《The Lion, the Witch and the War》第7章

e　to　me another　day；　with　them；　you　understand。　it　is　no　good　ing　without　them。”
〃but　i　dont　even　know　the　way　back　to　my　own　country；〃　pleaded　edmund。 〃thats　easy；〃　answered　the　queen。　〃do　you　see　that　lamp？〃　she　pointed　with　her wand　and　edmund　turned　and　saw　the　same　lamp…post　under　which　lucy　had　met　the　faun。
〃straight　on；　beyond　that；　is　the　way　to　the　world　of　men。　and　now　look　the other　way…　here　she　pointed　in　the　opposite　direction　…　〃and　tell　me　if　you　can　see two　little　hills　rising　above　the　trees。”
〃i　think　i　can；〃　said　edmund。
〃well；　my　house　is　between　those　two　hills。　so　next　time　you　e　you　have only　to　find　the　lamp…post　and　look　for　those　two　hills　and　walk　through　the　wood　till you　reach　my　house。　but　remember　…　you　must　bring　the　others　with　you。　i　might　have　to be　very　angry　with　you　if　you　came　alone。”
〃ill　do　my　best；〃　said　edmund。
〃and；　by　the　way；〃　said　the　queen；　〃you　neednt　tell　them　about　me。　it would　be　fun　to　keep　it　a　secret　between　us　two；　wouldnt　it？　make　it　a　surprise　for　them。 just　bring　them　along　to　the　two　hills　…　a　clever　boy　like　you　will　easily　think　of　some excuse　for　doing　that　…　and　when　you　e　to　my　house　you　could　just　say　〃lets　see　who lives　here〃　or　something　like　that。　i　am　sure　that　would　be　best。　if　your　sister　has　met one　of　the　fauns；　she　may　have　heard　strange　stories　about　me　…　nasty　stories　that　might　make her　afraid　to　e　to　me。　fauns　will　say　anything；　you　know；　and　now　…”
〃please；　please；〃　said　edmund　suddenly；　〃please　couldnt　i　have　just　one piece　of　turkish　delight　to　eat　on　the　way　home？”
〃no；　no；〃　said　the　queen　with　a　laugh；　〃you　must　wait　till　next　time。〃 while　she　spoke；　she　signalled　to　the　dwarf　to　drive　on；　but　as　the　sledge　swept　away　out　of sight；　the　queen　waved　to　edmund；　calling　out；　〃next　time！　next　time！　dont　forget。 e　soon。”
edmund　was　still　staring　after　the　sledge　when　he　heard　someone　calling　his own　name；　and　looking　round　he　saw　lucy　ing　towards　him　from　another　part　of　the wood。
〃oh；　edmund！〃　she　cried。　〃so　youve　got　in　too！　isnt　it　wonderful；　and now…”
〃all　right；〃　said　edmund；　〃i　see　you　were　right　and　it　is　a　magic　wardrobe after　all。　ill　say　im　sorry　if　you　like。　but　where　on　earth　have　you　been　all　this　time？ ive　been　looking　for　you　everywhere。”
〃if　id　known　you　had　got　in　id　have　waited　for　you；〃　said　lucy；　who　was too　happy　and　excited　to　notice　how　snappishly　edmund　spoke　or　how　flushed　and　strange his　face　was。
〃ive　been　having　lunch　with　dear　mr　tumnus；　the　faun；　and　hes　very　well and　the　white　witch　has　done　nothing　to　him　for　letting　me　go；　so　he　thinks　she　cant have　found　out　and　perhaps　everything　is　going　to　be　all　right　after　all。”
〃the　white　witch？〃　said　edmund；　〃whos　she？”
〃she　is　a　perfectly　terrible　person；〃　said　lucy。　〃she　calls　herself　the queen　of　narnia　though　she　has　no　right　to　be　queen　at　all；　and　all　the　fauns　and　dryads and　naiads　and　dwarfs　and　animals　…　at　least　all　the　good　ones　…　simply　hate　her。　and　she can　turn　people　into　stone　and　do　all　kinds　of　horrible　things。　and　she　has　made　a magic　so　that　it　is　always　winter　in　narnia　…　always　winter；　but　it　never　gets　to　christmas。 and　she　drives　about　on　a　sledge；　drawn　by　reindeer；　with　her　wand　in　her　hand　and　a　crown on　her　head。”
edmund　was　already　feeling　unfortable　from　having　eaten　too　many　sweets； and　when　he　heard　that　the　lady　he　had　made　friends　with　was　a　dangerous　witch he　felt　even　more　unfortable。　but　he　still　wanted　to　taste　that　turkish　delight　again more　than　he　wanted　anything　else。
〃who　told　you　all　that　stuff　about　the　white　witch？〃　he　asked。
〃mr　tumnus；　the　faun；〃　said　lucy。
〃you　cant　always　believe　what　fauns　say；〃　said　edmund；　trying　to　sound　as if　he　knew　far　more　about　them　than　lucy。
〃who　said　so？〃　asked　lucy。
〃everyone　knows　it；〃　said　edmund；　〃ask　anybody　you　like。　but　its　pretty poor　sport　standing　here　in　the　snow。　lets　go　home。”
〃yes；　lets；〃　said　lucy。　〃oh；　edmund；　i　am　glad　youve　got　in　too。　the others　will　have　to　believe　in　narnia　now　that　both　of　us　have　been　there。　what　fun　it　will be！”
but　edmund　secretly　thought　that　it　would　not　be　as　good　fun　for　him　as　for her。　he　would　have　to　admit　that　lucy　had　been　right；　before　all　the　others；　and　he felt　sure　the　others　would　all　be　on　the　side　of　the　fauns　and　the　animals；　but　he　was already　more　than　half　on　the　side　of　the　witch。　he　did　not　know　what　he　would　say；　or how　he　would　keep　his　secret　once　they　were　all　talking　about　narnia。
by　this　time　they　had　walked　a　good　way。　then　suddenly　they　felt　coats around　them　instead　of　branches　and　next　moment　they　were　both　standing　outside　the wardrobe　in　the　empty　room。
〃i　say；〃　said　lucy；　〃you　do　look　awful；　edmund。　dont　you　feel　well？”
〃im　all　right；〃　said　edmund；　but　this　was　not　true。　he　was　feeling　very sick。
〃e　on　then；〃　said　lucy；　〃lets　find　the　others。　what　a　lot　we　shall　have to　tell　them！
and　what　wonderful　adventures　we　shall　have　now　that　were　all　in　it together。”
d
CHAPTER　FIVE
，
back　on　this　side　of　the　door because　the　game　of　hide…and…seek　was　still　going　on；　it　took　edmund　and lucy　some　time　to　find　the　others。　but　when　at　last　they　were　all　together　（which happened　in　the　long　room；　where　the　suit　of　armour　was）　lucy　burst　out： 〃peter！　susan！　its　all　true。　edmund　has　seen　it　too。　there　is　a　country you　can　get　to　through　the　wardrobe。　edmund　and　i　both　got　in。　we　met　one　another　in there；　in　the　wood。　go　on；　edmund；　tell　them　all　about　it。”
〃whats　all　this　about；　ed？〃　said　peter。
and　now　we　e　to　one　of　the　nastiest　things　in　this　story。　up　to　that moment　edmund　had　been　feeling　sick；　and　sulky；　and　annoyed　with　lucy　for　being　right； but　he　hadnt　made　up　his　mind　what　to　do。　when　peter　suddenly　asked　him　the　question　he decided　all　at　once　to　do　the　meanest　and　most　spiteful　thing　he　could　think　of。　he decided　to　let　lucy　down。
〃tell　us；　ed；〃　said　susan。
and　edmund　gave　a　very　superior　look　as　if　he　were　far　older　than　lucy （there　was　really　only　a　years　difference）　and　then　a　little　snigger　and　said；　〃oh；　yes； lucy　and　i　have　been　pl