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〃why cant we go to your house now？〃 said edmund。 when he had first got on to the sledge he had been afraid that she might drive away with him to some unknown place from which he would not be able to get back； but he had forgotten about that fear now。
〃it is a lovely place； my house；〃 said the queen。 〃i am sure you would like it。 there are whole rooms full of turkish delight； and whats more； i have no children of my own。 i want a nice boy whom i could bring up as a prince and who would be king of narnia when i am gone。 while he was prince he would wear a gold crown and eat turkish delight all day long； and you are much the cleverest and handsomest young man ive ever met。 i think i would like to make you the prince … some day； when you bring the others to visit me。鈥�
〃why not now？〃 said edmund。 his face had bee very red and his mouth and fingers were sticky。 he did not look either clever or handsome； whatever the queen might say。
〃oh； but if i took you there now；〃 said she； 〃i shouldnt see your brother and your sisters。
i very much want to know your charming relations。 you are to be the prince and … later on … the king； that is understood。 but you must have courtiers and nobles。 i will make your brother a duke and your sisters duchesses。鈥�
〃theres nothing special about them；〃 said edmund； 〃and； anyway； i could always bring them some other time。鈥�
〃ah； but once you were in my house；〃 said the queen； 〃you might forget all about thern。
you would be enjoying yourself so much that you wouldnt want the bother of going to fetch them。 no。 you must go back to your own country now and e to me another day； with them； you understand。 it is no good ing without them。鈥�
〃but i dont even know the way back to my own country；〃 pleaded edmund。 〃thats easy；〃 answered the queen。 〃do you see that lamp？〃 she pointed with her wand and edmund turned and saw the same lamp…post under which lucy had met the faun。
〃straight on； beyond that； is the way to the world of men。 and now look the other way… here she pointed in the opposite direction … 〃and tell me if you can see two little hills rising above the trees。鈥�
〃i think i can；〃 said edmund。
〃well； my house is between those two hills。 so next time you e you have only to find the lamp…post and look for those two hills and walk through the wood till you reach my house。 but remember … you must bring the others with you。 i might have to be very angry with you if you came alone。鈥�
〃ill do my best；〃 said edmund。
〃and； by the way；〃 said the queen； 〃you neednt tell them about me。 it would be fun to keep it a secret between us two； wouldnt it？ make it a surprise for them。 just bring them along to the two hills … a clever boy like you will easily think of some excuse for doing that … and when you e to my house you could just say 〃lets see who lives here〃 or something like that。 i am sure that would be best。 if your sister has met one of the fauns； she may have heard strange stories about me … nasty stories that might make her afraid to e to me。 fauns will say anything； you know； and now …鈥�
〃please； please；〃 said edmund suddenly； 〃please couldnt i have just one piece of turkish delight to eat on the way home？鈥�
〃no； no；〃 said the queen with a laugh； 〃you must wait till next time。〃 while she spoke； she signalled to the dwarf to drive on； but as the sledge swept away out of sight； the queen waved to edmund； calling out； 〃next time！ next time！ dont forget。 e soon。鈥�
edmund was still staring after the sledge when he heard someone calling his own name； and looking round he saw lucy ing towards him from another part of the wood。
〃oh； edmund！〃 she cried。 〃so youve got in too！ isnt it wonderful； and now…鈥�
〃all right；〃 said edmund； 〃i see you were right and it is a magic wardrobe after all。 ill say im sorry if you like。 but where on earth have you been all this time？ ive been looking for you everywhere。鈥�
〃if id known you had got in id have waited for you；〃 said lucy； who was too happy and excited to notice how snappishly edmund spoke or how flushed and strange his face was。
〃ive been having lunch with dear mr tumnus； the faun； and hes very well and the white witch has done nothing to him for letting me go； so he thinks she cant have found out and perhaps everything is going to be all right after all。鈥�
〃the white witch？〃 said edmund； 〃whos she？鈥�
〃she is a perfectly terrible person；〃 said lucy。 〃she calls herself the queen of narnia though she has no right to be queen at all； and all the fauns and dryads and naiads and dwarfs and animals … at least all the good ones … simply hate her。 and she can turn people into stone and do all kinds of horrible things。 and she has made a magic so that it is always winter in narnia … always winter； but it never gets to christmas。 and she drives about on a sledge； drawn by reindeer； with her wand in her hand and a crown on her head。鈥�
edmund was already feeling unfortable from having eaten too many sweets； and when he heard that the lady he had made friends with was a dangerous witch he felt even more unfortable。 but he still wanted to taste that turkish delight again more than he wanted anything else。
〃who told you all that stuff about the white witch？〃 he asked。
〃mr tumnus； the faun；〃 said lucy。
〃you cant always believe what fauns say；〃 said edmund； trying to sound as if he knew far more about them than lucy。
〃who said so？〃 asked lucy。
〃everyone knows it；〃 said edmund； 〃ask anybody you like。 but its pretty poor sport standing here in the snow。 lets go home。鈥�
〃yes； lets；〃 said lucy。 〃oh； edmund； i am glad youve got in too。 the others will have to believe in narnia now that both of us have been there。 what fun it will be！鈥�
but edmund secretly thought that it would not be as good fun for him as for her。 he would have to admit that lucy had been right； before all the others； and he felt sure the others would all be on the side of the fauns and the animals； but he was already more than half on the side of the witch。 he did not know what he would say； or how he would keep his secret once they were all talking about narnia。
by this time they had walked a good way。 then suddenly they felt coats around them instead of branches and next moment they were both standing outside the wardrobe in the empty room。
〃i say；〃 said lucy； 〃you do look awful； edmund。 dont you feel well？鈥�
〃im all right；〃 said edmund； but this was not true。 he was feeling very sick。
〃e on then；〃 said lucy； 〃lets find the others。 what a lot we shall have to tell them！
and what wonderful adventures we shall have now that were all in it together。鈥�
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CHAPTER FIVE
灏彛昏；t锛寈t；澶诲爞
back on this side of the door because the game of hide…and…seek was still going on； it took edmund and lucy some time to find the others。 but when at last they were all together （which happened in the long room； where the suit of armour was） lucy burst out： 〃peter！ susan！ its all true。 edmund has seen it too。 there is a country you can get to through the wardrobe。 edmund and i both got in。 we met one another in there； in