按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
und her way into narnia。 but he was a good deal older now for by this time peter and susan and edmund and lucy had been kings and queens of narnia for several years。
〃your majesties；〃 he was saying； 〃his little highness has had a touch of the sun。 look at him！ he is dazed。 he does not know where he is。鈥�
then of course everyone stopped scolding shasta and asking him questions and he was made much of and laid on a sofa and cushions were put under his head and he was given iced sherbet in a golden cup to drink and told to keep very quiet。
nothing like this had ever happened to shasta in his life before。 he had never even imagined lying on anything so fortable as that sofa or drinking anything so delicious as that sherbet。 he was still wondering what had happened to the others and how on earth he was going to escape and meet them at the tombs； and what would happen when the real corin turned up again。 but none of these worries seemed so pressing now that he was fortable。 and perhaps； later on； there would be nice things to eat！
meanwhile the people in that cool airy room were very interesting。 besides the faun there were two dwarfs （a kind of creature he had never seen before） and a very large raven。
the rest were all humans； grown…ups； but young； and all of them； both men and women； had nicer faces and voices than most calormenes。 and soon shasta found himself taking an interest in the conversation。 〃now； madam；〃 the king was saying to queen susan （the lady who had kissed shasta）。 〃what think you？ we have been in this city fully three weeks。 have you yet settled in your mind whether you will marry this dark… faced lover of yours； this prince rsh； or no？鈥�
the lady shook her head。 〃no； brother；〃 she said； 〃not for all the jewels in tashbaan。鈥�
（〃hullo！〃 thought shasta。 〃although theyre king and queen； theyre brother and sister； not married to one another。〃）
〃truly； sister；〃 said the king； 〃i should have loved you the less if you had taken him。 and i tell you that at the first ing of the tisrocs ambassadors into narnia to treat of this marriage； and later when the prince was our guest at cair paravel； it was a wonder to me that ever you could find it in your heart to show him so much favour。鈥�
〃that was my folly； edmund；〃 said queen susan； 〃of which i cry you mercy。 yet when he was with us in narnia； truly this prince bore himself in another fashion than he does now in tashbaan。 for i take you all to witness what marvellous feats he did in that great tournament and hastilude which our brother the high king made for him； and how meekly and courteously he consorted with us the space of seven days。 but here； in his own city； he has shown another face。鈥�
〃ah！〃 croaked the raven。 〃it is an old saying： see the bear in his own den before you judge of his conditions。鈥�
〃thats very true； sallowpad；〃 said one of the dwarfs。 〃and another is； e； live with me and youll know me。鈥�
〃yes；〃 said the king。 〃we have now seen him for what he is： that is； a most proud； bloody； luxurious； cruel； and selfpleasing tryant。鈥�
〃then in the name of aslan；〃 said susan； 〃let us leave tashbaan this very day。鈥�
〃theres the rub； sister；〃 said edmund。 〃for now i must open to you all that has been growing in my mind these last two days and more。 peridan； of your courtesy look to the door and see that there is no spy upon us。 all well？ so。 for now we must be secret。鈥�
everyone had begun to look very serious。 queen susan jumped up and ran to her brother。
〃oh； edmund；〃 she cried。 〃what is it？ there is something dreadful in your face。鈥�
ww锛枫��
CHAPTER FIVE
灏忥紝璇达紝t锛寈t锛屽ぉ锛屽爞
prince corin 〃my dear sister and very good lady；〃 said king edmund； 〃you must now show your courage。 for i tell you plainly we are in no small danger。鈥�
〃what is it； edmund asked the queen。
〃it is this；〃 said edmund。 〃i do not think we shall find it easy to leave tashbaan。 while the prince had hope that you would take him； we were honoured guests。 but by the lions mane； i think that as soon as he has your flat denial we shall be no better than prisoners。鈥�
one of the dwarfs gave a low whistle。
〃i warned your majesties； i warned you；〃 said sallowpad the raven。 〃easily in but not easily out； as the lobster said in the lobster pot！鈥�
〃i have been with the prince this morning；〃 continued edmund。 〃he is little used （mores the pity） to having his will crossed。 and he is very chafed at your long delays and doubtful answers。 this morning he pressed very hard to know your mind。 i put it aside…meaning at the same time to diminish his hopes … with some light mon jests about womens fancies； and hinted that his suit was likely to be cold。 he grew angry and dangerous。 there was a sort of threatening； though still veiled under a show of courtesy； in every word he spoke。鈥�
〃yes；〃 said tumnus。 〃and when i supped with the grand vizier last night； it was the same。 he asked me how i like tashbaan。 and i （for i could not tell him i hated every stone of it and i would not lie） told him that now； when high summer was ing on； my heart turned to the cool woods and dewy slopes of narnia。 he gave a smile that meant no good and said； ‘there is nothing to hinder you from dancing there again； little goatfoot； always provided you leave us in exchange a bride for our prince。鈥�
〃do you mean he would make me his wife by force？〃 exclaimed susan。
〃thats my fear； susan；〃 said edmund： 〃wife： or slave which is worse。鈥�
〃but how can he？ does the tisroc think our brother the high king would suffer such an outrage？鈥�
〃sire；〃 said peridan to the king。 〃they would not be so mad。 do they think there are no swords and spears in narnia？鈥�
〃alas；〃 said edmund。 〃my guess is that the tisroc has very small fear of narnia。 we are a little land。 and little lands on the borders of a great empire were always hateful to the lords of the great empire。 he longs to blot them out； gobble them up。 when first he suffered the prince to e to cair paravel as your lover； sister； it may be that he was only seeking an occasion against us。 most likely he hopes to make one mouthful of narnia and archenland both。鈥�
〃let him try；〃 said the second dwarf。 〃at sea we are as big as he is。 and if he assaults us by land； he has the desert to cross。鈥�
〃true； friend；〃 said edmund。 〃but is the desert a sure defence？ what does sallowpad say？鈥�
〃i know that desert well；〃 said the raven。 〃for i have flown above it far and wide in my younger days；〃 （you may be sure that shasta pricked up his ears at this point）。 〃and this is certain； that if the tisroc goes by the great oasis he can never lead a great army across it into archenland。 for though they could reach the oasis by the end of their first days march； yet the springs there would be too little for the thirst of all those soldiers and their beasts。 but there is another way。鈥�
shasta listened more attentively still。
〃he that would find that way；〃 said the raven； 〃must start from the tombs of the ancient kings and ride northwest so that the double peak of mount pire is always straight ahead of him。 and so； in a days riding or a little more； he shall e to the head of a stony valley； which is so narrow that a man might be within a furlong of it a thousand times and never know that it was there。 and looking down this valley he will see neither grass nor water nor anything else good。 but if he rides on down it he will e to a river and can ride by the water all the way into archenland。鈥�
〃and do the calormenes know of this western way？〃 asked the queen。
〃friends； friends；〃 said edmund； 〃what is the use of all this discourse？ we are not asking whether narnia or calormen would win if war arose between them。 we are asking how to save the honour of the queen and our own lives out of this devilish city。 for though my brother； peter the high king； defeated the tisroc a dozen times over； yet long before that day our throats would be cut and the queens grace would be the wife； or more likely； the slave； of this prince。鈥�
〃we have our weapons； king；〃 said the first dwarf。 〃and this is a reasonably defensible house。鈥�
〃as to that；〃 said the king； 〃i do not doubt that every one of us would sell our lives dearly in the gate and they would not e at the queen but over our dead bodies。 yet we should be merely rats fighting in a trap when alls said。鈥�
〃very true；〃 croaked the raven。 〃these last stands in a house make good stories； but nothing ever came of them。 after their first few repulses the enemy always set the house on fire。鈥�
〃i am the cause of all this；〃 said susan； bursting into tears。 〃oh； if only i had never left cair paravel。 our last happy day was before those ambassadors came from calormen。
the moles were planting an orchard for us 。 。 。 oh 。 。 。 oh。鈥�
and she buried her face in her hands and sobbed。
〃courage； su； courage；〃 said edmund。 〃remember…but what is the matter with you； master tumnus？〃 for the faun was holding both his horns with his hands as if he were
trying to keep his head on by them and writhing to and fro as if he had a pain in his inside。
〃dont speak to me； dont s