The game was skinned and cut up in the courtyard, and the intentions of the Lord High Islander had certainly been carried out. For the blugraiwee was plum-cake, and the other animals just what was needed. And after dinner the Lord High Islander took Lucy and Philip up on to the top of the highest tower, and the three lay in the sun eating toffee and gazing out over the sea at the faint distant blue of the island. 'The island where we aren't allowed to go,' as the Lord High Islander sadly pointed out. 'Now,' said Lucy gently, 'you won't mind telling us what you're afraid of? Don't mind telling us. _We're_ afraid too; we're afraid of all sorts of things quite often.' 'Speak for yourself,' said Philip, but not unkindly. 'I'm not so jolly often afraid as you seem to think. Go ahead, my Lord.' 'You might as well call me Billy,' said the Lord High Islander; 'it's my name.' 'Well, Billy, then. What is it you're afraid of?' 'I hate being afraid,' said Billy angrily. 'Of course I know no true boy is afraid of anything except doing wrong. One of the M.A.'s told me that. But the M.A.'s are afraid too.' 'What of?' Lucy asked, glancing at the terrace below, where already the shadows were lengthening; 'it'll be getting dark soon. I'd much rather know what you're afraid of while it's daylight.' 'What we're afraid of,' said Billy abruptly, 'is the sea. Suppose a great wave came and washed away the castle, and the huts, and the M.A.'s and all of us?' 'But it never _has_, has it?' Lucy asked. 'No, but everything must have a beginning. I know that's true, because another of the M.A.'s told it me.' 'But why don't you go and live somewhere inland?' 'Because we couldn't live away from the sea. We're islanders, you know; we couldn't bear not to be near the sea. And we'd rather be afraid of it, than not have it to be afraid of. But it upsets the government, because we ought to be _happy_ troops of gentle islanders, and you can't be quite happy if you're afraid. That's why it's one of your deeds to take away our fear.' 'It sounds jolly difficult,' said Philip; 'I shall have to think,' he added desperately. So he lay and thought with Max and Brenda asleep by his side and the parrot preening its bright feathers on the parapet of the tower, while Lucy and the Lord High Islander played cat's cradle with a long thread of seaweed. 'It's supper time,' said Billy at last. 'Have you thought of anything?' 'Not a single thing,' said Philip. 'Well, don't swat over it any more,' said Billy; 'just stay with us and have a jolly time. You're sure to think of something. Or else Lucy will. We'll act charades to-night.' They did. The rest of the islanders were an extremely jolly lot, and all the M.A.'s came out of their huts to be audience. It was a charming evening, and ended up with hide-and-seek all over the castle.