“'rerightthere,” saidNikabrik.“, —howdoweknowhe'dbeourfriend? HewasnotalwaysagoodfriendtoDwarfsbyallthat', hewasinNarniaonlyoncethatIeverheardof, andhedidn'.”
Therewasnoanswer, andforafewminutesitwassostillthatEdmundcouldhearthewheezyandsnufflingbreathoftheBadger.
“Whodoyoumean?” saidCaspianatlast.
“ImeanapowersomuchgreaterthanAslan'sthatitheldNarniaspellboundforyearsandyears, ifthestoriesaretrue.”
“TheWhiteWitch!” criedthreevoicesallatonce, andfromthenoisePeterguessedthatthreepeoplehadleapedtotheirfeet.
“Yes,” saidNikabrikveryslowlyanddistinctly, “': , donotthestoriessaythattheWitchdefeatedAslan, andboundhim, andkilledhimonthatverystonewhichisoverthere, justbeyondthelight?”
“Buttheyalsosaythathecametolifeagain,” saidtheBadgersharply.
“Yes, theysay,” answeredNikabrik, “butyou', ifhereallycametolife? Isn'titmuchmorelikelythathedidn't, andthatthestoriessaynothingmoreabouthimbecausetherewasnothingmoretosay?”
“HeestablishedtheKingsandQueens,” saidCaspian.
“AKingwhohasjustwonagreatbattlecanusuallyestablishhimselfwithoutthehelpofaperforminglion,” , probablyfromTrufflehunter.
“Andanyway,” Nikabrikcontinued, “whatcameoftheKingsandtheirreign? ': 'spowerw, 'ssomethingpractical.”
“But, heavenandearth!” saidtheKing, “haven'twealwaysbeentoldthatshewastheworstenemyofall? Wasn'tsheatyranttentimesworsethanMiraz?”
“Perhaps,” saidNikabrikinacoldvoice.“Perhapsshewasforyouhumans, , Idaresay; .I''renotafraidoftheWitch.”
“Butyou'vejoinedwithus,” saidTrufflehunter.
