very clean, was very rough.
Just as the frying-pan was nicely hissing Peter and Mr Beaver came in with the fish which Mr Beaver had already opened with his knife and cleaned out in the open air. You can think how good the new-caught fish smelled while they were frying and how the hungry children longed for them to be done and how very much hungrier still they had become before Mr Beaver said, “Now we're nearly ready.” Susan drained the potatoes and then put them all back in the empty pot to dry on the side of the range while Lucy was helping Mrs Beaver to dish up the trout, so that in a very few minutes everyone was drawing up their stools (it was all three-legged stools in the Beavers' house except for Mrs Beaver's own special rockingchair beside the fire) and preparing to enjoy themselves. There was a jug of creamy milk for the children (Mr Beaver stuck to beer) and a great big lump of deep yellow butter in the middle of the table from which everyone took as much as he wanted to go with his potatoes, and all the children thought—and I agree with them—that there's nothing to beat good freshwater fish if you eat it when it has been alive half an hour ago and has come out of the pan half a minute ago. And when they had finished the fish Mrs Beaver brought unexpectedly out of the oven a great and gloriously sticky marmalade roll, steaming hot, and at the same time moved the kettle on to the fire, so that when they had finished the marmalade roll the tea was made and ready to be poured out. And when each person had got his (or her) cup of tea, each person shoved back his (or her) stool so as to be able to lean against the wall and gave a long sigh of contentment.
“And now,” said Mr Beaver, pushing away his empty beer mug and pulling his cup of tea towards him, “if you'll just wait till I've got my pipe lit up and going nicely—why, now we can get to business. It's snowing again,” he added, cocking his eye at the window. “That's all the better, because it means we shan't have any visitors; and if anyone should have been trying to follow you, why he won't find any tracks.”
CHAPTER EIGHT.
WHAT HAPPENED AFTER DINNER
“AND now,” said Lucy, “do please tell us what's happened to Mr Tumnus.”
“Ah, that's bad,” said Mr Beaver, shaking his head. “That's a very, very bad business. There's no doubt he was taken off by the police. I got that from a bird who saw it done.”
“But where's he been taken to?” asked Lucy.
“Well, they were heading northwards when they were last seen and we all know what that means.”
“No, we don't,” said Susan. Mr Beaver shook his head in a very gloomy fashion.
“I'm afraid it means they were taking him to her House,” he said.
“But what'll they do to him, Mr Beaver?” gasped Lucy.
“Well,” said Mr Beaver, “you can't exactly say for sure. But there's not many taken in there that ever comes out again. Statues. All full of statues they say it is—in the courtyard and up the stairs and in the hall. People she's turned”—(he paused and shuddered) “turned into stone.”
“But, Mr Beaver,” said Lucy, “can't we—I mean we must do something to save him. It's too dreadful and it's all on my account.”
“I don't doubt you'd save him if you could, dearie,” said Mrs Beaver, “but you've no chance of getting into that House against her will and ever coming out alive.”
“Couldn't we have some stratagem?” said Peter. “I mean couldn't we dress up as something, or pretend to be—oh, pedlars or anything—or watch till she was gone out—or—oh, hang it all, there must be some way. This Faun saved my sister at his own risk, Mr Beaver. We can't just leave him to be—to be—to have that done to him.”
“It's no good, Son of Adam,” said Mr Beaver, “no good your trying, of all people. But now that Aslan is on the move-“
“Oh, yes! Tell us about Aslan!” said several voices at once; for once again that strange feeling—like the first signs of spring, like good news, had come over them.
“Who is Aslan?” asked Susan.
“Aslan?” said Mr Beaver. “Why, don't you know? He's the King. He's the Lord of the whole wood, but not often here, you understand. Never in my time or my father's time. But the word has reached us that he has come back. He is in Narnia at this moment. He'll settle the White Queen all right. It is he, not you, that will save Mr Tumnus.”
“She won't turn him into stone too?” said Edmund.
“Lord love you, Son of Adam, what a simple thing to say!” answered Mr Beaver with a great laugh. “Turn him into stone? If she can stand on her two feet and look him in the face it'll be the most she can do and more than I expect of her. No, no. He'll put all to rights as it says in an old rhyme in these parts:
You'll understand when you see him.”
“But shall we see him?” asked Susan.
“Why, Daughter of Eve, that's what I brought you here for. I'm to lead you where you shall meet him,” said Mr Beaver.
“Is-is he a man?” asked Lucy.
“Aslan a man!” said Mr Beaver sternly. “Certainly not. I tell you he is the King of the wood and the son of the great Emperor-beyond-the-Sea. Don't you know who is the King of Beasts? Aslan is a lion—the Lion, the great Lion.”
“Ooh!” said Susan, “I'd thought he was a man. Is he—quite safe? I shall feel rather nervous about meeting a lion.”
“That you will, dearie, and no mistake,” said Mrs Beaver; “if there's anyone who can appear before Aslan without their knees knocking, they're either braver than most or else just silly.”
“Then he isn't safe?” said Lucy.
“Safe?” said Mr Beaver; “don't you hear what Mrs Beaver tells you? Who said anything about safe? 'Course he isn't safe. But he's good. He's the King, I tell you.”
“I'm longing to see him,” said Peter, “even if I do feel frightened when it comes to the point.”
“That's right, Son of Adam,” said Mr Beaver, bringing his paw down on the table with a crash that made all the cups and saucers rattle. “And so you shall. Word has been sent that you are to meet him, tomorrow if you can, at the Stone Table.'
“Where's that?” said Lucy.
“I'll show you,” said Mr Beaver. “It's down the river, a good step from here. I'll take you to it!”
“But meanwhile what about poor Mr Tumnus?” said Lucy.
“The quickest way you can help him is by going to meet Aslan,” said Mr Beaver, “once he's with us, then we can begin doing things. Not that we don't need you too. For that's another of the old rhymes:
So things must be drawing near their end now he's come and you've come. We've heard of Aslan coming into these parts before—long ago, nobody can say when. But there's never been any of your race here before.”
