The Next Right Thing

02

Jill ran to the edge of a cliff and Eustace and Cara ran after her as the former said, "Pole, don't do that." Jill was balancing on the edge. "Come away from the edge! Come over, come away! Come away, look you'll fall!" They grabbed her hand but she pulled away. "Come on, get away from the edge!" They grabbed her hand again but when Jill pulled away, they fell down the side of the cliff.

Jill screamed and Eustace and Cara yelled and screamed as they fell.

A lion roared and Eustace floated up to safety and away in the distance.

Jill turned to see who had done it, then slowly fell to her knees and began crying.

Eustace, meanwhile, floated through Narnia and said, "The sea."

Cara smiled. "It's as beautiful as I remember it."

Jill walked closer to the waterfall and climbed up a rock to a river.

As she moved to the water, a voice said, "If you're thirsty, come and drink." She turned to see a lion.

"Oh," Jill managed nervously. "I'm very thirsty." She held her hands in a nervous manner. "Could I- would you mind going away while I drink?" The lion stared at her. "Oh, the sound of that water's driving me frantic. Will you promise not to do anything to me if I-"

"I will make no promise."

"You mean I'm to trust you? Do you eat girls?"

The lion nodded once. "I've swallowed up girls, boys, women and men."

Jill sighed. "Oh dear." She shook her head. "And I wouldn't dare drink."

"Then you will die of thirst."

Jill glanced around. "I won't. I'll find another stream."

"There is no other stream."

"I see." She nodded. "I have to trust you."

The lion stared at her and Jill knelt to drink the water.

Once she'd taken a sip, she turned to the lion and said, "Oh, it's the purest water I've ever tasted."

"Come here," the lion told her.

Jill stood and walked toward him.

"Closer," the lion said and she did as she was told. "Human child, where are the boy and the princess?"

"But you saw," Jill realised. "They fell over the cliff and then floated away, sir."

"How did they come to do that, child?"

"They were trying to stop me from falling, sir."

"And why were you so near the edge?"

"I was showing off, sir."

"That is a very good answer. The boy's safe, as is the princess. I've blown them on the winds all the way to Narnia, but your task will be harder because of what you have done."

Jill shook her head as she said, "I didn't know I had a task here."

"The task for which I called you and the boy out of your own world."

"Ah."

"Let us go together to the pool, human child, and I will tell you what your task is to be."

Aslan transported them to the pool and said, "Far from here, is the land of Narnia. And in that land lives the ancient king Caspian. The king is sad because he has no prince of his blood to be king after him. He has nowhere because his only son was stolen from him some years ago. No one in Narnia knows where that young prince went to, or even if he is still alive. But he is alive. Now I lay on you this command. That you seek this lost prince until either you have found him or died in the attempt."

"But I wasn't noticing!" Jill protested. "I've forgotten what he looks like already! I've never even been here before! How can I-"

"I will tell you, child. These are the signs by which I will guide you in your quest. Without these signs, you can do nothing. So, remember. First, as soon as the boy Eustace and the princess Cara set foot in Narnia, he will see an old and dear friend and she will see her brother. To get help, they must greet that friend at once. Two, you must journey out of Narnia to the North overcoming all hazards until you come to the ruined of the ancient giants. Three, you shall find a writing on a stone in that ruined city and must do what the writing tells you to do. Four, if you ever find him, you will know the lost prince by this; that he will be the first person you have met in your travels who will ask you to do something in my name; in the name of Aslan."

"I see."

"Child, perhaps you do not see as well as you think. Repeat to me in order the four signs."

Jill's brow furrowed slightly. "Yes well, um, first we go North to- No. First Eustace has to recognise his old friend and Cara has to recognise her brother, then we go North and then-"

"Sit down." Jill sat. "We will say these signs over and over until you get them right. One, as soon as Eustace and Cara set foot in Narnia, he will see an old and dear friend and she will see her brother."

"As soon as the boy Eustace and the princess Cara set foot in Narnia, he will see an old and dear friend and she will see her brother."

"Very good. And you must say the four signs to yourself every day; morning and night to keep them alive in your memory. You'll know how you are to get to Narnia? As the boy Eustace and the princess Cara did."

Jill glanced to the mountain and turned back to Aslan. "But there's no hurry! If they see someone they know, they're bound to speak to them!"

"There is no time to spare. You must go."

"I made a terrible start here. I know I have. If I hadn't been showing off, Scrubb and Cara wouldn't have fallen. They'd have heard all the signs too. And then if I forgot them, they'd remember them. But now-" She glanced to the mountain sadly.

"Child," Jill turned back, "silence."

Aslan let out a quiet roar and Jill rose into the air.

As she began flying, she said, "Oh no. No! No." She gasped as she flew away. "Oh dear."

Jill flew closer to the mountain and into Narnia.