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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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especially as it smelled nicer and nicer the nearer it came to be<strong>in</strong>g done - the K<strong>in</strong>g found<br />

a complete Dwarfish outfit for Pogg<strong>in</strong>: mail shirt, helmet, shield, sword, belt, and dagger.<br />

<strong>The</strong>n he <strong>in</strong>spected Eustace's sword and found that Eustace had put it back <strong>in</strong> the sheath<br />

all messy from kill<strong>in</strong>g the Calormene. He was scolded for that and made to clean and<br />

polish it.<br />

All this while Jill went to and fro, sometimes stirr<strong>in</strong>g the pot and sometimes look<strong>in</strong>g out<br />

enviously at the Donkey and the Unicorn who were contentedly graz<strong>in</strong>g. How many<br />

times that morn<strong>in</strong>g she wished she could eat grass!<br />

But when the meal came everyone felt it had been worth wait<strong>in</strong>g for, and there were<br />

second help<strong>in</strong>gs all round. When everyone had eaten as much as he could, the three<br />

humans and the Dwarf came and sat on the doorstep, the four-footed ones lay down<br />

fac<strong>in</strong>g them, the Dwarf (with permission both from Jill and from Tirian) lit his pipe, and<br />

the K<strong>in</strong>g said:<br />

"Now, friend Pogg<strong>in</strong>, you have more news <strong>of</strong> the enemy, belike, than we. Tell us all you<br />

know. And first, what tale do they tell <strong>of</strong> my escape?"<br />

"As cunn<strong>in</strong>g a tale, Sire, as ever was devised," said Pogg<strong>in</strong>. "It was the Cat, G<strong>in</strong>ger, who<br />

told it, and most likely made it up too. This G<strong>in</strong>ger, Sire - oh, he's a slyboots if ever a cat<br />

was - said he was walk<strong>in</strong>g past the tree to which those villa<strong>in</strong>s bound your Majesty. And<br />

he said (sav<strong>in</strong>g your reverence) that you were howl<strong>in</strong>g and swear<strong>in</strong>g and curs<strong>in</strong>g Aslan:<br />

`language I wouldn't like to repeat' were the words he used, look<strong>in</strong>g ever so prim and<br />

proper you know the way a Cat can when it pleases. And then, says G<strong>in</strong>ger, Aslan<br />

himself suddenly appeared <strong>in</strong> a flash <strong>of</strong> lightn<strong>in</strong>g and swallowed your Majesty up at one<br />

mouthful. All the Beasts trembled at this story and some fa<strong>in</strong>ted right away. And <strong>of</strong><br />

course the Ape followed it up. <strong>The</strong>re, he says, see what Aslan does to those who don't<br />

respect him. Let that be a warn<strong>in</strong>g to you all. And the poor creatures wailed and wh<strong>in</strong>ed<br />

and said, it will, it will. So that <strong>in</strong> the upshot your Majesty's escape has not set them<br />

th<strong>in</strong>k<strong>in</strong>g whether you still have loyal friends to aid you, but only made them more afraid<br />

and more obedient to the Ape."<br />

"What devilish policy!" said Tirian. "This G<strong>in</strong>ger, then, is close <strong>in</strong> the Ape's counsels."<br />

"It's more a question by now, Sire, if the Ape is <strong>in</strong> his counsels," replied the Dwarf. "<strong>The</strong><br />

Ape has taken to dr<strong>in</strong>k<strong>in</strong>g, you see. My belief is that the plot is now mostly carried on by<br />

G<strong>in</strong>ger or Rishda - that's the Calormene capta<strong>in</strong>. And I th<strong>in</strong>k some words that G<strong>in</strong>ger has<br />

scattered among the Dwarfs are chiefly to blame for the scurvy return they made you.<br />

And I'll tell you why. One <strong>of</strong> those dreadful midnight meet<strong>in</strong>gs had just broken up the<br />

night before last and I'd gone a bit <strong>of</strong> the way home when I found I'd left my pipe beh<strong>in</strong>d.<br />

It was a real good 'un, an old favourite, so I went back to look for it. But before I got to<br />

the place where I'd been sitt<strong>in</strong>g (it was black as pitch there) I heard a cat's voice say Mew<br />

and a Calormene voice say `here . . . speak s<strong>of</strong>tly,' so I just stood as still as if I was<br />

frozen. And these two were G<strong>in</strong>ger and Rishda Tarkaan as they call him. `Noble<br />

Tarkaan,' said the Cat <strong>in</strong> that silky voice <strong>of</strong> his, `I just wanted to know exactly what we

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