FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110  
111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   >>   >|  
gh of Babylon,' said Robert, 'at least for the present. And so have the others. I don't know why,' he added, forestalling the question on Jane's lips, 'but somehow we have. Squirrel, let's take off these beastly bandages and get into flannels. We can't go in our unders.' 'He WISHED to go to Atlantis, so he's got to go some time; and he might as well go with us,' said Anthea. This was how it was that the learned gentleman, permitting himself a few moments of relaxation in his chair, after the fatigue of listening to opinions (about Atlantis and many other things) with which he did not at all agree, opened his eyes to find his four young friends standing in front of him in a row. 'Will you come,' said Anthea, 'to Atlantis with us?' 'To know that you are dreaming shows that the dream is nearly at an end,' he told himself; 'or perhaps it's only a game, like "How many miles to Babylon?".' So he said aloud: 'Thank you very much, but I have only a quarter of an hour to spare.' 'It doesn't take any time,' said Cyril; 'time is only a mode of thought, you know, and you've got to go some time, so why not with us?' 'Very well,' said the learned gentleman, now quite certain that he was dreaming. Anthea held out her soft, pink hand. He took it. She pulled him gently to his feet. Jane held up the Amulet. 'To just outside Atlantis,' said Cyril, and Jane said the Name of Power. 'You owl!' said Robert, 'it's an island. Outside an island's all water.' 'I won't go. I WON'T,' said the Psammead, kicking and struggling in its bag. But already the Amulet had grown to a great arch. Cyril pushed the learned gentleman, as undoubtedly the first-born, through the arch--not into water, but on to a wooden floor, out of doors. The others followed. The Amulet grew smaller again, and there they all were, standing on the deck of a ship whose sailors were busy making her fast with chains to rings on a white quay-side. The rings and the chains were of a metal that shone red-yellow like gold. Everyone on the ship seemed too busy at first to notice the group of newcomers from Fitzroy Street. Those who seemed to be officers were shouting orders to the men. They stood and looked across the wide quay to the town that rose beyond it. What they saw was the most beautiful sight any of them had ever seen--or ever dreamed of. The blue sea sparkled in soft sunlight; little white-capped waves broke softly against the marble breakwaters
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110  
111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

Atlantis

 

Anthea

 

learned

 
gentleman
 
Amulet
 

chains

 
dreaming
 

standing

 

island

 

Babylon


Robert
 

sailors

 

struggling

 

Outside

 

making

 
Psammead
 

kicking

 

wooden

 

pushed

 
undoubtedly

smaller

 
beautiful
 

dreamed

 

softly

 

marble

 

breakwaters

 

sparkled

 
sunlight
 

capped

 

Everyone


notice

 

newcomers

 

yellow

 

Fitzroy

 

looked

 

orders

 

shouting

 

Street

 

officers

 

moments


relaxation

 

permitting

 

WISHED

 

fatigue

 

listening

 

opened

 
opinions
 

things

 

unders

 

forestalling