The_Complete_Chronicles_of_Narnia_(volumes_1-7,_in_order_of_publication)

Caspian, trying not to look at anything (especially not to keep looking behind him), went
aft to Drinian.
"Drinian," he said in a very low voice. "How long did we take rowing in? - I mean
rowing to where we picked up . the stranger."
"Five minutes, perhaps," whispered Drinian. "Why?"
"Because we've been more than that already trying to get out."
Drinian's hand shook on the tiller and a line of cold sweat ran down his face. The same
idea was occurring to everyone on board. "We shall never get out, never get' out,"
moaned the rowers. "He's steering us wrong. We're going round and round in circles. We
shall never get out." The stranger, who had been lying in a huddled heap on the deck, sat
up and burst out into a horrible screaming laugh.
"Never get out!" he yelled. "That's it. Of course. We shall never get out. What a fool I
was to have thought they would let me go as easily as that. No, no, we shall never get
out."
Lucy leant her head on the edge of the fighting top and whispered, "Aslan, Aslan, if ever
you loved us at all, send us help now." The darkness did not grow any less, but she began
to feel a little - a very, very little - better. "After all, nothing has really happened to us
yet," she thought.
"Look!" cried Rynelf's voice hoarsely from the bows. There was a tiny speck of light
ahead, and while they watched a broad beam of light fell from it upon the ship. It did not
alter the surrounding darkness, but the whole ship was lit up as if by searchlight. Caspian
blinked, stared round, saw the faces of his companions all with wild, fixed expressions.
Everyone was staring in the same direction: behind everyone lay his black, sharply-edged
shadow.
Lucy looked along the beam and presently saw something in it. At first it looked like a
cross, then it looked like an aeroplane, then it looked like a kite, and at last with a
whirring of wings it was right overhead and was an albatross. It circled three times round
the mast and then perched for an instant on the crest of the gilded dragon at the prow. It
called out in a strong sweet voice what seemed to be words though no one understood
them. After that it spread its wings, rose, and began to fly slowly ahead, bearing a little to
starboard. Drinian steered after it not doubting that it offered good guidance. But no one
except Lucy knew that as it circled the mast it had whispered to her, "Courage, dear
heart," and the voice, she felt sure, was Aslan's, and with the voice a delicious smell
breathed in her face.
In a few moments the darkness turned into a greyness ahead, and then, almost before they
dared to begin hoping, they had shot out into the sunlight and were in the warm, blue
world again. And all at once everybody realized that there was nothing to be afraid of and