tER ture ttle east for tle ly clear and t t once ting a long o starboard. Lucy and  Reepic time. teenting top, sig looked like a great dark mountain rising out of t bow.

    tered course and made for tly by oar, for t serve to sail nort. ill a long  and ro a flat calm. t still very dim, so t some t it ill a long  to a mist.

    About nine t morning, very suddenly, it  t it  land at all, nor even, in an ordinary sense, a mist. It   is rato

    describe, but you  o tunnel - a tunnel eity t you cannot  see t at t it  you ; ty suddenly, but of course  a sogeto smoot  so   in front of t  greeniser.

    Beyond t, ter looking pale and grey as it e in t beyond t again, utter blackness as if to tarless night.

    Caspian sed to tso keep  t to be seen by  gazing. Behe Darkness.

    quot;Do o t; asked Caspian at length.

    quot;Not by my advice,quot; said Drinian.

    quot;tains rig; said several sailors.

    quot;I almost t; said Edmund.

    Lucy and Eustace didnt speak but t very glad inside at turn  to be taking. But all at once the  silence.

    quot;And ; ;ill someone explain to me w.”

    No one o explain, so Reepicinued:  quot;If I s or slaves,quot; ;I mig  tion proceeded from co I  old in Narnia t a  company of noble and royal persons in turned tail because the dark.”

    quot;But  be ploug blackness?quot;  asked Drinian.

    quot;Use?quot; replied Reepic;Use, Captain? If by use you mean filling our  bellies or our purses, I confess it  all. So far as I kno set  sail to look for t to seek ure. And  an  adventure as ever I urn back, no tittle impeac of all our  honours.”

    Several of t sounded like  quot;;, but Caspian said:

    quot;O  ! If you put it t ?”

    Lucy felt t s, but ;Im game.”

    quot;Your Majesty  least order lig; said Drinian.

    quot;By all means,quot; said Caspian. quot;See to it, Captain.”

    So terns, at tern, and t, and Drinian ordered torc some  ted in ttle stations ing top  and arroring. Rynelf  o take soundings. Reepicace and  Caspian, glittering in mail, ook tiller.

    quot;And no; cried Caspian. quot;A sloeady stroke.  And let every man be silent and keep his ears open for orders.”

    itreader started to creep foro roing top,  moment  at   tern. S go. At one minute tern, t: next minute tern  lantern - o s of tern s tiller. Doorccs, and for on tle. Apart from t, ting top, lit by t tle ligs oing in lonely darkness. And ts ts ime  of day, looked lurid and unnatural. Siced t she was very cold.

    o ted, nobody kne for to s t all. Edmund, peering from t tion  of tern in ter before  looked a greasy sort of reflection, and to be ime  on  everyone except to sh cold.

    Suddenly, from someremity of terror t  lost y.

    Caspian ill trying to speak - oo dry - w silence, was heard.

    quot;; it piped. quot;If you are a foe  fear you, and if you are  a friend your enemies saughe fear of us.”

    quot;Mercy!quot; cried t;Mercy! Even if you are only one more dream, have  merry.

    take me on board. take me, even if you strike me dead. But in t fade ahis horrible land.”

    quot;; sed Caspian. quot;Come aboard and welcome.”

    terror, and t  someone ohem.

    quot;Stand by to ; said Caspian.

    quot;Aye, aye, your Majesty,quot; said to t  bul over torce  face appeared in ter, and ter some scrambling and pulling,  a dozen friendly ranger on board.

    Edmund t   otidy mop of iced  ared as if in an agony of pure fear. t  reac;Fly! Fly! About his accursed shore.”

    quot;Compose yourself,quot; said Reepic;and tell us  used to flying.”

    tranger started  t  noticed before.

    quot;Nevert; ;true.”

    quot;ts time,quot; said one of t;I reckoned Id find I o Nancy if we landed here.”

    quot;And Id find tom alive again,quot; said another.

    quot;Fools!quot; said tamping  ;t is t of  talk t brougter  I  say? this is

    o life, come real. Not  daydreams: dreams.”

    t es silence and t clatter of  armour, tumbling doco roiller, and ts t stroke t  sea. For it aken everyone just t e to remember certain  dreams t make you afraid of going to sleep again - and to realize   o land on a country wrue.

    Only Reepicheep remained unmoved.

    quot;Your Majesty, your Majesty,quot; ;are you going to tolerate tiny, troonery? t.”

    quot;Ro; bello;Pull for all our lives. Is ,  Drinian? You can say w you like, Reepichings no man can face.”

    quot;It is, tune not to be a man,quot; replied Reepiciff bow.

    Lucy from up aloft  all. In an instant t one of ried  to forget came back to  . So t o go doo t he use?

    If dreams began coming true, Edmund and Caspian t turn into  somet as sing top  and tried to steady o t as   now!

    t did not quite conceal total silence whe ship.

    Everyone kne ter not to listen, not to strain  no one could ening. And soon everyone was  hings.

    Eac.

    quot;Do you ting .. . over t; Eustace asked Rynelf.

    quot;; said Rynelf. quot;I can he ship.”

    quot;Its just going to settle on t,quot; said Caspian.

    quot;Ug; said a sailor. quot;they would.”

    Caspian, trying not to look at anyt to keep looking  be aft to Drinian.

    quot;Drinian,quot; ;ake roo wranger.”

    quot;Five minutes, per; w;hy?”

    quot;Because  already trying to get out.”

    Drinians iller and a line of cold s ran do;e s out, never  get out,”

    moaned t;eering us .quot; tranger,  out into a horrible screaming laugh.

    quot;Never get out!quot; ;ts it. Of course. e s out.   a fool I o  t me go as easily as t. No, no, .”

    Lucy leant ing top and  all, send us ; t gro so feel a little - a very, very little - better. quot;After all, noto us yet,quot; s.

    quot;Look!quot; cried Rynelfs voice iny speck  of ligc fell from it upon t did not alter t t up as if by  searc. Caspian blinked, stared round, sah wild, fixed  expressions.

    Everyone aring in tion: behind everyone lay his black,  sharply-edged shadow.

    Lucy looked along tly sa. At first it  looked like a cross, t looked like an aeroplane, t looked like a kite, and at  last   circled  times round t and tant on t of t t called out in a strong s voice o be ood ter t it spread its o fly slole to starboard. Drinian steered after it not doubting t it offered good  guidance. But no one except Lucy kne as it circled t it o ;Courage, dear ,quot; and t sure, hed in her face.

    In a fes turned into a greyness a before to begin  out into t and  once everybody realized t to  be afraid of and

    never  tness of tonised to find t to te and t one, and ther, began laughing.

    quot;I reckon ty good fools of ourselves,quot; said Rynelf.

    Lucy lost no time in coming doo time oo o speak, and could  only gaze at to make sure  ears rolled down his cheeks.

    quot;t;  last. quot;You  I   talk of t. And no me know welmarine of Narnia, and whe Lord Rhoop.”

    quot;And I,quot; said Caspian, quot;am Caspian, King of Narnia, and I sail to find you  and your companions whers friends.”

    Lord R;Sire,quot; ;you are t  me a boon.”

    quot; is it?quot; asked Caspian.

    quot;Never to bring me back t; ed astern. t t blue sea and brighe darkness  had vanished for ever.

    quot;; cried Lord R;You royed it!”

    quot;I dont t ; said Lucy.

    quot;Sire,quot; said Drinian, quot;t. S sail? And after t, every man wo his hammock.”

    quot;Yes,quot; said Caspian, quot;and let the clock round myself.”

    So all afternoon  joy t  nobody noticed wross had disappeared.