The_Complete_Chronicles_of_Narnia_(volumes_1-7,_in_order_of_publication)

old or die. Eat it, Boy, eat it; and you and I will both live forever and be king and queen
of this whole world - or of your world, if we decide to go back there."
"No thanks," said Digory, "I don't know that I care much about living on and on after
everyone I know is dead. I'd rather live an ordinary time and die and go to Heaven."
"But what about this Mother of yours whom you pretend to love so?"
"What's she got to do with it?" said Digory.
"Do you not see, Fool, that one bite of that apple would heal her? You have it in your
pocket. We are here by ourselves and the Lion is far away. Use your Magic and go back
to your own world. A minute later you can be at your Mother's bedside, giving her the
fruit. Five minutes later you will see the colour coming back to her face. She will tell you
the pain is gone. Soon she will tell you she feels stronger. Then she will fall asleep - think
of that; hours of sweet natural sleep, without pain, without drugs. Next day everyone will
be saying how wonderfully she has recovered. Soon she will be quite well again. All will
be well again. Your home will be happy again. You will be like other boys."
"Oh!" gasped Digory as if he had been hurt, and put his hand to his head. For he now
knew that the most terrible choice lay before him.
"What has the Lion ever done for you that you should be his slave?" said the Witch.
"What can he do to you once you are back in your own world? And what would your
Mother think if she knew that you could have taken her pain away and given her back her
life and saved your Father's heart from being broken, and that you wouldn't - that you'd
rather run messages for a wild animal in a strange world that is no business of yours?"
"I - I don't think he is a wild animal," said Digory in a dried-up sort of voice. "He is - I
don't know -"
"Then he is something worse," said the Witch. "Look what he has done to you already;
look how heartless he has made you. That is what he does to everyone who listens to him.
Cruel, pitiless boy! you would let your own Mother die rather than -"
"Oh shut up," said the miserable Digory, still in the same voice. "Do you think I don't
see? But I - I promised."
"Ah, but you didn't know what you were promising. And no one here can prevent you."
"Mother herself," said Digory, getting the words out with difficulty, "wouldn't like it -
awfully strict about keeping promises - and not stealing - and all that sort of thing. She'd
tell me not to do it - quick as anything - if she was here."
"But she need never know," said the Witch, speaking more sweetly than you would have
thought anyone with so fierce a face could speak. "You wouldn't tell her how you'd got