迪文小说

chater eight what new the eagle brught（第1页）

INtheshadowofthetreesonthefarsideoftheclearingsomethingwasmoving。ItwasglidingveryslowlyNorthward。Atfirstglanceyoumighthavemistakenitforsmoke，foritwasgreyandyoucouldseethingsthroughit。Butthedeathlysmellwasnotthesmellofsmoke。Also，thisthingkeptitsshapeinsteadofbillowingandcurlingassmokewouldhavedone。Itwasroughlytheshapeofamanbutithadtheheadofabird;somebirdofpreywithacruel，curvedbeak。Ithadfourarmswhichitheldhighaboveitshead，stretchingthemoutNorthwardasifitwantedtosnatchallNarniainitsgrip;anditsfingers-alltwentyofthem-werecurvedlikeitsbeakandhadlong，pointed，bird-likeclawsinsteadofnails。Itfloatedonthegrassinsteadofwalking，andthegrassseemedtowitherbeneathit．

AfteronelookatitPuzzlegaveascreamingbrayanddartedintotheTower。AndJill（whowasnocoward，asyouknow）hidherfaceinherhandstoshutoutthesightofit。Theotherswatcheditforperhapsaminute，untilitstreamedawayintothethickertreesontheirrightanddisappeared。Thenthesuncameoutagain，andthebirdsoncemorebegantosing．

Everyonestartedbreathingproperlyagainandmoved。Theyhadallbeenstillasstatueswhileitwasinsight．

“Whatwasit？”saidEustaceinawhisper．

“Ihaveseenitoncebefore，”saidTirian。“Butthattimeitwascarvedinstoneandoverlaidwithgoldandhadsoliddiamondsforeyes。ItwaswhenIwasnoolderthanthou，andhadgoneasaguesttoTheTisroc’scourtinTashbaan．HetookmeintothegreattempleofTash。ThereIsawit，carvedabovethealtar。”

“Thenthat-thatthing-wasTash？”saidEustace．

ButinsteadofansweringhimTirianslippedhisarmbehindJill’sshouldersandsaid，“Howisitwithyou，Lady？”

“A-allright，”saidJill，takingherhandsawayfromherpalefaceandtryingtosmile。“I’mallright。Itonlymademefeelalittlesickforamoment。”

“Itseems，then，”saidtheUnicorn，“thatthereisarealTash，afterall。”

“Yes，”saidtheDwarf。“AndthisfoolofanApe，whodidn’tbelieveinTash，willgetmorethanhebargainedfor!HecalledforTash：Tashhascome。”

“Wherehasit-he-theThing-goneto？”saidJill．

“NorthintotheheartofNarnia，”saidTirian。“Ithascometodwellamongus。Theyhavecalleditandithascome。”

“Ho，ho，ho!”chuckledtheDwarf，rubbinghishairyhandstogether。“ItwillbeasurprisefortheApe。Peopleshouldn’tcallfordemonsunlesstheyreallymeanwhattheysay。”

“WhoknowsifTashwillbevisibletotheApe？”saidJewel．

“WherehasPuzzlegotto？”saidEustace．

TheyallshoutedoutPuzzle’snameandJillwentroundtotheothersideoftheTowertoseeifhehadgonethere．

Theywerequitetiredoflookingforhimwhenatlasthislargegreyheadpeeredcautiouslyoutofthedoorwayandhesaid，“Hasitgoneaway？”Andwhenatlasttheygothimtocomeout，hewasshiveringthewayadogshiversbeforeathunderstorm．

“Iseenow，”saidPuzzle，“thatIreallyhavebeenaverybaddonkey。IoughtnevertohavelistenedtoShift。Ineverthoughtthingslikethiswouldbegintohappen。”

“Ifyou’dspentlesstimesayingyouweren’tcleverandmoretimetryingtobeascleverasyoucould-”beganEustacebutJillinterruptedhim．

“OhleavepooroldPuzzlealone，”shesaid。“Itwasallamistake;wasn’tit，Puzzledear？”Andshekissedhimonthenose．

Thoughrathershakenbywhattheyhadseen，thewholepartynowsatdownagainandwentonwiththeirtalk．

Jewelhadlittletotellthem。Whilehewasaprisonerhehadspentnearlyallhistimetiedupatthebackofthestable，andhadofcourseheardnoneoftheenemies’plans。Hehadbeenkicked（he’ddonesomekickingbacktoo）andbeatenandthreatenedwithdeathunlesshewouldsaythathebelieveditwasAslanwhowasbroughtoutandshowntothembyfirelighteverynight。Infacthewasgoingtobeexecutedthisverymorningifhehadnotbeenrescued。Hedidn’tknowwhathadhappenedtotheLamb．

ThequestiontheyhadtodecidewaswhethertheywouldgotoStableHillagainthatnight，showPuzzletotheNarniansandtrytomakethemseehowtheyhadbeentricked，orwhethertheyshouldstealawayEastwardtomeetthehelpwhichRoonwittheCentaurwasbringingupfromCairParavelandreturnagainsttheApeandhisCalormenesinforce。Tirianwouldverymuchliketohavefollowedthefirstplan：hehatedtheideaofleavingtheApetobullyhispeopleonemomentlongerthanneedbe。Ontheotherhand，thewaytheDwarfshadbehavedlastnightwasawarning。Apparentlyonecouldn’tbesurehowpeoplewouldtakeitevenifheshowedthemPuzzle。AndthereweretheCalormenesoldierstobereckonedwith。Pogginthoughttherewereaboutthirtyofthem。TirianfeltsurethatiftheNarniansallralliedtohisside，heandJewelandthechildrenandPoggin（Puzzledidn’tcountformuch）wouldhaveagoodchanceofbeatingthem。ButhowifhalftheNarnians-includingalltheDwarfs-justsatandlookedon？orevenfoughtagainsthim？Theriskwastoogreat。Andtherewas，too，thecloudyshapeofTash。Whatmightitdo？

Andthen，asPogginpointedout，therewasnoharminleavingtheApetodealwithhisowndifficultiesforadayortwo。HewouldhavenoPuzzletobringoutandshownow。Itwasn’teasytoseewhatstoryhe-orGinger-couldmakeuptoexplainthat。IftheBeastsaskednightafternighttoseeAslan，andnoAslanwasbroughtout，surelyeventhesimplestofthemwouldgetsuspicious．

IntheendtheyallagreedthatthebestthingwastogooffandtrytomeetRoonwit．

Assoonastheyhaddecidedthis，itwaswonderfulhowmuchmorecheerfuleveryonebecame。Idon’thonestlythinkthatthiswasbecauseanyofthemwasafraidofafight（exceptperhapsJillandEustace）。ButIdaresaythateachofthem，deepdowninside，wasverygladnottogoanynearer-ornotyet-tothathorriblebird-headedthingwhich，visibleorinvisible，wasnowprobablyhauntingStableHill。Anyway，onealwaysfeelsbetterwhenonehasmadeupone’smind．

Tiriansaidtheyhadbetterremovetheirdisguises，astheydidn’twanttobemistakenforCalormenesandperhapsattackedbyanyloyalNarnianstheymightmeet。TheDwarfmadeupahorrid-lookingmessofashesfromthehearthandgreaseoutofthejarofgreasewhichwaskeptforrubbingonswordsandspear-heads。ThentheytookofftheirCalormenearmourandwentdowntothestream。Thenastymixturemadealatherjustlikesoftsoap：itwasapleasant，homelysighttoseeTirianandthetwochildrenkneelingbesidethewaterandscrubbingthebacksoftheirnecksorpuffingandblowingastheysplashedthelatheroff。ThentheywentbacktotheTowerwithred，shinyfaces，likepeoplewhohavebeengivenanextragoodwashbeforeaparty。Theyre-armedthemselvesintrueNarnianstyle，withstraightswordsandthree-corneredshields。“Bodyofme，”saidTirian。“Thatisbetter。Ifeelatruemanagain。”

Puzzlebeggedveryhardtohavethelion-skintakenoffhim。

Hesaiditwastoohotandthewayitwasruckeduponhisbackwasuncomfortable：also，itmadehimlooksosilly。Buttheytoldhimhewouldhavetowearitabitlonger，fortheystillwantedtoshowhiminthatget-uptotheotherBeasts，eventhoughtheywerenowgoingtomeetRoonwitfirst．

Whatwasleftofthepigeon-meatandrabbit-meatwasnotworthbringingawaybuttheytooksomebiscuits。ThenTirianlockedthedooroftheTowerandthatwastheendoftheirstaythere．

Itwasalittleaftertwointheafternoonwhentheysetout，anditwasthefirstreallywarmdayofthatspring。Theyoungleavesseemedtobemuchfurtheroutthanyesterday：thesnow-dropswereover，buttheysawseveralprimroses。Thesunlightslantedthroughthetrees，birdssang，andalways（thoughusuallyoutofsight）therewasthenoiseofrunningwater。ItwashardtothinkofhorriblethingslikeTash。Thechildrenfelt，“ThisisreallyNarniaatlast。”EvenTirian’sheartgrewlighterashewalkedaheadofthem，humminganoldNarnianmarchingsongwhichhadtherefrain：

Ho，rumble，rumble，rumble，Rumbledrumbelaboured．

AftertheKingcameEustaceandPoggintheDwarf。PogginwastellingEustacethenamesofalltheNarniantrees，birds，andplantswhichhedidn’tknowalready。SometimesEustacewouldtellhimaboutEnglishones．

AfterthemcamePuzzle，andafterhimJillandJewelwalkingveryclosetogether。Jillhad，asyoumightsay，quitefalleninlovewiththeUnicorn。Shethought-andshewasn’tfarwrong-thathewastheshiningest，delicatest，mostgracefulanimalshehadevermet：andhewassogentleandsoftofspeechthat，ifyouhadn’tknown，youwouldhardlyhavebelievedhowfierceandterriblehecouldbeinbattle．

“Oh，thisisnice!”saidJill。“Justwalkingalonglikethis。Iwishtherecouldbemoreofthissortofadventure。It’sapitythere’salwayssomuchhappeninginNarnia。”

ButtheUnicornexplainedtoherthatshewasquitemistaken。HesaidthattheSonsandDaughtersofAdamandEvewerebroughtoutoftheirownstrangeworldintoNarniaonlyattimeswhenNarniawasstirredandupset，butshemustn’tthinkitwasalwayslikethat。InbetweentheirvisitstherewerehundredsandthousandsofyearswhenpeacefulKingfollowedpeacefulKingtillyoucouldhardlyremembertheirnamesorcounttheirnumbers，andtherewasreallyhardlyanythingtoputintotheHistoryBooks。AndhewentontotalkofoldQueensandheroeswhomshehadneverheardof。HespokeofSwanwhitetheQueenwhohadlivedbeforethedaysoftheWhiteWitchandtheGreatWinter，whowassobeautifulthatwhenshelookedintoanyforestpoolthereflectionofherfaceshoneoutofthewaterlikeastarbynightforayearandadayafterwards。HespokeofMoonwoodtheHarewhohadsuchearsthathecouldsitbyCaldronPoolunderthethunderofthegreatwaterfallandhearwhatmenspokeinwhispersatCairParavel。HetoldhowKingGale，whowasninthindescentfromFrankthefirstofallKings，hadsailedfarawayintotheEasternseasanddeliveredtheLoneIslandersfromadragonandhow，inreturn，theyhadgivenhimtheLoneIslandstobepartoftheroyallandsofNarniaforever。HetalkedofwholecenturiesinwhichallNarniawassohappythatnotabledancesandfeasts，oratmosttournaments，weretheonlythingsthatcouldberemembered，andeverydayandweekhadbeenbetterthanthelast。Andashewenton，thepictureofallthosehappyyears，allthethousandsofthem，piledupinJill’smindtillitwasratherlikelookingdownfromahighhillontoarich，lovelyplainfullofwoodsandwatersandcornfields，whichspreadawayandawaytillitgotthinandmistyfromdistance。Andshesaid：