"Hello, Cousin; what can I help you with?" Edmund said as he smiled down at the animal waiting for an audience with the king.

"He spoke to me!" the Goat managed before falling to the ground and lying there, until a second later he got back up, ready to talk.

Edmund tried to cover his surprise and amusement at the animal's behaviour long enough to hear him out, but it was taking every shred of control he had not to burst into laughter when, every time the king would say something mildly startling, the Goat would keel over once more.