one position。 drinian and edmund were beside her。
〃look；〃 she said。
they both looked； but almost at once drinian said in a low voice： 〃turn round at once； your majesties … thats right； with our backs to the sea。 and dont look as if we were talking about anything important。”
〃why； whats the matter？〃 said lucy as she obeyed。
〃itll never do for the sailors to see all that；〃 said drinian。 〃well have men falling in love with a seawoman； or falling in love with the under…sea country itself； and jumping overboard。 ive heard of that kind of thing happening before in strange seas。 its always unlucky to see these people。”
〃but we used to know them；〃 said lucy。 〃in the old days at cair paravel when my brother peter was high king。 they came to the surface and sang at our coronation。”
〃i think that must have been a different kind； lu；〃 said edmund。 〃they could live in the air as well as under water。 i rather think these cant。 by the look of them theyd have surfaced and started attacking us long ago if they could。 they seem very fierce。”
〃at any rate；〃 said drinian； but at that moment two sounds were heard。 one was a plop。
the other was a voice from the fighting top shouting； 〃man overboard！〃 then everyone was busy。 some of the sailors hurried aloft to take in the sail： others hurried below to get to the oars； and rhince； who was on duty on the poop； began to put the helm hard over so as to e round and back to the man who had gone overboard。 but by now everyone knew that it wasnt strictly a man。 it was reepicheep。
〃drat that mouse！〃 said drinian。 〃its more trouble than all the rest of the ships pany put together。 if there is any scrape to be got into； in it will get！ it ought to be put in irons … keel…hauled … marooned … have its whiskers cut off。 can anyone see the little blighter？”
all this didnt mean that drinian really disliked reepicheep。 on the contrary he liked him very much and was therefore frightened about him； and being frightened put him in a bad temper … just as your mother is much angrier with you for running out into the road in front of a car than a stranger would be。 no one； of course； was afraid of reepicheeps drowning； for he was an excellent swimmer； but the three who knew what was going on below the water were afraid of those long； cruel spears in the hands of the sea people。
in a few minutes the dawn treader had e round and everyone could see the black blob in the water which was reepicheep。 he was chattering with the greatest excitement but as his mouth kept on getting filled with water nobody could understand what he was saying。
〃hell blurt the whole thing out if we dont shut him up；〃 cried drinian。 to prevent this he rushed to the side and lowered a rope himself； shouting to the sailors； 〃all right； all right。
back to your places。 i hope i can heave a mouse up without help。〃 and as reepicheep began climbing up the rope not very nimbly because his wet fur made him heavy … drinian leaned over and whispered to him； 〃dont tell。 not a word。”
but when the dripping mouse had reached the deck it turned out not to be at all interested in the sea people。
〃sweet！〃 he cheeped。 〃sweet； sweet！”
〃what are you talking about？〃 asked drinian crossly。 〃and you neednt shake yourself all over me； either。”
〃i tell you the waters sweet；〃 said the mouse。 〃sweet； fresh。 it isnt salt。”
for a moment no one quite took in the importance of this。 but then reepicheep once more repeated the old prophecy： 〃where the waves grow sweet； doubt not； reepicheep； there is the utter east。”
then at last everyone understood。
〃let me have a bucket； rynelf；〃 said drinian。
it was handed him and he lowered it and up it came again。 the water shone in it like glass。
〃perhaps your majesty would like to taste it first；〃 said drinian to caspian。
the king took the bucket in both hands； raised it to his lips； sipped； then drank deeply and raised his head。 his face was changed。 not only his eyes but everything about him seemed to be brighter。
〃yes；〃 he said； 〃it is sweet。 thats real water； that。 im not sure that it isnt going to kill me。 but it is the death i would have chosen … if id known about it till now。”
〃what do you mean？〃 asked edmund。
〃it … its like light more than anything else；〃 said caspian。
〃that is what it is；〃 said reepicheep。 〃drinkable light。 we must be very near the end of the world now。”
there was a moments silence and then lucy knelt down on the deck and drank from the bucket。
〃its the loveliest thing i have ever tasted；〃 she said with a kind of gasp。 〃but oh … its strong。 we shant need to eat anything now。”
and one by one everybody on board drank。 and for a long time they were all silent。 they felt almost too well and strong to bear it； and presently they began to notice another result。 as i have said before； there had been too much light ever since they left the island of ramandu … the sun too large （though not too hot）； the sea too bright； the air too shining。 now； the light grew no less … if anything； it increased … but they could bear it。
they could look straight up at the sun without blinking。 they could see more light than they had ever seen before。 and the deck and the sail and their own faces and bodies became brighter and brighter and every rope shone。 and next morning； when the sun rose； now five or six times its old size； they stared hard into it and could see the very feathers of the birds that came flying from it。
hardly a word was spoken on board all that day； till about dinner…time （no one wanted any dinner； the water was enough for them） drinian said： 〃i cant understand this。 there is not a breath of wind。 the sail hangs dead。 the sea is as flat as a pond。 and yet we drive on as fast as if there were a gale behind us。”
〃ive been thinking that； too；〃 said caspian。 〃we must be caught in some strong current。”
〃hm；〃 said edmund。 〃thats not so nice if the world really has an edge and were getting near it。”
〃you mean；〃 said caspian； 〃that we might be just well； poured over it？”
〃yes； yes；〃 cried reepicheep； clapping his paws together。 〃thats how ive always imagined it … the world like a great round table and the waters of all the oceans endlessly pouring over the edge。 the ship will tip up stand on her head … for one moment we shall see over the edge … and then； down； down； the rush； the speed …”
〃and what do you think will be waiting for us at the bottom； eh？〃 said drinian。
〃aslans country perhaps；〃 said the mouse； its eyes shining。 〃or perhaps there isnt any bottom。 perhaps it goes down for ever and ever。 but whatever it is； wont it be worth anything just to have looked for one moment beyond the edge of the world。”
〃but look …here；〃 said eustace； 〃this is all rot。 the worlds round … i mean； round like a ball； not like a table。”
〃our world is；〃 said edmund。 〃but is this？”
〃do you mean to say；〃 asked caspian； 〃that you three e from a round world （round like a ball） and youve never told me！ its really too bad of you。 because we have fairy…tales in which there are round worlds and i always loved them。 i never believed there were any real ones。 but ive always wished there were and ive always longed to live in one。 oh； id give anything … i wonder why you can get into our world and we never get into yours？ if only i had the chance！ it must be exciting to live on a thing like a ball。
have you ever been to the parts where people walk about upside…down？”
edmund shook his head。 〃and it isnt like that；〃 he added。 〃theres nothing particularly exciting about a round world when youre there。
……
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
，小，说，网
the very end of the world
reepicheep was the only person on board besides drinian and the two pevensies who had noticed the sea people。 he had dived in at once when he saw the sea king shaking his spear； for he regarded this as a sort of threat or challenge and wanted to have the matter out there and then。 the excitement of discovering that the water was now fresh had distracted his attention； and before he remembered the sea people again lucy and drinian had taken him aside and warned him not to mention what he had seen。
as things turned out they need hardly have bothered； for by this time the dawn treader was gliding over a part of the sea which seemed to be uninhabited。 no one except lucy saw anything more of the people； and even she had only one short glimpse。 all morning on the following day they sailed in fairly shallow water and the bottom was weedy。 just before midday lucy saw a large shoal of fishes grazing on the weed。 they were all eating steadily and all moving in the same direction。 〃just like a flock of sheep；〃 thought lucy。
suddenly she saw a little sea girl of about her own age in the middle of them … a quiet； lonely…looking girl with a sort of crook in her hand。 lucy felt sure that this girl must be a shepherdess … or perhaps a fish…herdess and that the shoal was really a flock at pasture。
both the fishes and the girl were quite close to the surface。 and just as the girl； gliding in the shallow water； and lucy； leaning over the bulwark； came opposite to one anoth