“The last great battle，” said the Queen， “raged for three days here in Charn itself. For three days I looked down upon it from this very spot. I did not use my power till the last of my soldiers had fallen， and the accursed woman， my sister， at the head of her rebels was halfway up those great stairs that lead up from the city to the terrace. Then I waited till we were so close that we could see one another’s faces. She flashed her horrible， wicked eyes upon me and said， ‘Victory’. ‘Yes，’ said I， ‘Victory， but not yours.’ Then I spoke the Deplorable Word. A moment later I was the only living thing beneath the sun.”
“But the people？” gasped Digory. “What people， boy？” asked the Queen.
“All the ordinary people，” said Polly， “who‘d never done you any harm. And the women， and the children， and the animals.”
“Don’t you understand？” said the Queen （still speaking to Digory）. “I was the Queen. They were all my people. What else were they there for but to do my will？”
