The Lion, The Witch, and CS Lewis - 03

A Satire - For Ursa Corwin

3

As I said at the end of the last post, Eddie is mean - really, really mean. Not in a CS Lewis kind of way, where he just fakes being made but is rotten to the core of his time little body. This is because he is not like Lucy, and nor is he like the older two members of the troop - where he has developed a conscience - he is only beginning, and that is a rough time to be. What it means first and foremost, is he's grouchy - grouchy beyond redemption. He doesn't need to be that way, but he is nonetheless.

And what's more, he wants to be grouchy, and find other people who are grouchy, and he doesn't know that some people are this way all of the time, and like it. So, like Eddie, they're mean all of the time, not just a phase that they’re going through on the way to being an adult. Jadis was one of these people, and she knew it - and knew that most of the people who are like her outgrow it, so there is a short window to turn them rotten.

Now in CS Lewis's version of the story, Edmond isn't that bad, and he catches her at a very opportune time. This story doesn't tell it that way. First we have to get back to our world and tell the story from the beginning. Or at least from my beginning, interleaved with CS Lewis's beginning.

In Lucy's timeframe, it was about four hours, but for the others, it was the blink of an eye, they didn't even notice that she was gone, which means that the time spent interleaving through the wardrobe was also missing, which would tell you something if you had read Einstein's papers in German, or some of the translations into English. Not one of the three noticed she was gone. This means, as I said, the wardrobe was not from this planet, but the ethereal world that CS Lewis called Narnia, which was in Italy.

Now here is a rub, why did it know that the second time through there was only one wardrobe, and a solid bottom? Think about it, if it were a property of the Empire beyond the sea, that is CS Lewis’ God, why did it draw Edmund and not anyone else? If her were not, then it’s under the control of CS Lewis’ God, which means there is some other power, reaching through the darkness and manipulating. And it has evil intent. Now it could be that God wants there to be a villain that comes with absolution, and that's all right if you believe that free will exists. But even in these child stories, some questions tug at our strings. This leads back to what is called theological determinism, and other things of that very nature which is a glue that binds arguments together.

CS Lewis this not have the problem, because he believes, and I do mean truly believes, that the world exists for God alone. And if you believe that as well, there isn't a problem, you just pick one to believe, whether esoteric or biblical, or some other kind, and you're done. But if you are like me, you want a good yarn without all of the theological claps, and want some different meaning, because honestly, it doesn't make sense in CS Lewis's world of 4004 BC. Which he may, or may not, have believed in. I think he was a long Deist rather than a short Deist, I may half to look it up, but I believe he adopted science and religion, but believed in religion rather more, at least that's what the people who want me to read his works want me to believe. I have another, however. I don't have the material for Narnia, though I can get it.

Anyway, in this story the little boy comes immediately in after her, to take her spot and her to getting caught, so seeing her rush outside the closet, he immediately rushes to claim the spot, and he expects to close the door. But what he found was the same thing that she had discovered just a moment, his time, before. Being a little boy rather than a girl, he trashed his way through the coats, just to make a mess of them, when he discovered that there was a “beyond”, which he did not expect at all. You'll notice that I use certain words, because it called for, though I don't use them in most of my writing. We will see if that will work, he not, I will have to stick somewhere I did before. In my story, he didn't use an overcoat, he just tore it off in two in the early dawn. Like his sister, he was not concerned about keeping clean and rather avidly made a mess. In his mind, he was free, totally free. Though he would not think of what “free” really meant, because it was an abstraction that had no meaning. His brother Peter would lecture him on this point, and he knew it.

Then he realized he was lost. Not lost as in “I can't find my way” but lost seriously lost. All of a sudden, he was worried, and frightened, and didn't exactly know where he was. One thing he was sure of, this was not the place that he had left. Did get me wrong, where he left from it was cold, brutally bitterly cold, but he knew that this was something other than a backdoor, or some such, and it was not in the city, which he knew, but in the countryside, because he knew that, unlike Lucy, the trees were close together, which means they were young.

Fortunately for him, he heard what word sleigh bells, which he had heard once before when on Christmas Eve the management of the town brought sleighs, he'd also heard them on the radio several times. But it was different, the bells were deeper and more melodic. There was no high-pitched sound like the bells were on Christmas Eve. So, he did the logical thing and hid himself behind a very large oak tree, which was here from the beginning, at least a hundred years or more. But it wasn't good enough, and the witch knew she stared into two of his eyes as if he were straight in front of him, as opposed to behind the oak tree. She had magic, you see, the only one of two.

Of course, he stopped right in his tracks, because while he getting to know magic, he realized that there was something odd about her, and he did not one to find out what.

“I said you there,” continued the Queen, “show your so at once. This is your last warning.”

He didn't need another warning and stepped out into the frigid frozen air, which had a flurry haze over everything. It was not exactly overcast, but almost.

Again, continued the witch: “What are you?” Though she knew exactly what he was, but she wanted to make sure. Because certain creatures looked like a son of Adam, or daughter of Eve, but were not.

“I am Eddie, and I was just playing out in the snow.”

The Queen was satisfied that he was indeed a son of Adam, but she would have to find out whether he was one, or part of a group, because part of a group is much more dangerous. She knew that Aslan would follow right after them. And she had to be prepared for that instance.

“Come sit next to me and tell me what stories you have.” actually there was only one story that she wanted to hear, and it began “We four set out...” They were a lot like Eddie and the Queen, they got straight to the point. He liked this and was comfortable with it. So, he climbed out and the sleigh, which was quite tall, and grinned a lazy grin, and said: “You look like a person I can do business with.”

“I'm sure we can work out an arrangement.” She smiled an ugly-looking grin, and her footman grasped the sleigh bells, and with them into shape. They were talking, the Queen and Eddie, all the way back to the palace, which was not Cair Paravel, Though, she kept it in good condition, probably to trap anyone from despoiling it.

At that moment, Eddie turned to the Queen, and asked her: “Where are we going?”

“We’re going to the place where all business will be connected, is that all right with you?”

“Perfectly,” replied Eddie. Because it didn't matter, so long as it was fine for everyone, then it had to be good for him. Realize, deep in his darkened heart, there was mischief, though he didn't know what kind.

It wasn't a very long ride, though the foothills past the entrance, there were four main foothills each one of them higher than the last. Finally, the footman, who was a bit shorter than Eddie, made a noise, which was to the horses, and the Queen motioned to Eddie that it was time to get out.

They were at the foot of an enormous stronghold, and it was blacker than soot. While the grand was white when it was not trod upon, it turned gray when it was mired with hoof prints, on those places where it was used, but those areas were narrow, indicating that only the Queen used the carriage, all of the rest went on foot, or used their transportation. This was under by how few there were of reindeer, which was the only kind. There were no, for example, horses or oxen. The tower was only 30 feet tall, but wide, as if it were from the beginning of time, it had not a nick or a scratch on its face. Even the Queen bows before it, almost as if by reflex. Eddie thought that this was a place older, than man, or woman he reminded himself. The plan was rectangular, and only slightly did it make stride steps upward. It was not impressive compared to buildings on Earth, bought it was towering and resonant here in its native plane.

“You can go in now.” The Queen was in a hurry, and her voice showed. Eddie was not one to question orders from a person such as this. Nor was the Queen going to put up with this.

Going from out to in, there was a rift of footmen and other household people. It was almost as if there were no people but the Queen to service, which was true. The Queen had no need, for anyone because she was immortal, and therefore needed no King. This stops Eddie in his tracks because he wanted to be the King when he was old enough, but then he realized there was no Princess to follow the Queen. And this disturbs him very much. And the Queen noticed it and noted that she would be eliminated as soon as possible.

Looking at the Hall from the inside, it seemed much more spacious, but drab, the Queen’s taste ran to the minimum, and then some. There were only 12 pairs of flights, in a very large hall. Hence it was dark, very dark indeed, though the Windows and doorways had light in them. This means they were not the Queen’s design, but she was living there. There were squares about 12 feet across along the ceiling, though not long the walls.

“Is this your design?” He asked, though it probably wasn't.

“I don't think I wish to answer that question, and I don't want to answer any questions at all. What I would like to do is have you answer a very simple question. Are you alone, or do you have brother and sisters?” He noted that brother was singular, while sisters were plural, and that meant something. Though what he could not say what.