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they passed on above it and presently the pale streak was joined by another pale streak。
〃if i was down there；〃 thought lucy； 〃that streak would be just like a road through the wood。 and that place where it joins the other would be a crossroads。 oh； i do wish i was。
hallo！ the forest is ing to an end。 and i do believe the streak really was a road！ i can still see it going on across the open sand。 its a different colour。 and its marked out with something at the edges … dotted lines。 perhaps they are stones。 and now its getting wider。”
but it was not really getting wider； it was getting nearer。 she realized this because of the way in which the shadow of the ship came rushing up towards her。 and the road she felt sure it was a road now … began to go in zigzags。 obviously it was climbing up a steep hill。
and when she held her head sideways and looked back； what she saw was very like what you see when you look down a winding road from the top of a hill。 she could even see the shafts of sunlight falling through the deep water on to the wooded valley … and； in the
extreme distance； everything melting away into a dim greenness。 but some places … the sunny ones； she thought … were ultramarine blue。
she could not； however； spend much time looking back； what was ing into view in the forward direction was too exciting。 the road had apparently now reached the top of the hill and ran straight forward。 little specks were moving to and fro on it。 and now something most wonderful； fortunately in full sunlight … or as full as it can be when it falls through fathoms of water … flashed into sight。 it was knobbly and jagged and of a pearly； or perhaps an ivory； colour。 she was so nearly straight above it that at first she could hardly make out what it was。 but everything became plain when she noticed its shadow。 the sunlight was falling across lucys shoulders； so the shadow of the thing lay stretched out on the sand behind it。 and by its shape she saw clearly that it was a shadow of towers and pinnacles； minarets and domes。
〃why！ … its a city or a huge castle；〃 said lucy to herself 〃but i wonder why theyve built it on top of a high mountain？”
long afterwards when she was back in england and talked all these adventures over with edmund； they thought of a reason and i am pretty sure it is the true one。 in the sea； the deeper you go； the darker and colder it gets； and it is down there； in the dark and cold； that dangerous things live … the squid and the sea serpent and the kraken。 the valleys are the wild； unfriendly places。 the sea…people feel about their valleys as we do about mountains； and feel about their mountains as we feel about valleys。 it is on the heights （or； as we would say； 〃in the shallows〃） that there is warmth and peace。 the reckless hunters and brave knights of the sea go down into the depths on quests and adventures； but return home to the heights for rest and peace； courtesy and council； the sports； the dances and the songs。
they had passed the city and the sea…bed was still rising。 it was only a few hundred feet below the ship now。 the road had disappeared。 they were sailing above an open park…like country； dotted with little groves of brightlycoloured vegetation。 and then … lucy nearly squealed aloud with excitement…she had seen people。
there were between fifteen and twenty of them； and all mounted on sea… horses … not the tiny little sea…horses which you may have seen in museums but horses rather bigger than themselves。 they must be noble and lordly people； lucy thought； for she could catch the gleam of gold on some of their foreheads and streamers of emerald… or orange…coloured stuff fluttered from their shoulders in the current。 then： 〃oh； bother these fish！〃 said lucy； for a whole shoal of small fat fish； swimming quite close to the surface； had e between her and the sea people。 but though this spoiled her view it led to the most interesting thing of all。
suddenly a fierce little fish of a kind she had never seen before came darting up from below； snapped； grabbed； and sank rapidly with one of the fat fish in its mouth。 and all the sea people were sitting on their horses staring up at what had happened。 they seemed
to be talking and laughing。 and before the hunting fish had got back to them with its prey； another of the same kind came up from the sea people。 and lucy was almost certain that one big sea man who sat on his sea…horse in the middle of the party had sent it or released it； as if he had been holdng it back till then in his hand or on his wrist。
〃why； i do declare；〃 said lucy； 〃its a hunting party。 or more like a hawking party。 yes； thats it。 they ride out with these little fierce fish on their wrists just as we used to ride out with falcons on our wrists when we were kings and queens at cair paravel long ago。
and then they fly them … or i suppose i should say swim them … at the others。”
she stopped suddenly because the scene was changing。 the sea people had noticed the dawn treader。 the shoal of fish hard scattered in every direction： the people themselves were ing up to find out the meaning of this big； black thing which had e between them and the sun。 and now they were so close to the surface that if they had been in air； instead of water； lucy could have spoken to them。 there were men and women both。 all wore coronets of some kind and many had chains of pearls。 they wore no other clothes。
their bodies were the colour of old ivory； their hair dark purple。 the king in the centre （no one could mistake him for anything but the king） looked proudly and fiercely into lucys face and shook a spear in his hand。 his knights did the same。 the faces of the ladies were filled with astonishment。 lucy felt sure they had never seen a ship or a human before … and how should they； in seas beyond the worlds end where no ship ever came？
〃what are you staring at； lu？〃 said a voice close beside her。
lucy had been so absorbed in what she was seeing that she started at the sound； and when she turned she found that her arm had gone 〃dead〃 from leaning so long on the rail in one position。 drinian and edmund wer