The crier remained outside. After that they took him along a corridor， where the stone floor felt beautifully cool to his hot feet， and up some stairs. A moment later he found himself blinking in the light of a big， airy room with wide open windows， all looking North so that no sun came in. There was a carpet on the floor more wonderfully coloured than anything he had ever seen and his feet sank down into it as if he were treading in thick moss. All round the walls there were low sofas with rich cushions on them， and the room seemed to be full of people； very queer people some of them， thought Shasta. But he had no time to think of that before the most beautiful lady he had ever seen rose from her place and threw her arms round him and kissed him， saying：
“Oh Corin， Corin， how could you？ And thou and I such close friends ever since thy mother died. And what should I have said to thy royal father if I came home without thee？ Would have been a cause almost of war between Archenland and Narnia which are friends time out of mind. It was naught， playmate， very naught of thee to use us so.”
