And she talked to the Psammead and I went to sleep.

And then you woke me up.

That's all.' The Psammead, roused from its sound sleep, told the same story.
'But,' it added, 'what possessed you to tell that Queen that I could give wishes?
I sometimes think you were born without even the most rudimentary imitation of brains.' The children did not know the meaning of rudimentary, but it sounded a rude, insulting word.
'I don't see that we did any harm,' said Cyril sulkily.
'Oh, no,' said the Psammead with withering irony, 'not at all! Of course not! Quite the contrary! Exactly so! Only she happened to wish that she might soon find herself in your country.

And soon may mean any moment.' 'Then it's your fault,' said Robert, 'because you might just as well have made "soon" mean some moment next year or next century.' 'That's where you, as so often happens, make the mistake,' rejoined the Sand-fairy.

'_I_ couldn't mean anything but what SHE meant by "soon".