CHAPTER SIXTEEN
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THE HEALING OF HARMS WHEN Jill woke m and found herself in a cave, she thought for one horrid moment that she was ba the Underworld. But wheiced that she was lying on a bed of heather with a furry mantle over her, and saw a cheery fire crag (as if newly lit) on a stoh and, farther off, m sunlight ing in through the caves mouth, she remembered all the happy truth. They had had a delightful supper, all crowded into that cave, in spite of being so sleepy before it roperly over. She had a vague impression of Dwarfs crowding round the fire with frying-pans rather bigger than themselves, and the hissing, and delicious smell of sausages, and more, and more, and more sausages. And not wretched sausages half full of bread and soya beaher, butreal meaty, spies, fat and piping hot and burst and just the ti bit burnt. And great mugs of frothy chocolate, and roast potatoes and roast chestnuts, and baked apples with raisins stu where the cores had been, and then ices just to freshen you up after all the hot things.
Jill sat up and looked around. Puddleglum aace were lying not far away, both fast asleep.
"Hi, you two!" shouted Jill in a loud voice. "Arent you ever going to get up?”
"Shoo, shoo!" said a sleepy voiewhere above her. "Time to be settling down. Have a good snooze, do, do. Dont make a to-do. Tu-whoo!”
"Why, I do believe," said Jill, glang up at a white bundle of fluffy feathers which erched on top of a grandfather clo one er of the cave, "I do believe its Glimfeather!”
"True, true," whirred the Owl, lifting its head out from us wing and opening one eye. "I came up with a message for the Pri about two. The squirrels brought us the good news. Message for the Prince. Hes gone. Youre to follow too. Good- day -" and the head disappeared again.
As there seemed no further hope of getting any information from the Owl, Jill got up and began looking round for any ce of a wash and some breakfast. But almost at once a little Faun came trotting into the cave with a sharp click-clack of his goaty hoofs oone floor.
"Ah! Youve woken up at last, Daughter of Eve," he said. "Perhaps youd better wake the Son of Adam. Youve got to be off in a few minutes and two taurs have very kindly offered to let you ride on their backs down to Cair Paravel." He added in a lower voice.
"Of course, you realize it is a most special and unheard-of honour to be allowed to ride a taur. I dont know that I ever heard of anyone doing it before. It wouldnt do to keep them waiting.”
"Wheres the Prince?" was the first question of Eustad Puddleglum as soon as they had been wakened.
"Hes gone down to meet the King, his father, at Cair Paravel," answered the Faun, whose name was Orruns. "His Majestys ship is expected in harbour any moment. It seems that the Ki Aslan - I dont know whether it was in a vision or face to face - before he had sailed far, and Aslan turned him bad told him he would find his long-lost son awaiting him when he reached Narnia.”
Eustace was now up and he and Jill set about helping Orruns to get the breakfast.
Puddleglum was told to stay in bed. A taur called Cloudbirth, a famous healer, or (as Orruns called it) a leech, was ing to see to his burnt foot.
"Ah!" said Puddleglum in a tone almost of te, "hell want to have the leg off at the knee, I shouldnt wonder. You see if he doesnt." But he was quite glad to stay in bed.
Breakfast was scrambled eggs and toast aace tackled it just as if he had not had a very large supper in the middle of the night.
"I say, Son of Adam," said the Faun, looking with a certai Eustaces mouthfuls.
"Theres o hurry quite so dreadfully as that. I dont think the taurs have quite fiheir breakfasts yet.”
"Then they must have got up very late," said Eustace. "I bet its after ten oclock.”
"Oh no," said Orruns. "They got up before it was light.”
"Then they must h<bdo></bdo>ave waited the dis of a time for breakfast," said Eustace.
"No, they didnt," said Orruns. "They begaing the mihey awoke.”
"Golly!" said Eustace. "Do they eat a very big breakfast?”
"Why, Son of Adam, dont you uand? A taur has a man-stomad a horse-stomach. And of course both want breakfast. So first of all he has pe and pavenders and kidneys and ba and omelette and cold ham and toast and marmalade and coffee and beer. And after that he attends to the horse part of himself by grazing for an hour or so and finishing up with a hot mash, some oats, and a bag of sugar. Thats why its such a serious thing to ask a taur to stay for the week-end. A very serious thing indeed.”
At that moment there was a sound of horse-hoofs tapping on rock from the mouth of the cave, and the children looked up. The two taurs, oh a blad oh a golden beard flowing over their magnifit bare chests, stood waiting for them, bending their heads a little so as to look into the cave. Then the children became very polite and fiheir breakfast very quickly. No ohinks a taur funny when he sees it.
They are solemn, majestic people, full of a wisdom which they learn from the stars, not easily made either merry ry; but their anger is terrible as a tidal wave when it es.
"Good-bye, dear Puddleglum," said Jill, going over to the Marsh-wiggles bed. "Im sorry we called you a wet bla.”
"Som I," said Eustace. "Youve been the best friend in the world.”
"And I do hope well meet again," added Jill.
"Not much ce of that, I should say," replied Puddleglum. "1 dont re very likely to see my old wigwam agaiher. And that Prince - hes a nice chap - but do you
think hes very strong? stitution ruined with living underground, I shouldnt wonder.
Looks the sort that might go off any day.”
"Puddleglum!" said Jill. "Youre a regular old humbug. You sound as doleful as a funeral and I believe youre perfectly happy. And you talk as if you were afraid of everything, when youre really as brave as-as a lion.”
"Now, speaking of funerals," began Puddleglum, but Jill, who heard the taurs tapping with their hoofs behind her, surprised him very much by flinging her arms round his thin ned kissing his muddy-looking face, while Eustace wrung his hand. Then they both rushed away to the taurs, and the Marsh-wiggle, sinking ba his bed, remarked to himself, "Well, I wouldnt have dreamt of her doing that. Even though I am a good-looking chap.”
To ride on a taur is, no doubt, a great honour (and except Jill aace there is probably no one alive in the world today who has had it) but it is very unfortable. For no one who valued his life would suggest putting a saddle on a taur, and riding bare-back is no fun; especially if, like Eustace, you have never learo ride at all. The taurs were very polite in a grave, gracious, grown-up kind of way, and as they tered through the Narnian woods they spoke, without turning their heads, telling the children about the properties of herbs and roots, the influences of the plas, the nine names of Aslan with their meanings, and things of that sort. But however sore and jolted the two humans were, they would now give anything to have that journey ain: to see those glades and slopes sparkling with last nights snow, to be met by rabbits and squirrels and birds that wished you good m, to breathe again the air of Narnia ahe voices of the Narnian trees.
They came down to the river, flowing bright and blue in winter sunshine, far below the last bridge (which is at the snug, red-roofed little town of Beruna) and were ferried across in a flat barge by the ferryman; or rather, by the ferry-wiggle, for it is Marsh-wiggles who do most of the watery and fishy kinds of work in Narnia. And when they had crossed they rode along the south bank of the river and presently came to Cair Paravel itself. And at the very moment of their arrival they saw that same bright ship which they had seehey first set foot in Narnia, gliding up the river like a huge bird. All the court were once more assembled on the greeween the castle and the quay to wele King Caspian home again. Rilian, who had ged his black clothes and was now dressed in a scarlet cloak over silver mail, stood close to the waters edge, bare-headed, to receive his father; and the Dwarf Trumpkin sat beside him in his little donkey-chair. The children saw there would be no ce of reag the Prihrough all that crowd, and, anyway, they now felt rather shy. So they asked the taurs if they might go on sitting on their backs a little longer and thus see everything over the heads of the courtiers. And the taurs said they might.
A flourish of silver trumpets came over the water from the ships deck: the sailors three; rats (Talking Rats, of course) and Marsh-wiggles made it fast ashore; and the ship was ed in. Musis, hidden somewhere in the crowd, began to play solemn,
triumphal musid soon the Kings galleon was alongside and the Rats ran the gangway on board her.
Jill expected to see the old King e down it. But there appeared to be some hitch. A Lord with a pale face came ashore and ko the Prind to Trumpkin. The three were talking with their heads close together for a few minutes, but no one could hear what they said. The music played on, but you could feel that everyone was being uneasy. Then four Knights, carrying something and going very slowly, appeared on deck.
Whearted to e down the gangway you could see what they were carrying: it was the old King on a bed, very pale and still. They set him down. The Prinelt beside him and embraced him. They could see King Caspian raising his hand to bless his son. And everyone cheered, but it was a half-hearted cheer, for they all felt that something was going wrong. Then suddenly the Kings head fell back upon his pillows, the musis stopped and there was a dead silehe Prince, kneeling by the Kings bed, laid down his head upon it a.
There were whisperings and goings to and fro. Then Jill noticed that all who wore hats, bos, helmets, or hoods were taking them off - Eustacluded. Then she heard a rustling and flapping noise up above the castle; when she looked she saw that the great banner with the golden Lion on it was being brought down to half-mast. And after that, slowly, mercilessly, with wailing strings and dissolate blowing of horns, the music began again: this time, a tuo break your heart.
They both slipped off their taurs (who took no notice of them).
"I wish I was at home," said Jill.
Eustaodded, saying nothing, and bit his lip.
"I have e," said a deep voice behind them. They turned and saw the Lion himself, sht and real and strong that everything else began at oo look pale and shadowy pared with him. And iime than it takes to breathe Jill fot about the dead King of Narnia and remembered only how she had made Eustace fall over the cliff, and how she had helped to muff nearly all the signs, and about all the snappings and quarrellings. And she wao say "Im sorry" but she could not speak. Then the Liohem towards him with his eyes, a down and touched their pale faces with his tongue, and said: "Think of that no more. I will not always be scolding. You have dohe work for which I sent you into Narnia.”
"Please, Aslan," said Jill, "may we go home now?”
"Yes. I have e t you Home," said Aslan. Then he opened his mouth wide and blew. But this time they had no sense of flying through the air: instead, it seemed that they remaiill, and the wild breath of Aslan blew away the ship and the dead King
and the castle and the snow and the winter sky. For all these things floated off into the air like wreaths of smoke, and suddenly they were standing in a great brightness of mid-summer sunshine, on smooth turf, among mighty trees, and beside a fair, fresh stream.
Then they saw that they were once more on the Mountain of Aslan, high up above and beyond the end of that world in whiarnia lies. But the strahing was that the funeral music for King Caspian still went on, though no one could tell where it came from. They were walking beside the stream and the Lio before them: and he became so beautiful, and the music so despairing, that Jill did <q>９９lｉb?</q>not know which of them it was that filled her eyes with tears.
Then Aslan stopped, and the children looked into the stream. And there, on the golden gravel of the bed of the stream, lay King Caspian, dead, with the water flowing over him like liquid glass. His long white beard swayed in it like water-weed. And all three stood a. Even the Lio: great Lion-tears, each tear more precious than the Earth would be if it was a single solid diamond. And Jill noticed that Eustace looked her like a child g, nor like a b and wanting to hide it, but like a grownup g. At least, that is the she could get to it; but really, as she said, people doo have any particular ages on that mountain.
"Son of Adam," said Aslan, "go into that thicket and pluck the thorn that you will find there, and bring it to me.”
Eustace obeyed. The thorn was a foot long and sharp as a rapier.
"Drive it into my paw, Son of Adam," said Aslan, holding up his right fore -paw and spreading out the great pad towards Eustace.
"Must I?" said Eustace.
"Yes," said Aslan.
Theace set his teeth and drove the thorn into the Lions pad. And there came out a great drop of blood, redder than all redhat you have ever seen or imagined.
And it splashed into the stream over the dead body of the King. At the same moment the doleful music stopped. And the dead King began to be ged. His white beard turo grey, and from grey to yellow, and got shorter and vanished altogether; and his sunken cheeks grew round and fresh, and the wrinkles were smoothed, and his eyes opened, and his eyes and lips both laughed, and suddenly he leaped up and stood before them - a very young man, or a boy. (But Jill couldnt say which, because of people having no particular ages in Aslans try. Even in this world, of course, it is the stupidest children who are most childish and the stupidest grown-ups who are most grownup.) And he rushed to Aslan and flung his arms as far as they would go round the huge neck; and he gave Aslarong kisses of a King, and Aslan gave him the wild kisses of a Lion.
At last Caspian turo the others. He gave a great laugh of astonished joy.
"Why! Eustace!" he said. "Eustace! So you did reach the end of the world after all. What about my sed-best sword that you broke on the sea-serpent?”
Eustace made a step towards him with both hands held out, but then drew back with a somewhat startled expression.
"Look here! I say," he stammered. "Its all very well. But arent you? - I mean didnt you -?”
"Oh, dont be su ass," said Caspian.
"But," said Eustace, looking at Aslan. "Hasnt he - er died?”
"Yes," said the Lion in a very quiet voice, almost (Jill thought) as if he were laughing.
"He has died. Most people have, you know. Even I have. There are very few who havent.”
"Oh," said Caspian. "I see whats b you. You think Im a ghost, or some nonsense. But dont you see? I would be that if I appeared in Narnia now: because I dont belong there any more. But one t be a ghost in ones own try. I might be a ghost if I got into your world. I dont know. But I suppose it isnt yours either, now youre here.”
A great hope rose in the childres. But Aslan shook his shaggy head. "No, my dears," he said. "When you meet me here again, you will have e to stay. But not now.
You must go back to your own world for a while.”
"Sir," said Caspian, "Ive always wao have just one glimpse of their world. Is that wrong?”
"You ot want wrong things any more, now that you have died, my son," said Aslan.
"And you shall see their world - for five minutes of their time. It will take no longer for you to set things right there." Then Aslan explaio Caspian what Jill aace were going back to and all about Experiment House: he seemed to know it quite as well as they did.
"Daughter," said Aslan to Jill, "pluck a switch off that bush." She did; and as soon as it was in her hand it turned into a fine new riding crop.
"Now, Sons of Adam, draw your swords," said Aslan. "But use only the flat, for it is cowards and children, not warriors, against whom 1 send you.”
"Are you ing with us, Aslan?" said Jill.
"They shall see only my back," said Aslan.
He led them rapidly through the wood, and before they had gone many paces, the wall of Experiment House appcared before them. Then Aslan roared so that the sun shook in the sky and thirty feet of the wall fell down before them. They looked throug.. gap, down into the school shrubbery and on to the roof of the gym, all uhe same dull autumn sky which they had seen before their adventures began. Aslan turo Jill aad breathed upon them and touched their foreheads with his tohen he lay down amid the gap he had made in the wall and turned his golden back to England, and his lordly face towards his own lands. At the same moment Jill saw figures whom she knew only too well running up through the laurels towards them. Most of the gang were there Adela Pennyfather and ondely Major, Edith Winterblott, `Spotty Sorrier, big Bannister, and the two loathsome Garrett twins. But suddenly they stopped. Their faces ged, and all the meanness, ceit, cruelty, and sneakishness almost disappeared in one single expression of terror. For they saw the wall fallen down, and a lion as large as a young elephant lying in the gap, and three figures in glittering clothes with ons in their hands rushing down upon them. For, with the strength of Aslan in them, Jill plied her crop on the girls and Caspian aace plied the flats of their swords on the boys so well that in two minutes all the bullies were running like mad, g out, `Murder!
Fascists! Lions! It isnt fair. And then the Head (who was, by the way, a woman) came running out to see what was happening. And when she saw the lion and the broken wall and Caspian and Jill aace (whom she quite failed tnize) she had hysterid went back to the house and began ringing up the police with stories about a lion escaped from a circus, and escaped victs who broke down walls and carried drawn swords. In the midst of all this fuss Jill aace slipped quietly indoors and ged out of their bright clothes into ordinary things, and Caspia back into his own world. And the wall, at Aslans word, was made whole again. When the police arrived and found no lion, no broken wall, and no victs, and the Head behaving like a lunatic, there was an inquiry into the whole thing. And in the inquiry all sorts of things about Experiment House came out, and about ten people got expelled. After that, the Heads friends saw that the Head was no use as a Head, so they got her made an Ior to interfere with other Heads. And when they found she wasnt much good even at that, they got her into Parliament where she lived happily ever after.
Eustace buried his fine clothes secretly one night in the school grounds, but Jill smuggled hers home and wore them at a fancy-dress ball holidays. And from that day forth things ged for the better at Experiment House, and it became quite a good school.
And Jill aace were always friends.
But far off in Narnia, King Rilian buried his father, Caspian the Navigator, Tenth of that name, and mourned for him. He himself ruled Narnia well and the land was happy in his days, though Puddleglum (whose foot was as good as new in three weeks) often pointed out that bright ms brought o afternoons, and that you couldnt expect good times <q>.99ｌib?</q>to last. The opening into the hillside was left open, and often in hot summer days the Narnians go in there with ships and lanterns and down to the water and sail to and fro, singing, on the cool, dark undergrouelling each other stories of the cities that lie
fathoms deep below. If ever you have the luck to go to Narnia yourself, do not fet to have a look at those caves.
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