CHAPTERTWELVETHEDARKISLAND
&hisadveheysailedonsouthandalittleeastfortwelvedayswithageheskiesbeingmostlydtheairwarm，andsawnobirdorfish，exceptthatohereoutingalongwaytostarboard。LudReepicheepplayedagooddealofchessatthistime。Theeenthday，Edmund，fromthefightingtop，sightedwhatlookedlikeagreatdarkmoutoftheseaobow。
&ereddmadeforthisland，mostlybyoar，forthewindwouldosail。Wheneveheywerestillalongwayfromitandrowedallmtheweatherwasfairbutaflatcalm。Thedarkmasslayahead，mueareraillverydim，sothatsomethoughtitwasstillalongwayoffahoughttheywererunningintoamist。
Aboutm，verysuddenly，itwassoclosethattheycouldseethatitwasnotlandatall，noreven，inanordi。ItwasaDarkisratherhardtodescribe，butyouaslikeifyouimagineyourselflookingihofarailwaytuuhersolongorsotwistythatyouotseethelightatthefarend。Andyouknoouldbelike。Forafewfeetyouwouldseetherailsandsleepersandgravelinbroaddaylight;thentherewouldeaplacewheretheywereintwilight;aysuddenly，butofcoursedividiheywouldvanishaltogetherintosmooth，solidblaess。Itwasjustsohere。Forafewfeetinfroheycouldseetheswellreeer。Beyondthat，theycouldseethewaterlookingpaleandgrayasitwouldlooklateibeyondthatagain，utterblaessasiftheyhadetotheedgeofmooarlessnight。
shoutedtotheboatswaintokeepherbadallexcepttherowersrushedfazedfromthebows。ButtherewasnothingtobeseenbygazihemwastheseaandthesuheDarkness。
“Dowegointothis?”askedatlength。
“Notbymyadvice，”saidDrinian。
&ain&#ht，”saidseveralsailors。
“Ialmostthinkheis，”saidEdmund。
LudEusta'tspeakbuttheyfeltverygladiurnthiaking。ButallatoheclearvoiceofReepicheepbrokeinuponthesilence。
“Andwhynot?”hesaid。“Willsomeoomewhynot。”
Noonewasanxioustoexplain，soReepitinued:“IfIwereaddressisorslaves，”hesaid，“Imightsupposethatthissuggestionprocowardice。ButIhopeitwilloldinNarniathatapanyofnobleandroyalpersonsintheflowereturailbecausetheywereafraidofthedark。”
“Butwhatmanbeploughingthroughthatblaess?”askedDrinian。
“Use?”repliedReepicheep。“Use，?Ifbyuseyoumeanfillingourbelliesorourpurses，Ifessitwillbeall。SofarasIksetsailtsusefulbuttoseekhonouraure。AndhereisasgreataureaseverIheardof，aurnbaotittleimpeatofallourhonours。”
&hesailorssaidthiheirbreaththatsoundedlike“Honourbeblowed”，butsaid:
“Oh，botheryou，Reepicheep。Ialmostwishwe'dleftyouathht!Ifyouputitthatoseweshallhavetogoon。UnlessLucywouldrathernot?”
Lucyfeltthatshewouldverymuchrathernot，butwhatshesaidoutloudwas，“I'mgame。”
“YourMajestywillatleasthts?”saidDrinian。
“Byallmeans，”said。“Seetoit，。”
Sothethreelahestern，andtheprowahead，werealllit，andDriorchesamidships。Paleaheylookedinthesuhenallthemesomewhowereleftbelowattheoarswereorderedondedfullyarmedaheirbattlestationsn。Ludtwoarcherswerepostedoingtopwithbowsbentandarrows。Rynelfwasihhisliakesoundings。Reepicheep，Edmuad，glitteringihhim。Driniailler。
“Andnow，inAslan'sname，forward!”cried。“Aslow，steadystroke。Aeverymaandkeephisearsopenfororders。”
Withadagroareaderstartedtocreepforwardasthemeorow。Luthefightingtop，hadawonderfulviewoftheexaentatwhiteredthedarkhebowshadalreadydisappearedbeforethesunlighthadleftthestergo。Atohegildedstern，thebluesea，andthesky，wereallinbroaddaylight:etheseaandskyhadvaernlantern—whichhadbeenhardlynoticeablebefore—wastheonlythingtoshowwheretheshipended。InfroernshecouldseetheblackshapeofDriniangatthetiller。Dowwotorchesmadevisibletatchesofdedgleamedonswordsas，andforwardtherewasanotherislandoflightole。Apartfromthat，thefightingtop，litbythemastheadlightwhilyjustaboveher，seemedtobealittlelightedworldofitsownfloatinginlonelydarkhelightsthemselves，asalenswithlightswheohavethematthewrongtimeofday，lookedluridandunnatural。Shealsoshewasverycold。
Howlongthisvoyageintothedarked，forthecreakoftherolashoftheoarstherewasnothingtoshowthattheyweremovingatall。Edmund，peeringfromthebows，couldseeherefleofthelahewaterbeforehim。Itlookedagreasysortofrefledtheripplemadebytheiradvangproearedtobeheavy，small，aimewentoherahcold。
Suddenly，fromsomewhere—noone'ssenseofdirewasveryow—therecameacry，eitherofsomeinhumanvoiceorelseavoieiyofterrorthathehadalmostlosthishumanity。
wasstilltryingtospeak—hismouthwastoodry—whentheshrillvoiceofReepicheep，whidedlouderthanusualinthatsilence，>
“Whocalls?”itpiped。“Ifyouareafoewedonotfearyou，andifyouareafriendyourenemiesshallbetaughtthefearofus。”
“Mercy!”criedthevoice。“Merifyouareonlyonemoredream，havemerry。Takemeonboard。Takeme，evenifyoustrikemedead。Butinthenameofallmerotfadeawayahishorribleland。”
“Whereareyou?”shouted。“eaboardandwele。”
Thereothercry，whetherofjoyorterror，aheyksomeonewasswimmingtowardthem。
“Standbytoheavehimup，men，”said。
“Aye，aye，yourMajesty，”saidthesailors。Severalcrowdedtotheportbulwarkwithropesandone，leaningfaroutovertheside，heldthetorch。Awild，earedintheblaessofthewater，aersandpulling，adozenfriendlyhahestrangeronboard。
&houghthehadneverseenawilder-lookingman。Thoughhedidnototherwiselookveryold，hishairwasanuntidymopofwhite，hisfacewasthinanddrawn，and，f，oragshungabouthim。Butwhatonemainlynoticedwerehiseyes，idelyopeheseemedtohaveall，andstaredasifinanagohemomereachedthedeckhesaid:“Fly!Fly!Aboutwithyourshipandfly!Roforyourlivesawayfromthisaccursedshore。”
“poseyourself，”saidReepidtelluswhatthedangeris。Weareoflying。”
&raedhorriblyatthevoiouse，whichhehadnotnoticedbefore。
&helessyouwillflyfrasped。“ThisistheIslandwhereDreamsetrue。”
“That'stheislandI'vebeenlookingforthislongtime，”saidohesailors。“IreedI'dfindIwasmarriedtoNancyifwelandedhere。”