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The_Complete_Chronicles_of_Narnia_(volumes_1-7,_in_order_of_publication)

The_Complete_Chronicles_of_Narnia_(volumes_1-7,_in_order_of_publication)

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Tirian wondered very much what he meant by "grub", but when the Boy opened a bulgy<br />

satchel which he was carry<strong>in</strong>g and pulled out a rather greasy and squashy packet, he<br />

understood. He was ravenously hungry, though he hadn't thought about it till that<br />

moment. <strong>The</strong>re were two hard-boiled egg sandwiches, and two cheese sandwiches, and<br />

two with some k<strong>in</strong>d <strong>of</strong> paste <strong>in</strong> them. If he hadn't been so hungry he wouldn't have<br />

thought much <strong>of</strong> the paste, for that is a sort <strong>of</strong> food nobody eats <strong>in</strong> <strong>Narnia</strong>. By the time he<br />

had eaten all six sandwiches they had come to the bottom <strong>of</strong> the valley and there they<br />

found a mossy cliff with a little founta<strong>in</strong> bubbl<strong>in</strong>g out <strong>of</strong> it. All three stopped and drank<br />

and splashed their hot faces.<br />

"And now," said the girl as she tossed her wet hair back from her forehead, "aren't you<br />

go<strong>in</strong>g to tell us who you are and why you were tied up and what it's all about?"<br />

"With a good will, damsel," said Tirian. "But we must keep on the march." So while they<br />

went on walk<strong>in</strong>g he told them who he was and all the th<strong>in</strong>gs that had happened to him.<br />

"And now," he said at the end, "I am go<strong>in</strong>g to a certa<strong>in</strong> tower, one <strong>of</strong> three that were built<br />

<strong>in</strong> my grandsire's time to guard Lantern Waste aga<strong>in</strong>st certa<strong>in</strong> perilous outlaws who<br />

dwelled there <strong>in</strong> his day. By Aslan's good will I was not robbed <strong>of</strong> my keys. In that tower<br />

we shall f<strong>in</strong>d stores <strong>of</strong> weapons and mail and some victuals also, though no better than<br />

dry biscuit. <strong>The</strong>re also we can lie safe while we make our plans. And now, prithee, tell<br />

me who you two are and all your story."<br />

"I'm Eustace Scrubb and this is Jill Pole," said the Boy. "And we were here once before,<br />

ages and ages ago, more than a year ago by our time, and there was a chap called Pr<strong>in</strong>ce<br />

Rilian, and they were keep<strong>in</strong>g this chap underground, and Puddleglum put his foot <strong>in</strong> -"<br />

"Ha!" cried Tirian, "are you then that Eustace and that Jill who rescued K<strong>in</strong>g Rilian from<br />

his long enchantment?"<br />

"Yes, that's us," said Jill. "So he's K<strong>in</strong>g Rilian now, is he? Oh <strong>of</strong> course he would be. I<br />

forgot-"<br />

"Nay," said Tirian, "I am the seventh <strong>in</strong> descent from him. He has been dead over two<br />

hundred years."<br />

Jill made a face. "Ugh!" she said. "That's the horrid part about com<strong>in</strong>g back to <strong>Narnia</strong>."<br />

But Eustace went on.<br />

"Well now you know who we are, Sire," he said. "And it was like this. <strong>The</strong> Pr<strong>of</strong>essor and<br />

Aunt Polly had got all us friends <strong>of</strong> <strong>Narnia</strong> together -"<br />

"I know not these names, Eustace," said Tirian.<br />

"<strong>The</strong>y're the two who came <strong>in</strong>to <strong>Narnia</strong> at the very beg<strong>in</strong>n<strong>in</strong>g, the day all the animals<br />

learned to talk."

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