t;No; said Peter, as t;Aslan and ts Queen Susan and Queen Lucy, Caspian) are some, not ours. In time o do w we  can on our own.

    You say, Caspian,  strong enougo meet Miraz in pitctle?”

    quot;Im afraid not, ; said Caspian. er very muc ongue-tied. It  t Kings out of  tories t o meet him.

    quot;Very ; said Peter, quot;Ill send o single  combat.quot; No one  of this before.

    quot;Please,quot; said Caspian, quot;could it not be me? I  to avenge my father.”

    quot;Youre ; said Peter. quot;And any  laug a  c you are a king and a  hinks  of you as a kid.”

    quot;But, Sire,quot; said t very close to Peter and never took  his eyes off him.

    quot;ill  a . cronger .  army.”

    quot;Very likely ,quot; said Peter, quot;but t,  of to and fro and all  t. By t least I can inspect trengtion. I  I e it at once. er Doctor?”

    quot;A sc ty,quot; ansor Cornelius.

    quot;Very ate,quot; said Peter. And  a  parc and opened er leant back o ten suchings long  ago in Narnias golden age.

    quot;Rig;  last. quot;And noor?”

    Doctor Cornelius dipped ed. Peter dictated as follo;Peter, by t of Aslan, by election, by prescription, and by  conquest,  of t Noble Order of to Miraz, Son of Caspian time  Lord Protector of Narnia and noyling ing.  t?”

    quot;Narnia, comma, greeting,quot; muttered tor. quot;Yes, Sire.”

    quot;t; said Peter. quot;For to prevent to gro is our pleasure to adventure our royal person on berusty and tle to prove upon your  Lords t  and by telmarines, and your Lordsy of treac ab forget to spell it or - bloody, and unnatural murder of your kindly  lord and brot name.  ily provoke,  co t and monomac tters by time King under us  in Narnia, Duke of Lantern aste and Count of tern Marc of table, to ions of ttle. Given at our lodging in Aslans  year of Caspian tenth of Narnia.

    quot;t ougo do,quot; said Peter, drah.

    quot;And no send t ougo be one.”

    quot; very clever, you kno; said Caspian.

    quot;Of course not,quot; said Peter. quot;But any giant looks impressive if only .

    And it will c wher?”

    quot;Upon my ; said trumpkin, quot;if you  someone w.”

    quot;; said Peter ;If only  so small.

    t even see ill he was close!”

    quot;Send Glenstorm, Sire,quot; said truffleer. quot;No one ever laug a  Centaur.”

    An er t lords in trolling along teeter  breakfast, looked up and sao taur and Giant  imbletle, and bet recognize.

    Nor indeed  Edmunds sc t moment. For Aslan  ting and a kind of greatness  him.

    quot;s to do?quot; said t;An attack?”

    quot;A parley, rat; said Sopespian. quot;See, to surrender most likely.”

    quot; is aur and t ; said Glozelle. quot; is not the boy Caspian.”

    quot;No indeed,quot; said Sopespian. quot;t you,   mail he like.”

    quot;Ill ; said  Glozelle.

    quot;; said Sopespian. quot;e  o tage on a combat.”

    quot; be brougo it,quot; said Glozelle in a much lower voice.

    quot;Softly,quot; said Sopespian. quot;Step a little aside  of ears of tries. Now.

    aken your Lords?”

    quot;If took tle,quot; w;wher  he would kill or be killed.”

    quot;So,quot; said Sopespian, nodding his head.

    quot;And if his war.”

    quot;Certainly. And if not?”

    quot;,   t tell your Lords Miraz is no very great captain. And after  t, we sorious and kingless.”

    quot;And it is your meaning, my Lord, t you and I could e  as conveniently  a King as h one?”

    Glozelles face gre;Not forgetting,quot; said ;t it   , s have  come our way?

    gratitude has he shown us?”

    quot;Say no more,quot; ans;But look - o fetco tent.quot;  `  ent ted outside it and being entertained .   close quarters telmarine lords t all them very alarming.

    Inside, t. here was a scowl on his brow.

    quot;t;  across table to t;See  ales our jackanapes of a nep us.”

    quot;By your leave, Sire,quot; said Glozelle. quot;If t seen outside is tioned in ting, t call  ale but a very dangerous knight.”

    quot;King Edmund, pa; said Miraz. quot;Does your Lords Peter and Edmund and t?”

    quot;I believe my eyes, your Majesty,quot; said Glozelle.

    quot;ell, to no purpose,quot; said Miraz, quot;but as toucween us?”

    quot;I suppose so, indeed, Sire,quot; said Glozelle.

    quot;And ?quot; asked the King.

    quot;Most infallibly to refuse it,quot; said Glozelle. quot;For t plainly say t to meet t young man in battle is more  t h him.”

    quot;Plague on you!quot; cried Miraz. quot;It  t sort of council I ed. Do  you to meet ter (if ted your counsel on tter; tle.”

    quot;to ; said Glozelle, quot;t for all  reasons trange knights face.”

    quot;t; said Miraz, no;Are you trying,  to make it appear t I am as great a coward as your Lordship?”

    quot;Your Majesty may say your pleasure,quot; said Glozelle sulkily.

    quot;You talk like an old ; said t; say you, my  Lord Sopespian?”

    quot;Do not touc, Sire,quot; ;And y says of t gives your Majesty excellent grounds for a  refusal  any cause for questioning your Majestys honour or courage.”

    quot;Great ; exclaimed Miraz, jumping to . quot;Are you also  becoday?

    Do you to refuse it? You migo my face.”

    tion ly as two lords wishing.

    quot;I see  is,quot; said Miraz, after staring at tart out of ;you are as lilylivered as ery  to imagine my  after t fighting!

    Are you soldiers? Are you telmarines? Are you men? And if I dog refuse it  (as ail good reasons of captaincy and martial policy urge me to do) you eacan t not so?”

    quot;No man of your Majestys age,quot; said Glozelle, quot;  h.”

    quot;So Im to be a dotard  in tard,quot;  roared Miraz. quot;Ill tell you  is, my Lords. itrue point, ent. I  to refuse it. But Ill accept it. Do you  it! Ill not be  sc or treason h your bloods.”

    quot;e beseecy -quot; said Glozelle, but Miraz  of tent and t ance to Edmund.

    t one anotly.

    quot;I kne;But Ill  not forget  shall be paid for.”

    t stirring at Aslans ed to tures. Edmund, ains,  t, and ropes and stakes  round it.

    telmarines o stand at ts. to be furniser  explaining to Caspian t  be one, because  to t ting about,  y, please.quot; Peter turned and tood t of the Bulgy Bears.

    quot;If you please, your Majesty,quot; ;Im a bear, I am.”

    quot;to be sure, so you are, and a good bear too, I dont doubt,quot; said Peter.

    quot;Yes,quot; said t;But it was always a rigo supply  one marss.”

    quot;Dont let ; o Peter. quot;ure, but  o sleep and  of too.”

    quot;I cant ,quot; said Peter. quot;Because e rig privilege. I cant imagine  ten.”

    quot;Please, your Majesty,quot; said the Bear.

    quot;It is your rig; said Peter. quot;And you s  you must remember not to suck your paws.”

    quot;Of course not,quot; said the Bear in a very shocked voice.

    quot; te!quot; bellorumpkin.

    t of ended  heard.

    quot;Sire!quot; came a she ground.

    quot;A; said Peter after looking up and down and round as people  usually did whe Mouse.

    quot;Sire,quot; said Reepic;My life is ever at your command, but my honour is  my own.

    Sire, I rumpeter in your Majestys army. I  ,

    per  he challenge. Sire, my people are  grieved.

    Per  I ss,  it ent them.”

    A noise not unlike t from some,  as Giant imble into one of t very intelligent laugo  are so liable.  once and looked as grave as a  turnip by time Reepiche noise came from.

    quot;I am afraid it  do,quot; said Peter very gravely. quot;Some humans are  afraid of mice -“

    quot;I , Sire,quot; said Reepicheep.

    quot;And it  be quite fair to Miraz,quot; Peter continued, quot;to  anyt mige the edge of his courage.”

    quot;Your Majesty is t; said th one of his  admirable bows.

    quot;And on tter  I  no  of , I am very  muc h my sword - whenever he has leisure.”

    An aer saying,  quot;Giant imbleaur Glenstorm s  t noon precisely.”

    quot;I say,quot; said Edmund as t;I suppose it is all rig him?”

    quot;ts ,quot; said Peter.