天锡小说网

chater three the ae it glry（第2页）

Thenthedarkmencameroundtheminathickcrowd，smellingofgarlicandonions，theirwhiteeyesflashingdreadfullyintheirbrownfaces。TheyputaropehalterroundJewel’sneck。TheytooktheKing’sswordawayandtiedhishandsbehindhisback。OneoftheCalormenes，whohadahelmetinsteadofaturbanandseemedtobeincommand，snatchedthegoldcircletoffTirian’sheadandhastilyputitawaysomewhereamonghisclothes。Theyledthetwoprisonersuphilltoaplacewheretherewasabigclearing。Andthiswaswhattheprisonerssaw。

Atthecentreoftheclearing，whichwasalsothehighestpointofthehill，therewasalittlehutlikeastable，withathatchedroof。Itsdoorwasshut。OnthegrassinfrontofthedoortheresatanApe。TirianandJewel，whohadbeenexpectingtoseeAslanandhadheardnothingaboutanApeyet，wereverybewilderedwhentheysawit。TheApewasofcourseShifthimself，buthelookedtentimesuglierthanwhenhelivedbyCaldronPool，forhewasnowdress-edup。Hewaswearingascarletjacketwhichdidnotfithimverywell，havingbeenmadeforadwarf。HehadJewelledslippersonhishindpawswhichwouldnotstayonproperlybecause，asyouknow，thehindpawsofanApearereallylikehands。Heworewhatseemedtobeapapercrownonhishead。Therewasagreatpileofnutsbesidehimandhekeptcrackingnutswithhisjawsandspittingouttheshells。Andhealsokeptonpullingupthescarletjackettoscratchhimself。AgreatnumberofTalkingBeastsstoodfacinghim，andnearlyeveryfaceinthatcrowdlookedmiserablyworriedandbewildered。Whentheysawwhotheprisonersweretheyallgroanedandwhimpered．

“OLordShift，mouthpieceofAslan，”saidthechiefCalormene。“Webringyouprisoners。ByourskillandcourageandbythepermissionofthegreatgodTashwehavetakenalivethesetwodesperatemurderers。”

“Givemethatman’ssword，”saidtheApe。SotheytooktheKing’sswordandhandedit，withthesword-beltandall，tothemonkey。Andhehungitroundhisownneck：anditmadehimlooksillierthanever．

“We’llseeaboutthosetwolater，”saidtheApe，spittingoutashellinthedirectionofthetwoprisoners。“Igotsomeotherbusinessfirst。Theycanwait。Nowlistentome，everyone。ThefirstthingIwanttosayisaboutnuts。Where’sthatHeadSquirrelgotto？”

“Here，Sir，”saidaredsquirrel，comingforwardandmakinganervouslittlebow．

“Ohyouare，areyou？”saidtheApewithanastylook。“Nowattendtome。Iwant-Imean，Aslanwants-somemorenuts。Theseyou’vebroughtaren’tanythinglikeenough。Youmustbringsomemore，doyouhear？Twiceasmany。Andthey’vegottobeherebysunsettomorrow，andtheremustn’tbeanybadonesoranysmallonesamongthem。”

Amurmurofdismayranthroughtheothersquirrels，andtheHeadSquirrelpluckedupcouragetosay：

“Please，wouldAslanhimselfspeaktousaboutit？Ifwemightbeallowedtoseehim-”

“Wellyouwon’t，”saidtheApe。“Hemaybeverykind（thoughit’salotmorethanmostofyoudeserve）andcomeoutforafewminutestonight。Thenyoucanallhavealookathim。Buthewillnothaveyouallcrowdingroundhimandpesteringhimwithquestions。Anythingyouwanttosaytohimwillbepassedonthroughme：ifIthinkit’sworthbotheringhimabout。Inthemeantimeallyousquirrelshadbettergoandseeaboutthenuts。Andmakesuretheyareherebytomorroweveningor，myword!you’llcatchit。”

Thepoorsquirrelsallscamperedawayasifadogwereafterthem。Thisneworderwasterriblenewsforthem。Thenutstheyhadcarefullyhoardedforthewinterhadnearlyallbeeneatenbynow;andofthefewthatwerelefttheyhadalreadygiventheApefarmorethantheycouldspare．

Thenadeepvoice-itbelongedtoagreattuskedandshaggyBoar-spokefromanotherpartofthecrowd．

“Butwhycan’tweseeAslanproperlyandtalktohim？”itsaid。“WhenheusedtoappearinNarniaintheolddayseveryonecouldtalktohimfacetoface。”

“Don’tyoubelieveit，”saidtheApe。“Andevenifitwastrue，timeshavechanged。Aslansayshe’sbeenfartoosoftwithyoubefore，doyousee？Well，heisn’tgoingtobesoftanymore。He’sgoingtolickyouintoshapethistime。He’llteachyoutothinkhe’satamelion!”

AlowmoaningandwhimperingwasheardamongtheBeasts;and，afterthat，adeadsilencewhichwasmoremiserablestill．

“Andnowthere’sanotherthingyougottolearn，”saidtheApe。“IhearsomeofyouaresayingI’manApe。Well，I’mnot。I’maMan。IfIlooklikeanApe，that’sbecauseI’msoveryold：hundredsandhundredsofyearsold。Andit’sbecauseI’msooldthatI’msowise。Andit’sbecauseI’msowisethatI’mtheonlyoneAslanisevergoingtospeakto。Hecan’tbebotheredtalkingtoalotofstupidanimals。He’lltellmewhatyou’vegottodo，andI’lltelltherestofyou。Andtakemyadvice，andseeyoudoitindoublequicktime，forhedoesn’tmeantostandanynonsense。”

Therewasadeadsilenceexceptforthenoiseofaveryyoungbadgercryinganditsmothertryingtomakeitkeepquiet．

“Andnowhere’sanotherthing，”theApewenton，fittingafreshnutintoitscheek，“Ihearsomeofthehorsesaresaying，Let’shurryupandgetthisjobofcartingtimberoverasquicklyaswecan，andthenwe’llbefreeagain。Well，youcangetthatideaoutofyourheadsatonce。AndnotonlytheHorseseither。Everybodywhocanworkisgoingtobemadetoworkinfuture。AslanhasitallsettledwiththeKingofCalormen-TheTisroc，asourdarkfacedfriendstheCalormenescallhim。AllyouHorsesandBullsandDonkeysaretobesentdownintoCalormentoworkforyourliving-pullingandcarryingthewayhorsesandsuch-likedoinothercountries。AndallyoudigginganimalslikeMolesandRabbitsandDwarfsaregoingdowntoworkinTheTisroc’smines。And-”

“No，no，no，”howledtheBeasts。“Itcan’tbetrue。AslanwouldneversellusintoslaverytotheKingofCalormen。”

“Noneofthat!Holdyournoise!”saidtheApewithasnarl。“Whosaidanythingaboutslavery？Youwon’tbeslaves。You’llbepaid-verygoodwagestoo。Thatistosay，yourpaywillbepaidintoAslan’streasuryandhewilluseitallforeverybody’sgood。”Thenheglanced，andalmostwinked，atthechiefCalormene。TheCalormenebowedandreplied，inthepompousCalormeneway：

“MostsapientMouthpieceofAslan，TheTisroc（mayhe-live-forever）iswhollyofonemindwithyourlordshipinthisjudiciousplan。”

“There!Yousee!”saidtheApe。“It’sallarranged。Andallforyourowngood。We’llbeable，withthemoneyyouearn，tomakeNarniaacountryworthlivingin。There’llbeorangesandbananaspouringin-androadsandbigcitiesandschoolsandofficesandwhipsandmuzzlesandsaddlesandcagesandkennelsandprisons-Oh，everything。”