enty of them … were curved like its beak and had long； pointed； bird…like claws instead of nails。 it floated on the grass instead of walking； and the grass seemed to wither beneath it。
after one look at it puzzle gave a screaming bray and darted into the tower。 and jill （who was no coward； as you know） hid her face in her hands to shut out the sight of it。
the others watched it for perhaps a minute； until it streamed away into the thicker trees on their right and disappeared。 then the sun came out again； and the birds once more began to sing。
everyone started breathing properly again and moved。 they had all been still as statues while it was in sight。
〃what was it？〃 said eustace in a whisper。
〃i have seen it once before；〃 said tirian。 〃but that time it was carved in stone and overlaid with gold and had solid diamonds for eyes。 it was when i was no older than thou； and had gone as a guest to the tisrocs court in tashbaan。
he took me into the great temple of tash。 there i saw it； carved above the altar。”
〃then that … that thing … was tash？〃 said eustace。
but instead of answering him tirian slipped his arm behind jills shoulders and said； 〃how is it with you； lady？”
〃a…all right；〃 said jill； taking her hands away from her pale face and trying to smile。 〃im all right。 it only made me feel a little sick for a moment。”
〃it seems； then；〃 said the unicorn； 〃that there is a real tash； after all。”
〃yes；〃 said the dwarf。 〃and this fool of an ape； who didnt believe in tash； will get more than he bargained for！ he called for tash： tash has e。”
〃where has it … he … the thing … gone to？〃 said jill。
〃north into the heart of narnia；〃 said tirian。 〃it has e to dwell among us。 they have called it and it has e。”
〃ho； ho； ho！〃 chuckled the dwarf； rubbing his hairy hands together。 〃it will be a surprise for the ape。 people shouldnt call for demons unless they really mean what they say。”
〃who knows if tash will be visible to the ape？〃 said jewel。
〃where has puzzle got to？〃 said eustace。
they all shouted out puzzles name and jill went round to the other side of the tower to see if he had gone there。
they were quite tired of looking for him when at last his large grey head peered cautiously out of the doorway and he said； 〃has it gone away？〃 and when at last they got him to e out； he was shivering the way a dog shivers before a thunderstorm。
〃i see now；〃 said puzzle； 〃that i really have been a very bad donkey。 i ought never to have listened to shift。 i never thought things like this would begin to happen。”
〃if youd spent less time saying you werent clever and more time trying to be as clever as you could …〃 began eustace but jill interrupted him。
〃oh leave poor old puzzle alone；〃 she said。 〃it was all a mistake； wasnt it； puzzle dear？”
and she kissed him on the nose。
though rather shaken by what they had seen； the whole party now sat down again and went on with their talk。
jewel had little to tell them。 while he was a prisoner he had spent nearly all his time tied up at the back of the stable； and had of course heard none of the enemies plans。 he had been kicked （hed done some kicking back too） and beaten and threatened with death unless he would say that he believed it was aslan who was brought out and shown to them by firelight every night。 in fact he was going to be executed this very morning if he had not been rescued。 he didnt know what had happened to the lamb。
the question they had to decide was whether they would go to stable hill again that night； show puzzle to the narnians and try to make them see how they had been tricked； or whether they should steal away eastward to meet the help which roonwit the centaur was bringing up from cair paravel and return against the ape and his calormenes in force。 tirian would very much like to have followed the first plan： he hated the idea of leaving the ape to bully his people one moment longer than need be。 on the other hand； the way the dwarfs had behaved last night was a warning。 apparently one couldnt be sure how people would take it even if he showed them puzzle。 and there were the calormene soldiers to be reckoned with。 poggin thought there were about thirty of them。
tirian felt sure that if the narnians all rallied to his side； he and jewel and the children and poggin （puzzle didnt count for much） would have a good chance of beating them。
but how if half the narnians … including all the dwarfs … just sat and looked on？ or even fought against him？ the risk was too great。 and there was； too； the cloudy shape of tash。
what might it do？
and then； as poggin pointed out； there was no harm in leaving the ape to deal with his own difficulties for a day or two。 he would have no puzzle to bring out and show now。 it
wasnt easy to see what story he … or ginger could make up to explain that。 if the beasts asked night after night to see aslan； and no aslan was brought out； surely even the simplest of them would get suspicious。
in the end they all agreed that the best thing was to go off and try to meet roonwit。
as soon as they had decided this； it was wonderful how much more cheerful everyone became。 i dont honestly think that this was because any of them was afraid of a fight （except perhaps jill and eustace）。 but i daresay that each of them； deep down inside； was very glad not to go any nearer … or not yet … to that horrible bird…headed thing which； visible or invisible； was now probably haunting stable hill。 anyway； one always feels better when one has made up ones mind。
tirian said they had better remove their disguises； as they didnt want to be mistaken for calormenes and perhaps attacked by any loyal narnians they might meet。 the dwarf made up a horrid…looking mess of ashes from the hearth and grease out of the jar of grease which was kept for rubbing on swords and spear…heads。 then they took off their calormene armour and went down to the stream。 the nasty mixture made a lather just like soft soap： it was a pleasant； homely sight to see tirian and the two children kneeling beside the water and scrubbing the backs of their necks or puffing and blowing as they splashed the lather off。 then they went back to the tower with red； shiny faces； like people who have been given an extra good wash before a party。 they re…armed themselves in true narnian style； with straight swords and three…cornered shields。 〃body of me；〃 said tirian。 〃that is better。 i feel a true man again。”
puzzle begged very hard to have the lion…skin taken off him。 he said it was too hot and the way it was rucked up on his back was unfortable： also； it made him look so silly。
but they told him he would have to wear it a bit longer； for they still wanted to show him in that get…up to the other beasts； even though they were now going to meet roonwit first。
what was left of the pigeon…meat and rabbit…meat was not worth bringing away but they took some biscuits。 then tirian locked the door of the tower and that was the end of their stay there。
it was a little after two in the afternoon when they set out； and it was the first really warm day of that spring。 the young leaves seemed to be much further out than yesterday： the snow…drops were over； but they saw several primroses。 the sunlight slanted through the trees； birds sang； and always （though usually out of sight） there was the noise of running water。 it was hard to think of horrible things like tash。 the children felt； 〃this is really narnia at last。〃 even tirians heart grew lighter as he walked ahead of them； humming an old narnian marching song which had the refrain： ho； rumble； rumble； rumble； rumble drum belaboured。
after the king came eustace and poggin the dwarf。 poggin was telling eustace the names of all the narnian trees； birds； and plants which he didnt know already。
sometimes eustace would tell him about english ones。
after them came puzzle； and after him jill and jewel walking very close together。 jill had； as you might say； quite fallen in love with the unicorn。 she thought… and she wasnt far wrong … that he was the shiningest； delicatest； most graceful animal she had ever met： and he was so gentle and soft of speech that； if you hadnt known； you would hardly have believed how fierce and terrible he could be in battle。
〃oh； this is nice！〃 said jill。 〃just walking along like this。 i wish there could be more of this sort of adventure。 its a pity theres always so much happening in narnia。”
but the unicorn explained to her that she was quite mistaken。 he said that the sons and daughters of adam and eve were brought out of their own strange world into narnia only at times when narnia was stirred and upset； but she mustnt think it was always like that。 in between their visits there were hundreds and thousands of years when peaceful king followed peaceful king till you could hardly remember their names or count their numbers； and there was really hardly anything to put into the history books。 and he went on to talk of old queens and heroes whom she had never heard of。 he spoke of swanwhite the queen who had lived before the days of the white witch and the great winter； who w