ON BOARD THE DAWN TREADER "AH, there you are, Lucy," said Caspian. "We were just waiting for you. This is my captain, the Lord Drinian.」
A dark-haired ma down on one knee and kissed her hand. The only others present were Reepicheep and Edmund.
"Where is Eustace?" asked Lucy.
"In bed," said Edmund, "and I dont think we do anything for him. It only makes him worse if you try to be o him.」
"Meanwhile," said Caspian, "we want to talk.」
"By Jove, we do," said Edmund. "And first, about time. Its a year ago by our time since we left you just before your ation. How long has it been in Narnia?」
"Exactly three years," said Caspian.
"All going well?" asked Edmund.
"You dont suppose Id have left my kingdom and put to sea unless all was well,」
answered the King. "It couldter. Theres no trouble at all now between Telmarines, Dwarfs, Talkis, Fauns and the rest. And we gave those troublesome giants on the frontier such a good beating last summer that they pay us tribute now. And I had an excellent person to leave as Regent while Im away Trumpkin, the Dwarf. You remember him?」
"Dear Trumpkin," said Lucy, "of course I do. You couldnt have made a better choice.」
"Loyal as a badger, Maam, and valiant as - as a Mouse," said Drinian. He had been going to say "as a lion" but had noticed Reepicheeps eyes fixed on him.
"And where are we heading for?" asked Edmund.
"Well," said Caspian, "thats rather a long story. Perhaps you remember that when I was a child my usurping uncle Miraz got rid of seven friends of my fathers (who might have taken my part) by sending them off to explore the unknowern Seas beyond the Lone Islands.」
"Yes," said Lucy, "and none of them ever came back.」
"Right. Well, on, my ation day, with Aslans approval, I swore an oath that, if once I established pea Narnia, I would sail east myself for a year and a day to find my fathers friends or to learn of their deaths and avehem if I could. These were their names - the Lord Revilian, the Lord Bern, the Lord Argoz, the Lord Mavramorn, the Lord Octesian, the Lord Restimar, and - oh, that other one whos so hard to remember.」
"The Lord Rhoop, Sire," said Drinian.
"Rhoop, Rhoop, of course," said Caspian. "That is my main iion. But Reepicheep here has an even higher hope." Everyones eyes turo the Mouse.
"As high as my spirit," it said. "Though perhaps as small as my stature. Why should we not e to the very eastern end of the world? And what might we find there? I expect to find Aslans own try. It is always from the east, across the sea, that the great Lion es to us.」
"I say, that is an idea," said Edmund in an awed voice.
"But do you think," said Lucy, "Aslans try would be that sort of try - I mean, the sort you could ever sail to?」
"I do not know, Madam," said Reepicheep. "But there is this. When I was in my cradle, a wood woman, a Dryad, spoke this verse over me: "Where sky and water meet, Where the waves grow sweet, Doubt not, Reepicheep, To find all you seek, There is the utter East.
"I do not know what it means. But the spell of it has been on me all my life.」
After a short silence Lucy asked, "And where are we noian?」
"The Captain tell you better than I," said Caspian, so Drinian got out his chart and spread it oable.
"Thats our position," he said, laying his finger on it. "Or was at noon today. We had a fair win