WHENthewholepartywasfinallyawakeLucyhadtotellherstoryforthefourthtime.Theblanksilencewhichfolloweditwasasdiscouragingasanythingcouldbe.
“Ican’tseeanything,”saidPeterafterhehadstaredhiseyessore.“Canyou,Susan?”
“No,ofcourseIcan’t,”snappedSusan.“Becausethereisn’tanythingtosee.She’sbeendreaming.Doliedownandgotosleep,Lucy.”
“AndIdohope,”saidLucyinatremulousvoice,“thatyouwillallcomewithme.Because—becauseI’llhavetogowithhimwhetheranyoneelsedoesornot.”
“Don’ttalknonsense,Lucy,”saidSusan.“Ofcourseyoucan’tgooffonyourown.Don’tlether,Peter.She’sbeingdownrightnaughty.”
“I’llgowithher,ifshemustgo,”saidEdmund.“She’sbeenrightbefore.”
Caspian
“Iknowshehas,”saidPeter.“Andshemayhavebeenrightthismorning.Wecertainlyhadnoluckgoingdownthegorge.Still-atthishourofthenight.AndwhyshouldAslanbeinvisibletous?Heneverusedtobe.It’snotlikehim.WhatdoestheD.L.F.say?”
“Oh,Isaynothingatall,”answeredtheDwarf.“Ifyouallgo,ofcourse,I’llgowithyou;andifyourpartysplitsup,I’llgowiththeHighKing.That’smydutytohimandKingCaspian.But,ifyouaskmyprivateopinion,I’maplaindwarfwhodoesn’tthinkthere’smuchchanceoffindingaroadbynightwhereyoucouldn’tfindonebyday.AndIhavenouseformagiclionswhicharetalkinglionsanddon’ttalk,andfriendlylionsthoughtheydon’tdousanygood,andwhoppingbiglionsthoughnobodycanseethem.It’sallbilgeandbeanstalksasfarasIcansee.”
“He’sbeatinghispawonthegroundforustohurry,”saidLucy.“Wemustgonow.AtleastImust.”
“You’venorighttotrytoforcetherestofuslikethat.It’sfourtooneandyou’retheyoungest,”saidSusan.
“Oh,comeon,”growledEdmund.“We’vegottogo.There’llbenopeacetillwedo.”HefullyintendedtobackLucyup,buthewasannoyedatlosinghisnight’ssleepandwasmakingupforitbydoingeverythingassulkilyaspossible.
“Onthemarch,then,”saidPeter,wearilyfittinghisarmintohisshield-strapandputtinghishelmeton.AtanyothertimehewouldhavesaidsomethingnicetoLucy,whowashisfavouritesister,forheknewhowwretchedshemustbefeeling,andheknewthat,whateverhadhappened,itwasnotherfault.Buthecouldn’thelpbeingalittleannoyedwithherallthesame.
Susanwastheworst.“SupposingIstartedbehavinglikeLucy,”shesaid.“Imightthreatentostayherewhethertherestofyouwentonornot.IjollywellthinkIshall.”
“ObeytheHighKing,yourMajesty,”saidTrumpkin,“andlet’sbeoff.IfI’mnottobeallowedtosleep,I’dassoonmarchasstandheretalking.”
Andsoatlasttheygotonthemove.Lucywentfirst,bitingherlipandtryingnottosayallthethingsshethoughtofsayingtoSusan.ButsheforgotthemwhenshefixedhereyesonAslan.Heturnedandwalkedataslowpaceaboutthirtyyardsaheadofthem.TheothershadonlyLucy’sdirectionstoguidethem,forAslanwasnotonlyinvisibletothembutsilentaswell.Hisbigcat-likepawsmadenonoiseonthegrass.
Heledthemtotherightofthedancingtrees—whethertheywerestilldancingnobodyknew,forLucyhadhereyesontheLionandtheresthadtheireyesonLucy—andnearertheedgeofthegorge.“Cobblesandkettledrums!”thoughtTrumpkin.“Ihopethismadnessisn’tgoingtoendinamoonlightclimbandbrokennecks.”
ForalongwayAslanwentalongthetopoftheprecipices.Thentheycametoaplacewheresomelittletreesgrewrightontheedge.Heturnedanddisappearedamongthem.Lucyheldherbreath,foritlookedasifhehadplungedoverthecliff;butshewastoobusykeepinghiminsighttostopandthinkaboutthis.Shequickenedherpaceandwassoonamongthetreesherself.Lookingdown,shecouldseeasteepandnarrowpathgoingslantwisedownintothegorgebetweenrocks,andAslandescendingit.Heturnedandlookedatherwithhishappyeyes.Lucyclappedherhandsandbegantoscrambledownafterhim.Frombehindhersheheardthevoicesoftheothersshouting,“Hi!Lucy!Lookout,forgoodness’sake.You’rerightontheedgeofthegorge.Comeback—”andthen,amomentlater,Edmund’svoicesaying,“No,she’sright.Thereisawaydown.”
Half—waydownthepathEdmundcaughtupwithher.
“Look!”hesaidingreatexcitement.“Look!What’sthatshadowcrawlingdowninfrontofus?”
“It’shisshadow,”saidLucy.
“Idobelieveyou’reright,Lu,”saidEdmund.“Ican’tthinkhowIdidn’tseeitbefore.Butwhereishe?”
“Withhisshadow,ofcourse.Can’tyouseehim?”
“Well,IalmostthoughtIdid-foramoment.It’ssucharumlight.”
“Geton,KingEdmund,geton,”cameTrumpkin’svoicefrombehindandabove:andthen,fartherbehindandstillnearlyatthetop,Peter’svoicesaying,“Oh,buckup,Susan.Givemeyourhand.Why,ababycouldgetdownhere.Anddostopgrousing.”