“Nay,” said the Lion, with a little half.growl that meant (Lucy thought) the same as a laugh. “I should frighten them out of their senses. Many stars will grow old and come to take their rest in islands before your people are ripe for that. And today before sunset I must visit Trumpkin the Dwarf where he sits in the castle of Cair Paravel counting the days till his master Caspian comes home. I will tell him all your story, Lucy. Do not look so sad. We shall meet soon again.”
“Please, Aslan,” said Lucy, “what do you call soon?”
“I call all times soon,” said Aslan; and instantly he was vanished away and Lucy was alone with the Magician.
“Gone!” said he. “And you and I quite crestfallen. It‘s always like that, you can’t keep him; it‘s not as if he were a tame lion. And how did you enjoy my book?”
“Parts of it very much indeed,” said Lucy. “Did you know was there all the time?”