“We’d better divide into four search parties,” said Peter, “and all go in different directions. Whoever finds him must come back here at once and.”
“Search parties, Son of Adam?” said Mr Beaver; “what for?”
“Why, to look for Edmund, of course!”
“There‘s no point in looking for him,” said Mr Beaver. “What do you mean?” said Susan. “He can’t be far awayyet. And we‘ve got to find him. What do you mean when you say there’s no use looking for him?”
“The reason there‘s no use looking,” said Mr Beaver, “is that we know already where he’s gone!” Everyone stared in amazement. “Don‘t you understand?” said Mr Beaver. “He’s gone to her, to the White Witch. He has betrayed us all.”
“Oh, surely.oh, really!” said Susan. “He can‘t have done that.”
“Can’t he?” said Mr Beaver, looking very hard at the three children, and everything they wanted to say died on their lips, for each felt suddenly quite certain inside that this was exactly what Edmund had done.
“But will he know the way?” said Peter.
“Has he been in this country before?” asked Mr Beaver. “Has he ever been here alone?”