Chapter Three

The Four Trials

Susan went back to the orphanage everyday to tell the children stories. And each time, she remembered old things she had forgotten so long ago. With each telling, the details became clearer to her and soon she came to realize that these were not just stories that she and her siblings made up, but something that happened to her for real.

But with the realization came the desire to return to Narnia; and with it the painful consciousness that she could never go back. But she remembered too what Aslan said in the last time they met: that she will meet him again in this world, though he is known by another name. That gave her hope and an understanding that Aslan represented all the goodness in the world, whether this one or any other. And she resolved to do that. He was "goodness" and all of its virtues. There began Susan's work of charity with the orphanage. One by one, she helped the Sisters find good homes for the orphans. She wasn't much of an academic in her school days, but she helped give free basic lessons to the ones who remained in the orphanage and gave good advice whenever they needed it.

For a year, it was what kept Susan going through her grief for her family, and the husband and children she lost long ago. She no longer cared about social gatherings though the number of beaux and invitations seemed to have increased in numbers. Susan often heard that people called her "the devout lady" or that "tragic Pevensie orphan." She reckoned that people pitied her lot and perhaps the drama of her lost held a certain fascination for them. But Susan had no such time for what she now calls "trivialities." She had withdrawn even from her aunt and cousins.

It was the desire to return to Narnia that remained. And she kept hoping, one day she will meet Aslan again.

It was one sunny day in March that Susan found herself cleaning out her old house in search of old things she could give away to the poor displaced victims of the holocaust. She went through drawers, closets, shelves and cupboards, and gathered as many clothes, toys and books that belonged to her family that she could spare. She placed them all in boxes and had them labeled for donation. She had just about finished clearing everything when she found one box at the back most part of her closet that was tightly sealed with tape. She remembered this box. This contained all the possessions of her family on the day of their accident. The train station had sent everything in a box but she couldn't bear to open it. The maid her aunts lent her must have shoved it inside the closet where it was forgotten.

Susan pulled away the tape and opened the flap carefully. The first thing she saw was Lucy's red jumper. She pressed it to her face as warm tears fell on her cheeks. Underneath it was her mother's purse, then her father's watch. She caressed each one carefully and decided she could not possibly give these away. She would donate all else that belonged to her family, but all the contents of this box she would treasure as memories. There were dozen of items, all of them so familiar. Finally, she came to the last article of clothing. It was Edmund's jacket. But when she pulled it out something fell out of one of its pockets. She looked down and saw it was a tiny golden box she had never seen before.

She brought it to the light. It was a plain metallic box that didn't look anything extraordinary. She opened it and found two pairs of rings, two yellow and two green. There was a curious humming sound about them that puzzled her. She picked up one of the green rings and examined it closely.

What could this be? She thought. And why were they in Edmund's pocket on the day he died?

She replaced the green ring back into the box and picked up one of the yellow rings. Suddenly her living room vanished and she was astonished to feel that she was in water. She clutched at the box that contained the other rings, knowing by instinct that they were valuable in whatever magic had taken her. She felt herself rise from the water and she crawled out of the edge of a pool. All at once she felt dry and she found herself in a strange wood where there was no view of a sky. There were several pools apart from the one she had just come out of and there was an abundance of trees all around her.

Where am I? Is this Narnia now? She asked herself. She put the box with the rings in her pocket and she began to explore the wood which was so strangely quiet. She felt no fear in it for the wood felt familiar. But after an hour or so of wandering, she knew this was not Narnia at all. Sadly, she went back to the pool where she had come up, sat on a nearby boulder and cried.

"Susan?"

Susan looked up. She knew that voice. It was the most refreshing thing she had heard for a long time.

"Lucy!" She turned around and there she was, her little sister Lucy attired in familiar Narnian robes smiling up at her. Next to her were Peter and Edmund.

Susan ran to hug them but when she did, she run through them as if she was passing nothing but air.

"We're not really there Susan," explained Edmund. "We're in Narnia."

"Where am I then?" she asked.

"You're in the Wood Between the Worlds. It's a gateway to all the different worlds," said Peter.

"Then I could go there!" cried Susan excitedly. "I can come to you in Narnia!"

But Edmund shook his head. "No, Susan. You can't. Not through there directly. The Narnia we have known is gone. It ended after the last battle in Narnia when we sent Eustace and Jill." And he told her how Narnia's world had ended but Aslan had taken them and the Narnians that were faithful to him to a better Narnia which had no passage from the other worlds.

"Then there is no way for me… to get there at all," she whimpered bitterly.

"There is a way Susan," comforted Peter. "But it's going to be difficult."

"I'll do it," she replied. "I'll do anything!"

"Susan, Aslan told us you have to remember what used to be good. What he has taught us so long ago," said Edmund.

"How?"

"You will be given trials," explained Lucy. "Four trials in four different worlds. You have already accomplished the first, in our original world. You have proven you have learned charity. That is why you have come here." Lucy smiled proudly at her and Susan smiled back.

"Do you have the rings from my pocket?" asked Edmund.

Susan remembered the box and held it out. "All four of them, two green, two yellow."

"Those rings were used by Professor Kirke the first time he came to Narnia with Aunt Polly, said Peter. "It's a long story but in essence those rings can be used as a gateway to other worlds. The green rings let you come into another world from the place where you are now. The yellow rings return you. See those pools?"

Susan nodded.

"Each one represents a different world. If you jump in while touching one of the green rings you enter the world it represents. You must enter three, one at a time and face each trial. Oh, and you must leave the yellow rings with us."

"How can I come back here when I leave the yellow rings with you?"

"That's part of the trial," said Edmund. "You will find one of us in each world. And when you have accomplished your task we will give you a yellow ring to return here so you can get into the next world."

"Alright," she held out the two yellow rings just as Lucy reached out for them. For a moment, she thought she imagined her sister's comforting touch though she felt only warm air that had passed through her palm to take the rings away.

"Which pool should I go in?" she asked.

"Pick out whatever you want," said Edmund. "Aslan will guide you."

Susan said a silent prayer to Aslan for guidance then approached one of the pools.

"Remember what is good, Susan," said Peter. "Remember who you are, you are Queen Susan the Gentle of Narnia. Remember and be faithful!"

She smiled back at him before stepping into the pool and touching the green ring.