Thursday, June 28, 2012

"What are you going to do about it?"

« Well, what are you going to do about it? » The principal repeated his question. « You cannot get at the abortionist legally, until he commits the crime – if you think it is a crime, he can always claim he was in good faith – and then it's too late. »

Susan felt tears rise in her eyelids.

« You can tell her not to go to him, and she can do as you say, and we can shut her up as mentally unstable. You help her run away, she is one really hunted young lady, 'for her own best interest' as we say. And so are you. »

Susan felt grief turn to anger, but she would not show.

« You can tell your dear little friend you are sorry to have raised any hopes, she might just as well get it over and done with, fast. »

If you have read Prince Caspian – it was still just a few months after the previous and first book to appear in the Narnia series, as said – you will know what memory « dear little friend » sparked. She, and even more so Peter, had called the dwarf Trumpkin « dear little friend » so long they started abbreviating it as DLF. And she had started by saving him from Telmarine soldiers by shooting arrows at their armour.

« Or I could do some archery, » she said as she rose to walk out of the principal's office.

« Oh, brilliant, do some archery! » he guffawed and bawled after her.

Back in her own office, Rose was still waiting. « We have to get out of here, quick as possible. I'll take the bow and arrows. » Which she did.

They would have to pass the principal's office walking to the door to the parking place. They walked a little fast but pretending to be calm till they passed it. Then they went a little further, and Rose looked back. Unfortunately, the principal just looked out of his office. He looked at both of them, at the bow and arrows in Susan's hand, at Rose's face. She breathed « he's seen us » to Susan, she looked back and said: « run ! » So did she and took her hand, and the principal shouted fast and loud: « Miss Pevensie's abducting a pupil! She's mad! Keep them! »

They ran fast enough to get to the door, then they were being overtaken by some teachers, Su and Rose used their fingernails on their eyes to make them withdraw, and they used the breathing space to get a last run up to the car. On the front porch of the school there were a few ones gathered, as a car had just come in. As they jumped into the car, Susan started it without waiting for the doors to close, backed as fast as she could, faster than anyone thought possible, and it made the crowd withdraw again. Then she changed the gear forward, and raced to the closing porch. The crowd withdrew without closing it, they went through with a bang. « Rose, now you can close the door. » And as Rose closed the door on her side, Susan closed the one on hers.

Fast she took the shortcut home, even if she drove through some narrow paths, once she had to stop and let people on foot pass behind them on the field. She breathed again as she saw home. George was there, and Susan was glad for that. « George, Rose here is pregnant. They want to kill her baby. Take the car, but when I start shooting arrows at policemen you must get out – there they are by the way. Take her out of London, as fast as possible. »

« Horrid, I will of course. »

Susan and George just had time to change places, George into the car and Susan across the house, to the front porch. And sirens were already howling as she arrived, bow and arrows in hand. The police car came, it was fortunately only one.