4
We believe alone Eddie, though we will get back to him, and pick up from the three other children. The two other children did not see Eddie go in to the wardrobe, instead they saw Lucy opening the door.
Peter bellowed out: “Your it, Lucy. Give us account of 10, slowly.”
Lucy stared at the two older children, and looked at her feet. She mumbled something, and did not look up at them.
“What was that?” the girl cried out. “I didn't hear you.”
“I said that Eddie is behind the wardrobe wall.” this did not make sense, what did she mean by behind, instead of inside? Was she just being Lucy about things, and she meant that “behind” as soon “outside of” perhaps? Or was it something else? Peter looked behind, as in going around the outside and checking to see whether Eddie was outside of the wardrobe. Began back around and said: “ there is nobody there.”
“I didn't say he was behind wardrobe, I meant he is behind it the on inside.” She sniffed as if it made perfect sense.
Of course, it did not make any sense at all to the older children. “What do you mean, exactly, by that?” Ask Peter. Adding the phrase “ by that” was a way of nodding to his teacher, who often used the phrase when he was lecturing. Peter did so unconsciously by this point.
“He is inside the wardrobe, and out side in the world.”
“In here?” asked Sandra, “You do realize that's quite absurd on the face of it.” At this point she removed the wardrobe and pointed inside, thinking that there would be a “behind” at the bottom of this.
Then something wondrous happened. Peter and Sandra each pulled on one of the doorways, just to show Lucy how absurd it was, when their was outside creeping in through the doorway, just as if nothing had happened. There was a peak of green from the trees, and blue from the sky, though it was almost starting to turn towards night. It was not a scene out of Earth, because no where on earth could you have a blue that was towards the middle of the day, a crimson on the westerly horizon, and a black towards the east. It was quite a strange combination, indeed.
The two older children appeared quite slowly in to it, not being sure how it happened. They were treated to a magnificent sky, filled with a umber, in the very small corners, to a rich opalescent tableau in the center. It was quite the sight, and it did not miss a beat as if every wardrobe in the world shown like this. Outside in their world, it was gray, as gray as it came. There were lights, and if you looked very closely, you can see people going about their business. No one, at least no one who would care to mention it, looked up in to the window, and saw what was there.
But the children did, and looked at everything, down to the smallest of leaves, and the great orb of the sun, which was quite a good deal larger than our own sun, but much dimmer. If this were science fiction, even high science fiction, it would mean that the sun was dimmer, which includes seven it is, but he had not thought of this I think in the first book. Which is a little strange, because the sun is a great deal smaller than the earth, and in range of least one giant to snuff it out.
On the other hand, in stories written a long time ago, they didn't even think about the sun having a range at all, or there were quiet rumblings which noted that the sun was a good deal further away than they thought possible. So the imagining of this world is from a time where people knew that sun was a good deal further away, but they wanted to pretend that it was much closer then was possible. Such is the strangers of a time which is closer than close, but once to be further away into the blurring distance.
The two older children were amazed, simply amazed, but Lucy pointed to the sun and said: “ see I told you he was inside the wardrobe, and outside in the fresh air.” which was not exactly what she said, but small children do not recognize that they have misremembered what they said.
“I don't believe it.” which Sandra said in order to believe, where as Peter would have said it and meant that he really did not believe. This is the difference between most boys and most girls, girls really want to believe, and most boys want desperately not to believe, perhaps your experience might be different from mine.
Lucy went in to the coats, grabbing a short one as she passed into the forest. Peter was next, and just barely grabbed a coat from the arms of Sandra, who then placed a coat on her self. Then they were off together with Lucy leading the way, but she was not going to Thomas' place, because she remembered that the Queen's henchmen would already have been there, which removes one part of the story that CS Lewis had. Don't get me wrong, it's very good story snippet, but it doesn't actually make sense, Lucy would have known better than to even try it.
“So where are you we going?” Asked Sandra.
“Where going to find out where Eddie went to, would be my guess.” That was Peter of course.
“Wherever he is, he's in trouble, bank on it.” Sandra said. Don't you hate this “ this person said”, “that person said”, it really is a pain, which is why I don't do it in my story arc. After a while it really claws at the edges, and yet most people do it. It must be standard practice, and they don't even think about it. But it's annoying none the less.
Anyway, they all agreed that we're ever it was that Eddie had gotten him so into, it was the worst possible situation he could have gotten into. Only they didn't know that it was that much trouble.
What they did know, was that Eddie was thrashing around, aimlessly, going this way and that. They couldn't make out all of the tracks, but they found one pair of tracks out, which must be the one he decided on in the end. Than they saw a point where he stopped, and hit behind a tree, and then walked out in two plain site.
“There is trouble.” commented Sandra.
“What kind of trouble do you think it is?”
“Look at the...” that was Lucy, and she did not know that there were reindeer, because she had not seen them, even on TV.
“It seems unlikely that they were horses, perhaps deer, though I never seen them...” and then he stopped to, because this was not on earth, nor was it in the city, and this had delivered a blow, that had only just begun to sink in to all of their heads. They want on earth, they weren't in the city, and there were no parents anywhere. It was just them, and only them. At that moment through three of them realized that they were truly alone.
“If Eddie were not missing, the could go back and pretend that none of happened.” cried Sandra. But Peter interrupted her.
“I didn't see any wardrobe behind us, it was gone. Is that how you recollect it?”
Gradually all three children began to understand that they were trapped in this other place, until whatever it is they had to do here was finished. And first stop was to get Eddie, from the hands of his captor.
They split up and moved down the trail, towards what looked like a basin that was traveled over, there were a set of tracks. Clearly, these were deer tracks, not hoof prints, Because they clearly were by bi- not mono-. I realize that bi- and mono- are definitely not at the grade level that I'm trying to achieve, but they look nice and there is no reason for them to get themselves into trouble, because they are short enough to get by. Why should they be excluded, when “by” his all right?
They stared at deer tracks, and if they had been any holder they would have divine a good number of things, but Peter was 12, and they ran down the scale, so there grasp was very good, especially in what could be call “mountainous” regions that they, as city folk, were not privy to. The were, as my grand mother would say, flummox, and modifying word that is, even though you don't hear it so often. They were jostling and nudging, and even at the verge of a fight between Peter and Sandra. They were not the most well behaved people and the world.
At this moment, Lucy put her foot down and said “Is this what we're like when no one sees as?” the older two children stopped and were both ashamed, their aunt would be very cross with them, and so they said then selfs on their best behavior. And then something caught Peter's eye - though only for an instant.
“You there, behind the tree, what are you staring at?” Explained Peter.
At first there was no movement, but then there was shivering, and over that, hemming, though that was largely under the control of whoever was behind the curtain. It was a little taller than Lucy, though shorter than Eddie, and it was coated with fur, and of course this being the part where Peter, Sandra, and Lucy discovered beavers, was of course a male beaver. He was twice as tall as an ordinary beaver, and if you really looked at him, there would be something odd. And then it was discovered what it was. He could talk.
But he didn't want to, at least not until the humans talked, because he had never seen an actual talking human before. Very few people in Narnia did. And mostly they were Queen and a few giants, and without exception, except Aslan, they were thoroughly nasty people.
“You wouldn't hurt you, we promise.” Sandra promised, and she really did mean what she said. Oh by the way, do you believe in book 7 she was a traitor? It doesn't seem right to me, why would the person betray someplace that she had spent years growing to love? Their were characters which had a great deal less to gain.
Finally the beaver piped up, and said: “Your friend is off with the queen, that is not the story that we tell here. There have to be four, no more, no less. I suppose me and Ma Beaver will have to rescue you, because there isn't anyone else.” Papa Beaver was very matter of fact, much more so than CS Lewis would have liked.
“You would like to come with you.” said Peter. The girls both nodded in ascent.
“You do realize that Aslan will want to see you.” Explained the beaver, “ and he may be rough in his aspect.”
“Who is Aslan?” Queried Sandra.
“He is son of The King Over the Water.” This was the beaver talking, obviously.
“You're monarchy, how quaint.” Sandra replied.
“What other kind of system to you have?” Asked the beaver.
All three of them decided not to get into this, partially because it would be obvious which country they came from, where as this way, that isn't a problem.
“It doesn't matter, since, the moment, we are in... exact which country are we in any way?” Peter queried.
“Why, Narnia of course.” The beaver almost wrinkled his forehand as if anyone would know which country they are in.
“Then we are going to do things the Narnian way. So can we speak to the King Over the Water, or do we have to rely on Aslan?” Replied Peter.
“I have never heard of anyone talking directly to the King Over the Water, and I doubt it's ever been tried.” As they were talking they were also trailing behind the beaver, over hills and dales. Until finally they came to a pond which was clearly a beaver pond. “Let's go inside, you never know who might be listening.”
So they did, and we will pick up their tail in a very short while.