DIGORYkepthismouthverytightshut.Hehadbeengrowingmoreandmoreuncomfortable.Hehopedthat,whateverhappened,hewouldn’tblubordoanythingridiculous.
“SonofAdam,”saidAslan.“AreyoureadytoundothewrongthatyouhavedonetomysweetcountryofNarniaontheverydayofitsbirth?”
“Well,Idon’tseewhatIcando,”saidDigory.“Yousee,theQueenranawayand-”
“Iasked,areyouready?”saidtheLion.
“Yes,”saidDigory.Hehadhadforasecondsomewildideaofsaying“I’lltrytohelpyouifyou’llpromisetohelpmyMother,”butherealizedintimethattheLionwasnotatallthesortofpersononecouldtrytomakebargainswith.Butwhenhehadsaid“Yes,”hethoughtofhisMother,andhethoughtofthegreathopeshehadhad,andhowtheywerealldyingaway,andalumpcameinhisthroatandtearsinhiseyes,andheblurtedout:“Butplease,please-won’tyou-can’tyougivemesomethingthatwillcureMother?”UptillthenhehadbeenlookingattheLion’sgreatfeetandthehugeclawsonthem;now,inhisdespair,helookedupatitsface.Whathesawsurprisedhimasmuchasanythinginhiswholelife.Forthetawnyfacewasbentdownnearhisownand(wonderofwonders)greatshiningtearsstoodintheLion’seyes.Theyweresuchbig,brighttearscomparedwithDigory’sownthatforamomenthefeltasiftheLionmustreallybesorrierabouthisMotherthanhewashimself.
“Myson,myson,”saidAslan.“Iknow.Griefisgreat.OnlyyouandIinthislandknowthatyet.Letusbegoodtooneanother.ButIhavetothinkofhundredsofyearsinthelifeofNarnia.TheWitchwhomyouhavebroughtintothisworldwillcomebacktoNarniaagain.Butitneednotbeyet.ItismywishtoplantinNarniaatreethatshewillnotdaretoapproach,andthattreewillprotectNarniafromherformanyyears.Sothislandshallhavealong,brightmorningbeforeanycloudscomeoverthesun.Youmustgetmetheseedfromwhichthattreeistogrow.”
“Yes,sir,”saidDigory.Hedidn’tknowhowitwastobedonebuthefeltquitesurenowthathewouldbeabletodoit.TheLiondrewadeepbreath,stoopeditsheadevenlowerandgavehimaLion’skiss.AndatonceDigoryfeltthatnewstrengthandcouragehadgoneintohim.
“Dearson,”saidAslan,“Iwilltellyouwhatyoumustdo.TurnandlooktotheWestandtellmewhatdoyousee?”
“Iseeterriblybigmountains,Aslan,”saidDigory,“Iseethisrivercomingdowncliffsinawaterfall.Andbeyondtheclifftherearehighgreenhillswithforests.Andbeyondthosetherearehigherrangesthatlookalmostblack.Andthen,faraway,therearebigsnowymountainsallheapeduptogether-likepicturesoftheAlps.Andbehindthosethere’snothingbutthesky.”
“Youseewell,”saidtheLion.“NowthelandofNarniaendswherethewaterfallcomesdown,andonceyouhavereachedthetopofthecliffsyouwillbeoutofNarniaandintotheWesternWild.Youmustjourneythroughthosemountainstillyoufindagreenvalleywithabluelakeinit,walledroundbymountainsofice.Attheendofthelakethereisasteep,greenhill.Onthetopofthathillthereisagarden.Inthecentreofthatgardenisatree.Pluckanapplefromthattreeandbringitbacktome.”
“Yes,sir,”saidDigoryagain.Hehadn’ttheleastideaofhowhewastoclimbthecliffandfindhiswayamongallthemountains,buthedidn’tliketosaythatforfearitwouldsoundlikemakingexcuses.Buthedidsay,“Ihope,Aslan,you’renotinahurry.Ishan’tbeabletogetthereandbackveryquickly.”
“LittlesonofAdam,youshallhavehelp,”saidAslan.HethenturnedtotheHorsewhohadbeenstandingquietlybesidethemallthistime,swishinghistailtokeepthefliesoff,andlisteningwithhisheadononesideasiftheconversationwerealittledifficulttounderstand.
“Mydear,”saidAslantotheHorse,“wouldyouliketobeawingedhorse?”
YoushouldhaveseenhowtheHorseshookitsmaneandhowitsnostrilswidened,andthelittletapitgavethegroundwithonebackhoof.Clearlyitwouldverymuchliketobeawingedhorse.Butitonlysaid:
“Ifyouwish,Aslan-ifyoureallymean-Idon’tknowwhyitshouldbeme-I’mnotaverycleverhorse.”
“Bewinged.Bethefatherofallflyinghorses,”roaredAslaninavoicethatshooktheground.“YournameisFledge.”
Thehorseshied,justasitmighthaveshiedintheold,miserabledayswhenitpulledahansom.Thenitroared.Itstraineditsneckbackasiftherewereaflybitingitsshouldersanditwantedtoscratchthem.Andthen,justasthebeastshadburstoutoftheearth,thereburstoutfromtheshouldersofFledgewingsthatspreadandgrew,largerthaneagles’,largerthanswans’,largerthanangels’wingsinchurchwindows.Thefeathersshonechestnutcolourandcoppercolour.Hegaveagreatsweepwiththemandleapedintotheair.TwentyfeetaboveAslanandDigoryhesnorted,neighed,andcurvetted.Then,aftercirclingonceroundthem,hedroppedtotheearth,allfourhoofstogether,lookingawkwardandsurprised,butextremelypleased.
“Isitgood,Fledge?”saidAslan.
“Itisverygood,Aslan,”saidFledge.
“WillyoucarrythislittlesonofAdamonyourbacktothemountain—valleyIspokeof?”
“What?Now?Atonce?”saidStrawberry-orFledge,aswemustnowcallhim-Hurrah!Come,littleone,I’vehadthingslikeyouonmybackbefore.Long,longago.Whenthereweregreenfields,”andsugar.”
“WhatarethetwodaughtersofEvewhisperingabout?”saidAslan,turningverysuddenlyonPollyandtheCabby’swife,whohadinfactbeenmakingfriends.
“Ifyouplease,sir,”saidQueenHelen(forthatiswhatNelliethecabman’swifenowwas),“Ithinkthelittlegirlwouldlovetogotoo,ifitweren’tnotrouble.”
“WhatdoesFledgesayaboutthat?”askedtheLion.
“Oh,Idon’tmindtwo,notwhenthey’relittleones,”saidFledge.“ButIhopetheElephantdoesn’twanttocomeaswell.”
TheElephanthadnosuchwish,andthenewKingofNarniahelpedboththechildrenup:thatis,hegaveDigoryaroughheaveandsetPollyasgentlyanddaintilyonthehorse’sbackasifsheweremadeofchinaandmightbreak.“Theretheyare,Strawberry-Fledge,Ishouldsay.Thisisarumgo.”
“Donotflytoohigh,”saidAslan.“Donottrytogooverthetopsofthegreatice-mountains.Lookoutforthevalleys,thegreenplaces,andflythroughthem.Therewillalwaysbeawaythrough.Andnow,begonewithmyblessing.”
“OhFledge!”saidDigory,leaningforwardtopattheHorse’sglossyneck.“Thisisfun.Holdontometight,Polly.”
Nextmomentthecountrydroppedawaybeneaththem,andwhirledroundasFledge,likeahugepigeon,circledonceortwicebeforesettingoffonhislongwestwardflight.Lookingdown,PollycouldhardlyseetheKingandtheQueen,andevenAslanhimselfwasonlyabrightyellowspotonthegreengrass.SoonthewindwasintheirfacesandFledge’swingssettleddowntoasteadybeat.
AllNarnia,many-colouredwithlawnsandrocksandheatheranddifferentsortsoftrees,layspreadoutbelowthem,theriverwindingthroughitlikearibbonofquicksilver.Theycouldalreadyseeoverthetopsofthelowhillswhichlaynorthwardontheirright;beyondthosehillsagreatmoorlandslopedgentlyupanduptothehorizon.Ontheirleftthemountainsweremuchhigher,buteverynowandthentherewasagapwhenyoucouldsee,betweensteeppinewoods,aglimpseofthesouthernlandsthatlaybeyondthem,lookingblueandfaraway.
“That’llbewhereArchenlandis,”saidPolly.
“Yes,butlookahead!”saidDigory.
FornowagreatbarrierofcliffsrosebeforethemandtheywerealmostdazzledbythesunlightdancingonthegreatwaterfallbywhichtheriverroarsandsparklesdownintoNarniaitselffromthehighwesternlandsinwhichitrises.Theywereflyingsohighalreadythatthethunderofthosefallscouldonlyjustbeheardasasmall,thinsound,buttheywerenotyethighenoughtoflyoverthetopofthecliffs.
“We’llhavetodoabitofzig-zagginghere,”saidFledge.“Holdontight.”
Hebeganflyingtoandfro,gettinghigherateachturn.Theairgrewcolder,andtheyheardthecallofeaglesfarbelowthem.
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