepicheep’sontheverytop.Thenitvanished,andsincethatmomentnoonecantrulyclaimtohaveseenReepicheeptheMouse.ButmybeliefisthathecamesafetoAslan’scountryandisalivetheretothisday.
Asthesunrosethesightofthosemountainsoutsidetheworldfadedaway.Thewaveremainedbuttherewasonlyblueskybehindit.
Thechildrengotoutoftheboatandwaded—nottowardsthewavebutsouthwardwiththewallofwaterontheirleft.Theycouldnothavetoldyouwhytheydidthis;itwastheirfate.Andthoughtheyhadfelt—andbeen—verygrown-upontheDawnTreader,theynowfeltjusttheoppositeandheldhandsastheywadedthroughthelilies.Theyneverfelttired.Thewaterwaswarmandallthetimeitgotshallower.Atlasttheywereondrysand,andthenongrass—ahugeplainofveryfineshortgrass,almostlevelwiththeSilverSeaandspreadingineverydirectionwithoutsomuchasamolehill.
Andofcourse,asitalwaysdoesinaperfectlyflatplacewithouttrees,itlookedasiftheskycamedowntomeetthegrassinfrontofthem.Butastheywentontheygotthestrangestimpressionthathereatlasttheskydidreallycomedownandjointheearth—abluewall,verybright,butrealandsolid:morelikeglassthananythingelse.Andsoontheywerequitesureofit.Itwasverynearnow.
Butbetweenthemandthefootoftheskytherewassomethingsowhiteonthegreengrassthatevenwiththeireagles’eyestheycouldhardlylookatit.TheycameonandsawthatitwasaLamb.
“Comeandhavebreakfast,”saidtheLambinitssweetmilkyvoice.
Thentheynoticedforthefirsttimethattherewasafirelitonthegrassandfishroastingonit.Theysatdownandatethefish,hungrynowforthefirsttimeformanydays.Anditwasthemostdeliciousfoodtheyhadevertasted.
“Please,Lamb,”saidLucy,“isthisthewaytoAslan’scountry?”
“Notforyou,”saidtheLamb.“ForyouthedoorintoAslan’scountryisfromyourownworld.”
“What!”saidEdmund.“IsthereawayintoAslan’scountryfromourworldtoo?”
“Thereisawayintomycountryfromalltheworlds,”saidtheLamb;butashespokehissnowywhiteflushedintotawnygoldandhissizechangedandhewasAslanhimself,toweringabovethemandscatteringlightfromhismane.
“Oh,Aslan,”saidLucy.“Willyoutellushowtogetintoyourcountryfromourworld?”
“Ishallbetellingyouallthetime,”saidAslan.“ButIwillnottellyouhowlongorshortthewaywillbe;onlythatitliesacrossariver.Butdonotfearthat,forIamthegreatBridgeBuilder.Andnowcome;Iwillopenthedoorintheskyandsendyoutoyourownland.”
“Please,Aslan,”saidLucy.“Beforewego,willyoutelluswhenwecancomebacktoNarniaagain?Please.Andoh,do,do,domakeitsoon.”
“Dearest,”saidAslanverygently,“youandyourbrotherwillnevercomebalktoNarnia.”
“Oh,Aslan!!”saidEdmundandLucybothtogetherindespairingvoices.
“Youaretooold,children,”saidAslan,“andyoumustbegintocomeclosetoyourownworldnow.”
“Itisn’tNarnia,youknow,”sobbedLucy.“It’syou.Weshan’tmeetyouthere.Andhowcanwelive,nevermeetingyou?”
“Butyoushallmeetme,dearone,”saidAslan.
“Are—areyoutheretoo,Sir?”saidEdmund.
“Iam,”saidAslan.“ButthereIhaveanothername.Youmustlearntoknowmebythatname.ThiswastheveryreasonwhyyouwerebroughttoNarnia,thatbyknowingmehereforalittle,youmayknowmebetterthere.”
“AndisEustacenevertocomebackhereeither?”saidLucy.
“Child,”saidAslan,“doyoureallyneedtoknowthat?Come,Iamopeningthedoorinthesky.”Thenallinonemomenttherewasarendingofthebluewall(likeacurtainbeingtorn)andaterriblewhitelightfrombeyondthesky,andthefeelofAslan’smaneandaLion’skissontheirforeheadsandthen—thebarkbedroominAuntAlberta’shomeinCambridge.
Onlytwomorethingsneedtobetold.OneisthatCaspianandhismenallcamesafelybacktoRamandu’sIsland.Andthethreelordswokefromtheirsleep.CaspianmarriedRamandu’sdaughterandtheyallreachedNarniaintheend,andshebecameagreatqueenandthemotherandgrandmotherofgreatkings.TheotheristhatbackinourownworldeveryonesoonstartedsayinghowEustacehadimproved,andhow“You’dneverknowhimforthesameboy”:everyoneexceptAuntAlberta,whosaidhehadbecomeverycommonplaceandtiresomeanditmusthavebeentheinfluenceofthosePevensiechildren.
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