Author' Note: This didn't turn out at all as I expected. The spiritual discussion in the middle has quite possibly led me way out of my depth - please feel free to correct any theological tangles I may have gotten myself into. I'm not entirely happy with this chapter, but at least it's longer and a bit less sweet. I'm quite unhappy with the end of this chapter, though, so I may change it if I think of something better. Still not entirely happy with Eustace either.
Disclaimer: I don't own any of this; C.S. Lewis does.
Eustace wasted little time in updating the Pevensies on his own adventures. It seemed that he had indeed been back to Narnia, just as Lucy had suggested, but that someone else had gone with him.
"Her name is Pole," he told them.
"What a funny name!" said Susan with a laugh.
"Oh, that's not her first name," amended Eustace. "Her first name is Jill. She goes to my school, and she hates it too. It all started because she was hiding from Them."
"Them?" queried Peter.
"Oh. I keep forgetting that you don't all go to my school too," said Eustace. "They are what I suppose you'd call bullies."
It was hard work for the Pevensies, getting a straight story out of Eustace. It has been noted before that Eustace was not the best of storytellers, owing to him having read all the wrong sorts of books when he was younger. He would keep forgetting important details, or jumping forwards to future events, or getting sidetracked and beginning to discuss something quite different. Eventually they managed to sort the whole story out, although it must be said that some tempers frayed along the way.
"The Lady of the Green Kirtle sounds a lot like the White Witch," said Peter thoughtfully. "You don't think -"
"No," said Edmund at once. "The Witch didn't have power like that. Why, she could have bewitched me, and made me do all sorts of horrible things." He shuddered.
"But she did bewitch you, in a way, Ed," said Susan. "I mean, you did ... well, go back to her."
"Trust me," said Edmund. "This doesn't sound like the Witch."
"I'm sure Aslan would have mentioned it if it was," said Eustace.
"Not necessarily," said Lucy, "if it wasn't part of your story. But I trust Edmund on this." Edmund squeezed her hand.
The rest of the afternoon was spent happily reminiscing about Marsh-wiggles and giants, and Trumpkin and talking owls, but they were careful to avoid the subject of the Lady.
"Poor Caspian," said Susan. "It feels so awful, knowing that he's dead."
"But he's in Aslan's Country," said Lucy. "And Aslan promised us we'd go there again one day. We'll see him again."
"Will we, though?" wondered Susan. "Perhaps Aslan's Country is different in our world?"
"No, no," said Lucy. "I'm sure Aslan's Country is the same for all worlds. He is in this world too, remember."
"I haven't seen him," said Susan sourly.
"Susan!" Peter frowned at her. "You shouldn't talk about Aslan like that!"
"I'll talk about him how I please," said Susan defiantly. "He promised we'd see him in this world and we haven't."
"It hasn't been that long, Su," said Lucy placatingly. "Perhaps we haven't been looking hard enough."
"Haven't we? I have."
"He has a different name in our world, Susan. He probably appears differently as well. Perhaps he doesn't actually visit this world at all."
"He said that he did!" Susan argued, forgetting to keep her voice down. "He said that we'd been to Narnia in the first place so that we could know him in our world!"
"Is everything all right?" called Mrs Pevensie from the kitchen. "You're not arguing already?"
"No, Mother!" Peter called back, glaring at Susan. "Just discussing!"
Susan took a deep breath and seemed to be about to continue, but then she sighed. "I'm sorry," she said quietly. "It's hard, though. I miss him so much."
"Trust him," said Lucy, taking her sister's hand. "I'm sure he won't abandon us."
Edmund thought it was probably the right time to change the subject. "When can we meet Jill?" he asked Eustace, who had been prudently (and heroically) keeping quiet for the past several minutes.
"Oh, any time," said Eustace. "In fact, she doesn't live too far from here. We could call on her!"
"Oh, let's!" exclaimed Lucy. "I'm dying to meet her."
"We should go tomorrow," said Eustace, his eyes shining. "I'm sure she's dreadfully lonely. I've told her all about you, of course."
"But we haven't been introduced," protested Susan. The others ignored her.
"I'm sure Mother will let us," said Peter. "She keeps saying we need more fresh air and that we should meet new people. How far away does she live, Eustace?"
Eustace had Jill's address because they had agreed to write over the holidays. She had suggested it, because "I can't talk about Narnia to anyone else, and keeping things bottled up does no one any good". Eustace had agreed reluctantly - he hated writing letters.
Mrs Pevensie agreed readily to Eustace's proposition, but insisted on telephoning Mr and Mrs Pole first. "It wouldn't do to just turn up unannounced," she said. "They might have other engagements."
"I told you so," said Susan triumphantly.
"Shut up," said Peter angrily. He still hadn't forgiven her for questioning Aslan's integrity.
"That will do!" Mrs Pevensie glared at her two elder children. "You two are supposed to be growing up and setting an example to your brother and sister, not to mention Eustace! And all I have seen lately is you two sniping at one another. If you can't behave in a civilised manner, perhaps I shouldn't allow you to call on this Jill tomorrow after all."
"Oh, but -" began Eustace, but Edmund stood on his foot.
"Let them handle it," he hissed to his cousin.
"I'm sorry, Mother," said Susan.
"It's not me you should be apologising to," said Mrs Pevensie shortly, turning away to return to the kitchen.
There was an awkward silence. Then -
"I'm sorry, Susan. I shouldn't hold it against you. It's not as though I haven't wondered about those things." Peter held out his hand.
"Oh, Peter." Susan bypassed the hand to envelop her brother in a tight hug. "I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have gloated at you."
Eustace nudged Edmund. "How did you know they would do that?" he asked, for, having no siblings of his own, he knew little of life in a large family.
"They always do," Edmund replied.
