ITwasnearlythreeweeksaftertheirlandingthattheDawnTreaderwastowedoutofNarrowhavenharbour.Verysolemnfarewellshadbeenspokenandagreatcrowdhadassembledtoseeherdeparture.Therehadbeencheers,andtearstoo,whenCaspianmadehislastspeechtotheLoneIslandersandpartedfromtheDukeandhisfamily,butastheship,herpurplesailstillflappingidly,drewfurtherfromtheshore,andthesoundofCaspian’strumpetfromthepoopcamefainteracrossthewater,everyonebecamesilent.Thenshecameintothewind.Thesailswelledout,thetugcastoffandbeganrowingback,thefirstrealwaveranupundertheDawnTreader’sprow,andshewasaliveshipagain.Themenoffdutywentbelow,Driniantookthefirstwatchonthepoop,andsheturnedherheadeastwardroundthesouthofAvra.
Thenextfewdaysweredelightful.Lucythoughtshewasthemostfortunategirlintheworld;asshewokeeachmorningtosee thereflectionsofthesunlitwaterdancingontheceilingofhercabinandlookedroundonallthenicenewthingsshehadgotintheLoneIslands-seabootsandbuskinsandcloaksandjerkinsandscarves.Andthenshewouldgoondeckandtakealookfromtheforecastleataseawhichwasabrighterblueeachmorninganddrinkinanairthatwasalittlewarmerdaybyday.Afterthatcamebreakfastandsuchanappetiteasoneonlyhasatsea.
ShespentagooddealoftimesittingonthelittlebenchinthesternplayingchesswithReepicheep.Itwasamusingtoseehimliftingthepieces,whichwerefartoobigforhim,withbothpawsandstandingontiptoesifhemadeamovenearthecentreoftheboard.Hewasagoodplayerandwhenherememberedwhathewasdoingheusuallywon.ButeverynowandthenLucywonbecausetheMousedidsomethingquiteridiculouslikesendingaknightintothedangerofaqueenandcastlecombined.Thishappenedbecausehehadmomentarilyforgottenitwasagameofchessandwasthinkingofarealbattleandmakingtheknightdowhathewouldcertainlyhavedoneinitsplace.Forhismindwasfullofforlornhopes,death-or-glorycharges,andlaststands.
Butthispleasanttimedidnotlast.TherecameaneveningwhenLucy,gazingidlyasternatthelongfurroworwaketheywereleavingbehindthem,sawagreatrackofcloudsbuildingitselfupinthewestwithamazingspeed.Thenagapwastorninitandayellowsunsetpouredthroughthegap.Allthewavesbehindthemseemedtotakeonunusualshapesandtheseawasadraboryellowishcolorlikedirtycanvas.Theairgrewcold.Theship seemedtomoveuneasilyasifshefeltdangerbehindher.Thesailwouldbeflatandlimponeminuteandwildlyfullthenext.Whileshewasnotingthesethingsandwonderingatasinisterchangewhichhadcomeovertheverynoiseofthewind,Driniancried,“Allhandsondeck.”Inamomenteveryonebecamefranticallybusy.Thehatcheswerebatteneddown,thegalleyfirewasputout,menwentalofttoreefthesail.Beforetheyhadfinishedthestormstruckthem.ItseemedtoLucythatagreatvalleyintheseaopenedjustbeforetheirbows,andtheyrusheddownintoit,deeperdownthanshewouldhavebelievedpossible.Agreatgreyhillofwater,farhigherthanthemast,rushedtomeetthem;itlookedcertaindeathbuttheyweretossedtothetopofit.Thentheshipseemedtospinround.Acataractofwaterpouredoverthedeck;thepoopandforecastlewereliketwoislandswithafierceseabetweenthem.Upaloftthesailorswerelyingoutalongtheyarddesperatelytryingtogetcontrolofthesail.Abrokenropestoodoutsidewaysinthewindasstraightandstiffasifitwasapoker.
“Getbelow,Ma’am,”bawledDrinian.AndLucy,knowingthatlandsmen—andlandswomen—areanuisancetothecrew,begantoobey.Itwasnoteasy.TheDawnTreaderwaslistingterriblytostarboardandthedeckslopedliketheroofofahouse.Shehadtoclamberroundtothetopoftheladder,holdingontotherail,andthenstandbywhiletwomenclimbedupit,andthengetdownitasbestshecould.Itwaswellshewasalreadyholdingontightforatthefootoftheladderanotherwaveroaredacrossthedeck,uptohershoulders.Shewasalreadyalmostwetthroughwithsprayandrainbutthiswascolder.Thenshemadeadashforthecabindoorandgotinandshutoutforamomenttheappallingsightofthespeedwithwhichtheywererushingintothedark,butnotofcoursethehorribleconfusionofcreakings,groanings,snappings,clatterings,roaringsandboomingswhichonlysoundedmorealarmingbelowthantheyhaddoneonthepoop.
Andallnextdayandallthenextitwenton.Itwentontillonecouldhardlyevenrememberatimebeforeithadbegun.Andtherealwayshadtobethreemenatthetilleranditwasasmuchasthreecoulddotokeepanykindofacourse.Andtherealwayshadtobemenatthepump.Andtherewashardlyanyrestforanyone,andnothingcouldbecookedandnothingcouldbedried,andonemanwaslostoverboard,andtheyneversawthesun.
WhenitwasoverEustacemadethefollowingentryinhisdiary:
“September3.ThefirstdayforageswhenIhavebeenabletowrite.Wehadbeendrivenbeforeahurricaneforthirteendaysandnights.IknowthatbecauseIkeptacarefulcount,thoughtheothersallsayitwasonlytwelve.Pleasanttobeembarkedonadangerousvoyagewithpeoplewhocan’tevencountright!Ihavehadaghastlytime,upanddownenormouswaveshourafterhour,usuallywettotheskin,andnotevenanattemptatgivinguspropermeals.Needlesstosaythere’snowirelessorevenarocket,sonochanceofsignallinganyoneforhelp.ItallproveswhatIkeepontellingthem,themadnessofsettingoutinarottenlittletublikethis.Itwouldbebadenoughevenifonewaswithdecentpeopleinsteadoffiendsinhumanform.CaspianandEdmundaresimplybrutaltome.
Thenightwelostourmast(there’sonlyastumpleftnow),thoughIwasnotatallwell,theyforcedmetocomeondeckandworklikeaslave.LucyshovedheroarinbysayingthatReepicheepwaslongingtogoonlyhewastoosmall.Iwondershedoesn’tseethateverythingthatlittlebeastdoesisallforthesakeofshowingoff.Evenatheragesheoughttohavethatamountofsense.Todaythebeastlyboatislevelatlastandthesun’soutandwehaveallbeenjawingaboutwhattodo.Wehavefoodenough,prettybeastlystuffmostofit,tolastforsixteendays.(Thepoultrywereallwashedoverboard.Eveniftheyhadn’tbeen,thestormwouldhavestoppedthemlaying.)Therealtroubleiswater.Twocasksseemtohavegotaleakknockedinthemandareempty.(Narnianefficiencyagain.)Onshortrations,halfapintadayeach,we’vegotenoughfortwelvedays.(There’sstilllotsofrumandwinebuteventheyrealizethatwouldonlymakethemthirstier.)
“Ifwecould,ofcourse,thesensiblethingwouldbetoturnwestatonceandmakefortheLoneIslands.Butittookuseighteendaystogetwhereweare,runninglikemadwithagalebehindus.Evenifwegotaneastwinditmighttakeusfarlongertogetback.Andatpresentthere’snosignofaneastwind—infactthere’snowindatall.Asforrowingback,itwouldtakefartoolongandCaspiansaysthemencouldn’trowonhalfapintofwateraday.I’mprettysurethisiswrong.Itriedtoexplainthatperspirationreallycoolspeopledown,sothemenwouldneedlesswateriftheywereworking.Hedidn’ttakeanynoticeofthis,whichisalwayshiswaywhenhecan’tthinkofananswer.Theothersallvotedforgoingoninthehopeoffindingland.Ifeltitmydutytopointoutthatwedidn’tknowtherewasanylandaheadandtriedtogetthemtoseethedangersofwishfulthinking.InsteadofproducingabetterplantheyhadthecheektoaskmewhatIproposed.SoIjustexplainedcoollyandquietlythatIhadbeenkidnappedandbroughtawayonthisidioticvoyagewithoutmyconsent,anditwashardlymybusinesstogetthemoutoftheirscrape.
“September4.Stillbecalmed.VeryshortrationsfordinnerandIgotlessthananyone.CaspianisverycleverathelpingandthinksIdon’tsee!LucyforsomereasontriedtomakeuptomebyofferingmesomeofhersbutthatinterferingprigEdmundwouldn’tlether.Prettyhotsun.Terriblythirstyallevening.
“September5.Stillbecalmedandveryhot.FeelingrottenalldayandamsureI’vegotatemperature.Ofcoursetheyhaven’tthesensetokeepathermometeronboard.
“September6.Ahorribleday.WokeupinthenightknowingIwasfeverishandmusthaveadrinkofwater.Anydoctorwouldhavesaidso.HeavenknowsI’mthelastpersontotrytogetanyunfairadvantagebutIneverdreamedthatthiswater-rationingwouldbemeanttoapplytoasickman.InfactIwouldhavewokentheothersupandaskedforsomeonlyIthoughtitwouldbeselfishtowaketheSoIjustgotupandtookmycupandtiptoedoutoftheBlackHolewesleptin,takinggreatcarenottodisturbCaspianandEdmund,forthey’vebeensleepingbadlysincetheheatandtheshortwaterbegan.Ialwaystrytoconsiderotherswhethertheyarenicetomeornot.Igotoutallrightintothebigroom,ifyoucancallitaroom,wheretherowingbenchesandtheluggageare.Thethingofwaterisatthisend.Allwasgoingbeautifully,butbeforeI’ddrawnacupfulwhoshouldcatchmebutthatlittlespyReep.ItriedtoexplainthatIwasgoingondeckforabreathofair(thebusinessaboutthewaterhadnothingtodowithhim)andheaskedmewhyIhadacup.Hemadesuchanoisethatthewholeshipwasroused.Theytreatedmescandalously.Iasked,asIthinkanyonewouldhave,whyReepicheepwassneakingaboutthewatercaskinthemiddleofthenight.Hesaidthatashewastoosmalltobeanyuseondeck,hedidsentryoverthewatereverynightsothatonemoremancouldgotosleep.Nowcomestheirrottenunfairness:theyallbelievedhim.Canyoubeatit?
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