#mrs which

The three Mrs aren't quite as they were when Meg last saw them, and shortly it comes about that they aren't fully materialized, but they're here because they were called. Meg says her father left Charles on Camazotz, and Mrs Whatsit asks coldly what they're supposed to do about it. Meg pleads with her to save her brother, but Mrs Whatsit says they can't do anything on Camazotz. Meg asks if they mean for Charles to be trapped there forever, and Mrs Whatsit asks if she said that, but it's not their way to act themselves.(1)

Mr. Murry interrupts to bow to the Mrs, and Mrs Whatsit requests an introduction. Meg impatiently does the bare minimum of formalities. Mr. Murry says he'd like to learn enough about tessering to go back to Camazotz. Mrs Which says, even knowing he can't succeed? He says he has nothing left if he doesn't try. When Mrs Whatsit says he can't go, Calvin offers, but she forbids him, as well.

There was a long silence. All the soft rays filtering into the great hall seemed to concentrate on Mrs Whatsit, Mrs Who, and the faint light that must be Mrs Which. No one spoke. One of the beasts moved a tendril slowly back and forth across the stone tabletop. At last Meg could stand it no longer and she cried out despairingly, “Then what are you going to do? Are you just going to throw Charles away?” Mrs Which’s voice rolled formidably across the hall. “Ssilencce, cchilldd!”

Silence, however, is not one of Meg's virtues. She cries that she can't go. Mrs Which asks if anyone asked Meg to go, and she starts crying-crying, having a full tantrum on Aunt Beast, who tolerates it. Sobbing, Meg says she'll go, but Mrs Whatsit says they don't want her to go unwillingly, or without understanding.

Suddenly, Meg's tears stop, and she says she does understand. She feels tired, and peaceful, but no longer cold. She even looks at her father and feels no anger, only love and pride.(2) Mrs Which asks what she understands, and Meg says, she knows it has to be her, because she's the closest to Charles.

Mr. Murry, however, will not allow Meg to go into this danger alone, especially not after being so injured by the darkness. Calvin says he needs to go, because he's only on this adventure to take care of Meg and Charles. Aunt Beast offers to go as well, but Mrs Whatsit cuts her off before she finishes saying it. More argument, more accusations of the Mrs being in league with IT. Mrs Whatsit explains that life is a little like a sonnet: there are rules, and defined limits, but there's also so much freedom within those restrictions. They don't know the absolute future, but they can act within the rules.

Meg says she'd like to go and get it over with, and Mrs Which agrees that it's time. Meg thanks the beasts, and AB in particular. She starts to say Calvin's name, but he rushes in and kisses her before she can even finish, but turns away before he can see how happy it made her.(3) To her father, Meg apologizes, because she wanted him to do everything and make it so her way was easy. He says that's what he wanted to do, what any parent wants for their children.(4) He tries again to go in her stead, but is again shut down.(5) Instead, he tells her not to be afraid of being afraid. She starts to give him a message for her mother, but stops and says she'll say it herself after.

This time, the Mrs' gifts are not things Meg can touch with her hands at all. Mrs Whatsit gives her love, Mrs Who gives 1 Corinthians 1:25-28(6) in hopes that Meg will understand it when the time comes, as she understood the tesseract. Mrs Which pulls Meg through the tesseract, and as she stands on a hill on Camazotz, she gives Meg her gift: the knowledge that Meg has something IT doesn't, but she'll have to find it for herself.

Meg walks through Camazotz again, alone, toward the domed building, wondering what she has that IT doesn't. She remembers what her father said, about how IT isn't used to being resisted. She keeps in mind that she's going to save her brother. Soon, she's in front of the domed building, and then suddenly within.

Charles is there. When Meg thinks about what she might have that IT doesn't, he tells her the answer is nothing. He says it's nice to have her back, that Mrs Whatsit is a friend of IT, and tries to take her over again. She says he's lying, about there being nothing and about Mrs Whatsit. He says Mrs Whatsit hates Meg, but that's where IT fails. Meg remembers that Mrs Whatsit loves her, unconditionally, and love is what Meg has that IT hasn't.

Meg stands there, and she thinks her love at Charles, so hard that it calls him back to her. He runs into her arms, and immediately, she feels herself swept away, tessered back out. She, and Charles, and Calvin and Mr. Murry are all back home, in the vegetable garden. Dennys and Sandy come out to call Meg and Charles in for bedtime, and Mr. Murry is off like a rocket across the lawn to hug them too. Soon, everyone is in a hug pile, even Calvin.

Meg knew all at once that Mrs Whatsit, Mrs Who, and Mrs Which must be near, because all through her she felt a flooding of joy and of love that was even greater and deeper than the joy and love which were already there. She stopped laughing and listened, and Charles listened, too. “Hush.” Then there was a whirring, and Mrs Whatsit, Mrs Who, and Mrs Which were standing in front of them, and the joy and love were so tangible that Meg felt that if she only knew where to reach she could touch it with her bare hands. Mrs Whatsit said breathlessly, “Oh, my darlings, I’m sorry we don’t have time to say goodbye to you properly. You see, we have to—” But they never learned what it was that Mrs Whatsit, Mrs Who, and Mrs Which had to do, for there was a gust of wind, and they were gone.(7)

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