CHAPTER THREE
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THE SAILING OF THE KING WHAT made Scrubb look so dingy (and Jill too, if she could only have seen herself) was the splendour of their surroundings. I had better describe them at once.Through a cleft in those mountains which Jill had seen far inland as she approached the land, the su light over a level lawn. On the far side of the lawn, its weather-vanes glittering in the light, rose a many-towered and many- turreted castle; the most beautiful castle Jill had ever seen. On the near side was a quay of white marble and, moored to this, the ship: a tall ship with high forecastle and high poop, gilded and crimson, with a great flag at the mast-head, and many banners waving from the decks, and a row of shields, bright as silver, along the bulwarks. The gang-plank was laid to her, and at the foot of it, just ready to go on board, stood an old, old man. He wore a rich mantle of scarlet which opened in front to show his silver mail shirt. There was a thin circlet of gold on his head. His beard, white as wool, fell nearly to his waist. He stood straight enough, leaning one hand on the shoulder of a richly dressed lord who seemed youhan himself: but you could see he was very old and frail. He looked as if a puff of wind could blow him away, and his eyes were watery.
Immediately in fro.9９ｌｉb. of the King - who had turned round to speak to his people befoing on board the ship - there was a little chair on wheels, and, haro it, a little donkey: not much bigger than a big retriever. In this chair sat a fat little dwarf. He was as richly dressed as the King, but because of his fatness and because he was sitting hunched up among cushions, the effect was quite different: it made him look like a shapeless little bundle of fur and silk a. He was as old as the King, but more hale ay, with very keen eyes. His bare head, which was bald aremely large, shone like a gigantic billiard ball in the su light.
Farther back, in a half-circle, stood what Jill at onew to be the courtiers. They were well worth looking at for their clothes and armour alone. As far as that went, they looked more like a flower-bed than a crowd. But what really made Jill open her eyes and mouth as wide as they would go, was the people themselves. If "people" was the right word. For only about one in every five was human. The rest were things you never see in our world.
Fauns, satyrs, taurs: Jill could give a o these, for she had seen pictures of them.
Dwarfs too. And there were a lot of animals she knew as well; bears, badgers, moles, leopards, mice, and various birds. But then they were so very different from the animals whie called by the same names in England. Some of them were much bigger - the mice, for instaood on their hind legs and were over two feet high. But quite apart from that, they all looked different. You could see by the expression in their faces that they could talk and think just as well as you could.
"Golly!" thought Jill. "So its true after all." But moment she added, "I wonder are they friendly?" For she had just noticed, oskirts of the crowd, one or two giants and some people whom she couldnt give a o at all.
At that moment Aslan and the signs rushed bato her mind. She had fotten all about them for the last half-hour.
"Scrubb!" she whispered, grabbing his arm. "Scrubb, quick! Do you see anyone you know?”
"So youve turned up again, have you?" said Scrubb disagreeably (for which he had some reason). "Well, keep quiet, t you? I want to listen.”
"Dont be a fool," said Jill. "There isnt a moment to lose. Dont you see some old friend here? Because youve got to go and speak to him at once.”
"What are you talking about?" said Scrubb.
"Its Aslan - the Lion - says youve got to," said Jill despairingly. "Ive seen him.”
"Oh, you have, have you? What did he say?”
"He said the very first person you saw in Narnia would be an old friend, and youd got to speak to him at once.”
"Well, theres nobody here Ive ever seen in my life before; and anyway, I dont know whether this is Narnia.”
"Thought you said youd been here before," said Jill.
"Well, you thought wrong then.”
"Well, I like that! You told me -”
"For heavens sake dry up as hear what theyre saying.”
The King eaking to the Dwarf, but Jill couldnt hear what he said. And, as far as she could make out, the Dwarf made no ahough he nodded and wagged his head a great deal. Then the King raised his void addressed the whole court: but his voice was so old and cracked that she could uand very little of his speech - especially si was all about people and places she had never heard of. When the speech was over, the King stooped down and kissed the Dwarf on both cheeks, straightened himself, raised his right hand as if in blessing, a, slowly and with feeble steps, up the gangway and on board the ship. The courtiers appeared to be greatly moved by his departure. Handkerchiefs were got out, sounds of sobbing were heard in every dire.
The gangway was cast off, trumpets sounded from the poop, and the ship moved away from the quay. (It was being towed by a rowing-boat, but Jill didhat.)
"Now -" said Scrubb, but he did any farther, because at that moment a large white object - Jill thought for a sed that it was a kite - came gliding through the air and alighted at his feet. It was a white owl, but so big that it stood as high as a good-sized dwarf.
It blinked and peered as if it were short-sighted, and put its head a little on one side, and said in a soft, hooting kind of voice: "Tu-whoo, tu-whoo! Who are you two?”
"My names Scrubb, and this is Pole," said Eustace. "Would you mind telling us where we are?”
"In the land of Narnia, at the Kings castle of Cair Paravel.”
"Is that the King whos just taken ship?”
"Too true, too true," said the Owl sadly, shaking its big head. "But who are you? Theres something magic about you two. I saw you arrive: you flew. Everyone else was so busy seeing the King off that nobody knew. Except me. I happeo notice you, you flew.”
"We were sent here by Aslan," said Eusta a low voice.
"Tu-whoo, tu-whoo!" said the Owl, ruffling out its feathers. "This is almost too mue, so early in the evening. Im not quite myself till the suns down.”
"And weve beeo find the lost Prince," said Jill, who had been anxiously waiting to get into th<mark></mark>e versation.
"Its the first Ive heard about it," said Eustace. "rince?”
"You had better e and speak to the Lent at once," it said. "Thats him, over there in the donkey carriage; Trumpkin the Dwarf." The bird turned and began leading the way, muttering to itself, "Whoo! Tu-whoo! What a to-do! I t think clearly yet. Its too early.”
"What is the Kings name?" asked Eustace.
"Caspiaenth," said the Owl. And Jill wondered why Scrubb had suddenly pulled up short in his walk and turned araordinary colour. She thought she had never seen him look so sick about anything. But before she had time to ask any questions they had reached the dwarf, who was just gathering up the reins of his donkey and preparing to drive back to the castle. The crowd of courtiers had broken up and were going in the same dire, by ones and twos and little knots, like people ing away from watg a game or a race.
"Tu-whoo! Ahem! Lent," said the Owl, stooping down a little and holding its beak he Dwarfs ear.
"Heh? Whats that?" said the Dwarf.
"Twers, my lord," said the Owl.
&quers! What dye mean?" said the Dwarf. "I see two unonly grubby man-cubs.
What do they want?”
"My names Jill," said Jill, pressing forward. She was very eager to explain the important business on which they had e.
"The girls called Jill," said the Owl, as loud as it could.
"Whats that?" said the Dwarf. "The girls are all killed! I dont believe a word of it. What girls? Who killed em?”
"Only one girl, my lord," said the Owl. "Her name is Jill.”
"Speak up, speak up," said the Dwarf. "Dont stand there buzzing and twittering in my ear. Whos been killed?”
"Nobodys been killed," hooted the Owl.
"Who?”
"NOBODY.”
"All right, all right. You shout. Im not so deaf as all that. What do you mean by io tell me that nobodys been killed? Why should anyone have been killed?”
"Better tell him Im Eustace," said Scrubb.
"The boys Eustace, my lord," hooted the Owl as loud as it could.
"Useless?" said the Dwarf irritably. "I dare say he is. Is that any reason fing him to court? Hey?”
"Not useless," said the Owl. "EUSTACE.”
"Used to it, is he? I dont know what youre talking about, Im sure. I tell you what it is, Master Glimfeather; when I was a young Dwarf there used to be talking beasts and birds in this try who really could talk. There wasnt all this mumbling and muttering and whispering. It wouldnt have been tolerated for a moment. Not for a moment, Sir. Urnus, my trumpet please -”
A little Faun who had been standing quietly beside the Dwarfs elbow all this time now handed him a silver eartrumpet. It was made like the musical instrument called a serpent, so that the tube curled right round the Dwarfs neck. While he was getting it settled the Owl, Glimfeather, su..ddenly said to the children in a whisper: "My brains a bit clearer now. Dont say anything about the lost Prince. Ill explain later. It wouldnt do, wouldnt do, Tu-Whoo! Oh what a to-do!”
"Now," said the Dwarf, "if you have anything sensible to say, Master Glimfeather, try and say it. Take a deep breath and dont attempt to speak too quickly.”
With help from the children, and in spite of a fit of coughing on the part of the Dwarf, Glimfeather explaihat the strangers had bee by Aslan to visit the court of Narnia. The Dwarf glanced quickly up at them with a new expression in his eyes.
"Sent by the Lion Himself, hey?" he said. "And from mm - from that other Place - beyond the worlds end, hey?”
"Yes, my lord," bawled Eustato the trumpet.
"Son of Adam and Daughter of Eve, hey?" said the Dwarf. But people at Experiment House havent heard of Adam and Eve, so Jill aace couldnt ahis. But the Dwarf dido notice.
"Well, my dears," he said, taking first one and theher by the hand and bowing his head a little. "You are very heartily wele. If the good King, my poor Master, had not this very hour set sail for Seven Isles, he would have been glad of your ing. It would have brought back his youth to him for a moment - for a moment. And now, it is high time for supper. You shall tell me your business in full cil tomorrow m.
Master Glimfeather, see that bedchambers and suitable clothes and all else are provided for these guests in the most honourable fashion. And - Glimfeather - in your ear -”
Here the Dut his mouth close to the Owls head and, no doubt, inteo whisper: but, like other deaf people, he wasnt a very good judge of his own voice, and both children heard him say, "See that theyre properly washed.”
After that, the Dwarf touched up his donkey and it set off towards the castle at somethiween a trot and a waddle (it was a very fat little beast), while the Faun, the Owl, and the children followed at a rather slower pace. The sun had set and the air was growing cool.
They went across the lawn and then through an orchard and so to the North Gate of Cair Paravel, which stood wide open. Ihey found a grassy courtyard. Lights were already showing from the windows of the great hall on their right and from a more plicated mass of buildings straight ahead. Into these the Owl led them, and there a most delightful person was called to look after Jill. She was not much taller than Jill herself, and a good deal slenderer, but obviously full grown, graceful as a willow, and her hair was willowy too, and there seemed to be moss in it. She brought Jill to a round room in one of the turrets, where there was a little bath sunk in the floor and a fire of sweet-smelling woods burning on the flat hearth and a lamp hanging by a silver from the vaulted roof. The window looked west into the strange land of Narnia, and Jill saw the red remains of the suill glowing behind distant mountains. It made her long for more adventures and feel sure that this was only the beginning.
When she had had her bath, and brushed her hair, and put on the clothes that had been laid out for her - they were the kind that not only felt nice, but looked nid smelled nid made nice sounds when you moved as well - she would have gone back to gaze out of that exg window, but she was interrupted by a bang on the door.
"e in," said Jill. And in came Scrubb, also bathed and splendidly dressed in Narnian clothes. But his face didnt look as if he were enjoying it.
"Oh, here you are at last," he said crossly, flinging himself into a chair. "Ive been trying to find you for ever so long.”
"Well, now you have," said Jill. "I say, Scrubb, isnt it all simply too exg and scrumptious for words." She had fotten all about the signs and the lost Prince for the moment.
"Oh! Thats what you think, is it?" said Scrubb: and then, after a pause, "I wish to goodness wed never e.”
"Why oh?”
"I t bear it," said Scrubb. "Seeing the King Caspian - a d old man like that.
Its - its frightful.”
"Why, what harm does it do you?”
"Oh, you dont uand. Now that I e to think of it, you couldnt. I didnt tell you that this world has a different time from ours.”
"How do you mean?”
"The time you spend here doesnt take up any of our time. Do you see? I mean, however long we spend here, we shall still get back to Experiment House at the moment we left it -”
"That wont be much fun.”
"Oh, dry up! Dont keep interrupting. And when youre ba England - in our world - you t tell how time is going here. It might be any number of years in Narnia while were having one year at home. The Pevensies explai all to me, but, like a fool, I fot about it. And noarently its been about seventy years Narnian years - since I was here last. Do you see now? And I e bad find Caspian an old, old man.”
"Then the King was an old friend of yours!" said Jill. A horrid thought had struck her.
"I should jolly well think he was," said Scrubb miserably. "About as good a friend as a chap could have. And last time he was only a few years older than me. And to see that old man with a white beard, and to remember Caspian as he was the m tured the Lone Islands, or in the fight with the Sea Serpent - oh, its frightful. Its worse than ing bad finding him dead.”
"Oh, shut up," said Jill impatiently. "Its far worse than you think. Weve muffed the first Sign." Of course Scrubb did not uand this. Then Jill told him about her versation with Aslan and the fns and the task of finding the lost prince which had been laid upon them.
"So you see," she wound up, "you did see an old friend, just as Aslan said, and you ought to have gone and spoken to him at once. And now you havent, and everything is going wrong from the very beginning.”
"Butbbr></abbr> how was I to know?" said Scrubb.
"If youd only listeo me when I tried to tell you, wed be all right," said Jill.
"Yes, and if you hadnt played the fool on the edge of that cliff and jolly nearly murdered me - all right, I said murder, and Ill say it again as often as I like, so keep your hair on - wed have e together and both known what to do.”
"I suppose he was the first person you saw?" said Jill. "You must have been here hours before me. Are you sure you didnt see anyone else first?”
"I was only here about a minute before you," said Scrubb. "He must have blown you quicker than me. Making up for lost time: the time you lost.”
"Dont be a perfect beast, Scrubb," said Jill. "Hallo! Whats that?”
It was the castle bell ringing for supper, and thus what looked like turning into a first-rate quarrel was happily cut short. Both had a good appetite by this time.
Supper in the great hall of the castle was the most splendid thiher of them had ever seen; for though Eustace had been in that world before, he had spent his whole visit at sea and knew nothing of the glory and courtesy of the Narnians at home in their own land.
The banners hung from the roof, and each course came in with trumpeters aledrums. There were soups that would make your mouth water to think of, and the lovely fishes called pavenders, and venison and peacod pies, and ices and jellies and fruit and nuts, and all manner of wines and fruit drinks. Eveace cheered up and admitted that it was "something like". And when all the serious eating and drinking was over, a blind poet came forward and struck up the grand old tale of Prince Cor and Aravis and the horse Bree, which is called The Horse and his Boy and tells of an advehat happened in Narnia and en and the lands between, in the Golden Age wheer was High King in Cair Paravel. (I havent time to tell it now, though it is well worth hearing.)
When they were dragging themselves upstairs to bed, yawning their heads off, Jill said, "I bet we sleep well, tonight"; for it had been a full day. Which just shows how little anyone knows what is going to happen to them .
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