A Rather Bad Night
All three went to bed early in the wigwam. This time the children really had a rather bad night. This was because Puddleglum, after saying, "You'd better try for some sleep, you two; not that I suppose any of us will close an eye tonight" instantly went off into such a loud, continuous snore that, when Jill at last got to sleep, she dreamed all night about road-drills and waterfalls and being in express trains in tunnels.
- Chapter Five, "The Silver Chair"
"Scrubb," Jill hissed.
Puddleglum snored in the background. Not that it felt like the background- it was far too loud for that. How she longed for that bedroom back in Cair Paravel! Even to be back at school- she would rather face Adela Pennyfeather than giants!
But then again, Eustace had looked pretty ill about it. She was sure it wasn't all that bad. They were only giants.
Only giants!
The marshwiggle snored again.
"Scrubb!"
She poked him.
He opened an eye sleepily. It looked as if it was costing him terrible effort. She couldn't see why. Honestly, Puddleglum's snoring could have kept the sleepiest in the world awake!
"Mph?"
"Can-"
But he'd fallen asleep again.
"Boys," she muttered crossly under her breath.
A loud snorting sound blasted through the tent.
He sounded like a road-drill.
She shivered.
"Pole! There you are! We've been searching for ever so long."
And then she had smiled, that awful smile, with those glinting teeth. They glinted the way the sun glinted off the metal in road drills. Jill felt Adela Pennyfeather herself was like a road drill- she could drill through concrete till she hit what she'd wanted to all along, and she hated it when she was that concrete.
"Why aren't you speaking?"
Adela and her group was moving closer in- Jill felt herself shrink, her heart beating wildly-
Don't let her know I'm afraid, don't let her know-
Adela gave a shrill cackle and in a burst-
Jill jerked awake.
Had she slept? If so, how long?
It had been torturous sleep if she had slept.
Puddleglum kept snoring.
Why hasn't he stopped breathing? And him, talking about us not getting a wink of sleep- falling asleep first, keeping us all up! All of us, minus Scrubb, that is. All of us, except-
Only me.
She was the only one who wasn't asleep!
What if something happened now? Would she ever go home, see her family again?
Suppose Adela Pennyfeather just- dropped in as she had been blown into Narnia-
And she'd be facing giants the next day!
Why had that Lion made her come? Worst still, why had she gone?
But could she have said no?
She couldn't have.
Puddleglum's snoring was like a horrid drone right in one's ear. Someone should wake him up. But she'd tried, she'd tried to poke him awake and it had failed.
No- it was worse than a drone. It was like a waterfall! Constant and painfully noisy when one was too close. And she was too close.
Why did they have to share the wigwam? It was too small- and the marshwiggle had been right, the beds were hard.
She tossed and turned.
"Scrubb!"
Her mind was perfectly clear, but her eyes were starting to get heavy- she fought to keep them open.
"Remember the Four Signs..."
Yes, of course, what were they? She tried to open her eyes, but they were too heavy. Never mind, that wouldn't affect her mind. That was clear as glass.
1. As soon as Scrubb sets foot in Narnia, he will meet an old and dear friend who he must greet at once; if he does, you will both have good help.
Well, that was muffed, well and truly. And it was all Scrubb's fault for not listening to her! But boys would be boys, just because she'd pushed-
She deflated. She was the one who had pushed him off the edge.
2. You must journey out of Narnia to the north till you come to the ruined city of the ancient giants.
They were doing that tomorrow.
3. You shall find writing on a stone in that ruined city, and you must do what the writing tells you.
Whatever the writing had to say.
4. You will know the lost prince (if you find him) by this, that he will be the first person you have met in your travels who will ask you to do something in my name, in the name of Aslan.
That was a pretty name, Aslan. She'd try to remember it. Aslan.
Aslan.
Her eyes seemed to glue themselves harder and heavier together, and then she wasn't in the wigwam anymore, and Puddleglum's snoring became...
A train pulling away from the station...
She sat in the last carriage, her face pressed against the window, just as it had been those years back when she had been evacuated to the country. The bushes rushed by, and were gone in a moment. Small towns passed by... high walls...
And a shadow fell over her. Suddenly she was staring at a black hole!
No, it was just a wall. Just a wall. She was only in a tunnel.
But the tunnel never seemed to end. Nor did the sound of the moving train- it was always there, always there.
She looked down at her lap. There was an old box there. What did it contain? She lifted the lid, and to her surprise, she saw photos of rings.
Rings! Why would she take rings on a train?
"You'll have to touch them."
An elderly man sat opposite her, and beside him, an elderly woman.
"Not these photos," the woman amended. "The real rings, of course. Both you and Eustace will have to touch them."
"Good luck, Jill," said a voice, and she turned around to see a girl she had never seen before.
How did she know Jill's name? And who was she?
"Oh! I'm sorry," the young woman cried, apologetically. "I half sounded as though we were sending you to your deaths. It's a dreadful habit I have recently picked up from my brother. Edmund is a wonderful person- one of the best brothers a girl could ask for- but he can say the gloomiest things at times."
Vaguely aware of what she was seeing, Jill turned.
I'm awake, she thought, sleepily, but no sooner had the thought passed through her mind than the scene had rippled, and she was back on the train.
Only something was different, there were two others- two men.
"You never know, we may well be sending you to leave this world for the final time," said a dark voice.
"Ed!"
"Well, sorry, Lu, but no Narnian's never appeared to us before and asked for help, have they? Narnia must be in a jolly lot of trouble, for that to happen. And if it's that bad-"
"Aslan will be there."
"But what if-"
"Don't. Don't you trust Aslan? Besides, think of Mother, Father-"
"Mother and Father should be on this train. And of course I trust Aslan!"
"Well, why speak of that, then? Anyway, think of Susan!"
"She was the one who left Narnia."
"You talk of her as though she isn't your sister."
"Just stop it. I wish my knee would stop hurting, come to think of that.."
What was she doing there? Who was this Susan they were speaking of? And why wasn't the train any quieter?
She finally managed to open her mouth and blurt out,
"Could somebody tell me-"
But then there was a jolt, and-
"Get up, Pole. Asleep again, I shouldn't say- not the first time this has happened."
She opened her eyes and saw Scrubb grinning.
He may well grin, she thought sullenly, he hadn't had as bad a night as she had.
"Don't sulk, we've got an adventure to go on!"
So, tiredly and resignedly, Jill pulled herself out of bed.
It had been more than rather a bad night.
A/N: This is a slightly revised version of the fic. I have finally- finally!- gotten around to implementing the suggestions given by Hortensio and have fixed the historical error Morohtar kindly pointed out. I hope you enjoyed it!