THE HIGH KING IN AND "Now," said Peter, as they fiheir meal, "Aslan and the girls (thats Queen Susan and Queen Lucy, Caspian) are somewhere close. We dont know when he will act. In his time, no doubt, not ours. In the meantime he would like us to do what we on our own.
You say, Caspian, we are not strong enough to meet Miraz in pitched battle?」
"Im afraid not, High King," said Caspian. He was likier very much, but was rather toied. It was much stranger for him to meet the great Kings out of the old stories than it was for them to meet him.
"Very well, then," said Peter, "Ill send him a challeo single bat." No one had thought of this before.
"Please," said Caspian, "could it not be me? I want to avenge my father.」
"Youre wounded," said Peter. "And anyway, wouldnt he just laugh at a challenge from you? I mean, we have seen that you are a king and a warrior but he thinks of you as a kid.」
"But, Sire," said the Badger, who sat very close to Peter and ook his eyes off him.
"Will he accept a . challenge even from you? He knows he has the stronger . army.」
"Very likely he wont," said Peter, "but theres always the ce. And even if he doesnt, we shall spend the best part of the day sending heralds to and fro and all that. By then Aslan may have done something. And at least I ihe army and strehe position. I will send the challenge. In fact I will write it at once. Have you pen and ink, Master Doctor?」
"A scholar is never without them, your Majesty," answered Doctor elius.
"Very well, I will dictate," said Peter. And while the Doctor spread out a part and opened his ink-horn and sharpened his peer leant back with half- closed eyes and recalled to his mind the language in which he had written such things long ago in Narnias golden age.
"Right," he said at last. "And now, if you are ready, Doctor?」
Doctor elius dipped his pen and waited. Peter dictated as follows: "Peter, by the gift of Aslan, by ele, by prescription, and by quest, High King over all Kings in Narnia, Emperor of the Lone Islands and Lord of Cair Paravel, Knight of the Most Noble Order of the Lion, to Miraz, Son of Caspian the Eighth, sometime Lord Protector of Narnia and now styling himself King of Narnia, Greeting. Have you got that?」
"Narnia, a, greeting," muttered the Doctor. "Yes, Sire.」
"Then begin a new paragraph," said Peter. "For to prevent the effusion of blood, and for the avoiding all other inveniences likely to grow from the wars now levied in our realm of Narnia, it is our pleasure to adventure our royal person on behalf of our trusty and well-beloved Caspian in wager of battle to prove upon your Lordships body that the said Caspian is lawful King under us in Narnia both by ift and by the laws of the Telmarines, and your Lordship twice guilty of treachery both in withholding the dominion of Narnia from the said Caspian and in the most abhominable, - dont fet to spell it with an H, Doctor - bloody, and unnatural murder of your kindly lord and brother King Caspian Ninth of that name. Wherefore we most heartily provoke, challenge, and defy your Lordship to the said bat and monomachy, and have sent these letters by the hand of our well beloved and royal brother Edmund, sometime King under us in Narnia, Duke of Lantern Waste and t of the Western March, Knight of the Noble Order of the Table, to whom we have given full power of determining with your Lor