Chapter 16 Chapter Sixteen: The Real End of the World

Except for Drinian and the Pevensies, Reepicheep was the only one on board who had ever seen a Sea Man.As soon as he saw the Neptune waving his spear, he dived into the water, because he took it as a threat or a provocation, so he wanted to fight it out on the spot.The excitement of discovering the sweetness of the sea distracted him, and before he could think of the Sea People again, Lucy and Drinian took him aside and warned him not to mention what he had seen. It turned out they didn't have much to worry about, for the Dawn Treader was cruising quietly through what seemed to be a deserted sea.No one saw the sea man again except Lucy, and even she only had a brief glimpse.All the next morning their boat sailed in very shallow water where the bottom was covered with weeds.Before noon Lucy saw a large school of fish passing above the weeds.The school of fish were all eating and all swimming in one direction. "Like sheep," thought Lucy.Suddenly, I saw a little sea girl in the school of fish, about the same age as her.It was a quiet, lonely girl with what looked like a hook in her hand.Lucy believed that the girl must be a shepherdess--or a fish-woman, perhaps--and the fish seemed to be grazing on the prairie.Both the school of fish and the girl were close to the surface.When the girl was gliding in the shallow water, Lucy happened to be lying on the bulwark, and the two met face to face, and the girl looked up, just staring at Lucy's face.Neither could speak to the other, for in a moment the girl was behind astern.But Lucy never forgot her face.This face didn't look as scared and angry as the faces of other sea people.Lucy liked the girl, and she felt that the girl must like her too.In that brief moment, somehow, they became friends.It seemed that in this world or any other, they would not have much chance of seeing each other again.But if they meet, they will all eagerly extend their hands.

For many days after that there was no wind in the shrouds and no foam in the bows, and the Dawn Treader sailed smoothly and steadily eastward over a calm sea.The light gets brighter every day and every hour, but they can bear it.No one eats, no one sleeps, and no one wants to eat or sleep, so everyone draws buckets of dazzling water into the sea, this water is more mellow than wine, in short, wetter and clearer than ordinary water, and they toast each other silently , gulp it down.One or two sailors who had grown old when they set out on the voyage were getting younger every day.Everyone on board was beaming and excited, but not excited enough to talk.The farther they sailed, the less they talked, until it was almost a whisper.The tranquility of that last stretch of sea gripped them deeply.

"My lord," said Caspian to Drinian one day, "what do you see ahead?" "Your Majesty," said Drinian, "I see whiteness. As far as my eye can see, the horizon is white from north to south." "I saw that too," said Caspian. "I can't imagine what it is." "Sire, if we were in a higher latitude," said Drinian, "we might say it was ice. But it can't be ice, there's no ice here. That being said, we'd better send oars, Don't let the boat drift with the current. Whatever it is, we can't just crash into it at this speed.";

Everyone did what Drinian told them to do, and the boat got slower and slower.When they approached, the mystery of the white expanse still did not fade.If it is land, it must be a very strange land, because it looks as slippery as water, and it is as high as the water.When they were near this, Drinian turned the rudder hard, turned the boat to the south, so that her broadside was on the current, and rowed south along the edge of that white expanse.While they were so busy, they chanced upon a great discovery, that the current was only forty feet wide, and that the rest of the sea was as calm as the pond.This is undoubtedly good news for the crew, who have begun to worry about the journey back to Ramandu's island. If they paddle against the current along the way, they will suffer. (This also explains why the fish girl fell behind the stern so quickly. Because she wasn't in the current. If she had been in the current, she would have been drifting eastward as fast as the boat was drifting.) 3

However, no one could figure out what that white thing was.So he put down the boat and rowed to reconnaissance.Those who remained in the ship could see the boat go straight into the whiteness.Later, they could all hear the fussing voices of those people on the boat from Yiwang Zhishui.They paused for a moment while Rainif took the bow of the boat to measure the water; when it was done, when the boat came back, there seemed to be a lot of that white thing in the boat.Everyone crowded over the side to hear the news. ) "Your Majesty, it's a lily!" Rainif shouted from the prow of the boat.

"What did you say?" asked Caspian. "Your Majesty, the lilies are in full bloom," said Rainif, "just like the ones in the domestic garden." "Look!" said Lucy from the stern of the boat.She raised her wet arms, full of snow-white petals and broad flat leaves. "How deep is the water, Rainif?" asked Drinian. "That's a strange thing, Captain," said Lainif. "The water is still deep. Three and a half fathoms." "It can't be a real lily--not what we call a lily," said Eustace. It's probably not a lily, but it's very similar.After some discussion, the Dawn Treader turned around and drove into the current, and began to sail eastward, crossing Lily Lake, or the Silver Sea (they tried both names, but the Silver Sea has been used to this day, and now Case Bean's map), when the strangest part of their voyage began.The open sea they had left was suddenly just a thin blue edge on the western horizon.All around them was whiteness, with a faint gleam of gold, save for the hull, lined with lilies, leaving at the stern a channel of water that shone like dark green glass.This last sea looked very much like the Arctic Ocean, and if their eyes hadn't grown as sharp as the eagle's now, the sun on that vast expanse of whiteness would have been overwhelming for them, especially in the morning when the sun was at its highest.Every evening the great expanse of whiteness makes the day longer.Lilies seem endless.Every day the white flowers that stretched for thousands of miles gave off a scent that Lucy found indescribable; the scent was sweet—not drowsy and unbearable, but fresh, strong, and elegant. The smell seems to get into your brain, making you feel like you can run up a mountain, or fight an elephant.She and Caspian said to each other, "I don't think I can stand the smell any longer, but I don't want to be without it."

They kept measuring the water depth constantly, but it took several days for the water to become shallower, and then it became shallower and shallower.One day they had to paddle out the water, paddling and paddling like snails, groping their way.It soon became clear that the Voyage of the Dawn Treader could no longer sail east.Thanks to the ingenious command of the conductor, it was not stranded. + "Leave the boat," cried Caspian, "and order everybody to come aft. I must speak to everybody." "What is he going to do?" whispered Eustace to Edmund. "He has a strange look in his eyes."

"I suppose we all look alike," said Edmund. They went to the poop to find Caspian, and at once the whole crew was huddled together at the foot of the ladder to listen to the king. " "Friends," said Caspian, "we have now completed your expedition. The seven lords are all accounted for, and since Sir Reepicheep has sworn never to return, we will wait until you all return to Ramandu Lords Ravelyan, Argoz, and Mavramont will be found awake on the island. Lord Drinian, I entrust this ship to you, and order you to sail back to Narnia with all speed, Above all don't go ashore at Deadwater Isle. Tell my regent, Dwarf Trumpin, to give all the rewards I promised to all these shipmates. They all deserve their rewards. If I don't And come back, it is my will that the Regent and Cornelius, and Trufflehunter the Beaver and Lord Drinian unanimously elect a King of Narnia..."

"But Your Majesty," Drinian interrupted, "have you abdicated?" "I'm going to see the end of the world with Reepicheep," said Caspian. The sailors murmured in amazement. "We'll go in boats," said Caspian. "You don't need boats in these calm seas. You'll have to make another boat when you get to Ramandu's island. But now—" "Caspian," said Edmund suddenly sternly, "you mustn't do that." "It is true," said Reepicheep, "Your Majesty cannot." "Not really," Drinian said.

"Can't?" snapped Caspian, looking for a moment like his uncle Miraz. "Forgive me, Your Majesty," Rainif said from the deck below, "but if any of us did it, it would be called funk." "Rainif, you have been too presumptuous in my service for so many years," said Caspian. "No, sire! He's quite right," said Drinian. "My lord, Aslan," said Caspian, "I thought you were all my subjects, not my teachers." "I am not your subject," said Edmund, "and I say you cannot do this." "No again," said Caspian. "What do you mean?"

"Your Majesty, we mean no," said Reepicheep, with a deep bow, "you are the King of Narnia. If you do not go back, you will be distrustful of all your subjects, especially To Trumpkin. You shouldn't be complacent about these expeditions as if you were a commoner. If Your Majesty won't listen to reason, everyone on board will have to disarm you and tie you up until you come to your senses , this is the true allegiance to you." "Exactly," said Edmund, "as Ulysses was treated when he was about to approach the Nyx." Caspian's hand was already at the hilt, when Lucy said, "And you almost promised Ramandu's daughter that you would go back." Caspian paused. "Oh, yes. There is such a thing," he said.He stood there for a moment indecisive, then shouted to the whole crew: "Well, it's up to you. The expedition is over. Let's all go back. Hoist the boat up again." "Your Majesty," said Reepicheep, "we're not all going back. I, I said before..." "Be quiet!" cried Caspian angrily. "I've been taught, but I don't want to be tricked.Did no one quiet that mouse?" "Your Majesty has promised," said Reepicheep, "that you will be a good ruler of the talking beasts of Narnia." "Talking beasts, yes," said Caspian, "but I didn't say talking beasts." And then he went down the ladder in a huff, went into the cabin, and slammed the door hard. But after a while, everyone went into the cabin to look for him, and found that he had changed: his face was pale, and there were tears in his eyes. "It's no use," he said. "Though I am petulant and put on airs, I should have behaved properly. Aslan told me. No--I don't mean he's really here. First, The cabin was too small for him. But the golden lion's head on the wall came alive and talked to me. His eyes--terrible, not that he was rough with me--just a little hard at the beginning. But it's scary anyway. Yes. He said—he said—oh, I can't bear it. It was the most dreadful thing he ever said. You—Rip, Edmund, Lucy, and Eustace— —all going on; and I'm going back, all alone, at once. What's the use of it all?" "My dear Caspian," said Lucy, "you know we must go back to our own world sooner or later." "Yes," said Caspian sobbing, "but it's early." "You'll feel better when you get back to Ramandu's island," said Lucy. It took a while for him to cheer up, but the parting was painful for both parties, and I won't go into details.At about two o'clock in the afternoon, they stocked up with food and drinking water (although they thought they would need neither food nor drink), put Reepicheep's raft on board, and the boat left the Dawn Treader. No., has been across the boundless patch of lilies.The Dawn Treader flew all her banners and hoisted her coat of arms to see them off.They were below, surrounded by lilies, and looking up, the big ship was tall and kind.They watched the big ship turn around and began to row westward slowly, out of sight.Lucy shed a few tears, but she was not as miserable as you might think.The light, the stillness, the gripping smell of the Silver Sea, oddly enough, even the solitude was too exciting. There was no need to row any more, for the current kept drifting their skiff eastward.None of them slept or ate.All that night, and all the next day, their little boat drifted eastward, and at dawn of the third day--it was so bright you and I couldn't bear dark glasses--they saw a great spectacle ahead.It was as if a wall stood between them and the sky, a livid, trembling, shining wall.Then came the sun, which they had seen through the wall at first rise, and made a strange rainbow.Then they realized that it was actually a long, high wave--a wave that was always fixed in one place, like the curtain of water so often seen at the edge of a waterfall.It seemed to be thirty feet high, and the current was racing their boat toward the wave.You'd think they'd think they were in danger.They don't.I don't think anyone in their situation thinks of danger.For they now see not only what is behind the waves, but also what is behind the sun.They would not even be able to see the sun if their eyesight had not been tempered by the waters of the last sea.But now they can watch the sun rise, see clearly, and see the scene outside the sun.They looked east and saw a line of mountains behind the sun.The mountain is very high, they either can't see the top of the mountain or forget it.Neither could remember seeing the sky in that direction.The mountains must indeed be just outside this world.Because any mountain peak, even if it is only a few tenths of the height of that mountain, there should be ice and snow on the mountain.But these mountains, although they look high, are warm and green, full of forests and waterfalls.Suddenly a breeze from the east foamed the crests of the waves and puckered the smooth surface of the water around them.It was only a blink of an eye, but the three children never forgot that blink of an eye.The gust brought with it a scent and a sound, the sound of music.Neither Edmund nor Eustace spoke of the matter afterwards.All Lucy could say was, "It breaks your heart." "Oh," I said, "is it really that sad?" "Sad? No," said Lucy. Those in the boat were convinced that they were seeing the land of Aslan beyond the end of the world. At this time, with a click, the boat ran aground.The water was so shallow now that even the boat could not float. "This is where I hit the road alone," said Reepicheep. They don't even want to stop it, because now everything seems to be predestined, or has happened before.They helped him lower the raft into the water.So he untied his sword, and threw it far away over the sea where the lilies bloomed. "I have no more need for this sword," it said.When the sword fell into the water, it stuck straight there, with only the handle sticking out of the water.So he said good-bye to them, and tried to look like they were sorry; but secretly he trembled with joy.Lucy, for the first and last time, did what she always wanted to do, and took him in her arms and fondled him.So he hurried aboard the raft, and paddled, and caught in the current and drifted away, black against the lilies.But there were no lilies growing on the waves, it was a slippery, green slope, and the raft went faster and faster, and it was a sight to see that side of the waves.For a split second they saw the outline of the raft and the outline of Reepicheep standing on it.Then it disappeared, and no one can really claim to have seen Reepicheep the mouse since.But I believe it reached Aslan's land safely and is still alive today. As soon as the sun came out, those high mountains outside the world gradually disappeared.The wave is still there, but behind the wave there is only blue sky.The three children stepped out of the boat and paddled through the water—not toward the waves, but toward the south, with the wall of water to their left.They can't tell you why; it's their fate.Though they had felt grown big, and grown too, on the Voyage of the Dawn Treader, they felt just the opposite now, holding hands as they pedaled through the patch of lilies.They don't feel tired at all.The sea was warm and shallow all the time.At last I came out on dry sand, and then on meadows--a big prairie, with thin, short grass, almost as high as the Silver Sea, spreading out in every direction, not even a mole's nest . Of course, that was always the case on flat land where no trees grew, and it looked as if the sky and the meadow met right before their eyes.But when they walked forward, they had the strangest impression, that the sky here finally connected with the ground—a blue wall, very bright, but solid, especially like glass.They made it fast.It's very close now. But between them and the horizon, there was something in the grass that even their eagle eyes could barely see.They stepped forward and saw that it was a lamb. "Come and have breakfast," said the lamb, in a kind and soft voice. Then for the first time they saw a fire in the grass with fish roasting on it.They sat down to the fish and were hungry for the first time in many days.It was the most delicious meal they had ever tasted. "Lamb, may I ask if this road leads to Aslan's land?" Lucy asked. "You did not take this road," said the Lamb. "The door for you to Aslan's land is in your own world." "What!" said Edmund, "is there a road in our world to the land of Aslan?" "All the worlds have a road leading to my land." The lamb said, and as soon as he finished speaking, his snow-white fur turned into a shiny golden brown, and his stature also became bigger. It turned out that it was Aslan. High above, the mane emits a golden light. "Ah, Aslan," said Lucy, "tell us how we can get from our world to yours?"! "I'll keep telling you," said Aslan, "but I won't tell you how long or short the road is; only that it crosses a river. But don't be afraid, for I'm a great bridge-builder .Okay, come on, I will open the gate of heaven and send you back to your own place." "Aslan," said Lucy, "before we go, please tell us when we'll be back in Narnia again? Please, please, please, please make it come sooner rather than later, will you?" ?” "My dear," said Aslan very gently, "you and your brother will never come back to Narnia again." "Ah, Aslan!" said Edmund and Lucy, both in chorus, in great disappointment. "My children, you are too old," said Aslan, "and you must begin to approach your own world now." "It's not Narnia, you know," sobbed Lucy. "It's you. We won't see you there. Never see you again. How shall we live?" "But you will see me, my dear children," said Aslan. " "Could it be—are you there, sir?" said Edmund. "I am," said Aslan, "but I have a different name there. You must learn to know my name. That is why you were brought to Narnia, where you met I've been there for a while and you can get to know me better." "Then Eustace can never come back here too?" said Lucy. "Son," said Aslan, "do you really need to know that? Come, I'll open a door in heaven." Then there was a gap in the blue wall (like a curtain torn), and a terrible The white light shone in from outside, and they felt they touched Aslan's mane, and the lion's kiss was printed on his forehead, and so—they were back in the back room of Aunt Alberta's house in Cambridge. There are only two other things that need to be explained.One was that Caspian and his men were all safely back to Ramandu's island.The three lords all awoke from their deep sleep.Caspian married Ramandu's daughter, and at last they all reached Narnia, and she became a great queen, and the mother and grandmother of several great kings.The other thing was that in our own world, everyone soon started to say how Eustace had grown: "You'd never know he was the same kid he was." Only Aunt Alberta said he had become very ordinary, and Hate it, must have been influenced by those Pevensie kids