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what do you mean when you say theres no use looking for him？鈥�
〃the reason theres no use looking；〃 said mr beaver； 〃is that we know already where hes gone！〃 everyone stared in amazement。 〃dont you understand？〃 said mr beaver。 〃hes gone to her； to the white witch。 he has betrayed us all。鈥�
〃oh； surely…oh； really！〃 said susan； 〃he cant have done that。鈥�
〃cant he？〃 said mr beaver； looking very hard at the three children； and everything they wanted to say died on their lips； for each felt suddenly quite certain inside that this was exactly what edmund had done。
〃but will he know the way？〃 said peter。
〃has he been in this country before？〃 asked mr beaver。 〃has he ever been here alone？鈥�
〃yes；〃 said lucy； almost in a whisper。 〃im afraid he has。鈥�
〃and did he tell you what hed done or who hed met？鈥�
〃well； no； he didnt；〃 said lucy。
〃then mark my words；〃 said mr beaver； 〃he has already met the white witch and joined her side； and been told where she lives。 i didnt like to mention it before （he being your brother and all） but the moment i set eyes on that brother of yours i said to myself ‘treacherous。 he had the look of one who has been with the witch and eaten her food。
you can always tell them if youve lived long in narnia； something about their eyes。鈥�
〃all the same；〃 said peter in a rather choking sort of voice； 〃well still have to go and look for him。 he is our brother after all； even if he is rather a little beast。 and hes only a kid。鈥�
〃go to the witchs house？〃 said mrs beaver。 〃dont you see that the only chance of saving either him or yourselves is to keep away from her？鈥�
〃how do you mean？〃 said lucy。
〃why； all she wants is to get all four of you （shes thinking all the time of those four thrones at cair paravel）。 once you were all four inside her house her job would be done … and thered be four new statues in her collection before youd had time to speak。 but shell keep him alive as long as hes the only one shes got； because shell want to use him as a decoy； as bait to catch the rest of you with。鈥�
〃oh； can no one help us？〃 wailed lucy。
〃only aslan；〃 said mr beaver； 〃we must go on and meet him。 thats our only chance now。鈥�
〃it seems to me； my dears；〃 said mrs beaver； 〃that it is very important to know just when he slipped away。 how much he can tell her depends on how much he heard。 for instance； had we started talking of aslan before he left？ if not； then we may do very well； for she wont know that aslan has e to narnia； or that we are meeting him； and will be quite off her guard as far as that is concerned。鈥�
〃i dont remember his being here when we were talking about aslan …〃 began peter； but lucy interrupted him。
〃oh yes； he was；〃 she said miserably； 〃dont you remember； it was he who asked whether the witch couldnt turn aslan into stone too？鈥�
〃so he did； by jove；〃 said peter； 〃just the sort of thing he would say； too！鈥�
〃worse and worse；〃 said mr beaver； 〃and the next thing is this。 was he still here when i told you that the place for meeting aslan was the stone table？鈥�
and of course no one knew the answer to this question。
〃because； if he was；〃 continued mr beaver； 〃then shell simply sledge down in that direction and get between us and the stone table and catch us on our way down。 in fact we shall be cut off from aslan。 鈥�
〃but that isnt what shell do first；〃 said mrs beaver； 〃not if i know her。 the moment that edmund tells her that were all here shell set out to catch us this very night； and if hes been gone about half an hour； shell be here in about another twenty minutes。鈥�
〃youre right； mrs beaver；〃 said her husband； 〃we must all get away from here。 theres not a moment to lose。鈥�
銆�
CHAPTER NINE
澶у鐢烜灏彙〃缃�
in the witchs house and now of course you want to know what had happened to edmund。 he had eaten his share of the dinner； but he hadnt really enjoyed it because he was thinking all the time about turkish delight … and theres nothing that spoils the taste of good ordinary food half so much as the memory of bad magic food。 and he had heard the conversation； and hadnt enjoyed it much either； because he kept on thinking that the others were taking no notice of him and trying to give him the cold shoulder。 they werent； but he imagined it。
and then he had listened until mr beaver told them about aslan and until he had heard the whole arrangement for meeting aslan at the stone table。 it was then that he began very quietly to edge himself under the curtain which hung over the door。 for the mention
of aslan gave him a mysterious and horrible feeling just as it gave the others a mysterious and lovely feeling。
just as mr beaver had been repeating the rhyme about adams flesh and adams bone edmund had been very quietly turning the doorhandle； and just before mr beaver had begun telling them that the white witch wasnt really human at all but half a jinn and half a giantess； edmund had got outside into the snow and cautiously closed the door behind him。
you mustnt think that even now edmund was quite so bad that he actually wanted his brother and sisters to be turned into stone。 he did want turkish delight and to be a prince （and later a king） and to pay peter out for calling him a beast。 as for what the witch would do with the others； he didnt want her to be particularly nice to them … certainly not to put them on the same level as himself； but he managed to believe； or to pretend he believed； that she wouldnt do anything very bad to them； 〃because；〃 he said to himself； 〃all these people who say nasty things about her are her enemies and probably half of it isnt true。 she was jolly nice to me； anyway； much nicer than they are。 i expect she is the rightful queen really。 anyway； shell be better than that awful aslan！〃 at least； that was the excuse he made in his own mind for what he was doing。 it wasnt a very good excuse； however； for deep down inside him he really knew that the white witch was bad and cruel。
the first thing he realized when he got outside and found the snow falling all round him； was that he had left his coat behind in the beavers house。 and of course there was no chance of going back to get it now。 the next thing he realized was that the daylight was almost gone； for it had been nearly three oclock when they sat down to dinner and the winter days were short。 he hadnt reckoned on this； but he had to make the best of it。 so he turned up his collar and shuffled across the top of the dam （luckily it wasnt so slippery since the snow had fallen） to the far side of the river。
it was pretty bad when he reached the far side。 it was growing darker every minute and what with that and the snowflakes swirling all round him he could hardly see three feet ahead。 and then too there was no road。 he kept slipping into deep drifts of snow； and skidding on frozen puddles； and tripping over fallen tree…trunks； and sliding down steep banks； and barking his shins against rocks； till he was wet and cold and bruised all over。
the silence and the loneliness were dreadful。 in fact i really think he might have given up the whole plan and gone back and owned up and made friends with the others； if he hadnt happened to say to himself； 〃when im king of narnia the first thing i shall do will be to make some decent roads。〃 and of course that set him off thinking about being a king and all the other things he would do and this cheered him up a good deal。 he had just settled in his mind what sort of palace he would have and how many cars and all about his private cinema and where the principal railways would run and what laws he would make against beavers and dams and was putting the finishing touches to some schemes for keeping peter in his place； when the weather changed。 first the snow stopped。 then a wind sprang up and it became freezing cold。 finally； the clouds rolled
away and the moon came out。 it was a full moon and； shining on all that snow； it made everything almost as bright as day … only the shadows were rather confusing。
he would never have found his way if the moon hadnt e out by the time he got to the other river you remember he had seen （when they first arrived at the beavers） a smaller river flowing into the great one lower down。 he now reached this and turned to follow it up。 but the little valley down which it came was much steeper and rockier than the one he had just left and much overgrown with bushes； so that he could not have managed it at all in the dark。 even as it was； he got wet through for he had to stoop under branches and great loads of snow came sliding off on to his back。 and every time this happened he thought more and more how he hated peter … just as if all this had been peters fault。
but at last he came to a part where it was more level and the valley opened out。 and there； on the other side of the river； quite close to him； in the middle of a little plain between two hills； he saw what must be the white witchs house。 and the moon was shining brighter than ever。 the house was really a small castle。 it seemed to be all towers； little towers with long pointed spires on them； sharp as needles。 they looked like huge dunces caps or sorcerers caps。 and they shone in the moonlight and their long shadows looked strange on the snow。 edmund began to be afraid of the house。
but it was too late to think of turning back now。
he crossed the river on the ice and walked up to the house。 there was nothing stirring； not the slightest sound anywhere。 even his own feet made no noise on the deep newly fallen snow。 he walked on and on； past corner after corner of the house； and past turret after turret to find the door。 he had to go right round to the far side before he found it。 it was a huge arch but the great iron gates stood wide open。
edmund crept up to the arch and looked inside into the courtyard； and there he saw a sight that nearly made his heart stop beating。 just inside the gate； with the moonlight shining on it； stood an enormous lion crouched as if it was ready to spring。 and edmund stood in the shadow of the arch； afraid to go on and afraid to go back； with his knees knocking together。 he stood there so long that his teeth would have been chattering with cold even if they had not been chattering with fear。 how long this really lasted i dont know； but it seemed to edmund to last for hours。
then at last he began to wonder why the lion was standing so still … for it hadnt moved one inch since he first set eyes on it。 edmund now ventured a little nearer； still keeping in the shadow of the arch as much as he could。 he now saw from the way the lion was standing that it couldnt have been looking at him at all。 （〃but supposing it turns its head？〃 thought edmund。） in fact it was staring at something else namely a little： dwarf who stood with his back to it about four feet away。 〃aha！〃 thought edmund。 〃when it springs at the dwarf then will be my chance to escape。〃 but still the lion never moved； nor did the dwarf。 and now at last edmund remembered what the others had said about the white witch turning people into stone。 perhaps this was only a stone lion。 and as soon as he had thought of that he noticed that the lions back and the top of its head were
covered with snow。 of course it must be only a statue！ no living animal would have let itself get covered with snow。 then very slowly and with his heart beating as if it would burst； edmund ventured to go up to the lion。 even now he hardly dared to touch it； but at last he put out his hand； very quickly； and did。 it was cold stone。 he had been frightened of a mere statue！
the relief which edmund felt was so great that in spite of the cold he suddenly got warm all over right down to his toes； and at the same time there came into his head what seemed a perfectly lovely idea。 〃probably；〃 he thought； 〃this is the great lion aslan that they were all talking about。 shes caught him already and turned him into stone。 so thats the end of all their fine ideas about him！ pooh！ whos afraid of aslan？鈥�
and he stood there gloating over the stone lion； and presently he did something very silly and childish。 he took a stu