。 and she said： 〃oh； i do hope we can soon settle the ape and get back to those good； ordinary times。
and then i hope theyll go on for ever and ever and ever。 our world is going to have an end some day。 perhaps this one wont。 oh jewel wouldnt it be lovely if narnia just went on and on … like what you said it has been？鈥�
〃nay； sister；〃 answered jewel； 〃all worlds draw to an end； except aslans own country。鈥�
〃well； at least；〃 said jill； 〃i hope the end of this one is millions of millions of millions of years away … hallo！ what are we stopping for？鈥�
the king and eustace and the dwarf were all staring up at the sky。 jill shuddered； remembering what horrors they had seen already。 but it was nothing of that sort this time。
it was small； and looked black against the blue。
〃i dare swear；〃 said the unicorn； 〃from its flight； that it is a talking bird。鈥�
〃so think i；〃 said the king。 〃but is it a friend； or a spy of the apes？鈥�
〃to me； sire；〃 said the dwarf； 〃it has a look of far…sight the eagle。鈥�
〃ought we to hide under the trees？〃 said eustace。
〃nay；〃 said tirian； 〃best stand still as rocks。 he would see us for certain if we moved。鈥�
〃look！ he wheels； he has seen us already；〃 said jewel。 〃he is ing down in wide circles。鈥�
〃arrow on string； lady；〃 said tirian to jill。 〃but by no means shoot till i bid you。 he may be a friend。鈥�
if one had known what was going to happen next it would have been a treat to watch the grace and ease with which the huge bird glided down。 he alighted on a rocky crag a few feet from tirian； bowed his crested head； and said in his strange eagles… voice； 〃hail； king。鈥�
〃hail； farsight；〃 said tirian。 〃and since you call me king； i may well believe you are not a follower of the ape and his false aslan。 i am right glad of your ing。鈥�
〃sire；〃 said the eagle； 〃when you have heard my news you will be sorrier of my ing than of the greatest woe that ever befell you。鈥�
tirians heart seemed to stop beating at these words； but he set his teeth and said； 〃tell on。鈥�
〃two sights have i seen；〃 said farsight。 〃one was cair paravel filled with dead narnians and living calormenes： the tisrocs banner advanced upon your royal battlements： and your subjects flying from the city … this way and that； into the woods。 cair paravel was taken from the sea。 twenty great ships of calormen put in there in the dark of the night before last night。鈥�
no one could speak。
〃and the other sight； five leagues nearer than cair paravel； was roonwit the centaur lying dead with a calormene arrow in his side。 i was with him in his last hour and he gave me this message to your majesty： to remember that all worlds draw to an end and that noble death is a treasure which no one is too poor to buy。鈥�
〃so；〃 said the king； after a long silence； 〃narnia is no more。鈥�
CHAPTER NINE
灏忚txt澶╁爞
the great meeting on stable hill fop； a long time they could not speak nor even shed a tear。 then the unicorn stamped the ground with his hoof； and shook his mane； and spoke。
〃sire；〃 he said； 〃there is now no need of counsel。 we see that the apes plans were laid deeper than we dreamed of。 doubtless he has been long in secret traffic with the tisroc； and as soon as he had found the lion…skin he sent him word to make ready his navy for the taking of cair paravel and all narnia。 nothing now remains for us seven but to go back to stable hill； proclaim the truth； and take the adventure that aslan sends us。 and if； by a great marvel； we defeat those thirty calormenes who are with the ape； then to turn again and die in battle with the far greater host of them that will soon march from cair paravel。鈥�
tirian nodded。 but he turned to the children and said： 〃now； friends； it is time for you to go hence into your own world。 doubtless you have done all that you were sent to do。鈥�
〃b … but weve done nothing；〃 said jill who was shivering； not with fear exactly but because everything was so horrible。
〃nay；〃 said the king； 〃you loosed me from the tree： you glided before me like a snake last night in the wood and took puzzle： and you； eustace； killed your man。 but you are too young to share in such a bloody end as we others must meet tonight or； it may be； three days hence。 i entreat you … nay； i mand you … to return to your own place。 i should be put to shame if i let such young warriors fall in battle on my side。鈥�
〃no； no； no；〃 said jill （very white when she began speaking and then suddenly very red and then white again。） 〃we wont； i dont care what you say。 were going to stick to you whatever happens； arent we； eustace？鈥�
〃yes； but theres no need to get so worked up about it；〃 said eustace who had stuck his hands in his pockets （forgetting how very odd that looks when you are wearing a mail shirt）。 〃because； you see； we havent any choice。 whats the good of talking about our going back！ how？ weve got no magic for doing it！鈥�
this was very good sense but； at the moment； jill hated eustace for saying it。 he was fond of being dreadfully matter…of…fact when other people got excited。
when tirian realized that the two strangers could not get home （unless aslan suddenly whisked them away）； he next wanted them to go across the southern mountains into archenland where they might possibly be safe。 but they didnt know their way and there was no one to send with them。 also； as poggin said； once the calormenes had narnia they would certainly take archenland in the next week or so： the tisroc had always wanted to have these northern countries for his own。 in the end eustace and jill begged so hard that tirian said they could e with him and take their chance … or； as he much more sensibly called it； 〃the adventure that aslan would send them〃。
the kings first idea was that they should not go back to stable hill … they were sick of the very name of it by now till after dark。 but the dwarf told them that if they arrived there by daylight they would probably find the place deserted； except perhaps for a calormene sentry。 the beasts were far too frightened by what the ape （and ginger） had told them about this new angry aslan … or tashlan … to go near it except when they were called together for these horrible midnight meetings。 and calormenes are never good woodsmen。 poggin thought that even by daylight they could easily get round to somewhere behind the stable without being seen。 this would be much harder to do when the night had e and the ape might be calling the beasts together and all the calormenes were on duty。 and when the meeting did begin they could leave puzzle at the back of the stable； pletely out of sight； till the moment at which they wanted to produce him。 this was obviously a good thing： for their only chance was to give the narnians a sudden surprise。
everyone agreed and the whole party set off on a new line … north…west … towards the hated hill。 the eagle sometimes flew to and fro above them； sometimes he sat perched on puzzles back。 no one … not even the king himself except in some great need … would dream of riding on a unicorn。
this time jill and eustace walked together。 they had been feeling very brave when they were begging to be allowed to e with the others； but now they didnt feel brave at all。
〃pole；〃 said eustace in a whisper。 〃i may as well tell you ive got the wind up。鈥�
〃oh youre all right； scrubb；〃 said jill。 〃you can fight。 but i … im just shaking； if you want to know the truth。鈥�
〃oh shakings nothing；〃 said eustace。 〃im feeling im going to be sick。鈥�
〃dont talk about that； for goodness sake；〃 said jill。
they went on in silence for a minute or two。
〃pole；〃 said eustace presently。
〃what？〃 said she。
〃whatll happen if we get killed here？鈥�
〃well well be dead； i suppose。鈥�
〃but i mean； what will happen in our own world？ shall we wake up and find ourselves back in that train？ or shall we just vanish and never be heard of any more？ or shall we be dead in england？鈥�
〃gosh。 i never thought of that。鈥�
〃itll be rum for peter and the others if they saw me waving out of the window and then when the train es in were nowhere to be found！ or if they found two … i mean； if were dead over there in england。鈥�
〃ugh！〃 said jill。 〃what a horrid idea。鈥�
〃it wouldnt be horrid for us；〃 said eustace。 〃we shouldnt be there。鈥�
〃i almost wish … no i dont； though；〃 said jill。
〃what were you going to say？鈥�
〃i was going to say i wished wed never e。 but i dont； i dont； i dont。 even if we are killed。 id rather be killed fighting for narnia than grow old and stupid at home and perhaps go about in a bath…chair and then die in the end just the same。鈥�
〃or be smashed up by british railways！鈥�
〃why dyou say that？鈥�
〃well when that awful jerk came … the one that seemed to throw us into narnia … i thought it was the beginning of a railway accident。 so i was jolly glad to find ourselves here instead。鈥�
while jill and eustace were talking about this； the others were discussing their plans and being less miserable。 that was because they were now thinking of what was to be done this very night and the thought of what had happened to narnia … the thought that all her glories and joys were over … was pushed away into the back part of their minds。 the moment they stopped talking it would e out and make them wretched again： but they kept on talking。 poggin was really quite cheerful about the nights work they had to do。
he was sure that the boar and the bear； and probably all the dogs would e over to their side at once。 and he couldnt believe that all the other dwarfs would stick to griffle。
and fighting by firelight and in and out among trees would be an advantage to the weaker side。 and then； if they could win tonight； need they really throw their lives away by meeting the main calormene army a few days later？
why not hide in the woods； or even up in the western waste beyond the great waterfall and live like outlaws？ and then they might gradually get stronger and stronger； for talking beasts and archenlanders would be joining them every day。 and at last theyd e out of hiding and sweep the calormenes （who would have got careless by then） out of the country and narnia would be revived。 after all； something very like that had happened in the time of king miraz！
and tirian heard all this and thought 〃but what about tash？〃 and felt in his bones that none of it was going to happen。 but he didnt say so。
when they got nearer to stable hill of course everyone became quiet。 then the real wood…work began。 from the moment at which they first saw the hill to the moment at which they all arrived at the back of the stable； it took them over two hours。 its the sort of thing one couldnt describe properly unless one wrote pages and pages about it。 the journey from each bit of cover to the next was a separate adventure； and there were very long waits in between； and several false alarms。 if you are a good scout or a good guide you will know already what it must have been like。 by about sunset they were all safe in a clump of holly trees about fifteen yards behind the stable。 they all munched some biscuit and lay down。
then came t