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A Wrinkle in Time, published in 1962, tells the story of siblings Meg and Charles Wallace Murry and their friend Calvin, who set out on a metaphysical journey across time and space to rescue the Murrys' father. Accompanied by Mrs Whatsit, Mrs Which, and Mrs Who (angels? guardians? who can say?), the children engage in a struggle between a cold and encroaching evil, and the powers of love and connection. L'Engle had trouble finding a publisher for this ground-breaking fantasy, and it took more than ten years before a publisher was found. The next year, it won the Newbery Medal for outstanding children's fiction, and has been immensely popular ever since. In this excerpt, the three ladies take the children to see the Happy Medium and her crystal ball, to give them a better idea of the immensity of the situation, and how it extends far beyond merely rescuing their father. "We want them to see their home planet," Mrs Whatsit said. The Medium lost the delighted smile she had worn till then. "Oh, why must you make me look at unpleasant things when there are so many delightful ones to see?" Again Mrs Which's voice reverberated through the cave. "Therre willl nno llonggerr bee sso manyy pplleasanntt thinggss too llookk att iff rressponssible ppeoplle ddo nnott ddoo ssomethingg abboutt thee unnppleassanntt oness." The Medium sighed and held the ball high. "Look, children," Mrs Whatsit said. "Look into it well." "Que la terre est petite a qui la voit des cieux! Delille. How small is the earth to him who looks from heaven," Mrs Who intoned musically. Meg looked into the crystal ball, at first with caution, then with increasing eagerness, as she seemed to see an enormous sweep of dark and empty space, then galaxies swinging across it. Finally they seemed to move in closer on one of the galaxies. "Your own Milky Way," Mrs Whatsit whispered to Meg. They were headed directly toward the center of the galaxy; then they moved off to one side; stars seemed to be rushing at them. Meg flung her arm up over her face as though to ward off the blow. "Llookk!" Mrs Which commanded. Meg dropped her arm. They seemed to be moving in toward a planet. She thought she could see polar ice caps. Everything seemed sparkling clear. "No, no, Medium dear, that's Mars," Mrs Whatsit reproved gently. "Do I have to?" the Medium asked. "NNOWW!" Mrs Which commanded. The bright planet moved out of their vision. For a moment there was the darkness of space; then another planet. The outlines of this planet were not clean and clear. It seemed to be covered with a smoky haze. Through the haze Meg thought she could make out the familiar outlines of continents like pictures in her Social Studies books. "Is it because of our atmosphere that we can't see properly?" she asked anxiously. "Nno, Mmegg, yyou knnoww thatt itt iss nnott tthee attmosspheeere," Mrs Which said. "Yyou mmusstt bee brrave." "It's the Thing!" Charles Wallace cried. "It's the Dark Thing we saw from the mountain peak on Uriel when we were riding on Mrs Whatsit's back!" "Did it just come?" Meg asked in agony, unable to take her eyes from the sickness of the shadow which darkened the beauty of the earth. "Did it just come while we've been gone?" Mrs Which's voice seemed very tired. "Ttell herr," she said to Mrs Whatsit. Mrs Whatsit sighed. "No, Meg. It hasn't just come. It has been there for a great many years. That is why your planet is such a troubled one." |
