Forthefewdaysshewasverymiserable。Shecouldhavemadeitupwiththeothersquiteeasilyataifshecouldhavebroughtherselftosaythatthewholethingwasonlyastorymadeupforfun。ButLucywasaverytruthfulgirlashewasreallyi;andsheherselftosaythis。Theotherswhothoughtshewastellingalie,andasillylietoo,madeherveryunhappy。Thetwoelderohiswithoutmeaningtodoit,butEdmundcouldbespiteful,andonthisoheiteful。HesneeredaLudkeptonaskingherifshe'dfoundanyotherriesinothercupboardsalloverthehouse。Whatmadeitworsewasthatthesedaysoughttohavebeeful。Theweatherwasfiheywereoutofdoorsfrtonight,bathing,fishing,gtrees,andlyiher。ButLuotproperlyenjoyanyofit。Andsothiiltheday。
Thatday,wheheafternooillnosigheweather,theydecidedtoplayhide-and-seek。Susanwas“It”andassoohersscatteredtohide,Luwherethewardrobewas。Shedidohideinthewardrobe,becauseshekwouldoherstalkingagainaboutthewholewretess。Butshedidwanttohaveonemorelooki;forbythistimeshewasbeginningtowoherNarniaandtheFaunhadnotbeehehousewasseandplidfullofhidishethoughtshewouldhavetimetohaveoothewardrobeandthenhidesomewhereelse。Butassoonasshereacheditsheheardstepsinthepassageoutside,aherewasnothingforitbuttojumpintothewardrobeandholdthedoorclosedbehindher。Shedidnotshutitproperlybecauseshekisverysillytoshutooawardrobe,evenifitisnotamagie。
epsshehadheardwerethoseofEdmuotheroomjustioseeLuishingintothewardrobe。Heatointoithimself—notbecausehethoughtitaparticularlygoodplacetohidebutbecausehewaogoonteasiherimaginarytry。Heopeherewerethegingupasusual,ahballs,anddarknessandsilenosignofLucy。“ShethinksI'mSusachher,”saidEdmundtohimself,“andsoshe'skeepiinattheback。”Hejumpedinandshutthedwhataveryfoolishthingthisistodo。ThenhebeganfeelingaboutforLuthedark。Hehadexpectedtofindherinafewsedwasverysurprisedwhe。Hedecidedtoopenthedaii。Butheotfiher。Hedidn'tlikethisatallandbegangropingwildlyiioedout,“Lucy!Lu!Whereareyou?Iknowyou'rehere。”
Therewasnoansweraicedthathisownvoicehadacurioussound—notthesouinacupboard,butakindofopen-airsouicedthatheectedlydthenhesawalight。
“Thankgoodness,”saidEdmund,“thedoormusthaveswusownaccord。”HefotallaboutLuttht,whichhethoughtendoorofthewardrobe。Butinsteadoffindieppingoutintothespareroomhefoueppingoutfromtheshadowofsomethickdarkfirtreesintoanopehemiddleofawood。
There,drysnowunderhisfeetandmoresnowlyingonthebrahetrees。Overheadtherealebluesky,thesortofskyoneseesoerdayinthem。Straightaheadofhimhesawbetweehesun,justrising,veryredandclear。Everythilystill,asifheweretheonlyliviureinthattry。Therewasnotevenarobinthetrees,aretchedasfarashecouldseeiion。Heshivered。
HehathehadbeenlookingforLudalsohowuhehadbeeher“imaginarytry”whiowturtohavebeenimaginaryatall。Hethoughtthatshemustbesomewherequitedsoheshouted,“Lucy!Luheretoo—Edmund。”
There>
“She'sangryaboutallthethingsI'vebeensayihoughtEdmund。Andthoughhedidthathehadbeenwrong,healsodidnotmuchlikebeihisstrange,cold,quietplace;soheshoutedagain。
“Isay,Lu!I'msorryIdidn'tbelieveyou。Iseeallalong。DoakeitPax。”
Stillthere>
“Justlikeagirl,”saidEdmundtohimself,“sulkingsomewhere,andwon'taapology。”Helookedroundhimagainanddecidedhedidnotmuchlikethispladhadalmostmadeuphismindtogohome,whenheheard,veryfaroffinthewood,asoundofbells。Helistehesoundeareralasttheresweptintosightasledgedrawnbytworeindeer。
ThereihesizeofShetlaheirhairwassowhitethateventhesnowhardlylookedwhiteparedwiththem;theirbransweregildedandshohihesuhem。Theirharnesswasofscarletleatherahbells。Onthesledge,drivingthereiafatdouldhavebeenaboutthreefeethighifhehadbeenstanding。Hewasdressedinpolarbear'sfurandonhisheadheworearedhoodwithalonggoldtasselhangingdownfromitspoint;hishugebeardcoveredhiskneesandservedhiminstead。Butbehindhim,onamuchhigherseatinthemiddleofthesledgesataverydifferentpersolady,tallerthananywomanthatEdmundhadeverseen。Shealsowaswhitefuruptoherthroatandheldaloldenwahandandwoldenherhead。Herfacewaswhite—notmerelypale,butwhitelikesnoer-sugar,exceptforherveryredmouth。Itwasabeautifulfaotherrespects,butproudanddstern。
ThesledgewasafiasitcamesweepingtowardEdmundwiththebellsjinglingandthedwarfghiswhipandthesnowflyinguponeachsideofit。
“Stop!”saidtheLady,andthedulledthereindeerupsosharpthattheyalmostsatdowheyrecoveredthemselvesandstoodgtheirbitsandblowiyairthebreathingoutoftheirnostrilslookedlikesmoke。
“Andray,areyou?”saidtheLady,lookinghardatEdmund。
“I'm—I'm—myname'sEdmund,”saidEdmundratherawkwardly。Hedidhewayshelookedathim。
TheLadyfrowhathowyouaddressaQueen?”sheasked,lookihanever。
“Ibegyourpardon,yourMajesty,Ididn'tknow,”saidEdmund:
“NotknowtheQueenofNarnia?”criedshe。“Ha!Youshallkerhereafter。ButIrepeat—whatareyou?”
“Please,yourMajesty,”saidEdmund,“Idon'tknowwhatyoumean。I'matschool—atleastIwas—it'stheholidaysnow。”