The_Complete_Chronicles_of_Narnia_(volumes_1-7,_in_order_of_publication)

"Yes," said Glimfeather, "I think, very likely, he would. But the King's away. And
Trumpkin will stick to the rules. He's as true as steel, but he's deaf as a post and very
peppery. You could never make him see that this might be the time for making an
exception to the rule."
"You might think he'd take some notice of us, because we're owls and everyone knows
how wise owls are," said someone else. "But he's so old now he'd only say, `You're a
mere chick. I remember you when you were an egg. Don't come trying to teach me, Sir.
Crabs and crumpets!'"
This owl imitated Trumpkin's voice rather well, and there were sounds of owlish laughter
all round. The children began to see that the Narnians all felt about Trumpkin as people
feel at school about some crusty teacher, whom everyone is a little afraid of and everyone
makes fun of and nobody really dislikes.
"How long is the King going to be away?" asked Scrubb.
"If only we knew!" said Glimfeather. "You see, there has been a rumour lately that Aslan
himself has been seen in the islands - in Terebinthia, I think it was. And the King said he
would make one more attempt before he died to see Aslan face to face again, and ask his
advice about who is to be King after him. But we're all afraid that, if he doesn't meet
Aslan in Terebinthia, he'll go on east, to Seven Isles and Lone Islands - and on and on. He
never talks about it, but we all know he has never forgotten that voyage to the world's
end. I'm sure in his heart of hearts he wants to go there again."
"Then there's no good waiting for him to come back?" said Jill.
"No, no good," said the Owl. "Oh, what a to-do! If only you two had known and spoken
to him at once! He'd have arranged everything - probably given you an army to go with
you in search of the Prince."
Jill kept quiet at this and hoped Scrubb would be sporting enough not to tell all the owls
why this hadn't happened. He was, or very nearly. That is, he only muttered under his
breath, "Well, it wasn't my fault," before saying out loud:
"Very well. We'll have to manage without it. But there's just one thing more I want to
know. If this owls' parliament, as you call it, is all fair and above board and means no
mischief, why does it have to be so jolly secret- meeting in a ruin in dead of night, and all
that?"
"Tu-whoo! Tu-whoo!" hooted several owls. "Where should we meet? When would
anyone meet except at night?"
"You see," explained Glimfeather, "most of the creatures in Narnia have such unnatural
habits. They do things by day, in broad blazing sunlight (ugh!) when everyone ought to