CHAPTER SIX
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INTO THE FOREST "I wish the Macready would hurry up and take all these people away," said Susaly, "Im getting horribly cramped.”"And what a filthy smell of camphor!" said Edmund.
"I expect the pockets of these coats are full of it," said Susan, "to keep away the moths.”
"Theres something stig int.99ｌｉｂ.o my back," said Peter.
"And isnt it cold?" said Susan.
"Now that you mention it, it is cold," said Peter, "and hang it all, its wet too. Whats the matter with this place? Im sitting on somethi. Its gettier every minute." He struggled to his feet.
"Lets get out," said Edmund, "theyve gone.”
"O-o-oh!" said Susan suddenly, and everyone asked her what was the matter.
"Im sitting against a tree," said Susan, "and look! Its getting light - over there.”
"By Jove, youre right," said Peter, "and look there - and there. Its trees all round. And this wet stuff is snow. Why, I do believe weve got into Lucys wood after all.”
And now there was no mistaking it and all four children stood blinking in the daylight of a winter day. Behind them were coats hanging on pegs, in front of them were snow-covered trees.
Peter tur oo Lucy.
"I apologize for not believing you," he said, "Im sorry. Will you shake hands?”
"Of course," said Lucy, and did.
"And now," said Susan, "what do we do ?”
"Do?" said Peter, "why, go and explore the wood, of course.”
"Ugh!" said Susan, stamping her feet, "its pretty cold. What about putting on some of these coats?”
"Theyre not ours," said Peter doubtfully.
"I am sure nobody would mind," said Susan; "it isnt as if we wao take them out of the house; we shant take them even out of the wardrobe.”
"I hought of that, Su," said Peter. "Of course, now you put it that way, I see. No one could say you had bagged a coat as long as you leave it in the wardrobe where you found it. And I suppose this whole try is in the wardrobe.”
They immediately carried out Susans very sensible plan. The coats were rather９９lib?oo big for them so that they came down to their heels and looked more like royal robes than coats when they had put them on. But they all felt a good deal warmer and each thought the others looked better in their new get-up and more suitable to the landscape.
"retend we are Arctic explorers," said Lucy.
"This is going to be exg enough without pretending," said Peter, as he began leading the way forward into the forest. There were heavy darkish clouds overhead and it looked as if there might be more snow before night.
"I say," began Edmund presently, "oughto be bearing a bit more to the left, that is, if we are aiming for the lamp-post?" He had fotten for the moment that he must pretend o have been in the wood before. The moment the words were out of his mouth he realized that he had given himself away. Everyoopped; everyoared at him. Peter whistled.
"So you really were here," he said, "that time Lu said shed met you in here - and you made out she was telling lies.”
There was a dead silence. "Well, of all the poisonous little beasts -" said Peter, and shrugged his shoulders and said no more. There seemed, indeed, no more to say, and presently the four resumed their journey; but Edmund was saying to himself, "Ill pay you all out for this, you pack of stuck-up, selfsatisfied prigs.”
"Where are we going anyway?" said Susan, chiefly for the sake of ging the subject.
"I think Lu ought to be the leader," said Peter; "goodness knows she deserves it. Where will you take us, Lu?”
"What about going to see Mr Tumnus?" said Lucy. "Hes the nice Faun I told you about.”
Everyone agreed to this and off they went walking briskly and stamping their feet. Lucy proved a good leader. At first she wondered whether she would be able to find the way, but she reized an oddlooking tree on one plad a stump in another and brought them on to where the ground became uneven and into the little valley and at last to the very door of Mr Tumnuss cave. But there a terrible surprise awaited them.
The door had been wrenched off its hinges and broken to bits. Ihe cave was dark and cold and had the damp feel and smell of a place that had not been lived in for several days. Snow had drifted in from the doorway and <samp>.</samp>was heaped on the floor, mixed with something black, which turned out to be the charred sticks and ashes from the fire.
Someone had apparently flung it about the room and then stamped it out. The crockery lay smashed on the floor and the picture of the Fauns father had been slashed into shreds with a knife.
"This is a pretty good wash-out," said Edmund; "not much good ing here.”
"What is this?" said Peter, stooping down. He had just noticed a piece of paper which had been hrough the carpet to the floor.
"Is there anything written on it?" asked Susan.
"Yes, I think there is," answered Peter, "but I t read it in this light. Lets get out into the open air.”
They all went out in the daylight and crowded rouer as he read out the following words: The former oct of these premises, the Faun Tumnus, is under arrest and awaiting his trial on a charge of High Treason against her Imperial Majesty Jadis, Queen of Narnia, Chatelaine of Cair Paravel, Empress of the Lone Islands, etc., also of f her said Majestys enemies, harb spies and fraternizing with Humans.
signed MAUGRIM, Captain of the Secret Police, LONG LIVE THE QUEEN The children stared at each other.
"I dont know that Im going to like this place after all," said Susan.
"Who is this Queen, Lu?" said Peter. "Do you know anything about her?”
"She isnt a real queen at all," answered Lucy; "shes a horrible witch, the White Witch.
Everyone all the wood people - hate her. She has made an entment over the whole try so that it is always winter here and never Christmas.”
"I - I wonder if theres any point in going on," said Susan. "I mean, it doesnt seem particularly safe here and it looks as if it wont be much fuher. And its getting colder every minute, and weve brought nothing to eat. What about just going home?”
"Oh, but we t, we t," said Lucy suddenly; "dont you see? We t just go home, not after this. It is all on my at that the poor Faun has got into this trouble. He hid me from the Witd showed me the way back. Thats what it means by f the Queens enemies and fraternizing with Humans. We simply must try to rescue him.”
"A lot we could do! said Edmund, "when we havent even got anything to eat!”
"Shut up - you!" said Peter, who was still very angry with Edmund. "What do you think, Susan?”
"Ive a horrid feeling that Lu is right," said Susan. "I dont want to go a step further and I wish wed never e. But I think we must try to do something for Mr Whatever-his-name is - I mean the Faun.”
"Thats what I feel too," said Peter. "Im worried about having no food with us. Id vote foing bad getting something from the larder, only there doesnt seem to be aainty of getting into this try again when once youve got out of it. I think well have to go on.”
"So do I," said both the girls.
"If only we knew where the poor chap was imprisoned!" said Peter.
They were all still w what to do , when Lucy said, "Look! Theres a robin, with such a red breast. Its the first bird Ive seen here. I say! - I wonder birds talk in Narnia? It almost looks as if it wao say something to us." Theuro the Robin and said, "Please,></a> you tell us where Tumnus the Faun has been taken to?" As she said this she took a step towards the bird. It at once flew away but only as far as to the ree. There it perched and looked at them very hard as if it uood all they had been saying. Almost without notig that they had done so, the four childre a step or two o it. At this the Robin flew away again to the ree and once more looked at them very hard. (You couldnt have found a robin with a redder chest or a brighter eye.) "Do you know," said Lucy, "I really believe he means us to follow him.”
"Ive an idea he does," said Susan. "What do you think, Peter?”
"Well, we might as well try it," answered Peter.
The Robin appeared to uand the matter thhly. It kept going from tree to tree, always a few yards ahead of them, but always so hat they c<s>..</s>ould easily follow it. In this way it led them on, slightly downhill. Wherever the Robin alighted a little shower of snow would fall off the branch. Presently the clouds parted overhead and the winter sun came out and the snow all around them grew dazzlingly bright. They had been travelling in this way for about half an hour, with the two girls in front, when Edmund said to Peter, "if youre not still too high and mighty to talk to me, Ive something to say which youd better listen to.”
"What is it?" asked Peter.
"Hush! Not so loud," said Edmund; "theres no gohtening the girls. But have you realized what were doing?”
"What?" said Peter, l his voice to a whisper.
"Were following a guide we know nothing about. How do we know which side that bird is on? Why shouldnt it be leading us into a trap?”
"Thats a nasty idea. Still - a robin, you know. Theyre good birds in all the stories Ive ever read. Im sure a robin wouldnt be on the wrong side.”
"It if es to that, which is the right side? How do we know that the Fauns are in the right and the Queen (yes, I know weve been told shes a witch) is in the wrong? We dont really know anything about either.”
"The Faun saved Lucy.”
"He said he did. But how do we know? And theres ahing too. Has ahe least idea of the way home from here?”
"Great Scott!" said Peter, "I hadnt thought of that.”
"And no ce of dinher," said Edmund.
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