"Oh, can no one help us?" wailed Lucy.
"Safe?" said Mr Beaver; "dont you hear what Mrs Beaver tells you? Who said anything about safe? Course he isnt safe. But hes good. Hes the King, I tell you.”
"It seems to me, my dears," said Mrs Beaver, "that it is very important to know just when he slipped away. How much he can tell her depends on how much he heard. For instance, had we started talking of Aslan before he left? If not, then we may do very well, forshe wont know that Aslan has come to Narnia, or that we are meeting him, and will be quite off her guard as far as that is concerned.”
But the word has reached us that he has come back. He is in Narnia at this moment. Hell settle the White Queen all right. It is he, not you, that will save Mr Tumnus.”
"Sove I, now you come to speak of it," said her husband, "but precious few, and they were the ones least like men. But in general, take my advice, when you meet anything thats going to be human and isnt yet, or used to be human once and isnt now, or ought to be human and isnt, you keep your eyes on it and feel for your hatchet. And thats why the Witch is always on the lookout for any humans in Narnia. Shes been watching for you this many a year, and if she knew there were four of you shed be more dangerous still.”
There was a dreadful pause, and then everyone began asking "Who saw him last? How long has he been missing? Is he outside? and then all rushed to the door and looked out.
"Why, to look for Edmund, of course!”
"The reason theres no use looking," said Mr Beaver, "is that we know already where hes gone!" Everyone stared in amazement. "Dont you understand?" said Mr Beaver. "Hes gone to her, to the White Witch. He has betrayed us all.”
"Why, Daughter of Eve, thats what I brought you here for. Im to lead you where you shall meet him," said Mr Beaver.
"And did he tell you what hed done or who hed met?”
"Im longing to see him," said Peter, "even if I do feel frightened when it comes to the point.”
"Why, all she wants is to get all four of you (shes thinking all the time of those four thrones at Cair Paravel). Once you were all four inside her House her job would be done - and thered be four new statues in her collection before youd had time to speak. But shell keep him alive as long as hes the only one shes got, because shell want to use him as a decoy; as bait to catch the rest of you with.”
The snow was falling thickly and steadily, the green ice of the pool had vanished under a thick white blanket, and from where the little house stood in the centre of the dam you could hardly see either bank. Out they went, plunging well over their ankles into the soft new snow, and went round the house in every direction. "Edmund! Edmund!" they called till they were hoarse. But the silently falling snow seemed to muffle their voices and there was not even an echo in answer.
"All the same," said Peter in a rather choking sort of voice, "well still have to go and look for him. He is our brother after all, even if he is rather a little beast. And hes only a kid.”
Theres no doubt he was taken off by the police. I got that from a bird who saw it done.”
"Shed like us to believe it," said Mr Beaver, "and its on that that she bases her claim to be Queen. But shes no Daughter of Eve. She comes of your father Adams" - (here Mr Beaver bowed) "your father Adams first wife, her they called Lilith. And she was one of the Jinn. Thats what she comes from on one side. And on the other she comes of the giants. No, no, there isnt a drop of real human blood in the Witch.”
"Thats why shes bad all through, Mr Beaver," said Mrs Beaver.
What do you mean when you say theres no use looking for him?”
"Theres no point in looking for him," said Mr Beaver.
"Do?" said Mr Beaver, who was already putting on his snow-boots, "do? We must be off at once. We havent a moment to spare!”
"But wheres he been taken to?" asked Lucy.
"Oh, yes! Tell us about Aslan!" said several voices at once; for once again that strange feeling - like the first signs of spring, like good news, had come over them.
"Because, if he was," continued Mr Beaver, "then shell simply sledge down in that direction and get between us and the Stone Table and catch us on our way down. In fact we shall be cut off from Aslan. “
"What on earth are we to do, Mr Beaver?" said Peter.
"But will he know the way?" said Peter.
"Ive known good Dwarfs," said Mrs Beaver.
You can always tell them if youve lived long in Narnia; something about their eyes.”
"Is-is he a man?" asked Lucy.
"Its no good, Son of Adam," said Mr Beaver, "no good your trying, of all people. But now that Aslan is on the move-”
"But shall we see him?" asked Susan.
All the children had been attending so hard to what Mr Beaver was telling them that they had noticed nothing else for a long time. Then during the moment of silence that followed his last remark, Lucy suddenly said: "I say-wheres Edmund?”
"Oh, surely-oh, really!" said Susan, "he cant have done that.”
"Worse and worse," said Mr Beaver, "and the next thing is this. Was he still here when I told you that the place for meeting Aslan was the Stone Table?”
Youll understand when you see him.”
"Ah, thats bad," said Mr Beaver, shaking his head. "Thats a very, very bad business.
"Go to the Witchs House?" said Mrs Beaver. "Dont you see that the only chance of saving either him or yourselves is to keep away from her?”
"But meanwhile what about poor Mr Tumnus?" said Lucy.
"No, we dont," said Susan. Mr Beaver shook his head in a very gloomy fashion.
"Wheres that?" said Lucy.
"Whats that to do with it?" asked Peter.
"Oh yes, he was," she said miserably; "dont you remember, it was he who asked whether the Witch couldnt turn Aslan into stone too?”
"Search parties, Son of Adam?" said Mr Beaver; "what for?”
"What do you mean?" said Susan. "He cant be far away yet. And weve got to find him.
"She wont turn him into stone too?" said Edmund.
So things must be drawing near their end now hes come and youve come. Weve heard of Aslan coming into these parts before - long ago, nobody can say when. But theres never been any of your race here before.”
"Well, they were heading northwards when they were last seen and we all know what that means.”
"Couldnt we have some stratagem?" said Peter. "I mean couldnt we dress up as something, or pretend to be - oh, pedlars or anything - or watch till she was gone out - or- oh, hang it all, there must be some way. This Faun saved my sister at his own risk, Mr Beaver. We cant just leave him to be - to be - to have that done to him.”
"Aslan a man!" said Mr Beaver sternly. "Certainly not. I tell you he is the King of the wood and the son of the great Emperor-beyond-the-Sea. Dont you know who is the King of Beasts? Aslan is a lion - the Lion, the great Lion.”
"Cant he?" said Mr Beaver, looking very hard at the three children, and everything they wanted to say died on their lips, for each felt suddenly quite certain inside that this was exactly what Edmund had done.
"Only Aslan," said Mr Beaver, "we must go on and meet him. Thats our only chance now.”
"Wed better divide into four search parties," said Peter, "and all go in different directions. Whoever finds him must come back here at once and-”
"Youre right, Mrs Beaver," said her husband, "we must all get away from here. Theres not a moment to lose.”
"I dont doubt youd save him if you could, dearie," said Mrs Beaver, "but youve no chance of getting into that House against her will and ever coming out alive.”
"Im afraid it means they were taking him to her House," he said.
"That you will, dearie, and no mistake," said Mrs Beaver; "if theres anyone who can appear before Aslan without their knees knocking, theyre either braver than most or else just silly.”
"Then mark my words," said Mr Beaver, "he has already met the White Witch and joined her side, and been told where she lives. I didnt like to mention it before (he being your brother and all) but the moment I set eyes on that brother of yours I said to myself `Treacherous. He had the look of one who has been with the Witch and eaten her food.
"Has he been in this country before?" asked Mr Beaver. "Has he ever been here alone?”
"So he did, byJove," said Peter; "just the sort of thing he would say, too!”
"But whatll they do to him, Mr Beaver?" gasped Lucy.
"How perfectly dreadful!" said Susan as they at last came back in despair. "Oh, how I wish wed never come.”
"But, Mr Beaver," said Lucy, "cant we - I mean we must do something to save him. Its too dreadful and its all on my account.”
"I dont remember his being here when we were talking about Aslan -" began Peter, but Lucy interrupted him.
"Who is Aslan?" asked Susan.
"Then he isnt safe?" said Lucy.
"But that isnt what shell do first," said Mrs Beaver, "not if I know her. The moment that Edmund tells her that were all here shell set out to catch us this very night, and if hes been gone about half an hour, shell be here in about another twenty minutes.”
"Well," said Mr Beaver, "you cant exactly say for sure. But theres not many taken in there that ever comes out again. Statues. All full of statues they say it is - in the courtyard and up the stairs and in the hall. People shes turned" - (he paused and shuddered) "turned into stone.”
"Because of another prophecy," said Mr Beaver. "Down at Cair Paravel - thats the castle on the sea coast down at the mouth of this river which ought to be the capital of the whole country if all was as it should be - down at Cair Paravel there are four thrones and its a saying in Narnia time out of mind that when two Sons of Adam and two Daughters of Eve sit in those four thrones, then it will be the end not only of the White Witchs reign but of her life, and that is why we had to be so cautious as we came along, for if she knew about you four, your lives wouldnt be worth a shake of my whiskers!”
"Ill show you," said Mr Beaver. "Its down the river, a good step from here. Ill take you to it!”
"AND now," said Lucy, "do please tell us whats happened to Mr Tumnus.”
"Thats right, Son of Adam," said Mr Beaver, bringing his paw down on the table with a crash that made all the cups and saucers rattle. "And so you shall. Word has been sent that you are to meet him, tomorrow if you can, at the Stone Table.
"Lord love you, Son of Adam, what a simple thing to say!" answered Mr Beaver with a great laugh. "Turn him into stone? If she can stand on her two feet and look him in the face itll be the most she can do and more than I expect of her. No, no. Hell put all to rights as it says in an old rhyme in these parts: Wrong will be right, when Aslan comes in sight, At the sound of his roar, sorrows will be no more, When he bares his teeth, winter meets its death, And when he shakes his mane, we shall have spring again.
"Yes," said Lucy, almost in a whisper. "Im afraid he has.”
"Aslan?" said Mr Beaver. "Why, dont you know? Hes the King. Hes the Lord of the whole wood, but not often here, you understand. Never in my time or my fathers time.
"Ooh!" said Susan, "Id thought he was a man. Is he - quite safe? I shall feel rather nervous about meeting a lion.”
"Well, no, he didnt," said Lucy.
"How do you mean?" said Lucy.
And of course no one knew the answer to this question.
"Thats what I dont understand, Mr Beaver," said Peter, "I mean isntthe Witch herself human?”
WHAT HAPPENED AFTER DINNER
"The quickest way you can help him is by going to meet Aslan," said Mr Beaver, "once hes with us, then we can begin doing things. Not that we dont need you too. For thats another of the old rhymes: When Adams flesh and Adams bone Sits at Cair Paravel in throne, The evil time will be over and done.
"True enough, Mrs Beaver," replied he, "there may be two views about humans (meaning no offence to the present company). But theres no two views about things that look like humans and arent.”
