Helena Pevensie (Caspian Love Story)

6. The Door

It was a dull Autumn day and Jill Pole was crying behind the gym. She was crying because They had been bullying her and unfortunately Madam Pevensie had not been either in her classroom or the dance room and Jill did not know which of the staff rooms belonged to her. She could have asked Eustace, she supposed, but she had not had any idea where to look for him. She needn't have worried, however, because the next moment there was a faint whistling and Eustace himself turned the corner and nearly ran into her.

"Can't you look where you're going?" Jill snapped through her tears.

"All right, you needn't start," he began irritably before he saw her face. Changing his tone he said, "I say Pole, what's up?" Jill's face scrunched up as she tried to control herself enough to ask him where Madam Pevensie was, but she knew that if she spoke she would only start crying again. "It's Them, I suppose," Eustace said. "As usual." Jill nodded.

"Now look here, there's no good us all-" Eustace began. He had been going to say that there was no good in crying about something that wouldn't change and that perhaps they should go find Helena, but his tone unfortunately had sounded to Jill much like someone beginning a lecture.

Instantly, she flew into a temper and cried, "Oh, go away and mind your own business. Nobody asked you to come barging in, did they? And you're a nice person to start telling us what we all ought to do, aren't you? I suppose you mean we ought to spend all our time sucking up to Them, and curing favour, and dancing attendance on Them like you do."

"Oh, Lor!" Eustace said, sinking down onto the grassy part of the shrubbery before jumping back up again as it was very wet. "Pole, is that fair? Have I been doing anything of the sort this term? Didn't I stand up to Carter about the rabbit? Haven't I stood up for Hel- Madam Pevensie? And didn't I keep the secret about Spivvens - under torture too? And didn't I-"

"I don't know and I don't care," Jill sobbed. Eustace realized she wasn't quite herself yet and reached into his pocket for the container of peppermints he always kept there and offered her one. Jill took it and Eustace took another. They sat in silence for a time, each sucking on their peppermints. Although both spent a lot of time with Helena, neither had spoken to one another much as Eustace was always with his cousin and Jill would sit reading.

Once Jill had calmed down, however, she said, "I'm sorry, Scrubb. I wasn't fair. You have done all that...this term."

"Then wash out last term if you can," said Eustace awkwardly. "I was a different chap then. I was - gosh! What a little tick I was."

"Well, honestly, you were," Jill said with a small laugh.

"You think there's been a change then?" Eustace said, looking over at her.

"It's not only me," Jill said. "Everyone's been saying so. They've noticed. Eleanor Blakiston heard Adela Pennyfather talking about it in our changing room yesterday. She said, 'Someone's got hold of that Scrubb kid. He's quite unmanageable this term. We shall have to attend to him next.'" Eustace shuttered. Everyone at Experiment House knew what it was like being attended to by Them. "Why were you so different last term?"

"A lot of queer things happened to me in the hols," Eustace replied vaguely.

"What sort of things?" Jill asked. Eustace considered a moment before finally, he explained in as simple terms as he could how he had been to Narnia. Jill, although hesitant at first, couldn't help but believe him. "But after all what's the good?" Jill said sadly. "We're not there. We're here. And we jolly well can't get there. Or can we?"

"That's what I've been wondering," Eustace admitted. "Helena could jolly well use an adventure."

"Helena?" Jill repeated.

"Madam Pevensie," Eustace explained. "Sorry, she's just always been Helena to me." Jill dismissed his comment with a wave of the hand as her mind went back to trying to figure out how they could get to Narnia.

.

Helena was sitting in her classroom grading a test she had given out when suddenly she heard a voice clearly in her head. Seek out Eustace. Ignoring the oddity of the request, Helena obeyed for she had recognized that voice as the voice of the Great Lion, Aslan.

.

Eustace and Jill were standing now and only just beginning to call upon Aslan when a voice from the other side of the gym suddenly shouted, "Pole? Yes, I know where she is. She's blubbing behind the gym. Shall I fetch her out?" Helena, who had just rounded the corner, heard this and instantly, Helena, Eustace, and Jill glanced at each other before all three dove under the laurels before them and scrambled up the high, earthy slope. Helena could not afterwards explain what possessed her to dive with them. Perhaps it was fear of being subjected to the things they would say about her again.

They scrambled for about a minute before stopping to listen. They were being followed. As they began again, Eustace said, "If only the door was open again." Jill nodded. The shrubbery was surrounded by a high stone wall and in this wall was a door that had at some point been found unlocked. "I say," Eustace said. "You don't have your keys do you, Helena?"

"I can't say I do," she admitted regretfully. "I left them on my desk." They had by now reached the wall and the door which was unfortunately still shut.

"It's sure to be no good," Eustace lamented, putting his hand on the handle. "Oh, by gum!" he cried for the handle had turned and the door opened. Instead of the grey, glum moor that they should have seen, there was an instant blaze of sunshine that hit them right in the face. The grass on the other side was brighter than jewels and the sky was a most beautiful shade of blue. All three couldn't help but feel frightened.

"Come on," Eustace said breathlessly.

"Is it safe?" Jill asked. "Can we get back?"

But before either could answer, a squeaking, nasty voice called, "Now then, Pole. Everyone knows you're there. Down you come."

"Quick," Helena called, grabbing one of Jill's hands and one of Eustace's. Then, she and Eustace ran forward, pulling Jill along with them.