The Pilgrim's Regress by C. S. Lewis Read Free Book Online Page B

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    â€˜You are a very good boy,’ said the jailor. ‘And when I come back I shall bring you something nice. And now for you, ’ he added, giving John a kick and opening the grating.

IX
    The Giant Slayer
    W HEN THEY CAME out into the air John blinked a little, but not much, for they were still only in a half-light under the shadow of the giant, who was very angry, with smoke coming from his mouth, so that he looked more like a volcano than an ordinary mountain. And now John gave himself up for lost, but just as the jailor had dragged him up to the giant’s feet, and had cleared his throat, and begun ‘The case against this prisoner—’ there was a commotion and a sound of horse’s hoofs. The jailor looked round, and even the giant took his terrible eyes off John and looked round: and last of all, John himself looked round too. They saw some of the guard coming towards them leading a great black stallion, and in it was seated a figure wound in a cloak of blue which was hooded over the head and came down concealing the face.
    â€˜Another prisoner, Lord,’ said the leader of the guards.
    Then very slowly the giant raised his great, heavy finger and pointed to the mouth of the dungeon.
    â€˜Not yet,’ said the hooded figure. Then suddenly it stretched out its hands with the fetters on them and made a quick movement of the wrists. There was a tinkling sound as the fragments of the broken chain fell on the rock at the horse’s feet: and the guardsmen let go the bridle and fell back, watching. Then the rider threw back the cloak and a flash of steel smote light into John’s eyes and on the giant’s face. John saw that it was a woman in the flower of her age: she was so tall that she seemed to him a Titaness, a sun-bright virgin clad in complete steel, with a sword naked in her hand. The giant bent forward in his chair and looked at her.
    â€˜Who are you?’ he said.
    â€˜My name is Reason,’ said the virgin.
    â€˜Make out her passport quickly,’ said the giant in a low voice. ‘And let her go through our dominions and be off with all the speed she wishes.’
    â€˜Not yet,’ said Reason. ‘I will ask you three riddles before I go, for a wager.’
    â€˜What is the pledge?’ said the giant.
    â€˜Your head,’ said Reason.
    There was silence for a time among the mountains.
    â€˜Well,’ said the giant at last, ‘what must be, must be. Ask on.’
    â€˜This is my first riddle,’ said Reason. ‘What is the colour of things in dark places, of fish in the depth of the sea, or of the entrails in the body of man?’
    â€˜I cannot say,’ said the giant.
    â€˜Well,’ said Reason. ‘Now hear my second riddle. There was a certain man who was going to his own house and his enemy went with him. And his house was beyond a river too swift to swim and too deep to wade. And he could go no faster than his enemy. While he was on his journey his wife sent to him and said, “You know that there is only one bridge across the river: tell me, shall I destroy it that the enemy may not cross; or shall I leave it standing that you may cross?” What should this man do?’
    â€˜It is too hard for me,’ said the giant.
    â€˜Well,’ said Reason. ‘Try now to answer my third riddle. By what rule do you tell a copy from an original?’
    The giant muttered and mumbled and could not answer, and Reason set spurs in her stallion and it leaped up on to the giant’s mossy knees and galloped up his foreleg, till she plunged her sword into his heart. Then there was a noise and a crumbling like a landslide and the huge carcass settled down: and the Spirit of the Age became what he had seemed to be at first, a sprawling hummock of rock.

I
    Let Grill be Grill
    T HE GUARDS HAD FLED. Reason dismounted from her horse and wiped her sword clean on the moss of the foot hills which had been the