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depth is like。 hold on to my hand； caspian； while i lean out over the water a bit。”
caspian took his hand and edmund； leaning forward； began to lower his spear into the water。
before it was half…way in lucy said； 〃i dont believe the statue is gold at all。 its only the light。 your spear looks just the same colour。”
〃whats wrong？〃 asked several voices at once； for edmund had suddenly let go of the spear。
〃i couldnt hold it；〃 gasped edmund； 〃it seemed so heavy。”
〃and there it is on the bottom now；〃 said caspian； 〃and lucy is right。 it looks just the same colour as the statue。”
but edmund； who appeared to be having some trouble with his boots … at least he was bending down and looking at them … straightened himself all at once and shouted out in the sharp voice which people hardly ever disobey： 〃get back！ back from the water。 all of you。 at once！！”
they all did and stared at him。
〃look；〃 said edmund； 〃look at the toes of my boots。”
〃they look a bit yellow；〃 began eustace。
〃theyre gold； solid gold；〃 interrupted edmund。 〃look at them。 feel them。 the leathers pulled away from it already。 and theyre as heavy as lead。”
〃by aslan！〃 said caspian。 〃you dont mean to say…？”
〃yes； i do；〃 said edmund。 〃that water turns things into gold。 it turned the spear into gold； thats why it got so heavy。 and it was just lapping against my feet （its a good thing i wasnt barefoot） and it turned the toe…caps into gold。 and that poor fellow on the bottom … well； you see。”
〃so it isnt a statue at all；〃 said lucy in a low voice。
〃no。 the whole thing is plain now。 he was here on a hot day。 he undressed on top of the cliff … where we were sitting。 the clothes have rotted away or been taken by birds to line nests with； the armours still there。 then he dived and …”
〃dont；〃 said lucy。 〃what a horrible thing。”
〃and what a narrow shave weve had；〃 said edmund。
〃narrow indeed；〃 said reepicheep。 〃anyones finger； anyones foot； anyones whisker； or anyones tail； might have slipped into the water at any moment。”
〃all the same；〃 said caspian； 〃we may as well test it。〃 he stooped down and wrenched up a spray of heather。 then； very cautiously； he knelt beside the pool and dipped it in。 it was heather that he dipped； what he drew out was a perfect model of heather made of the purest gold； heavy and soft as lead。
〃the king who owned this island；〃 said caspian slowly； and his face flushed as he spoke； 〃would soon be the richest of all the kings of the world。 i claim this land for ever as a narnian possession。 it shall be called goldwater island。 and i bind all of you to secrecy。
no one must know of this。 not even drinian … on pain of death； do you hear？”
〃who are you talking to？〃 said edmund。 〃im no subject of yours。 if anything its the other way round。 i am one of the four ancient sovereigns of narnia and you are under allegiance to the high king my brother。”
〃so it has e to that； king edmund； has it？〃 said caspian； laying his hand on his sword…hilt。
〃oh； stop it； both of you；〃 said lucy。 〃thats the worst of doing anything with boys。
youre all such swaggering； bullying idiots … oooh！ …〃 her voice died away into a gasp。
and everyone else saw what she had seen。
across the grey hillside above them … grey； for the heather was not yet in bloom … without noise； and without looking at them； and shining as if he were in bright sunlight though the sun had in fact gone in； passed with slow pace the hugest lion that human eyes have ever seen。 in describing the scene lucy said afterwards； 〃he was the size of an elephant；”
though at another time she only said； 〃the size of a cart…horse。〃 but it was not the size that mattered。 nobody dared to ask what it was。 they knew it was aslan。
and nobody ever saw how or where he went。 they looked at one another like people waking from sleep。
〃what were we talking about？〃 said caspian。 〃have i been making rather an ass of myself？”
〃sire；〃 said reepicheep； 〃this is a place with a curse on it。 let us get back on board at once。 and if i might have the honour of naming this island； i should call it deathwater。”
〃that strikes me as a very good name； reep；〃 said caspian； 〃though now that i e to think of it； i dont know why。 but the weather seems to be settling and i dare say drinian would like to be off。 what a lot we shall have to tell him。”
but in fact they had not much to tell for the memory of the last hour had all bee confused。
〃their majesties all seemed a bit bewitched when they came aboard；〃 said drinian to rhince some hours later when the dawn treader was once more under sail and deathwater island already below the horizon。 〃something happened to them in that place。
the only thing i could get clear was that they think theyve found the body of one of these lords were looking for。”
〃you dont say so； captain；〃 answered rhince。 〃well； thats three。 only four more。 at this rate we might be home soon after the new year。 and a good thing too。 my baccys running a bit low。 good night； sir。”
xs
CHAPTER NINE
the island of the voices and now the winds which had so long been from the north…west began to blow from the west itself and every morning when the sun rose out of the sea the curved prow of the dawn treader stood up right across the middle of the sun。 some thought that the sun looked larger than it looked from narnia； but others disagreed。 and they sailed and sailed before a gentle yet steady breeze and saw neither fish nor gull… nor ship nor shore。 and stores began to get low again； and it crept into their hearts that perhaps they might have e to a sea which went on for ever。 but when the very last day on which they thought they could risk continuing their eastward voyage dawned； it showed； right ahead between them and the sunrise； a low land lying like a cloud。
they made harbour in a wide bay about the middle of the afternoon and landed。 it was a very different country from any they had yet seen。 for when they had crossed the sandy beach they found all silent and empty as if it were an uninhabited land； but before them there were level lawns in which the gras