Chapter 4: A Gift
The next morning, the King was not present for breakfast. A leopard delivered his apologies, saying he'd been delayed with some important business. They were all burning with curiosity to know what this business was, but when Caspian finally appeared (around mid-morning), he only made some idle comments about what a fine day it was.
"Are we still going to the harbour, Sire?" Drinian prompted.
"Perhaps tomorrow," Caspian said, looking out the window. No further explanation was offered.
They didn't see him again until the midday meal. By this point, they'd been speculating wildly as to the nature of the important business. Trufflehunter was worried that Caspian might be ill, but Drinian and Trumpkin both disagreed. If Caspian was sick, he'd be parading around pretending nothing was wrong, and certainly wouldn't have delayed the trip to the harbour. Trumpkin then suggested he'd received word of some pending attack, but Trufflehunter found that unlikely. If Narnia was in any danger, he'd have called them into council immediately. Drinian kept silent about his suspicion, for he didn't want to upset the others. Privately, he feared that yesterday's cheerfulness had merely been an act, and Caspian had actually spent the morning making plans to abdicate.
The meal was an uncomfortable thing. The rest of them were all silent, not wanting to start any conversation, lest Caspian was about to make an announcement. But the King spent the meal dawdling over his food, while staring off into the distance like his mind was in another world. Finally, the plates were all cleared away, and the dining hall was largely emptied. But Trumpkin, Trufflehunter and Drinian remained behind, unwilling to leave before Caspian did, in case he was going to say something.
Finally, he appeared to become aware that he still had company.
"Friends," he said, "I wish to talk with you privately ... in the chamber behind the throne room. I will meet you there shortly."
He then promptly pushed back his chair, and disappeared up a nearby staircase.
"Fireflies and flutes!" Trumpkin said. "What is this about, then?"
"We shall soon find out," Drinian said, standing up from the table. "We should prepare ourselves," he added, somewhat sadly.
"It mightn't be bad news," Trufflehunter said.
No one could think of anything good that would require such privacy, however. They didn't speak as they made their way to the meeting chamber. Drinian sat down near the window, taking comfort in the view of the ocean and beach. Trumpkin paced around by the door, mumbling about turrets and tadpoles. Trufflehunter curled up on the couch like a cat, resting his head on his front paws. Eventually, he said, "Well, whatever happens, Aslan will always be our good lord. We've come through bad times before."
Drinian and Trumpkin never got a chance to reply. At that moment, Caspian strode into the room, holding something in his arms that was covered by a silky black cloth. He stopped when he reached the table, and put it down cautiously, like it was worth a thousand nuggets of gold. Once certain it was steady, he turned back and made sure there was no one listening outside, and then closed the door tightly.
"Friends," Caspian said, turning to face them, "this morning, I discovered that Soreus had left behind a gift for us. It was found in his room, with a letter explaining everything."
Their eyes were focused intently on the cloth, trying to guess what was under it, based on the shape. Caspian began to walk around it.
"This is a gift that could be misused in the wrong hands. But for us, it is a great blessing. That is why I bind you all to secrecy."
"Pies and pitfalls, what is it?!" Trumpkin said, impatiently.
Caspian smiled, and then picked up a corner of the cloth. Everyone leaned forward. As the black folds of material swept away, Drinian caught a flash of green, then the glint of glass and metal. A moment later, he remembered it. The pinecone shaped ornament they'd discovered in the sack on the first night of Soreus' visit.
"Oh," Trumpkin said, when the object had finally been revealed. "Well ... I suppose we could put it in a guest room."
"It's not merely an ornament, Trumpkin," Caspian said, sounding a little exasperated. He held up a piece of parchment. "This letter he left explains everything. Lord Drinian - will you do the honour?"
"Of course, Sire," Drinian said, accepting the letter. "Dear Friends," he read aloud. "As a token of my thanks for the saving of my life and generous hospitality, I would like to present you with this gift. It was given to me by the town chief of Yandolin, a village in the far north, who are known in that part of the world for their agoraphobia. This device was given to them by a passing junk dealer, but they since discovered that it has magical properties unlike those ever seen, or are likely to be seen again." Drinian paused, reading on ahead silently.
"And?" Trufflehunter prompted. "What does it do?"
"He talks for a few paragraphs about how they discovered its properties," Drinian said, eventually, smoothing out the parchment. "It seems somewhat exaggerated."
"He's a storyteller," Caspian said. "That's expected. He says what it does in the last part."
Drinian resumed reading. "Then, at last, the truth was revealed. After months of experiments, they now knew what this object was for. It was in fact a ..." Drinian broke off.
"Drinian!" Trumpkin said, just about falling off his seat in annoyance.
Drinian ignored him, and continued reading. Then he looked up at Caspian. "Sire, you don't really believe this is the truth, do you?"
"Why not?" Caspian said. "We've encountered stranger things than this."
"What does it do!?" Trumpkin shouted. "Birds and bobcats, I'm going to come over there and snatch it in a moment."
"He claims it is a device that allows one to travel to other worlds," Drinian said, frowning. "The symbols around the sides translate to mean 'the Green Gateway'."
Trumpkin merely gaped.
"Why would he give such a valuable thing to us?" Trufflehunter asked, quickly.
"Apparently you need an object from another world to activate it," Drinian said. "But he doesn't have one, so it is useless to him. He says: I know such explorers like yourselves may eventually happen across an other-worldly object. In such an event, you will now be able to put it to good use."
"We already have one!" Caspian said, his eyes wide with excitement. "Edmund's torch. This is wonderful - do you know how long I've wanted to visit their world? Even when I thought their world was just a myth!"
"It would be an adventure ..." Trumpkin said, thoughtfully.
"I'd love to see the High King Peter again," Trufflehunter added.
"Friends, I very much doubt this Green Gateway does what he claims," Drinian said. "It is no doubt one of his jokes. He never imagined we would actually have an object from another world."
"Then you'll have no problem with me putting it to the test," Caspian said. "Wait here. I am going to fetch the torch."
All at once, everyone began to protest.
"No!"
"Sire, this could be hazardous," Drinian said.
"Weren't you just saying it isn't really a transport device?" Caspian said, with a grin.
"I believe not, Sire," Drinian replied. "But on the slight chance that this object is such a device ... it is too dangerous for your majesty to risk yourself."
"Dangerous? How could travelling to another world be dangerous? Lucy, Edmund and Eustace were none the worse for wear."
"Do we know it is possible to return, or is this a one way contraption?" Drinian suggested.
"You sound like a marshwiggle," Caspian said. "Did you leave your sense of adventure on the Dawn Treader, my lord?"
Drinian fell silent, stung by Caspian's remark.
"Well," Trumpkin said, "if his majesty wants to see the other world ... I will support it. As long as I come too, of course."
"Thank you, Trumpkin," Caspian said. "Of course you shall come. You will all come. Our other-worldly friends will be overjoyed to see us all."
"What do you say, Trufflehunter?" Drinian asked, while taking a closer look at the Gateway.
"Sire," Trufflehunter said, "I will support this on one condition."
"Anything, my friend," Caspian said.
"That you first ask Aslan's permission. He is the gatekeeper of the doors between worlds. It would only be right to use it if it is something He approves of."
"Ask Aslan?" Caspian said, surprised. "But how? It isn't as if one can just whistle Him and he'll come, Trufflehunter. As the stories say, he isn't tame."
"If you ask, he will hear you."
"Besides, Lord Drinian does make a fair point," Caspian said. "It may just be one of Soreus' jokes. I wouldn't wish to waste the Lion's time with a hoax. I'm sure he has more important things to attend to."
"But there is a chance it could work," Trufflehunter said.
Caspian was becoming visibly frustrated at this point. "If Aslan doesn't wish us to use this, then he will surely make his wishes known without any intervention from me. He always has in the past." Something flashed in his eyes for a moment, and Drinian knew he was thinking of the events at the edge of the world.
"Then give him a chance to do so, Sire. Sleep on this."
"All I want to do is visit my friends!" Caspian said. "Is that so wrong?"
"Your defensive arguing suggests that perhaps your majesty thinks it might be," Trufflehunter said.
"Ah!" Caspian said. "I wish by all the stars in the sky that Reepicheep was here! He would call you cowards for not embracing this opportunity with all enthusiasm!"
"If it is cowardice to avoid defying Aslan, than I will gladly be a coward," Trufflehunter said, sounding hurt.
"I never suggested defying the blasted Lion," Caspian snapped.
Three mouths fell open in shock. Several seconds passed before Caspian realized what had just slipped out of his mouth.
"Trufflehunter, I ... I'm sorry ..."
"If his highness will excuse me," Trufflehunter said, coldly. He then padded over to the door, and left the room without another glance in Caspian's direction. Caspian started to walk after him, but then stopped. He turned to the others.
"My lords, I didn't mean it! I swear, I didn't know what I was saying ... "
Drinian ran his fingers through his black hair, wearily. That particular word - blasted - was a favourite of Eustace's, and many sailors on the Dawn Treader had picked it up, much to their captain's annoyance. And now, it seemed, it had found its way into Caspian's vocabulary. Not surprising, considering they had shared a cabin for months.
Trumpkin was shaking his head. "If it had been one of us who said that, Sire, they would find themselves fighting a badger to the death right now, I'm sure. Trufflehunter is nothing if not stubborn when he believes he's right."
"Oh, curse my temper," Caspian said. "It has done nothing but cause a rift between myself and my dear friend. I will go and attempt to make amends."
"Perhaps it would be wiser for me to go, your highness," Drinian said, standing up. "He may not be open to speaking with you just yet. I will make him see reason."
"Very well ... but please, tell him that I beg for his forgiveness."
Drinian walked quickly from the room, already mentally listing all the places Trufflehunter could be. He must find him. Not only because he wanted to see both his friends on good terms once again, but because he felt partially responsible for this. If he'd told Trufflehunter about the events at the eastern edge, this would never have happened.