The Silver Chair

"Crying is alright in its way while it lasts. But you have to stop sooner or later, and then you still have to decide what to do."

"If you are thirsty, you may drink. Are you not thirsty? said the Lion. I am dying of thirst, said Jill. Then drink, said the Lion. Will you promise not to - do anything to me....said Jill. I make no promise, said the Lion. Do you eat girls? she said. I have swallowed up girls, and boys, women and men, kings and emperors, cities and realms, said the Lion. It didn't say this as if it were boasting, nor as if it were sorry, nor as if it were angry. It just said it. I daren't come and drink, said Jill. Then you will die of thirst, said the Lion. Oh dear! said Jill, coming another step nearer I suppose I must go and look for another stream then. There is no other stream, said the Lion. Human child, said the Lion, Where is the boy? He fell over the cliff, said Jill. How did he come to do that Human child? He was trying to stop me from falling, Sir. Why were you so near the edge, Human child? I was showing off, Sir. That is a very good answer, Human child. Do so no more...the Boy is safe. I have blown him to Narnia. But your task will be harder because of what you have done. Please, what task, Sir? The task for which I called you and him here out of your own world. Hmmmm, Speak your thought, Human Child, said the Lion. I was wondering - I mean - could there be some mistake? Because nobody called me and Scrubb, you know. It was we who asked to come here. Scrubb said we were to call to - to somebody - it was a name I wouldn't know - and perhaps the Somebody would let us in. And we did, and then we found the door open. You would not have called to me unless I had been calling to you, said the Lion. Then you are Somebody, sir? said Jill. I AM.

THE SILVER CHAIR by C.S. Lewis