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〃what is it？〃 said lucy。
〃we must all show great constancy；〃 caspian was saying。 〃a dragon has just flown over the tree…tops and lighted on the beach。 yes； i am afraid it is between us and the ship。 and arrows are no use against dragons。 and theyre not at all afraid of fire。”
〃with your majestys leave…〃 began reepicheep。
〃no； reepicheep；〃 said the king very firmly； 〃you are not to attempt a single bat with it。 and unless you promise to obey me in this matter ill have you tied up。 we must just keep close watch and； as soon as it is light； go down to the beach and give it battle。 i will lead。 king edmund will be on my right and the lord drinian on my left。 there are no other arrangements to be made。 it will be light in a couple of hours。 in an hours time let a meal be served out and what is left of the wine。 and let everything be done silently。”
〃perhaps it will go away；〃 said lucy。
〃itll be worse if it does；〃 said edmund； 〃because then we shant know where it is。 if theres a wasp in the room i like to be able to see it。”
the rest of the night wa dreadful； and when the meal came； though they knew they ought to eat； many found that they had very poor appetites。 and endless hours seemed to pass before the darkness thinned and birds began chirping here and there and the world got colder and wetter than it had been all night and caspian said； 〃now for it； friends。”
they got up； all with swords drawn； and formed themselves into a solid mass with lucy in the middle and reepicheep on her shoulder。 it was nicer than the waiting about and everyone felt fonder of everyone else than at ordinary times。 a moment later they were marching。 it grew lighter as they came to the edge of the wood。 and there on the sand； like a giant lizard； or a flexible crocodile； or a serpent with legs； huge and horrible and humpy； lay the dragon。
but when it saw them； instead of rising up and blowing fire and smoke； the dragon retreated … you could almost say it waddled … back into the shallows of the bay。
〃whats it wagging its head like that for？〃 said edmund。
〃and now its nodding；〃 said caspian。
〃and theres something ing from its eyes；〃 said drinian。
〃oh； cant you see；〃 said lucy。 〃its crying。 those are tears。”
〃i shouldnt trust to that； maam；〃 said drinian。 〃thats what crocodiles do； to put you off your guard。”
〃it wagged its head when you said that；〃 remarked edmund。 〃just as if it meant no。
look； there it goes again。”
〃do you think it understands what were saying？〃 asked lucy。
the dragon nodded its head violently。
reepicheep slipped off lucys shoulder and stepped to the front。
〃dragon；〃 came his shrill voice； 〃can you understand speech？”
the dragon nodded。
〃can you speak？”
it shook its head。
〃then；〃 said reepicheep； 〃it is idle to ask you your business。 but if you will swear friendship with us raise your left foreleg above your head。”
it did so； but clumsily because that leg was sore and swollen with the golden bracelet 〃oh look；〃 said lucy； 〃theres something wrong with its leg。 the poor thing … thats probably what it was crying about。 perhaps it came to us to be cured like in androcles and the lion。”
〃be careful； lucy；〃 said caspian。 〃its a very clever dragon but it may be a liar。”
lucy had； however； already run forward； followed by reepicheep； as fast as his short legs could carry him； and then of course the boys and drinian came； too。
〃show me your poor paw；〃 said lucy； 〃i might be able to cure it。”
the dragon…that…had…been…eustace held out its sore leg gladly enough； remembering how lucys cordial had cured him of sea…sickness before he became a dragon。 but he was disappointed。 the magic fluid reduced the swelling and eased the pain a little but it could not dissolve the gold。
everyone had now crowded round to watch the treatment； and caspian suddenly exclaimed； 〃look！〃 he was staring at the bracelet。
。。
CHAPTER SEVEN
＜小＞说？网
how the adventure ended
〃look at what？〃 said edmund。
〃look at the device on the gold；〃 said caspian。
〃a little hammer with a diamond above it like a star；〃 said drinian。 〃why； ive seen that before。”
〃seen it！〃 said caspian。 〃why； of course you have。 it is the sign of a great narnian house。
this is the lord octesians arm…ring。”
〃villain；〃 said reepicheep to the dragon； 〃have you devoured a narnian lord？〃 but the dragon shook his head violently。
〃or perhaps；〃 said lucy； 〃this is the lord octesian； turned into a dragon … under an enchantment； you know。”
〃it neednt be either；〃 said edmund。 〃all dragons collect gold。 but i think its a safe guess that octesian got no further than this island。”
〃are you the lord octesian？〃 said lucy to the dragon； and then； when it sadly shook its head； 〃are you someone enchanted … someone human； i mean？”
it nodded violently。
and then someone said … people disputed afterwards whether lucy or edmund said it first … 〃youre not … not eustace by any chance？”
and eustace nodded his terrible dragon head and thumped his tail in the sea and everyone skipped back （some of the sailors with ejaculations i will not put down in writing） to avoid the enormous and boiling tears which flowed from his eyes。
lucy tried hard to console him and even screwed up her courage to kiss the scaly face； and nearly everyone said 〃hard luck〃 and several assured eustace that they would all stand by him and many said there was sure to be some way of disenchanting him and theyd have him as right as rain in a day or two。 and of course they were all very anxious to hear his story； but he couldnt speak。 more than once in the days that followed he attempted to write it for them on the sand。 but； this never succeeded。 in the first place eustace （never having read the right books） had no idea how to tell a story straight。 and for another thing； the muscles and nerves of the dragon…claws that he had to use had never learned to write and were not built for writing anyway。 as a result he never got nearly to the end before the tide came in and washed away all the writing except the bits he had already trodden on or accidentaly swis