迪文小说

chater five hw hel ca t the kg（第1页）

Burhismiserydidnotlastlong。Almostatoncetherecameabump，andthenasecondbump，andtwochildrenwerestandingbeforehim。Thewoodinfrontofhimhadbeenquiteemptyasecondbeforeandheknewtheyhadnotcomefrombehindhistree，forhewouldhaveheardthem。Theyhadinfactsimplyappearedfromnowhere。Hesawataglancethattheywerewearingthesamequeer，dingysortofclothesasthepeopleinhisdream;andhesaw，atasecondglance，thattheyweretheyoungestboyandgirloutofthatpartyofseven．

“Gosh!”saidtheboy，“thattookone’sbreathaway!Ithought-”

“Hurryupandgethimuntied，”saidthegirl。“Wecantalk，afterwards。”Thensheadded，turningtoTirian，“I’msorrywe’vebeensolong。Wecamethemomentwecould。”

WhileshewasspeakingtheBoyproducedaknifefromhispocketandwasquicklycuttingtheKing’sbonds：tooquickly，infact，fortheKingwassostiffandnumbthatwhenthelastcordwascuthefellforwardonhishandsandknees。Hecouldn’tgetupagaintillhehadbroughtsomelifebackintohislegsbyagoodrubbing．

“Isay，”saidthegirl。“Itwasyou，wasn’tit，whoappearedtousthatnightwhenwewereallatsupper？Nearlyaweekago。”

“Aweek，fairmaid？”saidTirian。“Mydreamledmeintoyourworldscarcetenminutessince。”

“It’stheusualmuddleabouttimes，Pole，”saidtheBoy．

“Iremembernow，”saidTirian。“Thattoocomesinalltheoldtales。Thetimeofyourstrangelandisdifferentfromours。ButifwespeakofTime，’tistimetobegonefromhere：formyenemiesarecloseathand。Willyoucomewithme？”

“Ofcourse，”saidthegirl。“It’syouwe’vecometohelp。”

Tiriangottohisfeetandledthemrapidlydownhill，Southwardandawayfromthestable。Heknewwherehemeanttogobuthisfirstaimwastogettorockyplaceswheretheywouldleavenotrail，andhissecondtocrosssomewatersothattheywouldleavenoscent。Thistookthemaboutanhour’sscramblingandwadingandwhilethatwasgoingonnobodyhadanybreathtotalk。Butevenso，Tiriankeptonstealingglancesathiscompanions。Thewonderofwalkingbesidethecreaturesfromanotherworldmadehimfeelalittledizzy：butitalsomadealltheoldstoriesseemfarmorerealthantheyhadeverseemedbefore。。。anythingmighthappennow．

“Now，”saidTirianastheycametotheheadofalittlevalleywhichrandownbeforethemamongyoungbirchtrees，“weareoutofdangerofthosevillainsforaspaceandmaywalkmoreeasily。”Thesunhadrisen，dew-dropsweretwinklingoneverybranch，andbirdsweresinging．

“Whataboutsomegrub？-Imeanforyou，Sir，wetwohavehadourbreakfast，”saidtheBoy．

Tirianwonderedverymuchwhathemeantby“grub”，butwhentheBoyopenedabulgysatchelwhichhewascarryingandpulledoutarathergreasyandsquashypacket，heunderstood。Hewasravenouslyhungry，thoughhehadn’tthoughtaboutittillthatmoment。Thereweretwohard-boiledeggsandwiches，andtwocheesesandwiches，andtwowithsomekindofpasteinthem。Ifhehadn’tbeensohungryhewouldn’thavethoughtmuchofthepaste，forthatisasortoffoodnobodyeatsinNarnia。Bythetimehehadeatenallsixsandwichestheyhadcometothebottomofthevalleyandtheretheyfoundamossycliffwithalittlefountainbubblingoutofit。Allthreestoppedanddrankandsplashedtheirhotfaces．

“Andnow，”saidthegirlasshetossedherwethairbackfromherforehead，“aren’tyougoingtotelluswhoyouareandwhyyouweretiedupandwhatit’sallabout？”

“Withagoodwill，damsel，”saidTirian。“Butwemustkeeponthemarch。”Sowhiletheywentonwalkinghetoldthemwhohewasandallthethingsthathadhappenedtohim。“Andnow，”hesaidattheend，“Iamgoingtoacertaintower，oneofthreethatwerebuiltinmygrandsire’stimetoguardLanternWasteagainstcertainperilousoutlawswhodwelledthereinhisday。ByAslan’sgoodwillIwasnotrobbedofmykeys。Inthattowerweshallfindstoresofweaponsandmailandsomevictualsalso，thoughnobetterthandrybiscuit。Therealsowecanliesafewhilewemakeourplans。Andnow，prithee，tellmewhoyoutwoareandallyourstory。”

“I’mEustaceScrubbandthisisJillPole，”saidtheBoy。“Andwewerehereoncebefore，agesandagesago，morethanayearagobyourtime，andtherewasachapcalledPrinceRilian，andtheywerekeepingthischapunderground，andPuddleglumputhisfootin-”

“Ha!”criedTirian，“areyouthenthatEustaceandthatJillwhorescuedKingRilianfromhislongenchantment？”

“Yes，that’sus，”saidJill。“Sohe’sKingRiliannow，ishe？Ohofcoursehewouldbe。Iforgot-”

“Nay，”saidTirian，“Iamtheseventhindescentfromhim。Hehasbeendeadovertwohundredyears。”

Jillmadeaface。“Ugh!”shesaid。“That’sthehorridpartaboutcomingbacktoNarnia。”ButEustacewenton．

“Wellnowyouknowwhoweare，Sire，”hesaid。“Anditwaslikethis。TheProfessorandAuntPollyhadgotallusfriendsofNarniatogether-”

“Iknownotthesenames，Eustace，”saidTirian．

“They’rethetwowhocameintoNarniaattheverybeginning，thedayalltheanimalslearnedtotalk。”

“BytheLion’sMane，”criedTirian。“Thosetwo!TheLordDigoryandtheLadyPolly!Fromthedawnoftheworld!Andstillinyourplace？Thewonderandthegloryofit!Buttellme，tellme。”

“Sheisn’treallyouraunt，youknow，”saidEustace。“She’sMissPlummer，butwecallherAuntPolly。Wellthosetwogotusalltogetherpartlyjustforfun，sothatwecouldallhaveagoodjawaboutNarnia（forofcoursethere’snooneelsewecanevertalktoaboutthingslikethat）butpartlybecausetheProfessorhadafeelingthatweweresomehowwantedoverhere。Wellthenyoucameinlikeaghostorgoodness-knows-whatandnearlyfrightenedthelivesoutofusandvanishedwithoutsayingaword。Afterthat，weknewforcertaintherewassomethingup．Thenextquestionwashowtogethere。Youcan’tgojustbywantingto。SowetalkedandtalkedandatlasttheProfessorsaidtheonlywaywouldbebytheMagicRings。ItwasbythoseRingsthatheandAuntPollygotherelong，longagowhentheywereonlykids，yearsbeforeweyoungeroneswereborn。ButtheRingshadallbeenburiedinthegardenofahouseinLondon（that’sourbigtown，Sire）andthehousehadbeensold。Sothentheproblemwashowtogetatthem。You’llneverguesswhatwedidintheend!PeterandEdmund-that’stheHighKingPeter，theonewhospoketoyou-wentuptoLondontogetintothegardenfromtheback，earlyinthemorningbeforepeoplewereup。Theyweredressedlikeworkmensothatifanyonedidseethemitwouldlookasifthey’dcometodosomethingaboutthedrains。IwishI’dbeenwiththem：itmusthavebeengloriousfun。AndtheymusthavesucceededfornextdayPetersentusawire-that’sasortofmessage，Sire，I’llexplainaboutitsomeothertime-tosayhe’dgottheRings。AndthedayafterthatwasthedayPoleandIhadtogobacktoschool-we’retheonlytwowhoarestillatschoolandwe’reatthesameone。SoPeterandEdmundweretomeetusataplaceonthewaydowntoschoolandhandovertheRings。IthadtobeustwowhoweretogotoNarnia，yousee，becausetheolderonescouldn’tcomeagain。Sowegotintothetrainthat’sakindofthingpeopletravelininourworld：alotofwagonschainedtogether-andtheProfessorandAuntPollyandLucycamewithus。Wewantedtokeeptogetheraslongaswecould。Welltherewewereinthetrain。Andwewerejustgettingtothestationwheretheothersweretomeetus，andIwaslookingoutofthewindowtoseeifIcouldseethemwhensuddenlytherecameamostfrightfuljerkandanoise：andtherewewereinNarniaandtherewasyourMajestytieduptothetree。”

“SoyouneverusedtheRings？”saidTirian．

“No，”saidEustace。“Neverevensawthem。AslandiditallforusinhisownwaywithoutanyRings。”

“ButtheHighKingPeterhasthem，”saidTirian．

“Yes，”saidJill。“Butwedon’tthinkhecanusethem。WhenthetwootherPevensies-KingEdmundandQueenLucy-werelasthere，AslansaidtheywouldnevercometoNarniaagain。AndhesaidsomethingofthesamesorttotheHighKing，onlylongerago。Youmaybesurehe’llcomelikeashotifhe’sallowed。”

“Gosh!”saidEustace。“It’sgettinghotinthissun。Arewenearlythere，Sire？”

“Look，”saidTirianandpointed。Notmanyyardsawaygreybattlementsroseabovethetree-tops，andafteraminute’smorewalkingtheycameoutinanopengrassyspace。Astreamranacrossitandonthefarsideofthestreamstoodasquat，squaretowerwithveryfewandnarrowwindowsandoneheavy-lookingdoorinthewallthatfacedthem．

Tirianlookedsharplythiswayandthattomakesurethatnoenemieswereinsight。Thenhewalkeduptothetowerandstoodstillforamomentfishinguphisbunchofkeyswhichheworeinsidehishunting-dressonanarrowsilverchainthatwentroundhisneck。Itwasanicebunchofkeysthathebroughtout，fortwoweregoldenandmanywererichlyornamented：youcouldseeatoncethattheywerekeysmadeforopeningsolemnandsecretroomsinpalaces，orchestsandcasketsofsweet-smellingwoodthatcontainedroyaltreasures。Butthekeywhichhenowputintothelockofthedoorwasbigandplainandmorerudelymade。ThelockwasstiffandforamomentTirianbegantobeafraidthathewouldnotbeabletoturnit：butatlasthedidandthedoorswungopenwithasullencreak．

“Welcomefriends，”saidTirian。“IfearthisisthebestpalacethattheKingofNarniacannowoffertohisguests。”