He had ordered a huge sheet of glass to be fitted in front of a waterfall that he knew of, near the end of their trek. The joinery to hold it in place was cleverly concealed behind vines and foliage and disguised as rocks at the top.

They rode right up into the foothills of the mountains behind the manor. When Polly saw the waterfall shimmering behind the glass, it looked as if it were frozen on top with the water still flowing behind. She was so surprised that she almost fell off her horse, who startled at her shriek of surprise. The waterfall was thinner than the original but enormously high because they were in a lush gully at the time. Of course she looked up, as everyone does when they see such a spectacular sight. At the top, but off to one side, was a flat grassy place with some kind of green wall. visible near the edge. She was so incredulous she turned to Digory with her mouth open -something she always told small children off for doing. He was calmly watching her reaction with a satisfied smile on his face, which made his eyes crease at the corners and twinkle like they used to when he got caught playing pranks on her in their teens.

For a moment, the years rolled back from both of them and they were conspirators raiding the manor kitchen for a secret surprise picnic the had planned for Digory's parents anniversary. Or they had just arrived in the stable in time to witness the birth of Bertha's calf who struggled to it's wobbly feet and then tried to find a teat under Polly's legs instead of it's mother's.

Polly looked up at the waterfall and the hilltop again then back at Digory.

"How did you do it!" she asked, her voice quiet and hesitant, as if saying "Please tell me it's real..."

Digory just smiled and said "Do you want to take a closer look?"

The journey up the side of the waterfall was arduous and slow, but the horses managed it stoically. About an hour later they came over the crest of the last rise and found a meadow of wild brown grasses with a high wall ahead. Now that they were closer Polly could see that the wall was a kind of windbreak around a mountain hut. Digory had draped it in artificial turf* and set up another tree, just over the wall, laden with silver fruits which looked strangely like Christmas ornaments.

This time he frowned and muttered, "It doesn't look at all authentic close up, but I DID only have five days."

Polly laughter was like the waterfall, tinkling and natural, refreshing his tired aching body and rewarding his efforts at the sight of her pleasure. She slid off her horse and ran the rest of the way to the wall, after handing the reins to Charlie. He had emerged from the hut at the sound of their approach, and was ready to take their tired mounts. Digory also dismounted and followed at his leisure enjoying the happy exclamations Polly was making as she discovered the stuffed pheasant in the boughs of the tree. (It had previously inhabited a case at the top of the west wing stair case).

From the hut came the delicious smell of a hearty chicken stew laden with ginger and onion.

The sun was low in the sky as the two friends strolled to the far side of the grassy flatland, following the meal, and watched the swiftly flowing stream plummeting over the edge of the cliff to the gully they had traversed earlier that day.

It was deep in shadow. Only the glinting foam, and the churning water which caused it, were visible as an ever moving ghostly white below.

"My memories of that journey are so different now that we are adults." Polly began. "We had no idea of the dangers we were going through. We could have died at any point."

Digory stared down the abyss for some moments while he drew his tobacco pouch from his pocket. "I had an idea of them. Only an idea mind you, or I would have insisted on you staying behind." he lowered his brow at her in a look which would have silenced any of his pupils instantly.

Polly just laughed and punched his elbow playfully, "I would have been livid if you had. Do you think I would have agreed to staying behind with Aslan, while you got to fly Strawberry without me?! Not on your life!"

The Professor was busy lighting his pipe. "Aslan does sometime ask us to do things we don't wish to do."

Polly was silent for a long time lost in her own thoughts, as he stood, one hand deep in his pocket, the other cradling the bowl of his pipe as the rich fruity smoke wafted away on the twilight shadows.

Finally she shared them: "He said once: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself,take up his cross, and follow him." I didn't understand that level of commitment when we were in Narnia, Digory, but now that I have found him in THIS world, and learned to love and trust him, I would be happy to obey him no matter what he said."

"Even if it were to stay behind, while I went on an adventure?"

"I stayed behind when James went 'on an adventure' didn't I." she said in a small voice.

The Professor removed his pipe and stood silently contemplating her bowed head, until she raised her eyes bravely to his. He turned back toward the west and took another puff.
"Digory... You're not... that is... are you trying to tell me something?" She looked searchingy, earnestly at his face, lit as it was by the brilliant oranges and pinks of the setting sun.
"Not at all my dear, you can set your mind at rest on that score. I'm likely to survive you, out here away from all that blasted smog." He let off a large smoke ring.
"It's a wonder you don't move out here yourself."
Polly smiled. "If that's a proposal of marriage Professor, the answer's-

"No." they both said together, then looked at eachother, and shared a quiet chuckle.

"Digory,"

"Yes?"

"Thanks for all the surprises today."

"Hrmm"

"You didn't need to go to all this effort you know." Polly tucked her arm companionably into the crook his made with his hand in his pocket.

"I know". He smiled at her and took another deep draw on his pipe.

They stood there in silence, until the last warm rays dropped behind the mountain and then, without a word, turned back to the dark hut, lit from within,

by a single lantern.

The professor stirred and roused himself with a shudder. Perhaps he ought to have put more coal on the fire after all.

*I almost kept this to myself because when I looked it up Astro turf would not have been invented until ten years after this event.

My husband, who has much experience in evaluating my hair brained building projects, just laughed when I asked him about the viability of transporting a piece of glass of those dimensions through the bush and nailing it in place.

Also, smoking is very bad for your health: Although pipe tobacco is much nicer smelling than cigarette smoke, it was a bit of irony for the professor to tell Polly that his lungs were in much better condition than hers since he was purposely polluting them himself.

The waterfall was for Mrs Soria. Her intrepid daughter can choose which of her photos best illustrates it, but I was thinking of one in the Catlins...