My apologies for the brevity of these chapters. I promise that the next one will be significantly longer. C&CC are appreciated.
The word "how" would not leave Casper's mind as he tried to comprehend the event. It should not happen, no, it cannothappen. Only in fairy stories does one get transported from one world to another. But he could not refute the bare facts. The land around him was utterly different, the sun had been high in the sky when they entered the cave a few minutes ago, and the stars--for a good seaman knows his stars--were all different. Not only were the shapes hopelessly unrecognizable, but there was something about them which set Casper off. Their twinkling seemed rhythmic and hit his ears like an ethereal concert. He was trying to block this out and determine what the group's course of action should be when Don Passarid, the Sea Blade'swell esteemed Spaniard sailor, remarked "What do you make of this, Señor Telmair?"
Should he tell him the hard truth that the only possible explanation is that somehow they had been transported to another world? No. He would be laughed out, or worse. He bluffed. "I am unsure, Don, but I sense that we can get back."
"But would we really want to, master?" I mean, back on the other side is death, here is freedom. For my spirit tells me that we are no longer in the South Sea or in our world at all. We have come to a new world. We can make a newstart here. We need not worry about captain Roemer or his Majesty's navy."
Telmair acknowledged that he too knew that this was a new world, but not by anything in his soul; he highly doubted that he even possessed one. He quietly asked Passarid whether he felt the others would accept this fact without some kind of violence. The Spaniard looked down, pondering all possibilities, and, after about a minute, gave the only answer that came into his mind "No sé."
"You do not know!" roared the first mate. "Do you call that advice, Passarid? I need to know how the others will react. You know them, so tell me!"
"All I can tell you, my master, is that it would be best to wait until the morning when all have slept."
Casper was pleased at this and told the women, who composed half of the group, to prepare to stay the night in the cave. And in nearly an hour the company had settled down for a night of unperturbed sleep.
The night felt thick. Not humid as it had on the island on which the pirates had formerly resided; but dense and constricting as though an unseen presence surrounded them. Don Passarid could not sleep. He lay motionless, staring into the starry sky outside the cave's mouth. All was silent but for the occasional hoot of an owl and the soft echo of the wind. Then, out of the silence, he heard a sound like a rhythmic hum, far and distant. Don felt himself become more and more awake. He arose and walked to the entrance; gazing out at his magical new home. He felt a biting chill in the wind, as though the air took a dislike to him. The breeze stopped and Passarid heard a rumble. Almost like the growl of a lion. All that was around him felt alive and alert, yet weak as though from some distant land beyond the black mountains whose peaks obscured the eastern horizon. "What is this place?" He inquired just above a wispier.
The reply came out of the sky faint like the song of children, yet loud like the rushing of waters. "Narnia, Narnia, Narnia. We hear and obey. We are awake. We love. We think. We speak. We know." The song faded and blended with the mellifluous song of the stars. There was no possible way Don Passarid could sleep now. He took a deep breath of the dense air and felt himself become stronger, and braver and more adventurous than he had ever felt at home. But now this was his home, harsh yet magical, alluring and foreboding.
A breeze from over the jet-black mountains surrounded him. At last he felt drowsy. He turned and rested his head on cold floor of the cave and the celestial song put him to sleep.
