迪文小说

chater five rce cr（第1页）

"MYdearsisterandverygoodLady，"saidKingEdmund，"youmustnowshowyourcourage。ForItellyouplainlyweareinnosmalldanger。"

"Whatisit，Edmund?"askedtheQueen。

"Itisthis，"saidEdmund。"IdonotthinkweshallfinditeasytoleaveTashbaan。WhilethePrincehadhopethatyouwouldtakehim，wewerehonouredguests。ButbytheLion'sMane，Ithinkthatassoonashehasyourflatdenialweshallbenobetterthanprisoners。"

OneoftheDwarfsgavealowwhistle。

"IwarnedyourMajesties，Iwarnedyou，"saidSallowpadtheRaven。"Easilyinbutnoteasilyout，asthelobstersaidinthelobsterpot!"

"IhavebeenwiththePrincethismorning，"continuedEdmund。"Heislittleused（more'sthepity）tohavinghiswillcrossed。Andheisverychafedatyourlongdelaysanddoubtful

answers。Thismorninghepressedveryhardtoknowyourmind。Iputitaside—meaningatthesametimetodiminishhishopes-withsomelightcommonjestsaboutwomen'sfancies，andhintedthathissuitwaslikelytobecold。Hegrewangryanddangerous。Therewasasortofthreatening，thoughstillveiledunderashowofcourtesy，ineverywordhespoke。"

"Yes，"saidTumnus。"AndwhenIsuppedwiththeGrandVizierlastnight，itwasthesame。HeaskedmehowIlikeTashbaan。AndI（forIcouldnottellhimIhatedeverystoneofitandIwouldnotlie）toldhimthatnow，whenhighsummerwascomingon，myheartturnedtothecoolwoodsanddewyslopesofNarnia。Hegaveasmilethatmeantnogoodandsaid，'Thereisnothingtohinderyoufromdancingthereagain，littlegoatfoot;alwaysprovidedyouleaveusinexchangeabrideforourprince。

"Doyoumeanhewouldmakemehiswifebyforce?"exclaimedSusan。

"That'smyfear，Susan，"saidEdmund。"Wife:orslavewhichisworse。"

"Buthowcanhe?DoestheTisrocthinkourbrothertheHighKingwouldsuffersuchanoutrage?"

"Sire，"saidPeridantotheKing。"Theywouldnotbesomad。DotheythinktherearenoswordsandspearsinNarnia?"

"Alas，"saidEdmund。"MyguessisthattheTisrochasverysmallfearofNarnia。Wearealittleland。Andlittlelandsonthebordersofagreatempirewerealwayshatefultothelordsofthegreatempire。Helongstoblotthemout，gobblethemup。

WhenfirsthesufferedthePrincetocometoCairParavelasyourlover，sister，itmaybethathewasonlyseekinganoccasionagainstus。MostlikelyhehopestomakeonemouthfulofNarniaandArchenlandboth。"

"Lethimtry，"saidthesecondDwarf。"Atseaweareasbigasheis。Andifheassaultsusbyland，hehasthedeserttocross。"

"True，friend，"saidEdmund。"Butisthedesertasuredefence?WhatdoesSallowpadsay?"

"Iknowthatdesertwell，"saidtheRaven。"ForIhaveflownaboveitfarandwideinmyyoungerdays，"（youmaybesurethatShastaprickeduphisearsatthispoint）。"Andthisiscertain;thatiftheTisrocgoesbythegreatoasishecanneverleadagreatarmyacrossitintoArchenland。Forthoughtheycouldreachtheoasisbytheendoftheirfirstday'smarch，yetthespringstherewouldbetoolittleforthethirstofallthosesoldiersandtheirbeasts。Butthereisanotherway。"

Shastalistenedmoreattentivelystill。

"Hethatwouldfindthatway，"saidtheRaven，"muststartfromtheTombsoftheAncientKingsandridenorthwestsothatthedoublepeakofMountPireisalwaysstraightaheadofhim。Andso，inaday'sridingoralittlemore，heshallcometotheheadofastonyvalley，whichissonarrowthatamanmightbewithinafurlongofitathousandtimesandneverknowthatitwasthere。Andlookingdownthisvalleyhewillseeneithergrassnorwaternoranythingelsegood。ButifheridesondownithewillcometoariverandcanridebythewaterallthewayintoArchenland。"

"AnddotheCalormenesknowofthisWesternway?"askedtheQueen。

"Friends，friends'saidEdmund，"whatistheuseofallthisdiscourse?WearenotaskingwhetherNarniaorCalormenwouldwinifwararosebetweenthem。WeareaskinghowtosavethehonouroftheQueenandourownlivesoutofthisdevilishcity。Forthoughmybrother，PetertheHighKing，defeatedtheTisrocadozentimesover，yetlongbeforethatdayourthroatswouldbecutandtheQueen'sgracewouldbethewife，ormorelikely，theslave，ofthisprince。"

"Wehaveourweapons，King，"saidthefirstDwarf。"Andthisisareasonablydefensiblehouse。"

"Astothat，"saidtheKing，"IdonotdoubtthateveryoneofuswouldsellourlivesdearlyinthegateandtheywouldnotcomeattheQueenbutoverourdeadbodies。Yetweshouldbemerelyratsfightinginatrapwhenall'ssaid。"

"Verytrue，"croakedtheRaven。"Theselaststandsinahousemakegoodstories，butnothingevercameofthem。Aftertheirfirstfewrepulsestheenemyalwayssetthehouseonfire。"

"Iamthecauseofallthis，"saidSusan，burstingintotears。"Oh，ifonlyIhadneverleftCairParavel。OurlasthappydaywasbeforethoseambassadorscamefromCalormen。TheMoleswereplantinganorchardforus---oh---oh。"Andsheburiedherfaceinherhandsandsobbed。

"Courage，Su，courage，"saidEdmund。"Remember-butwhatisthematterwithyou，MasterTumnus?"FortheFaunwasholdingbothhishornswithhishandsasifheweretryingtokeephisheadonbythemandwrithingtoandfroasifhehadapaininhisinside。

"Don'tspeaktome，don'tspeaktome，"saidTumnus。"I'mthinking。I'mthinkingsothatIcanhardlybreathe。Wait，wait，dowait。"