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第8章

the last battle_c·s·刘易斯-第8章

小说: the last battle_c·s·刘易斯 字数: 每页3500字

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may happen to do thee a better turn。 now; jewel; let us go  softly。鈥

he put his left arm round the beasts neck and bent and kissed its nose and  both had great joy。 they went back as quietly as possible to the place where he had left  the children。 it was darker in there under the trees and he nearly ran into eustace before  he saw him。

〃alls well;〃 whispered tirian。 〃a good nights work。 now for home。鈥

they turned and had gone a few paces when eustace said; 〃where are you;  pole?〃 there was no answer。 〃is jill on the other side of you; sire?〃 he asked。

〃what?〃 said tirian。 〃is she not on the other side of your鈥

it was a terrible moment。 they dared not shout but they whispered her name  in the loudest whisper they could manage。 there was no reply。

〃did she go from you while i was away?〃 asked tirian。

〃i didnt see or hear her go;〃 said eustace。 〃but she could have gone  without my knowing。 she can be as quiet as a cat; youve seen for yourself。鈥

at that moment a far off drum beat was heard。 jewel moved his ears forward。  〃dwarfs;鈥

he said。

〃and treacherous dwarfs; enemies; as likely as not;〃 muttered tirian。

〃and here es something on hoofs; much nearer;〃 said jewel。

the two humans and the unicorn stood dead still。 there were now so many  different things to worry about that they didnt know what to do。 the noise of hoofs  came steadily nearer。 and then; quite close to them; a voice whispered:  〃hallo! are you all there?鈥

thank heaven; it was jills。

〃where the devil have you been to?〃 said eustace in a furious whisper; for  he had been very frightened。

〃in the stable;〃 gasped jill; but it was the sort of gasp you give when  youre struggling with suppressed laughter。

〃oh;〃 growled eustace; 〃you think it funny; do you? well all i can say is  …鈥

〃have you got jewel; sire?〃 asked jill。

〃yes。 here he is。 what is that beast with you?鈥

〃thats him;〃 said jill。 〃but lets be off home before anyone wakes up。〃  and again there came little explosions of laughter。

the others obeyed at once for they had already lingered long enough in that  dangerous place and the dwarf drums seemed to have e a little nearer。 it was only  after they had been walking southward for several minutes that eustace said:  〃got him? what do you mean?鈥

〃the false aslan;〃 said jill。

〃what?〃 said tirian。 〃where have you been? what have you done?鈥

〃well; sire;〃 said jill。 〃as soon as i saw that youd got the sentry out of  the way i thought hadnt i better have a look inside the stable and see what really is there?  so i crawled along。 it was as easy as anything to draw the bolt。

of course it was pitch black inside and smelled like any other stable。 then  i struck a light and … would you believe it? … there was nothing at all there but this old  donkey with a bundle of lion…skin tied on to his back。 so i drew my knife and told him  hed have to e along with me。 as a matter of fact i neednt have threatened him with  the knife at all。 he was very fed up with the stable and quite ready to e … werent  you; puzzle dear?鈥

〃great scott!〃 said eustace。 〃well im … jiggered。 i was jolly angry with  you a moment ago; and i still think it was mean of you to sneak off without the rest of  us: but i must admit … well; i mean to say … well it was a perfectly gorgeous thing to do。  if she was a boy shed have to be knighted; wouldnt she; sire?鈥

〃if she was a boy;〃 said tirian; 〃shed be whipped for disobeying orders。〃  and in the dark no one could see whether he said this with a frown or a smile。 next minute  there was a sound of rasping metal。

〃what are you doing; sire?〃 asked jewel sharply。

〃drawing my sword to smite off the head of the accursed ass;〃 said tirian  in a terrible voice。 〃stand clear; girl。鈥

〃oh dont; please dont;〃 said jill。 〃really; you mustnt。 it wasnt his  fault。 it was all the ape。 he didnt know any better。 and hes very sorry。 and hes a nice  donkey。 his names puzzle。 and ive got my arms round his neck。鈥

〃jill;〃 said tirian; 〃you are the bravest and most woodwise of all my  subjects; but also the most malapert and disobedient。 well: let the ass live。 what have you to say  for yourself; ass?鈥

〃me; sire?〃 came the donkeys voice。 〃im sure im very sorry if ive done  wrong。 the ape said aslan wanted me to dress up like that。 and i thought hed know。  im not clever like him。 i only did what i was told。 it wasnt any fun for me living in  that stable。 i dont even know whats been going on outside。 he never let me out except for a  minute or two at night。 some days they forgot to give me any water too。鈥

〃sire;〃 said jewel。 〃those dwarfs are ing nearer and nearer。 do we want  to meet them?鈥

tirian thought for a moment and then suddenly gave a great laugh out loud。  then he spoke; not this time in a whisper。 〃by the lion;〃 he said; 〃i am growing  slow witted!

meet them? certainly we will meet them。 we will meet anyone now。 we have  this ass to show them。 let them see the thing they have feared and bowed to。 we can  show them the truth of the apes vile plot。 his secrets out。 the tides turned。 tomorrow  we shall hang that ape on the highest tree in narnia。 no more whispering and skulking and  disguises。

where are these honest dwarfs? we have good news for them。鈥

when you have been whispering for hours the mere sound of anyone talking  out loud has a wonderfully stirring effect。 the whole party began talking and laughing:  even puzzle lifted up his head and gave a grand haw…hee…haw…hee…hee; a thing the ape  hadnt allowed him to do for days。 then they set off in the direction of the drumming。 it  grew steadily louder and soon they could see torchlight as well。 they came out on one of  those rough roads (we should hardly call them roads at all in england) which ran  through lantern waste。 and there; marching sturdily along; were about thirty dwarfs; all  with their little spades and mattocks over their shoulders。 two armed calormenes led the  column and two more brought up the rear。

〃stay!〃 thundered tirian as he stepped out on the road。 〃stay; soldiers。  whither do you lead these narnian dwarfs and by whose orders?鈥

銆ww銆w銆。銆xia銆oshu銆otxt銆m



CHAPTER SEVEN

锛诲皬。璇础。xt锛惧ぉ锛夊爞锛
mainly about dwarfs   the two calormene soldiers at the head of the column; seeing what they took  for a tarkaan or great lord with two armed pages; came to a halt and raised their  spears in salute。

〃o my master;〃 said one of them; 〃we lead these manikins to calormen to  work in the mines of the tisroc; may…he…live…forever。 鈥

〃by the great god tash; they are very obedient;〃 said tirian。 then suddenly  he turned to the dwarfs themselves。 about one in six of them carried a torch and by that  flickering light he could see their bearded faces all looking at him with grim and  dogged expressions。 〃has the tisroc fought a great battle; dwarfs; and conquered  your land?〃 he asked; 〃that thus you go patiently to die in the salt…pits of pugrahan?鈥

the two soldiers glared at him in surprise but the dwarfs all answered;  〃aslans orders; aslans orders。 hes sold us。 what can we do against him?鈥

〃tisroc indeed!〃 added one and spat。 〃id like to see him try it!鈥

〃silence; dogs!〃 said the chief soldier。

〃look!〃 said tirian; pulling puzzle forward into the light。 〃it has all  been a lie。 aslan has not e to narnia at all。 you have been cheated by the ape。 this is the  thing he brought out of the stable to show you。 look at it。鈥

what the dwarfs saw; now that they could see it close; was certainly enough  to make them wonder how they had ever been taken in。 the lion…skin had got pretty  untidy already during puzzles imprisonment in the stable and it had been knocked  crooked during his journey through the dark wood。 most of it was in a big lump on  one shoulder。

the head; besides being pushed sideways; had somehow got very far back so  that anyone could now see his silly; gentle; donkeyish face gazing out of it。 some  grass stuck out of one corner of his mouth; for hed been doing a little quiet nibbling as  they brought him along。 and he was muttering; 〃it wasnt my fault; im not clever。 i never  said i was。鈥

for one second all the dwarfs were staring at puzzle with wide open mouths  and then one of the soldiers said sharply; 〃are you mad; my master? what are you  doing to the slaves?〃 and the other said; 〃and who are you?〃 neither of their spears was  at the salute now … both were down and ready for action。

〃give the password;〃 said the chief soldier。

〃this is my password;〃 said the king as he drew his sword。 〃the light is  dawning; the lie broken。 now guard thee; miscreant; for i am tirian of narnia。鈥

he flew upon the chief soldier like lightning。 eustace; who had drawn his  sword when he saw the king draw his; rushed at the other one: his face was deadly pale;  but i wouldnt blame him for that。 and he had the luck that beginners sometimes do have。  he forgot all that tirian had tried to teach him that afternoon; slashed wildly (indeed  im not sure his eyes werent shut) and suddenly found; to his own great surprise; that the  calormene lay dead at his feet。 and though that was a great relief; it was; at the  moment; rather frightening。 the kings fight lasted a second or two longer: then he too  had killed his man and shouted to eustace; 〃ware the other two。鈥

but the dwarfs had settled the two remaining calormenes。 there was no enemy  left。

〃well struck; eustace!〃 cried tirian; clapping him on the back。 〃now;  dwarfs; you are free。 tomorrow i will lead you to free all narnia。 three cheers for aslan!鈥

but the result which followed was simply wretched。 there was a feeble  attempt from a few dwarfs (about five) which died away all at once: from several others  there were sulky growls。 many said nothing at all。

〃dont they understand?〃 said jill impatiently。 〃whats wrong with all you  dwarfs? dont you hear what the king says? its all over。 the ape isnt going to rule  narnia any longer。

everyone can go back to ordinary life。 you can have fun again。 arent you  glad?鈥

after a pause of nearly a minute a not…very…nice…looking dwarf with hair  and beard as black as soot said: 〃and who might you be; missie?鈥

〃im jill;〃 she said。 〃the same jill who rescued king rilian from the  enchantment and this is eustace who did it too … and weve e back from another world  after hundreds of years。 aslan sent us。鈥

the dwarfs all looked at one another with grins; sneering grins; not merry  ones。

〃well;〃 said the black dwarf (whose name was griffle); 〃i dont know how  all you chaps feel; but i feel ive heard as much about aslan as i want to for the rest  of my life。鈥

〃thats right; thats right;〃 growled the other dwarfs。 〃its all a plant;  all a blooming plant。鈥

〃what do you mean?〃 said tirian。 he had not been pale when he was fighting  but he was pale now。 he had thought this was going to be a beautiful moment; but it  was turning out more like a bad dream。

〃you must think were blooming soft in the head; that you must;〃 said  griffle。 〃weve been taken in once and now you expect us to be taken in again the next  minute。 weve no more use for stories about aslan; see! look at him! an old moke with long  ears!

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