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〃thats why shes bad all through； mr beaver；〃 said mrs beaver。
〃true enough； mrs beaver；〃 replied he； 〃there may be two views about humans （meaning no offence to the present pany）。 but theres no two views about things that look like humans and arent。鈥�
〃ive known good dwarfs；〃 said mrs beaver。
〃sove i； now you e to speak of it；〃 said her husband； 〃but precious few； and they were the ones least like men。 but in general； take my advice； when you meet anything thats going to be human and isnt yet； or used to be human once and isnt now； or ought to be human and isnt； you keep your eyes on it and feel for your hatchet。 and thats why the witch is always on the lookout for any humans in narnia。 shes been watching for you this many a year； and if she knew there were four of you shed be more dangerous still。鈥�
〃whats that to do with it？〃 asked peter。
〃because of another prophecy；〃 said mr beaver。 〃down at cair paravel … thats the castle on the sea coast down at the mouth of this river which ought to be the capital of the whole country if all was as it should be … down at cair paravel there are four thrones and its a saying in narnia time out of mind that when two sons of adam and two daughters of eve sit in those four thrones； then it will be the end not only of the white witchs reign but of her life； and that is why we had to be so cautious as we came along； for if she knew about you four； your lives wouldnt be worth a shake of my whiskers！鈥�
all the children had been attending so hard to what mr beaver was telling them that they had noticed nothing else for a long time。 then during the moment of silence that followed his last remark； lucy suddenly said： 〃i say…wheres edmund？鈥�
there was a dreadful pause； and then everyone began asking 〃who saw him last？ how long has he been missing？ is he outside？ and then all rushed to the door and looked out。
the snow was falling thickly and steadily； the green ice of the pool had vanished under a thick white blanket； and from where the little house stood in the centre of the dam you could hardly see either bank。 out they went； plunging well over their ankles into the soft new snow； and went round the house in every direction。 〃edmund！ edmund！〃 they called till they were hoarse。 but the silently falling snow seemed to muffle their voices and there was not even an echo in answer。
〃how perfectly dreadful！〃 said susan as they at last came back in despair。 〃oh； how i wish wed never e。鈥�
〃what on earth are we to do； mr beaver？〃 said peter。
〃do？〃 said mr beaver； who was already putting on his snow…boots； 〃do？ we must be off at once。 we havent a moment to spare！鈥�
〃wed better divide into four search parties；〃 said peter； 〃and all go in different directions。 whoever finds him must e back here at once and…鈥�
〃search parties； son of adam？〃 said mr beaver； 〃what for？鈥�
〃why； to look for edmund； of course！鈥�
〃theres no point in looking for him；〃 said mr beaver。
〃what do you mean？〃 said susan。 〃he cant be far away yet。 and weve got to find him。
what do you mean when you say theres no use looking for him？鈥�
〃the reason theres no use looking；〃 said mr beaver； 〃is that we know already where hes gone！〃 everyone stared in amazement。 〃dont you understand？〃 said mr beaver。 〃hes gone to her； to the white witch。 he has betrayed us all。鈥�
〃oh； surely…oh； really！〃 said susan； 〃he cant have done that。鈥�
〃cant he？〃 said mr beaver； looking very hard at the three children； and everything they wanted to say died on their lips； for each felt suddenly quite certain inside that this was exactly what edmund had done。
〃but will he know the way？〃 said peter。
〃has he been in this country before？〃 asked mr beaver。 〃has he ever been here alone？鈥�
〃yes；〃 said lucy； almost in a whisper。 〃im afraid he has。鈥�
〃and did he tell you what hed done or who hed met？鈥�
〃well； no； he didnt；〃 said lucy。
〃then mark my words；〃 said mr beaver； 〃he has already met the white witch and joined her side； and been told where she lives。 i didnt like to mention it before （he being your brother and all） but the moment i set eyes on that brother of yours i said to myself ‘treacherous。 he had the look of one who has been with the witch and eaten her food。
you can always tell them if youve lived long in narnia； something about their eyes。鈥�
〃all the same；〃 said peter in a rather choking sort of voice； 〃well still have to go and look for him。 he is our brother after all； even if he is rather a little beast。 and hes only a kid。鈥�
〃go to the witchs house？〃 said mrs beaver。 〃dont you see that the only chance of saving either him or yourselves is to keep away from her？鈥�
〃how do you mean？〃 said lucy。
〃why； all she wants is to get all four of you （shes thinking all the time of those four thrones at cair paravel）。 once you were all four inside her house her job would be done … and thered be four new statues in her collection before youd had time to speak。 but shell keep him alive as long as hes the only one shes got； because shell want to use him as a decoy； as bait to catch the rest of you with。鈥�
〃oh； can no one help us？〃 wailed lucy。
〃only aslan；〃 said mr beaver； 〃we must go on and meet him。 thats our only chance now。鈥�
〃it seems to me； my dears；〃 said mrs beaver； 〃that it is very important to know just when he slipped away。 how much he can tell her depends on how much he heard。 for instance； had we started talking of aslan before he left？ if not； then we may do very well； for she wont know that aslan has e to narnia； or that we are meeting him； and will be quite off her guard as far as that is concerned。鈥�
〃i dont remember his being here when we were talking about aslan …〃 began peter； but lucy interrupted him。
〃oh yes； he was；〃 she said miserably； 〃dont you remember； it was he who asked whether the witch couldnt turn aslan into stone too？鈥�
〃so he did； by jove；〃 said peter； 〃just the sort of thing he would say； too！鈥�
〃worse and worse；〃 said mr beaver； 〃and the next thing is this。 was he still here when i told you that the place for meeting aslan was the stone table？鈥�
and of course no one knew the answer to this question。
〃because； if he was；〃 continued mr beaver； 〃then shell simply sledge down in that direction and get between us and the stone table and catch us on our way down。 in fact we shall be cut off from aslan。 鈥�
〃but that isnt what shell do first；〃 said mrs beaver； 〃not if i know her。 the moment that edmund tells her that were all here shell set out to catch us this very night； and if hes been gone about half an hour； shell be here in about another twenty minutes。鈥�
〃youre right； mrs beaver；〃 said her husband； 〃we must all get away from here。 theres not a moment to lose。鈥�
銆�
CHAPTER NINE
澶у鐢烜灏彙〃缃�
in the witchs house and now of course you want to know what had happened to edmund。 he had eaten his share of the dinner； but he hadnt really enjoyed it because he was thinking all the time about turkish delight … and theres nothing that spoils the taste of good ordinary food half so much as the memory of bad magic food。 and he had heard the conversation； and hadnt enjoyed it much either； because he kept on thinking that the others were taking no notice of him and trying to give him the cold shoulder。 they werent； but he imagined it。
and then he had listened until mr beaver told them about aslan and until he had heard the whole arrangement for meeting aslan at the stone table。 it was then that he began very quietly to edge himself under the curtain which hung over the door。 for the mention
of aslan gave him a mysterious and horrible feeling just as it gave the others a mysterious and lovely feeling。
just as mr beaver had been repeating the rhyme about adams flesh and adams bone edmund had been very quietly turning the doorhandle； and just before mr beaver had begun telling them that the white witch wasnt really human at all but half a jinn and half a giantess； edmund had got outside into the snow and cautiously closed the door behind him。
you mustnt think that even now edmund was quite so bad that he actually wanted his brother and sisters to be turned into stone。 he did want turkish delight and to be a prince （and later a king） and to pay peter out for calling him a beast。 as for what the witch would do with the others； he didnt want her to be particularly nice to them … certainly not to put them on the same level as himself； but he managed to believe； or to pretend he believed； that she wouldnt do anything very bad to them； 〃because；〃 he said to himself； 〃all these people who say nasty things about her are her enemies and probably half of it isnt true。 she was jolly nice to me； anyway； much nicer than they are。 i expect she is the rightful queen really。 anyway； shell be better than that awful aslan！〃 at least； that was the excuse he made in his own mind for what he was doing。 it wasnt a very good excuse； however； for deep down inside him he really knew that the white witch was bad and cruel。
the first thing he realized when he got outside and found the snow falling all round him； was that