“WhereistheMagician,Fool?”saidJadis.
“I-Iam,Madam.Ihopeyouwillexcuseany-er—.libertythesenaughtychildrenmayhavetaken.Iassureyou,therewasnointention-”
“You?”saidtheQueeninastillmoreterriblevoice.Then,inonestride,shecrossedtheroom,seizedagreathandfulofUncleAndrew’sgreyhairandpulledhisheadbacksothathisfacelookedupintohers.ThenshestudiedhisfacejustasshehadstudiedDigory’sfaceinthepalaceofCharn.Heblinkedandlickedhislipsnervouslyallthetime.Atlastshelethimgo:sosuddenlythathereeledbackagainstthewall.
“Isee,”shesaidscornfully,“youareaMagician-ofasort.Standup,dog,anddon’tsprawlthereasifyouwerespeakingtoyourequals.HowdoyoucometoknowMagic?Youarenotofroyalblood,I’llswear.”
“Well-ah-notperhapsinthestrictsense,”stammeredUncleAndrew.“Notexactlyroyal,Ma’am.TheKetterleysare,however,averyoldfamily.AnoldDorsetshirefamily,Ma’am.”
“Peace,”saidtheWitch.“Iseewhatyouare.Youarealittle,peddlingMagicianwhoworksbyrulesandbooks.ThereisnorealMagicinyourbloodandheart.Yourkindwasmadeanendofinmyworldathousandyearsago.ButhereIshallallowyoutobemyservant.”
“Ishouldbemosthappy-delightedtobeofanyservice-ap-pleasure,Iassureyou.”
“Peace!Youtalkfartoomuch.Listentoyourfirsttask.Iseeweareinalargecity.Procureformeatonceachariotoraflyingcarpetorawell-traineddragon,orwhateverisusualforroyalandnoblepersonsinyourland.ThenbringmetoplaceswhereIcangetclothesandjewelsandslavesfitformyrank.TomorrowIwillbegintheconquestoftheworld.”
“I-I-I’llgoandorderacabatonce,”gaspedUncleAndrew.
“Stop,”saidtheWitch,justashereachedthedoor.“Donotdreamoftreachery.Myeyescanseethroughwallsandintothemindsofmen.Theywillbeonyouwhereveryougo.AtthefirstsignofdisobedienceIwilllaysuchspellsonyouthatanythingyousitdownonwillfeellikeredhotironandwheneveryoulieinabedtherewillbeinvisibleblocksoficeatyourfeet.Nowgo.”
Theoldmanwentout,lookinglikeadogwithitstailbetweenitslegs.
ThechildrenwerenowafraidthatJadiswouldhavesomethingtosaytothemaboutwhathadhappenedinthewood.Asitturnedout,however,shenevermentionediteitherthenorafterwards.Ithink(andDigorythinkstoo)thathermindwasofasortwhichcannotrememberthatquietplaceatall,andhoweveroftenyoutookherthereandhoweverlongyouleftherthere,shewouldstillknownothingaboutit.Nowthatshewasleftalonewiththechildren,shetooknonoticeofeitherofthem.Andthatwaslikehertoo.InCharnshehadtakennonoticeofPony(tilltheveryend)becauseDigorywastheoneshewantedtomakeuseof.NowthatshehadUncleAndrew,shetooknonoticeofDigory.Iexpectmostwitchesarelikethat.Theyarenotinterestedinthingsorpeopleunlesstheycanusethem;theyareterriblypractical.Sotherewassilenceintheroomforaminuteortwo.ButyoucouldtellbythewayJadistappedherfootonthefloorthatshewasgrowingimpatient.
Presentlyshesaid,asiftoherself,“Whatistheoldfooldoing?Ishouldhavebroughtawhip.”ShestalkedoutoftheroominpursuitofUncleAndrewwithoutoneglanceatthechildren.
“Whew!”saidPolly,lettingoutalongbreathofrelief.“AndnowImustgethome.It’sfrightfullylate.Ishallcatchit.”
“Welldo,docomebackassoonasyoucan,”saidDigory.“Thisissimplyghastly,havingherhere.Wemustmakesomesortofplan.”
“That’suptoyourUnclenow,”saidPolly.“ItwashewhostartedallthismessingaboutwithMagic.”
“Allthesame,youwillcomeback,won’tyou?Hangitall,youcan’tleavemealoneinascrapelikethis.”
“Ishallgohomebythetunnel,”saidPollyrathercoldly.“That’llbethequickestway.Andifyouwantmetocomeback,hadn’tyoubettersayyou’resorry?”
“Sorry?”exclaimedDigory.“Wellnow,ifthatisn’tjustlikeagirl!WhathaveIdone?”
“Ohnothingofcourse,”saidPollysarcastically.“Onlynearlyscrewedmywristoffinthatroomwithallthewaxworks,likeacowardlybully.Onlystruckthebellwiththehammer,likeasillyidiot.Onlyturnedbackinthewoodsothatshehadtimetocatchholdofyoubeforewejumpedintoourownpool.That’sall.”
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