They are just coming to their nearest

What is the function of “just” here? does " They are just coming to their nearest" mean “now they are beginning to come to their nearest” or does it mean “what they are doing is just coming to their nearest/ they are only coming to their nearest”?

There was no difficulty in picking out the two stars they had come to see. They hung rather low in the southern sky, almost as bright as two little moons and very close together.
“Are they going to have a collision?” he asked in an awestruck voice.
“Nay, dear Prince,” said the Doctor (and he too spoke in a whisper). “The great lords of the upper sky know the steps of their dance too well for that. Look well upon them. Their meeting is fortunate and means some great good for the sad realm of Narnia. Tarva, the Lord of Victory, salutes Alambil, the Lady of Peace. They are just coming to their nearest.”

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I like this one. :slight_smile:

I see two possible meanings for this.

They are just coming to their nearest…
They are close together and beginning to approach their closest point.

They are just coming to their nearest…
They are only at their nearest and will not come much closer. There is nothing to be concerned about. They will not collide.

“Are they going to have a collision?” he asked in an awestruck voice.
“Nay, dear Prince,” said the Doctor (and he too spoke in a whisper)"

This sets the mood. This is a monumental event. They both sense that. The first is speaking out of concern. The second ( the doctor ) is speaking with confidence of the outcome. He spoke in a whisper. He has confidence, but diminishes himself and elevates the importance of what is happening.

This all sets up an anticipation of what is about to happen.

just coming to their nearest.
Nearest means distance. But what it really means is time. Something monumental is about to happen.

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