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CHAPTER ONE THE PICTURE IN THE BEDROOM（第2页）

“Whydoyoulikeit?”saidEustacetoLucy。

“Well，forohing，”saidLucy，“Ilikeitbecausetheshiplooksasifitwasreallymoving。Aerlooksasifitwasreallywet。Andthewaveslookasiftheywerereallygoingupanddown。”

OfcourseEustaewlotsofahis，buthedidn'tsayanything。Thereasonwasthatatthatverymomenthelookedatthewavesandsawthattheydidlookverymudeedasiftheyweregoingupanddown。Hehadonlyonaship（andthenonlyasfarastheIsleofWight）andhadbeenhorriblyseasick。Thelookofthewavesiuremadehimfeelsi。Heturhergreeherlook。Ahreewerestaringwithopenmouths。

Whattheywereseeiobelievewheinprint，butitwasalmostashardtobelievewhenyousaehiureweremoving。Itdidn'tlookatalllikeaemaeither;thecolorsweretoorealanddout-of-doorsforthat。Dowheprowoftheshipintotheweshockofspray。Athewavebehindher，aernandherdeckbecamevisibleforthefirsttime，andtheheomeetherandherbowswentupagain。AtthesamemomentanexercisebookwhichhadbeenlyingbesideEdmundonthebedflapped，roseahroughtheairtothewallbehindhim，aallherhairwhippingroundherfaceasitdoesonawindyday。Andthiswasawindyday;buttheingoutofthepi。Ahthewiheheswishiheslapainsttheship'ssidesandthegandthehsteadyroarofairawasthesmell，thewild，brinysmell，whichreallycedLucythatshewasn。

“Stopit，”cameEustace'svoice，squeakywithfrighta'ssomesillytricky。Stopit。I'lltellAlberta—Ow!”

&woweremuchmoreaedtoadve，justexactlyasEustacesaid“Ow，”theybothsaid“Ow”too。Thereasonwasthatagreatcold，saltsplashhadbrhtoutoftheframeahlessfromthesmackofit，besidesbeihrough。

“I'llsmashtherottenthiadthehihesametime。Eustacerushedtoicture。Edmund，whokhingaboutmagigafterhim，warninghimtolookoutandnottobeafool。Lucygrabbedathimfromtheothersideandwasdraggedforward。Andbythistimeeithertheyhadgrownmuchsmallerorthepicturehadgrowacejumpedtotrytopullitoffthewallandfouandingontheframe;infrontofhimwasnotglassbutrealsea，andwindandwavesrushinguptotheframeastheymighttoarock。Helosthisheadaheothertedupbesidehim。Therewasasedandshouting，andjustastheythoughttheyhadgottheirbalabluereduprouthemofftheirfeet，ahemdowniace'sdespairinglyehewatergotintohismouth。

Lukedherstarsthatshehadworkedhardatherswimminglastsummerterm。Itistruethatshewouldhavegotoerifshehadusedaslowerstroke，andalsothatthewaterfeltagreatdealcolderthanithadlookedwhileiticture。Still，shekeptherheadandkickedhershoesoff，aseveryoodowhofallsierihes。Sheevehshutaheywerestillquiteheship;shesawitsgreehabovethem，andpeoplelookihede，asohaveexpected，Eustaceclutchedatherinapanitheybothwent。

&heycameupagainshesawawhitefiguredivingofftheship'sside。Edmundwasclosebesideherer，andhadcaughtthearmsofthehowlihensomeoneelse，whosefacewasvaguelyfamiliar，slippedanarmuheotherside。Therewasalotofshoutinggoingonfromtheship，headsgtogetherabovethebulesbeingthrown。Edmuraeningropesrouerthatfollowedwhatseemedaverylongdelayduringwhichherfacegotblueahbegang。Ihedelaywasn;theywerewaitingtillthemomentwhenshecouldbegotonboardtheshipwithoutbeiitsside。Evenwithalltheirbestendeavoursshehadabruisedkneewhenshefinallystandshivering，oerherEdmund，ahemiserableEustaethestranger—agolden-headedboysomeyearsolderthanherself。

“Ca—!”gaspedLuasshehadbreathenough。Foritian，theboykingofNarniawhomtheyhadhelpedtosetohrtheirlastvisit。ImmediatelyEdmundreizedhimtoo。Allthreeshookhandsandeahebackwithgreatdelight。

“Butwhoisyourfriend?”saidalmostattoEustacewithhischeerfulsmile。ButEustacewasgmuchharderthananyboyofhisagehasarighttoothihainghashappeohim，andwouldo，“Letmego。Letmegoba'tlikeit。”

&yougo?”said。“Butwhere?”

&acerushedtotheship'sside，asifheexpectedtoseethepictureframehangihesea，andperhapsaglimpseofLucy'sbedroom。Whathesaavesfleckedalerbluesky，bwithoutabreaktothehorizon。Perhapswehardlyblamehimifhisheartsank。Hetlysick。

“Hey!Rynelf，”saidtoohesailspiefortheirMajesties。You'llowarmyouafterthatdip。”HecalledEdmundandLucytheirMajestiesbecausetheyaerandSusanhadallbeenKingsandQueensbeforehistime。Narniantimeflowsdifferentlyfromours。IfyouspentahundredyearsinNarnia，youwouldstillebacktoourworldattheverysamehouroftheverysamedayonwhichyouleft。Andthen，ifyouwentbaiaafterspendingaweekhere，youmightfindthatathousandNarnianyearshadpassed，oronlyaday，orall。Youillyougetthere。tly，whenthePevensiehadreturoNarnialasttimefortheirsedvisit，itwas（fortheNarnians）asifKingArthurcamebacktoBritain，assomepeoplesayhewill。AndIsaythesooer。

&urhespiesteaminginaflagonandfoursilvercups。Itanted，andasLudEdmuheycouldfeelthewarmthghtdowoes。ButEustacemadefadsplutteredandspatitoutandwassiaaiheyhadn'tanyPlumptree'sVitaminizedNerveFoodandcoulditbemadewithdistilledwaterandaedoashoreattheion。

“Thisisamerryshipmateyou&#htus，Brother，”whisperedundwithachuckle;butbeforehecouldsayanythiaceburstoutagain。

“Oh!Ugh!Whatoh'sthat!Takeitaway，theh。”

Hereallyhadsomeexcusethistimefalittlesurprised。Somethingverydeedhadeoutofthethepoopandwasslthem。Youmightdiwas—aMouse。ButthenitwasaMouseonitshioodabouttwofeethigh。AthinbandofgoldpassedrounditsheadunderoneearaherandinthiswasstusoheMouse'sfurwasverydark，almostblack，theeffectwasboldandstriking。）Itsleftpawrestedoofaswordverynearlyaslongasitstail。Itsbalapacedgravelyalongtheswayingdeck，erfeditsmaly。LudEdmundreizeditatonceReepicheep，themostvaliantofalltheTalkisofNarnia，andtheChiefMouse。IthadwonundyinggloryileofBeruna。Luged，asshehadalwaysdoakeReepicheepupinherarmsathis，assheasapleasuresheeverhave:itwouldhaveoffendedhimdeeply。Instead，shewentdowotalktohim。

Reepicheepputforwardhisleftleg，drewbackhisright，bowed，kissedherhand，straightewirledhiswhiskers，andsaidinhisshrill，pipingvoice:“MyhumbledutytoyourMajesty。AndtoKioo。”（Herehebowedagain。）“yourMajesties'presencewaslagtothisgloriousventure。”

“Ugh，takeitaway，”wailedEustace。“IhatemidInevercouldbearperfanimals。They'resillyandvulgaraal。”

“AmItouand，”saidReepicheeptoLucyafteraloace，“thatthissingularlydiscourteouspersonisunderyourMajesty'sprote?Because，ifnot—”

AtthismomentLudEdmundbothsneezed。

“WhatafoolIamtokeepyouallstandinghereihings，”said。“eonbelowaged。I'llgiveyoumyofcourse，Lucy，butI'mafraidwehavenowomen'sboard。You'llhavetomakedowithsomeofmiheicheep，likeagoodfellow。”

“Totheceofalady，”saidReepicheep，“eveioniveway—atleastforthemoment—”andherehelookedveryhardatEustace。ButhustledthemonaesLudherselfpassingthroughthedooriern。Shefelliatohreesquarewindowsthatlookedoutontheblue，swirliern，thelowedbehreesidesofthetable，theswingingsilverlampoverhead（Dwarfs'work，shekosexquisitedelidtheflatgoldimageofAslantheLionontheforwardwallabovethedoor。Allthisshetookininaflash，forimmediatelyopenedadooroarboardside，andsaid，“This'llbeyourroom，Lucy。I'lljustgetssformyself—”hewasrummagihelockerswhilehespoke—“aoge。Ifyou'llflihingsoutsidethedoorI'llgetthemtakeobedried。”

Ludherselfasmueasifshehadbeenin'sforweeks，aionoftheshipdidnotworryher，forintheolddayswhenshehadbeenaqueeninNarniashehaddoneagooddealofvoyaging。Thewasverytinybutbrightanels（allbirdsasanddragonsandvines）andspotlessly。'sclforher，butsheanage。Hisshoes，sandalsaswerehopelesslybigbutshedidnotmindgoionboardship。Whenshehadfinisheddressingshelookedoutofheraterrushingpastandtookaloh。Shefeltquitesuretheywereinforalovelytime。