“BUTwhatareyou?”saidtheQueenagain.“Areyouagreatovergrowndwarfthathascutoffitsbeard?”
“No,yourMajesty,”saidEdmund,“Ineverhadabeard,I’maboy.”
“Aboy!”saidshe.“DoyoumeanyouareaSonofAdam?”
Edmundstoodstill,sayingnothing.Hewastooconfusedbythistimetounderstandwhatthequestionmeant.
“Iseeyouareanidiot,whateverelseyoumaybe,”saidtheQueen.“Answerme,onceandforall,orIshalllosemypatience.Areyouhuman?”
“Yes,yourMajesty,”saidEdmund.
“Andhow,pray,didyoucometoentermydominions?”
“Please,yourMajesty,Icameinthroughawardrobe.”
“Awardrobe?Whatdoyoumean?”
“I-Iopenedadoorandjustfoundmyselfhere,yourMajesty,”saidEdmund.
“Ha!”saidtheQueen,speakingmoretoherselfthantohi“Adoor.Adoorfromtheworldofmen!Ihaveheardofsuchthings.Thismaywreckall.Butheisonlyone,andheiseasilydealtwith.”AsshespokethesewordssherosefromherseatandlookedEdmundfullintheface,hereyesflaming;atthesamemomentsheraisedherwand.Edmundfeltsurethatshewasgoingtodosomethingdreadfulbutheseemedunabletomove.Then,justashegavehimselfupforlost,sheappearedtochangehermind.
“Mypoorchild,”shesaidinquiteadifferentvoice,“howcoldyoulook!ComeandsitwithmehereonthesledgeandIwillputmymantleroundyouandwewilltalk.”
Edmunddidnotlikethisarrangementatallbuthedarednotdisobey;hesteppedontothesledgeandsatatherfeet,andsheputafoldofherfurmantleroundhimandtuckeditwellin.
“Perhapssomethinghottodrink?”saidtheQueen.“Shouldyoulikethat?”
“Yesplease,yourMajesty,”saidEdmund,whoseteethwerechattering.
TheQueentookfromsomewhereamongherwrappingsaverysmallbottlewhichlookedasifitweremadeofcopper.Then,holdingoutherarm,sheletonedropfallfromitontothesnowbesidethesledge.Edmundsawthedropforasecondinmid-air,shininglikeadiamond.Butthemomentittouchedthesnowtherewasahissingsoundandtherestoodajewelledcupfullofsomethingthatsteamed.ThedwarfimmediatelytookthisandhandedittoEdmundwithabowandasmile;notaverynicesmile.Edmundfeltmuchbetterashebegantosipthehotdrink.Itwassomethinghehadnevertastedbefore,verysweetandfoamyandcreamy,anditwarmedhimrightdowntohistoes.
“Itisdull,SonofAdam,todrinkwithouteating,”saidtheQueenpresently.“Whatwouldyoulikebesttoeat?”
“TurkishDelight,please,yourMajesty,”saidEdmund.
TheQueenletanotherdropfallfromherbottleontothesnow,andinstantlythereappearedaroundbox,tiedwithgreensilkribbon,which,whenopened,turnedouttocontainseveralpoundsofthebestTurkishDelight.EachpiecewassweetandlighttotheverycentreandEdmundhadnevertastedanythingmoredelicious.Hewasquitewarmnow,andverycomfortable.
WhilehewaseatingtheQueenkeptaskinghimquestions.AtfirstEdmundtriedtorememberthatitisrudetospeakwithone’smouthfull,butsoonheforgotaboutthisandthoughtonlyoftryingtoshoveldownasmuchTurkishDelightashecould,andthemoreheatethemorehewantedtoeat,andheneveraskedhimselfwhytheQueenshouldbesoinquisitive.Shegothimtotellherthathehadonebrotherandtwosisters,andthatoneofhissistershadalreadybeeninNarniaandhadmetaFaunthere,andthatnooneexcepthimselfandhisbrotherandhissistersknewanythingaboutNarnia.Sheseemedespeciallyinterestedinthefactthattherewerefourofthem,andkeptoncomingbacktoit.“Youaresuretherearejustfourofyou?”sheasked.“TwoSonsofAdamandtwoDaughtersofEve,neithermorenorless?”andEdmund,withhismouthfullofTurkishDelight,keptonsaying,“Yes,Itoldyouthatbefore,”andforgettingtocallher“YourMajesty”,butshedidn’tseemtomindnow.
AtlasttheTurkishDelightwasallfinishedandEdmundwaslookingveryhardattheemptyboxandwishingthatshewouldaskhimwhetherhewouldlikesomemore.ProbablytheQueenknewquitewellwhathewasthinking;forsheknew,thoughEdmunddidnot,thatthiswasenchantedTurkishDelightandthatanyonewhohadoncetasteditwouldwantmoreandmoreofit,andwouldeven,iftheywereallowed,gooneatingittilltheykilledthemselves.Butshedidnotofferhimanymore.Instead,shesaidtohim,
“SonofAdam,Ishouldsomuchliketoseeyourbrotherandyourtwosisters.Willyoubringthemtoseeme?”
“I’lltry,”saidEdmund,stilllookingattheemptybox.
“Because,ifyoudidcomeagain-bringingthemwithyouofcourse-I’dbeabletogiveyousomemoreTurkishDelight.Ican’tdoitnow,themagicwillonlyworkonce.Inmyownhouseitwouldbeanothermatter.”
“Whycan’twegotoyourhousenow?”saidEdmund.Whenhehadfirstgotontothesledgehehadbeenafraidthatshemightdriveawaywithhimtosomeunknownplacefromwhichhewouldnotbeabletogetback;buthehadforgottenaboutthatfearnow.
“Itisalovelyplace,myhouse,”saidtheQueen.“Iamsureyouwouldlikeit.TherearewholeroomsfullofTurkishDelight,andwhat’smore,Ihavenochildrenofmyown.IwantaniceboywhomIcouldbringupasaPrinceandwhowouldbeKingofNarniawhenIamgone.WhilehewasPrincehewouldwearagoldcrownandeatTurkishDelightalldaylong;andyouaremuchthecleverestandhandsomestyoungmanI’veevermet.IthinkIwouldliketomakeyouthePrince-someday,whenyoubringtheotherstovisitme.”
“Whynotnow?”saidEdmund.Hisfacehadbecomeveryredandhismouthandfingersweresticky.Hedidnotlookeithercleverorhandsome,whatevertheQueenmightsay.
“Oh,butifItookyoutherenow,”saidshe,“Ishouldn’tseeyourbrotherandyoursisters.Iverymuchwanttoknowyourcharmingrelations.YouaretobethePrinceand-lateron-theKing;thatisunderstood.Butyoumusthavecourtiersandnobles.IwillmakeyourbrotheraDukeandyoursistersDuchesses.”
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