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at this point caspian jumped to his feet。 〃friends；〃 he said； 〃i think you have not quite understood our purpose。 you talk as if we had e to you with our hat in our hand； begging for shipmates。 it isnt like that at all。 we and our royal brother and sister and their kinsman and sir reepicheep； the good knight； and the lord drinian have an errand to the worlds edge。 it is our pleasure to choose from among such of you as are willing those whom we deem worthy of so high an enterprise。 we have not said that any can e for the asking。 that is why we shall now mand the lord drinian and master rhince to consider carefully what men among you are the hardest in battle； the most skilled seamen； the purest in blood； the most loyal to our person； and the cleanest of life and manners； and to give their names to us in a schedule。〃 he paused and went on in a quicker voice； 〃aslans mane！〃 he exclaimed。 〃do you think that the privilege of seeing the last things is to be bought for a song？ why； every man that es with us shall bequeath the title of dawn treader to all his descendants； and when we land at cair paravel on the homeward voyage he shall have either gold or land enough to make him rich all his life。 now … scatter over the island； all of you。 in half an hours time i shall receive the names that lord drinian brings me。”
there was rather a sheepish silence and then the crew made their bows and moved away； one in this direction and one in that； but mostly in little knots or bunches； talking。
〃and now for the lord rhoop；〃 said caspian。
but turning to the head of the table he saw that rhoop was already there。 he had arrived； silent and unnoticed； while the discussion was going on； and was seated beside the lord argoz。 the daughter of ramandu stood beside him as if she had just helped him into his chair； ramandu stood behind him and laid both his hands on rhoops grey head。 even in daylight a faint silver light came from the hands of the star。 there was a smile on rhoops haggard face。 he held out one of his hands to lucy and the other to caspian。 for a moment it looked as if he were going to say something。 then his smile brightened as if he were feeling） some delicious sensation； a long sigh of contentment came from his lips； his head fell forward； and he slept。
〃poor rhoop；〃 said lucy。 〃i am glad。 he must have had terrible times。〃 〃dont lets even think of it；〃 said eustace。
meanwhile caspians speech； helped perhaps by some magic of the island； was having just the effect he intended。 a good many who had been anxious enough to get out of the voyage felt quite differently about being left out of it。 and of course whenever any one sailor announced that he had made up his mind to ask for permission to sail； the ones who hadnt said this felt that they were getting fewer and more unfortable。 so that before the half…hour was nearly over several people were positively 〃sucking up〃 to drinian and rhince （at least that was what they called it at my school） to get a good report。 and soon there were only three left who didnt want to go； and those three were trying very hard to persuade others to stay with them。 and very shortly after that there was only one left。
and in they end he began to be afraid of being left behind all on his own and changed his mind。
at the end of the half…hour they all came trooping back to aslans table and stood at one end while drinian and rhince went and sat down with caspian and made their report； and caspian accepted all the man but that one whod had changed his mind at the last moment。 his name was pittencream and he stayed on the island of the star all the time the others were away looking for the worlds end； and he very much wished he had gone with them。 he wasnt the sort of man who could enjoy talking to ramandu and ramandus daughter （nor they to him）； and it rained a good deal； and though there was a wonderful feast on the table every night； he didnt very much enjoy it。 he said it gave him the creeps sitting there alone （and in the rain as likely as not） with those four lords asleep at the end of the table。 and when the others returned he felt so out of things that he deserted on the voyage home at the lone islands； and went and lived in calormen； where he told wonderful stories about his adventures at the end of the world； until at last he came to believe them himself。 so you may say； in a sense； that he lived happily ever after。 but he could never bear mice。
that night they all ate and drank together at the great table between the pillars where the feast was magically renewed： and next morning the dawn treader set sail once more just when the great birds had e and gone again。
〃lady；〃 said caspian； 〃i hope to speak with you again when i have broken the enchantments。〃 and ramandus daughter looked at him and smiled。
d
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
［。小＾说）网）
the wonders of the last sea very soon after they had left ramandus country they began to feel that they had already sailed beyond the world。 all was different。 for one thing they all found that they were needing less sleep。 one did not want to go to bed。 nor to eat much； nor even to talk except in low voices。 another thing was the light。 there was too much of it。 the sun when it came up each morning looked twice； if not； three times； its usual size。 and every morning （which gave lucy the strangest feeling of all） the huge white birds； singing their song with human voices in a language no one knew； streamed overhead and vanished astern on their way to their breakfast at aslans table。 a little later they came flying back and vanished into the east。
〃how beautifully clear the water is！〃 said lucy to herself； as she leaned over the port side early in the afternoon of the second day。
and it was。 the first thing that she noticed was a little black object； about the size of a shoe； travelling along at the same speed as the ship。 for a moment she thought it was something floating on the surface。 but then there came floating past a bit of stale bread which the cook had just thrown out of the galley。 and the bit of bread looked as if it were going to collide with the black thing； but it didnt。 it passed above it； and lucy now saw that the black thing could not be on the surface。 then the black thing suddenly got very much bigger and flicked back to normal size a moment later。
now lucy knew she had seen something just like that happen somewhere else … if only she could remember where。 she held her hand to her head and screwed up her face and put out her tongue in the effort to remember。 at last she did。 of course！ it was like what you saw from a train on a bright sunny day。 you saw the black shadow of your own coach running along the fields at the same pace as the train。 then you went into a cutting； and immediately the same shadow flicked close up to you and got big； racing ：long the grass of the cutting…bank。 then you came out of the cutting and … pick！ … once more the black shadow had gone back to its normal size and was running along the fields。
〃its our shadow！ … the shadow of the dawn treader；〃 said lucy。 〃our shadow running along on the bottom of the