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he king and the great lords sat。 anyone would think you had forgotten that we ourselves were once kings and queens and sat on a dais just like that； in our great hall。鈥�
〃in our castle of cair paravel；〃 continued susan in a dreamy and rather sing…song voice； 〃at the mouth of the great river of narnia。 how could i forget？鈥�
〃how it all es back！〃 said lucy。 〃we could pretend we were in cair paravel now。
this hall must have been very like the great hall we feasted in。鈥�
〃but unfortunately without the feast；〃 said edmund。 〃its getting late； you know。 look how long the shadows are。 and have you noticed that it isnt so hot？鈥�
〃we shall need a camp…fire if weve got to spend the night here；〃 said peter。 〃ive got matches。 lets go and see if we can collect some dry wood。鈥�
everyone saw the sense of this； and for the next halfhour they were busy。 the orchard through which they had first e into the ruins turned out not to be a good place for firewood。 they tried the other side of the castle； passing out of the hall by a little side door into a maze of stony humps and hollows which must once have been passages and smaller rooms but was now all nettles and wild roses。 beyond this they found a wide gap in the castle wall and stepped through it into a wood of darker and bigger trees where they found dead branches and rotten wood and sticks and dry leaves and fir …cones in plenty。 they went to and fro with bundles until they had a good pile on the dais。 at the fifth journey they found the well； just outside the hall； hidden in weeds； but clean and fresh and deep when they had cleared these away。
the remains of a stone pavement ran half…way round it。 then the girls went out to pick some more apples and the boys built the fire； on the dais and fairly close to the corner between two walls； which they thought would be the snuggest and warmest place。 they had great difficulty in lighting it and used a lot of matches； but they succeeded in the end。
finally； all four sat down with their backs to the wall and their faces to the fire。 they tried roasting some of the apples on the ends of sticks。 but roast apples are not much good without sugar； and they are too hot to eat with your fingers till they are too cold to be worth eating。 so they had to content themselves with raw apples； which； as edmund said； made one realize that school suppers werent so bad after all … 〃i shouldnt mind a good thick slice of bread and margarine this minute；〃 he added。 but the spirit of adventure was rising in them all； and no one really wanted to be back at school。
shortly after the last apple had been eaten； susan went out to the well to get another drink。 when she came back she was carrying something in her hand。
〃look；〃 she said in a rather choking kind of voice。 〃i found it by the well。〃 she handed it to peter and sat down。 the others thought she looked and sounded as if she might be going to cry。 edmund and lucy eagerly bent forward to see what was in peters hand … a little； bright thing that gleamed in the firelight。
〃well； im … im jiggered；〃 said peter； and his voice also sounded queer。 then he handed it to the others。
all now saw what it was … a little chess…knight； ordinary in size but extraordinarily heavy because it was made of pure gold； and the eyes in the horses head were two tiny little rubies or rather one was； for the other had been knocked out。
〃why！〃 said lucy； 〃its exactly like one of the golden chessmen we used to play with when we were kings and queens at cair paravel。鈥�
〃cheer up； su；〃 said peter to his other sister。
〃i cant help it；〃 said susan。 〃it brought back … oh； such lovely times。 and i remembered playing chess with fauns and good giants； and the mer…people singing in the sea； and my beautiful horse … and … and …鈥�
〃now；〃 said peter in a quite different voice； 〃its about time we four started using our brains。鈥�
〃what about？〃 asked edmund。
〃have none of you guessed where we are？〃 said peter。
〃go on； go on；〃 said lucy。 〃ive felt for hours that there was some wonderful mystery hanging over this place。鈥�
〃fire ahead； peter；〃 said edmund。 〃were all listening。鈥�
〃we are in the ruins of cair paravel itself；〃 said peter。
〃but； i say；〃 replied edmund。 〃i mean； how do you make that out？ this place has been ruined for ages。 look at all those big trees growing right up to the gates。 look at the very stones。 anyone can see that nobody has lived here for hundreds of years。鈥�
〃i know；〃 said peter。 〃that is the difficulty。 but lets leave that out for the moment。 i want to take the points one by one。 first point： this hall is exactly the same shape and size as the hall at cair paravel。 just picture a roof on this； and a coloured pavement instead of grass； and tapestries on the walls； and you get our royal banqueting hall。鈥�
no one said anything。
〃second point；〃 continued peter。 〃the castle well is exactly where our well was； a little to the south of the great hall； and it is exactly the same size and shape。鈥�
again there was no reply。
〃third point： susan has just found one of our old chessmen … or something as like one of them as two peas。鈥�
still nobody answered。
〃fourth point。 dont you remember … it was the very day before the ambassadors came from the king of calormen dont you remember planting the orchard outside the north gate of cair paravel？ the greatest of all the wood…people； pomona herself； came to put good spells on it。 it was those very decent little chaps the moles who did the actual digging。 can you have forgotten that funny old lilygloves； the chief mole； leaning on his spade and saying； ‘believe me； your majesty； youll be glad of these fruit trees one day。 and by jove he was right。鈥�
〃i do！ i do！〃 said lucy； and clapped her hands。
〃but look here； peter；〃 said edmund。 〃this must be all rot。 to begin with； we didnt plant the orchard slap up against the gate。 we wouldnt have been such fools。鈥�
〃no； of course not；〃 said peter。 〃but it has grown up to the gate since。鈥�
〃and for another thing；〃 said edmund； 〃cair paravel wasnt on an island。鈥�
〃yes； ive been wondering about that。 but it was a what…do…you…call…it； a peninsula。 jolly nearly an island。 couldnt it have been made an island since our time？ somebody has dug a channel。鈥�
〃but half a moment！〃 said edmund。 〃you keep on saying since our time。 but its only a year ago since we came back from narnia。 and you want to make out that in one year castles have fallen down； and great forests have grown up； and little trees we saw planted ourselves have turned into a big old orchard； and goodness knows what else。 its all impossible。鈥�
〃theres one thing；〃 said lucy。 〃if this is cair paravel there ought to be a door at this end of the dais。 in fact we ought to be sitting with our backs against it at this moment。 you know … the door that led down to the treasure chamber。鈥�
〃i suppose there isnt a door；〃 said peter； getting up。
the wall behind them was a mass of ivy。
〃we can soon find out；〃 said edmund； taking up one of the sticks that they had laid ready for putting on the fire。 he began beating the ivied wall。 tap…tap