he M.A.'s. They're
men who've had to work at sums and history and things at College so hard
that they want a holiday. So they come here and work for us, and if any
of us do want to learn anything, the M.A.'s are handy to have about the
place. It pleases them to teach anything, poor things. They live in the
huts. There's always a long list waiting for their turn. Oh yes, they
wear the seaweed dress the same as we do. And they hunt on Tuesdays,
Thursdays and Saturdays. They hunt big game, the fierce ambergris who is
grey with a yellow stomach and the bigger graibeestes. Now we'll have
dinner the minute we get in, and then we must talk about It.'

The game was skinned and cut up in the courtyard, and the intentions of
the Lord High Islander had certainly been carried out. For the
blugraiwee was plum-cake, and the other animals just what was needed.

And after dinner the Lord High Islander took Lucy and Philip up on to
the top of the highest tower, and the three lay in the sun eating toffee
and gazing out over the sea at the faint distant blue of the island.

'The island where we aren't allowed to go,' as the Lord High Islander
sadly pointed out.

'Now,' said Lucy gently, 'you won't mind telling us what you're afraid
of? Don't mind telling us. _We're_ afraid too; we're afraid of all sorts
of things quite often.'

'Speak for yourself,' said Philip, but not unkindly. 'I'm not so jolly
often afraid as you seem to think. Go ahead, my Lord.'

'You might as well call me Billy,' said the Lord High Islander; 'it's my
name.'

'Well, Billy, then. What is it you're afraid of?'

'I hate being afraid,' said Billy angrily. 'Of course I know no true boy
is afraid of anything except doing wrong. One of the M.A.'s told me
that. But the M.A.'s are afraid too.'

'What of?' Lucy asked, glancing at the terrace below, where already the
shadows were lengthening; 'it'll be getting dark soon. I'd much rather
know what you're afraid of while it's daylight.'

'What we're afraid of,' said Billy abruptly, 'is the sea. Suppose a
great wave came and washed away the castle, and the huts, and the M.A.'s
and all of us?'

'But it never _has_, has it?' Lucy asked.

'No, but everything must have a beginning. I know that's true, because
another of the M.A.'s told it me.'

'But why don't you go and live somewhere inland?'

'Because we couldn't live away from the sea. We're islanders, you know;
we couldn't bear not to be near the sea. And we'd ra