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Chapter 20

A New Leader

Puss in Boots woke up suddenly. Someone had entered the tent. Quick as a flash, he drew a dagger, hidden behind his pillow, and turned to face the intruder. To his relief, it was only Mr. and Mrs. Beaver.

"Come on," Mr. Beaver said. "You're wanted."

"Where at?" Puss asked.

"Aslan's tent. Peter and Edmund have called a meeting."

Puss got up. "What's it about?"

"Don't know. They wouldn't say," Mr. Beaver said.

"It seems to me that it's something serious, though," Mrs. Beaver added. "They looked rather grim. More so than you would expect with a battle today."

"What does Aslan think of all this?" Kitty asked. "After all, it is His tent they're meeting at."

"Aslan wasn't there," Mrs. Beaver replied. "Rather strange, if you ask me."

Humpty nodded. "So it's true, then," he mumbled.

Puss furrowed his brow. Now what did Humpty mean by that? But before he could ask, Mr. Beaver was pulling his paw. "Come on. If we don't get going, we're going to be late."

Puss nodded. Humpty's mystery could be solved later.

Soon, everyone made their way over to the central pavilion. Several Narnians were getting out of their tents. All were mumbling among themselves, as if they all were sharing a secret with each other. Puss didn't know what was going on, but it didn't seem good.

They soon made it to Aslan's tent. A round table had been set up, with a map spread out and small figures and flags placed upon it. A war table. Good place to develop strategy. Edmund was standing outside alongside Oreius. Peter wasn't there at all. Come to think of it, neither were Perrito, Lucy, and Susan. Where had the dog and humans gone?

Edmund and Oreius looked up as the others arrived. "Good, you're here," Edmund said. His voice had a steely tone to it, as if he was trying to hold back tears.

Puss frowned. "What's going on?"

Edmund looked at Oreius, then turned back to the others. "We received word from a woman made of leaves in the middle of the night. Oreius says she's a naiad, a daughter of one of the trees of Narnia. She said she had a message from Lucy, Susan, and Perrito."

Kitty's eyes widened. "Where are they?"

"The messenger didn't say," Edmund replied. "They only said they were fine, and that they just needed some time."

Puss furrowed his brow. This was getting even more confusing. What did they need time for? And where was Aslan?

Edmund's next statement answered all questions. "The naiad went on to say that Aslan left in the middle of the night. He went to the Stone Table. The Witch was there, as was most of her army. When He arrived, they…" Edmund stopped speaking, looking away.

"…they killed Him," Oreius finished.

Puss' jaw dropped. Aslan was dead? No, it couldn't be.

"How did the Witch take Him by surprise?" Mr. Beaver asked.

"That's the strange part," Oreius continued. "He went willingly. Aslan let Himself be tied and killed by the Witch."

"How reliable is this naiad?" Kitty asked.

"Very reliable," Oreius replied. "Only the trees that are allied with us plant their roots here. The naiads are the daughters of those trees, so any that would send messages to us are completely loyal."

"Peter's checking in the tent to be sure, though," Edmund added, looking back up.

With a swish of the tent flap, Peter came out. Puss didn't need to ask Peter what the result was. He could see it in the boy's eyes. Aslan wasn't in the tent. And if He wasn't in the tent, then there was no doubt about it. The King was dead.

Humpty sniffled a little. Puss turned to Humpty. The egg was being awfully quiet right now. And there was the comment he had made before. "Did you know about this, Humpty?" Puss asked.

Humpty looked up. He opened his mouth to say something, then closed it, looking back down. A second later, he responded. "Yes, I did."

Puss' eyes widened. "How long did you know?"

"After Aslan made the deal with the Witch," Humpty replied. "The signs were all there. It was the only possible conclusion to save Edmund. The only way to… make things right."

"And you didn't say anything?!" Kitty asked.

Humpty didn't look up.

Puss was shocked. How could Humpty keep something like this a secret? He had thought they were all past the secrets and deception. But before he could say anything, Mrs. Beaver interrupted. "Now, now. I'm sure there's a good explanation for this." She turned to Humpty. "Isn't there?"

Humpty looked up, tears in his eyes. "I wanted to tell you all. Several times, in fact. But He didn't want me to. I don't know how to explain it, but Aslan just looked at me, and I could tell He wanted me to keep it all quiet and to trust Him." He looked down again, "Now, I wish I had said something. If I had, we could have avoided this."

Nobody said anything for a moment. Finally, Mr. Beaver held out a paw. "Don't be regretting nothing, Humpty. You did the right thing with what you had. Aslan didn't want you to say anything, and that takes priority. He must have had a reason for you to keep quiet, just as He had a reason to go to the Stone Table. It's not our place to question Him."

"I agree," Mrs. Beaver added.

Puss took a breath. On the one hand, Humpty had kept vital information from them all. On the other hand, he had a reason, and a good one at that. In the end, Puss found he couldn't blame Humpty for his omission. This was Aslan's choice, and His alone. Puss could either trust that the lion's call was right, or not.

He turned to the others. "Agreed, Humpty has no blame here. The question we should be asking is how do we proceed? Who will lead now?"

Nobody said anything. It was a difficult question. Puss, for one, did not feel ready for the reins of leadership on this scale, and he had a feeling that the others felt the same.

Finally, Edmund looked up. "I think it should be you, Peter."

Peter's eyes widened. "What?"

"Don't you see, Peter? Aslan talked with you about battle strategy. What to do if the Witch tries this tactic or that strategy. You're the most qualified here. Aside from Oreius, of course," Edmund finished, looking at the centaur.

Oreius nodded. "I agree. The prophecy talks about the Sons of Adam and Daughters of Eve, so it makes sense that one of you should lead. Edmund's reasoning is sound."

Peter shook his head. "But I don't think I'm ready for it. I don't think I have the skills."

Puss nodded his head. "You might think that, Peter. But that's what makes you perfect for the role." Seeing Peter's surprised look, he raised his paws. "Hear me out. I have met a lot of kings, rulers, and generals in my travels. There are usually three types. There's the pompous type who think they know everything and can handle anything life throws at them. Those people are usually humbled quickly in a serious situation. Then there's the type that are unprepared and they know it. So, leadership is passed on to someone else, whether peacefully or violently. Finally, there's the type that have hidden strengths, but are unsure if they are fit to lead. It's the hesitancy that helps, as it proves that the leader is counting the cost of leadership as well as the benefits. What separates the second and third type is the ability to actually lead. You don't strike me as the pompous type, Peter. And your actions to protect your siblings from the Witch and Maugrim prove you have faced your fears and are brave. You are most definitely fit to lead."

Peter looked down, with a hesitant expression on his face. Mrs. Beaver put her paw on his hand. "It's what Aslan would want."

Peter looked over at Kitty. Puss saw his expression change from uncertainty to resolve. Puss smiled. It looked like their army now had a capable general.

"What are your orders, sire?" Oreius asked.

Peter leaned down, looking over the plans. "Right, so here are some initial thoughts…"

And so the reins of leadership are passed on. The tenets of leadership mentioned by Puss are a common theme in stories (mentioned in Narnia as well in The Magician's Nephew). It felt like something Puss would say.

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