第6章

’Hecannotdoanymoremagic，’saidAntheasuddenly，andalleyeswereturnedonher，’becauseofthevoiceofthefreepeoplewhoareshoutingforbreadandonionsandbeerandalongmid—dayrest。Ifthepeoplehadwhattheywanted，hecoulddomore。’ ’Arude—spokengirl，’saidPharaoh。’Butgivethedogswhattheywant，’hesaid，withoutturninghishead。’Letthemhavetheirrestandtheirextrarations。Thereareplentyofslavestowork。’ Arichly—dressedofficialhurriedout。 ’Youwillbetheidolofthepeople，’Rekh—marawhisperedjoyously；’theTempleofAmenwillnotcontaintheirofferings。’ Cyrilstruckanothermatch，andallthecourtwasoverwhelmedwithdelightandwonder。AndwhenCyriltookthecandlefromhispocketandlighteditwiththematch，andthenheldtheburningcandleupbeforetheKingtheenthusiasmknewnobounds。 ’Oh，greatestofall，beforewhomsunandmoonandstarsbowdown，’saidRekh—marainsinuatingly，’amIpardoned？Ismyinnocencemadeplain？’ ’Asplainasiteverwillbe，Idaresay，’saidPharaohshortly。 ’Getalongwithyou。Youarepardoned。Goinpeace。’Thepriestwentwithlightningswiftness。 ’Andwhat，’saidtheKingsuddenly，’isitthatmovesinthatsack？ Showme，ohstrangers。’ TherewasnothingforitbuttoshowthePsammead。 ’Seizeit，’saidPharaohcarelessly。’Averycuriousmonkey。Itwillbeanicelittlenoveltyformywildbeastcollection。’ Andinstantly，theentreatiesofthechildrenavailingaslittleasthebitesofthePsammead，thoughbothbitesandentreatieswerefervent，itwascarriedawayfrombeforetheireyes。 ’Oh，DObecareful！’criedAnthea。’Atleastkeepitdry！Keepitinitssacredhouse！’ Shehelduptheembroideredbag。 ’It’samagiccreature，’criedRobert；’it’ssimplypriceless！’ ’You’venorighttotakeitaway，’criedJaneincautiously。 ’It’sashame，abarefacedrobbery，that’swhatitis！’ Therewasanawfulsilence。ThenPharaohspoke。 ’Takethesacredhouseofthebeastfromthem，’hesaid，’andimprisonall。Tonightaftersupperitmaybeourpleasuretoseemoremagic。Guardthemwell，anddonottorturethem——yet！’ ’Oh，dear！’sobbedJane，astheywereledaway。’Iknewexactlywhatitwouldbe！Oh，Iwishyouhadn’t！’ ’Shutup，silly，’saidCyril。’YouknowyouWOULDcometoEgypt。 Itwasyourownideaentirely。Shutup。It’llbeallright。’ ’Ithoughtweshouldplayballwithqueens，’sobbedJane，’andhavenoendoflarks！Andnoweverything’sgoingtobeperfectlyhorrid！’ TheroomtheywereshutupinWASaroom，andnotadungeon，astheelderoneshadfeared。That，asAntheasaid，wasonecomfort。Therewerepaintingsonthewallthatatanyothertimewouldhavebeenmostinteresting。Andasortoflowcouch，andchairs。WhentheywerealoneJanebreathedasighofrelief。 ’Nowwecangethomeallright，’shesaid。 ’AndleavethePsammead？’saidAntheareproachfully。 ’Waitasec。I’vegotanidea，’saidCyril。Heponderedforafewmoments。Thenhebeganhammeringontheheavycedardoor。 Itopened，andaguardputinhishead。 ’Stopthatrow，’hesaidsternly，’or——’ ’Lookhere，’Cyrilinterrupted，’it’sverydullforyouisn’tit？justdoingnothingbutguardus。Wouldn’tyouliketoseesomemagic？We’renottooproudtodoitforyou。Wouldn’tyouliketoseeit？’ ’Idon’tmindifIdo，’saidtheguard。 ’Wellthen，yougetusthatmonkeyofoursthatwastakenaway，andwe’llshowyou。’ ’HowdoIknowyou’renotmakinggameofme？’askedthesoldier。 ’Shouldn’twonderifyouonlywantedtogetthecreaturesoastosetitonme。Idaresayitsteethandclawsarepoisonous。’ ’Well，lookhere，’saidRobert。’Youseewe’vegotnothingwithus？Youjustshutthedoor，andopenitagaininfiveminutes，andwe’llhavegotamagic——oh，Idon’tknow——amagicflowerinapotforyou。’ ’Ifyoucandothatyoucandoanything，’saidthesoldier，andhewentoutandbarredthedoor。 Then，ofcourse，theyhelduptheAmulet。TheyfoundtheEastbyholdingitup，andturningslowlytilltheAmuletbegantogrowbig，walkedhomethroughit，andcamebackwithageraniuminfullscarletflowerfromthestaircasewindowoftheFitzroyStreethouse。 ’Well！’saidthesoldierwhenhecamein。’Ireallyam——！’ ’Wecandomuchmorewonderfulthingsthanthat——oh，eversomuch，’saidAntheapersuasively，’ifweonlyhaveourmonkey。 Andhere’stwopenceforyourself。’ Thesoldierlookedatthetwopence。 ’What’sthis？’hesaid。 Robertexplainedhowmuchsimpleritwastopaymoneyforthingsthantoexchangethemasthepeopleweredoinginthemarket。 Lateronthesoldiergavethecoinstohiscaptain，who，laterstill，showedthemtoPharaoh，whoofcoursekeptthemandwasmuchstruckwiththeidea。ThatwasreallyhowcoinsfirstcametobeusedinEgypt。Youwillnotbelievethis，Idaresay，butreally，ifyoubelievetherestofthestory，Idon’tseewhyyoushouldn’tbelievethisaswell。 ’Isay，’saidAnthea，struckbyasuddenthought，’Isupposeit’llbeallrightaboutthoseworkmen？TheKingwon’tgobackonwhathesaidaboutthemjustbecausehe’sangrywithus？’ ’Oh，no，’saidthesoldier，’yousee，he’sratherafraidofmagic。He’llkeeptohiswordrightenough。’ ’ThenTHAT’Sallright，’saidRobert；andAntheasaidsoftlyandcoaxingly—— ’Ah，DOgetusthemonkey，andthenyou’llseesomelovelymagic。 Do——there’sanice，kindsoldier。’ ’Idon’tknowwherethey’veputyourpreciousmonkey，butifI cangetanotherchaptotakeonmydutyhereI’llseewhatIcando，’hesaidgrudgingly，andwentout。 ’Doyoumean，’saidRobert，’thatwe’regoingoffwithoutevenTRYINGfortheotherhalfoftheAmulet？’ ’Ireallythinkwe’dbetter，’saidAntheatremulously。’OfcoursetheotherhalfoftheAmulet’sheresomewhereorourhalfwouldn’thavebroughtushere。Idowishwecouldfindit。Itisapitywedon’tknowanyREALmagic。Thenwecouldfindout。 Idowonderwhereitis——exactly。’ Iftheyhadonlyknownit，somethingveryliketheotherhalfoftheAmuletwasverynearthem。Ithungroundtheneckofsomeone，andthatsomeonewaswatchingthemthroughachink，highupinthewall，speciallydevisedforwatchingpeoplewhowereimprisoned。Buttheydidnotknow。 Therewasnearlyanhourofanxiouswaiting。Theytriedtotakeaninterestinthepictureonthewall，apictureofharpersplayingveryoddharpsandwomendancingatafeast。Theyexaminedthepaintedplasterfloor，andthechairswereofwhitepaintedwoodwithcolouredstripesatintervals。 Butthetimewentslowly，andeveryonehadtimetothinkofhowPharaohhadsaid，’Don’ttorturethem——YET。’ ’Iftheworstcomestotheworst，’saidCyril，’wemustjustbunk，andleavethePsammead。Ibelieveitcantakecareofitselfwellenough。Theywon’tkillitorhurtitwhentheyfinditcanspeakandgivewishes。They’llbuilditatemple，I shouldn’twonder。’ ’Icouldn’tbeartogowithoutit，’saidAnthea，’andPharaohsaid\"Aftersupper\"，thatwon’tbejustyet。AndthesoldierWAS curious。I’msurewe’reallrightforthepresent。’ Allthesame，thesoundsofthedoorbeingunbarredseemedoneoftheprettiestsoundspossible。 ’Supposehehasn’tgotthePsammead？’whisperedJane。 ButthatdoubtwassetatrestbythePsammeaditself；foralmostbeforethedoorwasopenitsprangthroughthechinkofitintoAnthea’sarms，shiveringandhunchingupitsfur。 ’Here’sitsfancyovercoat，’saidthesoldier，holdingoutthebag，intowhichthePsammeadimmediatelycrept。 ’Now，’saidCyril，’whatwouldyoulikeustodo？Anythingyou’dlikeustogetforyou？’ ’Anylittletrickyoulike，’saidthesoldier。’Ifyoucangetastrangeflowerbloominginanearthenwarevaseyoucangetanything，Isuppose，’hesaid。’IjustwishI’dgottwomen’sloadsofjewelsfromtheKing’streasury。That’swhatI’vealwayswishedfor。’ Attheword’WISH’thechildrenknewthatthePsammeadwouldattendtoTHATbitofmagic。Itdid，andthefloorwaslitteredwithaspreadingheapofgoldandpreciousstones。 ’Anyotherlittletrick？’askedCyrilloftily。’Shallwebecomeinvisible？Vanish？’ ’Yes，ifyoulike，’saidthesoldier；’butnotthroughthedoor，youdon’t。’ HecloseditcarefullyandsethisbroadEgyptianbackagainstit。 ’No！no！’criedavoicehighupamongthetopsofthetallwoodenpillarsthatstoodagainstthewall。Therewasasoundofsomeonemovingabove。 Thesoldierwasasmuchsurprisedasanybody。 ’That’smagic，ifyoulike，’hesaid。 AndthenJanehelduptheAmulet，utteringthewordofPower。AtthesoundofitandatthesightoftheAmuletgrowingintothegreatarchthesoldierfellflatonhisfaceamongthejewelswithacryofaweandterror。 Thechildrenwentthroughthearchwithaquicknessbornoflongpractice。ButJanestayedinthemiddleofthearchandlookedback。 Theothers，standingonthedining—roomcarpetinFitzroyStreet，turnedandsawherstillinthearch。’Someone’sholdingher，’ criedCyril。’Wemustgoback。’ ButtheypulledatJane’shandsjusttoseeifshewouldcome，and，ofcourse，shedidcome。 Then，asusual，thearchwaslittleagainandtheretheyallwere。 ’Oh，Idowishyouhadn’t！’Janesaidcrossly。\"ItWASsointeresting。Thepriesthadcomeinandhewaskickingthesoldier，andtellinghimhe’ddoneitnow，andtheymusttakethejewelsandfleefortheirlives。’ ’Anddidthey？’ ’Idon’tknow。Youinterfered，’saidJaneungratefully。’I SHOULDhavelikedtoseethelastofit。’ Asamatteroffact，noneofthemhadseenthelastofit——ifby’it’JanemeanttheadventureofthePriestandtheSoldier。 CHAPTER12 THESORRY—PRESENTANDTHEEXPELLEDLITTLEBOY ’Lookhere，saidCyril，sittingonthedining—tableandswinginghislegs；’Ireallyhavegotit。’ ’Gotwhat？’wasthenotunnaturalrejoinderoftheothers。 Cyrilwasmakingaboatwithapenknifeandapieceofwood，andthegirlsweremakingwarmfrocksfortheirdolls，fortheweatherwasgrowingchilly。 ’Why，don’tyousee？It’sreallynotanygoodourgoingintothePastlookingforthatAmulet。ThePast’sasfullofdifferenttimesas——astheseaisofsand。We’resimplyboundtohituponthewrongtime。WemightspendourliveslookingfortheAmuletandneverseeasightofit。Why，it’stheendofSeptemberalready。It’slikelookingforaneedlein——’ ’Abottleofhay——Iknow，’interruptedRobert；’butifwedon’tgoondoingthat，whatAREwetodo？’ ’That’sjustit，’saidCyrilinmysteriousaccents。’Oh，BOTHER！’ OldNursehadcomeinwiththetrayofknives，forks，andglasses，andwasgettingthetableclothandtable—napkinsoutofthechiffonierdrawer。 ’It’salwaysmeal—timesjustwhenyoucometoanythinginteresting。’ ’AndaniceinterestinghandfulYOU’Dbe，MasterCyril，’saidoldNurse，’ifIwasn’ttobringyourmealsuptotime。Don’tyoubegingrumblingnow，fearyougetsomethingtogrumbleAT。’ ’Iwasn’tgrumbling，’saidCyrilquiteuntruly；’butitdoesalwayshappenlikethat。’ ’YoudeservetoHAVEsomethinghappen，’saidoldNurse。’Slave，slave，slaveforyoudayandnight，andneverawordofthanks……’ ’Why，youdoeverythingbeautifully，’saidAnthea。 ’It’sthefirsttimeanyofyou’stroubledtosayso，anyhow，’ saidNurseshortly。 ’What’stheuseofSAYING？’inquiredRobert。’WeEATourmealsfastenough，andalmostalwaystwohelps。THAToughttoshowyou！’ ’Ah！’saidoldNurse，goingroundthetableandputtingtheknivesandforksintheirplaces；’you’reamanallover，MasterRobert。TherewasmypoorGreen，alltheyearshelivedwithmeInevercouldgetmoreoutofhimthan\"It’sallright！\"whenI askedhimifhe’dfanciedhisdinner。Andyet，whenhelaya—dying，hislastwordstomewas，\"Maria，youwasalwaysagoodcook！\"’Sheendedwithatremblingvoice。 ’Andsoyouare，’criedAnthea，andsheandJaneinstantlyhuggedher。 WhenshehadgoneoutoftheroomAntheasaid—— ’Iknowexactlyhowshefeels。Now，lookhere！Let’sdoapenancetoshowwe’resorrywedidn’tthinkabouttellingherbeforewhatnicecookingshedoes，andwhatadearsheis。’ ’Penancesaresilly，’saidRobert。 ’Notifthepenanceissomethingtopleasesomeoneelse。I didn’tmeanoldpeasandhairshirtsandsleepingonthestones。 Imeanwe’llmakeherasorry—present，’explainedAnthea。’Lookhere！IvoteCyrildoesn’ttellushisideauntilwe’vedonesomethingforoldNurse。It’sworseforusthanhim，’sheaddedhastily，’becauseheknowswhatitisandwedon’t。Doyouallagree？’ Theotherswouldhavebeenashamednottoagree，sotheydid。Itwasnottillquiteneartheendofdinner——muttonfrittersandblackberryandapplepie——thatoutoftheearnesttalkofthefourcameanideathatpleasedeverybodyandwould，theyhoped，pleaseNurse。 CyrilandRobertwentoutwiththetasteofapplestillintheirmouthsandthepurpleofblackberriesontheirlips——and，inthecaseofRobert，onthewristbandaswell——andboughtabigsheetofcardboardatthestationers。Thenattheplumber’sshop，thathastubesandpipesandtapsandgas—fittingsinthewindow，theyboughtapaneofglassthesamesizeasthecardboard。Themancutitwithaveryinterestingtoolthathadabitofdiamondattheend，andhegavethem，outofhisownfreegenerousness，alargepieceofputtyandasmallpieceofglue。 Whiletheywereoutthegirlshadfloatedfourphotographsofthefourchildrenofftheircardsinhotwater。Thesewerenowstuckinarowalongthetopofthecardboard。Cyrilputthegluetomeltinajampot，andputthejampotinasaucepanandsaucepanonthefire，whileRobertpaintedawreathofpoppiesroundthephotographs。Hepaintedratherwellandveryquickly，andpoppiesareeasytodoifyou’veoncebeenshownhow。ThenAntheadrewsomeprintedlettersandJanecolouredthem。Thewordswere： ’WithallourlovestoshewWelikethethigstoeat。’ Andwhenthepaintingwasdrytheyallsignedtheirnamesatthebottomandputtheglasson，andgluedbrownpaperroundtheedgeandovertheback，andputtwoloopsoftapetohangitupby。 Ofcourseeveryonesawwhentoolatethattherewerenotenoughlettersin’things’，sothemissing’n’wasputin。Itwasimpossible，ofcourse，todothewholethingoveragainforjustoneletter。 ’There！’saidAnthea，placingitcarefully，faceup，underthesofa。’It’llbehoursbeforetheglue’sdry。Now，Squirrel，fireahead！’ ’Well，then，’saidCyrilinagreathurry，rubbingathisglueyhandswithhispockethandkerchief。’WhatImeantosayisthis。’ Therewasalongpause。 ’Well，’saidRobertatlast，’WHATisitthatyoumeantosay？’ ’It’slikethis，’saidCyril，andagainstoppedshort。 ’LikeWHAT？’askedJane。 ’HowcanItellyouifyouwillallkeeponinterrupting？’saidCyrilsharply。 Sonoonesaidanymore，andwithwrinkledfrownshearrangedhisideas。 ’Lookhere，’hesaid，’whatIreallymeanis——wecanremembernowwhatwedidwhenwewenttolookfortheAmulet。Andifwe’dfounditweshouldrememberthattoo。’ ’Rather！’saidRobert。’Only，youseewehaven’t。’ ’Butinthefutureweshallhave。’ ’Shallwe，though？’saidJane。 ’Yes——unlesswe’vebeenmadefoolsofbythePsammead。Sothen，wherewewanttogotoiswhereweshallrememberaboutwherewedidfindit。’ ’Isee，’saidRobert，buthedidn’t。 ’_I_don’t，’saidAnthea，whodid，verynearly。’Sayitagain，Squirrel，andveryslowly。’ ’If，’saidCyril，veryslowlyindeed，’wegointothefuture——afterwe’vefoundtheAmulet——’ ’Butwe’vegottofinditfirst，’saidJane。 ’Hush！’saidAnthea。 ’Therewillbeafuture，’saidCyril，driventogreaterclearnessbytheblankfacesoftheotherthree，’therewillbeatimeAFTERwe’vefoundit。Let’sgointoTHATtime——andthenweshallrememberHOWwefoundit。Andthenwecangobackanddothefindingreally。’ ’Isee，’saidRobert，andthistimehedid，andIhopeYOUdo。 ’Yes，’saidAnthea。’Oh，Squirrel，howcleverofyou！’ ’ButwilltheAmuletworkbothways？’inquiredRobert。 ’Itoughtto，’saidCyril，’iftime’sonlyathingummyofwhatsitsname。Anywaywemighttry。’ ’Let’sputonourbestthings，then，’urgedJane。’Youknowwhatpeoplesayaboutprogressandtheworldgrowingbetterandbrighter。Iexpectpeoplewillbeawfullysmartinthefuture。’ ’Allright，’saidAnthea，’weshouldhavetowashanyway，I’mallthickwithglue。’ Wheneveryonewascleananddressed，thecharmwasheldup。 ’WewanttogointothefutureandseetheAmuletafterwe’vefoundit，’saidCyril，andJanesaidthewordofPower。TheywalkedthroughthebigarchofthecharmstraightintotheBritishMuseum。 Theyknewitatonce，andthere，rightinfrontofthem，underaglasscase，wastheAmulet——theirownhalfofit，aswellastheotherhalftheyhadneverbeenabletofind——andthetwowerejoinedbyapinofredstonethatformedahinge。 ’Oh，glorious！’criedRobert。’Hereitis！’ ’Yes，’saidCyril，verygloomily，’hereitis。Butwecan’tgetitout。’ ’No，’saidRobert，rememberinghowimpossibletheQueenofBabylonhadfoundittogetanythingoutoftheglasscasesintheMuseum——exceptbyPsammeadmagic，andthenshehadn’tbeenabletotakeanythingawaywithher；’no——butwerememberwherewegotit，andwecan——’ ’Oh，DOwe？’interruptedCyrilbitterly，’doYOUrememberwherewegotit？’ ’No，’saidRobert，’Idon’texactly，nowIcometothinkofit。’ Nordidanyoftheothers！ ’ButWHYcan’twe？’saidJane。 ’Oh，_I_don’tknow，’Cyril’stonewasimpatient，’somesillyoldenchantedruleIsuppose。Iwishpeoplewouldteachyoumagicatschoolliketheydosums——orinsteadof。ItwouldbesomeusehavinganAmuletthen。’ ’Iwonderhowfarweareinthefuture，’saidAnthea；theMuseumlooksjustthesame，onlylighterandbrighter，somehow。’ ’Let’sgobackandtrythePastagain，’saidRobert。 ’PerhapstheMuseumpeoplecouldtellushowwegotit，’saidAntheawithsuddenhope。Therewasnooneintheroom，butinthenextgallery，wheretheAssyrianthingsareandstillwere，theyfoundakind，stoutmaninaloose，bluegown，andstockingedlegs。 ’Oh，they’vegotanewuniform，howpretty！’saidJane。 Whentheyaskedhimtheirquestionheshowedthemalabelonthecase。Itsaid，’Fromthecollectionof——。’Anamefollowed，anditwasthenameofthelearnedgentlemanwho，amongthemselves，andtohisfacewhenhehadbeenwiththemattheothersideoftheAmulet，theyhadcalledJimmy。 ’THAT’Snotmuchgood，’saidCyril，’thankyou。’ ’Howisityou’renotatschool？’askedthekindmaninblue。 ’NotexpelledforlongIhope？’ ’We’renotexpelledatall，’saidCyrilratherwarmly。 ’Well，Ishouldn’tdoitagain，ifIwereyou，’saidtheman，andtheycouldseehedidnotbelievethem。Thereisnocompanysolittlepleasingasthatofpeoplewhodonotbelieveyou。 ’Thankyouforshowingusthelabel，’saidCyril。Andtheycameaway。 AstheycamethroughthedoorsoftheMuseumtheyblinkedatthesuddengloryofsunlightandbluesky。ThehousesoppositetheMuseumweregone。Insteadtherewasabiggarden，withtreesandflowersandsmoothgreenlawns，andnotasinglenoticetotellyounottowalkonthegrassandnottodestroythetreesandshrubsandnottopicktheflowers。Therewerecomfortableseatsallabout，andarbourscoveredwithroses，andlong，trellisedwalks，alsorose—covered。Whispering，splashingfountainsfellintofullwhitemarblebasins，whitestatuesgleamedamongtheleaves，andthepigeonsthatsweptaboutamongthebranchesorpeckedonthesmooth，softgravelwerenotblackandtumbledliketheMuseumpigeonsarenow，butbrightandcleanandsleekasbirdsofnewsilver。Agoodmanypeopleweresittingontheseats，andonthegrassbabieswererollingandkickingandplaying——withverylittleonindeed。Men，aswellaswomen，seemedtobeinchargeofthebabiesandwereplayingwiththem。 ’It’slikealovelypicture，’saidAnthea，anditwas。Forthepeople’sclotheswereofbright，softcoloursandallbeautifullyandverysimplymade。Nooneseemedtohaveanyhatsorbonnets，buttherewereagreatmanyJapanese—lookingsunshades。Andamongthetreeswerehunglampsofcolouredglass。 ’Iexpecttheylightthoseintheevening，’saidJane。’Idowishwelivedinthefuture！’ Theywalkeddownthepath，andastheywentthepeopleonthebencheslookedatthefourchildrenverycuriously，butnotrudelyorunkindly。Thechildren，intheirturn，looked——Ihopetheydidnotstare——atthefacesofthesepeopleinthebeautifulsoftclothes。Thosefaceswereworthlookingat。Notthattheywereallhandsome，thougheveninthematterofhandsomenesstheyhadtheadvantageofanysetofpeoplethechildrenhadeverseen。Butitwastheexpressionoftheirfacesthatmadethemworthlookingat。Thechildrencouldnottellatfirstwhatitwas。 ’Iknow，’saidAntheasuddenly。’They’renotworried；that’swhatitis。’ Anditwas。Everybodylookedcalm，nooneseemedtobeinahurry，nooneseemedtobeanxious，orfretted，andthoughsomedidseemtobesad，notasingleonelookedworried。 Butthoughthepeoplelookedkindeveryonelookedsointerestedinthechildrenthattheybegantofeelalittleshyandturnedoutofthebigmainpathintoanarrowlittleonethatwoundamongtreesandshrubsandmossy，drippingsprings。 Itwashere，inadeep，shadowedcleftbetweentallcypresses，thattheyfoundtheexpelledlittleboy。Hewaslyingfacedownwardonthemossyturf，andthepeculiarshakingofhisshoulderswasathingtheyhadseen，morethanonce，ineachother。SoAntheakneeleddownbyhimandsaid—— ’What’sthematter？’ ’I’mexpelledfromschool，’saidtheboybetweenhissobs。 Thiswasserious。Peoplearenotexpelledforlightoffences。 ’Doyoumindtellinguswhatyou’ddone？’ ’I——Itoreupasheetofpaperandthrewitaboutintheplayground，’saidthechild，inthetoneofoneconfessinganunutterablebaseness。’Youwon’ttalktomeanymorenowyouknowthat，’headdedwithoutlookingup。 ’Wasthatall？’askedAnthea。 ’It’saboutenough，’saidthechild；’andI’mexpelledforthewholeday！’ ’Idon’tquiteunderstand，’saidAnthea，gently。Theboyliftedhisface，rolledover，andsatup。 ’Why，whoeveronearthareyou？’hesaid。 ’We’restrangersfromafarcountry，’saidAnthea。’Inourcountryit’snotacrimetoleaveabitofpaperabout。’ ’Itishere，’saidthechild。’Ifgrown—upsdoitthey’refined。 Whenwedoitwe’reexpelledforthewholeday。’ ’Well，but，’saidRobert，’thatjustmeansaday’sholiday。’ ’YouMUSTcomefromalongwayoff，’saidthelittleboy。’A holiday’swhenyouallhaveplayandtreatsandjolliness，allofyoutogether。Onyourexpelleddaysnoone’llspeaktoyou。 Everyoneseesyou’reanExpellederoryou’dbeinschool。’ ’Supposeyouwereill？’ ’Nobodyis——hardly。Iftheyare，ofcoursetheywearthebadge，andeveryoneiskindtoyou。Iknowaboythatstolehissister’sillnessbadgeandworeitwhenhewasexpelledforaday。HEgotexpelledforaweekforthat。Itmustbeawfulnottogotoschoolforaweek。’ ’DoyouLIKEschool，then？’askedRobertincredulously。 ’OfcourseIdo。It’stheloveliestplacethereis。Ichoserailwaysformyspecialsubjectthisyear，therearesuchsplendidmodelsandthings，andnowIshallbeallbehindbecauseofthattorn—uppaper。’ ’Youchooseyourownsubject？’askedCyril。 ’Yes，ofcourse。WhereDIDyoucomefrom？Don’tyouknowANYTHING？’ ’No，’saidJanedefinitely；’soyou’dbettertellus。’ ’Well，onMidsummerDayschoolbreaksupandeverything’sdecoratedwithflowers，andyouchooseyourspecialsubjectfornextyear。Ofcourseyouhavetosticktoitforayearatleast。Thenthereareallyourothersubjects，ofcourse，reading，andpainting，andtherulesofCitizenship。’ ’Goodgracious！’saidAnthea。 ’Lookhere，’saidthechild，jumpingup，’it’snearlyfour。Theexpellednessonlylaststillthen。Comehomewithme。Motherwilltellyouallabouteverything。’ ’Willyourmotherlikeyoutakinghomestrangechildren？’askedAnthea。 ’Idon’tunderstand，’saidthechild，settlinghisleatherbeltoverhishoney—colouredsmockandsteppingoutwithhardlittlebarefeet。’Comeon。’ Sotheywent。 Thestreetswerewideandhardandveryclean。Therewerenohorses，butasortofmotorcarriagethatmadenonoise。TheThamesflowedbetweengreenbanks，andthereweretreesattheedge，andpeoplesatunderthem，fishing，forthestreamwasclearascrystal。Everywherethereweregreentreesandtherewasnosmoke。Thehousesweresetinwhatseemedlikeonegreengarden。 Thelittleboybroughtthemtoahouse，andatthewindowwasagood，brightmother—face。Thelittleboyrushedin，andthroughthewindowtheycouldseehimhugginghismother，thenhiseagerlipsmovingandhisquickhandspointing。 Aladyinsoftgreenclothescameout，spokekindlytothem，andtookthemintotheoddesthousetheyhadeverseen。Itwasverybare，therewerenoornaments，andyeteverysinglethingwasbeautiful，fromthedresserwithitsrowsofbrightchina，tothethicksquaresofEastern—lookingcarpetonthefloors。Ican’tdescribethathouse；Ihaven’tthetime。AndIhaven’thearteither，whenIthinkhowdifferentitwasfromourhouses。Theladytookthemalloverit。Theoddestthingofallwasthebigroominthemiddle。Ithadpaddedwallsandasoft，thickcarpet，andallthechairsandtableswerepadded。Therewasn’tasinglethinginitthatanyonecouldhurtitselfwith。 ’Whatever’sthisfor？——lunatics？’askedCyril。 Theladylookedveryshocked。 ’No！It’sforthechildren，ofcourse，’shesaid。’Don’ttellmethatinyourcountrytherearenochildren’srooms。’ ’Therearenurseries，’saidAntheadoubtfully，’butthefurniture’sallcorneryandhard，likeotherrooms。’ ’Howshocking！’saidthelady；’youmustbeVERYmuchbehindthetimesinyourcountry！Why，thechildrenaremorethanhalfofthepeople；it’snotmuchtohaveoneroomwheretheycanhaveagoodtimeandnothurtthemselves。’ ’Butthere’snofireplace，’saidAnthea。 ’Hot—airpipes，ofcourse，’saidthelady。’Why，howcouldyouhaveafireinanursery？Achildmightgetburned。’ ’Inourcountry，’saidRobertsuddenly，’morethan3，000childrenareburnedtodeatheveryyear。Fathertoldme，’headded，asifapologizingforthispieceofinformation，’oncewhenI’dbeenplayingwithfire。’ Theladyturnedquitepale。 ’Whatafrightfulplaceyoumustlivein！’shesaid。’What’sallthefurniturepaddedfor？’Antheaasked，hastilyturningthesubject。 ’Why，youcouldn’thavelittletotsoftwoorthreerunningaboutinroomswherethethingswerehardandsharp！Theymighthurtthemselves。’ Robertfingeredthescaronhisforeheadwherehehadhititagainstthenurseryfenderwhenhewaslittle。 ’Butdoeseveryonehaveroomslikethis，poorpeopleandall？’ askedAnthea。 ’There’saroomlikethiswhereverthere’sachild，ofcourse，’ saidthelady。’Howrefreshinglyignorantyouare！——no，Idon’tmeanignorant，mydear。Ofcourse，you’reawfullywellupinancientHistory。ButIseeyouhaven’tdoneyourDutiesofCitizenshipCourseyet。’ ’Butbeggars，andpeoplelikethat？’persistedAnthea’andtrampsandpeoplewhohaven’tanyhomes？’ ’Peoplewhohaven’tanyhomes？’repeatedthelady。’IreallyDON’Tunderstandwhatyou’retalkingabout。’ ’It’salldifferentinourcountry，’saidCyrilcarefully；andI havereaditusedtobedifferentinLondon。Usedn’tpeopletohavenohomesandbegbecausetheywerehungry？Andwasn’tLondonveryblackanddirtyonceuponatime？AndtheThamesallmuddyandfilthy？Andnarrowstreets，and——’ ’Youmusthavebeenreadingveryold—fashionedbooks，’saidthelady。’Why，allthatwasinthedarkages！MyhusbandcantellyoumoreaboutitthanIcan。HetookAncientHistoryasoneofhisspecialsubjects。’ ’Ihaven’tseenanyworkingpeople，’saidAnthea。 ’Why，we’reallworkingpeople，’saidthelady；’atleastmyhusband’sacarpenter。’ ’Goodgracious！’saidAnthea；’butyou’realady！’ ’Ah，’saidthelady，’thatquaintoldword！Well，myhusbandWILLenjoyatalkwithyou。Inthedarkageseveryonewasallowedtohaveasmokychimney，andthosenastyhorsesalloverthestreets，andallsortsofrubbishthrownintotheThames。 And，ofcourse，thesufferingsofthepeoplewillhardlybearthinkingof。It’sverylearnedofyoutoknowitall。DidyoumakeAncientHistoryyourspecialsubject？’ ’Notexactly，’saidCyril，ratheruneasily。’WhatistheDutiesofCitizenshipCourseabout？’ ’Don’tyouREALLYknow？Aren’tyoupretending——justforfun？ Reallynot？Well，thatcourseteachesyouhowtobeagoodcitizen，whatyoumustdoandwhatyoumayn’tdo，soastodoyourfullshareoftheworkofmakingyourtownabeautifulandhappyplaceforpeopletolivein。There’saquitesimplelittlethingtheyteachthetinychildren。Howdoesitgo……？ ’ImustnotstealandImustlearn，NothingisminethatIdonotearn。 ImusttryinworkandplayTomakethingsbeautifuleveryday。 Imustbekindtoeveryone，Andneverletcruelthingsbedone。 Imustbebrave，andImusttryWhenIamhurtnevertocry，AndalwayslaughasmuchasIcan，AndbegladthatI’mgoingtobeamanToworkformylivingandhelptherestAndneverdolessthanmyverybest。’ ’That’sveryeasy，’saidJane。’_I_couldrememberthat。’ ’That’sonlytheverybeginning，ofcourse，’saidthelady； ’thereareheapsmorerhymes。There’stheonebeginning—— ’ImustnotlitterthebeautifulstreetWithbitsofpaperorthingstoeat； Imustnotpickthepublicflowers，TheyarenotMINE，buttheyareOURS。’ ’And\"thingstoeat\"remindsme——areyouhungry？Wells，runandgetatrayofnicethings。’ ’Whydoyoucallhim\"Wells\"？’askedRobert，astheboyranoff。 ’It’safterthegreatreformer——surelyyou’veheardofHIM？Helivedinthedarkages，andhesawthatwhatyououghttodoistofindoutwhatyouwantandthentrytogetit。Uptothenpeoplehadalwaystriedtotinkerupwhatthey’dgot。We’vegotagreatmanyofthethingshethoughtof。Then\"Wells\"meansspringsofclearwater。It’sanicename，don’tyouthink？’ HereWellsreturnedwithstrawberriesandcakesandlemonadeonatray，andeverybodyateandenjoyed。 ’Now，Wells，’saidthelady，’runofforyou’llbelateandnotmeetyourDaddy。’ Wellskissedher，wavedtotheothers，andwent。 ’Lookhere，’saidAntheasuddenly，’wouldyouliketocometoOUR country，andseewhatit’slike？Itwouldn’ttakeyouaminute。’ Theladylaughed。ButJaneheldupthecharmandsaidtheword。 ’Whatasplendidconjuringtrick！’criedthelady，enchantedwiththebeautiful，growingarch。 ’Gothrough，’saidAnthea。 Theladywent，laughing。Butshedidnotlaughwhenshefoundherself，suddenly，inthedining—roomatFitzroyStreet。 ’Oh，whataHORRIBLEtrick！’shecried。’Whatahateful，dark，uglyplace！’ Sherantothewindowandlookedout。Theskywasgrey，thestreetwasfoggy，adismalorgan—grinderwasstandingoppositethedoor，abeggarandamanwhosoldmatcheswerequarrellingattheedgeofthepavementonwhosegreasyblacksurfacepeoplehurriedalong，hasteningtogettotheshelteroftheirhouses。 ’Oh，lookattheirfaces，theirhorriblefaces！’shecried。 ’What’sthematterwiththemall？’ ’They’repoorpeople，that’sall，’saidRobert。 ’Butit’sNOTall！They’reill，they’reunhappy，they’rewicked！ Oh，dostopit，there’sdearchildren。It’svery，veryclever。 Somesortofmagic—lanterntrick，Isuppose，likeI’vereadof。 ButDOstopit。Oh！theirpoor，tired，miserable，wickedfaces！’ Thetearswereinhereyes。AntheasignedtoJane。Thearchgrew，theyspokethewords，andpushedtheladythroughitintoherowntimeandplace，whereLondoniscleanandbeautiful，andtheThamesrunsclearandbright，andthegreentreesgrow，andnooneisafraid，oranxious，orinahurry。Therewasasilence。Then—— ’I’mgladwewent，’saidAnthea，withadeepbreath。 ’I’llneverthrowpaperaboutagainaslongasIlive，’saidRobert。 ’Motheralwaystoldusnotto，’saidJane。 ’IwouldliketotakeuptheDutiesofCitizenshipforaspecialsubject，’saidCyril。’IwonderifFathercouldputmethroughit。Ishallaskhimwhenhecomeshome。’ ’Ifwe’dfoundtheAmulet，FathercouldbehomeNOW，’saidAnthea，’andMotherandTheLamb。’ ’Let’sgointothefutureAGAIN，’suggestedJanebrightly。 ’Perhapswecouldrememberifitwasn’tsuchanawfulwayoff。’ Sotheydid。Thistimetheysaid，’Thefuture，wheretheAmuletis，notsofaraway。’ Andtheywentthroughthefamiliararchintoalarge，lightroomwiththreewindows。Facingthemwasthefamiliarmummy—case。 Andatatablebythewindowsatthelearnedgentleman。Theyknewhimatonce，thoughhishairwaswhite。Hewasoneofthefacesthatdonotchangewithage。InhishandwastheAmulet——completeandperfect。 Herubbedhisotherhandacrosshisforeheadinthewaytheyweresousedto。 ’Dreams，dreams！’hesaid；’oldageisfullofthem！’ ’You’vebeenindreamswithusbeforenow，’saidRobert，’don’tyouremember？’ ’Ido，indeed，’saidhe。TheroomhadmanymorebooksthantheFitzroyStreetroom，andfarmorecuriousandwonderfulAssyrianandEgyptianobjects。’ThemostwonderfuldreamsIeverhadhadyouinthem。’ ’Where，’askedCyril，’didyougetthatthinginyourhand？’ ’Ifyouweren’tjustadream，’heanswered，smiling，you’drememberthatyougaveittome。’ ’Butwheredidwegetit？’Cyrilaskedeagerly。 ’Ah，youneverwouldtellmethat，’hesaid，’Youalwayshadyourlittlemysteries。Youdearchildren！WhatadifferenceyoumadetothatoldBloomsburyhouse！IwishIcoulddreamyouoftener。 Nowyou’regrownupyou’renotlikeyouusedtobe。’ ’Grownup？’saidAnthea。 Thelearnedgentlemanpointedtoaframewithfourphotographsinit。 ’Thereyouare，’hesaid。 Thechildrensawfourgrown—uppeople’sportraits——twoladies，twogentlemen——andlookedonthemwithloathing。 ’ShallwegrowuplikeTHAT？’whisperedJane。’Howperfectlyhorrid！’ ’Ifwe’reeverlikethat，wesha’n’tknowit’shorrid，Iexpect，’ Antheawithsomeinsightwhisperedback。’Yousee，yougetusedtoyourselfwhileyou’rechanging。It’s——it’sbeingsosuddenmakesitseemsofrightfulnow。’ Thelearnedgentlemanwaslookingatthemwithwistfulkindness。 ’Don’tletmeundreamyoujustyet，’hesaid。Therewasapause。 ’DoyourememberWHENwegaveyouthatAmulet？’Cyrilaskedsuddenly。 ’Youknow，oryouwouldifyouweren’tadream，thatitwasonthe3rdDecember，1905。IshallneverforgetTHATday。’ ’Thankyou，’saidCyril，earnestly；’oh，thankyouverymuch。’ ’You’vegotanewroom，’saidAnthea，lookingoutofthewindow，’andwhatalovelygarden！’ ’Yes，’saidhe，’I’mtoooldnowtocareevenaboutbeingneartheMuseum。Thisisabeautifulplace。Doyouknow——Icanhardlybelieveyou’rejustadream，youdolooksoexactlyreal。 Doyouknow……’hisvoicedropped，’IcansayittoYOU，though，ofcourse，ifIsaidittoanyonethatwasn’tadreamthey’dcallmemad；therewassomethingaboutthatAmuletyougaveme——somethingverymysterious。’ ’Therewasthat，’saidRobert。 ’Ah，Idon’tmeanyourprettylittlechildishmysteriesaboutwhereyougotit。Butaboutthethingitself。First，thewonderfuldreamsIusedtohave，afteryou’dshownmethefirsthalfofit！Why，mybookonAtlantis，thatIdid，wasthebeginningofmyfameandmyfortune，too。AndIgotitalloutofadream！Andthen，\"BritainattheTimeoftheRomanInvasion\"——thatwasonlyapamphlet，butitexplainedalotofthingspeoplehadn’tunderstood。’ ’Yes，’saidAnthea，’itwould。’ ’Thatwasthebeginning。Butafteryou’dgivenmethewholeoftheAmulet——ah，itwasgenerousofyou！——then，somehow，Ididn’tneedtotheorize，IseemedtoKNOWabouttheoldEgyptiancivilization。Andtheycan’tupsetmytheories’——herubbedhisthinhandsandlaughedtriumphantly——’theycan’t，thoughthey’vetried。Theories，theycallthem，butthey’remorelike——Idon’tknow——morelikememories。IKNOWI’mrightaboutthesecretritesoftheTempleofAmen。’ ’I’msogladyou’rerich，’saidAnthea。’Youweren’t，youknow，atFitzroyStreet。’ ’IndeedIwasn’t，’saidhe，’butIamnow。Thisbeautifulhouseandthislovelygarden——Idiginitsometimes；youremember，youusedtotellmetotakemoreexercise？Well，IfeelIoweitalltoyou——andtheAmulet。’ ’I’msoglad，’saidAnthea，andkissedhim。Hestarted。 ’THATdidn’tfeellikeadream，’hesaid，andhisvoicetrembled。 ’Itisn’texactlyadream，’saidAntheasoftly，’it’sallpartoftheAmulet——it’sasortofextraspecial，realdream，dearJimmy。’ ’Ah，’saidhe，’whenyoucallmethat，IknowI’mdreaming。Mylittlesister——Idreamofhersometimes。Butit’snotreallikethis。DoyourememberthedayIdreamedyoubroughtmetheBabylonishring？’ ’Werememberitall，’saidRobert。’DidyouleaveFitzroyStreetbecauseyouweretoorichforit？’ ’Oh，no！’hesaidreproachfully。’YouknowIshouldneverhavedonesuchathingasthat。Ofcourse，IleftwhenyouroldNursediedand——what’sthematter！’ ’OldNurseDEAD？’saidAnthea。’Oh，NO！’ ’Yes，yes，it’sthecommonlot。It’salongtimeagonow。’ JanehelduptheAmuletinahandthattwittered。 ’Come！’shecried，’oh，comehome！Shemaybedeadbeforewegetthere，andthenwecan’tgiveittoher。Oh，come！’ ’Ah，don’tletthedreamendnow！’pleadedthelearnedgentleman。 ’Itmust，’saidAntheafirmly，andkissedhimagain。 ’Whenitcomestopeopledying，’saidRobert，’good—bye！I’msogladyou’rerichandfamousandhappy。’ ’DOcome！’criedJane，stampinginheragonyofimpatience。Andtheywent。OldNursebroughtinteaalmostassoonastheywerebackinFitzroyStreet。Asshecameinwiththetray，thegirlsrushedatherandnearlyupsetherandit。 ’Don’tdie！’criedJane，’oh，don’t！’andAntheacried，’Dear，ducky，darlingoldNurse，don’tdie！’ ’Lord，loveyou！’saidNurse，’I’mnotagoin’todieyetawhile，pleaseHeaven！Whateveronearth’sthematterwiththechicks？’ ’Nothing。Onlydon’t！’ Sheputthetraydownandhuggedthegirlsinturn。Theboysthumpedheronthebackwithheartfeltaffection。 ’I’maswellaseverIwasinmylife，’shesaid。’Whatnonsenseaboutdying！You’vebeenasittingtoolonginthedusk，that’swhatitis。Regularblindman’sholiday。Leavegoofme，whileIlightthegas。’ Theyellowlightilluminatedfourpalefaces。’Wedoloveyouso，’Antheawenton，’andwe’vemadeyouapicturetoshowyouhowweloveyou。Getitout，Squirrel。’ Theglazedtestimonialwasdraggedoutfromunderthesofaanddisplayed。 ’Theglue’snotdryyet，’saidCyril，’lookout！’ ’Whatabeauty！’criedoldNurse。’Well，Inever！Andyourpicturesandthebeautifulwritingandall。Well，Ialwaysdidsayyourheartswasintherightplace，ifabitcarelessattimes。Well！Ineverdid！Idon’tknowasIwaseverpleasedbetterinmylife。’ Shehuggedthemall，oneaftertheother。Andtheboysdidnotmindit，somehow，thatday。 ’Howisitwecanrememberallaboutthefuture，NOW？’AntheawokethePsammeadwithlaboriousgentlenesstoputthequestion。 ’Howisitwecanrememberwhatwesawinthefuture，andyet，whenweWEREinthefuture，wecouldnotrememberthebitofthefuturethatwaspastthen，thetimeoffindingtheAmulet？’ ’Why，whatasillyquestion！’saidthePsammead，’ofcourseyoucannotrememberwhathasn’thappenedyet。’ ’ButtheFUTUREhasn’thappenedyet，’Antheapersisted，’andwerememberthatallright。’ ’Oh，thatisn’twhat’shappened，mygoodchild，’saidthePsammead，rathercrossly，’that’spropheticvision。Andyourememberdreams，don’tyou？Sowhynotvisions？Youneverdoseemtounderstandthesimplestthing。’ Itwenttosandagainatonce。 AntheacreptdowninhernightgowntogiveonelastkisstooldNurse，andonelastlookatthebeautifultestimonialhanging，byitstapes，itsgluenowfirmlyset，inglazedgloryonthewallofthekitchen。 ’Good—night，blessyourlovingheart，’saidoldNurse，’ifonlyyoudon’tcatchyourdeather—cold！’ CHAPTER13 THESHIPWRECKONTHETINISLANDS ’Blueandred，’saidJanesoftly，’makepurple。’ ’Notalwaystheydon’t，’saidCyril，’ithastobecrimsonlakeandPrussianblue。IfyoumixVermilionandIndigoyougetthemostloathsomeslatecolour。’ ’Sepia’sthenastiestcolourinthebox，Ithink，’saidJane，suckingherbrush。 Theywereallpainting。Nurseintheflushofgratefulemotion，excitedbyRobert’sborderofpoppies，hadpresentedeachofthefourwithashillingpaint—box，andhadsupplementedthegiftwithapileofoldcopiesoftheIllustratedLondonNews。 ’Sepia，’saidCyrilinstructively，’ismadeoutofbeastlycuttlefish。’ ’Purple’smadeoutofafish，aswellasoutofredandblue，’ saidRobert。’Tyrianpurplewas，Iknow。’ ’Outoflobsters？’saidJanedreamily。’They’reredwhenthey’reboiled，andbluewhentheyaren’t。Ifyoumixedliveanddeadlobstersyou’dgetTyrianpurple。’ ’_I_shouldn’tliketomixanythingwithalivelobster，’saidAnthea，shuddering。 ’Well，therearen’tanyotherredandbluefish，’saidJane； ’you’dhaveto。’ ’I’drathernothavethepurple，’saidAnthea。 ’TheTyrianpurplewasn’tthatcolourwhenitcameoutofthefish，noryetafterwards，itwasn’t，’saidRobert；’itwasscarletreally，andRomanEmperorsworeit。Anditwasn’tanynicecolourwhilethefishhadit。Itwasayellowish—whiteliquidofacreamyconsistency。’ ’Howdoyouknow？’askedCyril。 ’Ireadit，’saidRobert，withthemeekprideofsuperiorknowledge。 ’Where？’askedCyril。 ’Inprint，’saidRobert，stillmoreproudlymeek。 ’Youthinkeverything’strueifit’sprinted，’saidCyril，naturallyannoyed，’butitisn’t。Fathersaidso。Quitealotofliesgetprinted，especiallyinnewspapers。’ ’Yousee，asithappens，’saidRobert，inwhatwasreallyaratherannoyingtone，’itwasn’tanewspaper，itwasinabook。’ ’HowsweetChinesewhiteis！’saidJane，dreamilysuckingherbrushagain。 ’Idon’tbelieveit，’saidCyriltoRobert。 ’Haveasuckyourself，’suggestedRobert。 ’Idon’tmeanabouttheChinesewhite。Imeanaboutthecreamfishturningpurpleand——\" ’Oh！’criedAnthea，jumpingupveryquickly，’I’mtiredofpainting。Let’sgosomewherebyAmulet。Isaylet’sletIT choose。’ CyrilandRobertagreedthatthiswasanidea。Janeconsentedtostoppaintingbecause，asshesaid，Chinesewhite，thoughcertainlysweet，givesyouaqueerfeelinginthebackofthethroatifyoupaintwithittoolong。