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〃… and unhorsed many knights;〃 repeated drinian with a grin。 〃we thought the duke would have been pleased if the kings majesty would have married his daughter; but nothing came of that…”
〃squints; and has freckles;〃 said caspian。
〃oh; poor girl;〃 said lucy。
〃and we sailed from galma;〃 continued drinian; 〃and ran into a calm for the best part of two days and had to row; and then had wind again and did not make terebinthia till the fourth day from galma。 and there their king sent out a warning not to land for there was sickness in terebinthia; but we doubled the cape and put in at a little creek far from the city and watered。 then we had to lie off for three days before we got a south…east wind and stood out for seven isles。 the third day out a pirate (terebinthian by her rig)
overhauled us; but when she saw us well armed she stood off after some shooting of arrows on either part …”
〃and we ought to have given her chase and boarded her and hanged every mothers son of them;〃 said reepicheep。
〃… and in five days more we were insight of muil; which; as you know; is the westernmost of the seven isles。 then we rowed through the straits and came about sundown into redhaven on the isle of brenn; where we were very lovingly feasted and had victuals and water at will。 we left redhaven six days ago and have made marvellously good speed; so that i hope to see the lone islands the day after tomorrow。
the sum is; we are now nearly thirty days at sea and have sailed more than four hundred leagues from narnia。”
〃and after the lone islands?〃 said lucy。
〃no one knows; your majesty;〃 answered drinian。 〃unless the lone islanders themselves can tell us。”
〃they couldnt in our days;〃 said edmund。
〃then;〃 said reepicheep; 〃it is after the lone islands that the adventure really begins。”
caspian now suggested that they might like to be shown over the ship before supper; but lucys conscience smote her and she said; 〃i think i really must go and see eustace。
seasickness is horrid; you know。 if i had my old cordial with me i could cure him。”
〃but you have;〃 said caspian。 〃id quite forgotten about it。 as you left it behind i thought it might be regarded as one of the royal treasures and so i brought it … if you think it ought to be wasted on a thing like seasickness。”
〃itll only take a drop;〃 said lucy。
caspian opened one of the lockers beneath the bench and brought out the beautiful little diamond flask which lucy remembered so well。 〃take back your own; queen;〃 he said。
they then left the cabin and went out into the sunshine。
in the deck there were two large; long hatches; fore and aft of the mast; and both open; as they always were in fair weather; to let light and air into the belly of the ship。 caspian led them down a ladder into the after hatch。 here they found themselves in a place where benches for rowing ran from side to side and the light came in through the oarholes and danced on the roof。 of course caspians ship was not that horrible thing; a galley rowed by slaves。 oars were used only when wind failed or for getting in and out of harbour and everyone (except reepicheep whose legs were too short) had often taken a turn。 at each side of the ship the space under the benches was left clear for the rowers feet; but all down the centre there was a kind of pit which went down to the very keel and this was filled with all kinds of things … sacks of flour; casks of water and beer; barrels of pork; jars of honey; skin bottles of wine; apples; nuts; cheeses; biscuits; turnips; sides of bacon。
from the roof … that is; from the under side of the deck … hung hams and strings of onions; and also the men of the watch offduty in their hammocks。 caspian led them aft; stepping from bench to bench; at least; it was stepping for him; and something between a step and a jump for lucy; and a real long jump for reepicheep。 in this way they came to a partition with a door in it。 caspian opened the door and led them into a cabin which filled the stern underneath the deck cabins in the poop。 it was of course not so nice。 it was very low and the sides sloped together as they went down so that there was hardly any floor; and though it had windows of thick glass; they were not made to open because they were under water。 in fact at this very moment; as the ship pitched they were alternately golden with sunlight and dim green with the sea。
〃you and i must lodge here; edmund;〃 said caspian。 〃well leave your kinsman the bunk and sling hammocks for ourselves。”
〃i beseech your majesty…〃 said drinian。
〃no; no shipmate;〃 said caspian; 〃we have argued all that out already。 you and rhince”
(rhince was the mate) 〃are sailing the ship and will have cares and labours many a night when we are singing catches or telling stories; so you and he must have the port cabin above。 king edmund and i can lie very snug here below。 but how is the stranger?”
eustace; very green in the face; scowled and asked whether there was any sign of the storm getting less。 but caspian said; 〃what storm?〃 and drinian burst out laughing。
〃storm; young master!〃 he roared。 〃this is as fair weather as a man could ask for。”
〃whos that?〃 said eustace irritably。 〃send him away。 his voice goes through my head。”
〃ive brought you something that will make you feel better; eustace;〃 said lucy。
〃oh; go away and leave me alone;〃 growled eustace。 but he took a drop from her flask; and though he said it was beastly stuff (the smell in the cabin when she opened it was delicious) it is certain that his face came the right colour a few moments after he had swallowed it; and he must have felt better because; instead of wailing about the storm and
his head; he began demanding to be put ashore and said that at the first port he would 〃lodge a disposition〃 against them all with the british consul。 but when reepicheep asked what a disposition was and how you lodged it (reepicheep thought it was some new way of arranging a single bat) eustace could only reply; 〃fancy not knowing that。〃 in the end they succeeded in convincing eustace that they were already sailing as fast as they could towards the nearest land they knew; and that they had no more power of sending him back to cambridge … which was where uncle harold lived … than of sending him to the moon。 after that he sulkily agreed to put on the fresh clothes which had been put out for him and e on deck。
caspian now showed them over the ship; though indeed they had seen most it already。
they went up on the forecastle and saw the look…out man standing on a little shelf inside the gilded dragons neck and peering through its open mouth。 inside the forecastle was the galley (or ships kitchen) and quarters for such people as the boatswain; the carpenter; the cook and the master…archer。 if you think it odd to have the galley in the bows and imagine the smoke from its chimney streaming back over the ship; that is because you are thinking of steamships where there is always a headwind。 on a sailing ship the wind is ing from behind; and anything smelly is put as far forward as possible。 they were taken up to the fighting