He finds himself telling Luna about Narnia and not really knowing why. She's safe, that much is sure, but he isn't sure how she's safe: whether it's because she would believe him, or because no one would believe her.
The unspoken rule is that you can only talk about Narnia to people who have been to Narnia, but there are some days when he thinks that it's kind of like at the fancy antiques or jewelry store where, if you have to ask how much it is, then you can't afford it. Sometimes Edmund finds himself looking into strangers' faces wondering if they too have known the Lion. Was there some giveaway sign, or some secret code? Surely they can't be the only ones in the whole world. Narnia is too true to be kept among just a few.
Then Edmund meets Luna, who talks about heffalumps and woozles, and wears large brightly-colored glasses that supposedly help her see the wuffleplerts in the daytime ("They're much more visible at night. The sun makes them shy."), and his questions catch on her optimistic faith. He feels protective of her in a pre-emptive sort of way, like maybe how everyone treats her is how everyone would treat Edmund if he started talking left and right about Narnia.
Luna doesn't need protection. The jeers and name-calling come at her from all directions, and she just smiles and talks about the nargles.
+
"Did you have a betrothed?" asks Luna. "Kings have betrotheds, right?"
"A few. So did my siblings, but nothing ever came of it. There was a duchess in Terebinthia that... Well, I think if we had stayed longer, we..." Edmund shrugs. "But we didn't, so that's that."
"Tell me about the fauns," says Luna. "Were they very lusty?"
"What? Well, some. Not all." He smiles. "Don't believe everything you hear about fauns."
She nods solemnly. "It's just like with the Belgravian Snorkacks, you know. Everyone thinks they're the rabbits of the animal kingdom, but really they mate for life. They just fornicate a lot."
Edmund declines to tell her that rabbits are probably the rabbits of the animal kingdom, and he tells her instead about the late-night revels that the forest creatures used to have: how Tumnus had danced with Lucy until her braids came undone, how the laughter of dryads sound like leaves rustling, and how faun music has a magical quality that can heat the blood and hone the senses.
"Do you remember a faunish dance?" asks Luna. "Would you teach me?"
no subject
The unspoken rule is that you can only talk about Narnia to people who have been to Narnia, but there are some days when he thinks that it's kind of like at the fancy antiques or jewelry store where, if you have to ask how much it is, then you can't afford it. Sometimes Edmund finds himself looking into strangers' faces wondering if they too have known the Lion. Was there some giveaway sign, or some secret code? Surely they can't be the only ones in the whole world. Narnia is too true to be kept among just a few.
Then Edmund meets Luna, who talks about heffalumps and woozles, and wears large brightly-colored glasses that supposedly help her see the wuffleplerts in the daytime ("They're much more visible at night. The sun makes them shy."), and his questions catch on her optimistic faith. He feels protective of her in a pre-emptive sort of way, like maybe how everyone treats her is how everyone would treat Edmund if he started talking left and right about Narnia.
Luna doesn't need protection. The jeers and name-calling come at her from all directions, and she just smiles and talks about the nargles.
+
"Did you have a betrothed?" asks Luna. "Kings have betrotheds, right?"
"A few. So did my siblings, but nothing ever came of it. There was a duchess in Terebinthia that... Well, I think if we had stayed longer, we..." Edmund shrugs. "But we didn't, so that's that."
"Tell me about the fauns," says Luna. "Were they very lusty?"
"What? Well, some. Not all." He smiles. "Don't believe everything you hear about fauns."
She nods solemnly. "It's just like with the Belgravian Snorkacks, you know. Everyone thinks they're the rabbits of the animal kingdom, but really they mate for life. They just fornicate a lot."
Edmund declines to tell her that rabbits are probably the rabbits of the animal kingdom, and he tells her instead about the late-night revels that the forest creatures used to have: how Tumnus had danced with Lucy until her braids came undone, how the laughter of dryads sound like leaves rustling, and how faun music has a magical quality that can heat the blood and hone the senses.
"Do you remember a faunish dance?" asks Luna. "Would you teach me?"
He does.