[The Chronicles of Narnia] Sin

Today is the last day before the long summer vacation. The whole street seems to understand the relaxed and happy mind of high school students, and it is full of vitality that is different from the past.It didn't rain for a whole day, the sun was just right, and the working adults hadn't left work yet. Lucy, a 17-year-old girl, was walking home from a private high school, smelling a sweet aroma of cream and cheese on her nose.

"Half a dozen scones and a loaf of cheese on toast, as usual?"

On Lucy's walk home from her private high school, there is a modest, small bakery that she frequents and buys breakfast for her family.The middle-aged lady who spoke was the owner of the bakery, about the same age as her mother Helen.

"It would be nice to have two more croissants - today's chocolate pastry looks so tempting. Your cooking skills are getting better and better, Mrs. Cook!"

The smile on the girl's face has not changed at all, whether in Narnia or in post-war Britain.Although calculated according to the total number of years in different time and space, her mental age is already in her 30s, but it is never wrong to maintain a kind and innocent childlike innocence.

Mrs. Cook put the snacks on the tray into paper bags one by one, and raised her head to greet the next guest: "What do you need, little girl?"

She handed the paper bag to Lucy, took the banknotes for change, and wondered why this store is so popular with little girls today.

"Please pack a sandwich for me, thank you!"

When this clear voice sounded, a strange feeling suddenly rose all over Lucy.This voice seems to have been heard somewhere, but it is far away.

After turning around slowly, she saw a girl about her height standing obliquely behind her.Light brown hair, ponytail, a pair of brown eyes, wearing a high school uniform and a men's messenger bag.

"Yi—" A name almost popped out from between her lips, but was suppressed by her remaining rationality.She just stood there in a daze, her eyes wide open, holding a big bag of food in her arms to feed the whole family.

"Lucy?" Instead, the other party spoke first, "You are taller than I imagined..."

In the next second, the "old girls" who met again after more than ten years hugged each other tightly.

·

"So, after you left Narnia, you came to 1947, and you went back to 13 years old?"

On the streets lined with oak trees, two girls aged sixteen or seventeen were talking enthusiastically.

"It's frustrating that you are a level above me." Edith, who is used to being older than Lucy, squeezed the sandwich in her hand angrily, "We'd better go back to Narnia-I hate Be the smallest one."

"You're not even in shape yet," said Lucy, hugging the paper bag. "That's why I didn't recognize you just now. —Where do you live now? What high school are you in?"

Edith shrugged her shoulders, looking a bit like Edmund: "Only me, working in a bar while studying. The school is at the end of this street—an ordinary boarding school for girls, not well-known. I am only going to study for two years. year, and then take Alevel."

Lucy stopped suddenly: "Are you alone? Crossing the Atlantic to England?" She said in surprise, "Where are your parents?"

"They have their way of life," Edith also stopped and said, "Actually, it's nothing unusual... In fact, I'm already 21 years old, just in time for college."

"That's right..." Lucy was thoughtful, "We are all used to life here and our new age, and we don't think it's too strange. Pete is now 22, and he is studying in International Relations at the London School of Economics and Political Science. Majoring in graduate school." At this point, the girl couldn't help but roll her eyes helplessly, "He has been playing with politics for more than ten years, and he still hasn't gotten tired of it."

Edith looked at her, as if she wanted to ask something, but she quickly understood: "Ed is different," she quickly talked about what Edith cared about most, "He just entered Cambridge last year, said What 'definitely won't follow in Peter's footsteps'...then chose a major that no one would have thought of, Arab and Middle Eastern history."

"It's like something he would do." Edith laughed. "Anyway, he thinks he can learn everything. It's interesting to choose a remote major."

"He's coming back from vacation soon! It seems to be the train the day after tomorrow. I'm curious about his reaction when he sees you—I think he must be stupid."

"Does he have a girlfriend?" Edith said suddenly.Her tone seemed to be casual, and it seemed that it had nothing to do with her.After all, I have been separated from him for more than ten years, and people always have to learn to move forward.

"You know his personality," Lucy looked at her meaningfully. "I can't think of anyone else he could fall in love with but you."

The two resumed their journey, preparing to walk all the way to the girls' school where Edith was.Edith frowned slightly, with mixed emotions: "To be honest, I don't dare to see him."

Lucy's "why" hovered around her lips, and then she realized some problems. "There's an age gap between you now...and you didn't say goodbye to either of us. He was lost for a long time."

What Edith thought was not these.She's just a little ashamed of herself.

"I didn't go to school before..." she said in a low voice, "I didn't receive systematic education except reading and writing, simple arithmetic, and looking at maps. It was already difficult for me to catch up with the progress of my peers. Also prepare for Alevel..."

"And he's pretty much at the best university in the UK."

The barrier of culture and knowledge level is invisible, but it is too scary to face.

·

When Edmund Pevensie returned to the Pevensie family's house in the station bus, there was mist and drizzle outside the window.

He carried the suitcase and stepped out of the car door, habitually holding up a big black umbrella.He is very familiar with the distance of several hundred meters, and even every storefront on the street is clearly printed in his mind.

"Eddie—" Lucy's unique nickname for him sounded from inside the door, "Happy holidays!"

"I heard that Pete and Sue are still not planning to come back?" He put away the umbrella, took off his windbreaker and hung it on the coat hook at the door, "Then this vacation is not happy enough."

Lucy curled her lips and muttered in a low voice: "You go to the 'Galaxy Bar' and you will know what happiness is..."

Except for the gregarious Susan, the other three Pevensie children had never set foot in such a place, Peter was very serious and decent, Edmund hated unnecessary friendships, and Lucy was still in high school.She would know the name of the pub, just from what Edith said she worked there.

She didn't plan to let Edmund hear this sentence, but she didn't expect the young man's ears to be sharp: "You went to the bar? Mom knows that she will miss you to death!"

"I'm suggesting that you go—" the girl simply said clearly, "Maybe you can find surprises there, but I don't need it."

"You know I hate bars," said Edmund, frowning. "Those drunks who reek of alcohol are ruining the city every night-and since the war is over, there are more and more of these fools."

"There are not only drunks there." Lucy tossed the washed apples to her brother, "There are also people you will regret if you don't see them." back to the room.

·

"Good evening, singer girl."

At seven o'clock in the evening, Edith walked into the Galaxy Bar as usual with her guitar on her back.The lights here are dim, and the atmosphere is warm, friends sitting and drinking and chatting, and travelers alone to relieve their worries.Six months ago, she lied that she was over sixteen years old, was kindly taken in by her boss, was responsible for playing and singing every night, and could get a salary enough to support her studies.

"Good evening, Mr. Bates," she answered, smiling.

"What's the repertoire today? You can always conjure up some very distinctive music." Mr. Bates, the bar owner, leaned in front of the bar and asked.

"Ballads from distant lands," Edith laughed a little self-deprecatingly, "I bet you haven't been to those places."

"Is everyone who likes music so mysterious? I always feel that you don't look like a girl of your age..."

The chat between them did not continue, as Mr Bates was then called away by a customer in need of service.Edith pursed her lips, and quickly took out the guitar and placed it on the high chair where the orchestra pit was.

During the five years in the world of Narnia, Edith has learned many songs from all over the world.First the ballads of Archenland Conil, then the songs of the soldiers in the army, and finally the festive carols of Narnia, and the ballads of Danbaston, which Elvis had taught her during her resurrection.Although she has never formally studied music theory, her intonation and musicality are very good. Many songs can be memorized after listening to them twice, and she can also arrange harmonies by herself, so that when she set foot in New Orleans, USA, she was amazed by the musical instrument shop responsible for teaching her guitar. boss.

"You have a pair of very sensitive ears and a very special voice, music is very suitable for you." The boss said at the time.

Edith wasn't sure if she had to choose this path.She is very curious, and her enthusiasm for many things is not long-lasting. She knows a little about everything, and she is not top-notch in anything.In this civilized world, joining the army is very difficult for a girl, and she is a little at a loss as to the remaining road options.

She habitually played the chords she was most familiar with, thinking about which libretto to add.

In the canyon underneath the trees

Behindthedarksky, youlookedatme

Ifellforyoulikeautumnleaves

Neverfaded, evergreen

……

She seldom sang impromptu songs, because there were relatively few customers in the bar today, so she let herself sing casually.When she couldn't fill in the words, she switched to a Narnia song in the same key, and the effect after the collision of the two was very interesting.

Singing and singing, she immersed herself in the golden age of Narnia along with the crisp strings of the guitar.War horses and armor, long swords and shields, deep forests and gods, sailing ships and the sea... She will never forget it no matter what, and she will never be able to swim in the sea of ​​memories no matter what.

The song was still too short, and there were only a dozen listeners; among them, some stayed in their own world carelessly, and some didn't understand the folk song style and only loved the excitement, perhaps none of them understood her talk.

At the end of the song, there was only sparse applause.

"Country America, they say you're from New Orleans?" suggested a guy in working man's attire in the corner of the bar.

After World War II, Britain finally realized clearly that it was not the only empire on which the sun never sets. They were both curious and reserved about the United States and everything on the other side of the Atlantic.

Edith had sung a lot of American-style tunes in pubs--she was always asked to; but today, for no apparent reason, she wanted to sing only Narnia-style songs.

Wrong will be right, when Aslancomes insight,

Atthe sound of his roar, sorrow will be no more,

When he bareshisteeth, wintermeetsitsdeath,

And when he shake shismane, we shall have spring again...

Singing and singing, she caught a glimpse of a thin figure walking around the corner of the dim entrance of the tavern.Under the orange light, the starlight in those surprised eyes was the same as the first time I saw it.

Her lips remained slightly parted, and her plucking right hand was frozen in the air.

The young man's eyes met hers, and thunder suddenly appeared on his gloomy face.He signaled her to take the time to go out and talk with his eyes, and his figure quickly disappeared outside the door.

Edith sang the song in a daze, and rushed out of the bar with the guitar in her arms.

·

The neon is flashing and colorful, and there is a hazy summer fog on the Thames.

The young man in a black windbreaker looked sideways at her from the bank, looking silent and at a loss.

"...Have you met Lucy?"

Edith stared at him, pressing her chin imperceptibly.

"...Then why didn't you come to me?"

Edith couldn't form any language, and couldn't grasp the most important point of explanation.She silently took out the queen chess piece in her pocket, and stared at the pale gold against the moonlight in her palm.

For Edmund, he has not seen her for more than ten years.A strange sense of strangeness weighed on his chest, and he couldn't even take a step forward.

"'Compass' is in a box in my room, and I haven't opened it for a long time." He took the chess piece with an honest and sad tone.

"I'm a high school student now... same as Lucy." Edith put aside the subject, patted the wooden cavity of the guitar on her chest, "I'm also a part-time singer in the bar."

"That's admirable," said Edmund, "but I think there are other, better careers for you."

Edith pursed her lips and nodded without raising any objections.

"I guess it's time for me to go back to work..." Then she said tentatively.

The two met briefly, exchanged simple greetings, and separated after a few minutes.Edith doesn't ask for her golden pawn back, and Edmund doesn't know whether she means the end or plans to see her again.But in any case, he was glad that she was still alive and free, and that she still remembered Narnia's calling.

·

The following stories are like many old friends who have been reunited after a long absence.They gradually warmed up, walking and chatting in the streets of London, and jointly retrieve those long-lost memories.The only embarrassing thing is that Edith's appearance is "reverse growth", younger than when the two worked together in Narnia; whenever Edmund wants to kiss her, he always has a little bit of a mouth.

"Have you ever felt that you are out of place in this world?" Edith chatted with the young man while doing math papers in the coffee shop.

"It's more than just the world." Edmund shrugged, "I even feel that my old soul is not worthy of this youthful body."

Edith chuckled lightly. "I'd be happy to have two lives. I'm too 'hard' in Narnia, fighting and killing every day, and have no respect for the power of knowledge and civilization."

Speaking of this, she looked down at the analytic geometry in hand, with a look of unlovedness - she would spend two years to complete the mathematics courses that others had studied for seven or eight years, otherwise it would be impossible to get a diploma.

"I can teach you." The young man on the opposite side raised his eyebrows, his expression vaguely resembled that of the Justice King of Narnia in the golden age.

Edith did not argue with him for the first time: "Just please don't dislike me, a stupid student!"

-End-

The author has something to say: Note: There is a small easter egg in the setting of this episode. Edmund’s actor Skandar Keynes is studying Arabic and Middle Eastern history at Pembroke College, Cambridge University.Acting in the true color, it is indeed the incarnation of Narnia wisdom 2333