The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe | Chapter 13: Deep Magic from the Dawn of Time

Chapter Summary:

The chapter begins with Edmund, the Witch, and the Dwarf stopping their march in the woods. The Witch and the Dwarf confer, and the Witch tells the Dwarf (in perhaps a more subtle way) that Edmund needs to be killed to prevent the four thrones from being filled at Cair Paravel. The Witch wants to complete the sacrifice at the Stone Table, as is tradition.

But then a wolf appears and announces that Maugrim is dead and that Aslan is at the Stone Table. The Witch decides to complete the sacrifice of Edmund immediately. As a knife is being sharpened, the animals that Aslan had sent arrive and rescue Edmund. The Witch and Dwarf elude capture.

Edmund is brought to Aslan and has a private talk with him the next morning. Edmund apologizes to his siblings, and they accept his apology. Aslan says that there is no need to discuss the past events anymore.

The Dwarf then arrives at the Stone Table and says that the Witch wants to speak with Aslan. Aslan agrees, on the terms that she leave her wand behind. Aslan and the Witch speak, during which the Witch mentions the Deep Magic, placed by the original Emperor of Narnia, that says that the Witch may kill any traitor in Narnia, and if prevented, Narnia will be destroyed. Aslan affirms the truth of the Deep Magic.

Aslan asks everyone to stand aside and has a lengthy private talk with the Witch. At the end, Aslan announces that Edmund has been spared--some sort of deal has been made. The Witch asks how she knows that Aslan's promise will be kept--he responds with a roar, and the Witch flees.

Reflection:

This is an interesting chapter for a number of reasons. But I think what fascinates me the most is that the most important / most significant parts of this chapter are the parts that we never read. It is hard to deny that the two most important conversations within this chapter are the conversation between Aslan and Edmund, and the conversation between Aslan and the Witch. These might even be two of the most important conversations of the entire story--but we never hear a single word of either of them. The third-person omniscient narrator, who has access to the actions, thoughts, and feelings of nearly all of the characters in Narnia, is kept at a safe distance during these two conversations. Here's a little about what the narrator says about these two conversations:

"When the other children woke up next morning ... the first thing they hear--from Mrs. Beaver--was that their brother had been rescued and brought into camp late last night; and was at that moment with Aslan. As soon as they had breakfasted they all went out, and there they saw Aslan and Edmund walking together in the the dewy grass, apart from the rest of the court. There is no need to tell you (and no one ever heard) what Aslan was saying, but it was a conversation which Edmund never forgot" (p. 117). 

And then the second conversation:

"Fall back, all of you,' said Aslan,' and I will talk to the Witch alone.'They all obeyed. It was a terrible time this--waiting and wondering while the Lion and the Witch talked earnestly together in low voices ... Everyone became perfectly still in the end, so that you noticed even small sounds like a bumble-bee flying past, or the birds in the forest down below them, or the wind rustling the leaves. And still the talk between Aslan and the White Witch went on" (p. 119).

In a way, this reminds me of my reflection on a chapter from The Magician's Nephew when I talked about the importance of silence--but it's a little different here. It is not silence that is important here, but rather it is what goes unheard (not unsaid). We can certainly speculate what these conversations are about--the first probably contains words like accountability, regret, confusion, sorrow, repentance, and forgiveness. Or perhaps other words entirely--who knows. All we know, as a reader, is that by the end of Aslan's conversation with Edmund, he (Edmund) has been forgiven by Aslan, and then seeks the forgiveness of his siblings. Everything else is up to the imagination.

The second conversation is significantly more complex, in part because it results in the plot points of the remainder of the novel, and to talk about it in detail would be jumping ahead. Suffice to say for the moment that the conversation is perplexing and concerning at best. We know that some sort of deal, or bargain, has been made. We don't necessarily know what it is, but by the end of the conversation, the Witch no longer desires to kill Edmund--so the price must be pretty steep (and it is).

But here's where the concern comes in. (And I'll discuss this in a future blog post, because I will really need to go another few chapters so as to not ruin the plot.)

Based on Aslan's conversation with Aslan, there are two possibilities, based on future events: Either (1) Aslan can see the future and therefore intentionally deceives the Witch, or (2) Aslan cannot see the future and thus believes that he is being honest with the Witch.

There are no other options. What is concerning is how many times we have seen Aslan have knowledge of future events--but if he does, then that means option one is the correct option, and that would be deeply concerning as well.

Let's keep reading and see.