Well, then, we could go on, said John.
That is the awful thing, John. We should have to go on, for we don t
know how to stop.
This was true, Peter had forgotten to show them how to stop.
John said that if the worst came to the worst, all they had to do was
to go straight on, for the world was round, and so in time they must
come back to their own window.
And who is to get food for us, John?
I nipped a bit out of that eagle s mouth pretty neatly, Wendy.
After the twentieth try, Wendy reminded him. And even though we
became good at picking up food, see how we bump against clouds and
things if he is not near to give us a hand.
Indeed they were constantly bumping. They could now fly strongly,
though they still kicked far too much; but if they saw a cloud in front
of them, the more they tried to avoid it, the more certainly did they
bump into it. If Nana had been with them, she would have had a bandage
round Michael s forehead by this time.
Peter was not with them for the moment, and they felt rather lonely up
there by themselves. He could go so much faster than they that he would
suddenly shoot out of sight, to have some adventure in which they had
no share. He would come down laughing over something fearfully funny he
had been saying to a star, but he had already forgotten what it was, or
he would come up with mermaid scales still sticking to him, and yet not
be able to say for certain what had been happening. It was really
rather irritating to children who had never seen a mermaid.
And if he forgets them so quickly, Wendy argued, how can we expect
that he will go on remembering us?
Indeed, sometimes when he returned he did not remember them, at least
not well. Wendy was sure of it. She saw recognition come into his eyes
as he was about to pass them the time of day and go on; once even she
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