“BUTwhatareyou?”saidtheQueenagain.“Areyouagreatovergrowndwarfthathascutoffitsbeard?”
“No,yourMajesty,”saidEdmund,“Ineverhadabeard,I’maboy.”
“Aboy!”saidshe.“DoyoumeanyouareaSonofAdam?”
Edmundstoodstill,sayingnothing.Hewastooconfusedbythistimetounderstandwhatthequestionmeant.
“Iseeyouareanidiot,whateverelseyoumaybe,”saidtheQueen.“Answerme,onceandforall,orIshalllosemypatience。Areyouhuman?”
“Yes,yourMajesty,”saidEdmund.
“Andhow,pray,didyoucometoentermydominions?”
“Please,yourMajesty,Icameinthroughawardrobe.”
“Awardrobe?Whatdoyoumean?”
“I-Iopenedadoorandjustfoundmyselfhere,yourMajesty,”saidEdmund.
“Ha!”saidtheQueen,speakingmoretoherselfthantohim。“Adoor.Adoorfromtheworldofmen!Ihaveheardofsuchthings。Thismaywreckall.Butheisonlyone,andheiseasilydealtwith。”AsshespokethesewordssherosefromherseatandlookedEdmundfullintheface,hereyesflaming;atthesamemomentsheraisedherwand.Edmundfeltsurethatshewasgoingtodosomethingdreadfulbutheseemedunabletomove.Then,justashegavehimselfupforlost,sheappearedtochangehermind.
“Mypoorchild,”shesaidinquiteadifferentvoice,“howcoldyoulook!ComeandsitwithmehereonthesledgeandIwillputmymantleroundyouandwewilltalk.”
Edmunddidnotlikethisarrangementatallbuthedarednotdisobey;hesteppedontothesledgeandsatatherfeet,andsheputafoldofherfurmantleroundhimandtuckeditwellin.
“Perhapssomethinghottodrink?”saidtheQueen.“Shouldyoulikethat?”
“Yesplease,yourMajesty,”saidEdmund,whoseteethwerechattering.
TheQueentookfromsomewhereamongherwrappingsaverysmallbottlewhichlookedasifitweremadeofcopper.Then,holdingoutherarm,sheletonedropfallfromitontothesnowbesidethesledge.Edmundsawthedropforasecondinmid-air,shininglikeadiamond.Butthemomentittouchedthesnowtherewasahissingsoundandtherestoodajewelledcupfullofsomethingthatsteamed.ThedwarfimmediatelytookthisandhandedittoEdmundwithabowandasmile;notaverynicesmile.Edmundfeltmuchbetterashebegantosipthehotdrink.Itwassomethinghehadnevertastedbefore,verysweetandfoamyandcreamy,anditwarmedhimrightdowntohistoes.
“Itisdull,SonofAdam,todrinkwithouteating,”saidtheQueenpresently.“Whatwouldyoulikebesttoeat?”
“TurkishDelight,please,yourMajesty,”saidEdmund.
TheQueenletanotherdropfallfromherbottleontothesnow,andinstantlythereappearedaroundbox,tiedwithgreensilkribbon,which,whenopened,turnedouttocontainseveralpoundsofthebestTurkishDelight.EachpiecewassweetandlighttotheverycentreandEdmundhadnevertastedanythingmoredelicious.Hewasquitewarmnow,andverycomfortable.
WhilehewaseatingtheQueenkeptaskinghimquestions.AtfirstEdmundtriedtorememberthatitisrudetospeakwithone’smouthfull,butsoonheforgotaboutthisandthoughtonlyoftryingtoshoveldownasmuchTurkishDelightashecould,andthemoreheatethemorehewantedtoeat,andheneveraskedhimselfwhytheQueenshouldbesoinquisitive.Shegothimtotellherthathehadonebrotherandtwosisters,andthatoneofhissistershadalreadybeeninNarniaandhadmetaFaunthere,andthatnooneexcepthimselfandhisbrotherandhissistersknewanythingaboutNarnia.Sheseemedespeciallyinterestedinthefactthattherewerefourofthem,andkeptoncomingbacktoit.“Youaresuretherearejustfourofyou?”sheasked.“TwoSonsofAdamandtwoDaughtersofEve,neithermorenorless?”andEdmund,withhismouthfullofTurkishDelight,keptonsaying,“Yes,Itoldyouthatbefore,”andforgettingtocallher“YourMajesty”,butshedidn’tseemtomindnow.
AtlasttheTurkishDelightwasallfinishedandEdmundwaslookingveryhardattheemptyboxandwishingthatshewouldaskhimwhetherhewouldlikesomemore.ProbablytheQueenknewquitewellwhathewasthinking;forsheknew,thoughEdmunddidnot,thatthiswasenchantedTurkishDelightandthatanyonewhohadoncetasteditwouldwantmoreandmoreofit,andwouldeven,iftheywereallowed,gooneatingittilltheykilledthemselves.Butshedidnotofferhimanymore.Instead,shesaidtohim,
“SonofAdam,Ishouldsomuchliketoseeyourbrotherandyourtwosisters.Willyoubringthemtoseeme?”
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