The Next Right Thing

12

The Giant stared at the four and asked, "What kind of creature do you call yourself?"

"I'm a Marsh-wiggle," Puddleglum replied.

"Please, sir," Jill said, gesturing to each companion as she spoke, "we are three southern children and this is Puddleglum and the Lady of the Greek Kirtle suits the king of the Gentle Giants and she sent us to you for your autumn feast. If it's convenient, that is."

The Giant laughed. "Oh, well, that's different. That is the autumn feast." He chuckled. "Well you best come into the lodge while I'm sending word to His Majesty." His smile dropped and his brow furrowed. "Blue faces. I didn't know they were that colour. I don't care for it myself, but I dare say you look quite nice to each other."

"Our faces are only blue with cold. We're not this colour really."

"Well you best come in then and get warm," the Giant said as he stood and the four followed. "Come in, come in you little shrimps." He closed the door behind them. "Well then, come on in."

They entered a room and looked around as the Giant said, "Go on, get yourselves by the fire. Get yourselves warm. That's it." He laughed as he took off his gloves. "Now then," other Giant, who had been sitting in a chair by the fire, stood, "you renew the house with this message." He whispered something and the other Giant laughed.

The other Giant walked away and the Giant who'd greeted the four at the door smiled. Cara glanced at him with a wary gaze.

Eustace and Jill stood in front of the fire and the former said, "Please, we're very hungry."

The Giant smiled and leaned down a little. "Get you a little soon enough. Don't you worry." Puddleglum and Cara moved closer to the children. "Now then, Froggy. I think you look as if you need cheering up." He pulled a flask out of a chest. "Huh. Maybe that's a bit heavy for you. A cup or a glass would drown you. I know." He took off the lid and poured the liquid into it. "Here we are."

The Giant handed the lid to Puddleglum who took it and sniffed it.

"Puddleglum," Jill whispered, causing him to look at her.

"Smells all right," Puddleglum said, taking a drink.

Eustace patted Puddleglum's waist and in turn got his hand batted at. The Giant chuckled and Cara narrowed her eyes.

"Tastes all right too," Puddleglum added as he handed the lid to Eustace. "But then it might be the first sip."

Puddleglum hopped onto a chair with a grunt before saying, "There be something nasty at the bottom I shouldn't wonder." Eustace handed the lid back to him and the Marsh-wiggle drank again.

The Giant laughed and Cara asked, "Does this amuse you?"

Puddleglum held a hand up to her before saying, "That'll be a test to see if," he pounded the air, "if I suddenly curl up or burst into flames." The Giant laughed again. "Turn into a Marsh-wiggle or a lizard, you all know not to accept anything they offer." The Giant laughed yet again as Puddleglum dropped his head.

"Why Froggy, you're a bat," the Giant commented. "Did you see him put it away?"

"Not a man," Puddleglum said. "Not a frog. A Marsh-wiggle." The Giant laughed once again.

The other Giant returned and said, "Let's go to the front at once-"

"Respectable Marsh-wiggle. Respectable. Very respectivle."

The Giant laughed before saying, "Show them the way. And as for Froggy here, I think you better carry him." Puddleglum hiccuped. "He's had a drop or two more than is good for him."

Puddleglum was picked up by the other Giant and began kicking his legs as he said, "Ah! Put me down! Put me down! Put me down!"

The other Giant left the room as Puddleglum kicked the air. Eustace, Jill and Cara followed. The Giant sat in the chair by the fireplace and poured himself a drink.

---

A door freaked open and the group entered a room to see Giants standing around a throne.

"Set the frog down," the Giant King ordered.

Puddleglum, still hiccuping, was set down and a Giant woman grimaced at the stench.

"Not a frog," Puddleglum protested. "A respectagle Marsh-diggle."

Cara let out a sigh, hoping they'd be able to leave soon. They had a task from Aslan to do and Cara intended to do it.

Jill whispered something to Eustace who replied, "I can't."

Eustace said to the Giant King, "If you please, sir, the Lady of the Green Little salutes you by us. And said you'd like to have us for your autumn feast."

"Ooh," the Giant Queen said. "What good little children."

The Giant King placed a hand over his wife's. "Quite excellent children indeed." He removed his hand and faced the front before spreading his arms. "Welcome to our Court. Give me your hand." He shook Eustace's hand, then glanced at Jill and Cara before turning to Puddleglum and asked, "What is that?"

"Respectable," Puddleglum said with a hiccup.

The Giant Queen's expression turned to one of disgust as she cried, "The horrid thing! It's alive!"

"He's all right really, Your Majesty," Eustace reassured. "You'll get to like him once you know him."

"No! Him?! That thing?" Jill fell to the ground and Cara knelt next to her. "Oh! The poor little child. Out in the snow all day." Eustace pulled Jill into his arms. "Give them food and drink and baths. Give her lollipops. Give her dolls and posets and comforts and lullabies and lovely cuddly toys."

"Oh, I'm not that little," Jill protested weakly.

"Now little girl, don't cry." She and her husband shook their heads. "Or you won't be good for anything when the feast comes."

Jill was picked up and taken away. Puddleglum was picked up as well while Eustace and Cara followed.

The Giant Queen turned to her husband. "Your two feasts. Sweet little things."

The Giant King patted his wife's hand again.

Cara tried ignoring the concerning feeling she had, but couldn't no matter how hard she tried.