天锡小说网

chater ne the great etg n table hill（第1页）

FORalongtimetheycouldnotspeaknorevenshedatear。ThentheUnicornstampedthegroundwithhishoof，andshookhismane，andspoke．

“Sire，”hesaid，“thereisnownoneedofcounsel。WeseethattheApe’splanswerelaiddeeperthanwedreamedof。DoubtlesshehasbeenlonginsecrettrafficwithTheTisroc，andassoonashehadfoundthelion-skinhesenthimwordtomakereadyhisnavyforthetakingofCairParavelandallNarnia。NothingnowremainsforussevenbuttogobacktoStableHill，proclaimthetruth，andtaketheadventurethatAslansendsus。Andif，byagreatmarvel，wedefeatthosethirtyCalormeneswhoarewiththeApe，thentoturnagainanddieinbattlewiththefargreaterhostofthemthatwillsoonmarchfromCairParavel。”

Tiriannodded。Butheturnedtothechildrenandsaid：“Now，friends，itistimeforyoutogohenceintoyourownworld。Doubtlessyouhavedoneallthatyouweresenttodo。”

“B-butwe’vedonenothing，”saidJillwhowasshivering，notwithfearexactlybutbecauseeverythingwassohorrible．

“Nay，”saidtheKing，“youloosedmefromthetree：youglidedbeforemelikeasnakelastnightinthewoodandtookPuzzle：andyou，Eustace，killedyourman。Butyouaretooyoungtoshareinsuchabloodyendasweothersmustmeettonightor，itmaybe，threedayshence。Ientreatyou-nay，Icommandyou-toreturntoyourownplace。IshouldbeputtoshameifIletsuchyoungwarriorsfallinbattleonmyside。”

“No，no，no，”saidJill（verywhitewhenshebeganspeakingandthensuddenlyveryredandthenwhiteagain。）“Wewon’t，Idon’tcarewhatyousay。We’regoingtostickwithyouwhateverhappens，aren’twe，Eustace？”

“Yes，butthere’snoneedtogetsoworkedupaboutit，”saidEustacewhohadstuckhishandsinhispockets（forgettinghowveryoddthatlookswhenyouarewearingamailshirt）。“Because，yousee，wehaven’tanychoice。What’sthegoodoftalkingaboutourgoingback!How？We’vegotnomagicfordoingit!”

Thiswasverygoodsensebut，atthemoment，JillhatedEustaceforsayingit。Hewasfondofbeingdreadfullymatter-of-factwhenotherpeoplegotexcited．

WhenTirianrealizedthatthetwostrangerscouldnotgethome（unlessAslansuddenlywhiskedthemaway），henextwantedthemtogoacrosstheSouthernmountainsintoArchenlandwheretheymightpossiblybesafe。Buttheydidn’tknowtheirwayandtherewasnoonetosendwiththem。Also，asPogginsaid，oncetheCalormeneshadNarniatheywouldcertainlytakeArchenlandinthenextweekorso：TheTisrochadalwayswantedtohavetheseNortherncountriesforhisown。IntheendEustaceandJillbeggedsohardthatTiriansaidtheycouldcomewithhimandtaketheirchance-or，ashemuchmoresensiblycalledit，“theadventurethatAslanwouldsendthem”．

TheKing’sfirstideawasthattheyshouldnotgobacktoStableHill-theyweresickoftheverynameofitbynowtillafterdark。ButtheDwarftoldthemthatiftheyarrivedtherebydaylighttheywouldprobablyfindtheplacedeserted，exceptperhapsforaCalormenesentry。TheBeastswerefartoofrightenedbywhattheApe（andGinger）hadtoldthemaboutthisnewangryAslan-orTashlan-togonearitexceptwhentheywerecalledtogetherforthesehorriblemidnightmeetings。AndCalormenesarenevergoodwoodsmen。Pogginthoughtthatevenbydaylighttheycouldeasilygetroundtosomewherebehindthestablewithoutbeingseen。ThiswouldbemuchhardertodowhenthenighthadcomeandtheApemightbecallingtheBeaststogetherandalltheCalormeneswereonduty。AndwhenthemeetingdidbegintheycouldleavePuzzleatthebackofthestable，completelyoutofsight，tillthemomentatwhichtheywantedtoproducehim。Thiswasobviouslyagoodthing：fortheironlychancewastogivetheNarniansasuddensurprise．

Everyoneagreedandthewholepartysetoffonanewline-North-West-towardsthehatedHill。TheEaglesometimesflewtoandfroabovethem，sometimeshesatperchedonPuzzle’sback。Noone-noteventheKinghimselfexceptinsomegreatneed-car。AndjustasTiriantookhisplace，thegongstoppedbeatingandfromsomewhereonhisleftthreefiguresappeared。OnewasRishdaTarkaantheCalormeneCaptain。ThesecondwastheApe。HewasholdingontotheTarkaan’shandwithonepawandkeptwhimperingandmuttering，“Notsofast，don’tgosofast，I’mnotatallwell。Ohmypoorhead!Thesemidnightmeetingsaregettingtoomuchforme。Apesaren’tmeanttobeupatnight：It’snotasifIwasaratorabat-ohmypoorhead。”OntheothersideoftheApe，walkingverysoftandstately，withhistailstraightupintheair，cameGingertheCat。TheywereheadingforthebonfireandweresoclosetoTirianthattheywouldhaveseenhimatonceiftheyhadlookedintherightdirection。Fortunatelytheydidnot。ButTirianheardRishdasaytoGingerinalowvoice：

“Now，Cat，tothypost。Seethouplaythypartwell。”

“Miaow，miaow。Countonme!”saidGinger。ThenhesteppedawaybeyondthebonfireandsatdowninthefrontrowoftheassembledBeasts：intheaudience，asyoumightsay．

Forreally，asithappened，thewholethingwasratherlikeatheatre。ThecrowdofNarnianswerelikethepeopleintheseats;thelittlegrassyplacejustinfrontofthestable，wherethebonfireburnedandtheApeandtheCaptainstoodtotalktothecrowd，waslikethestage;thestableitselfwaslikethesceneryatthebackofthestage;andTirianandhisfriendswerelikepeoplepeeringroundfrombehindthescenery。Itwasasplendidposition。Ifanyofthemsteppedforwardintothefullfirelight，alleyeswouldbefixedonhimatonce：ontheotherhand，solongastheystoodstillintheshadowoftheend-wallofthestable，itwasahundredtooneagainsttheirbeingnoticed．

RishdaTarkaandraggedtheApeupclosetothefire。Thepairofthemturnedtofacethecrowd，andthisofcoursemeantthattheirbacksweretowardsTirianandhisfriends．

“Now，Monkey，”saidRishdaTarkaaninalowvoice。“Saythewordsthatwiserheadshaveputintothymouth。Andholdupthyhead。”AshespokehegavetheApealittleprodorkickfrombehindwiththepointofhistoe．

“Doleavemealone，”mutteredShift。Buthesatupstraighterandbegan，inaloudervoice-“Nowlisten，allofyou。Aterriblethinghashappened。Awickedthing。ThewickedestthingthateverwasdoneinNarnia。AndAslan-”

“Tashlan，fool，”whisperedRishdaTarkaan．

“TashlanImean，ofcourse，”saidtheApe，“isveryangryaboutit。”

TherewasaterriblesilencewhiletheBeastswaitedtohearwhatnewtroublewasinstoreforthem。Thelittlepartybytheend-wallofthestablealsoheldtheirbreath。Whatonearthwascomingnow？

“Yes，”saidtheApe。“Atthisverymoment，whentheTerribleOnehimselfisamongus-thereinthestablejustbehindme-onewickedBeasthaschosentodowhatyou’dthinknoonewoulddaretodoevenifHewereathousandmilesaway。Ithasdresseditselfupinalion-skinandiswanderingaboutintheseverywoodspretendingtobeAslan。”

JillwonderedforamomentiftheApehadgonemad。Washegoingtotellthewholetruth？AroarofhorrorandragewentupfromtheBeasts。“Grrr!”camethegrowls。“Whoishe？Whereishe？Justletmegetmyteethintohim!”

“Itwasseenlastnight，”screamedtheApe，“butitgotaway。It’saDonkey!Acommon，miserableAss!IfanyofyouseethatAss-”

“Grrr!”growledtheBeasts。“Wewill，wewill。He’dbetterkeepoutofourway。”

JilllookedattheKing：hismouthwasopenandhisfacewasfullofhorror。Andthensheunderstoodthedevilishcunningoftheenemies’plan。Bymixingalittletruthwithittheyhadmadetheirliefarstronger。Whatwasthegood，now，oftellingtheBeaststhatanasshadbeendressedupasaliontodeceivethem？TheApewouldonlysay，“That’sjustwhatI’vesaid。”WhatwasthegoodofshowingthemPuzzleinhislion-skin？Theywouldonlytearhiminpieces。“That’stakenthewindoutofoursails，”whisperedEustace。“Thegroundistakenfromunderourfeet，”saidTirian。“Cursed，cursedcleverness!”saidPoggin。“I’llbeswornthatthisnewlieisofGinger’smaking。”