C.S. Lewis: Transformation, Part 1

READING 1, FROM THE GREAT DIVORCE

I saw coming towards us a Ghost who carried something on his shoulder....What sat on his shoulder was a lizard, and it was twitching its tail like a whip and whispering things in his ear. As we caught sight of him he turned his head to the reptile with a snarl of impatience.

"Shut up, I tell you!" the Ghost said to the lizard. But the lizard wagged its tail and continued to whisper to him. Then the Ghost turned and started to limp westward, away from the mountain.

"Off so soon?" said a voice. The speaker was more or less human in shape but larger than a man, and so bright that I could hardly look at him. His presence smote on my eyes and on my body too (for there was heat coming from him as well as light) like the morning sun at the beginning of a tyrannous summer day.

"Yes, I'm off," said the Ghost. "Thanks for all your hospitality. But it's no good, you see. I told this little chap (here indicating the lizard) that he'd have to be quiet if he came....But he won't stop. I shall just have to go home."

"Would you like for me to make him quiet?" said the flaming Spirit---an angel, as I now understood.

"Of course I would," said the Ghost.

"Then I will kill him," said the Angel, taking a step forward.

"Oh, ah, look out! You're burning me. Keep away!" said the Ghost, retreating.

"Do you want him killed?" asked the flaming Angel.

"You didn't say anything about killing him at first. I hardly meant to bother you with anything so drastic as that."

"It's the only way," said the Angel, whose burning hands were now very close to the Lizard. "Shall I kill it?"

"Well, that's a further question and I'm open to consider it......I mean for the moment, I was only thinking of silencing it rather than killing it...."

"May I kill it?"

"Well there's time to discuss that later."

"There's no time. May I kill it?"

"Please. I never meant to be such a nuisance. Please-----really---don't bother. Look, it's gone to sleep of its own accord. I'm sure it will be all right now."

"May I kill it?"

"Honestly, I don't think there's the slightest necessity for that. I'm sure I can keep it in order now. I think the gradual process would be far better than killing it."

"The gradual process is of no use at all."

"Well, I'll think over what you've said very carefully. I honestly will....But not today. I'm not feeling terribly well now and I'd need to be in good health for the operation. Some other day perhaps."

"There is no other day. All days are present now."

"Get back! You're burning me. How can I tell you to kill it? You'd kill me if you did."

"It is not so."

"Well you're hurting me now."