gh of Babylon,' said Robert, 'at least for the present.
And so have the others. I don't know why,' he added, forestalling the
question on Jane's lips, 'but somehow we have. Squirrel, let's take
off these beastly bandages and get into flannels. We can't go in our
unders.'

'He WISHED to go to Atlantis, so he's got to go some time; and he might
as well go with us,' said Anthea.

This was how it was that the learned gentleman, permitting himself a few
moments of relaxation in his chair, after the fatigue of listening to
opinions (about Atlantis and many other things) with which he did not
at all agree, opened his eyes to find his four young friends standing in
front of him in a row.

'Will you come,' said Anthea, 'to Atlantis with us?'

'To know that you are dreaming shows that the dream is nearly at an
end,' he told himself; 'or perhaps it's only a game, like "How many
miles to Babylon?".' So he said aloud: 'Thank you very much, but I have
only a quarter of an hour to spare.'

'It doesn't take any time,' said Cyril; 'time is only a mode of thought,
you know, and you've got to go some time, so why not with us?'

'Very well,' said the learned gentleman, now quite certain that he was
dreaming.

Anthea held out her soft, pink hand. He took it. She pulled him gently
to his feet. Jane held up the Amulet.

'To just outside Atlantis,' said Cyril, and Jane said the Name of Power.

'You owl!' said Robert, 'it's an island. Outside an island's all water.'

'I won't go. I WON'T,' said the Psammead, kicking and struggling in its
bag.

But already the Amulet had grown to a great arch. Cyril pushed the
learned gentleman, as undoubtedly the first-born, through the arch--not
into water, but on to a wooden floor, out of doors. The others followed.
The Amulet grew smaller again, and there they all were, standing on the
deck of a ship whose sailors were busy making her fast with chains to
rings on a white quay-side. The rings and the chains were of a metal
that shone red-yellow like gold.

Everyone on the ship seemed too busy at first to notice the group of
newcomers from Fitzroy Street. Those who seemed to be officers were
shouting orders to the men.

They stood and looked across the wide quay to the town that rose beyond
it. What they saw was the most beautiful sight any of them had ever
seen--or ever dreamed of.

The blue sea sparkled in soft sunlight; little white-capped waves broke
softly against the marble breakwaters