PREVIOUSLY IN IMAGES...

"Juma, what are ya thinkin'?"

The leopard didn't answer. He kept pondering the idea, and his smirk turned into a full smile.

"That brew's goin' to yer head," said the wolf. "I'm getting yer usual."

"It's not the coffee. By God, I'm finally starting to see things right. Aslan is just like that wretched blend: tolerance is obtained through repeated exposure. Well, I'm not tolerating it."

"Juma, I don't like this. Ya need to have a talk with Aslan—"

"Sod all that," said Juma as he turned to the coffee. "I'll tolerate it...once."

He took the mug in paw and downed it in three huge gulps, then laid it down with a CLACK. With a toss of three bills, the leopard loped off the bar stool and padded to the exit.

AND NOW, ON WITH THE FINAL INSTALLMENT OF IMAGES...

Prompt #30: Tell of a time a Narnian taught someone what nobility meant.

† The End Is the Beginning †

13 FEBRUARY 1001…

Juma knew he was no Fletcher. A bird whose words and wings could swoon a crowd was better than a blunt and cheeky leopard who wanted to get to a point. Besides, the cat hadn't been taught how to teach. He had no instinct or desire, either. And if the humans were so intelligent, why did they need him?

But Aslan's command was unmistakable: "Be their tutor."

And today's lesson was nobility.

"Right, then," said Juma with an uncertain voice. He started pacing across the drawing room floor as the Kings and Queens sipped their tea. "Your dictionaries define the world 'nobility' as something like having outstanding and excellent moral virtues. But just between us, that definition is meaningless to me. Many people do good things, but with the wrong intentions. For example, a man might give a woman a compliment just so he can earn her kisses. Or a Talking Beast might enlist in the army just so he can become famous and admired. But these things are not nobility. They all may be good, but they're for selfish reasons, which makes them less good."

Peter sipped his tea and raised a hand. "Does that mean you can't get anything in return?"

"I'm thinking the same thing," said Edmund. "Let's say I get married and my Queen had been kidnapped, and I went into battle to get her back. Wouldn't that be selfish?"

"Not at all. You're putting your life on the line to save her. It's just as much a gain to her as it is to you, perhaps even more."

"So what's the difference between me rescuing my Queen, and the bloke who sweet-talks a woman for a kiss?"

The leopard would have blushed if he hadn't had a coat of fur. He bowed his head and glanced away, taking a moment to think.

Just then, he got an idea. It was perfect by any measure. But it was too soon, and it was too sad; for all he knew, they'd get so despondent that they'd miss the point.

I reckon I ought to do it, said Juma. There is no better example than this, and no better time than now.

"Think of Fletcher," said the leopard, "how he went off to Bákurad to deliver that medicine. He could have stayed here and continued to tutor you. But he saw a need, and he wanted to meet it. That's nobility."

There was a pause, and Peter shrugged and gave an awkward smile. "So nobility means don't be selfish."

Confound it...

But the leopard knew what else to say. It occurred to him in a blink. "It isn't just that. It means being unselfish when there's a great risk of not getting anything in return, or of losing something, or of failure. It's easy to give medicine to your neighbors, but it's harder to give medicine to an enemy that might kill you. It's easier to pay a compliment to a woman when you know you will get a kiss, but it's harder to say kind words to somebody who wants to box your face, and perhaps even harder to say kind words to a friend who will give you nothing in return. It's grand to make friends with the powerful and glorious people of this world, but it's not so grand making friends with the poor and needy. And it is difficult to die for your friends, but it will be even harder to die for your enemies, who may not understand or appreciate what you do. All those are good things, and they are all worth doing—but it's the risk that makes them noble."

Peter thought for a moment. "I reckon I get it. If I'm going to be a King worth the name, I need to be ready to lose something when it comes to it. And I may need to forget about what I want when I can give something better to somebody else."

"Well said," said the leopard. "Nobility is about doing the most good for the other person, especially at great risk to your own comfort and certainty. Perhaps one could say it like so: 'The end of ease is the beginning of nobility.' "

Edmund smiled grimly. "It's not an easy thing. And I reckon some things are noble but not always necessary."

The leopard nodded. "Many things in life aren't easy, especially the ones that are worth having. And it can be difficult to figure out when a noble deed is truly necessary. But here's how I think of it: If you can help someone easily, do it. It doesn't have to be noble or grand; being good is good enough. However, if you can't do it easily, then do it, anyway. It's always worth lending a hand, even at the risk of losing a hand or something more."

The Four had gotten the point.

Juma knew he was no Fletcher. A bird that could command a crowd was better than a blunt and cheeky leopard. But the Four were paying attention, and they seemed to understand. And Peter did say, "We do miss Fletcher…but by gum, Sir, you're a real brick."

The leopard thought it was good enough.

19 OCTOBER 1015…

Juma stood before the crowd of animals and weighed the decision in his mind. This was no easy thing to do—in fact, it was treason by any honest measure of the word—and if the Kings and Queens were to see him now, they would despise him for it.

Bother the humans, said the leopard. How can I be a servant to such hypocrites? Those Four nearly ruined this country with their sordid alliance with Taresh Kazan. They humiliated us with their treatment of Erizad. They almost destroyed our country with their greed; I won't let them do it again.

And the leopard lifted his head and said to the crowd: "If you want me to lead you, I will. But make no mistake: Harlow and Fullerton were barmy. They let their passions grow out of control, and they were killing their own people out of spite. That will not happen again. And if it does, you know exactly what I will do."

He glanced over his shoulder at Harlow's and Fullerton's lifeless bodies, making sure no one missed the point.

"We won't shed any blood, Sir," said the hawk. "We won't kill our fellow Beasts. All we want is to keep Aslan and his precious humans out of Narnia."

"That's what we'll do," said Juma as he licked his bloodstained paws. "As terrible as Harlow and Fullerton were, they had the right idea, and we're the ones who are going to make it a reality."

"But wait a minute," said the fox. "What if Aslan tries to bring more humans into Narnia? Half the country will stand behind them. They're going to rise up against us and accuse us of treason."

"Then if it comes to it, we will kill them. But only if. We will try to persuade our fellow Beasts that a humanless land is the right thing, that Aslan's rule over us is as close to tyranny as anything we'll ever see. No more Sons of Adam and Daughters of Eve ruling over us. No more Invaders threatening to destroy everything we have. The end of the humans is the beginning of the Reign of the Beasts. The end of the Invaders is the beginning of a real Narnia."

A fox nodded and lifted his head high. "Brilliant! Ruddy brilliant!"

"Narnia for Narnians," said the hawk. "Now and forever!"

"NARNIA FOR NARNIANS!" said the group. "NOW AND FOREVER!"

And the leopard gave them all a smile. "Narnia for Narnians. Now and forever."

THE END