The Next Right Thing

14

As Puddleglum hopped down from where he'd been standing, he said, "Ruined city. Under me." He sat on a chest.

"The second and third signs muffed," Eustace muttered. "That's the ruined city, all right." He, Jill and Cara turned away from the window. "We must have walked right over it in the snowstorm."

"It's my fault," Jill said as she glanced at Eustace. "I've given up repeating the signs. I could've been thinking about then, I could've seen it was a city." She sat between Eustace and Cara. "Even in all that snow."

Cara glanced at Jill. "We were all hungry, tired, and unpleasantly irritable."

Without looking at them, Puddleglum said, "I'm worse. I did see; or partly. I had a feeling we ought to stop."

"The truth is," Eustace began, "we were so keen on getting to this place ever since we met that woman with Black Knight. I'd nearly forgotten about Prince Rilian."

"I shouldn't wonder. If that isn't exactly what she intended."

Cara shuddered. "I fear you may be right, Puddleglum."

"What I don't understand is how could we miss anything as big and clear as those letters?" Jill asked.

Eustace was silent for a moment before he turned to his friend and said, "We didn't. You fell into it. Into the 'e' of 'me'. That was the trench with its three side passages."

Puddleglum stood before saying, "It's clear." He faced the others. "That the green lady - making you think of hot food and hot water - was to make you forget about everything else."

Jill glanced down, then back up. "Aslan was right to be angry with me. I should have remembered the signs." Her voice dropped to a whisper. "What are they?" She said in a louder, more desperate tone, "What are they?"

Cara pulled her friend into a hug and Jill relaxed slightly in her embrace. She soon let go and Jill smiled gratefully.

"Hang on," Eustace stated as he looked at Jill before closing his eyes a moment. He opened them and faced forward. "You told them to me. I ought to be able to remember them." He closed his eyes again. "The first... Journey north." He opened his eyes.

"Well, we've done that," Puddleglum said.

"It's fine," Jill whispered before speaking in a louder tone. "It's my fault. It's all my fault." She shook her head slowly. "Oh, Aslan." She looked up when she heard a roar and saw Aslan's face emerging from a painting.

The four stood, looking wary as the Great Lion said, "Two. Journey north until you come to the ruined city of the Giants. Three. When you find writing on a stone, do what the writing tells you to do."

"Oh, but-" Aslan roared and disappeared. Jill, Cara and Eustace learned against the wall. "He always goes when I want to explain. Well, the writing says "under me". It doesn't make much sense."

Cara grinned. "But it does if you take it literally."

Puddleglum glanced at the Princess before turning to Jill. "Yes it does though. Cara is right." He stood and faced the others. "It means that we've got to look for Prince Rilian under that ruined city."

"But how?" Jill wondered.

"Ooh. That's another question."

Jill turned to Eustace. "Well, we should just have to back I suppose."

Puddleglum began walking away as Eustace said, "If we can see the ruined city from here, it can't be far." He hopped down, then helped Cara down.

Eustace offered Jill his hand and she accepted as she said, "Well, there no point in hanging around for it less also. Please, let's go," she hopped down, "now."

Eustace made his way to the table, followed by Cara and Jill, and grabbed the cutlery as Puddleglum went to the door. He tried and failed to teach the handle.

"Haven't you had any breakfast?" Jill asked. "Clara, have you?"

"Oh yes," Eustace replied in a bright tone.

Cara nodded. "Yes, I have."

Puddleglum turned to the others once again. "Why, we're trapped in here." He stared up at the door handle.

Eustace set down the cutlery and walked towards Puddleglum, followed by Jill and Cara.

Puddleglum lifted Eustace by the foot and the boy tried and failed to reach the handle.

"Oh, come down, Scrubb," Jill said and Eustace jumped down. "We're never going to manage it. Anyway, do you think the Giants really meant to make us prisoners?"

"Well, whatever they did or not, that's what we are," Eustace replied.

"We'll never get out of here, I shouldn't wonder," Puddleglum muttered.

"Except we don't know if we are their prisoners. It's not their fault that everything's too big for us. The important thing is, to have a strategy." Puddleglum shook his head and Eustace shot him a look. "If we do get out of here, what do we do next?"

Jill sighed as she stared at Eustace. "Can we get back to the ruins, stupid? Just a minute ago said so."

"We have to get out of Harfang first," Eustace reminded her.

Cara looked between them. "Well, then let's get out of here and find the prince as quickly as we can."