CHAPTER EIGHT
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HOW THEY LEFT THE ISLAND"AND so," said Trumpkin (for, as you have realized, it was he who had been telling all this story to the four children, sitting on the grass in the ruined hall of Cair Paravel) - "and so I put a crust or two in my pocket, left behind all ons but my dagger, and took to the woods in the grey of the m. Id been plugging away for many hours when there came a sound that Id never heard the like of in my born days. Eh, I wont fet that. The whole air was full of it, loud as thunder but far longer, cool and sweet as music over water, but strong enough to shake the woods. And I said to myself, `If thats not the Horn, call me a rabbit. And a moment later I wondered why he hadnt blown it sooner-”
"What time was it?" asked Edmund.
"Between nine and ten of the clock," said Trumpkin.
"Just when we were at the railway station!" said all the children, and looked at one another with shining eyes.
"Please go on," said Lucy to the Dwarf.
"Well, as I was saying, I wondered, but I went on as hard as I could pelt. I kept on all night - and then, when it was half light this m, as if Id no more sehan a Giant, I risked a short cut across open try to cut off a big loop of the river, and was caught.
Not by the army, but by a pompous old fool who has charge of a little castle which is Mirazs last stronghold towards the coast. I tell you they got no true tale out of me, but I was a Dwarf and that was enough. But, lobsters and lollipops! it is a good thing the seneschal ompous fool. Anyone else would have ruhrough there and then. But nothing would do for him short of a grand execution: sending me down `to the ghosts in the full ceremonial way. And then this young lady", (he Susan) "does her bit of archery and it retty shooting, let me tell you - and here we are. And without my armour, for of course they took that." He knocked out and refilled his pipe.
"Great Scott!" said Peter. "So it was the horn - your own horn, Su - that dragged us all off that seat on the platform yesterday m! I hardly believe it; yet it all fits in.”
"I dont know why you shouldnt believe it," said Lucy, "if you believe in magic at all.
Arent there lots of stories about magic f people out of one place - out of one world - into another? I mean, when a magi in The Arabian Nights calls up a Jinn, it has to e. We had to e, just like that.”
"Yes," said Peter, "I suppose what makes it feel so queer is that iories its always someone in our world who does the calling. One doesnt really think about where the Jinns ing from.”
"And now we know what it feels like for the Jinn," said Edmund with a chuckle. "Golly!
Its a bit unfortable to know that we be whistled for like that. Its worse than what Father says about living at the mercy of the telephone.”
"But we want to be here, dont we," said Lucy, "if Aslan wants us?”
"Meanwhile," said the Dwarf, "what are we to do? I suppose Id better go back to King Caspian and tell him no help has e.”
"No help?" said Susan. "But it has worked. And here we are.”
"Um - um - yes, to be sure. I see that," said the Dwarf, whose pipe seemed to be blocked (at any rate he made himself very busy ing it). "But- well - I mean -”
"But dont you yet see who we are?" shouted Lucy. "You are stupid.”
"I suppose you are the four children out of the old stories," said Trumpkin. "And Im very glad to meet you of course. And its very iing, no doubt. But - no offence?- and he hesitated again.
"Do get on and say whatever yoing to say," said Edmund.
"Well, then - no offence," said Trumpkin. "But, you know, the King and Trufflehunter and Doctor elius were expeg - well, if you see what I mean, help. To put it in another way, I think theyd been imagining you as great warriors. As it is - were awfully fond of children and all that, but just at the moment, in the middle of a war but Im sure you uand.”
"You mean you think were no good," said Edmund, getting red in the face.
"Now pray dont be offended," interrupted the Dwarf. "I assure you, my dear little friends-”
"Little from you is really a bit too much," said Edmund, jumping up. "I suppose you dont believe we wotle of Beruna? Well, you say what you like about me because I know -”
"Theres no good losing our tempers," said Peter. "Lets fit him out with fresh armour and fit ourselves out from the treasure chamber, and have a talk after that.”
"I dont quite see the point -" began Edmund, but Lucy whispered in his ear, "Hadter do eter says? He is the High King, you know. And I think he has an idea.”
So Edmund agreed and by the aid of his torch they all, including Trumpkin, went doweps again into the dark ess and dusty splendour of the treasure house.
The Dwarfs eyes glistened as he saw the wealth that lay on the shelves (though he had to stand on tiptoes to do so) atered to himself, "It would never do to let Nikabrik see this; never." They found easily enough a mail shirt for him, a sword, a helmet, a shield, a bow and quiverful of arrows, all of dwarfish size. The helmet was of copper, set with rubies, and there was gold on the hilt of the sword: Trumpkin had never seen, much less carried, so much wealth in all his life. The children also put on mail shirts as; a sword and shield were found for Edmund and a bow for Lucy - Peter and Susan were of course already carrying their gifts. As they came back up the stairway, jingling in their mail, and already looking and feeling more like Narnians and less like schoolchildren, the two boys were behind, apparently making some plan. Lucy heard Edmund say, "No, let me do it. It will be more of a sucks for him if I win, and less of a let-down for us all if I fail.”
"All right, Ed," said Peter.
When they came out into the daylight Edmund turo the Dwarf very politely and said, "Ive got something to ask you. Kids like us dont often have the eeting a great warrior like you. Would you have a little feng match with me? It would be frightfully det.”
"But, lad," said Trumpkin, "these swords are sharp.”
"I know," said Edmund. "But Ill never get anywhere near you and youll be quite clever enough to disarm me without doing me any damage.”
"Its a dangerous game," said Trumpkin. "But sinake such a point of it, Ill try a pass or two.”
Both swords were out in a moment and the three others jumped off the dais and stood watg. It was well worth it. It was not like the silly fighting you see with broad swords oage. It was not even like the rapier fighting which you sometimes see rather better dohis was real broad-sword fighting. The great thing is to slash at your enemys legs a because they are the part that have no armour. And when he slashes at yours you jump with both feet off the ground so that his blow goes uhem. This gave the Dwarf an advantage because Edmund, being much taller, had to be always stooping. I dont think Edmund would have had a ce if he had fought Trumpkiy-four hours earlier. But the air of Narnia had been w upon him ever sihey arrived on the island, and all his old battles came ba, and his arms and fingers remembered their old skill. He was King Edmund once more. Round and round the two batants circled, stroke after stroke they gave, and Susan (who never could learn to like this sort of thing) shouted out, "Oh, do be careful." And then, so quickly that no one (uhey kneeter did) could quite see how it happened, Edmund flashed his sword round with a peculiar twist, the Dwarfs sword flew out of his grip, and Trumpkin was wringing his empty hand as you do after a "sting" from a cricket-bat.
"Not hurt, I hope, my dear little friend?" said Edmund, panting a little aurning his own sword to its sheath.
"I see the point," said Trumpkin drily. "You know a trick I never learned.”
"Thats quite true," put ier. "The best swordsman in the world may be disarmed by a trick thats o him. I think its only fair to give Trumpkin a ce at something else.
Will you have a shooting match with my sister? There are no tricks in archery, you know.”
"Ah, youre jokers, you are," said the Dwarf. "I begin to see. As if I didnt know how she shoot, after what happehis m. All the same, Ill have a try." He spoke gruffly, but his eyes brightened, for he was a famous bowman among his own people.
All five of them came out into the courtyard.
"Whats to be the target?" asked Peter.
"I think that apple hanging over the wall on the branch there would do," said Susan.
"Thatll do nicely, lass," said Trumpkin. "You mean the yellow ohe middle of the arch?”
"No, not that," said Susan. "The red one up above - over the battlement.”
The Dwarfs face fell. "Looks more like a cherry than an apple," he muttered, but he said nothing out loud.
They tossed up for first shot (greatly to the i of Trumpkin, who had never seen a tos<tt></tt>sed before) and Susan lost. They were to shoot from the top of the steps that led from the hall into the courtyard. Everyone could see from the way the Dwarf took his position and handled his bow that he knew what he was about.
Twahe string. It was an excellent shot. The tiny apple shook as the arrow passed, and a leaf came fluttering down. Then Susao the top of the steps and strung her bow. She was not enjoying her match half so much as Edmund had enjoyed his; not because she had any doubt about hitting the apple but because Susan was so tenderhearted that she almost hated to beat someone who had beeen already. The Dwarf watched her keenly as she drew the shaft to her ear. A moment later, with a little soft thump which they could all hear in that quiet place, the apple fell to the grass with Susans arrow in it.
"Oh, well done, Su, " shouted the other children.
"It wasnt really aer than yours," said Susan to the Dwarf. "I think there was a tiny breath of wind as you shot.”
"No, there wasnt," said Trumpkin. "Dont tell me. I know when I am fairly beaten. I wont even say that the sy last wound catches me a bit when I get my arm well back -”
"Oh, are you wounded?" asked Lucy. "Do let me look.”
"Its not a sight for little girls," began Trumpkin, but then he suddenly checked himself.
"There I go talking like a fool again," he said "I suppose youre as likely to be a great surgeon as your brother was to be a great swordsman or your sister to be a great archer.”
He sat down oeps and took off his hauberk and slipped down his little shirt, showing an arm hairy and muscular (in proportion) as a sailors though not much bigger than a childs. There was a clumsy bandage on the shoulder which Lucy proceeded to unroll. Underh, the cut looked very nasty and there was a good deal of swelling. "Oh, poor Trumpkin," said Lucy. "How horrid." Then she carefully dripped on to it one single drop of the cordial from her flask.
"Hullo. Eh? What have you done?" said Trumpkin. But however he turned his head and squinted and whisked his beard to and fro, he couldnt quite see his own shoulder. Then he felt it as well as he could, getting his arms and fingers into very difficult positions as you do when youre trying to scratch a place that is just out of reach. Then he swung his arm and raised it and tried the muscles, and finally jumped to his feet g, "Giants and junipers! Its cured! Its as good as new." After that he burst into a great laugh and said, "Well, Ive made as big a fool of myself as ever a Dwarf did. No offence, I hope? My humble duty to your Majesties all -humble duty. And thanks f<cite></cite>or my life, my cure, my breakfast - and my lesson.”
The children all said it was quite all right and not to mention it.
"And now," said Peter, "if youve really decided to believe in us-”
"I have," said the Dwarf.
"Its quite clear what we have to do. We must join King Caspian at once.”
"The soohe better," said Trumpkin. "My being such a fool has already wasted about an hour.”
"Its about two days jourhe way you came," said Peter. "For us, I mean. We t walk all day and night like you Dwarfs." Theuro the others. "What Trumpkin calls Aslans How is obviously the Stoable itself. You remember it was about half a days march, or a little less, from there down to the Fords of Beruna -”
"Berunas Bridge, we call it," said Trumpkin.
"There was ne in our time," said Peter. "And then from Beruna down to here was another day and a bit. We used to get home about teatime on the sed day, going easily. Going hard, we could do the whole thing in a day and a half perhaps.”
"But remember its all woods now," said Trumpkin, "and there are eo dodge.”
"Look here," said Edmund, "need we go by the same way that Our Dear Little Friend came?”
"No more of that, your Majesty, if you love me," said the Dwarf.
"Very well," said Edmund. "May I say our D.L.F.?”
"Oh, Edmund," said Susan. "Dont keep on at him like that.”
"Thats all right, lass - I mean your Majesty," said Trumpkin with a chuckle. "A jibe wont raise a blister." (And after that they often called him the D.L.F. till theyd almost fotten what it meant.)
"As I was saying," tinued Edmund, "we go that way. Why shouldnt we row a little south till we e to Glasswater Creek and row up it? That brings us up behind the Hill of the Stoable, and well be safe while were at sea. If we start at once, we be at the head of Glasswater before dark, get a few hours sleep, ah Caspiay early tomorrow.”
"What a thing it is to know the coast," said Trumpkin. "None of us know anything about Glasswater.”
"What about food?" asked Susan.
"Oh, well have to do with apples," said Lucy. "Do lets get on. Weve done nothi, and weve been here nearly two days.”
"And anyway, no ones going to have my hat for a fishbasket again," said Edmund.
They used one of the raincoats as a kind of bag and put a good many apples in it. Then they all had a good long drink at the well (for they would meet no more fresh water till they la the head of the Creek) a down to the boat. The children were sorry to leave Cair Paravel, which, even in ruins, had begun to feel like home again.
"The D.L.F. had better steer," said Peter, "and Ed and I will take an oar each. Half a moment, though. Wed better take off our mail: were going to be pretty warm before were dohe girls had better be<bdo></bdo> in the bows and shout dires to the D.L.F. because he doesnt know the way. Youd better get us a fair way out to sea till weve passed the island.”
And soon the green, wooded coast of the island was falling away behind them, and its little bays and headlands were beginning to look flatter, and the boat was rising and falling in the gentle swell. The sea began to grow bigger around them and, in the distance, bluer, but close round the boat it was green and bubbly. Everything smelled salt and there was no noise except the swishing of water and the clop-clop of water against the sides and the splash of the oars and the jolting noise of the rowlocks. The sun grew hot.
It was delightful for Lud Susan in the bows, bending over the edge and trying to get their hands in the sea which they could never quite reach. The bottom, mostly pure, pale sand but with occasional patches of purple seaweed, could be seeh them.
"Its like old times," said Lucy. "Do you remember our voyage to Terebinthia - and Galma - and Seven Isles - and the Lone Islands?”
"Yes," said Susan, "and reat ship the Splendour Hyaline, with the swans head at her prow andbbr>９9liｂ?</abbr> the carved swans wings ing back almost to her waist?”
"And the silken sails, and the great stern lanterns?”
"And the feasts on the poop and the musis.”
"Do you remember when we had the musis up in the rigging playing flutes so that it sounded like music out of the sky?”
Presently Susan took over Edmunds oar and he came forward to join Lucy. They had passed the island now and stood closer in to the shore - all wooded and deserted. They would have thought it very pretty if they had not remembered the time when it en and breezy and full of merry friends.
"Phew! This is pretty gruelling work," said Peter. "t I row for a bit?" said Lucy. "The oars are too big for you," said Peter shortly, not because he was cross but because he had nth to spare for talking.
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