CHAPTERSIXTEENTHEVERYENDOFTHEWORLD
REEPICHEEPwastheonlypersononboardbesidesDriniawoPevensieswhohadheSeaPeople。HehaddivedinatonhesawtheSeaKingshakinghisspear，fardedthisasasortofthreateaohavethematteroutthereaheextofdisgthatthefreshhaddistractedhisattention，andbeforeherememberedtheSeaPeopleagainLudDrinianhadtakenhimasideatomentionwhathehadseen。
Asthiheyneedhardlyhavebothered，forbythistimetheDawnTreaderwasglidioftheseawhichseemedtobeuninhabited。LuythihePeople，andevenshehadoglimpse。Allmonthefollowingdaytheysailedinfairlyshallowwateraomwasweedy。JustbeforemiddayLucysawalargeshoaloffishesgraziheywerealleatingsteadilyandallmovingiion。“Justlikeaflockofsheep，”thoughtLulyshesawalittleSeaGirlofabeinthemiddleofthem—aquiet，lonely-lookinggirlwithasortofherhand。Lucyfeltsurethatthisgirlmustbeashepherdess—orperhapsafish-herdessandthattheshoalwasreallyaflockatpasture。Boththefishesandthegirlwerequiteclosetothesurfadjustasthegirl，glidingintheshallowwater，andLugoverthebulositetoohegirllookeduparaightintoLucy'sfaeithercouldspeaktotheotherandiheSeaGirldroppedastern。ButLueverfetherface。ItdidnhtenedrylikethoseoftheotherSeaPeople。Lucyhadlikedthatgirlaainthegirlhadlikedher。Iheyhadsomehowbeefrieseemtobemueetingagaininthatworldoraifevertheydotheywillrushtogetherwiththeirha。
&formanydays，withoutwindinhershroudsorfoamatherbows，acrossawavelesssea，theDawnTreaderglidedsmoothlyeast。Everydayahelightbecamemorebrilliantandstilltheycouldbearit。ao，buttheydrewbucketsofdazzlihesea，strohanwineaer，moreliquid，thanordinaryledgedolyisofit。Awoofthesailorswhohadbeenoldishmehevoyagebegannereveryday。Everyoneonboardwasfilledwithjoyathatmadeohefurthertheysailedthelesstheyspoke，aiillhatlastsealaidholdonthem。
“MyLord，”saidtoDrinianoneday，“whatdoyouseeahead?”
“Sire，”saidDriniaeness。Allalongthehorizonfromnorthtosouth，asfarasmyeyesreach。”
“ThatiswhatIseetoo，”said，“andIagiis。”
“Ifwewereiudes，yourMajesty，”saidDrinian，“Iwouldsayitwasice。Butit'tbethat;hesame，we'dbettergetmentotheoarsandholdtheshipbastthet。Whateverthestuffis，wedon'twanttotoitatthisspeed!”
TheydidasDriniansaid，andsouedtogoslowerahewhitenessdidaeriousasthey—approachedit。Ifitwaslanditmustbeaverystrangeland，foritseemedjustassmoothasthewaterandonthesamelevelwithit。WheveryclosetoitDrinianputthehelmhardoveraheDawhsothatshewasbroadsideoalewaystheedgeofthewhiteness。Insodoingtheyatallymadetheimportahetwasonlyaboutfortyfeetwideaheseaasstillasapond。Thiswasgoodhecrew，whuntothinkthatthereturoRamandu'sland，rowingagaiheway，wouldbeprettypoorsport。（Italsoexplaiheshepherdgirlhaddroppedsoquicklyasteri。Ifshehadbeenshewouldhavebeehesamespeedastheship。）
Andstillnooneakeoutwhatthewhitestuffwas。Thewasloutofftoihosewhoremaireadercouldseethattheboatpushedrightinamidstthewhiteheycouldhearthevoicesofthepartyiclearacrossthestillwater）talkinginashrillandsurprisedway。ThenthereausewhileRyhebowsoftheboattookasounding;aerthat，thebbackthereseemedtobepleuffinsideher。Everyohesidetohearthenews。
“Lilies，yourMajesty!”shoutedRyandingupinthebows。
“Whatdidyousay?”asked。
“Bloominglilies，yourMajesty，”saidRynelf。“Sameasinapardenathome。”
“Look!”saidLucy，whowasiheboat。Sheheldupherwetarmsfullofwhitepetalsandbroadflatleaves。
“What'sthedepth，Rynelf?”askedDrinian。
“That'sthefunnything，，”saidRy'sstilldeep。Threeandahalffathomsclear。”
“They'tbereallilies—notwhatwecalllilies，”saidEustace。
Probablytheywerenot，buttheywereverylikethem。AersomesultatioreaderturnedbatothedbegawardthroughtheLilyLakeortheSilverSea（theytriedboththesewastheSilverSeathatstudisnoian'smap）thestraoftheirtravelsbegaheopeheywereleavingwasonlyathinrimofblueoernhorizowithfaicold，spreadroundthemoneveryside，exceptjustasterheirpassagehadthrusttheliliesapartaanopeerthatshonelikedarkgreenglass。Tolookat，thislastseawasveryliketheArdiftheireyeshadnotbynowgraseagles'thesunonallthatwhiteearlymwhenthesuwouldhavebeenunbearable。Ahesamewhitehedaylightlastlohereseemedhelilies。DayafterdayfromallthosemilesandleaguesofflowersthereroseasmellwhichLuditveryhardtodescribe;sweet—yes，butnotatallsleepy，afresh，wild，loseemedtogetintoyourbrainandmakeyoufeelthatyouountainsataruha。Sheandsaidtooher，“IfeelthatI'tstandmuchmoreofthis，yetIdon'twantittostop。”
&ooksouenbutitwasonlyseveraldayslaterthatthewaterbecameshallower。Afterthatitweingshallower。Therecameadaywheorowoutofthedfeeltheirwayforwardatasnail'spag。AndsoonitwasclearthattheDawnTreadercouldsail。Iwasonlybyverydlingthattheysavedherfr。
&heboat，”cried，“ahemenaft。Imustspeaktothem。”
“What'shegoingtodo?”whisperedEustaund。“There'saqueerlookinhiseyes。”
“Ithinkweprobablyalllookthesame，”saidEdmund。
Theyjoinedthepoopandsoonallthemenwerecrowdedtogetheratthefootoftheladdert'sspeeds，”said，“wehavenowfulfilledthequestonwhibarked。ThesevenlordsareallatedforandasSirReepicheephassworurn，whenyoureadu'sLandyouwilldoubtlessfindtheLordsRevilianandArgozandMavramoroyou，myLordDrihisship，biddingyousailtoNarniaeedyoumay，atolandontheIslaer。Andinstructmyregerumpkihese，myshipmates，thereromisedthem。Theyhavebeenearnedwell。AndifIenotagainitismywillthattheRegent，andMasterelius，aheBadger，andtheLordDrinianchooseaKingofNarniawiththet—”
“But，Sire，”iedDrinian，“areyouabdig?”
“IamgoingwithReepicheeptoseetheWorld'sEnd，”said。
Alowmurmurofdismayranthroughthesailors。
&aketheboat，”said。“YouwillhaveileseasandyoumustbuildanewoneinRamandu'sisland。Andnow—”
“，”saidEdmundsuddenlyandsternly，“you'tdothis。”
“Mostly，”saidReepicheep，“hisMajestyot。”
“Noindeed，”saidDrinian。
“'t?”saidsharply，lookingforamomentnotunlikehisuncleMiraz。
“BeggingyourMajesty'spardon，”saidRyhedeckbelow，“butifoneofusdidthesameitwouldbecalleddeserting。”
“Youpresumetoomuyservielf，”said。
“No，Sire!He'sperfectlyright，”saidDrinian。
“BytheManeofAslan，”said，“Ihadthoughtyouwereallmysubjectshere，notmysasters。”
“I'mnot，”saidEdmund，“andIsayyouotdothis。”
“'tagain，”said。“Whatdoyoumean?”
“IfitpleaseyourMajesty，wemeanshallnot，”saidReepicheepwithaverylowbow。“YouaretheKingofNarnia。YoubreakfaithwithallyoursubjedespeciallywithTrumpkin，ifyoudourn。Youshallnotpleaseyourselfwithadventuresasifyourivateperson。AndifyourMajestywillnothearreasonitwillbethetruestloyaltyofeverymanonboardtofollowmeindisarmingandbindingyoutillyouetoyoursenses。”
“Quiteright，”saidEdmuheydidwithUlysseswheogoheSirens。”