the last battle_c·s·刘易斯-第18章

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began　to　grow；　spreading　further　and　further　out　from　the　centre　of　the　　sky。　and　presently　a　quarter　of　the　whole　sky　was　black；　and　then　a　half；　and　at　last　the　rain　　of　shooting　stars　was　going　on　only　low　down　near　the　horizon。

with　a　thrill　of　wonder　（and　there　was　some　terror　in　it　too）　they　all　　suddenly　realized　what　was　happening。　the　spreading　blackness　was　not　a　cloud　at　all：　it　was　　simply　emptiness。　the　black　part　of　the　sky　was　the　part　in　which　there　were　no　　stars　left。　all　the　stars　were　falling：　aslan　had　called　them　home。

the　last　few　seconds　before　the　rain　of　stars　had　quite　ended　were　very　　exciting。　stars　began　falling　all　round　them。　but　stars　in　that　world　are　not　the　great　　flaming　globes　they　are　in　ours。　they　are　people　（edmund　and　lucy　had　once　met　one）。　so　now　　they　found　showers　of　glittering　people；　all　with　long　hair　like　burning　silver　and　　spears　like　white…hot　metal；　rushing　down　to　them　out　of　the　black　air；　swifter　than　falling　　stones。　they　made　a　hissing　noise　as　they　landed　and　burnt　the　grass。　and　all　these　　stars　glided　past　them　and　stood　somewhere　behind；　a　little　to　the　right。

this　was　a　great　advantage；　because　otherwise；　now　that　there　were　no　stars　　in　the　sky；　everything　would　have　been　pletely　dark　and　you　could　have　seen　nothing。　　as　it　was；　the　crowd　of　stars　behind　them　cast　a　fierce；　white　light　over　their　　shoulders。　they　could　see　mile　upon　mile　of　narnian　woods　spread　out　before　them；　looking　as　if　　they　were　floodlit。　every　bush　and　almost　every　blade　of　grass　had　its　black　shadow　　behind　it。　the　edge　of　every　leaf　stood　out　so　sharp　that　youd　think　you　could　cut　your　　finger　on　it。

on　the　grass　before　them　lay　their　own　shadows。　but　the　great　thing　was　　aslans　shadow。

it　streamed　away　to　their　left；　enormous　and　very　terrible。　and　all　this　　was　under　a　sky　that　would　now　be　starless　forever。

the　light　from　behind　them　（and　a　little　to　their　right）　was　so　strong　that　　it　lit　up　even　the　slopes　of　the　northern　moors。　something　was　moving　there。　enormous　animals　　were　crawling　and　sliding　down　into　narnia：　great　dragons　and　giant　lizards　and　　featherless　birds　with　wings　like　bats　wings。　they　disappeared　into　the　woods　and　for　　a　few　minutes　there　was　silence。　then　there　came　…　at　first　from　very　far　off　…　sounds　of　　wailing　and　then；　from　every　direction；　a　rustling　and　a　pattering　and　a　sound　of　　wings。　it　came　nearer　and　nearer。　soon　one　could　distinguish　the　scamper　of　little　feet　from　the　　padding　of　big　paws；　and　the　clack…clack　of　light　little　hoofs　from　the　thunder　of　great　　ones。　and　then　one　could　see　thousands　of　pairs　of　eyes　gleaming。　and　at　last；　out　of　the　　shadow　of　the　trees；　racing　up　the　hill　for　dear　life；　by　thousands　and　by　millions；　came　　all　kinds　of　creatures　…　talking　beasts；　dwarfs；　satyrs；　fauns；　giants；　calormenes；　men　　from　archenland；　monopods；　and　strange　unearthly　things　from　the　remote　islands　　of　the　unknown　western　lands。　and　all　these　ran　up　to　the　doorway　where　aslan　　stood。

this　part　of　the　adventure　was　the　only　one　which　seemed　rather　like　a　　dream　at　the　time　and　rather　hard　to　remember　properly　afterwards。　especially；　one　couldnt　　say　how　long　it　had　taken。　sometimes　it　seemed　to　have　lasted　only　a　few　minutes；　but　at　　others　it　felt　as　if　it　might　have　gone　on　for　years。　obviously；　unless　either　the　door　had　　grown　very　　

much　larger　or　the　creatures　had　suddenly　grown　as　small　as　gnats；　a　crowd　　like　that　couldnt　ever　have　tried　to　get　through　it。　but　no　one　thought　about　that　　sort　of　thing　at　the　time。

the　creatures　came　rushing　on；　their　eyes　brighter　and　brighter　as　they　　drew　nearer　and　nearer　to　the　standing　stars。　but　as　they　came　right　up　to　aslan　one　or　　other　of　two　things　happened　to　each　of　them。　they　all　looked　straight　in　his　face；　i　dont　　think　they　had　any　choice　about　that。　and　when　some　looked；　the　expression　of　their　faces　　changed　terribly　…　it　was　fear　and　hatred：　except　that；　on　the　faces　of　talking　bears；　the　　fear　and　hatred　lasted　only　for　a　fraction　of　a　second。　you　could　see　that　they　suddenly　　ceased　to　the　talking　beasts。　they　were　just　ordinary　animals。　and　all　the　creatures　who　　looked　at　aslan　in　that　way　swerved　to　their　right；　his　left；　and　disappeared　into　　his　huge　black　shadow；　which　（as　you　have　heard）　streamed　away　to　the　left　of　the　doorway。　　the　children　never　saw　them　again。　i　dont　know　what　became　of　them。　but　the　　others　looked　in　the　face　of　aslan　and　loved　him；　though　some　of　them　were　very　　frightened　at　the　same　time。　and　all　these　came　in　at　the　door；　in　on　aslans　right。　there　　were　some　queer　specimens　among　them。　eustace　even　recognized　one　of　those　very　dwarfs　who　　had　helped　to　shoot　the　horses。　but　he　had　no　time　to　wonder　about　that　sort　of　　thing　（and　anyway　it　was　no　business　of　his）　for　a　great　joy　put　everything　else　out　　of　his　head。

among　the　happy　creatures　who　now　came　crowding　round　tirian　and　his　　friends　were　all　those　whom　they　had　thought　dead。　there　was　roonwit　the　centaur　and　　jewel　the　unicorn　and　the　good　boar　and　the　good　bear；　and　farsight　the　eagle；　and　　the　dear　dogs　and　the　horses；　and　poggin　the　dwarf。

〃further　in　and　higher　up！〃　cried　roonwit　and　thundered　away　in　a　gallop　to　　the　west。

and　though　they　did　not　understand　him；　the　words　somehow　set　them　tingling　　all　over。

the　boar　grunted　at　them　cheerfully。　the　bear　was　just　going　to　mutter　that　　he　still　didnt　understand；　when　he　caught　sight　of　the　fruit…trees　behind　them。　he　waddled　　to　those　trees　as　fast　as　he　could　and　there；　no　doubt；　found　something　he　　understood　very　well。

but　the　dogs　remained；　wagging　their　tails；　and　poggin　remained；　shaking　　hands　with　everyone　and　grinning　all　over　his　honest　face。　and　jewel　leaned　his　snowy　　white　head　over　the　kings　shoulder　and　the　king　whispered　in　jewels　ear。　then　　everyone　turned　his　attention　again　to　what　could　be　seen　through　the　doorway。

the　dragons　and　giant　lizards　now　had　narnia　to　themselves。　they　went　to　　and　fro　tearing　up　the　trees　by　the　roots　and　crunching　them　up　as　if　they　were　　sticks　of　rhubarb。

minute　by　minute　the　forests　disappeared。　the　whole　country　became　bare　and　　you　could　see　all　sorts　of　things　about　its　shape　…　all　the　little　humps　and　hollows　　which　you　had　never　noticed　before。　the　grass　died。　soon　tirian　found　that　he　was　looking　　at　a　world　of　bare　rock　and　earth。　you　could　hardly　believe　that　anything　had　ever　lived　　there。　the　monsters　themselves　grew　old　and　lay　down　and　died。　their　flesh　shrivelled　　up　and　the　bones　appeared：　soon　they　were　only　huge　skeletons　that　lay　here　and　there　　on　the　dead　rock；　looking　as　if　they　had　died　thousands　of　years　ago。　for　a　long　time　　everything　was　still。

at　last　something　white　…　a　long；　level　line　of　whiteness　that　gleamed　in　　the　light　of　the　standing　stars　…　came　moving　towards　them　from　the　eastern　end　of　the　　world。

a　widespread　noise　broke　the　silence：　first　a　murmur　then　a　rumble；　then　a　　roar。　and　now　they　could　see　what　it　was　that　was　ing；　and　how　fast　it　came。　it　was　a　　foaming　wall　of　water。　the　sea　was　rising。　in　that　tree…less　world　you　could　see　it　very　　well。　you　could　see　all　the　rivers　getting　wider　and　the　lakes　getting　larger；　and　separate　　lakes　joining　into　one；　and　valleys　turning　into　new　lakes；　and　hills　turning　into　islands；　　and　then　those　islands　vanishing。　and　the　high　moors　to　their　left　and　the　higher　　mountains　to　their　right　crumbled　and　slipped　down　with　a　roar　and　a　splash　into　the　mounting　water；　　and　the　water　came　swirling　up　to　the　very　threshold　of　the　doorway　（but　never　　passed　it）　so　that　the　foam　splashed　about　aslans　forefeet。　all　now　was　level　water　from　　where　they　stood　to　where　the　waters　met　the　sky。

and　out　there　it　began　to　grow　light。　a　streak　of　dreary　and　disastrous　　dawn　spread　along　the　horizon；　and　widened　and　grew　brighter；　till　in　the　end　they　hardly　　noticed　the　light　of　the　stars　who　stood　behind　them。　at　last　the　sun　came　up。　when　it　did；　the　　lord　digory　and　the　lady　polly　looked　at　one　another　and　gave　a　little　nod：　those　two；　　in　a　different　world；　had　once　seen　a　dying　sun；　and　so　they　knew　at　once　that　this　sun　　also　was　dying。

it　was　three　times　…　twenty　times　…　as　big　as　it　ought　to　be；　and　very　dark　　red。　as　its　rays　fell　upon　the　great　time…giant；　he　turned　red　too：　and　in　the　reflection　of　　that　sun　the　whole　waste　of　shoreless　waters　looked　like　blood。

then　the　moon　came　up；　quite　in　her　wrong　position；　very　close　to　the　sun；　　and　she　also　looked　red。　and　at　the　sight　of　her　the　sun　began　shooting　out　great　　flames；　like　whiskers　or　snakes　of　crimson　fire；　towards　her。　it　is　as　if　he　were　an　octopus　　trying　to　draw　her　to　himself　in　his　tentacles。　and　perhaps　he　did　draw　her。　at　any　rate　she　came　　to　him；　slowly　at　first；　but　then　more　and　more　quickly；　till　at　last　his　long　　flames　licked　round　her　and　the　two　ran　together　and　became　one　huge　ball　like　a　burning　coal。　　great　lumps　of　fire　came　dropping　out　of　it　into　the　sea　and　clouds　of　steam　rose　up。

then　aslan　said；　〃now　make　an　end。鈥�

the　giant　threw　his　horn　into　the　sea。　then　he　stretched　out　one　arm　…　very　　black　it　looked；　and　thousands　of　miles　long　…　across　the　sky　till　his　hand　reached　　the　sun。　he　took　the　sun　and　squeezed　it　in　his　hand　as　you　would　squeeze　an　orange。　　and　instantly　there　was　total　darkness。

everyone　except　aslan　jumped　back　from　the　ice…cold　air　which　now　blew　　through　the　doorway。　its　edges　were　already　covered　with　icicles。

〃peter；　high　king　of　narnia；〃　said　aslan。　〃shut　the　door。鈥�

peter；　shivering　with　cold；　leaned　out　into　the　darkness　and　pulled　the　　door　to。　it　scraped　over　ice　as　he　pulled　it。　then；　rather　clumsily　（for　even　in　that　moment　　his　hands　had　gone　numb　and　blue）　he　took　out　a　golden　key　and　locked　it。

they　had　seen　strange　things　enough　through　that　doorway。　but　it　was　　stranger　than　any　of　them　to　look　round　and　find　themselves　in　warm　daylight；　the　blue　sky　　above　them；　flowers　at　their　feet；　and　laughter　in　aslans　eyes。

he　turned　swiftly　round；　crouched　lower；　lashed　himself　with　his　tail　and　　shot　away　like　a　golden　arrow。

〃e　further　in！　e　further　up！〃　he　shouted　over　his　shoulder。　but　who　　could　keep　up　with　him　at　that　pace？　they　set　out　walking　westward　to　follow　him。

〃so；〃　said　peter；　〃night　falls　on　narnia。　what；　lucy！　youre　not　crying？　　with　aslan　ahead；　and　all　of　us　here？鈥�

〃dont　try　to　stop　me；　peter；〃　said　lucy；　〃i　am　sure　aslan　would　not。　i　am　　sure　it　is　not　wrong　to　mourn　for　narnia。　think　of　all　that　lies　dead　and　frozen　behind　　that　door。鈥�

〃yes　and　i　did　hope；〃　said　jill；　〃that　it　might　go　on　for　ever。　i　knew　our　　world　couldnt。　i　did　think　narnia　might。鈥�

〃i　saw　it　begin；〃　said　the　lord　digory。　〃i　did　not　think　i　would　live　to　　see　it　die。鈥�

〃sirs；〃　said　tirian。　〃the　ladies　do　well　to　weep。　see；　i　do　so　myself。　i　　have　seen　my　mothers　death。　what　world　but　narnia　have　i　ever　known？　it　were　no　virtue；　　but　great　discourtesy；　if　we　did　not　mourn。鈥�

they　walked　away　from　the　door　and　away　from　the　dwarfs　who　still　sat　　crowded　together　in　their　imaginary　stable。　and　as　they　went　they　talked　to　one　　another　about　old　wars　and　old　peace　and　ancient　kings　and　all　the　glories　of　narnia。

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