"Now I know I'm hallucinating," said Jeremy. "Or this is a dream. Yes, a very vivid dream. All I need to to is lie down for a while. If I can go back to sleep then I can wake up."
Mr. Tumnus shook his head. "I don't think that will change things."
"Let's go back into the alley. We can rest for awhile," said Jeremy. "If I could just shut my eyes for awhile this will all go away."
"Not a bad idea," said Tumnus. Then I can have a chance to think this through.
Suddenly a whirling image swooped down beside them.
"Hey, what's this?" It was a policeman wearing a high helmet and wielding a club. "What's in your tank?"
"Yes, officer, can I help you?" Tumnus spoke up first.
"I said, what's in your tank?" He tapped the side of Jeremy's oxygen tank. "Declare it."
"It's oxygen," said Jeremy dutifully as he studied the bobby's flying machine that he had just stepped out of. "It all seems so real," Jeremy mumbled to himself.
"Oxygen, eh?" The officer scrutinized Jeremy and Tumnus. "You're not from around here are you?" He touched Tumnus's tweed lapel. "What kind of coat is this?"
"It's tweed, my good man," said Tumnus. "Now if you just let us go on our way. We must deliver the oxygen."
"Where are you taking it to?" asked the bobby. "And why would anyone need oxygen? Isn't there plenty of air around?" The officer took a deep breath.
"Why yes, there is. We were simply…" Tumnus was interrupted by Jeremy.
"It's for diving, I use it for diving," answered Jeremy.
"Diving? Like in those diving contraptions they wear? Where is your diving suit?" asked the officer.
Tumnus realized that this line of inquiry was not going anywhere and the sooner they could extricate themselves, the better.
"Actually, Officer. It's a part of a new therapy I'm testing," said Tumnus. "And I'm running late. Please allow us to pass."
The officer thought about it for a moment and then agreed. "All right, move along. But don't let me see you peddling that stuff on the streets." He got back into his flying machine and left abruptly.
"Let's get back into that alley before someone stops us again," said Tumnus. "You can have your nap and I can re-evaluate our situation."
…..
Mrs. Rogers and Gizelle sat down at a small table in the bakery. They served a hot drink that tasted like a mixture of hot chocolate and coffee.
"This is quite good," said Mrs. Rogers. "What is it called?"
"Mocha," replied Gizelle. "Here, you can have some of my sweets."
Mrs. Rogers chose a biscuit. "You know my name, but I'm afraid I don't know yours."
"I'm not surprised," said Gizelle. "I was just a young girl when you left. My name is Gizelle. I am the daughter of Seymore."
"Seymore?" Mrs. Rogers took a bite of the biscuit while she thought back to her days in Narnia. "Wasn't there a Mr. Seymore in my father's court? Yes, I remember you! You were the blonde girl."
"Yes, you were always so kind to me," said Gizelle. "You would always spoke to me."
"How did you come to this world?" asked Mrs. Rogers, taking another sip of mocha.
"One day I saw you, your brother and friends going into a cave. I followed you in. Suddenly you disappeared. It shocked me so much that I ran out of the cave."
"I'm sure you didn't know what to think."
"The next day, I became so curious that I went back into the cave to explore it," said Gizelle. "Only this time I went too far and disappeared."
"Did you meet the professor?" asked Mrs. Rogers.
"No, I didn't meet anyone. I walked around a house for awhile. When I didn't see you or your friends, I panicked. I ran back into the wardrobe. Only this time I found myself in the woods with all the pools of water. I wandered around, finally resting by a tree. I must have slept for a long time. Occasionally, I would wake up and look around. But I was so very tired that I would go back to sleep. Then a few months ago when I woke up, I forced myself to walk around. I decided to bathe in one of the pools. But when I went into the water, there was no bottom. I sank until I came into this place. I was discovered by a kind gentleman. He took me to Madame Moussad. She has taken care of me."
"My dear, you must have slept for years in the woods."
"All I want is to return to Narnia," said Gizelle. "Please, take me back there. You know the way."
Mrs. Rogers thought for a moment. She couldn't bear to tell the girl that Narnia no longer existed. Not yet. "It's very difficult to go to Narnia."
"Please, whatever you do, don't leave me here," pleaded Gizelle. "Please, take me with you. I beg you to take me away from this place."
"Are you sure you want to leave Madame Moussad?" asked Mrs. Rogers. "You said she's been kind to you."
"She has been kind to me. She has protected me from going to work in the factories." Gizelle looked around and spoke softly. "The factories are horrible. People work at machines for ten to twelve hours a day. The machines are not safe. And when they take the injured to the hospitals…Oh, it's horrible what they do to them. See that man in the corner? He has been treated in the hospital."
Mrs. Rogers looked over at a man holding a cup of mocha with a mechanical arm.
"Please, take me away from this place. Can we go now?"
"Yes, we can go now," said Mrs. Rogers, seeing the fear in the girl's eyes. "I will take you back to the pool. We may not go to Narnia, but you will be safe with me. I promise."
"Oh, thank you, Princess Rinora," said Gizelle. "I am forever in your debt."