“Ishearetiredstar,too?”saidLucy.
“Well,notquitethesame,”saidRamandu.“ItwasnotquiteasarestthanhewassettogoverntheDuffers.Youmightcallitapunishment.Hemighthaveshoneforthousandsofyearsmoreinthesouthernwinterskyifallhadgonewell.”
“Whatdidhedo,Sir?”askedCaspian.
“Myson,”saidRamandu,“itisnotforyou,asonofAdam,toknowwhatfaultsastarcancommit.Butcome,wewastetimeinsuchtalk.Areyouyetresolved?Willyousailfurthereastandcomeagain,leavingonetoreturnnomore,andsobreaktheenchantment?Orwillyousailwestward?”
“Surely,Sire,”saidReepicheep,“thereisnoquestionaboutthat?Itisveryplainlypartofourquesttorescuethesethreelordsfromenchantment.”
“Ithinkthesame,Reepicheep,”repliedCaspian.“Andevenifitwerenotso,itwouldbreakmyheartnottogoasneartheWorld’sEndastheDawnTreaderwilltakeus.ButIamthinkingofthecrew.Theysignedontoseekthesevenlords,nottoreachtherimoftheEarth.Ifwesaileastfromherewesailtofindtheedge,theuttereast.Andnotoneknowshowfaritis.They’rebravefellows,butIsetsignsthatsomeofthemarewearyofthevoyageandlongtohaveourprowpointingtoNarniaagain.Idon’tthinkshouldtakethemfurtherwithouttheirknowledgeanconsent.Andthenthere’sthepoorLordRhoop.He’sbrokenman.”
“Myson,”saidthestar,“itwouldbenouse,eventhoughyouwishedit,tosailfortheWorld’sEndwithmenunwillingormendeceived.Thatisnothowgreatunenchantmentsareachieved.
Theymustknowwheretheygoandwhy.Butwhoisthisbrokenmanyouspeakof?”
CaspiantoldRamanduthestoryofRhoop.
“Icangivehimwhatheneedsmost,”saidRamandu.“Ithisislandthereissleepwithoutstintormeasure,andsleepinwhichnofaintestfootfallofadreamwaseverheard.Lethimsitbesidetheseotherthreeanddrinkobliviontillyoureturn.”
“Oh,dolet’sdothat,Caspian,”saidLucy.“I’msureitsjustwhathewouldlove.”
Atthatmomenttheywereinterruptedbythesoundofmanyfeetandvoices:Drinianandtherestoftheshipcompanywereapproaching.TheyhaltedinsurprisewheytheysawRamanduandhisdaughter;andthen,becausethesewereobviouslygreatpeople,everymanuncoveredhishead.Somesailorseyedtheemptydishesandflagonsonthetablewithregret.
“Mylord,”saidtheKingtoDrinian,“praysendtwomenbacktotheDawnTreaderwithamessagetotheLordRhoop.Tellhimthatthelastofhisoldshipmatesarehereasleep-asleepwithoutdreams-andthathecanshareit.”
Whenthishadbeendone,Caspiantoldtheresttositdownandlaidthewholesituationbeforethem.WhenhehadfinishedtherewasalongsilenceandsomewhisperinguntilpresentlytheMasterBowmangottohisfeet,andsaid:
“Whatsomeofushavebeenwantingtoaskforalongtime,yourMajesty,ishowwe’reevertogethomewhenwedoturn,whetherweturnhereorsomewhereelse.It’sbeenwestandnorth-westwindsalltheway,barringanoccasionalcalm.Andifthatdoesn’tchange,I’dliketoknowwhathopeswehaveofseeingNarniaagain.There’snotmuchchanceofsupplieslastingwhilewerowallthatway.
“That’slandsman’stalk,”saidDrinian.“There’salwaysaprevailingwestwindintheseseasallthroughthelatesummer,anditalwayschangesaftertheNewYear.We’llhaveplentyofwindforsailingwestward;morethanweshalllikefromallaccounts.”
“That’strue,Master,”saidanoldsailorwhowasaGalmianbybirth.“YougetsomeuglyweatherrollingupfromtheeastinJanuaryandFebruary.Andbyyourleave,Sire,ifIwasincommandofthisshipI’dsaytowinterhereandbeginthevoyagehomeinMarch.”
“What’dyoueatwhileyouwerewinteringhere?”askedEustace.
“Thistable,”saidRamandu,“willbefilledwithaking’sfeasteverydayatsunset.”
“Nowyou’retalking!”saidseveralsailors.
“YourMajestiesandgentlemenandladiesall,”saidRynelf,“there’sjustonethingIwanttosay.There’snotoneofuschapsaswaspressedonthisjourney.We’revolunteers.Andthere’ssomeherechatarelookingveryhardatthattableandthinkingaboutking’sfeastswhoweretalkingveryloudaboutadventuresonthedaywesailedfromCairParavel,andswearingtheywouldn’tcomehometillwe’dfoundtheendoftheworld.Andthereweresomestandingonthequaywhowouldhavegivenalltheyhadtocomewithus.Itwasthoughtafinerthingthentohaveacabin-
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