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〃i think youve seen aslan；〃 said edmund。
〃aslan！〃 said eustace。 〃ive heard that name mentioned several times since we joined the dawn treader。 and i felt … i dont know what … i hated it。 but i was hating everything then。 and by the way； id like to apologize。 im afraid ive been pretty beastly。”
〃thats all right；〃 said edmund。 〃between ourselves； you havent been as bad as i was on my first trip to narnia。 you were only an ass； but i was a traitor。”
〃well； dont tell me about it； then；〃 said eustace。 〃but who is aslan？ do you know him？”
〃well … he knows me；〃 said edmund。 〃he is the great lion； the son of the emperor…beyond…the…sea； who saved me and saved narnia。 weve all seen him。 lucy sees him most often。 and it may be aslans country we are sailing to。”
neither said anything for a while。 the last bright star had vanished and though they could not see the sunrise because of the mountains on their right； they knew it was going on because the sky above them and the bay before them turned the colour of roses。 then some bird of the parrot kind screamed in the wood behind them； they heard movements among the trees； and finally a blast on caspians horn。 the camp was astir。
great was the rejoicing when edmund and the restored eustace walked into the breakfast circle round the camp fire。 and now of course everyone heard the earlier part of his story。
people wondered whether the other dragon had killed the lord octesian several years ago or whether octesian himself had been the old dragon。 the jewels with which eustace had crammed his pockets in the cave had disappeared along with the clothes he had then been wearing： but no one； least of all eustace himself； felt any desire to go back to that valley for more treasure。
in a few days now the dawn treader； remasted； re…painted； and well stored； was ready to sail。 before they embarked caspian caused to be cut on a smooth cliff facing the bay the words： two narrow escapes
dragon island discovered by caspian x； king of narnia； etc。 in the fourth year of his reign。 here； as we suppose； the lord octesian had his death it would be nice； and fairly true； to say that 〃from that time forth eustace was a different boy〃。 to be strictly accurate； he began to be a different boy。 he had relapses。 there were still many days when he could be very tiresome。 but most of those i shall not notice。 the cure had begun。
the lord octesians arm ring had a curious fate。 eustace did not want it and offered it to caspian and caspian offered it to lucy。 she did not care about having it。 〃very well； then； catch as catch can；〃 said caspian and flung it up in the air。 this was when they were all standing looking at the inscription。 up went the ring； flashing in the sunlight； and caught； and hung； as neatly as a well…thrown quoit； on a little projection on the rock。 no one could climb up to get it from below and no one could climb down to get it from above。 and there； for all i know； it is hanging still and may hang till that world ends。
。。
CHAPTER EIGHT
生
two narrow escapes everyone was cheerful as the dawn treader sailed from dragon island。 they had fair winds as soon as they were out of the bay and came early next morning to the unknown land which some of them had seen when flying over the mountains while eustace was still a dragon。 it was a low green island inhabited by nothing but rabbits and a few goats； but from the ruins of stone huts； and from blackened places where fires had been； they judged that it had been peopled not long before。 there were also some bones and broken weapons。
〃pirates work；〃 said caspian。
〃or the dragons；〃 said edmund。
the only other thing they found there was a little skin boat； or coracle； on the sands。 it was made of hide stretched over a wicker framework。 it was a tiny boat； barely four feet long； and the paddle which still lay in it was in proportion。 they thought that either it had been made for a child or else that the people of that country had been dwarfs。
reepicheep decided to keep it； as it was just the right size for him； so it was taken on board。 they called that land burnt island； and sailed away before noon。
for some five days they ran before a south…south…east wind； out of sight of all lands and seeing neither fish nor gull。 then they had a day when it rained hard till the afternoon。
eustace lost two games of chess to reepicheep and began to get like his old and
disagreeable self again； and edmund said he wished they could have gone to america with susan。 then lucy looked out of the stern windows and said： 〃hello！ i do believe its stopping。 and whats that？”
they all tumbled up to the poop at this and found that the rain had stopped and that drinian； who was on watch； was also staring hard at something astern。 or rather； at several things。 they looked a little like smooth rounded rocks； a whole line of them with intervals of about forty feet in between。
〃but they cant be rocks；〃 drinian was saying； 〃because they werent there five minutes ago。”
〃and ones just disappeared；〃 said lucy。
〃yes； and theres another one ing up；〃 said edmund。
〃and nearer；〃 said eustace。
〃hang it！〃 said caspian。 〃the whole thing is moving this way。”
〃and moving a great deal quicker than we can sail； sire；〃 said drinian。 〃itll be up with us in a minute。”
they all held their breath； for it is not at all nice to be pursued by an unknown something either on land or sea。 but what it turned out to be was far worse than anyone had suspected。 suddenly； only about the length of a cricket pitch from their port side； an appalling head reared itself out of the sea。 it was all greens and vermilions with purple blotches … except where shell fish clung to it … and shaped rather like a horses； though without ears。 it had enormous eyes； eyes made for staring through the dark depths of the ocean； and a gaping mouth filled with double rows of sharp fish…like teeth。 it came up on what they first took to be a huge neck； but as more and more of it emerged everyone knew that this was not its neck but its body and that at last they were seeing what so many people