"By and large it's magic stuff more than magic people. Even the witch mostly used her wand, and I'm not sure Father Christmas and Aslan did things so much as they were magic things. I didn't have any objects that required particular sidereal conditions."

"Had anyone else traveled between worlds, there? Or did it not seem important to ask?"

"The first King and Queen of Narnia back when it was made were humans, but their descendants thinned out the human-ness into the surrounding populations pretty thoroughly to the point you would never notice. And, well, Aslan, in his way. I don't know if Father Christmas used to have a presence here and was only shoved out by the general Earthly hostility to magic later, or what."

"That... sounds unhelpful. And sad. And it reminds me that I should probably start actually believing in Christ, now."

"If it makes it easier, I have fairly thoroughly looked through branches of Christianity practiced today and I don't think any of them are right. I'm also not in the least confident that the Bible as popularly translated contains exclusively non-apocryphal content, or includes all of same. I'm not so much a Christian exactly as I am someone who has met Aslan and thinks his local name was probably Jesus."

"I'll figure something out. It's uncomfortable to think about, not painful or anything. I haven't been living a terribly, sinful life which I now must give up and repent, it was just easier to have God be a background thing I didn't care about."

"I understand. The emphasis in Narnia was fairly heavily on Aslan over his father the Emperor-Beyond-The-Sea, but I'm not sure exactly why."

"Well, if Jesus walked around helping queens and fighting evil witches, and his dad was on the other side of the ocean where I'd never seen him, I bet we'd do that, too."

"Well, yes. I'm not sure why Aslan did the legwork while the Emperor was inaccessible, but it's possible the Emperor was busy elsewhere, just like Aslan slipped off to do other things shortly after I was crowned. There are two worlds, I see no reason there shouldn't be more."

"Oh, sure, makes sense. I'm just thinking I would find it way easier to believe in Jesus if he went around doing things where I could see him. Is there any picture of Aslan in your book?"

"No. He left before I got the magic equivalent of a camera. He looks like, well, a lion. A very big golden lion, but with, you know - personable sort of facial expressions."

"It's hard to imagine. Hard to believe, too. Not that I doubt you. Well, not exactly... My mom was religious, and it felt so fake I still have the bad taste in my mouth. Even when I think you're right."

"I wasn't in the least religious when I found the wardrobe. But, well, they celebrate Christmas, in particular, and - I was there when Aslan did Narnia's edition of the Passion."

"I'd probably be convinced if I was there, then, too. It sounds true. But it still feels wrong."

Isabella shrugs. "I'm not a missionary. Maybe I'm supposed to be, but I can't really tell people in general that I fell into a magical land through a wardrobe and met the lion version of Jesus."

"Mmm."

"There's a lot to think about. I'm kinda beat, honestly, think I'll head home. But.. thanks."

"Please don't tell anyone. I'm still legally twelve, and letting on generally about this would make my life very complicated."

"Secret's safe with me."

"Same."

Arthur and Suzy show up again at lunch. And the next few days, as well.

"Eh, something feels odd"

"Like something's pulling you that way?" She gestures vaguely to the right.