e to me another day； with them； you understand。 it is no good ing without them。”
〃but i dont even know the way back to my own country；〃 pleaded edmund。 〃thats easy；〃 answered the queen。 〃do you see that lamp？〃 she pointed with her wand and edmund turned and saw the same lamp…post under which lucy had met the faun。
〃straight on； beyond that； is the way to the world of men。 and now look the other way… here she pointed in the opposite direction … 〃and tell me if you can see two little hills rising above the trees。”
〃i think i can；〃 said edmund。
〃well； my house is between those two hills。 so next time you e you have only to find the lamp…post and look for those two hills and walk through the wood till you reach my house。 but remember … you must bring the others with you。 i might have to be very angry with you if you came alone。”
〃ill do my best；〃 said edmund。
〃and； by the way；〃 said the queen； 〃you neednt tell them about me。 it would be fun to keep it a secret between us two； wouldnt it？ make it a surprise for them。 just bring them along to the two hills … a clever boy like you will easily think of some excuse for doing that … and when you e to my house you could just say 〃lets see who lives here〃 or something like that。 i am sure that would be best。 if your sister has met one of the fauns； she may have heard strange stories about me … nasty stories that might make her afraid to e to me。 fauns will say anything； you know； and now …”
〃please； please；〃 said edmund suddenly； 〃please couldnt i have just one piece of turkish delight to eat on the way home？”
〃no； no；〃 said the queen with a laugh； 〃you must wait till next time。〃 while she spoke； she signalled to the dwarf to drive on； but as the sledge swept away out of sight； the queen waved to edmund； calling out； 〃next time！ next time！ dont forget。 e soon。”
edmund was still staring after the sledge when he heard someone calling his own name； and looking round he saw lucy ing towards him from another part of the wood。
〃oh； edmund！〃 she cried。 〃so youve got in too！ isnt it wonderful； and now…”
〃all right；〃 said edmund； 〃i see you were right and it is a magic wardrobe after all。 ill say im sorry if you like。 but where on earth have you been all this time？ ive been looking for you everywhere。”
〃if id known you had got in id have waited for you；〃 said lucy； who was too happy and excited to notice how snappishly edmund spoke or how flushed and strange his face was。
〃ive been having lunch with dear mr tumnus； the faun； and hes very well and the white witch has done nothing to him for letting me go； so he thinks she cant have found out and perhaps everything is going to be all right after all。”
〃the white witch？〃 said edmund； 〃whos she？”
〃she is a perfectly terrible person；〃 said lucy。 〃she calls herself the queen of narnia though she has no right to be queen at all； and all the fauns and dryads and naiads and dwarfs and animals … at least all the good ones … simply hate her。 and she can turn people into stone and do all kinds of horrible things。 and she has made a magic so that it is always winter in narnia … always winter； but it never gets to christmas。 and she drives about on a sledge； drawn by reindeer； with her wand in her hand and a crown on her head。”
edmund was already feeling unfortable from having eaten too many sweets； and when he heard that the lady he had made friends with was a dangerous witch he felt even more unfortable。 but he still wanted to taste that turkish delight again more than he wanted anything else。
〃who told you all that stuff about the white witch？〃 he asked。
〃mr tumnus； the faun；〃 said lucy。
〃you cant always believe what fauns say；〃 said edmund； trying to sound as if he knew far more about them than lucy。
〃who said so？〃 asked lucy。
〃everyone knows it；〃 said edmund； 〃ask anybody you like。 but its pretty poor sport standing here in the snow。 lets go home。”
〃yes； lets；〃 said lucy。 〃oh； edmund； i am glad youve got in too。 the others will have to believe in narnia now that both of us have been there。 what fun it will be！”
but edmund secretly thought that it would not be as good fun for him as for her。 he would have to admit that lucy had been right； before all the others； and he felt sure the others would all be on the side of the fauns and the animals； but he was already more than half on the side of the witch。 he did not know what he would say； or how he would keep his secret once they were all talking about narnia。
by this time they had walked a good way。 then suddenly they felt coats around them instead of branches and next moment they were both standing outside the wardrobe in the empty room。
〃i say；〃 said lucy； 〃you do look awful； edmund。 dont you feel well？”
〃im all right；〃 said edmund； but this was not true。 he was feeling very sick。
〃e on then；〃 said lucy； 〃lets find the others。 what a lot we shall have to tell them！
and what wonderful adventures we shall have now that were all in it together。”
d
CHAPTER FIVE
，
back on this side of the door because the game of hide…and…seek was still going on； it took edmund and lucy some time to find the others。 but when at last they were all together （which happened in the long room； where the suit of armour was） lucy burst out： 〃peter！ susan！ its all true。 edmund has seen it too。 there is a country you can get to through the wardrobe。 edmund and i both got in。 we met one another in there； in the wood。 go on； edmund； tell them all about it。”
〃whats all this about； ed？〃 said peter。
and now we e to one of the nastiest things in this story。 up to that moment edmund had been feeling sick； and sulky； and annoyed with lucy for being right； but he hadnt made up his mind what to do。 when peter suddenly asked him the question he decided all at once to do the meanest and most spiteful thing he could think of。 he decided to let lucy down。
〃tell us； ed；〃 said susan。
and edmund gave a very superior look as if he were far older than lucy （there was really only a years difference） and then a little snigger and said； 〃oh； yes； lucy and i have been playing … pretending that all her story about a country in the wardrobe is true。 just for fun； of course。 theres nothing there really。”
poor lucy gave edmund one look and rushed out of the room。
edmund； who was being a nastier person every minute； thought that he had scored a great success； and went on at once to say； 〃there she goes again。 whats the matter with her？ thats the worst of young kids； they always …”
〃look here；〃 said peter； turning on him savagely； 〃shut up！ youve been perfectly beastly to lu ever since she started this nonsense about the wardrobe； and now you go playing games with her about it and setting her off again。 i believe you did it simply out of spite。”
〃but its all nonsense；〃 said edmund； very taken aback。
〃of course its all nonsense；〃 said peter； 〃thats just the point。 lu was perfectly all right when we left home； but since weve been down here she seems to be either going queer in the head or else turning into a most frightful liar。 but whichever it is； what good do you think youll do by jeering and nagging at her one day and encouraging her the next？”
〃i thought … i thought；〃 said edmund； but he couldnt think of anything to say。
〃you didnt think anything at all；〃 said peter； 〃its just spite。 youve always liked being beastly to anyone smaller than yourself； weve seen that at school before now。”
〃do stop it；〃 said susan； 〃it wont make things any better having a row between you two。
lets go and find lucy。”
it was not surprising that when they found lucy； a good deal later； everyone could see that she had been crying。 nothing they could say to her made any difference。 she stuck to her story and said：
〃i dont care what you think； and i dont care what you say。 you can tell the professor or you can write to mother or you can do anything you like。 i know ive met a faun in there and … i wish id stayed there and you are all beasts； beasts。”
it was an unpleasant evening。 lucy was miserable and edmund was beginning to feel that his plan wasnt working as well as he had expected。 the two older ones were really beginning to think that lucy was out of her mind。 they stood in the passage talking about it in whispers long after she had gone to bed。
the result was the next morning they decided that they really would go and tell the whole thing to the professor。 〃hell write to father if he thinks there is really something wrong with lu；〃 said peter； 〃its getting beyond us。〃 so they went and knocked at the study door； and the professor said 〃e in；〃 and got up and found chairs for them and said he was quite at their disposal。 then he sat listening to them with the tips of his fingers pressed together and never interrupting； till they had finished the whole story。 after that he said nothing for quite a long time。 then he cleared his throat and said the last thing either of them expected： 〃how do you know；〃 he asked； 〃that your sisters story is not true？”
〃oh； but …〃 began susan； and then stopped。 anyone could see from the old mans fac