The Next Right Thing

13

Jill laid in bed as a nursemaid said, "Now you've had a good dinner, a lovely hot bath, you should sleep like a trout, my poppet." She chuckled. "Yeah." She adjusted Jill's bedding. "And when you wake tomorrow, your clothes shall be washed, ironed and all laid out, with everything a sweet little girl could ever want to play with." She chuckled again.

The nursemaid took the candle and opened the door. She stood in the doorway and said, "Oh!" She made kissing noises to Jill and chuckled before leaving, closing the door behind her.

That night, Jill had a dream and saw Aslan's face.

"No!" Jill cried as she breathed heavily.

"Tell me the signs, child," Aslan instructed.

"No!"

"Tell me the signs."

Her voice was distorted as she said, "Must remember the signs. The signs. What are they?"

Jill dream-walked through the castle repeating her question about the signs.

"You know what happens if you cannot remember?" Aslan asked as the girl faced him. "Tell me."

"The signs."

"The signs; what are they?"

"Remember. Remember the signs. We won't know how to find Prince Rilian without them. We're trying to get back to our own world. We'll be stranded here." She glanced out the window then back to the lion. "Oh Aslan, please forgive me. Please forgive me. I'm so sorry. Please. Please forgive me."

"Tell me the signs."

Jill dropped to her knees. "Please. Please forgive me. Please! I'm so sorry." She held her face in her hands.

"Do you know what happens if you cannot remember-"

Jill lifted her head and said in a wavering voice, "Please. Forgive me. Please. So sorry."

"-the signs?"

"Please. So sorry. I'm trying."

"Tell me."

"Please. Please. I'll try to remember the signs. Promise. Please."

Jill continued tossing and turning before relaxing.

The next morning, Jill was in her room and Eustace, from the other side of the door, asked, "Pole, are you awake?"

"Come on in," Jill replied.

The nursemaid opened the door and chuckled as Eustace, Puddleglum and Cara entered.

"Good morning," the nursemaid chirped, holding a tray. "Here's pretty poppet's friends come to play with her." She chuckled again.

The four sat at a table and the nursemaid set down the tray as she said, "There you are, dears." She laughed, looking at Jill. "And there you are my pretty little one. No need to tell you to be good because you're such a sweet little thing. In fact, so good it almost seems-" She began crying and made her way to the door. She chuckled and waved before closing the door behind her.

Jill glanced at the others and said, "I slept and slept. I feel so much better. How about you?"

"I do," Eustace replied.

Cara nodded. "I do too."

Puddleglum held his head and groaned.

Eustace said to Jill, "But Puddleglum has a hangover. I mean a headache. Look, a window seat!" He made his way to said window seat and the others followed. "We'll be able to see right out."

Eustace climbed up, followed by Jill, then Cara, and finally Puddleglum.

As they helped Puddleglum up, Eustace said, "Come on, Puddleglum."

Puddleglum inched over and stood against an adjacent wall while the others looked out the window.

"The Ruined City," Eustace commented. Outside, they saw the words 'UNDER ME'. "We can't have done it again."

Jill glanced at Puddleglum before saying, "I dreamt Aslan came and was terribly angry with me because I hadn't remembered the signs."

Puddleglum's eyes widened at Jill's statement.

Cara placed a hand on Jill's shoulder. "Remembering can be quite difficult." Her gaze turned back to the window and her eyes widened.

"No, look!" Eustace and Cara exclaimed. "There are the words!"

"Under me," Jill said.

"Under me," Puddleglum repeated, glancing down. "What does that mean? Under me?"

Jill turned back to the window and she, Cara and Eustace continued staring at the words.

"Maybe under the words themselves?" Cara guessed.

"Perhaps," Puddleglum replied.

Cara smiled lightly and said quietly, "Thank you, Aslan."