THE QUEEN OF UNDERLAND TWO Earthmeered, but instead of advang into the room, they placed themselves one on each side of the door, and bowed deeply. They were followed immediately by the last person whom anyone had expected or wished to see: the Lady of the Green Kirtle, the Queen of Underland. She stood dead still in the doorway, and they could see her eyes moving as she took in the whole situation - the three strangers, the silver chair destroyed, and the Prince free, with his sword in his hand.
She turned very white; but Jill thought it was the sort of whitehat es over some peoples faot when they are frightened but when they are angry. For a moment the Witch fixed her eyes on the Prince, and there was murder ihen she seemed to ge her mind.
"Leave us," she said to the two Earthmen. "A none disturb us till I call, on pain of death." The gnomes padded away obediently, and the Witch-queen shut and locked the door.
"How now, my lord Prince," she said. "Has yhtly fit not yet e upon you, or is it over so soon? Why stand you here unbound? Who are these aliens? And is it they who have destroyed the chair which was your only safety?」
Prince Rilian shivered as she spoke to him. And no wonder: it is not easy to throw off in half an hour an entment which has made one a slave for ten years. Then, speaking with a great effort, he said: "Madam, there will be no more need of that chair. And you, who have told me a huimes how deeply you pitied me for the sorceries by which I was bound, will doubtless hear with joy that they are now ended for ever. There was, it seems, some small error in your Ladyships way of treating them. These, my true friends, have delivered me. I am now in my right mind, and there are two things I will say to you. First - as for your Ladyships design of putti the head of an army of Earthmen so that I may break out into the Overworld and there, by main force, make myself king over some nation that never did me wrong - murdering their natural lords and holding their throne as a bloody and fn tyrant - now that I know myself, I do utterly abhor and renou as plain villainy. And sed: I am the Kings son of Narnia, Rilian, the only child of Caspiah of that name, whom some call Caspian the Seafarer. Therefore, Madam, it is my purpose, as it is also my duty, to depart suddenly from yhnesss court into my own try. Please it you to grant me and my friends safe dud a guide through your dark realm.」
Now the Witch said nothing at all, but moved gently across the room, always keeping her fad eyes very steadily towards the Prince. When she had e to a little ark set in the wall not far from the fireplace, she ope, and took out first a handful of a green powder. This she threw on the fire. It did not blaze much, but a very sweet and drowsy smell came from it. And all through the versation which followed, that smell grew stronger, and filled the room, and made it harder to think. Sedly, she took out a musical instrument rather like a mandolin. She began to play it with her fingers - a steady, monotonous thrumming that you didnt notice after a few minutes. But the less you noticed it, the more it got into your brain and your blood. This also made it hard to think. After she had thrummed for a time (and the sweet smell was now strong) she began speaking in a sweet, quiet voice.
"Narnia?" she said. "Narnia? I have often heard your Lordship utter that name in your ravings. Dea