A Tale of a Voyage

Disclaimer: I don't own anything you saw in the book, dialogue included.

Chapter 11: Brother, Dufflepuds, and Magicians

"Are you honestly going to just let Lucy walk into danger?" Edmund demanded of me.

"Look, Ed-"

"She's our sister!"

"I know! And I-"

"You're just going to let her walk into-"

"EDMUND! Hush and let me talk for a second!" Thankfully, he did. "Ed, I know you're worried for her. I am, too. But I don't think that she'll be in much, if any, danger. These people don't quite strike me as the brave type, like Lu said. This magician is probably a harmless old man who knows a few odd spells. That's it. Lucy can handle herself with a man like that."

"But what if he's something more?"

"Then…we, and she, will cross that bridge when we come to it. But I have a feeling that everything will turn out right in the end. Aslan is still with us, even here, you know. And He can protect Lu."

"I suppose you're right. As always." He hugged me.

"Love you, little brother."

"Love you." He turned to walk away.

"And, Ed."

He looked back at me. "Yes?"

"Don't be ashamed of worrying. You've never been the oldest before. You're trying to do what you think Peter would do. But you don't need to be Peter to protect your sister. You've been protecting her in your own way for as long as I can remember. You don't have to change just because Peter isn't here."

He grinned. "Thanks, Han."

"My pleasure. Now, come on. I believe our hosts have promised us a feast."

"Right." The two of us joined the rest of our family and friends at the table where the invisible people were bringing dishes to the table. I sat between Faith and Art. Hmm…wonder why the dishes don't disappear like the weapons? I shrugged. Another Lewis plothole, probably. "I'm beginning to feel very inquisitive about these people. Do you think they're human at all? More like huge grasshoppers or giant frogs, I should say," I heard Eustace whisper to Edmund as the king took his seat between his cousin and Faith.

"It does look like it," Ed responded. "But don't put the idea of the grasshoppers into Lucy's head. She's not too keen on insects, especially big ones."

"What are they, Hannah? I know you know," Faith whispered.

I glanced around to ensure no one else could hear me. "Monopods."

"Huh?"

"Monopods. Y'know, creatures with only one leg?"

"Oh, right."

Art leaned over. "You mean they're not creatures with the head of a tiger and the body of a different tiger?"

I gave him a look. "No."

He shrugged. "Didn't think so, but I thought I'd ask." He went back to his food.

Faith's brow was furrowed. "Huh?"

"In the movies, they claim to be creatures with the head of a tiger and the body of a different tiger. Obviously lying."

"Obviously."

Our meal would have been nicer had it not been quite so messy and if the conversation had not consisted entirely of agreements! I mean, I expected it, but it was still worse than I had ever thought it could be.

"What I always say is, when a chap's hungry, he likes some victuals."

"Getting dark now; always does at night."

"Ah, you've come over the water. Powerful wet stuff, ain't it?"

This went on for the whole meal. We were all on the verge of pulling our hair out by the end of it. I couldn't help but notice how often Lucy's eyes were drawn to the foot of the staircase.

After the meal, when we were going to bed, Rose said, "That was actually a good meal. I really liked the chicken."

Art grinned. "The ham was my favorite."

Will added, "Mine was the mushroom soup."

"I liked the redcurrants," Edmund said. "They almost tasted like the kind we used to have at home."

"The gooseberries were nice, too," Caspian said.

Faith shot me a mischievous look. "I liked the mead."

Eustace groaned. "I'm beginning to be sorry I drank any."

I put my hand on Lucy's shoulder. "You're quiet."

"Hmm."

"It'll be OK. I'm not really certain that there's anything to worry about."

"I know, but…well…"

"You're still afraid."

"Yeah." She snorted. "So much for 'the Valiant,' right?"

"Being courageous doesn't mean you're not scared, Lu. It means that you do what you have to do, despite your fear. And you are the most valiant person I've ever known."

She looked up at me. "Really?"

"Yes. And, Lu, you…" I took a deep breath. "I envy you."

"Me?"

"Yes. You're so close to Aslan. I wish I had the relationship with Him that you do."

She smiled. "Thank you, Han."

"You're welcome, Lu. And remember, He is with you. Always."

She nodded. "Always."

"Yep. Now, let's get some sleep. You've got a big day tomorrow."

The next day was a beautiful day, but I knew that Lucy couldn't enjoy it at all. I could almost see the nervousness rolling off of her in waves. After breakfast, she bid us goodbye and walked upstairs. We all tried to distract Edmund for the rest of the morning, because we knew that he was the most frightened for Lucy. I pulled out our book. "Ed, let's read."

He sighed. "I-I-"

"Ed, you're not gonna make Lucy come back any sooner by staring up the stairs for the whole day."

He sighed again. "I suppose not." He sat down, and I began to read. Faith, Rose, and Caspian listened for a while, but each slowly drifted off to do other things, leaving only Ed and I, like old times.

After we had finished the book (normally I would have stopped, but I got the sense that Ed would have panicked had I not been reading), we ate lunch, after which he got up and stood at the end of the stairwell, just waiting. We all began to return to stand with him. Finally, she appeared, nearly bowling over her brother. "It's all right! Everything's all right! The Magician's a brick, and I've seen Him, Aslan!"

As soon as she had finished this breathless announcement, she flew out to the garden, where the Monopods were jumping and shouting about being visible. We all stared at each other. "Is she always like that?" Will asked.

"Yep," Ed, Faith, Rose, and I chorused.

"Oh."

Caspian sighed. "We're going to have to go back to the boat at some point today."

I nodded. "Yeah, Rhince, Jade, and everyone else might start to suspect that we've dropped off the face of the earth-er, Narnia-er…" I huffed. "That makes more sense in our world."

Faith chuckled. "Yeah, it does."

So later we returned to the Dawn Treader. The Monopods tagged along, bouncing and agreeing in extremely loud volumes. Finally, Eustace groaned. "I wish the Magician would make them inaudible instead of invisible."

"What? What's he said?" the Monopods asked.

"I said that I wish the Magician had made you inaudible!"

"What's he trying to say?" some of them asked.

"'Ere! He's using fancy words, he is!" the Chief called.

"Inaudible means something that people can't hear. Invisible, what you were, means something people can't see."

"Eh, he can't put things the way our Chief does. But you'll learn, young man. Hark to him. He'll show you how to say things. There's a speaker for you!"

Eustace sighed loudly. "I give up."

I laughed.

When we reached the bay, Reepicheep had a wonderful idea. He had his little coracle lowered and paddled himself about in it till the Monopods were thoroughly interested. He then stood and said, "Worthy and intelligent Monopods…"

Rose made a choking sound. "Worthy of what? And intelligent?"

"Hush," I snapped. "I want to listen."

"Each of you has a foot that will do instead. Just jump as lightly as you can on the water and see what happens."

A few of the younger ones were the only ones who dared at the beginning, but soon all of them were floating around, steering themselves with the crude paddles Reep had shown them. They raced, and the sailors on the Treader laughed till their sides ached. The Duffers, of course, also were excited about their new name, though they never actually got it right. "That's what we are! Moneypuds! Pomonods! Poddymons! Just what was on the tips of our tongues to call ourselves!"

"No, no, no! You're Mon-o-pods! Not moneypuds, pomonods, or poddymons!" Eustace insisted.

"But-but-but we're the Duffers!" the chief replied.

"Dufflepuds!" one of the younger ones called out.

"Yes! We'll be Dufflepuds!" others agreed.

That night, we ate supper with the Magician. "You know," Lucy whispered to me later, "things aren't nearly as frightful now as they were earlier today."

"That's good."

By magic, we all had what we liked best to eat and drink (somehow I wound up with pizza, chocolate, and fruit punch. I still don't know how those wound up in Narnia, besides the magic part, of course). After supper, the Magician performed a useful and beautiful piece of magic. He laid two blank sheets of parchment on the table and asked Drinian to give him an exact account of our voyage up to date. As he did so, everything he described appeared on the parchment in fine clear lines till at last each sheet was a splendid map of the Eastern Ocean, with all the islands the right size and in the right positions.

"Tell me, sir," Caspian asked once this had been done. "Do you know anything of the lands farther east?"

"I am afraid not. But about seven years ago, a Narnian ship put in here, and she had on board the Lords Revilian, Argoz, Mavramorn, and Rhoop."

"Then the man on Deathwater must have been Lord Restimar," Faith whispered.

"Indeed."

The next day, the Magician kindly mended the parts of our ship that were a bit worse for wear after our battle with the Sea Serpent. He also loaded her with useful gifts. We all parted in a quite friendly manner, and when we set sail, the Dufflepuds paddled out with us to the harbor mouth and cheered until we were out of earshot.

A/N: *gasp* Could it be? I've updated!