The Voyage of the Dawn Tread

SPIAN D

ything be as trim and scoured as if it were the morning of the first battle in a great war between noble kings with all the world looking on." This was done; and then in

e crowd broke out into hurrahs and shouts of, "Narnia! Narnia! Long live the King." At the same moment - and this was also due to Bern's messengers - bells began ringing from many parts of the town. Then Caspian caused his banner to be advanced and

disturbance there was the less likely they would be to have any school that morning. And then all the old women put their heads out of doors and windows and began chattering and cheering because it was a king, and what is a governor compared with that? And all the young women joined in for the same reason and also because Caspian and D

was done in a slovenly, slouching manner. Only the little postern opened, and out came a tousled fellow with a dirty old hat on his head instead of a helmet, and a rusty old pike in his hand. He blinked at the flashin

Lord Bern, and dealt him a rap with his gauntlet

f the gate wide open. Then the King and his followers strode into the courtyard. Here a number of the governor's guards were lounging about and several more (they were mostly wiping their mouths) came tumbling out of various

he captain?

ean," said a languid and rather dandified

t were not for that, I should have something to say about the state of your men's armour and weapons. As it is, you are pardoned. Command a cask of wine to be opened that, your men

erstood about the cask of wine even if they understood nothing else, joined in. Caspian then ordered most

bilious-looking man with hair that had once been red and was now mostly grey. He glanced up as the strangers entered and then looke

here it rolled over, scattering a cascade of letters, dossiers, ink-pots, pens, sealing-wax and documents. Then, not roughly but as firmly as if their hands were pincers of s

pas, "you have not given us quite the welc

"Nothing in the minutes. We have not been notified of any s

are two points especially on which I require an explanation. Firstly I find no record that the tribut

"If anyone moves that a commission of enquiry be set up to report on the fin

, "that if the tribute is not delivered the whole debt has to be p

s quite out of the question," he said. "It is an econo

ght. But he had seen a ship of war sail down the straits yesterday and seen it signalling, as he supposed, to its consorts. He had not then known it was the King's ship for there was not wind enough to spread the flag out and make the golden lion visible, so he had waited furth

d this abominable and unnatural traffic in slaves to grow up he

tial part of the economic development of the islands, I a

have you

Calormen mostly; and we have other mark

d them. Tell me what purpose they serve except

fatherly smile, "hardly make it possible that you should understand th

iency. And I do not see that it brings into the islands meat or bread or beer or wine or timber or cabbages or books or

back," gasped the governor. "Have you

said Caspian. "We call it `Going Ba

sibility for any such

g, Bern was kneeling with his hands between the King's hands and taking the oath to govern the Lone Islands in accordance with the old customs, r

debt for the tribute. But before noon tomorrow you and yours

retaries, "but suppose all you gentlemen stop playacting and

the rest of the rabble will leave without a flogg

Drinian and a few others, rode out into the town and made for the slave market. It was a long low building near the harbour and the scene which they found

head. Good, brawny fellow. Take off his shirt, Tacks, and let the gentlemen see. There's muscle for you! Look at the chest on him. Ten crescents from the gentleman in t

he saw the mail-clad figures wh

ses jingling and stamping outside and many had heard some rumour of the landing and the events

d Caspian. "But your ignorance is pardoned. The slave trade was forbidden in all

he cheering of the slaves and

entleman?" said Pug with an ingratiating s

parted to let the three of them out and there was great handclasping and greeting between them and Caspian. Two merchants of Calormen at once approached. The Calormen have dark faces and long beards. They wear flowing robes and orange-coloured turbans, and they are a wise, wea

a slave today must have his money back. Pug, bring out your takin

jesty mean to begg

Caspian, "and if you are beggared, it is better to b

ket in all my born days. Priced him at five crescents in the end and even so nobody'd have him. Threw him in free w

re galling to be a sort of utility slave whom no one will buy. He walked up to Caspian and said, "I see. As usual. Been enjoying yo

now they were preparing to leave all known lands and seas behind them and the fullest preparations had to be made. The Dawn Treader was emptied and drawn on land by eight horses over rollers and every bit of her was gone over by the most skilled shipwright

he heard in return. But those who seemed the most truthful could tell of no lands beyond the Lone Islands, and many thought that if you sailed too far east you would come into the surges of a sea without lands that swirled perpetually round the rim of the world - "And that, I reckon, is where your Majesty's friends went to the bottom." The rest ha

often been up here of a morning," said the Duke, "ands seen the sun come up out of the sea, and sometimes it looked as if it were only a couple of miles away. And I've wondered about my friends and wondered what there really is behind that horizon.

" said Caspian. "And anyway, w