17
The fight was, for all practical purposes, over. And the lion was looking at the dead with Peter, while while Lucy was administering from her bottle the precious drops of fluid that bestowed life. Sandra was organizing the people, for she had instructions to keep the living alive, however much they wanted to kill themselves. Lucy had made a visit to Eddie, and given him a drop of the fluid, but made it clear that he was to be quiet. He looked up at her face, and though he didn't speak a word, he looked grateful. All around them there were creatures doing things that made sense, for Aslan had told them to do it. It was clear that the lion was in charge, but that Peter was learning quickly. Then Peter was sent to look for Sandra, because Aslan wanted them to look at something together.
What they found there was the witch garb in her blackest of black dresses, with one arm dressed in white. Both Sandra and Peter looked at her, noted that her arms were up by her sides, as if casting a spell.
“Look well son of Adam, and daughter of Eve, and see what waits for enemies who would rather take a chance on living, though they know that they won't.” explained Aslan.
“What happened here?” Queried Peter.
“It looks as if she had cast a spell.”
“When Tash took over for her, it realized she was not going to make it. So it fled, and in an instant, just an instant mind you, she had a choice. Would she die and come in to my arms, forgiven at last her sins, as great as they were, or would she gamble on going to sleep, and hoping that she would have another chance.”
“I don't understand, she had a choice, and she chose the wrong one?” asked Sandra.
“Yes, she could have been forgiven all that she did, and come back to the fold. But she would rather have, well there wasn't any other choice. Her other choice was to die and go down to what you would say, in your world, is hell.”
“So she put up her magical defenses, even though she knew they weren't going to work.” asked Sandra, “If you don't mind my saying so, that is truly a warped kind of decision if you ask me.”
Peter just stared at her, particularly her face which was warped in its complexion, as if she knew that this was death, and she was going to howl in to it's darkness.
“Why are we not showing this to Lucy and Eddie.” Sandra continued speaking.
“You for our going to be here a while, and Lucy and Eddie can learn this later.”
Peter and Sandra looked at each other, and suddenly broke out laughing. It was Peter that spoke next:
“What do you mean for a while? What about our childhood in our own world?”
“This is your world, and while you will go back to earth, it will only be for a little while. Then you will find something most excellent is waiting here for you, which will be beautiful.” The lion said. “But you will find out about that when the time comes, I promise you.”
Peter and Sandra looked at each other one more time, and then back at the lion.
“Thank you,” said Peter, “it is not everyone who learns there destiny.”
“Quickly then, there is much to do of lesser importance, but the people here, your people, need you to do it.” And so Peter, and Sandra, and Lucy, were stricken in to the world. But there was one other need, between Aslan and Eddie that needed to be resolved. So he marched Peter and Sandra in to doing their things, for their was much too be done, including sending away those animals who were just here for the battle, and wanted to get back to their things. Because after a battle there is more to be done then before it.
So as when over to Eddie, who was still quite damaged, and looked at him.
“So my friend, how does it feel to be on the right side, as opposed to the witch?”
“It feels all right, now, but it was a very narrow thing. We're is the bird?”
“To bird is trying to tell the other birds that it is all right. But there has to be some accommodation. You didn't think that this would be easy?”
“No, I guess not. That means were going to stay for a while, doesn't it?”
“Your a very clever lad, more so than your eldest brother.”
“Why can't I be High King, then?”
“Your brother is the wiser of you to, you will come to see that in due course. But you have your own advantages to. Look down upon your kingdom, and particularly down at Caer Paravell. Realize that the high King will be slain monsters, or keeping counsel. You will have to do the rest of the work in running the country. That is no small responsibility.”
Eddie nodded, in a way similar to his brother, because though they were both different, day were more the same then they imagined.
Finally they are was a moment between Aslan and Lucy, because Lucy felt that she had not had any noticeable effect. She felt that she was not wanted, and she felt that she had not contributed much to the effort. Aslan not sure from behind, and she turned and looked at him.
“Daughter of Eve, you seem disturbed, as if you were not part of this.”
“I don't see how I have been of help to anyone.”
“Remember daughter of Eve, while the battle will be remembered, it was on the stone table that it was truly won, and you were definitely part of that. The boys may have cleaned up the mess, but it was you and Sandra who did the important part. And I, at least, will remember that.”
Lucy looked up at Him, and saw that he spoke the truth. That was good enough for her, because it gave her confidence to do whatever she was sent to do.
Of course there were many things to do for elevating the four Kings and Queens, which I will dispense with, you can read the about them in a myriad of books, either on your bookshelf, or at the public library. Then you can disconnect the democracy that we live in, and realize that it is broken, and you will have to do things about that. But these four are in a fantasy land, which has its own problems, and that is there lot in life.
The coronation was splendid, and went without a hitch. The Kings and Queens looked splendid, not at all like children from Earth at all. They had risen, and looked the part to a tee. All of the most important people from the land of Narnia were there, as were several important people from the lands around.
High King Peter was heroic, and would spend every number of years fighting wars, or keeping the peace from Caer Paravell. He was strong and good with a sword, or a pen, for both were effective in the right circumstance.
Queen Sandra was both calm and cunning, in full measure. She was the power behind the throne, and it came to be known, that all Peter may have signed the documents, it was her who wrote them.
While Peter was in heroic, it was often King Eddie's job to negotiate, and with that came a great deal of responsibility. While Peter was dashing around keeping the peace, Eddie was broking and cajoling the members of Narnia in to being peaceful.
And what of Queen Lucy? While King Peter was at the battle fronts, and Sandra was negotiating, and Eddie was adjudicating, she was going around the countryside and working her way in to the people's heart. The she was making a name for herself in the arts and sciences, while the other three were taking care of immediate business.
And what of me? Well I have been commenting about what CS Lewis had on his mind, though you will that the views which he had about Philosophy, in his time, were strange, and in our time are truly bizarre. After all, is you read some of his works, you will find them strange indeed. But you can put aside these and read the story, which were evolving towards a more enlightened form.
Because CS Lewis wanted to engage, and not all things that he said were true. And you can enjoy the story without buying into the larger picture.
There were many stories, and I will take some time to recount one or two of them, which are not on the list of proverbial tails. You will note for example that I allowed to slip in to the story where they were, of course that's intentional. But for the most part I will Go back to writing in my own way, because that is different from CS Lewis. But it was fun to engage his story, even if it's not the way I would tell it. And of course there are things which he did which I wouldn't use. (Such as dropping in these parentheses for example.) But even that is part of the fun, to not do things which are not in the style of my time.
After many long years, Thomas came in to the throneroom, though he was a bit stout around the edges, and made an announcement:
“I have news, Sire, and Mesdemmes, the White Stag has been seen again in land.”
This cause a commotion, though I am not sure why, but they sprang up and hasten to put a party together. There was very little time to put together, and chase down the white stag. It should be noted that it was winter, and cold, just as it had been so many years ago. But no one among the four recognized that there was anything amiss about that.
They were out deep into the woods, where they first encountered Narnia, Though he must be admitted that they only had a vague recollection of their time on earth, so long ago was it.
Then along the hilltop they cited the white stag and chased with all of their might. Over Hill and over Dale they chased. And they were rapidly engulfed in a deep dark wood. There was a feeling among all for Kings and Queens that they had been there before.
And then they passed a lantern, not a lantern of this time and place, but a lantern which for all the world looked like a Victorian lantern, which was a different thing entirely. Though they rode past it, they were transformed in an instant from high Kings and Queens of Narnia, into Peter, Sandra, Eddie, and Lucy, coming back to a trip which had, in this world, lasted only a blink of an eye.
Downstairs there on was calling them, and they saw that they were children, and thought that this was a dream. Sometimes they thought that Earth was, a dream, and sometimes they thought that Narnia was. There Aunt Michelle called up to them, and they hurried down the stairs, bursting with tales of the Lion, The Witch and CS Lewis. And what's more, there aunt listened, and then said:
“That's very interesting, you should catch it if you can. But I don't think that the wardrobe will be the way through next time.” The aunt looked at them with a quick eye and a merry gesture on her lips. But what she didn't do was question the sincerity of what they had to tell her.
Which was an odd thing to say for the aunt. And she said it with a twinkle in her eye, you'll remember, as if she was remembering something out of the distant past.