CHAPTER FOUR
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WHAT CASPIAN DID THERE m the Lord Bern called his guests early, and after breakfast he asked Caspian to order every man he had into full armour. "And above all," he added, "let everything be as trim and scoured as if it were the m of the first battle in a great war between noble kings with all the world looking on." This was done; and then in three boatloads Caspian and his people, and Bern with a few of his, put out for Narrowhaven. The kings flag flew iern of his boat and his trumpeter was with him.When they reached the jetty at Narrowhaven, Caspian found a siderable crowd assembled to meet them. "This is what I sent word about last night," said Bern. "They are all friends of mine and ho people." And as soon as Caspian stepped ashore the crowd broke out into hurrahs and shouts of, "Narnia! Narnia! Long live the King." At the same moment - and this was also due to Berns messengers - bells began ringing from many parts of the town. Then Caspian caused his bao be advanced and his trumpet to be blown a<big></big>nd every man drew his sword a his fato a joyful sternness, and they marched up the street so that the street shook, and their armour shone (for it was a sunny m) so that one could hardly look at it steadily.
At first the only people who cheered were those who had been warned by Berns messenger and knew what was happening and wa to happen. But then all the children joined in because they liked a procession and had seen very few. And then all the schoolboys joined in because they also liked processions ahat the more noise and disturbahere was the less likely they would be to have any school that m.
And then all the old women put their heads out of doors and windows and began chattering and cheering because it was a king, and what is a governor pared with that? And all the young women joined in for the same reason and also because Caspian and Drinian and the rest were so handsome. And then all the young men came to see what the young women were looking at, so that by the time Caspian reached the castle gates, nearly the whole town was shouting; and where Gumpas sat in the castle, muddling and messing about with ats and forms and rules and regulations, he heard the noise.
At the castle gate Caspians trumpeter blew a blast and cried, "Open for the King of Narnia, e to visit his trusty and wellbeloved servant the governor of the Lone Islands." In those days everything in the islands was done in a slovenly, sloug manner. Only the little postern opened, and out came a tousled fellow with a dirty old hat on his head instead of a helmet, and a rusty old pike in his hand. He bli the flashing figures before him. " - seez - fishansy," he mumbled which was his way of saying, -"You t see his Sufficy"). "No interviews without pois cept tween en p.m. sed Saturday every month.”
"Uncover before Narnia, you dog," thuhe Lord Bern, a him a rap with his gaued hand which sent his hat flying from his head.
"Ere? Wots it all about?" began the doorkeeper, but no oook any notice of him. Two of Caspiaepped through the postern and after some struggling with bars and bolts (for everything was rusty) flung both wings of the gate wide open. Then the King and his followers strode into the courtyard. Here a number of the governuards were lounging about and several more (they were mostly wiping their mouths) came tumbling out of various doorways. Though their armour was in a disgraceful dition, these were fellows who might have fought if they had been led or had known what was happening; so this was the dangerous moment. Caspian gave them no time to think.
"Where is the captain?" he asked.
"I am, more or less, if you know what I mean," said a languid and rather dandified young person without any j armour at all.
"It is our wish," said Caspian, "that our royal visitation to our realm of the Lone Islands should, if possible, be an occasion of joy and not of terror to our loyal subjects. If it were not for that, I should have something to say about the state of your mens armour and ons. As it is, you are pardoned. and a cask of wio be opehat, your men may drink our health. But at noon tomorrow I wish to see them here in this courtyard looking like men-at-arms and not like vagabonds. See to it on pain of our extreme displeasure.”
The captain gaped but Bern immediately cried, "Three. cheers for the King," and the soldiers, who had uood about the cask of wine even if they uood nothing else, joined in. Caspian then ordered most of his owo remain in the courtyard. He, with Bern and Drinian and four others, went into the hall.
Behind a table at the far end with various secretaries about him sat his Sufficy, the Governor of the Lone Islands. Gumpas was a bilious-looking man with hair that had once been red and was now mostly grey. He glanced up as the strangers entered and then looked down at his papers saying automatically, "No interviews without appois except between nine and ten p.m. on sed Saturdays.”
Caspian o Bern and then stood aside. Bern and Drinian took a step forward and each seized one end of the table. They lifted it, and flung it on one side of the hall where it rolled over, scattering a cascade of letters, dossiers, ink-pots, pens, sealing-wax and dots. Then, nhly but as firmly as if their hands were pincers of steel, they plucked Gumpas out of his chair and deposited him, fag it, about four feet away.
Caspian at o down in the chair and laid his naked sword across his knees.
"My Lord," said he, fixing his eyes on Gumpas, "you have not given us quite the wele we expected. I am the King of Narnia.”
"Nothing about it in the correspondence," said the governor. "Nothing in the minutes. We have not been notified of any such thing. All irregular. Happy to sider any applications-”
"And we are e to enquire into your Sufficys duct of your office," tinued Caspian. "There are two points especially on which I require an explanation. Firstly I find no record that the tribute due from these Islands to the of Narnia has been received for about a hundred and fifty years.”
"That would be a question to raise at the ext month," said Gumpas. "If anyone moves that a ission of enquiry be set up to report on the financial history of the islands at the first meeti year, why then . . .”
"I also find it very clearly written in our laws," Caspia on, "that if the tribute is not delivered the whole debt has to be paid by the Governor of the Lone Islands out of his private purse.”
At this Gumpas began to pay real attention. "Oh, thats quite out of the question," he said.
"It is an eic impossibility - er - your Majesty must be joking.”
Inside, he was w if there were any way of getting rid of these unwele visitors. Had he known that Caspian had only one ship and one ships pany with him, he would have spoken soft words for the moment, and hoped to have them all surrounded and killed during the night. But he had seen a ship of war sail dowraits yesterday and seen it signalling, as he supposed, to its sorts. He had not then known it was the Kings ship for there was not wind enough to spread the flag out and make the golden lion visible, so he had waited further developments. Now he imagihat Caspian had a whole fleet at Bernstead. It would never have occurred to Gumpas that anyone would walk into Narrowhaven to take the islands with less than fifty men; it was certainly not at all the kind of thing he could imagine doing himself.
"Sedly," said Caspian, "I want to know why you have permitted this abominable and unnatural traffi slaves to grow up here, trary to the a and usage of our dominions.”
"Necessary, unavoidable," said his Sufficy. "An essential part of the eic development of the islands, I assure you. Our present burst of prosperity depends on it.”
"What need have you of slaves?”
"For export, your Majesty. Sell em to en mostly; and we have other markets. We are a great tre of the trade.”
"In other words," said Caspian, "you dohem. Tell me urpose they serve except to put money into the pockets of such as Pug?”
"Your Majestys tender years," said Gumpas, with what was meant to be a fatherly smile, "hardly make it possible that you should uand the ei involved. I have statistics, I have graphs, I have-”
"Tender as my years be," said Caspian, "I believe I uand the slave trade from within quite as well as your Sufficy. And I do not see that it brings into the islands meat or bread or beer or wine or timber or cabbages or books or instruments of music or horses or armour or anything else worth having. But whether it does or not, it must be stopped.”
"But that would be putting the clock back," gasped the governor. "Have you no idea ress, of development?”
"I have seen them both in an egg," said Caspian. "We call it `Going Bad in Narnia. This trade must stop.”
"I take no responsibility for any such measure," said Gumpas.
"Very well, then," answered Caspian, "we relieve you of your office. My Lord Bern, e here." And befumpas quite realized what was happening, Bern was kneeling with his hands between the Kings hands and taking the oath to govern the Lone Islands in accordah the old s, rights, usages and laws of Narnia. And Caspian said, "I think we have had enough of governors," and made Bern a Duke, the Duke of the Lone Islands.
"As for you, my Lord," he said to Gumpas, "I five you your debt for the tribute. But before noon tomorrow you and yours must be out of the castle, which is now the Dukes residence.”
"Look here, this is all very well," said one of Gumpass secretaries, "but suppose all you gentlemen stop playag and w<tt></tt>e do a little business. The question before us really is-”
"The question is," said the Duke, "whether you and the rest of the rabble will leave without a flogging or with one. You may choose which you prefer.”
When all this had been pleasantly settled, Caspian ordered horses, of which there were a few in the castle, though very ill-groomed and he, with Bern and Drinian and a few others, rode out into the town and made for the slave market. It was a long low buildihe harbour and the se which they found going on inside was very much like any other au; that is to say, there was a great croug, on a platform, was r out in a raucous voice: "Now, gentlemen, lot twenty-three. Fierebinthian agricultural labourer, suitable for the mines or the galleys. Uwenty-five years of age. Not a bad tooth in his head.
Good, brawny fellow. Take off his shirt, Tacks, ahe gentlemeheres muscle for you! Look at the chest on him. Ten crests from the gentleman in the er. You must be joking, sir. Fifteeeen! Eigh<dfn></dfn>teen is bidden for lot twenty- three. Any advan eighteen? Twenty-ohank you, sir. Twenty-one is bidden-”
But Pug stopped and gaped when he saw the mail-clad figures who had ked up to the platform.
"On your knees, every man of you, to the King of Narnia," said the Duke. Everyone heard the horses jingling and stamping outside and many had heard some rumour of the landing and the events at the castle. Most obeyed. Those who did not were pulled down by their neighbours. Some cheered.
"Your life is forfeit, Pug, for laying hands on our royal persoerday," said Caspian.
"But ynorance is pardohe slave trade was forbidden in all our dominions quarter of an ho. I declare every slave in this market free.”
He held up his hand to check the cheering of the slaves a on, "Where are my friends?”
"That dear little gel and the nice youleman?" said Pug with an ingratiating smile.
"Why, they were snapped up at once-”
"Were here, were here, Caspian," cried Lud Edmund together and, "At your service, Sire," piped Reepicheep from another er. They had all been sold but the men who had bought them were staying to bid for other slaves and so they had not yet been taken away. The crowd parted to let the three of them out and there was great handclasping and greetiween them and Caspian. Two merts of en at once approached. The en have dark faces and long beards. They wear flowing robes and e-coloured turbans, and they are a wise, wealthy, courteous, cruel and a people. They bowed most politely to Caspian and paid him long pliments, all about the fountains of prosperity irrigating the gardens of prudend virtue - and things like that - but of course what they wanted was the mohey had paid.
"That is only fair, sirs," said Caspian. "Every man who has bought a slave today must have his money back. Pug, bring out your takings to the last minim." (A minim is the fortieth part of a crest.)
"Does yood Majesty mean to beggar me?" whined Pug.
"You have lived on brokes all your life," said Caspian, "and if you are beggared, it is better to be a beggar than a slave. But where is my other friend?”
"Oh him?" said Pug. "Oh take him and wele. Glad to have him off my hands. Ive never seen such a drug in the market in all my born days. Priced him at five crests in the end and even so nobodyd have him. Threw him in free with other lots and still no one would have him. Wouldnt touch him. Wouldnt look at him. Packs, bring out Sulky.”
Thus Eustace roduced, and sulky he certainly looked; for though no one would want to be sold as a slave, it is perhaps even malling to be a sort of utility slave whom no one will buy. He walked up to Caspian and said, "I see. As usual. B<s>藏书网</s>een enjoying yourself somewhere while the rest of us were prisoners. I suppose you havent even found out about the British sul. Of course not.”
That night they had a great feast in the castle of Narrowhaven and then, "Tomorrow for the beginning of our real adventures!" said Reepicheep when he had made his bows to everyone ao bed. But it could not really be tomorrow or anything like it. For now they were preparing to leave all known lands and seas behind them and the fullest preparations had to be made. The Dawn Treader was emptied and drawn on land by eight horses over rollers and every bit of her was gone over by the most skilled shipwrights.
Then she was launched again and victualled and watered as full as she could hold - that is to say for twe days. Even this, as Edmund noticed with disappoi, only gave them a fhts eastward sailing before they had to abandon their quest.
While all this was being done Caspian missed no ce of questioning all the oldest sea captains whom he could find in Narrowhaven to learn if they had any knowledge or even any rumours of land further to the east. He poured out many a flagon of the castle ale to weather-beaten men with shrey beards and clear blue eyes, and many a tall yarn he heard iurn. But those who seemed the most truthful could tell of no lands beyond the Lone Islands, and many thought that if you sailed too far east you would e into the surges of a sea without lands that swirled perpetually round the rim of the world - "And that, I re, is where your Majestys friends went to the bottom." The rest had only wild stories of islands inhabited by headless men, floating islands, waterspouts, and a fire that burned along the water. Only oo Reepicheeps delight, said, "And beyobbr></abbr>nd that, Aslan try. But thats beyond the end of the world and you t get there." But when they questioned -him he could only say that hed heard it from his father.
Bern could only tell them that he had seen his six panions sail away eastward and that nothing had, ever been heard of them again. He said this when he and Caspian were standing on the highest point of Avra looking down on the eastern o. "Ive often been up here of a m," said the Duke, "ands seen the sun e up out of the sea, and sometimes it looked as if it were only a couple of miles away. And Ive wondered about my friends and wondered what there really is behind that horizon. Nothing, most likely,
yet I am always half ashamed that I stayed behind. But I wish your Majesty wouldnt go.
We may need your help here. This closing the slave market might make a new world; war with en is what I foresee. My liege, think again.”
"I have an oath, my lord Duke," said Caspian. "And anyway, what could I say to Reepicheep?”
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