WHATmadeScrubblooksodingy(andJilltoo,ifshecouldonlyhaveseenherself)wasthesplendouroftheirsurroundings.Ihadbetterdescribethematonce.
ThroughacleftinthosemountainswhichJillhadseenfarinlandassheapproachedtheland,thesunsetlightwaspouringoveralevellawn.Onthefarsideofthelawn,itsweather-vanesglitteringinthelight,roseamany-toweredandmany-turretedcastle;themostbeautifulcastleJillhadeverseen.Onthenearsidewasaquayofwhitemarbleand,mooredtothis,theship:atallshipwithhighforecastleandhighpoop,gildedandcrimson,withagreatflagatthemast-head,andmanybannerswavingfromthedecks,andarowofshields,brightassilver,alongthebulwarks.Thegang-plankwaslaidtoher,andatthefootofit,justreadytogoonboard,stoodanold,oldman.Heworearichmantleofscarletwhichopenedinfronttoshowhissilvermailshirt.Therewasathincircletofgoldonhishead.Hisbeard,whiteaswool,fellnearlytohiswaist.Hestoodstraightenough,leaningonehandontheshoulderofarichlydressedlordwhoseemedyoungerthanhimself:butyoucouldseehewasveryoldandfrail.Helookedasifapuffofwindcouldblowhimaway,andhiseyeswerewatery.
ImmediatelyinfrontoftheKing—whohadturnedroundtospeaktohispeoplebeforegoingonboardtheship—therewasalittlechaironwheels,and,harnessedtoit,alittledonkey:notmuchbiggerthanabigretriever.Inthischairsatafatlittledwarf.HewasasrichlydressedastheKing,butbecauseofhisfatnessandbecausehewassittinghunchedupamongcushions,theeffectwasquitedifferent:itmadehimlooklikeashapelesslittlebundleoffurandsilkandvelvet.HewasasoldastheKing,butmorehaleandhearty,withverykeeneyes.Hisbarehead,whichwasbaldandextremelylarge,shonelikeagiganticbilliardballinthesunsetlight.
Fartherback,inahalf-circle,stoodwhatJillatonceknewtobethecourtiers.Theywerewellworthlookingatfortheirclothesandarmouralone.Asfarasthatwent,theylookedmorelikeaflower-bedthanacrowd.ButwhatreallymadeJillopenhereyesandmouthaswideastheywouldgo,wasthepeoplethemselves.If“people”wastherightword.Foronlyaboutoneineveryfivewashuman.Therestwerethingsyouneverseeinourworld.Fauns,satyrs,centaurs:Jillcouldgiveanametothese,forshehadseenpicturesoftheDwarfstoo.Andtherewerealotofanimalssheknewaswell;bears,badgers,moles,leopards,mice,andvariousbirds.ButthentheyweresoverydifferentfromtheanimalswhichonecalledbythesamenamesinEngland.Someofthemweremuchbigger—themice,forinstance,stoodontheirhindlegsandwereovertwofeethigh.Butquiteapartfromthat,theyalllookeddifferent.Youcouldseebytheexpressionintheirfacesthattheycouldtalkandthinkjustaswellasyoucould.
“Golly!”thoughtJill.“Soit’strueafterall.”Butnextmomentsheadded,“Iwonderaretheyfriendly?”Forshehadjustnoticed,ontheoutskirtsofthecrowd,oneortwogiantsandsomepeoplewhomshecouldn’tgiveanametoatall.
AtthatmomentAslanandthesignsrushedbackintohermind.Shehadforgottenallaboutthemforthelasthalf-hour.
“Scrubb!”shewhispered,grabbinghisar“Scrubb,quick!Doyouseeanyoneyouknow?”
“Soyou’veturnedupagain,haveyou?”saidScrubbdisagreeably(forwhichhehadsomereason).“Well,keepquiet,can’tyou?Iwanttolisten.”
“Don’tbeafool,”saidJill.“Thereisn’tamomenttolose.Don’tyouseesomeoldfriendhere?Becauseyou’vegottogoandspeaktohimatonce.”
“Whatareyoutalkingabout?”saidScrubb.
“It’sAslan—theLion—saysyou’vegotto,”saidJilldespairingly.“I’veseenhi”
“Oh,youhave,haveyou?Whatdidhesay?”
“HesaidtheveryfirstpersonyousawinNarniawouldbeanoldfriend,andyou’dgottospeaktohimatonce.”
“Well,there’snobodyhereI’veeverseeninmylifebefore;andanyway,Idon’tknowwhetherthisisNarnia.”
“Thoughtyousaidyou’dbeenherebefore,”saidJill.
“Well,youthoughtwrongthen.”
“Well,Ilikethat!Youtoldme—”
“Forheaven’ssakedryupandlet’shearwhatthey’resaying.”
TheKingwasspeakingtotheDwarf,butJillcouldn’thearwhathesaid.And,asfarasshecouldmakeout,theDwarfmadenoanswer,thoughhenoddedandwaggedhisheadagreatdeal.ThentheKingraisedhisvoiceandaddressedthewholecourt:buthisvoicewassooldandcrackedthatshecouldunderstandverylittleofhisspeech—especiallysinceitwasallaboutpeopleandplacesshehadneverheardof.Whenthespeechwasover,theKingstoopeddownandkissedtheDwarfonbothcheeks,straightenedhimself,raisedhisrighthandasifinblessing,andwent,slowlyandwithfeeblesteps,upthegangwayandonboardtheship.Thecourtiersappearedtobegreatlymovedbyhisdeparture.Handkerchiefsweregotout,soundsofsobbingwereheardineverydirection.Thegangwaywascastoff,trumpetssoundedfromthepoop,andtheshipmovedawayfromthequay.(Itwasbeingtowedbyarowing-boat,butJilldidn’tseethat.)
“Now—”saidScrubb,buthedidn’tgetanyfarther,becauseatthatmomentalargewhiteobject—Jillthoughtforasecondthatitwasakite—cameglidingthroughtheairandalightedathisfeet.Itwasawhiteowl,butsobigthatitstoodashighasagood-sizeddwarf.
Itblinkedandpeeredasifitwereshort-sighted,andputitsheadalittleononeside,andsaidinasoft,hootingkindofvoice:
“Tu-whoo,tu-whoo!Whoareyoutwo?”
“Myname’sScrubb,andthisisPole,”saidEustace.“Wouldyoumindtellinguswhereweare?”
“InthelandofNarnia,attheKing’scastleofCairParavel.”
“IsthattheKingwho’sjusttakenship?”
“Tootrue,tootrue,”saidtheOwlsadly,shakingitsbighead.“Butwhoareyou?There’ssomethingmagicaboutyoutwo.Isawyouarrive:youflew.EveryoneelsewassobusyseeingtheKingoffthatnobodyknew.Exceptme.Ihappenedtonoticeyou,youflew.”
“WeweresentherebyAslan,”saidEustaceinalowvoice.
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