CHAPTER FOURTEEN
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THE BEGINNING OF THE END OF THE WORLD Slowly the door opened again and out there came a figure as tall and straight as the girls but not so slender. It carried no light but light seemed to e from it. As it came nearer, Lucy saw that it was like an old man. His silver beard came down to his bare feet in front and his saver hair hung down to his heels behind and his robe appeared to be made from the fleece of silver sheep. He looked so mild and grave that once more all the travellers rose to their feet and stood in silence.But the old man came on without speaking to the travellers and stood oher side of the table opposite to his daughter. Then both of them held up their arms before them and turo face the east. In that position the began to sing. I wish I could write down the song, but one who resent could remember it. Lucy said afterwards that it was high, almost shrill, but very beautiful, cold kind of song, an early m kind of song. And they sang, the grey clouds lifted from the eastern sky a the white patches grew bigger and
bigger till it was white, and the sea began to shine like silver. And long afterwards (but those two sang all the time) the east began to turn red and at last, unclouded, the sun came up out the sea and its long level ray shot down the length of the table on the gold and silver sand oone Knife.
Once or twice before, the Narnians had wondered whether the sun at its rising did not look bigger in these seas than it had looked at home. This time they we certain. There was no mistaking it. And the brig?９９lｉｂ.ness its ray on the dew and oable was far beyond an. m brighthey had ever seen. And as Edmu said afterwards, "Though lots of things happened on that trip which sound more exg, that moment was really the most exg." For now they khat they had truly e to the beginning of the End of the World.
Then something seemed to be flying at them out of the very tre of the rising sun: but of course one couldnt look steadily in that dire to make sure. But presently the air became full of voices - voices which took up same song that the Lady and her Father were singing, but in far wilder tones and in a language whio one knew And soon after that the owners of these voices could be seen. They were birds, large and white, and they came hundreds and thousands and alighted ohing; the grass, and the pavement, oable, on your shoulders, your hands, and your head, till it looked as heavy snow had fallen. For, like snow, they not only make everything white but blurred and blunted all shapes. But Lucy, looking out from between the wings of the birds that covered her, saw o<bdo>.</bdo>ne bird fly to the Old Man with something in its beak that looked like a little fruit, unless it was a little live coal, which it might have been, for it was toht to look at.
And the bird laid it in the Old Mans mouth.
Then the birds stopped their singing and appeared to be very busy about the table. When they rose from it agaihing oable that could be eaten or drunk had disappeared. These birds rose from their meal ihousands and hundreds and carried away all the things that could not be eaten or drunk, such as bones, rinds, and shells, and took their flight back to the rising sun. But now, because they were not singing, the whir of their wings seemed to set the whole air a-tremble. And there was the table pecked ay, and the three old Lords of Narnia still fast asleep.
Now at last the Old Man turo the travellers and bade them wele.
"Sir," said Caspian, "will you tell us how to undo the entment which holds these three Narnian Lords asleep.”
"I will gladly tell you that, my son," said the Old Man. "To break this entment you must sail to the Worlds End, or as near as you e to it, and you must e back havi at least one of your pany behind.”
"And what must happen to that one?" asked Reepicheep.
"He must go on into the utter east and never return into the world.”
"That is my hearts desire," said Reepicheep.
"And are we he Worlds End now, Sir?" asked Caspian. "Have you any knowledge of the seas and lands further east than this?”
"I saw them long ago," said the Old Man, "but it was from a great height. I ark>?</mark>t tell you such things as sailor o know.”
"Do you mean you were flying in the air?" Eustace blurted out.
"I was a long way above the air, my son," replied the Old Man. "I am Ramandu. But I see that you stare at on another and have not heard this name. And no wonder, for the days when I was a star had ceased long before any of you khis world, and all the stellations have ged.”
"Golly," said Edmund under his breath. "Hes a retired star.”
"Arent you a star any longer?" asked Lucy.
"I am a star at rest, my daughter," answered Ramandu "When I set for the last time, decrepit and old beyond all that you re, I was carried to this island. I am not so old now as I was then. Every m a bird brings me a fire-berry from the valleys in the Sun, and each fire-berry takes away a little of my age.
And when I 藏书网have bee as young as the child that was borerday, then I shall take my rising again (for we are at earths eastern rim) and once more tread the great dance.”
"In our world," said Eustace, "a star is a huge ball of flaming gas.”
"Even in your world, my son, that is not what a star is but only what it is made of. And in this world you ave already met a star, for I think you have been with Coriakin.”
"Is he a retired star, too?" said Lucy.
"Well, not quite the same," said Ramandu. "It was not quite as a rest than he was set to govern the Duffers. You might call it a punishment. He might have shone for thousands of years more in the southern winter sky if all had gone well.”
"What did he do, Sir?" asked Caspian.
"My son," said Ramandu, "it is not for you, a son of Adam, to know what faults a star it. But e, we waste time in such talk. Are you yet resolved? Will you sail further east and e again, leaving oo return no more, and so break the entment? Or will you sail westward?”
&qu<q></q>ot;Surely, Sire," said Reepicheep, "there is no question about that? It is very plainly part of our quest to rescue these three lords from entment.”
"I think the same, Reepicheep," replied Caspian. "And even if it were not so, it would break my heart not to go as he Worlds End as the Dawn Treader will take us. But I am thinking of the crew. They signed on to seek the seven lords, not to reach the rim of the Earth. If we sail east from here we sail to find the edge, the utter east. And not one knows how far it is. Theyre brave fellows, but I set signs that some of them are weary of the voyage and long to have our prow pointing to Narnia again. I dont think should take them further without their knowledge an sent. And then theres the poor Lord Rhoop.
Hes broken man.”
"My son," said the star, "it would be no use, even though you wished it, to sail for the Worlds End with men unwilling or men deceived. That is not how great unentments are achieved. They must know where they go and why. But who is this broken man you speak of?”
Caspian told Ramandu the story of Rhoop.
"I give him what he needs most," said Ramandu. "I this island there is sleep without stint or measure, and sleep in whio fai footfall of a dream was ever heard. Let him sit beside these other three and drink oblivion till you return.”
"Oh, do lets do that, Caspian," said Lucy. "Im sure its just what he would love.”
At that moment they were interrupted by the sound of ma and voices: Drinian and the rest of the ship pany were approag. They halted in surprise whey they saw Ramandu and his daughter; and then, because these were obviously great people, every man uncovered his head. Some sailors eyed the empty dishes and flagons on the table with regret.
"My lord," said the King to Drinian, "pray send two men back to the Dawn Treader with a message to the Lord Rhoop. Tell him that the last of his old shipmates are here asleep - a sleep without dreams - and that he share it.”
When this had been done, Caspian told the rest to sit down and laid the whole situation before them. When he had fihere was a long silend some whispering until presently the Master Bowman got to his feet, and said: "What some of us have been wanting to ask for a long time, your Majesty, is how were ever to get home when we do turn, whether we turn here or somewhere else. Its bee and north-west winds all the way, barring an occasional calm. And if that doesnt ge, Id like to know what hopes we have of seeing Narnia again. Theres not much ce of supplies lasting while we row all that way.
"Thats landsmans talk," said Drinian. "Theres always a prevaili wind in these seas all through the late summer, and it always ges after the New Year. Well have plenty of wind for sailiward; more than we shall like from all ats.”
"Thats true, Master," said an old sailor who was a Galmian by birth. "You get some ugly weather rolling up from the east in January and February. And by your leave, Sire, if I was in and of this ship Id say to winter here and begin the voyage home in March.”
"Whatd you eat while you were wintering here?" asked Eustace.
"This table," said Ramandu, "will be filled with a kings feast every day at su.”
"Now youre talking!" said several sailors.
"Your Majesties alemen and ladies all," said Rynelf, "theres just ohing I want to say. Theres not one of us chaps as ressed on this journey. Were volunteers. And theres some here chat are looking very hard at that table and thinking about kings feasts who were talking very loud about adventures on the day we sailed from Cair Paravel, and swearing they wouldnt e home till wed found the end of the world. And there were some standing on the quay who would have given all they had to e with us. It was thought a fihing then to have a -boys berth on the Dawn Treader than to wear a knights belt. I dont know if you get the hang of what Im saying. But what I mean is that I think chaps who set out like us will look as silly as - as those Dufflepuds - if we e home and say we got to the beginning of the worlds end and hadnt the heart to go further.”
Some of the sailors cheered at this but some said that that was all very well.
"This isnt going to be much fun," whispered Edmund to Caspian. "What are we to do if half those fellows hang back?”
"Wait," Caspian whispered back. "Ive still a card to play.”
"Arent you going to say anything, Reep?" whispered Lucy.
"No. Why should your Majesty expect it?" answered Reepicheep in a voice that most people heard. "My owns plans are made. While I , I sail east in the Dawn Treader.
When she fails me, I paddle east in my coracle. When she sinks, I shall swim east with my four paws. And when I swim no longer, if I have not reached Aslans try, or shot over the edge of the world in some vast cataract, I shall sink with my o the sunrise and Peepiceek will be head of the talking mi Narnia.”
"Hear, hear," said a sailor, "Ill say the same, barring the bit about the coracle, which wouldnt bear me." He added in a lower voice, "Im not going to be outdone by a mouse.”
At this point Caspian jumped to his feet. "Friends," he said, "I think you have not quite uood our purpose. You talk as if we had e to you with our hat in our hand, begging for shipmates. It isnt like that at all. We and our royal brother and sister and their kinsman and Sir Reepicheep, the good knight, and the Lord Drinian have an errand to the worlds edge. It is our pleasure to choose from among such of you as are willing those whom we deem worthy of so high aerprise. We have not said that any e for the asking. That is why we shall now and the Lord Drinian and Master Rhio sider carefully what men among you are the hardest in battle, the most skilled seamen, the purest in blood, the most loyal to our person, and the est of life and manners; and to give their o us in a schedule." He paused and went on in a quicker voice, "Aslans mane!" he exclaimed. "Do you think that the privilege of seeing the last things is to be bought for a song? Why, every man that es with us shall bequeath the title of Dawn Treader to all his desdants, and when we land at Cair Paravel on the homeward voyage he shall have either gold or land enough to make him rich all his life. Now - scatter over the island, all of you. In half an hours time I shall receive the hat Lord Drinian brings me.”
There was rather a sheepish silend then the crew made their bows and moved away, one in this dire and one in that, but mostly in little knots or bualking.
"And now for the Lord Rhoop," said Caspian.
But turning to the head of the table he saw that Rhoop was already there. He had arrived, silent and unnoticed, while the discussion was going on, and was seated beside the Lord Argoz. The daughter of Ramandu stood beside him as if she had just helped him into his chair; Ramandu stood behind him and laid both his hands on Rhoops grey head. Even in daylight a faint silver light came from the hands of the star. There was a smile on Rhoops haggard face. He held out one of his hands to Lud the other to Caspian. For a moment it looked as if he were going to say something. Then his smile brightened as if he were feeling) some delicious sensation, a long sigh of te came from his lips, his head fell forward, and he slept.
"Poor Rhoop," said Lucy. "I am glad. He must have had terrible times." "Dos even think of it," said Eustace.
Meanwhile Caspians speech, helped perhaps by some magic of the island, was having just the effect he intended. A good many who had been anxious enough to get out of the voyage felt quite differently about bei out of it. And of course whenever any one sailor annouhat he had made up his mind to ask for permission to sail, the ones who hadnt said this felt that they were getting fewer and more unfortable. So that before the half-hour was nearly over several people were positively "sug up" to Drinian and Rhi least that was what they called it at my school) to get a good report. And soon there were only three left who didnt want to go, and those three were trying very hard to persuade others to stay with them. And very shortly after that there was only o.
And in they end he began to be afraid of bei behind all on his own and ged his mind.
At the end of the half-hour they all came trooping back to Aslans Table and stood at one end while Drinian and Rhince went and sat down with Caspian and made their report; and Caspian accepted all the man but that one whod had ged his mind at the last moment. His name ittencream aayed on the Island of the Star all the time the others were away looking for the Worlds End, and he very much wished he had goh them. He wasnt the sort of man who could enjoy talking to Ramandu and Ramandus daughter (nor they to him), and it rained a good deal, and though there was a wonderful feast oable every night, he didnt very mujoy it. He said it gave him the creeps sitting there alone (and in the rain as likely as not) with those four Lords asleep at the end of the Table. And whehers returned he felt so out of things that he deserted on the voyage home at the Lone Islands, a and lived in en, where he told wonderful stories about his adve the End of the World, until at last he came to believe them himself. So you may say, in a sehat he lived happily ever after. But he could never bear mice.
That night they all ate and drank together at the great table between the pillars where the feast was magically renewed: a m the Dawn Treader set sail once more just when the great birds had e and gone again.
"Lady," said Caspian, "I hope to speak with you again when I have broken the entments." And Ramandus daughter looked at him and smiled.
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