The Next Right Thing

04

Glimfeather, Cara Eustace and Jill walked up to Trumpkin as the owl said, "T-whoo, t-whoo. Two strangers and the princess, my lord."

Trumpkin was getting in the carriage as he said, "Hey, what ranges? All I see is two uncommonly grubbing ankles and the princess. What do they want?"

Jill stepped forward and said, " My name's Jill."

"The girl's called Jill," Glimfeather stated.

"What?" Trumpkin asked. "The girls are all killed? Who killed him?"

Glimfeather threw a feather into the air. "Nobody's been killed."

"Who?"

"Nobody!" he yelled, throwing both feathers into the air.

"All right, all right, there's no need to shout. You think I'm deaf? And why go to all this trouble to tell me nobody's been killed?"

Cara laughed softly. "No, good sir. No one has been killed."

Eustace said in a quiet voice, "You'd better tell him I'm Eustace."

"The boy is Eustace," Glimfeather said.

"Well if he's useless, we don't want him here," Trumpkin shot back.

Eustace crossed his arms and let out a frustrated sigh before pouting.

"Eustace, Eustace!"

"Use to it? Used to what? Oh, wait a minute. Oh, I don't know. When I was a young dwarf, centaurs and badgers and I've really talked. None of this motor in a moment you get nowadays."

"I'd think it more clearly now." Glimfeather glanced back, then faced forward again. "I must be getting later." He looked up at Eustace. "Ah, don't mention the lost prince or. I'll explain later. Oh that would do it. What then? What's to do with the do-" He started walking away.

"No, no, Master Glimfeather," Trumpkin said in a louder voice as he spoke with a device to his ear, causing the owl to face him. "Do you have anything sensible to say? Take a deep breath, speak clearly and say it."

Cara gestured to Eustace and Jill. "They're from the land my dear Edmund is from."

Glimfeather nodded. "Beyond the end of the world. They've been sent here by Aslan himself."

"Sent by Aslan?" Trumpkin repeated. "For what purpose?"

"To visit the great Court of Narnia," Jill answered.

Trumpkin pulled the device away from his ear and leaned back. "Oh. Fame spreads." He stood. "Well now, my dears," he hit his head on the roof, "you're heartily welcome. If my poor master the good king had not set sail this very hour for the Seven Isles, I'm sure he would have welcomed you each too. But it would have brought back his youth too. But," he went to sit, then groaned and stood again, "I think it's supper time. Don't you? Well, my dears, you can tell me your business in Chamber tomorrow morning. Glimfeather, see that suitable bed and clothing are provided for one honored guests. Your highness, you should rest." He sat. "Oh and Glimfeather," he lowered his voice, "see that they're properly washed."

Jill's eyes widened slightly and Trumpkin hit the side of the carriage to signal to move. He rode off.

---

After bathing and changing, Jill entered her room where a servant had just made her bed.

Jill curtsied slightly and whispered, "thank you," before jumping and lying on her bed.

She heard what seemed to be a knock and sat up before saying, "Come in."

The door opened and Eustace entered, followed by Cara.

Jill said, "Oh, Eustace. Why didn't you come down to supper? It's just too scrumptious for words."

Eustace walked toward her bed. "Didn't feel like it." He leaned against one of the beds.

"Aren't you hungry?"

"I had something in my room. I wish we'd never come back to this place."

"But it's beautiful! It's hard to believe Cara is from here."

"It's terrible." He stepped away from the bed post. "I've forgotten all about Narnia time." He faced Jill. "Time here is different. However long we stay here, as soon as we go back to Earth, only a second will have gone by. We'll go back to things just the way they were."

"To those bullies. Wonderful."

"Oh, dry up. The point is, years and years, maybe 70 years have gone by here and Caspian, he was young like us and he's now an old man. He's had his whole life and I'm still a child. Even if I had recognised him, I wouldn't have known what to have said to him."

"We've missed half the first sign. Who will help us now? How will we even begin to find the lost prince?"

"Oh, shut up! Anyway, what were the other signs?"

Jill glanded away in thought. "The second one was... Oh dear." She turned back to Eustace. "I know, go to the north of Narnia." Eustace nodded. "The third one one was, uh- And the fourth was sir-"

"I'm going to bed." He briskly made his way to the door. As he held the handle, he stared at Jill and said, "Oh, you've got to remember those signs."

"I'll try. I'll concentrate. I will remember them."

Eustace, still staring at Jill, opened the door and left the room.

Cara smiled. "I know you'll get them in time. Goodnight, Jill." She left the room.

Jill laid down and said, "Two, go to the north of Narnia. Three, when you find the writing on the stone, you must do what the writing tells you to do."

She fell asleep and woke to knocking on her window. She opened her eyes to see Glimfeather.

Jill got up and ran to her window before exclaiming, "Mr. Glimfeather!" She opened the latch, then the window.

"Twue, twue. That's to do if you're an honest about finding the prince?"

"Oh, we've got to be. I don't care to get on the wrong side of that lie."

"Then you must come with me tonight. I'll go get the other human and the princess. You'd better put on something warm. I'll be back in two twues. Twue!" He turned and flew away.

As he flew toward another window, he called, "Eustace, Cara! Eustace, Cara! Wake up! Wake up!"

In her room, Jill slipped on a coat and sighed.

"Come along, come along," Glimfeather said.

Jill walked toward her window and asked, "But where's Eustace and Cara?"

"I taken them and come back for you. Now get on board."

"Get aboard what?"

"Why me, of course." He turned away so his back was facing her.

Jill stepped out of the window and onto Glimfeather's back.

Glimfeather flew them above and away from the castle and after awhile, asked, "Are you comfortable?"

"Oh, yes," Jill replied. "It's so smooth."

Glimfeather's height dropped and Jill said, "Don't do that! I nearly slid off!"

"It's all right," Glimfeather reassured. "Just nothing about it. I haven't had much supper and there's nothing more sustaining than a nice grub butt. Uh, shall I catch you one?"

"No thanks. Um, not being inquisitive, but where are we going?"

"Aha!"

"Oh, that sort of place aha. Why won't you tell me? Why is everything so secret?"

"You will know soon enough all you need to know."

"You are, you're not. For all I know, you could be kidnapping me."

"Nonsense. Me neither."

"Look out. You please, oh no! Only one thing in the whole sky and you had to go straight at it!"

She screamed as Glimfeather flew through the hole in the sky. She let out another scream.