CHAPTERSIXTHEADVEACE
ATthatverymomeherswerewashinghandsaheriveratingreadyfordinnerahreebestarchershadgoothehillsnorthofthebayaurhapairofwildgoatsroastingoverafire。hadorderedacaskofwirongwineofArdwhiixedwithwaterbeforeyoudrankit，sotherewouldbeplentyforall。Thewonewellsofaranditwasamerrymeal。OhesedhelpingofgoatdidEdmundsay，“Where'sthatblighterEustace?”
Meaaredroundtheunkwassonarro，andtheprecipiceswhideditsosheer，thatititortrench。Theflrassythoughstrewnwithrodhereaacesawblatpatcheslikethoseyouseeonthesidesofarailwayembainadrysummer。
Aboutfifteenyardsawayfromhimoolofclear，smoothwater。Therewas，atfirst，allinthevalley;notananimal，notabird，notahesudoeaksandhornsofmountaihevalley'sedge。
&acerealizedofcoursethatinthefoghehadedsidee，soheturogettingback。Butassoonashehadlookedheshuddered。Apparentlyhehadbyamazingludtheonlypossiblewaydown—aloofland，horriblysteepandnarrow，withpreeitherside。Therewasnootherpossiblewayofgettingback。Butcouldhedoit，nowthathesaasreallylike?Hisheadswamattheverythoughtofit。
&urnedroundagain，thinkingthatatanyratehe'dbetterhaveagooddrinkfromthepoolfirst。Butassoournedaakenastepforwardintothevalleyheheardanoisebehindhim。Itwasonlyasmallsoundedloudinthatimmefrozehimdead-stillwherehestoodforaseheslewedroundhisnedlooked。
Atthebottomofthecliffalittleohandwasalow，darkhole—theeoacaveperhaps。Andoutofthistwothinwispsofsm。Aobehedarkh（thatwasthenoisehehadheard）justasifsomethingwereginthedarkbehindthem。
&hingorsestill，somethingwasundorLucyoryouwouldhavereizeditatoacehadreadherightbooks。Thethingthatcameoutofthecavewassomethinghehadneverevenimagined—alonglead-out，dullredeyes，herslithebodythattrailedswhoseelbowswentuphigherthanitsbacklikeaspider'scruelclaws，bat'swingsthatmadearaspihestones，yardsoftail。Andthelinesofsmfromitstwonostrils。Hehewontohimself。Norwouldithavemadethierifhehad。
Butperhapsifhehadkhingabonshewouldhavebeenalittlesurprisedatthisdragon'sbehaviour。Itdidnotsitupandclapitswings，nordiditshootoutastreamofflamefromitsmouth。Thesmokefromitsnostrilswaslikethesmokeofafirethatwillnotlastmuger。Nordiditseemtohaveace。Itmovedverysloool—slowlyandauses。Eveniacefeltthatitwasanold，sadcreature。Hewonderedifhedaredmakeadashfortheast。Butitmightlookroundifhemadeamightoretolife。Perhapsitwasonlyshamming。Anyastheusetoescapebygfromacreaturethatcouldfly?
&hepoolandsliditshorriblesdraveltodrihaddrunkthereitagreatgdafterafewtwitdsitrolledroundonitssidealystillwithonetheair。Alittledarkbloodgushedfromitswide-opeh。Thesmokefromitsnostrilsturnedblaeedaway。hiswasthebrute'strick，thewayitluredtravellerstotheirdoom。Butone'twaitforever。Hetookastepwosteps，andhaltedagain。Thedragoioicedtoothattheredfirehadgoofitseyes。Atlasthecameuptoit。Hewasquitesurenowthatitwasdead。Withashudderhetouothinghappened。
ThereliefwassogreatthatEustacealmostlaughedoutloud。Hebegantofeelasifhehadfoughtahedragoninsteadofmerelyseeieppedoveritahepoolforhisdrink，fortheheatwasgettingunbearable。Hewasnotsurprisedwhenheheardapealofthuimmediatelyafterwardthesundisappearedandbeforehehadfinishedhisdrinkbigdropsofrain>
&eofthisislandleasantohaacewaswettotheskinandhalfblihsuasoneneverseesiherewasoclimboutofthevalleyaslongasthislasted。Heboltedfortheoerinsight—thedragon'scave。Therehelaydethisbreath。
Mostofusknoeshouldexpedinadragon'slair，but，asIsaidbefore，Eustacehadreadonlythewrongbooks。Theyhadalottosayaboutexportsandimpoversanddrains，buttheywereweakons。Thatisuzzledatthesurfawhichhewaslying。Partsofitweretoopricklytobestooohardtobethorns，aobeagreatmanyround，flatthings，anditallkedwheherewaslightenoughattheouthtoexamiby。AndofcourseEustadittobewhatanyofuscouldhavetoldhimireasure。Thereweres（thoseweretheprigs），gs，bragots，cups，platesandgems。
&alikemostboys）hadmuchoftreasurebuthesawatowouldbeinthisnehichhehadsofoolishlystumbledinththepiLucy'sbedroomathome。“Theydon'thaveanytaxhere，”hesaid，“Andyoudon'thavetogivetreasuretothegoverhsomeofthisstuffIcouldhavequiteadettimehere—perhapsisouphories。Iwonderhowmucarry?Thatbraow—thosethingsinitareprobablydiamonds—I'llslipthatonmyownwrist。Toobig，butnotifIpushitrightuphereabovemyelbow。Thenfillmypocketswithdiamonds—that'seasierthangold。Iwohisinfernalrain'sgoiup?”Hegotintoalessunfortablepartofthepile，whereitwasmostlydsettleddowntowait。Butabadfright，wheisover，andespeciallyabadfrightfollowingamountainwalk，leavesyouverytired。Eustacefellasleep。
Bythetimehewassoundasleepandshershadfinisheddinnerandbecameseriouslyalarmedabouthim。Theyshouted，“Eustace!Eustace!Coo-ee!”tilltheywerehoarseandblewhishorn。
“He'snowherenearorhe'dhaveheardthat，”saidLucywitha>
“dthefellow，”saidEdmund。“Whatohdidhewanttoslinkawaylikethisfor?”
“Butwemustdosomething，”saidLucy。“Hemayhavegotlost，orfallenintoahole，orbeencapturedbysavages。”
“Orkilledbywildbeasts，”saidDrinian。
“Andagoodriddanceifhehas，Isay，”mutteredRhince。
“MasterRhince，”saidReepicheep，“youneverspokeawordthatbecameyouless。ThecreatureisnofrieheisoftheQueen'sblood，andwhileheisoneofourfellowshipitsourhonourtofindhimandtoavengehimifheisdead。”
“Ofcoursewe'vegottofindhim（ifwe），”saidwearily。“That'sthe。Itmeayarouble。BotherEustace。”
Meaaceslepta—awokehimaininhisarm。Themoonwasshiningihofthedthebedoftreasuresseemedtohavegrownmufortable:infacthecouldhardlyfeelitatall。Heuzzledbythepaininhisarmatfirst，butpresentlyitothatthebraceletwhichhehadshovedupabovehiselbowhadbeestra。Hisarmmusthavesasasleep（itwashisleftarm）。
Hemhtarmiofeelhisleft，butstoppedbeforehehadmoveditanindbithislipinterror。Forjustinfrontofhim，andalittleht，wherethemoonlightfellthefloorofthecave，hesawahideousshapemovishape:itwasadragon'sclaw。Ithadmovedashemovedhishaillwheoppedmovinghishand。
“Oh，whatafoolI'vebeen，”thoughtEustace。“Ofcourse，thebrutehadamateandit'slyingbesideme。”
&lyhedecidedthathewouldedgeverycautiouslytohisleftandtrytocreepoutofthecave。Perhapsthecreature—andanywayitwashisoofcoursebefedtothelefthelookedtotheleft。Ohhorror!therewasadragon'sthatsidetoo。
NoonewillblameEustaceifatthismomeears。Herisedatthesizeofhisowntearsashesawthemsplashingoreasureinfrontofhim。Theyalsoseemedstra;steamwentupfromthem。
Buttherewasn。Hemusttrytobetweewoendinghisrightarm。Thedragon&#andhisrightwentthroughexactlythesamemotiohewouldtryhisleft。Thedragonlimbonthatsidemovedtoo。
Twons，oneoneachside，mimigwhateverhedid!Hisnervebrokeandhesimplymadeaboltforit。
Therewassuchadrasping，andgofgold，andgrindingofstones，asherushedoutofthecavethathethoughttheywerebothfollowinghim。Hedaren'tlookback。Herushedtothepool。Theteofthedeaddragonlyinginthemoonlightwouldhavebeehtenowhehardly。Hisideawastogetier。
Butjustashereachedtheedgeofthepooltwothingshappeofallitlikeathuhathehadbeenrunningonallfours—andwhyohhadhebeendoingthat?Andsedly，ashebenttowardthewater，hethoughtforasedthatyetanonathimoutofthepool。Butinaninstahetruth。Thedragohepoolwashisowherewasnodoubtofit。Itmovedashemoved:itopenedandshutitsmouthasheopenedandshuthis。
&uronwhilehe。Sleepingon&#reedy，dragonishthoughtsi，hehadbeeadragonhimself。
Thatexplaihing。Therehadbeennohecave。Theclawsthtahadbeenhishtaclaw。Thetwookehadbeenhisownnostrils。Asforthepainiarm（orwhathadbeearm）heopenedbysquintingwithhislefteye。Thebraceletwhichhadfittedveryheupperarmofaboywasfartoosmallforthethick，stumpyfon。Ithadsuohisscalyfleshahrobbingbulgeoneachsideofit。Hetoreattheplacewithhisdragon'steethbutotgetitoff。
Ihepain，hisfirstfeelingwasoherewasnothingtobeafraidofanymore。Hewasaterrorhimselfandnothingintheworldbutaknight（andnotallofthose）woulddaretoattackhim。HecouldgetevenianandEdmundnowButthemomethisherealizedthathedidn'twaobefrieogetbaansandtalkandlaughahihathewasamoofffromthewholehumanraappallingloneliness。Hebegaheothershadnotreallybeeall。Hebegantowonderifhehimselfhadbeensuiashehadalosed。Heloheirvoices。HewouldhavebeengratefulforakindwordevenfromReepicheep。
&houghtofthistheponthathadbeeedupitsvoiditseyesoutuhemooedvalleyisasightandasoundhardlytobeimagined。