IHEISLANDOFTHEVOICES
ANDnohichhadsolohebegantoblowfromthewestitselfandeverymwhenthesuheseathecurvedprowoftheDawhtaiddleofthesuthatthesunlerthanitlookedfromNarnia，butreed。Andtheysailedandsailedbefeeadybreezeaherfishnull—norshipalowagain，aheirheartsthatperhapstheymighthaveetoaseawhiforever。Butwhedayonwhichtheythoughttheycouldriskgtheireastwardvoyagedawshhtaheadbetweehesunrise，alowlandlyinglikeacloud。
Theymadeharbourinawidebayaboutthemiddleoftheafternoonawasaverydifferenttryfromaseeheyhadcrossedthesaheyfoundallsileyasifitwereanuninhabitedlahemtherewerelevellawnsinwhichthegrasswasassmoothandshortasitusedtobeinthegroundslishhardehetrees，ofwhichthereweremany，allstoodartfromoherewerenobrokenbranoleaveslyingeoimescooedbuttherewasnoothernoise。
&heycametoalht，sahwithnotaweedgrowingonitaherhand。Faroffattheotherendofthisaveheynowcaughtsightofahandgraya-lookiernoonsun。
AlmostassooeredthispathLuoticedthatshehadalittlestoneiunkhavebeenwiserforhertoasktheotherstowaitwhileshetookitout。Butshedidn't;shejustdroppedquietlybehindandsatdowntotakeoffhershoe。Herlacehadgotintoaknot。
Beforeshehaduheotherswereafairdistahetimeshehadgotthestoanduttingtheshoeonagainsheolohem。Butalmostatohiwasnotthedireofthehouse。
Whatshehearding。Itsoundedasifdozenswthegroundashardastheycouldwithgreatwoodes。Anditwasveryquiingnearer。Shewasalreadysittioatree，areewasnotonesheb，therewasreallynothingtodobuttositdeadstillandpressherselfagaireeandhopeshewouldn'tbeseen。
Thump，thump，thump。。。awasmustbeveryowforshecouldfeelthegroundshaking。Butshecouldseenothithething—smustbejustbehihehumpohrightinfrontofher。Shekwasoonlybythesoundbutbecauseshesawthesandscatterasifithadbeenstruckaheavyblow。Butshecouldseenothingthathadstruckit。ThehumpiogetherabouttweawayfromherandsuddeheheVoice。
Itwasreallyverydreadfulbecauseshecouldstillseenobodyatall。Thewholeofthatpark-liketrystilllookedasquietayasithadlookedwhelaheless，oawayfromher，avoicespoke。Andwhatitsaidwas:“Mates，now'source。”
Instantlyawholechorusofothervoicesreplied，“Hearhim。Hearhim。‘Now'source'，hesaid。Welldone，Chief。Youneversaidatruerword。”
“WhatIsay，”uedthefirstvoice，“is，getdowntotheshorebetweeheirboat，aher'ssonlooktohisons。wheoputtosea。”
&'stheway，”shoutedalltheothervoiadeabetterplan，Chief。Keepitup，Chief。You'thaveabetterplanthanthat。”
&hen，mates，lively，”saidthefirstvoice。“Offwego。”
“Rightagain，Chief，”saidtheothers。“'thaveabetterorder。Justeregoingtosayourselves。Offwego。”
&hethumpingbeganagain—veryloudatfirstbutsoonfainteraillitdiedoutiionofthesea。
Luewtherewaspuzzlingastowhattheseiuresmightbe。Assoohumpingnoisehaddiedawayshegotupandranaloertheothersasquicklyasherlegswouldcarryher。Theymustatallcostsbe>
&hishadbeeheothershadreachedthehouse。Itwasalowbuilding—onlytwhmadeofabeautifulmellowstone，many-windoartiallycoveredwithivy。EverythingwassostillthatEustacesaid，“Ithinkit'sempty，”butsilentlypoiheokewhioneey。
Theyfoueassedthroughitiyard。Anditwasherethattheyhadtheirfirstindithattherewassomethingoddaboutthisisland。Inthemiddleofthecourtyardstoodapump，ahepumpabucket。Therewasnothingoddaboutthat。Butthepumphandlewasmovingupanddown，thoughthereseemedtobenoonemovingit。
“There'ssomemagicatworkhere，”said。
“Maery!”saidEustace。“Idobelievewe'veetoacivilizedtryatlast。”
AtthatmomentLudbreathless，rushediyardbehindthem。Inalowvoiceshetriedtomakethemuandwhatshehadoverheard。Aheyhadpartlyueveofthemdidnotlookveryhappy。
“Invisibleeered。“Andgusofffromtheboat。Thisisanuglyfurrowtoplough。”
“You'vesortofcreaturestheyare，Lu?”askedEdmund。
“HowI，Ed，whenI'tseethem?”
“Didtheysoundlikehumansfromtheirfootsteps?”
“Ididn'theara—ohisfrightfulthuddingandthumpi。”