Many were the other nations which wanted to test Narnia and its young kings and queens. All had failed in the end.

"That will work splendidly, I think. I can be very imploring when the situation calls for it," she said, a hint of mischief in her eyes and quickly extinguished, replaced by something of a plea.

If there's one thing Susan knows is that men of a certain age like to flirt with ladies or gentlemen of a more youthful one. It reassured them of their own vitality and worth and blinded them to the trickier aspects of conversation. Good thing, too, they rather desperately needed the coin.