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纳尼亚传奇3：能言马与男孩（双语）
作者：C·S·路易斯
内容简介
 某种惊人的友情带你向北飞奔到纳尼亚，奔向自由。 纳尼亚那里马会说话， 当四个不可能在一起的同伴聚首齐心拯救王国。 故事发生在彼得、苏珊、爱德蒙和露茜统治纳尼亚的时期。一天，少年沙斯塔发现自己将被他的养父卖给一个凶恶的卡乐门贵族为奴隶。夜里，他和贵族的战马布里一起逃跑 。布里原是纳尼亚会说话的马。沙斯塔和它一起逃往纳尼亚。途中，他们遇到了贵族少女阿拉维斯和她会说话的母马赫温。阿拉维斯是为了不满包办婚姻而逃跑的。于是他们四个便结伴而行。途中，他们历尽艰险，还得知卡乐门王子拉巴达什在向苏珊女王求婚被拒之后，试图突袭阿钦兰的安瓦德城，然后再进攻纳尼亚。在狮王阿斯兰的帮助下，他们骑马飞奔报信，最后，沙斯塔拯救了纳尼亚和阿钦兰。胜利后，他发现自己是阿钦兰王子，原名科奥，自幼被居心不良的叛徒偷走，后被渔夫所抚养。他后来继承了阿钦兰王位，并与阿拉维斯结婚。 

第一章 冒险的开端
这是个冒险故事，发生在纳尼亚王国和卡乐门王国，还有它们之间的地方。那是一个黄金时代，那时纳尼亚的国王叫至尊王彼得，而他的弟弟和两个妹妹则是从属的国王和女王。
那时候，远在卡乐门王国南部的小港湾，住着一位叫阿什伊什的贫穷渔夫，还有一位叫他父亲的小男孩沙斯塔。平时，阿什伊什早上出海打鱼，下午再用驴车将鱼拉到更南边的村子里卖掉。如果生意好，阿什伊什的脾气就会不错，对沙斯塔也不说什么；如果生意不好，他就会找沙斯塔的茬，甚至打他。沙斯塔每天要干很多活儿，比如修补渔网、做饭、收拾房间等等。因此阿什伊什想挑沙斯塔的错简直太容易了。
沙斯塔对他们家南边的一切都没兴趣。因为他曾跟着阿什伊什到那些村子里去过几次。那里除了和他父亲一样穿着破烂、胡子拉碴、讲话单调乏味的人外，没有任何有趣的事物。不过沙斯塔却对北边充满了好奇。也许是因为从来没有人去过吧，所以他也被禁止去北边。每当他独自在屋外补渔网时，总对着遥远的北方出神。可他看到的除了长满野草的山坡，或者远处的山脊、天空，也许就只有几只飞鸟了。
有时沙斯塔也会问阿什伊什：“爸爸，山的那边是什么？”如果阿什伊什心情不好，他就会被打耳光，然后要他专心干活。如果阿什伊什心情好，就会劝他：“儿子，别因为愚蠢的问题分心。一个诗人曾说：‘专注生意，才能发财；谁若分心，必致贫穷’。”
沙斯塔却觉得山外肯定有很多有趣的秘密，只是爸爸想瞒着他罢了。其实，阿什伊什之所以那么说，是因为他自己也不知道北边是什么样子的。不过，他从来不关心那个，他只想着那些实际的东西，比如赚钱。
一天，从南边来了一位骑着马的陌生人。他和沙斯塔以前见过的所有人都不同。那人脸色黝黑，和所有卡乐门王国的人一样，穿着铠甲，拿着长矛，身上挂着把短弯刀，背后还背着圆盾牌。他的花斑马高大又强壮，尾巴和鬃毛随风飘扬，马镫和马笼头都是镶银的。但让沙斯塔觉得奇怪的是，那人卷曲的胡子不仅被染成了血红色，还散发出一股油香味。阿什伊什根据那人胳膊上的金环判断出他是个“泰坎”，或者什么王爷。因此，他连忙跪倒在陌生人的面前，并叫沙斯塔也照他的做。
那人提出晚上要在这里借宿，阿什伊什没敢拒绝。父子俩用最好的食物款待他，可那人似乎不领情。和往常一样，沙斯塔就拿着一块面包住到驴棚里去了。每当家里来了客人，沙斯塔就得这样，早就习惯了。然而，这个时间睡觉还太早，沙斯塔便把耳朵贴在墙上，偷听“泰坎”和阿什伊什的谈话。谁都没有教过他偷听是不道德的行为。于是他听到了这些：
“伙计，跟你商量个事儿，”泰坎说，“我想买下你的孩子。”
“哎呀，王爷，”渔夫回答道，沙斯塔听着这谄媚的语气就能想象出渔夫是有多贪婪了，“虽然我很穷，但我怎会因你出高价就把独子卖了呢？不是有诗人说过‘血浓于水，亲情无价’吗？”“尽管这样，”客人冷冷地说，“还有诗人说‘欺骗智者，早晚会玩火自焚’。你一把年纪却满嘴谎言，那孩子根本不是你亲生的。看你那张黑脸，再看那孩子白皙的面孔，他就像令人讨厌但美丽的北方人，你们怎么可能是父子呢？”
“俗话说得好，”阿什伊什答道，“明人不说暗话，我也不瞒您啦，尊贵的老爷。我实在是太穷了，根本没钱娶老婆，更没儿子。但在万寿无疆的太洛帝登上王位的那年，有天晚上月亮特别圆，我睡不着，就去了海滩。本来我想着看看海水和月亮，呼吸点儿新鲜空气，让自己平静些就去睡觉。可我却听到了划桨声，混合着微弱的哭声。过了一会儿，一只小船被冲到了岸上。我上前一看，发现船里有个死去的瘦弱男子，一个空水袋和一个气息微弱的孩子。从男人尸体的温热我判断，他可能才刚刚死去。估计他们是从失事的大船上逃出来的，那男人可能把所有食物和水都留给了孩子，并坚持到靠近陆地时才死去。当然，也是因为我心肠好，老爷，不然上天也不会将这个孩子赐给我。”“别说那些自夸的废话了，”泰坎打断阿什伊什说，“我知道这个孩子是你收养的就行了。谁都看得出来，这孩子给你带来的好处，远比你养他所付出的多。你打算多少钱才把他卖给我，直说吧，我不想再听你啰唆了！”
“您看，老爷，您自己也说了，”阿什伊什回答，“这个孩子对我大有用处，如果我把他卖给您，我还得再买或租个孩子来代替他干活儿。”
“我出15 个克利申买他。”泰坎说。
“十五个？”阿什伊什夸张地惊叫，“您出十五个克利申就想把我预备养老的儿子买走？虽然您是泰坎老爷，但也不能这样嘲弄我这老头子呀。至少七十个克利申。”
听到这里，沙斯塔便走开了。他已经知道了一切。因为常在村里听大人们讨价还价，沙斯塔很清楚怎么做生意。他明白，自己最终会以高于十五克利申又低于七十克利申的价格被卖掉。为了达成这次生意，阿什伊什和泰坎至少还得磨好几个小时。
虽然沙斯塔听到了自己要被阿什伊什卖做奴隶的消息，可是他一点儿也不难过。首先，他目前的生活比奴隶强不了多少，说不定那泰坎老爷还仁慈些；其次，那个关于他来历的故事，让他特别激动，甚至得到了某种安慰。以前他常感到不安，因为他知道孩子应该爱自己的父亲，可是无论怎么努力，他从来不爱阿什伊什。现在明白了，原来他们没有血缘关系，他顿时感觉很轻松。“我会是什么人呢？”沙斯塔忍不住想，“一个泰坎的儿子？一个普通人的儿子？是太洛帝的儿子也说不定！也有可能是神的儿子呢！”
沙斯塔站在屋外的草地上，心里想着这些事，暮色开始降临，虽然天边已经出现了几颗星星，但落霞余晖仍在。泰坎的马被松松地系在驴棚的铁圈上，正在不远处吃草，沙斯塔便走过去拍了拍马的脖子。马儿继续吃草，并不理会沙斯塔。
沙斯塔又猜想起来。“这个泰坎到底是什么样的人呢？”他自言自语地说道，“如果他是个和蔼的人那就太好了。在王爷家里，有些奴隶都不用干活，他们穿着好衣服，每天吃肉。说不定他会带我去打仗，而我又在战场上救了他的命，他收我为义子，赐我王宫战车盔甲，我就不用再当奴隶了……不过他也有可能是个残忍的人，会给我戴上锁链把我赶到地里干活儿。唉，到底怎样才能知道呢？马儿，你肯定知道，如果你能告诉我就好了。”
这时，马抬起了头，沙斯塔抚摸着他丝绸般光滑的鼻子说：“老伙计，如果你会说话该多好。”
接下来的事，让沙斯塔一度觉得自己是在做梦。尽管声音低沉，他还是清楚地听到马儿说：“我会说话。”沙斯塔和马对视着，惊呆了，他的眼睛瞪得像马的眼睛一样大。
“你到底怎么学会说话的？”沙斯塔惊讶地问。
“小点儿声，”马儿回答，“我以前住的地方，几乎所有的动物都会说话。”
“那地方在哪里？”沙斯塔忙问。
“纳尼亚，”马儿回答，“纳尼亚是人间乐土。那里山丘长满石楠，遍地是百里香。纳尼亚到处流水潺潺，还有长满苍苔的山洞，小矮人的锤声不时在森林深处响起，连空气都是如此芬芳！在那里生活一小时比在卡乐门生活一千年还要强得多。”马儿长嘶一声，仿佛深深叹了口气。
“那你怎么到这儿来了呢？”沙斯塔问。
“被绑架过来的。”马儿回答，“那时我还是一头调皮的小马驹，不听母亲的劝告闯进了阿钦兰。以狮王的鬃毛发誓，我为此付出了沉重的代价，这些年我一直装作一只普通的马，当一个愚蠢的哑巴，隐藏本性。”
“为什么你不告诉他们这些呢？”沙斯塔又问。
“我才不那么傻呢。他们如果发现我是谁，肯定会把我送到集市上展览，并且更加严格的看管我，那我更没机会逃跑了。”
“那你为什么……”沙斯塔还想问，但是马儿打断了他的话。
“好了，”马儿说，“别把时间浪费在无关紧要的问题上了。你不是想知道我的主人泰坎安拉丁是什么样的人吗？告诉你吧，他可不是什么好人，虽然对我还不算坏，因为虐待一匹战马就太得不偿失了。不过，与给他当奴隶相比，你还是现在死掉好。”
“那我现在还是逃跑吧！”沙斯塔急得脸都白了。
“嗯，你的确该逃，”马儿回答，“不如和我一起逃吧？”
“你也要逃吗？”沙斯塔问。
“嗯，如果你愿意，那对我们俩都好。”马儿继续说道，“如果我自己逃，别人会认为我是‘无主的马’，就都想来抓我了，不过有你骑着我就安全多了。而你，仅凭两条腿，人类可笑的腿！根本走不了多远，很快就会被抓回来的。但骑着我，你会比全国骑马的都快。所以我们俩一起逃是最好的办法。不过，你会骑马吗？”
“当然，我会骑。”沙斯塔回答，“至少我骑过驴。”
“骑过什么？”马儿鄙视地问道。至少它是这个意思。事实上它发出了一种类似愤怒的嘶鸣。“骑过……什……么……啊……哈？”会说话的马生气了，就会发出这种马的嘶鸣。
“也就是说，”马儿继续问，“你不会骑马。这就麻烦了，看来我得先教你怎么骑马。如果你不会骑，那你会跌倒吗？”
“这谁不会？”沙斯塔反问道。
“我是说，你有没有本事从马上摔下来也不哭，继续爬到马背上，就算继续骑，再摔下来也不害怕？”
“我，我尽量。”沙斯塔回答。
“可怜的小家伙，”马儿和蔼地说，“我忘了你还是个孩子。不过，我会让你成为好骑手的。记住，在屋子里的那两人睡着之前，我们不能行动。我们还需要再商量一下逃跑的具体计划。泰坎会朝北往塔什班城的方向走，因为他要去太洛帝的宫殿……”
“天哪，”沙斯塔相当震惊，“提到‘太洛帝’你怎么不说万岁呢？”
“为什么要说？”马儿问，“我是自由的纳尼亚马，为什么要像奴隶和傻瓜那样说话？况且无论我说不说他都不可能‘万岁’的。
我看得出你也是来自自由的北方。好了，不要再说这些南方的废话啦，继续说我们的计划吧。刚才说到我的主人要朝北走去塔什班城……”
“你是说我们该往南走吗？”
“我不是那个意思，”马儿回答，“泰坎觉得我就是一匹普通的马，因此他会以为我走失了以后会自己回家。所以他会往南找我。但是他不会想到，其实我往北走了。而且他很可能觉得是我们经过的上一个村子里的人跟踪他到这儿来把我偷走了。”
“啊，太好了！”沙斯塔叫道，“那我们就往北走吧，我一直都想去北边呢！”
“你当然想去北边，那是你身体里流着的血决定的。我敢肯定你是北边的人。好了小声点，我觉得他们快睡熟了。”马儿说。
“要不我去看看吧。”沙斯塔建议。
“好主意！”马儿回答，“不过要小心别被他们发现了。”天已经全黑了，寂静的夜里只能听见海涛的声音。不过沙斯塔并没有注意这些从他记事时起每天都听得到的声音。他悄悄地靠近屋子，发现屋里的灯已经熄灭了。于是他把耳朵贴到门上，小心地听着里面的动静，里面没有任何声音。他又绕到唯一的窗子下，几秒钟后他听到了渔夫熟悉的鼾声。想到以后可能再也听不到这鼾声了，沙斯塔竟觉得有点遗憾。不过逃走的兴奋很快冲淡了那点遗憾。他又小心翼翼地穿过草地走进驴棚，找到了藏起来的钥匙，打开门拿走锁在那儿过夜的马鞍子和马笼头。临走时，沙斯塔还吻了吻驴的鼻子跟它告别：“对不起，我们没法带你走。”
“你终于回来了，”他回去时马儿说，“我正担心你呢。”
“我去驴棚取你的东西了。”沙斯塔回答，“你能告诉我怎么样把这些放到你身上吗？”
接下来的一段时间，沙斯塔净忙着这件事儿了。他小心翼翼地尽量不弄出动静来，而马儿则时不时提醒他“肚带收紧一些”、“往下找找带扣”、“马镫缩短点儿”之类的事。装配好了一切，马儿又说：“为了像那么回事儿，你还得给我戴上缰绳。不过你用不着它，只要绑在马鞍子上就好了，记得绑松些，要保证我的头可以自由活动。另外，一定要记住，你不许碰缰绳！”
“那要缰绳有什么用呢？”沙斯塔问。
“缰绳一般是用来给我指引方向的。”马儿回答，“不过这次我自己来把控方向，所以用不着它。你的手就随便放吧。还有，你不许揪我的鬃毛！”
“可是，”沙斯塔恳切地问道，“如果什么都不抓，我怎么能在背上坐稳呢？”
“用你的膝盖夹住我。”马儿回答，“骑马的诀窍就是身体坐直，要直得像个拨火棍，膝盖夹的越紧越好，胳膊肘别往两边甩。再问一下，你打算怎么处理马刺呢？”
“当然是装在我的脚后跟上。”沙斯塔回答，“这我还是知道的。”
“把它卸下来放到鞍囊里吧，到了塔什班城或许还能卖掉。现在准备好了吗？那么就上来吧！”马儿说道。
“天哪！你高得吓人。”沙斯塔第一次上马失败后气喘吁吁地说。
“我不过是一匹马而已，可是看你费劲往我背上爬的样子，简直就像在爬一个高高的柴火堆。”马儿回答。经过一番努力，沙斯塔终于爬上了马背。“现在好多了，身体坐直，双腿夹紧，按照我讲的那些要领做就好了。真是滑稽，想当初我是一匹多么威风的战马啊，还总能赢得赛马比赛。没想到现在竟然驮着像袋土豆一样的你。好了，现在出发咯。”马儿开玩笑地说。
就这样沙斯塔和马儿开始了夜间旅程。马儿走得十分小心，它先朝渔夫屋子的南边走了一段，走近流向大海的一条小河边，故意在泥沙上留了些往南去的蹄印。走进小河里后又返回头从河水中逆流而上往北走。就这样走了一百码远，他们才选了一块不会留下蹄印的砾石河岸从水中走出来。接下来，他们一直朝着北边的方向前进着。慢慢地，渔夫的屋子、驴棚、河流、沙斯塔熟悉的一切都消失在茫茫的黑暗之中。很快他们登上了一个山脊，沙斯塔曾经无数次望着这里想象那边的世界。此时，他就站在它的顶端。虽然他现在什么都看不见，但是他能感觉到这开阔的荒野带给他的自由，还有寂寞。
“这里真是一个纵马奔驰的好地方啊！”马儿感叹道。
“呀，别跑太快了，”沙斯塔恳求道，“我还不知道该怎样做……请你教我。马儿，对不起，我还不知道你的名字。”
“我叫布里海?希尼?布林尼?霍海?哈。”马儿回答。
“那么长的名字我可记不住，”沙斯塔说，“我叫你布里好吗？”
“好吧，如果你竭尽所能也只能记住我叫布里的话。”马儿又问，
“可是我怎么称呼你呢？”
“我叫沙斯塔。”
“嗯，”布里说，“你的名字才难发音呢。不过现在让我们聊聊怎么飞驰奔跑吧。这可比你知道的小跑要轻松得多。因为你不用被颠簸得起伏不定了。现在听我说，双膝夹紧，两眼直视前方，不要看地面。如果觉得要摔下来了你就夹得再紧些，身体坐得再直些。现在准备好了吗？面向纳尼亚，面向北方出发啦！”

第二章 沿途遇险
第二天快到中午的时候，沙斯塔是被一个舔他脸的热热软软的东西惊醒的。他张开眼睛，看到一张长长的马脸，而它的鼻子和嘴唇都快贴到他脸上去了。他这才想起昨晚种种惊险刺激的遭遇，于是连忙坐了起来。但他才动了一下，就忍不住发出一声呻吟。
“噢，布里，”他喘着气说，“好痛喔。我全身都在发疼。根本动不了。”
“早安，小家伙，”布里说，“恐怕你会觉得肌肉有些痛。但不会是摔伤。你也不过摔了十多次，而且全都是跌到又厚又软的美丽草地上，摔在上面简直是种享受呢。唯一摔得最严重的那次，也只是掉到一丛金雀花灌木上，绝不是摔伤。刚学骑马，难免会吃些苦头。要不要吃点儿早餐？我已经吃饱了。”
“我不想吃早餐，我什么都不想吃，”沙斯塔说，“我告诉你，我根本就动不了。”
但马儿还是用鼻子顶他，并伸出一只马蹄轻轻推他，逼得他不得不站了起来。他望了望四周，这才看清周遭的环境。他们背后有一小丛矮树林。前方是向下通往悬崖边缘的点缀着大片白色野花的草坡。在悬崖下方是一片汪洋，但距离他们十分遥远，因此只能隐约听见微弱的海浪声。
沙斯塔这辈子从来没在这么高的地方看过海，也从未见过如此浩瀚无垠的宽阔海面，而他连做梦也想不到的是，海洋竟然可以呈现出如此丰富多变的色彩。他往左右两边望去，全都是一片连绵不尽的海岸，海岬多得几乎数不清，你可以看到翻飞的白浪一波波地涌上礁岩，但距离太过遥远，因此完全听不见一丝声响。海鸥在天空盘旋飞舞，地上冒出蒸腾的热气，这是个炎热的晴天。但沙斯塔最先注意到的，却是这里的空气。
刚开始他还搞不懂究竟有哪里不太对劲，但想了一会儿，他终于明白过来，这里的空气完全没有半点儿鱼腥味。当然啦，自他出生以来，不论是在小屋里，或是在门前补渔网，都不曾摆脱过这样的气味。这种新鲜的空气是如此清冽甜美，过去的生活似乎已被远远抛在背后，他在那一瞬间，完全忘了身上的瘀青和酸痛的肌肉，开口问道：
“对了，布里，你刚才不是说要我吃早餐吗？”
“是呀，”布里答道，“我想你可以在鞍囊里找到一些食物。就在那儿，你昨晚把马鞍挂在那棵树上——或者应该说是今天一大早。”
他们检查了鞍囊，结果令他们十分满意──一个只有一点点不新鲜的肉馅饼、一大堆无花果干和绿奶酪、一小瓶酒，另外还有一些钱；大约有四十枚克利申，沙斯塔这辈子从来没见过这么多钱。沙斯塔坐下来──他努力忍住疼痛，小心翼翼地把背靠在一棵树上，开始吃肉馅饼。布里为了陪他，也低头再多嚼了几口青草。
“用这些钱算不算是偷东西啊？”沙斯塔问道。
“喔，”塞了满嘴青草的马儿抬起头来说，“我可从来没想到这一点。一头会说话的自由马儿，当然是不能去偷东西。但我想这应该没什么关系啦。我们可是困在敌国的囚犯和俘虏呀。那些钱全都是他们抢来的战利品和赃物。何况，我们要是没钱的话，要到哪儿去给你找东西吃啊？我想你就跟所有人类一样，绝对不肯吃青草和燕麦这些自然食物对吧？”
“这些东西我不能吃呀。”
“有没有试过？”
“有，我试过。就是吞不下去。你要是我的话，一定也吞不下去的。”
“你们人类这种小动物还真是麻烦啊！”布里作出评论。等沙斯塔吃完这辈子从来没吃过的这么好吃的早餐后，布里开口说：“在重新装上马鞍前，我想先在草地上好好打个滚，”他说做就做，“真舒服，真是舒服死了。”他说，用背在草地上磨蹭，四脚在空中乱踢乱蹬，“你也来滚一下吧，沙斯塔，”他喷着鼻息说，“这是最佳的提神妙方。”
但沙斯塔却忽然放声大笑道：“你四脚朝天的样子，看起来好滑稽啊！”
“才不会呢，”布里说。但接着他就突然翻过来，抬起头，轻轻喘着气，紧紧盯着沙斯塔。
“这样看起来真的很滑稽吗？”他的语气显得相当不安。
“是啊，滑稽死了，”沙斯塔答道，“但这有什么关系呢？”
“你有没有想过，”布里说，“会说话的马儿说不定从来都不做这种事──这会不会是我跟那些哑巴笨马学来的愚蠢把戏？要是等我回到纳尼亚王国，结果却发现自己染上了许多低级的坏习惯，那不是很糟糕吗？你觉得怎么样，沙斯塔？跟我说实话。别怕伤害我的感情。你觉得那些真正自由的马儿──那些会说话的马儿──会在地上打滚吗？”
“这我怎么会知道？再说，我要是你的话，我才没空去担心这些事呢。我们得先赶到那儿才行呀。你到底知不知道路啊？”
“我知道怎么去塔什班。在那后面就是一片沙漠。喔，我们会有办法穿越沙漠的，不用担心。为什么呢，因为那时候我们就可以看到北方的山峦了啊。你想想看！我们就要去纳尼亚和北方了呀！没有任何事物能挡得了我们。要是能够顺利通过塔什班，我可就大大松一口气了。我们两个还是离城市远一点比较安全。”
“我们不能避开它吗？”
“可以是可以，但那得往内陆的方向绕很大一段路，这样我们就会经过繁华的地区和主要大道；而且我也不熟那边的路。不，我们只能沿着海岸偷偷溜过去。待在这片高原上，除了绵羊、兔子、海鸥和几个牧羊人之外，什么人也不会碰到。好了，现在可以上路了吧？”沙斯塔替布里套上鞍具，然后再爬到马鞍上，他的双腿痛得要命，但马儿很体贴，整个下午都刻意放轻了脚步。黄昏来临时，他们沿着一条陡峭的下坡路走到一个山谷，在那儿找到了一个村庄。进村前，沙斯塔就先下马，独自步行走进村子里，买了一条面包和一些洋葱跟萝卜。马儿在暮色中从田野绕过去，在村庄另一头跟沙斯塔会合。
此后，这成了他们每隔两天的固定行程。
沙斯塔觉得这种生活非常快乐，随着他的肌肉日渐强壮，摔跤的次数越来越少，这段行程也就变得越来越愉快了。即使在沙斯塔从布里的骑术训练课程毕业之后，布里仍常爱数落他，说他软趴趴地瘫在马鞍上，活像个面粉袋似的。
“就算不用考虑安全问题，小鬼头呀，我也不敢载着你在大路
上走，要是被人看到的话，那我不是丢脸丢到家了。”布里嘴巴虽然犀利，却是个很有耐心的老师。
绝对不会有人比马儿更加在行骑术教学了。沙斯塔学会了骑马小跑、慢跑、蹦跳，甚至在布里突然停下来，或是毫无预警地猛然转向时，他也能稳稳坐在马鞍上不掉下来──布里告诉他，这些全都是在战场上应对突发状况所必备的技巧。
然后沙斯塔自然就哀求布里说一些他载着泰坎上战场打仗的事情。于是布里开始述说艰苦的行军旅途与涉过激流的危险行动，述说骑兵队两兵交战的惨烈战况，在激战中马儿也像人类一样参与战役，这些凶猛的种马受过严格的训练，善于撕咬踢蹬，并会在适当的时刻像人一样站立起来。这样，当骑士用宝剑或战斧发动攻击时，就可以借着马儿和他本身的重量，以雷霆万钧之势劈向敌人的头颅。
沙斯塔虽然很爱听，但布里却不太喜欢谈到打仗的事。“别再提这些事了，小伙子，”他会说，“这全都是太洛帝的战争，而我只是以一个奴隶，一头哑巴笨马的身份参战。我更愿意在纳尼亚王国参与战争，以一匹自由马儿的身份，站在我自己的同胞之中上战场作战！这样的战役才真正值得一提。前往纳尼亚，前往北方！布拉……哈……哈！布噜……呵！”
沙斯塔很快就懂得，每当布里这么说的时候，就表示他要开始放足狂奔了。
他们就这样走了好几个礼拜，经过许许多多的海湾、海岬、河流和村庄，数量多得让沙斯塔都无法记得清。一天，在一个月光皎洁的夜晚，他们白天睡饱了觉，傍晚踏上了旅程。
他们此时已离开高地，踏上一片宽广的平原，在距离他们左边半里前后的地方，有座森林，在他们右边大约同样的距离，则是一片隐藏在低矮沙丘后方的浩瀚汪洋。他们时而小跑，时而漫步，就这样徐行了一个钟头之后，布里突然停下脚步。
“怎么啦？”沙斯塔问道。
“嘘……嘘……嘘嘘！”布里说，他伸长脖子东张西望，耳朵迅速抽动，“你有没有听到什么声音？仔细听。”
“听起来好像是有另外一匹马儿──就在我们和树林中间。”沙斯塔凝神听了大约一分钟后说道。
“这的确是另外一匹马儿，”布里说，“我担心的就是这个。”
“大概只是一个比较晚回家的骑着马的农夫吧？”沙斯塔边说边打了个呵欠。
“开什么玩笑！”布里说，“那绝不会是农夫骑马，也绝不会是农夫的马儿。你难道听不出来吗？那可是一匹高贵的骏马呀。骑马的人也是一位优秀的骑士。我告诉你这是怎么回事，沙斯塔。有个泰坎正沿着树林边缘往前走。他骑的不是战马，战马的脚步声没那么轻。在我看来，他骑的应该是一匹品种优良的母马。”
“好吧，不管那是什么，反正它现在已经停下来了。”沙斯塔说。
“没错，”布里说，“那为什么我们一停下来，他也跟着不走啦？
沙斯塔，我的孩子啊，这下我们终于被人盯上啦。”
“那我们该怎么办？”沙斯塔压低声音说，“你觉得他可以看见我们，或是听到我们的声音吗？”
“就算我们静静待着不动，在这么亮的月光下，迟早会被他发现，”布里答道，“但你看！那儿有一朵云飘过来了。等它一遮住月亮，我们就尽量放轻脚步往右边走，悄悄溜到海岸边。要是情况不妙，我们就躲到沙丘中藏身。”
他们等云遮住月亮，就悄悄往海边走去，一开始还缓步徐行，但没过多久，他们就开始轻轻跑了起来。
那朵云比原先看起来更大更厚，四周很快就变得一片漆黑。就在沙斯塔暗暗替自己打气：“马上就会走到沙丘了，”时，他的心猛然一跳，因为在前方的黑暗中，突然响起一阵骇人的声响；那是一声长而凄厉的吼叫，听起来抑郁悲壮又野性十足。布里赶紧掉转方向，用最快的速度重新朝内陆的方向狂奔过去。
“那是什么东西啊？”沙斯塔喘着气问道。
“狮群！”布里说，他并没有停下脚步，也不曾回头看上一眼。接下来他们没再多做交流，只是一个劲儿往前奔驰。直到他们噼里啪啦地涉过一条清浅的溪流，终于登上河对岸的土地时，布里才总算停了下来。沙斯塔注意到布里浑身是汗，而且还在发抖。
“河水会洗去我们的气味，这样那头野兽就找不到我们了。”布里才稍稍缓过气来，就接着说，“我们现在可以慢慢走一会儿了。”他们开始往前走，布里又开口说：“沙斯塔，我觉得自己好丢脸哦。活像是那些又笨又哑的普通马儿，吓得死去活来。实在太不像话了。我觉得自己根本就不像是一只能言马。什么宝剑啦、长矛啦、弓箭啦，我全都不当一回事，但我就是受不了那些生物。我想我还是小跑一下好了。”
但才过了一分钟，他又开始拔足狂奔，这不能怪他。因为吼叫声又再度响起，而且这次是从左边森林那儿传过来的。
“有两只。”布里呻吟道。
他们继续往前奔驰了好几分钟，并没有再听到吼叫声，然后沙
斯塔突然开口说：“哎呀！另外一匹马现在就在我们旁边跑呀。离我们大概只隔了十几步远。”
“太好……好了，”布里气喘吁吁地说，“骑马的人是个泰坎……他身上肯定会带宝剑……这样他就可以保护我们。”
“你真是搞不清状况，布里！”沙斯塔说，“我们要是被抓到的话就没命了，那还不如干脆被狮子吃掉。至少我是不想活命。他们会以偷马的罪名把我吊死。”他不像布里那么怕狮子，因为他这辈子从来就没见过这种动物；但布里可是领教过狮子的厉害的。
布里什么也没说，只是哼了一声，但接着他就掉头转向右方。
奇怪的是，另外一匹马似乎也立刻转向左方，因此才短短几秒，两匹马儿之间的距离就大幅拉开。但他们才刚分开，又此起彼落地接连响起两声狮吼，听起来正好一只在右边，一只在左边，于是两匹马儿又吓得重新靠拢。
两头狮子显然也跟他们越靠越近。两旁的兽吼听起来近得吓人，似乎可以轻而易举地赶上马儿疾驰的脚步。过了一会儿，云层渐渐散去。明亮无比的月光将黑夜照得亮如白昼，使周遭的一切全都显得异常清晰。
两匹马儿和两名骑士仿佛是在赛马场似的，肩贴着肩，腿挨着腿，并驾齐驱地往前飞奔。事实上，布里后来表示，这可算是卡乐门国有史以来最精彩的一场赛马比赛了。
沙斯塔觉得自己是死定了，他开始胡思乱想，揣测狮子杀戮时究竟是立刻一口毙命，还是像猫抓老鼠那样，先玩上一阵子再痛下杀手，他甚至还想到，被狮子咬死不知道会有多痛呢。但他同时也清楚地注意到周遭的一切。你在最害怕的时候，有时会出现这样的情况。他看到另外一名骑士穿着一身盔甲，月光把盔甲照得闪闪发亮，身材非常纤细瘦小，骑术看来十分精湛。他脸上并没有胡子。
他们的前方出现一大片平坦而闪亮的东西。沙斯塔还来不及猜测那到底是什么，就听到一阵哗啦哗啦的水声，并发现自己吞了半口咸水。原来，那片闪亮的东西是一个狭长的海湾。两匹马儿正在往前泅泳，海水直淹到沙斯塔的膝盖。他们背后响起一声愤怒的吼叫，沙斯塔回过头来，看到一个庞大而毛茸茸的可怕身影蹲伏在水边；但是仅有一只。“我们想必已经甩掉另外一头狮子了。”他心想。狮子似乎认为，这些猎物并不值得让它弄湿身体；至少它并没有跳到水里来追赶他们。两匹马儿肩并肩地朝前泅泳，游到了海湾中央，在这里可以清楚看到对面的海岸。那个泰坎到现在都还没说过一句话。“但只要等我们登上海岸，”沙斯塔心想，“他就一定会开口询问。那我该怎么说才好？得赶快编个故事。”
然后，他突然听到有两个不同的嗓音在他身边交谈。
“哎哟，我好累哦，”一个声音说。“闭嘴，赫温，别当个笨蛋。”另一个声音说。
“我这是在做梦吧，”沙斯塔心想，“我发誓我听到另外一匹马儿开口说话了。”
没过多久，两匹马儿就停止游泳，开始踏水而行。才一会儿，在一阵冲过他们腹侧和尾巴的哗啦水声和八只马蹄踏过碎石的嘎嗒嘎嗒声中，他们终于登上了峡湾另一边的海滩。沙斯塔惊愕地发现，那个泰坎竟然无意多询问。他甚至连看都没看沙斯塔一眼，反倒急着催促他的马儿继续往前走。但布里却一个箭步赶上前来，挡住了另一匹马儿的去路。
“布噜……呵……哈！”他喷着鼻息说，“别急着走！我听到你说话了，听得一清二楚。没必要再装了，夫人。我已经听到你说话了。你跟我一样，也是一匹会说话的马儿，纳尼亚王国的能言马。”“就算她会说话，那也不干你的事，”那名陌生的骑士凶巴巴地说，并用手按住剑柄。但她的嗓音却已向沙斯塔透露了一个事实。“哎呀，是个女孩子嘛！”沙斯塔惊呼。
“我是一个女孩子，又关你什么事啊？”陌生人厉声吼道，“你也只是一个男孩子：一个粗鲁、平凡的小男孩，八成还是个偷了主人马匹的奴隶。”
“这个你也知道？”沙斯塔说。
“这位泰坎希娜（女泰坎），他不是小偷，”布里说，“至少，就算真有谁偷了东西，那也该说是我偷走了他。再说，这虽然不关我的事，但你总不会以为，我在异国路上碰到一位女同胞，竟然连话都不跟她说一声就匆匆走开吧。我当然要跟她打个招呼啊，这是天经地义的事嘛。”
“我也觉得这是天经地义的事。”母马说。
“你给我闭嘴，赫温，”女孩说，“看看你给我们惹来什么麻烦。”
“我看不出这有什么好麻烦的，”沙斯塔说，“你要走就快走啊。又没人拦着你。”
“你就算想拦也拦不住。”女孩说。
“人类这种动物还真是爱吵架，”布里对母马说，“他们简直就跟骡子一样难缠。别理他们了，我们来好好聊一聊。依我推断，你的身世大概跟我差不多吧？小时候被抓到这儿来，在卡乐门国做了好多年的奴隶，我没猜错吧？”
“的确是这样，先生。”母马答道，并发出一声忧伤的嘶鸣。
“那现在呢，你也许是在逃亡吧？”
“叫他少管闲事，赫温。”女孩说。
“我才不要呢，阿拉维斯，”母马说，耳朵贴向脑后，“又不是只有你一个人在逃亡，我同样也在逃亡啊。而且我相信，像他这样高贵的战马，是绝不会出卖我们的。我们是在逃亡，想逃到纳尼亚王国。”
“好，那我告诉你，我们也是一样，”布里说，“这你肯定早就猜到了。一个穿得破破烂烂的小男孩，在三更半夜骑着一匹战马奔驰，这显然是在逃亡。不过呢，请原谅我这么说，一位出身高贵的泰坎希娜，在深夜孤零零地骑马狂奔，身上穿着她兄弟的盔甲，而且还神经兮兮地要大家少管闲事，不准别人问她问题。好，要是其中没有蹊跷的话，那你们就把我叫作做粗活的劣马好了！”
“那好吧，”阿拉维斯说，“被你猜中了。赫温和我的确是逃家了。我们想要到纳尼亚去。好了，那你说你到底想怎么样？”
“哎呀，既然这样的话，那我们为什么不干脆一块儿走呢？”布里说，“我相信，赫温夫人呐，你应该会愿意接受我这份心意，让我在路上帮助你、保护你吧？”
“你干吗老是不理我，反倒去跟我的马儿说话呀？”女孩问道。
“对不起，泰坎希娜，”布里说，耳朵微微歪向后方，“但这是只有卡乐门国的人才会说的话。赫温和我可是自由的纳尼亚子民呐，而我猜想，既然你现在是要逃到纳尼亚王国，那就表示你自己也想做个纳尼亚人。这样的话，赫温就不再是你的马儿了。说不定还会有人说你是她的人呢。”女孩张开嘴想说些什么，但接着又闭上嘴。显然，她过去从来没想到过这些。
“但事情还是一样，”过了一会儿她又开口说，“我看不出我们一起走有什么好处。这样不是更容易引人注目吗？”“正好相反。”布里说，母马也说：“喔，拜托让我们一起走吧。这样我会觉得放心多了。我们甚至连该走哪条路都搞不清。我相信像他这样杰出的战马，一定比我们懂得多了。” “喔，好了啦，布里，”沙斯塔说，“就让她们自己走算了。难道你还看不出，她们根本不想跟我们一起走吗？”
“我们想啊！”赫温说。
“听着，”女孩说，“我是不反对跟你一起走，战马先生，但这个男孩呢？我怎么知道他会不会是奸细？”
“你凭什么一眼就认定我会对你不利？”沙斯塔说。
“安静，沙斯塔，”布里说，“泰坎希娜的疑问相当合理。我可以替这个男孩做担保，泰坎希娜。他是我的好朋友，对我一直都非常忠实真诚。而且照我看来，他要不是纳尼亚人，就一定是阿钦兰人。”
“那好吧。我们就一起走好了。”但她还是没跟沙斯塔说话，很明显，她愿意跟布里一起走，却懒得理会沙斯塔。
“太棒了！”布里说，“现在隔了一道海湾，那头可怕的野兽就抓不到我们了，所以呢，现在请你们这两位人类替我们把马鞍卸下来，大家休息一会儿，好好聊一聊，彼此认识一下。”两个孩子各自替他们的马儿卸下马鞍，两头马儿吃了一点儿青草，阿拉维斯也从她的马鞍袋里取出一些相当美味的食物来。但沙斯塔现在正生着闷气，因此他只是逞强地说谢谢，不用客气，他一点儿也不饿。然后故意抬头挺胸，努力摆出一副他自认为最威严、最高贵的高尚风度，但可惜的是，渔夫住的小屋通常并不是学习高尚风度的好地方，所以结果可想而知。他心里也有些意识到自己的表现有多糟糕，这让他的心情变得更加闷闷不乐，举止也显得比先前更加笨拙。但两匹马儿却聊得兴高采烈，交情越来越好了。他们一起回忆纳尼亚王国的情景，都对一些同样的地方念念不忘：“海狸水坝”上面那片牧草地，还发现他们竟然是远房表亲。这种情形使两个人类感到越来越不自在，最后布里终于开口说：
“好了，泰坎希娜，跟我们说说你的故事吧。不用讲得太快，我现在觉得很舒服，可以慢慢听你说。”
阿拉维斯立刻开始述说，她马上把身子坐得挺直，不论是语气声调，或是遣词用句，都变得跟平常很不一样。这是因为在卡乐门王国中，说故事是一项必修课，不管故事是真的还是杜撰的，就跟英国的小男孩和小女孩得学写作文一样。不同的是，大家都喜欢听故事，但我可从来没听说有哪个人想要读作文的。

第三章 到达塔什班城
“我的名字，”女孩立刻开口说，“叫做阿拉维斯泰坎希娜，我是齐拉希泰坎的独生女。他的父亲是李西堤泰坎，祖父是齐拉希泰坎，曾祖是艾索瑞太洛帝，而曾曾祖则是身为塔什神嫡系子裔的亚狄太洛帝。
我的父亲是卡拉华省的领主，同时也是少数不用在太洛帝面前屈膝跪拜的重臣之一，愿吾皇万寿无疆。我的母亲早已过世，愿她在神的怀抱中安息，我的父亲又娶了另一名女子为妻。
我有一个哥哥在遥远的北方对抗叛军时，不幸在战场上为国捐躯，而我其他兄弟的年纪都还很小。现在该提到我父亲的新妻子了，我的后母痛恨我，只要我住在父亲家中，在她眼中甚至连太阳都变得黯淡无光。
于是她劝我父亲把我嫁给艾好大泰坎。这个艾好大出身卑微，但近几年来靠拍马屁和进谗言博得了太洛帝的宠爱，愿吾皇万寿无疆，现在艾好大已受封为泰坎，也是名下拥有众多城市的大领主，而且很可能在目前的首相去世之后接替他的位子。
可是他少说也有六十岁了，背上还有个丑陋的驼峰，脸孔长得活像是一只大猩猩。但我的父亲却看中艾好大的财富和权势，再加上他的新妻子在一旁煽动，于是他派遣使者去向艾好大表示，想要将我许配给他，艾好大欢天喜地地答应了这门婚事，并派使者告诉我父亲，他将在今年仲夏时前来迎娶。
这个消息传到我耳中，对我来说简直是晴天霹雳，我躺在床上哭了一整天。到了第二天，我就站起来，把脸洗干净，替我的母马赫温套上鞍具，带着一把我哥哥曾在西方战场上使用过的锋利匕首，独自骑马离开家门。
到了完全看不到我父亲房子的地方，踏入一片宽敞碧绿的林中空地，我就从母马赫温身上跳下来，取出匕首。然后用刀锋顶住我认为最接近心脏的部位，将我的衣衫割破，祈求天上所有神明，让我在死去之后能与哥哥重逢。然后我就闭上眼睛，咬紧牙关，准备将匕首刺入心脏。就在我下手之前，这只母马突然用人类少女的声音开口说：‘喔，我的主人啊，你可千万不要寻死啊，留得青山在，不怕没柴烧，只要活着就有希望找到幸福，但如果死了就一切都完了。’”
“我才没说得那么好呢。”赫温嘟囔着说。
“嘘，夫人，别打岔，”布里说，这个故事让他听得十分入迷，
“她是用华丽的卡乐门叙事风格述说这个故事，就算是太洛帝宫中的御用说书人，也不会说得比她更好。拜托你快点讲下去，泰坎希娜。”
“当我听到我的母马竟然口吐人言时，”阿拉维斯继续说，“我告诉自己，死亡的恐惧已让我失去理智，因而产生了错觉。我感到万分羞愧，因为我们家族向来都是把生死置之度外，死亡对我们来说就像蚊子叮咬一样，没人会放在心上。于是我又再度抓紧匕首，用力往下刺，但赫温却连忙赶过来，把头塞到我胸前，挡住了匕首，苦口婆心地劝我不要寻死，并像母亲责怪女儿般地骂我不懂事。我实在太惊讶，完全忘了要自杀，甚至把艾好大的事情都抛到九霄云外，只是急急追问她：‘喔，我的马儿呀，你是怎么学会用人类少女的声音说话的呢？’于是她对我透露你们都已经知晓的事情，告诉我在纳尼亚王国有许多会说话的动物，当她还是一匹小马的时候，就不幸被人偷走，被迫离开了家乡。她同时也给我描绘纳尼亚王国的幽深树林与湖泊河流，还有那里高耸的城堡与雄伟的大船，最后我忍不住说：‘我以塔什神、阿札罗神，以及夜之女神茶迪娜等诸神的圣名起誓，我极度渴望能生活在那个国家。’‘我的主人啊，’马儿答道，‘你在纳尼亚王国一定会过得十分幸福快乐，因为在那儿没有人会强迫女孩子嫁给她们不爱的人。’”
“我们就这样谈了许久，我心中又再度燃起了希望，并暗自庆幸自己没有自杀成功。然后我跟赫温约好一起偷偷溜走，并拟定了一个计划。我们先回到我父亲家，换上我最鲜艳华丽的衣裳，在父亲面前开心地歌唱舞蹈，假装对他安排的这门亲事感到十分满意。同时我还对他说：‘喔，我最敬爱的父亲啊，请允许我带一名侍女独自到森林里待上三天，在那里举行秘密祭典，祭拜夜之女神与少女的守护神茶迪娜。’按照习俗，这是每个少女在即将嫁为人妇，脱离茶迪娜庇护时所应尽的礼节。而他答道：‘喔，我最心爱的女儿啊，该做的你就去做吧。’”
“但我一离开父亲，就赶紧去找他最年老的一名奴隶，也就是他的秘书。当我还在襁褓中的时候，他常把我抱在膝上逗我玩耍，在他眼中，我甚至比空气与阳光还要珍贵。我要他发誓替我保密，哀求他替我写一封信。他听了不禁老泪纵横，苦苦哀求我改变心意，但最后还是拗不过我，只好说：‘属下遵命’，并完全照我的意思去做。我把信封好，藏在怀中。”
“信里写了些什么啊？”沙斯塔问道。
“安静，小伙子，”布里说，“你这样会破坏听故事的乐趣。她待会儿就会在适当的时候对我们透露信件的内容。赶快再继续说下去吧，泰坎希娜。”
“然后我把那名要跟我一起去祭拜茶迪娜的侍女召过来，吩咐她一大早就唤我起床。我故意在她面前强颜欢笑，并赏她酒喝；但我暗地里在她的杯子里下药，这样她就会昏睡一天一夜。等我父亲家里的人全都入睡之后，我就立刻爬下床，穿上我哥哥留下的一副盔甲，他死后我一直把它留在房中作为纪念。我把自己的财产和一些高级珠宝塞进腰带，另外也替自己准备了些食物，然后亲手替马儿套上鞍具，在午夜过后第二班守门人换岗时骑马离开家门。我并未走向父亲以为我会前往的树林，而是朝东北方出发前往塔什班。
我知道父亲会相信我的谎言，因此他在三天之内并不会来寻找我。而在第四天，我们到达了阿齐姆?巴尔达城。阿齐姆?巴尔达位于众多道路的交会点，太洛帝，愿吾皇万寿无疆，在此建了邮务中心，信差可以利用这个绝佳位置，快马加鞭地将讯息传送到帝国各个角落，而身份高贵的泰坎享有派遣他们送信的特权。因此我前往阿齐姆?巴尔达城的皇家邮局，直接去找邮务长，告诉他：‘喔，帝国的邮件总管啊，这里有一封我叔父艾好大泰坎，要寄给卡拉华省领主齐拉希泰坎的信函。收下这五枚克利申，将这封信安全送达他手中。’邮务局长答道：‘属下遵命。’这封信是假冒艾好大的手笔，内容大约如下：‘艾好大泰坎奉神威无敌且铁面无私的塔什神之圣名，谨在此向齐拉希泰坎问候致意，并祝福阁下福寿安康。
在此禀告阁下，在我前往阁下领土，履行我与阁下之女阿拉维斯泰坎希娜的婚约途中，由于诸神的眷顾，我有幸与她在树林中巧遇，
当时她依照少女婚嫁前的习俗，刚完成祭拜茶迪娜女神的仪式。当我知晓她的真实身份，而她的美貌端庄又令我大为倾倒，心中立刻燃起了熊熊爱火，我感到，若是不能立刻与她成婚，太阳将变得黯无光彩。因此在我巧遇阁下女儿的一个时辰之内，就举行了必要的仪式，将她迎娶过门，并带她返回我的家乡。我们夫妻俩都十分渴望阁下能尽快赶到此地，使我俩有幸亲睹慈颜并聆听教诲；同时也请阁下将我妻子的嫁妆一并带过来，因为我必须负担庞大的开销，希望阁下切莫搁延推托。此外，基于我与阁下长久的兄弟情谊，我相信阁下并不会因我们仓促成婚而大发雷霆，因为这完全是出于我对贵千金的浓烈的爱。我在此诚心祈祷阁下能获得诸神的眷顾。’
我一处理完这件事，就立刻离开阿齐姆?巴尔达城，此时我已不再害怕会被人追捕，并暗自盼望我父亲在收到这样一封信以后，会派遣使者去找艾好大，或是亲自跑一趟，这样等事情败露时，我早已通过塔什班远走高飞了。以上就是我过去生活事迹的概略，然后我们就在惨遭狮子追逐，游过海水的那天晚上与你们相遇。”
“但那个女孩子后来怎么样了……就是那个被你下药昏睡过去的女孩？”沙斯塔问道。
“想必会因为睡过头而被毒打一顿，”阿拉维斯冷酷地说，“不过她本来就是我后母派过来监视我的奸细。她挨打是活该，打得越重我越高兴。”
“哎呀，我觉得那真的很不公平。”沙斯塔说。
“哼，我才懒得管你怎么想呢。”阿拉维斯说。
“而且这故事还有个让我觉得完全说不通的地方，”沙斯塔说，
“你还没长大呢，我看你不会比我大多少。不对，我看你年纪根本比我还要小。你这么小怎么可以结婚呢？”
阿拉维斯什么也没说，但布里却立刻开口解释：“沙斯塔，干吗暴露你的无知呢，地位较高的泰坎家庭，本来就是在这种年纪结婚的啊。”
沙斯塔的脸涨得通红，幸好四周的光线非常黯淡，其他人都没发现，他觉得自己受到奚落。
阿拉维斯请布里述说他的故事。布里开始述说，而沙斯塔越听越不自在，觉得布里实在花太多时间来描绘沙斯塔差劲的骑术和摔跤的惨状。布里显然是觉得这样很好玩，但阿拉维斯却依然板着一张脸，从头到尾没笑过一声。等布里说完之后，他们全都沉沉睡去了。第二天，他们四个，也就是两匹马儿和两个人类，再度踏上了他们的旅程。
沙斯塔感到，还是他和布里两个一起走的时候比较愉快。因为现在主要都是布里和阿拉维斯在聊天，别人根本就插不上嘴。布里在卡乐门王国住了很长的一段日子，总是跟泰坎们和他们的战马们待在一块儿，因此他自然跟阿拉维斯有许多共同认识的人和共同去过的地方。
她每隔一阵子就会这么说：“要是你参加过祖林德战役，那你一定见过我的艾立马表哥。”而布里就会答道：“喔，没错，艾立马，他是战车部队的队长。但我对所谓的战车部队和那些拉战车的马儿，说实话并不是很赞同。他们根本就不能算是真正的骑兵队。不过呢，他倒算是一位相当令人钦佩的贵族。在我们攻下踢北城以后，他在我的粮秣袋里装满了糖呢。”要不然就是布里提起：“那年夏天我待在梅蕊湖边。”而阿拉维斯就会接口说：“喔，梅蕊！我有个朋友就住在那儿，她叫雷莎琳泰坎希娜。那真是个令人愉快的好地方。那些花园，还有那令人流连忘返的‘千香谷’！”
布里完全无意要将沙斯塔排除在外，但沙斯塔有时还是会觉得，布里根本就是故意要冷落他。有共同话题的人总是会忍不住说个不停，而你若是在场的话，同样也会感到自己受到了冷落。母马赫温在像布里这样的战马面前是害羞沉默多了。至于阿拉维斯呢，她根本就不想跟沙斯塔说话。不过呢，他们很快就得考虑一些更重要的问题。他们越来越接近塔什班了。
途中经过的村庄变得越来越多，规模也越来越大，而路上遇见人的概率也随之大幅增加。于是，他们白天就尽量躲起来，等到天黑以后才继续赶路。每次一停下来休息，他们就开始你一言我一语地说个不停，争论到了塔什班以后究竟该怎么做。在这之前，每个人都刻意避开这个难题，但现在已没办法再逃避下去了。
大家在进行讨论的时候，阿拉维斯对沙斯塔的态度会稍稍地好一些。人通常是在讨论重要的事情时比漫无目的地闲聊时要容易相处。
布里表示，他们现在的首要要务，就是约好一个地点，万一大家不幸在通过城市时失散了的话，都可以各自按照约定到塔什班另一端去跟其他人会合。他认为最适当的地点，就是位于沙漠边缘的“古帝王墓”。
“那儿就像是巨大的石头蜂窝，”他说，“一眼就会注意到那儿。而那儿最大的优点就是卡乐门王国的人绝对不敢靠近那儿，他们认为那儿有恶灵作祟，怕得要死呢。”
阿拉维斯问布里，那里是否真的闹鬼。布里却很了不起地表示，他可是自由的纳尼亚马儿，才不信卡乐门这一套呢。接着沙斯塔也表示，他也不是卡乐门王国的人，才不会相信什么恶灵作祟的无稽之谈呢。这当然不是实话，但这句宣言让阿拉维斯对沙斯塔感到相当佩服，但同时也觉得很不高兴，所以只好硬着头皮说，不管那儿有多少恶灵，她全都不放在心上。
于是事情就这么决定了，大家把“古帝王墓”定为到达塔什班另一端以后的会合地点，然后他们一下子全都觉得轻松了许多，感到事情几乎全都解决了。但接着赫温就用十分谦逊的态度指出，他们真正的问题，并不是他们通过塔什班以后该到哪里会合，而是该如何通过那个城市。
“这等明天再想办法，夫人，”布里说，“现在该睡了。”但这个办法并不好想。
阿拉维斯最初的提议是，他们干脆趁夜摸黑跳进河里，从城市下方游过去，这样就根本不用踏入塔什班一步。但布里提出两个理由反驳她。首先呢，河口实在太宽阔，赫温本来就没办法游那么远，而且背上还得载一个人。其实连他自己也没办法游那么远，但他却刻意避开这一点不提。还有呢，河面上到处都是船只，只要有人在甲板上看到，居然有两匹马游过河面，必定会起疑，非得追究个水落石出不可。
沙斯塔则认为，他们应该沿着河流走到塔什班上方，找个河面较窄的地方游过去。但布里对他解释，那儿的河流两岸，有着长达数里的花园和游乐中心，有许多泰坎和泰坎希娜在那里寻欢作乐，他们常常会骑马在道路上奔驰，要不然就是在河面上举行水上宴会。事实上，那里可算是阿拉维斯和他最容易被人认出来的地方。
“那我们就得乔装打扮了。”沙斯塔说。
赫温表示，在她看来最安全的方法就是直接从城门走过去，因为挤在人群中，比较不容易引起注意。但她也觉得乔装打扮是个好主意。
她说：“他们两个人都得穿得破破烂烂的，打扮成乡下人或是奴隶的模样。而阿拉维斯的盔甲、我们的鞍具和其他配备，都得装进包裹里，放在我们背上，这样孩子们只要假装牵着我们走，别人就会以为我们只是运货的驮马了。”
“我亲爱的赫温！”阿拉维斯用一种相当不屑的语气说，“不管你怎么替布里乔装改扮，大家还是一眼就可以看出他是一匹战马！”
“老实说，我也觉得这主意行不通，”布里喷着鼻息说，耳朵微微倾向后方。
“我也觉得，这并不是一个非常好的计划，”赫温说，“但我认为这是我们唯一的机会。况且，我们已经有好久没梳理皮毛了，我们的外表已不再像以前那么光鲜亮丽，至少我确定自己是如此。我真的认为，只要我们在身上涂满污泥，走路时低着头，装出一副又累又懒的模样，并且脚步放重一些，故意拖着脚走，大概就不会有人注意到我们。还有，我们的尾巴也得修短一点儿：不能剪得太整齐，你们懂吧，得把毛弄得参差不齐，像狗啃的才行。”
“我亲爱的夫人，”布里说，“你难道没想过，要是以那副德行踏入纳尼亚王国，那会有多狼狈、多丢人吗？”
“这个嘛，”赫温谦逊地表示，她是一匹非常明理的母马，“最重要的还是先到达那里，其他的再说吧。”虽然大家都不太喜欢这种做法，但最后还是不得不采用赫温的计划。
这个计划执行起来相当麻烦，而且还牵涉到一种沙斯塔称之为偷窃，而布里美其名为“突袭”的行动。今天晚上有个村庄掉了几个袋子，明天又有另一个村庄不见了一捆绳索；但要给阿拉维斯穿的破烂旧男孩衣服，还是得到村子里花钱去买。沙斯塔在天黑时得意洋洋地抱着衣服凯旋。他途中必须穿越一连串林木丛生的低矮山丘，而其他人此时就躲在山脚下的树林中等待沙斯塔。大家都感到非常兴奋，因为现在只要再越过一座山丘，就可以到达目的地；等他们一登上这座山丘的峰顶，就可以低头俯瞰塔什班了。
“我真希望我们能安全通过那座城市。”沙斯塔轻声跟赫温说。
“喔，我也是，我也是，”赫温热烈附和。那天晚上，他们沿着一条樵夫劈出的蜿蜒小径，穿越树林爬上山坡。他们一登上山顶走出树林，就清楚看到下方谷地中的万家灯火。沙斯塔对于城市究竟是什么模样，完全没有半点儿概念，而眼前的景象让他不禁吓了一跳。吃完晚餐后，两个孩子睡了一会儿。但马儿一大早就把他们叫醒了。星星依然高挂天空，草地又湿又冷，但在右边远处的大海尽头，已开始露出一丝曙光。阿拉维斯走到附近的树林中，然后穿着一身破衣裳走出来，看起来有些怪模怪样。她把原来的衣服塞进包裹，而这些衣物，和她的盔甲、盾牌、偃月弯刀、两副鞍具，以及马儿其他所有精美的配备，全都装进了袋子里。布里和赫温已尽可能把自己弄得十分邋遢肮脏，就只剩下尾巴还没修短。由于唯一能用的工具就是阿拉维斯的偃月弯刀，所以他们只好再重新打开袋子，把刀取出来。这件事做起来很费工夫，而且让两匹马儿都痛得半死。
“哎哟！”布里说，“我要不是一只能言马的话，我真恨不得朝你脸上狠狠踹上一脚！你应该是用刀去割，而不是像这样胡拉乱扯。我觉得你简直就是在用蛮力硬拔啊。”
虽然四周光线昏暗，大家的手指又冻得发僵，最后总算把一切安排妥当：大袋子安安稳稳地捆在马儿背上，用绳子胡乱绑成的缰绳紧紧握在孩子手中，他们又再度踏上旅程。
“大家别忘了，”布里说，“尽量待在一块儿不要分开。要是不幸失散的话，就到古帝王墓那儿会合，先到的人一定要待在那儿，等所有人到齐再走，大家不见不散。”
“还有一点要特别注意，”沙斯塔说，“不管发生任何事，你们两匹马儿都千万别急昏了头，大喇喇地开口说话。”

第四章 初遇纳尼亚人
一开始，沙斯塔觉得下方的河谷只是一片灰蒙蒙的雾海，间或点缀着几个突出的圆顶和尖塔，其他什么也瞧不见。但随着天色慢慢转亮，雾气渐渐消散，他就看得越来越清楚了。
一条辽阔的大河分岔为两道溪流，而被尊为世界奇观之一的塔什班城，就矗立在溪流中间的岛屿上。岛屿边缘环绕着一圈高耸的石墙，与河流的距离近得足以让河水直接拍打墙上的石头，同时城墙上还有着许许多多的塔楼，塔楼数量实在太多了，沙斯塔才数了一会儿，就完全宣告放弃。
城墙内的岛屿地形是一座耸立的山丘，从山脚下直到山顶太洛帝宫殿与塔什神庞大庙宇之间的每一寸土地上，全都挤满了密密麻麻的建筑物——呈梯田状排列的连栋房屋、层层相叠的街道，以及两旁林立着橘子树和柠檬树的蜿蜒巷道与宽阔阶梯，另外还有屋顶花园、阳台、幽深的拱道、柱廊、教堂尖塔、城垛、寺庙尖塔，以及小塔楼。
当太阳终于破海而出，而那贴着银箔的巨大圆形屋顶在阳光下发出灿烂的光芒时，他更是看得目眩神迷，完全呆住了。
“快走啊，沙斯塔，”布里不停地在旁催促。
河谷两边的河岸，都有着大片大片的花园，乍看之下你会以为那是森林，但走近一瞧，你就会看到树丛下露出难以数尽的房舍白墙。再往前走一会儿，沙斯塔就闻到一股芬芳无比的花果香味。大约一刻钟后，他们就走进了花园，踏上一条两旁排列着白墙的平坦道路，欣赏起垂挂在墙外的青绿枝丫了。
“哎呀，”沙斯塔满怀敬畏地叹道，“这地方真是棒极了！”
“也许是吧，”布里说，“但我只希望我们能顺利通过，从对面的城门走出去。走向纳尼亚！走向北方！”
就在那一刻，他们听到了一种低沉且微微颤动的声音，这声音逐渐升高，变得越来越响亮，最后甚至连整个河谷似乎都在随之晃动。这其实是一种乐声，但太过于庄严霸气，因此听起来有些吓人。
“那是宣告城门开启的号角声，”布里说，“我们马上就要到了。阿拉维斯，拜托你别站得那么挺好不好，脚步再放重一些，别摆出一副公主的尊贵派头；试着去想象，你是个可怜的小奴隶，这辈子过的一直都是被别人拳打脚踢，呼来唤去的苦日子。”
“你凭什么说我呀，”阿拉维斯说，“那你自己为什么不把头再垂低一点，脖子再弯下一些，别再摆出一副神气活现的战马架势啊！”
“安静，”布里说，“我们到了。”
他们到达了目的地。
他们已走到河边，前方出现一座有着许多拱门的桥梁。河面在清晨的阳光下闪烁着潋滟波光。他们瞥见在右手边靠近河口的地方有一根船桅，有些旅人已赶在他们前面踏上了桥，大部分都是乡下人，不是手里牵着满载货物的驴子或骡子，就是头上顶着一个大篮子。孩子们和两匹马儿随即加入他们的队伍。
“怎么啦？”沙斯塔轻声询问阿拉维斯，因为她的表情显得十分奇怪。
“喔，你当然觉得没什么啦，”阿拉维斯用蛮横的语气轻声答道，
“反正塔什班跟你本来就没有任何关系嘛，我没说错吧？但我原本应该是坐在华丽的担轿上，前有军队开道，后有奴隶追随，风风光光地进城，说不定还会到太洛帝的宫殿去参加宴会呢，愿吾皇万寿无疆，结果却得像这样偷偷摸摸地溜进来。我跟你才不一样呢。”沙斯塔觉得这种想法实在太愚蠢无聊。
他们走到桥对面，看到眼前矗立着一座高耸的城墙，这座墙实在是太高了，以致入口处那扇敞开的黄铜城门，虽然已经相当宽阔，但看起来却显得十分狭窄。
城门两旁各有六名士兵，他们懒洋洋地靠在长矛上，显得无精打采。
阿拉维斯忍不住心想：“他们要是知道我是谁家的女儿，肯定全都跳起来立正站好，向我行礼致敬。”
但其他人却只是专心思索着该怎样顺利通过城门，并暗暗祈祷士兵千万不要上前盘问。幸好士兵并没有问他们任何问题。但其中一名士兵顺手从一个乡下人的篮子里抓起一根胡萝卜，呵呵怪笑地扔到沙斯塔身上，说：“嘿！我说小马僮啊！你主人要是发现你居然用他的坐骑来运货，那你可有得受了。”
这下沙斯塔真的是吓坏了，这表示任何对马稍稍有些认识的人，都可以一眼看出，布里绝对是一头战马。
“我只是奉主人的命令办事，知道了吧！”沙斯塔说。其实他不吭声还比较好些，因为那名士兵一听之下，就往他脸颊上狠狠揍了一拳，差点把他打倒在地，口里还连声骂道：“这是给你一个教训，你这个小脏鬼，让你知道在跟自由公民说话的时候，语气最好放尊重一点儿。”
不过他们最后还是毫无阻拦地顺利混进城里。沙斯塔只轻轻哀嚎了几声，他早就习惯挨打了。
走进城门以后，他们不禁感到，塔什班好像没有从远处看时那么华丽壮观了。
他们踏上的第一条街道窄得要命，而且两旁的住宅墙壁上几乎看不到一个窗户。这里比沙斯塔想象中拥挤多了：除了刚才跟他们一起进城正准备上市场赶集的乡下人之外，路上另外还有许许多多的小贩、卖糖果蜜饯的摊贩、挑夫、士兵、乞丐、衣衫褴褛的小孩、鸡群、流浪狗和赤着脚的奴隶。
你如果也在那儿的话，那么你马上会闻到一股难以形容的怪味，掺杂了人类体臭、野狗臊味、香水、大蒜、洋葱，以及街上一堆堆垃圾所发出的恶臭。
沙斯塔假装在前面带路，事实上只有布里知道该怎么走，他们一路上全靠布里不停地用鼻子轻轻顶一下沙斯塔，替大家指引方向。没走多久，他们就转向左方，开始爬上一座陡峭的山丘。路边有许多树木，而且只有右边盖着房子，感觉比刚才清爽舒服多了。另外一边可以俯瞰下方的集市，眺望远方的河流。接着他们就往右绕过一个 U 形急转弯，继续往上攀爬。
他们沿着弯弯曲曲的道路，逐渐登上塔什班的市中心。没过多久，他们就踏上了较为高级的街道。
闪闪发亮的华丽柱基上，矗立着卡乐门王国英雄神祇的巨大雕像。他们虽令人心生敬畏，但长相大多不怎么讨人喜欢。棕榈树与石柱林立的拱廊，在灼热的铺道上散落相互交错的阴影。沙斯塔透过路边富丽豪宅的拱门时望进去，瞥见了翠绿的枝丫、凉爽的喷泉与柔滑的草坪。里面一定漂亮极了，他心想。
沙斯塔每走到一个转角，就暗暗祈祷他们能够快点脱离人潮，但每次都希望落空。这使得他们的前进速度变得异常缓慢，而且每隔不久就得全部一起停下来。这通常是因为突然有个响亮的声音高声喊道“回避，回避，回避，泰坎驾到”或“恭迎泰坎希娜”或“恭迎十五品大臣”或“恭迎大使”等等，群众们只得慌慌张张地退到路边，背贴着墙肃立不动。有时沙斯塔可以越过人们的头顶，看到那些引起骚动的高官或是贵妇，而他们总是慵懒地靠坐在担轿上，由四名甚至六名巨人般高大的奴隶，用裸露的肩膀扛着他们往前走去。在塔什班唯一一条规矩就是身份较低的人，必须让路给身份较高的人，让他们先通过。要是胆敢不遵守规定的话，你就准备挨鞭子，或是被长矛柄痛打吧。
太洛帝的宫殿占据了整座山顶。他们走到靠近城市顶端的一条富丽堂皇的街道时遇到了最严重的交通堵塞。“回避！回避！回避！”有人喊道，“太洛帝的贵宾，愿吾皇万寿无疆，白蛮国王驾到！恭迎纳尼亚君王！”
沙斯塔想要快点闪开，连忙拉着布里往后退。但马儿向来就不善于后退，连纳尼亚王国的能言马也不例外。
况且沙斯塔背后的女人手里捧了一个又尖又刺的篮子，她使劲用篮子推开他的肩膀，怒斥道：“喂！你挤个什么劲儿呀？”接着又有另一个人从他身边硬挤过去，在混乱中他一时失神，松开了布里的缰绳。接着，他背后的人们显然已经挤到了最极限，无法再挪动分毫，因此他根本就完全动不了了。他发现自己无意间站到了人潮最前方，正好可以把那群沿着街道走过来的贵宾看得一清二楚。
这些人跟他们当天在城里遇到的人大不相同。队伍最前方那名正在大喊“回避！”的传令兵，是他们之中唯一的卡乐门人。而且他们也没用担轿；大家全都是自己走路。
这支队伍大约有六名男子，而沙斯塔过去从来没看过像他们这样的人。首先，他们的皮肤全都跟他自己一样白皙，而且大多数人都有着一头金发。
他们的穿着也跟卡乐门人很不一样。大部分人都穿着长及膝盖的短衫，露出双腿。他们短衫的颜色十分鲜艳大胆，但也非常高雅耐看——鲜绿、艳黄、亮蓝。他们头上并未缠着头巾，而是戴着钢铁或是银制便帽，有些人的帽上镶了珠宝，而且其中有个人的帽子两边还附上一对可爱的小翅膀，有些人头上什么也没戴。
他们佩在腰边的宝剑又长又直，不像卡乐门的偃月弯刀那样有个弧度。而且他们不像大多数卡乐门人那样，老是摆出一副正儿八经又神祕兮兮的严肃面孔，而是踏着活泼轻快的脚步，双手和臂膀自然地垂下摆动，一路上开心地大声谈笑。当中有个人甚至在吹口哨。你可以看出，他们乐意随时跟所有态度友善的人交朋友，至于那些态度恶劣的人呢，他们根本就懒得去搭理。
沙斯塔觉得他这辈子从没见过像他们这样充满吸引力的人。但他根本没有时间好好欣赏，因为接下来就发生了一件非常可怕的事。这群金发男人的首领突然指着沙斯塔大叫：“他在那儿！我们的小逃犯在那儿！”并一把抓住他的肩头。
他打了沙斯塔一个耳光，并不是那种会把人打哭的痛殴，而是清脆利落的一掌，感觉像是在教训不听话的小孩，然后他用颤抖的声音说：“你真是可耻，阁下！可耻至极！苏珊女王为你哭红了眼。
可恶！竟敢彻夜不归！你究竟是到哪里去了？”
沙斯塔要是能逮到机会的话，他就会赶紧闪到布里肚子下面，再设法混进人群里去；但现在，那些金发男人全都走过来围在他身边，而且还有一个人紧抓着他不放。
他心里想到的第一个念头，自然是赶紧表示自己只是穷渔夫厄西西的儿子，这位外国大官想必是认错人了。
但他接着就想到，绝对不能在大庭广众之下，不打自招地供出他的真实身份和他到这里来的目的。只要漏出一点口风，他马上就会受到盘问，逼他供出这匹马儿到底是从哪儿弄来的，而阿拉维斯又是什么人——这样他就休想顺利通过塔什班了。
接下来的第二个念头，就是转头向布里求援。但布里并不想让在场所有人全都晓得他会说话，因此他只是愣头愣脑地站着不动，看起来就跟普通马儿一样又呆又蠢。
至于阿拉维斯呢，沙斯塔甚至连看都不敢看她一眼，免得又引起更多的注意。
而他还来不及多做思索，纳尼亚人的首领又立刻开口说：“帕里丹，有劳你抓住这位阁下的一只小手，我来抓另一只手。好，可以走了。皇姐若是看到我们这个小无赖安全返回住处，必然就会放下心来。”
因此，他们穿越塔什班的旅途甚至还没走到一半，原先的计划就宣告失败，而沙斯塔甚至没机会跟其他伙伴说声再见，就夹在一群陌生人中间被押着往前走，完全无法预料接下来会发生什么事。
纳尼亚国王，沙斯塔可以从其他人跟他说话的态度看出，他必然是一位国王，不停地问他各种问题：他到哪里去了？他是怎么溜出去的？他的衣服是怎么回事？难道他不晓得他这样很顽皮吗？只不过国王咬文嚼字地用“淘气”这个字眼来代替顽皮。沙斯塔闷不吭声，因为他觉得他不管说什么，后果都相当不妙。“什么！你打算沉默到底是吧？”国王说，“我必须坦白告诉你，王子，这种鬼祟的沉默习性，甚至比脱逃本身还要不可取。逃走还勉强称得上是男孩子的嬉耍胡闹，至少得需要一些勇气。但阿钦兰国王的儿子应该要有点担当，必须为自己的行为负责；而不是这样畏畏缩缩，简直就像是卡乐门的奴隶。”
沙斯塔的心里很不好受，他一直觉得这位年轻国王是一个非常好的大人，他实在很想给国王留下一个好印象。
这群陌生人带着他，紧紧抓住他的双手，踏上一条狭窄的街道，走下一列阶梯，再爬上另一列阶梯，走到一面白墙前，墙上有着一个宽阔的入口，两边各种了一株枝叶繁茂的高大柏树。
他们穿越拱门，沙斯塔发现自己踏入了一个像花园般的天井。花园中央有着一个大理石水池，喷泉飞溅的水珠使那清澈的水面总是荡着一圈又一圈的涟漪。水池周围的平坦草坪上种了一圈橘子树，草坪四周的白墙上爬满了玫瑰藤。街道上的一切喧闹、灰尘与拥挤，似乎在瞬间变得十分遥远。
他们带着他快步越过花园，踏进一个黑暗的入口。传令兵待在外面没跟着走进去。他们带领他沿着一条走廊往前走去，冰凉的石头地面使他发烫的双脚感到非常舒服，随后他们又爬了一段楼梯。
不久，他就踏入一个通风良好的明亮大房间，被光线刺得连连眨眼，这个房间有几扇敞开的大窗户，而且全都面向北方，不会有太阳直射进来的问题。地上铺了一张色彩缤纷的地毯，他这辈子从来没看过如此美丽的颜色，而他的双脚深深地陷入地毯中，感觉就像是踩在厚厚的青苔上一样舒坦。
墙边环绕着一圈摆了许多垫子的矮沙发，房中似乎挤满了人。其中有些人长得还真是奇怪呢，沙斯塔心想。但他还来不及多做思索，一位美丽得超乎他想象的女人就从座位上站起来，扑过来抱住他，亲吻他，并说：“喔，科林，科林，
你怎能如此呢？你母亲去世以后，你和我就一直是最亲密的好朋友。若是我无法带你一起返回家乡，那我该如何向你的父王交代呢？这会使纳尼亚与阿钦兰两国长久以来的深厚友谊，遭到严重的考验，甚至可能因此而引起战争。你真是淘气，我的玩伴，你如此对待我们，实在是太淘气了。”
“我晓得了，”沙斯塔暗自忖度，“他们是把我当作什么阿钦兰的王子了，天知道他现在人在哪里。而这些人想必就是纳尼亚人。怪了，真的科林到底跑到哪儿去啦？”但他心里虽然飞快地转着念头，却还是想不出该怎么回答才好。
“你究竟到哪儿去了，科林？”她的手仍按着沙斯塔的肩膀。
“我……我不晓得，”沙斯塔结结巴巴地答道。
“他就是这样，苏珊，”国王说，“我无法从他嘴里套出任何话，不论真话假话他都不说。”
“陛下！苏珊女王！爱德蒙国王！”有人喊道，而当沙斯塔一转过头，看清说话的人时，他立刻吓得一跳。因为那就是他刚才踏进房间时，用眼角瞥见的怪人之一。
这个人跟沙斯塔差不多高。他的腰部以上是男人的模样，但却长了一双毛茸茸的羊腿，而且他还有一对羊蹄和一根羊尾巴。他的皮肤红彤彤的，留着一头鬈发和一把又尖又短的山羊胡，头上长有两根小角。他其实是一个半羊人，沙斯塔过去从来没看过这种生物的画像，甚至连听都没听过。
你若是读过《狮子、女巫、魔衣橱》这本书，或许会知道，这位就是苏珊女王的妹妹露茜，第一次踏入纳尼亚王国时，遇见的那个名叫图姆纳斯的半羊人。但他现在的年纪比那时老多了，因为此时的彼得、苏珊、爱德蒙和露茜已在纳尼亚执政多年了。
“陛下，”他说，“小殿下八成是中暑了。你们看看他！整个人都呆呆的。他压根儿就不晓得自己人在哪里。”
这下大家自然不敢再责骂沙斯塔，或是继续盘问他了，他们对他呵护备至，扶他躺到沙发上，在他头下塞了一个垫子，还给了他一杯用金杯盛装的冰冻果子露，嘱咐他静静躺着休息。
沙斯塔这辈子从来没碰到过这样的情形。
他做梦都想不到自己可以躺在这么舒服的沙发上，喝着这么美味的果子露。
他心里仍惦记着其他人的下落，担心自己要用什么方法才能逃出去，到古帝王墓去跟其他人会合，而要是真正的科林出现的话，他又该怎么办？但现在他感到舒服得要命，因此这些烦恼似乎都显得没那么急迫。而且，待会儿说不定还会有好东西吃呢！
在这个通风良好的凉爽房间中，有些非常有趣的人除了半羊人之外，还有两名矮人和一只巨大无比的乌鸦，他以前从来没看到过这种生物。其他全都是人类，他们虽然都是成年人，但看起来年纪很轻，而且不论是男是女，全都长得比大多数卡乐门人漂亮，声音也比较好听。沙斯塔很快就被他们的谈话内容勾起了兴趣。
“现在告诉我，女王，”国王正在对苏珊女王，也就是刚才亲吻沙斯塔的那位小姐说，“你究竟意下如何？我们至今已在这个城市中待了整整三个星期。你是否已决定下嫁这位黑肤情人罗八达王子？女王摇摇头。“不，我的弟弟，”她说，“即使以塔什班所有的珠宝作为交换，我也不愿委身下嫁。”“嘿！”沙斯塔心想，“他们两个虽然是国王和女王，但并不是夫妻，而是姐弟呢。”“确实，我的姐姐，”国王说，“你若是决心嫁给他为妻，那么我对你的敬爱将会因此而减少几分。恕我直言，当太洛帝开始派大使到纳尼亚要求联姻，而稍后王子亲自来到凯尔帕拉瓦宫作客时，我万万想不到，你竟然会对他如此青睐有加。”
“我太愚蠢了，爱德蒙，”苏珊女王说，“我请求你的谅解。然而，当初这位王子在纳尼亚王国与我们相处时的情形，跟他此刻在塔什班的行事作风比起来，可以说是前后判若两人。你们大家都曾亲眼目睹，他在我们的兄弟，至尊王彼得为他所举办的竞技赛和马上长枪比武赛中，展现出令人赞叹的精湛武功技艺，而他在与我们交往的七天之内，又表现得十分温文儒雅又彬彬有礼。但到了此地，回到他自己的城市中，他却露出了另一副嘴脸。”
“啊！”乌鸦嘎嘎叫道，“有句老话说得好：要了解一头熊的真实状况，就得到它的老窝里去逛逛。”
“你说得实在太好了，萨罗帕德，”一名矮人说，“另外还有一句老话是这么说的：来吧，跟我同住一个窝，你就一定会了解我。”
“没错，”国王说，“我们现在已看清了他的真面目：他是一个傲慢自大、残忍嗜杀、奢侈放纵、冷酷无情，并且极端自恋的暴君。”
“我以阿斯兰的名字起誓，”苏珊说，“我们必须在今天就离开塔什班。”
“这就是困难所在，皇姐，”爱德蒙说，“我现在必须向各位坦白说出，这几天以来我所有的想法。帕里丹，有劳你到门外去看看，是否有奸细在偷听我们谈话。没问题是吗？那就好。现在我们谈的事必须严格保密。”
大家的表情开始变得非常凝重。苏珊女王跳起来，直奔到她的弟弟面前。“喔，爱德蒙，”她喊道，“怎么回事？你的表情变得好可怕啊！”

第五章 科林王子
“我最亲爱，最善良的姐姐。”国王爱德蒙说着，“你现在必须拿出你所有的勇气。因为，我要诚实地告诉你，我们现在的处境十分危险。”
“怎么了，亲爱的爱德蒙？”女王问道。
“是这样的。”爱德蒙回答道，“我并不认为我们可以轻而易举地离开塔什班城。因为王子希望你能够接受他，虽然现在我们仍是他的贵宾，但我以狮子的鬃毛起誓，一旦他遭到你直接的拒绝，我们的处境将和囚徒没有什么两样。”
这时，一个小矮人发出了一声轻微的口哨声。
“陛下，我警告过你，警告过你的。”乌鸦萨罗帕德说道，“就如同龙虾在捕虾篓中所说的那样——进来容易出去难啊！”
“今天早上我一直和王子在一起。”爱德蒙补充说道，“更加遗憾的是，他一点也不习惯自己的意愿遭到忤逆。而且，他对于你长时间的拖延和含糊其辞的答复已经感到恼火了。今天早上他十分努力地想要知道你的心意。我将他的问题放置一边——同时也是为了减弱他的期待——通过说一些关于女人的幻想一类的轻松笑话，来暗示他求婚可能会遭到冷漠的对待，他就生起气来。尽管他仍然带着谦逊有礼的面纱，但是他说的每一句话，都包含了某种威胁的意味。”
“没错。”图姆纳斯说道，“昨晚我和大臣共进晚餐的时候，也遇到了类似的情况。他询问我有多么喜欢塔什班城，而我告诉他，现在，当盛夏降临之时，我的整颗心都向往着纳尼亚凉爽的树林和露珠晶莹的山坡。因为我不能告诉他我憎恨城里的每一块石头并且我又不愿意说谎。他回以我一个不怀好意的微笑，同时说道“小小的羊脚啊，没有什么会阻止你再次在纳尼亚起舞，只要你们给我们的王子留下一位新娘作为交换。”
“你是说他会强迫我成为他的妻子？”苏珊大声嚷道。
“苏珊，这正是我的担心，”爱德蒙说，“成为妻子，更糟的或者变成奴隶。”
“但是他怎么能这样？难道太洛帝认为我们的哥哥至尊王会容忍这种可恶的暴行吗？”
“陛下，”帕里丹对国王说道，“他们不会那么不理智的。难道他们以为纳尼亚王国没有宝剑和长矛吗？”
“唉，”爱德蒙叹息地说道，“我推测太洛帝对纳尼亚王国没有什么畏惧。我们的国土小，而且处在各个大帝国的边缘小国总是对大帝国的君主抱有憎恨，太洛帝想要抹杀并分割这些小国。最初他让王子作为爱慕者前来凯尔帕拉维尔宫的时候，也许仅仅是为了寻找一个借口来反对我们。很可能他希望一口就将纳尼亚和阿钦兰两个国家同时吞并掉。”
“让他尽管尝试吧。”第二个小矮人说道，“我们在海上和他一样强大。况且只要他从陆地进攻，就不得不穿过大沙漠。”
“你说得对，我的朋友，”爱德蒙说道，“但是沙漠真的是个可靠的屏障吗？萨罗帕德你是怎么看的？”
“我非常了解这个大沙漠，”乌鸦说，“在我年轻的时候，我曾在大沙漠的上空飞过，飞得又远又广。”你可以确信沙斯塔听到这里的时候竖起了耳朵。“有一点是毋庸置疑的，如果太洛帝从大绿洲进军，他永远不可能带领一支庞大的军队穿过沙漠进入阿钦兰。因为虽然他们可以在第一天行军的最后到达绿洲，但是那里的泉水对于所有那些饥渴的士兵以及他们的坐骑来说太少了。但是，还有另外一条路径。”
沙斯塔仍然一动不动，只是更加专注地听着。
“要想找到这条路，”乌鸦说道，“必须从古代国王的坟场出发，朝着西北进发，以保证皮尔峰的双峰总是笔直地在路的正前方。而且，保持这样一天甚至一天多一点儿的骑行后，就会来到一个石头山谷的入口处。那个入口非常狭窄，一个人可能上千次地仅仅距离它只有二百米左右，却仍然无法知道它就在那里。而且，从山谷向下望，也不会看到任何青草、水或者任何好的东西。但是如果继续骑马向山谷下前进，就会来到一条河边，沿着河边骑行就能一路直接到达阿钦兰境内。”
“卡乐门人知道这条朝西的路吗？”女王问道。
“朋友们，各位朋友们。”爱德蒙说道，“讨论这些有什么用呢？我们现在讨论的并不是如果战争发生在纳尼亚王国和卡乐门王国之间，哪个国家会胜利的问题。我们在讨论的是如何离开这个魔鬼的城市，拯救女王的尊荣和我们自己的性命。就算我的哥哥至尊王彼得会把太洛帝打败十几次，但是在那之前我们的脖子已经被砍断了，女王也已经成为了王子的妻子，或者更有可能地，成为了他的奴隶。”
“国王，我们也有我们的武器。”第一个小矮人说道，“而且这是一个完全可以用来防御的房屋。”
“关于这一点。”国王说道，“我毫不怀疑，我们每一个人都愿意在门口拼上我们的性命，除非敌人踏着我们的尸体过来，否则休想侵犯女王。然而我们不过是已经中了圈套而在陷阱中战斗的老鼠罢了。”
“的确是这样，”乌鸦哇哇叫道，“那些在房子里坚守到最后的人，虽然成为了美谈，但却没有一点效果。当他们最初几次打败敌人之后，敌人总是直接将房屋付之一炬。”
“都是我造成的。”苏珊哭着说道，“啊，要是我从未离开过凯尔帕拉维尔就好了。那些卡乐门的大使们到来之前，是我们最后的欢乐时光。摩尔人也正在为我们种植一个花园……啊……啊。”她双手捂住自己的脸啜泣道。
“勇气，苏珊，你要有勇气，”爱德蒙说道，“记住……但是图姆纳斯师傅，你怎么啦？”因为那个半羊人正在用双手紧紧握住他自己的两只角，就好像它要借此来保住它的脑袋。同时它左右扭动着自己的身体，就好像它身体的内部都在疼痛一样。
“不要和我说话，不要和我说话。”图姆纳斯说道，“我正在思考，思考得快无法呼吸了。等一等，等一等，请等一下。”令人感到困惑的缄默只持续了一段时间，半羊人抬起头来，长长地吸了口气，然后擦了擦它的前额说道：“我们唯一的困难是如何在不被人看见也不被人阻止的情况下将一些储备运到我们的船上。”
“对啊。”一个小矮人干巴巴地说道，“这就好像是乞丐想要骑马，唯一的困难是他没有马。”
“等一等，等一等，”图姆纳斯先生极不耐烦地说道，“我们需要的只是找到一个借口今天上船，同时携带一些东西到船上去。” “哦。”国王爱德蒙怀疑地应道。
“那么，这样，”半羊人说道，“如果我们的陛下邀请王子出席明晚在我们自己船上‘灿烂晶莹号’举办的一个盛大筵席，这个理由怎么样？而且要让这个消息的措辞尽可能地亲切，就好像女王可以放下她的尊荣。这样就可以给王子一个希望，认为女王的心已经在软化了。”
“陛下，这确实是个很好的主意。”乌鸦嚷道。
“而且这样的话，”图姆纳斯兴奋地继续说道，“每个人都会希望我们整天都待在船上，为迎接我们的客人们做准备。我们中的一些可以到市场上去，在水果店，糖果店，酒商那里花光我们所有的钱，就好像我们真的要开一个盛宴一样。我们也要预约一些魔术师、杂耍演员、舞娘和吹长笛的乐师们，请他们明晚都到船上来。”
“我懂了，我懂了。”爱德蒙边搓着双手边说道。
“接下来，”图姆纳斯说道，“我们今晚将都在船上。只要天一黑……”
“就扬起篷帆，划起浆来……”国王说道。
“然后就到了海上。”图姆纳斯大声说道，蹦蹦跳跳的，并且开始跳起舞来。
“奔向家园啦！奔往纳尼亚和北方！”另一个说道。
“等到王子第二天早上醒来，就会发现他的鸟儿全都飞走了。”帕里丹拍着双手说道。
“噢，图姆纳斯师傅，亲爱的图姆纳斯师傅啊。”女王握住图姆纳斯的手，仿佛和他跳舞一样摇晃着他的身体说道：“你救了我们所有人。”
“王子将会追捕我们的。”另外一个王爷说道，他的名字叫什么，沙斯塔还没有听说过。
“那是我最不担心的事情，”爱德蒙说道，“我观察过河流里所有的船只，那里既没有一艘高大的战船，也没有快速的大帆船。我倒是希望他会追捕我们。因为‘灿烂晶莹号’有能力击沉一切在他后面追踪的船，如果我们被追上的话。”
“陛下，”乌鸦说道，“即使我们坐在评议会里商议七天，你也不会听到比半羊人的计策更加高明的了。现在，就如同鸟儿们说的，要想生蛋，先要筑巢。也就是说，我们必须先吃饭，然后立即着手办事。”
听到这里，每个人都站起来了，旁门打开之后，王爷和其他的随从主动站在一边，以便让国王和女王先行通过。沙斯塔想知道他应该做什么，但是图姆纳斯先生说道：“殿下，请躺在这里。我稍后就替你送来佳肴。在我们大家准备好之前，您无需行动。”沙斯塔只好将他的脑袋重新放回到枕头上，不一会儿屋子里就只剩下他一个人了。
“这情况极其可怕。”沙斯塔心中想着。他从来没有想过告诉纳尼亚人全部的真相，并且请求他们的帮助。从小被一个心肠坚硬，拳头大的男人带大的他，养成了一个固定不变的习惯，如果他能够找到方法，他就什么都不会告诉成年人。他认为成年人总是会破坏或者是阻止一切他想要尝试去做的事情。而且他还认为，即使纳尼亚的国王可能很友好地对待两匹马，因为它们是纳尼亚会说话的动物。纳尼亚的国王仍然会憎恨阿拉维斯，因为她是一个卡乐门人，而且不是把她当做奴隶卖掉就是将她送回到她的父亲那里去。至于他自己，“我简直不能告诉他们，我现在不是王子科林。”沙斯塔想，“我已经知道了他们的全部计划。如果他们知道我不是他们的一员，他们绝对不会让我活着离开这间房子。他们会担心我将他们出卖给太洛帝。如果真正的王子科林出现，一切就都拆穿了，他们会杀掉我的。”你看，他对于高尚且天生自由的人们如何为人处世，毫无概念。
“我该怎么办呢？我该怎么做呢？”他不断地对自己说着，“怎么回事……呀，那个羊一样的小家伙又回来了。”半羊人双手捧着个几乎和他身体一样大的盘子，一边跳舞，一边小跑地走进房间。他把盘子放在沙斯塔沙发旁边的一张镶嵌着螺钿的桌子上，然后就交叉着羊腿坐在铺着地毯的地板上。
“现在，小王子，”他说，“好好地吃一顿晚饭吧，这将是你在塔什班的最后一餐了。”
这是一顿具有卡乐门风味的美餐。我不知道你是否喜欢，但是沙斯塔喜欢。这里有龙虾，沙拉，肚子里塞了菌类和杏仁的鹊，有鸡肝，米粒，葡萄干，果仁炒的什锦，还有甜瓜冰凌，奶油醋栗，奶油桑葚，以及每一种能够与米饭一起煮来吃的好东西。还有一小壶被称为“白葡萄酒”，尽管实质是黄色的一种酒。
当沙斯塔吃饭的时候，善良的小半羊人认为他仍然因为中暑而头晕目眩，便不断地讲一些事情给他听：他们大家一起回到家乡后，他将会拥有的美好时光；讲起了他那善良的老父亲，阿钦兰的国王伦恩，以及在要隘南坡国王所住的小城堡。
“但是你可别忘了，”图姆纳斯先生说道，“承诺过你的，在你下一个生日时，你会得到你的第一套盔甲和第一匹战马的。然后殿下你就要开始学习骑马持矛冲刺和比武了。几年以后，如果一切顺利的话，至尊王彼得已经答允你的父王，他要亲自封你为凯尔帕拉维尔的骑士。在此期间，会有许多侠士在纳尼亚和阿钦兰的群山之间来回穿梭。当然你记得你曾答应要来和我一起待上一个星期，过盛夏节，那时会有很大的篝火，在森林的中心会有半羊人和树精的通宵跳舞，而且，谁知道呢？说不定我们还会看到阿斯兰本人呢！”
吃完饭后，半羊人嘱咐沙斯塔安静地待在原来的地方休息。“你稍稍睡一觉也没事，”他补充说道，“我要过好久才会来叫你上船呢。
上了船后，就能回家了。直奔纳尼亚和北方！”
沙斯塔十分享受他的晚饭以及图姆纳斯告诉他的所有事情，以至于当他一个人在房间的时候，他的思想发生了截然不同的转变。他现在只是希望真正的王子科林迟迟不要到来，这样他就可以通过船只被带到纳尼亚去了。
恐怕他压根儿就没想到：被留在塔什班城的那个真科林会碰到什么样的危险。他只是有点担心在坟场上等候他的阿拉维斯和布里。但马上他又跟自己说道，“哎，我能帮上什么忙呢？”还有，“不管怎样，那个阿拉维斯觉得她太善良才愿意跟我混在一起，现在她便可以高高兴兴地独自走了。”同时，他又忍不住地想到，从海上坐船到纳尼亚去比辛辛苦苦穿越大沙漠舒服多了。
沙斯塔想着这一切的时候，不知不觉地睡着了。如果你也曾经大清早起身，行走了漫长的路，经历了极大的兴奋，然后又吃了一顿美餐，同时还躺在凉快房间里的一张沙发上，四周都寂静无声，只有一只从打开着的窗户飞来的蜜蜂在小声地嗡嗡叫着，你也会睡着的。突然“砰”的一声，一个响亮的碰撞声把他惊醒了。他立即从沙发上跳起身，瞪着眼睛环顾左右。单从房间里的情形来看，光和影看起来都不一样了，他立刻明白他肯定已经睡了好几个时辰。他才发现了是什么弄出的啪啦声：原本放在窗台上的一个昂贵的瓷花瓶，在地板上被摔碎成了数不清的小碎片。但他却没有在意这些事情，他注意的是有两只从外面进来的手，正抓住窗台。那两只手愈抓愈紧，指关节都开始发白了，接着就出现一个脑袋和一副肩膀。几分钟之后，便冒出一个年龄同沙斯塔相仿还跨坐在窗台上的孩子了，一条腿正伸到房间里面。
沙斯塔从来没有在镜子里看到过他自己的脸。即使他曾经看见过，他也可能意识不到这个孩子在平常时候几乎和自己长得一模一样。此时此刻，这个男孩并不特别像任何其他人，因为他拥有你见过的最漂亮的黑眼睛，还掉了一颗牙齿，他的衣服破破烂烂的，尽管他穿到身上的时候挺华丽的，而且他的脸上既有鲜血又有污泥。
“你是谁？”那孩子低声询问道。
“你是王子科林吗？”沙斯塔问道。
“是啊，我当然是王子科林。”那孩子说道，“但是你是谁呢？”
“我谁也不是，我的意思是，我不是什么特别的人。”沙斯塔说道，
“爱德蒙国王在街上逮捕了我，并且错把我当作是你。我猜想我们肯定长得很像对方。我能从你刚进来的地方出去吗？”
“可以，如果你会攀登的话，”科林说，“可你为什么这么匆忙呢？你听我说，我们应该就人家把我们误认这一点找点乐子啊。”
“不，不要，”沙斯塔说道，“我们必须立刻换回位置。如果图姆纳斯先生回来，发现我们两个都在这里，那情形简直就叫人害怕了。我曾经不得不假装是你。而且你今天夜里就得出发——秘密地。你这段时间去哪里了？”
“街上有个孩子对女王苏珊开了个恶劣的玩笑，”王子科林说，
“所以我就把他打倒在地。他边跑边哭地进了一幢房子里，他的哥哥从里面跑出来。我也把那哥哥打倒在地。接着他们两个都来追我，直至我们撞见了三个被称为警卫的持矛老人。我就和警卫打起来了，警卫把我打倒了。这时天色变得暗了下来。警卫们把我带走，要把我关在什么地方。所以我就问他们是否愿意喝壶酒？他们说，喝喝也没事。于是我就带着他们去了一家酒馆，帮他们要了些酒，他们便都坐下来开始喝酒，一直喝到都睡着了。我想，这正是我逃跑的最佳时机，于是我悄悄地走出了酒馆，便发现了那第一个孩子——就是引起这场麻烦的小家伙还在附近闲荡，所以我再次把他打倒在地。紧接着，我攀着一个水管一直向上爬，到了一幢房子的屋顶上，然后在屋顶上静静地躺着，一直躺到今天早晨快要天亮的时候，之后我一直在找回家的路。我说，这里有什么可以喝的？”
“没，我把酒喝了。”沙斯塔说，“现在你来告诉我，你是如何进来的。一分钟也不能耽搁了。你最好还是躺在沙发上吧，假装……但是我忘了，你脸上那青一块紫一块的，眼眶都发黑了，没办法隐瞒下去了。一旦我安全地离开后，你就要把真相全部告诉他们。”
“你认为我会告诉他们其他的什么吗？”王子带着相当愤怒的神色问道：“你究竟是什么样的人？”
“来不及说了，”沙斯塔用激动得快要发疯的声音低声说道，“我是个纳尼亚人，无论如何我相信我是在北方出生的。但我已经在卡乐门长大。我正要逃跑，要穿过一个大沙漠，跟一匹叫做布里的说人话的马儿一起走。现在，快！我怎么出去？”
“你看，”科林说道，“从这个窗口跳下去，就可以到游廊的屋顶上。但你必须要轻轻地走，踮着脚尖走，要不然别人就会听见的。然后你一路向左走，就可以爬到墙头上去，如果你是个爬墙高手的话。然后沿着墙头一直走到角落里。你就会看到墙外有堆垃圾，你就往下跳，这就可以了。”
“谢谢。”沙斯塔说道。他已经坐在窗台上了。这两个孩子互相看着对方的脸，突然发现他们已经成为好朋友了。
“那再见了，”科林说，“希望你好运，我真希望你能安全地走出去。”
“再见，”沙斯塔说，“我说，你已经度过危险，但危险还没有完全过去呢！”
“跟你的危险性相比，那根本算不了什么。”王子说，“你现在往下跳吧，轻轻地——嘿，”沙斯塔跳下去时，王子补充道，“我希望我们能在阿钦兰境内见面。你去见我的父王伦恩，然后告诉他你是我的朋友。小心点！我听到有人过来了。”

第六章 沙斯塔在坟场
沙斯塔踮起脚尖沿着屋顶轻轻地跑去，赤裸的双脚感觉发烫。一会儿的工夫他就攀爬到了墙的另一端，拐进墙角，他发现了一条狭窄、发臭的小街，就像科林告诉他的一样，墙外有一堆垃圾，在跳下墙前，沙斯塔瞥了一眼四周以确认自己的方位，显然，他已经到了塔什班岛的顶端了。一切都在他面前铺展开来，屋顶层层叠叠，一直延伸到北城墙的塔和城垛。城墙外是河流，河流外是一个遍布花园的短坡。在更远的地方，有一些他从未见过的景象——一大片灰黄色的景物，平静如海，绵延数里。遥远的边缘处，有一些巨大的蓝色的物体，很粗糙但是棱角分明，其中一些的顶部是雪白的。“大沙漠！大山！”沙斯塔想到。
他跳到了垃圾堆上，在路上飞速奔跑，很快就到了一条更宽的街上，行人也变多了。没有人去留意一个赤脚奔跑的衣衫褴褛的小孩。直到他穿过一个街角，看到了城门，紧张不安的心情才逐渐放松下来。城门处因为行人很多而拥挤不堪，城门外大桥上的人群缓慢地移动，与其说是人群倒不如说是一支队伍。经历了塔什班城的臭味、燥热和喧闹，沙斯塔愈加觉得桥两边的水流清澈无比，空气清新宜人。沙斯塔走到大桥另一端，发现人群疏散开来，每个人沿着河岸不是向左就是向右走去。他径直走上一条掩于花园之间的小路，这条小路看起来鲜有人经过。孤身一人走了几步之后，就到了坡顶。他站在坡顶凝视远方，在他面前几英尺的地方，大片绵延的黄沙取代了草地，好像那儿是世界尽头一样。相比于沙滩，这儿的黄沙更加粗糙，因为这里永远也得不到水的浸润。山峰在前面隐隐约约地浮现，似乎比之前更远了。让他大为宽慰的是，沿着左边的路再走五分钟，就是布里曾经描述过的坟场。大量的碑石被风化成了巨大的蜂房形状，但是要略微狭窄些。太阳已经落下，碑石看起来黑暗阴森。
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沙斯塔朝着西面的坟场小步跑去，虽然夕阳迎面照在脸上让他目眩，但是他还是禁不住努力地东张西望，想找到他的朋友的一些痕迹。“无论如何，”他想，“他们会在坟场的另一端等候，而不是人人都能看到的这一端。”
坟场共有十二个坟墓，墓前都有一个通向绝对黑暗的低矮拱廊。坟墓分布杂乱无章，必须花很长时间在坟墓间转来转去，才能确信每个坟墓都进行了仔细的检查。这是沙塔斯要做的事。坟场了无人烟。
这儿位于沙漠边缘，十分安静，太阳也的确落山了。
突然从背后传来了一个可怕的声音。沙斯塔的心都跳到了嗓子眼，咬住舌头才勉强控制住不让自己发出尖叫。很快他就明白了这是什么声音：塔什班城的闭城号角。“不要做个愚蠢的小懦夫，”沙斯塔对自己说。“这只不过是早上听过的号角声。”但是这两种号角声截然不同，一种让你和你的朋友进城，但是另一种却把你关在门外。既然城门已关，他就知道自己今晚必须孤身一人了。“他们不是被关在城里过夜，”沙斯塔想，“就是抛下我独自走了。但是这种事只有阿拉维斯才能做得出来。布里肯定不会，他不会……哦，现在他会吗？”
沙斯塔对阿拉维斯的猜想又一次大错特错。她骄傲并且坚强，但也像钢铁一样忠诚，不论她是否喜欢同伴，都不会抛弃。沙斯塔既然知道了自己必须独自过夜，他就越来越不喜欢坟场的氛围。夜色愈来愈浓，这些寂静的、巨大的石头中，隐藏着一种让人不舒服的东西。他竭尽全力不让自己去想传说中会出现的孤魂野鬼——但还是失败了。
“啊！啊！救命！”他突然叫出来，因为就在那个时候，他感觉到某种东西碰到了他的腿。我想任何一个人因为被身后悄悄过来的东西碰一下而发出尖叫，都是合情合理的；更别说是在这种已经让他惊悚万分的地方和时刻。沙斯塔无论如何是吓得不敢动了。被身后一个他不敢回头看的什么东西追逐着，绕着古代国王的坟墓兜圈子，那可是最糟糕的事情了。他没跑，而是做出了一个他能做出的最理智的举动：他环顾四周，当他发现碰自己的只是一只猫时，心里的一块石头落了地。
光线太差，沙斯塔只看到猫又大又严肃，它看起来好像已经独自在坟场生活了很长时间。它的眼睛让你觉得饱藏秘密。“猫咪，猫咪，”沙斯塔说，“我猜你是一只不会说话的猫。”猫只是紧紧盯着他，目光越来越锐利，然后起身走开了，毫无选择，沙斯塔只能跟着它。猫带着他穿过坟场，到了沙漠的另一边。猫在那儿笔挺地坐下来，将尾巴绕在脚上，脸朝向沙漠、纳尼亚王国和北方，一动不动的像在守望敌人。沙斯塔脸朝坟场背朝猫，在它身边躺了下来，如果一个人紧张不安，就会想要面朝危险，将温暖坚实的东西靠在背后。也许对你来说，沙子看起来并不舒服，但是对于已经在地上睡了几个星期的沙斯塔，对此并不在意。不久便睡熟了，即使在梦里，他仍在担心布里、阿拉维斯和赫温是否平安。
突然，他被一个从未听过的声音惊醒了。“也许只是梦魇罢了，”沙斯塔安慰自己。就在这时，他发现背后的猫已经走掉了，他希望猫没有走掉。但是他仍然平静地躺在那里，连眼睛也不愿睁开，因为他知道，如果坐起来被孤寂和坟场环绕，自己会更加害怕。 如果换作我们，也宁愿用衣服蒙住头躺在那里一样。但是那种声音又来了——粗糙刺耳的尖叫。他只得睁开眼睛坐起来。
皎月如水，坟墓在月光下显得更大更近，一片苍白。事实上，它们像用苍白长袍蒙住头脸的巨人一样可怕。当你在一个奇怪的地方过夜时，它们近在身旁压根儿不是什么好事。但是，声音是从另一边沙漠那边传来的。沙斯塔不得不转过身，他可不大喜欢这样，向着平坦的沙漠望去，粗野的尖叫又一次响起。
“我希望不要再碰到狮子了。”沙斯塔想。这叫声与碰到赫温和阿拉维斯那一夜听到的狮吼不同，事实上，这是胡狼的叫声。沙斯塔当然不知道，即使他知道了，他也不情愿碰到一头胡狼。叫声一阵阵传来。“不论是什么野兽，都不止一只。”沙斯塔想，“它们越来越近了。”
我想，如果沙斯塔是一个思维缜密的孩子，就会穿过坟场回到有房子的河边去，野兽不大可能靠近那儿。但是坟场会有孤魂野鬼，也许只是他自己的想象。如果要回去，就意味着要经过坟场中那些漆黑的洞穴，说不准会有什么鬼怪冒出来。虽然可能有点愚蠢，但是沙斯塔还是更愿意冒着遇到野兽的风险。但是随着叫声越来越近，沙斯塔开始转变主意了。
他正要逃跑，突然在他和沙漠之间冒出了一头巨兽。由于背着月光，巨兽看起来一片漆黑，沙斯塔不知道巨兽到底是什么，除了能够看到它毛发蓬松、脑袋巨大，用四条腿走路之外。它似乎没有注意到沙斯塔，因为它突然停下来，向沙漠发出一声怒吼，声音在坟场回荡，沙斯塔脚下的沙漠仿佛都在震动。其他野兽的叫声都戛然而止，沙斯塔觉得自己听到了他们逃跑的声音。巨兽突然转过身，仔细打量沙斯塔。
“这是一头狮子，我知道是一头狮子，”沙斯塔想，“我完了。我不知道会不会很疼。我情愿快点结束。我不知道人死后还会发生些什么。哦哦哦！它来了！”沙斯塔闭上眼睛牙关紧咬。
但是，并没有想象中的牙齿和爪子的撕咬，只觉得有个温暖的东西躺在了脚边。沙斯塔睁开眼睛说：“咦，他并没有我想象的大！只有一半大。不，四分之一也没有。我敢说这只是一只猫！什么跟马一样大，都是我自己做梦想出来的吧。”
不论沙斯塔刚才是否在做梦，现在躺在他脚边，用它那大大的、绿绿的、毫不眨巴的眼睛，瞧得他局促不安的，是一只猫，也是他所见过的最大的猫。
“猫咪啊，”沙斯塔上气不接下气地说道，“重新看见你，我真是高兴。我一直在做噩梦。”他随即重新躺下，跟猫咪背靠背，就像黑夜初临时那样。猫的温暖瞬间传遍了他的全身。
“我今后再也不会对猫做什么卑劣的事情了，”沙斯塔说，一半是说给猫听，一半是说给自己听。“我干过一次，知道吗。我朝一只饥饿不堪、生着疮的走失猫咪扔石头。哎！住手。”因为那只猫转过身挠了他一下。“别这样，”沙斯塔说，“好像你能听懂我在说什么似的。”接着他就打起了瞌睡。
第二天早上沙斯塔醒时，猫已经走了，艳阳高照，沙土发烫。沙斯塔坐起来擦擦眼睛，感觉十分口渴。沙漠反射着耀眼的白光，尽管背后传来隐隐约约的人声喧哗，但是他坐的地方依然寂静如故。当他稍微朝着右边和西边的方向看的时候，因为太阳已经不能直射眼睛，他能够看到沙漠那边的山峰，像石头一样清晰，棱角分明。他被一个高高的、被分成两个的山峰吸引了注意力，然后断定那儿是皮尔峰。“根据乌鸦说的，那就是我们的方向，”他想，“我要搞清楚，这样别人来的时候就不用再浪费时间了。”他用脚在沙地上踩出一个笔直的深沟，直指皮尔峰。
接下来很明确的就是要弄点吃的和喝的。沙斯塔小步穿过坟场。现在坟墓看起来很平常，他很奇怪昨晚自己为什么害怕它们。他跑到了河边的耕地里，有一些人但是不多，因为城门已经开了几个小时，大批的人已经进去了。所以沙斯塔搞点儿“偷袭”( 布里说的) 毫无困难。这次“偷袭”包括爬过一道墙头，收获了三个橙子、一个西瓜、一两个无花果和一个石榴。
然后他走到河岸在离大桥不远的地方喝了点河水。水好喝极了，他脱掉又臭又脏的衣服，在河里洗了个澡。因为沙斯塔一直住在海边，几乎是在刚刚学会走路的时候就学会了游泳。从河里出来后，他躺在草地上，目光越过河流，望向塔什班城的壮观、力量和荣光，同时也忘记了塔什班城的危险。他突然意识到，其他人很可能在他洗澡的时候就已经到达了坟场“很可能不等他就走了”，他这么想到。他惊慌地穿好衣服，用很快的速度奔跑，以至于到达坟场时又累又渴，洗完澡的良好感觉已经完全消失。
当你独自一人在等待什么的时候，那真是度日如年。他有很多要想的，当然了，只是独自坐在那儿想着，时间流动得无比缓慢。他想到了很多关于纳尼亚人的事，特别是科林的。他很想知道，当那帮人发现躺在沙发上聆听他们秘密计划的压根就不是科林的时候，会发生什么。当想到这些好人会把他当作奸细的时候，沙斯塔就很不快。太阳慢慢升上中天后又慢慢在西方落下，根本没有人来也没有任何事发生，沙斯塔越来越焦虑。当然，他现在明白了，虽然当初约定在坟场等待，可并没有说要等待多久。他不可能在这儿等一辈子的！不久就会天黑，他还要像昨晚那样过一夜。很多不同的计划在脑海里翻来覆去，全是不值一提的计划，但是他最后确定的却是最可怕的计划。他决定天黑的时候到河边偷西瓜，能偷多少就偷多少，然后独自一人，沿着早上在沙漠中踩出的深沟方向，向皮尔峰进发。如果你读过很多关于沙漠旅行的书，绝对不会做出这种计划。但沙斯塔压根没有读过书。
不过在太阳落山前发生了一件事情。沙斯塔正坐在一个坟墓的阴影里，抬起头却发现有两匹马向他跑来。当他认识到这是布里和赫温的时候，他的心猛跳了一下。但是随后，他的心又沉了下去，因为他没有发现阿拉维斯的身影。马是一个陌生人牵着的，这个人衣着华丽，长相英俊，像是贵族家里的高级奴仆。布里和赫温不再像运货的驮马而是配上了鞍座辔头，这一切意味着什么？“这是个圈套，”沙斯塔想，“有人抓住了阿拉维斯，折磨她，阿拉维斯交代了一切事情。他们想要我跳出来同布里说话，这样他们就能趁机抓住我了！但是如果我放弃，我就会丢掉和其他人见面的机会。哦，我真希望知道到底发生了什么。”他偷偷藏在坟墓背后，隔几分钟向外看一下，琢磨着采取哪种行动的危险性最小。

第七章 阿拉维斯在塔什班城
沙斯塔所想象的，跟事实可不太一样。当阿拉维斯看到沙斯塔被纳尼亚人带走，并且发现自己单独和两匹非常聪明的不愿说话的马在一起时，她没有一分钟丧失自己的理智。她抓住布里的缰绳，仍旧站在那里，同时控制两匹马。虽然她的心脏像锤子一样砰砰跳着，她一点没有表露出来。纳尼亚王爷们刚一走过去，她便尝试再次前进。但她还没有迈步，就听到另一个传唤者大喊出声：“所有的这些人真讨厌”，阿拉维斯心中想，“让路，让路，让路！为泰坎希娜拉斯阿拉莉恩让路！”紧接着，跟随那个传唤者走过来四个全副武装的奴隶，以及抬着一顶轿子的四个轿夫，轿子上面丝绸轿帘飘扬，银色铃铛叮当作响，整条街上都弥漫着芳香和花朵的味道。在轿子的后面，有四个穿着漂亮衣服的女奴隶，然后是几个侍从，跑腿的小厮，青年侍从和类似的人。在这个时候，阿拉维斯犯了第一个错误。
她十分了解拉斯阿拉莉恩——几乎好像她们一起上过学一样，因为她们过去经常待在相同的房间里，参加相同的聚会。如今拉斯阿拉莉恩已经结婚了并且成为了一个阔气的太太，所以阿拉维斯禁不住抬头去看现在的拉斯阿拉莉恩是什么样子的。
这是毁灭性的错误。两个女孩的眼光交汇，拉斯阿拉莉恩立即从轿子里站起来，用她最高的嗓门喊道。
“阿拉维斯！你究竟在这里做什么啊？你的父亲……”
真是一刻也不能放松。阿拉维斯一秒钟也没有推迟，她松开了马，抓住轿子的边缘，自己窜到拉斯阿拉莉恩的身旁，并且在她的耳边愤怒地低声说道：“闭嘴！你没听到吗？闭嘴。你必须把我藏起来。告诉你的仆从们……”
“但是亲爱的……”拉斯阿拉莉恩用和之前一样的大嗓门开始说话。她一点都没有介意，这使得人们都盯着她看，事实上，她很喜欢这样。
“按照我对你说的去做，否则我将永远不再和你说话，”阿拉维斯低声说道，“请，请快点，拉斯。事情严重得可怕。告诉你的仆从们带上那两匹马，把你轿子上的所有轿帘都放下来，并且到一个不会被发现的地方。尽快！”
“好吧，亲爱的。”拉斯阿拉莉恩用她懒洋洋的腔调说道，“这里，你们中的两个带上泰坎希娜的马”这里是对奴隶们说话。“然后现在回家。听我说，亲爱的，你真的想要所有的轿帘都在这样的日子里放下来吗？我的意思是说……”
这时阿拉维斯已经将轿帘放下来了，将拉斯阿拉莉恩和她自己封闭在一个富丽芳香，但却相当闷热，类似于帐篷一样的东西中。“我必须不被任何人看到，”她说，“我的父亲并不知道我在这里。我正在逃跑。”
“我亲爱的，多么完美的刺激之旅啊，”拉斯阿拉莉恩说道，“我非常想听关于这件事的全部。亲爱的，你坐到我的衣服上了。介意挪一挪吗？现在好多了。这是一件新衣服。你喜欢它吗？我买到它是在……”
“噢，拉斯，请严肃些，”阿拉维斯说道，“我的父亲在哪？”
“你不知道吗？”拉斯阿拉莉恩说，“他当然就在这里。他昨天来到城镇里，并且到处询问关于你的下落。而且你想一想，你和我一起在这里，但是他却一点都不知道。这是我听到过的最可笑的事情。”她开始咯咯地笑着说。阿拉维斯现在记起来，她始终都是个令人感到可怕的咯咯地笑个不停的人。
“这一点都不好笑。”她说道，“这非常严肃。你能把我藏在什么地方？”
“这一点困难都没有，我亲爱的女孩。”拉斯阿拉莉恩说道，“我将带你回家。我的丈夫出去了，没有人会看到你。瞧，轿帘放下来就没那么有趣了。我想要给人们看看。如果一个人要像这样封闭起来，穿上一件新的衣服就没有意义了。”
“小声一点儿，我不希望被人听到你和我说话。”阿拉维斯说道。
“不，当然没有人听到，亲爱的。”拉斯阿拉莉恩心不在焉地说，
“但是你到现在都没有告诉我你认为这件衣服怎么样呢。”
“还有一件事，”阿拉维斯说，“你必须告诉你的仆从们要非常尊敬地对待那两匹马儿。它们是秘密的一部分。它们的确是来自纳尼亚的会说话的马。”
“多么富有想象力啊！”拉斯阿拉莉恩说道，“多么令人振奋人心啊！而且，噢，亲爱的，你见过来自纳尼亚的野蛮女王吗？她现在正在塔什班城里。人们说王子罗八达疯狂地爱上了她。最近两星期，一直在举行最美妙的聚会，打猎以及所有的事情。我自己可看不出来她有那么漂亮。但是一些纳尼亚的男人们非常可爱。我前天被邀请参加了河边的聚会，而且我穿上了我的……”
“我们怎么才能阻止你的仆从告诉别人你有一个客人——穿得像乞丐一样的在你的房间里？这消息可能很容易传到我的父亲那里。”
“现在不要这么大惊小怪，亲爱的。”拉斯阿拉莉恩说道，“我们立刻就会给你些合适的衣服。看，我们到了。”轿夫们已经停了下来，轿子被放下来。当轿帘被拉开的时候，阿拉维斯发现自己正处在一个庭院当中，就和之前早些时候在城市的另一个地方沙斯塔被带进去的庭院差不多。拉斯阿拉莉恩本来立刻就要进入室内，但是阿拉维斯用疯疯癫癫的私语提醒她要交代奴隶们一些事情——不要告诉任何人他们女主人有奇怪的来访者这件事。
“很抱歉，亲爱的，我完全忘记了这件事。”拉斯阿拉莉恩说道，
“听着，所有人，包括你、门房。今天谁也不许离开这个房子。如果我抓到谈论有关这位年轻女士事情的人，首先会先被我打到半死，然后六个星期不给任何面包和水等着活活地烧死。就这样。”
虽然拉斯阿拉莉恩说过她很想听阿拉维斯的故事，但是她根本没有表现出来一点确实想听的迹象。事实上，比起听，她更喜欢去讲。她坚持要阿拉维斯洗一个漫长且奢华的澡。在卡乐门洗澡是出了名的奢华，然后在她允许她解释任何事情之前，用最好的衣服将她打扮了起来。
她选择哪件衣服都要小题大做，几乎让阿拉维斯感到疯狂了。她记起拉斯阿拉莉恩始终都是这个样子的：对衣服，聚会还有流言感兴趣。阿拉维斯则总是对弓、箭、马、狗和游泳有更多的兴趣。你可以猜到她们俩每一个都认为另一个很愚蠢。但是当最后她们两个都吃完饭——主要是冰激凌，果子冻，水果和冰点后，在美丽的圆柱房间里坐下来的时候，拉斯阿拉莉恩终于询问她为什么从家里逃出来了。要不是那只被拉斯阿拉莉恩宠坏了的宠物猴子爬来爬去，阿拉维斯会更加喜欢房间。
当阿拉维斯告诉她自己的故事之后，拉斯阿拉莉恩说道：“但是，亲爱的，为什么你不和泰坎阿霍什塔结婚呢？每个人都为他疯狂。我的丈夫说他将是卡乐门最伟大的男人之一。如今老阿克萨沙死掉，他刚刚成为首相大臣。你不知道吗？”
“我毫不在意。我连看到他都不能忍受。”阿拉维斯说道。
“但，亲爱的，仔细想想。三个宫殿，其中一个非常漂亮，就在伊尔基茵湖的下游。我听其他人说，珍珠都确确实实是大串大串的。可以用驴的乳汁沐浴。而且你还可以经常看到我。”
“我不关心这些，他可以留着他的珍珠和宫殿。”阿拉维斯说道。
“你总是一个古怪的女孩，阿拉维斯。”拉斯阿拉莉恩说，“你还想要更多的什么呢？”
最后，阿拉维斯还是设法使她的朋友相信她是认真的，甚至讨论起她的计划。如果现在将两匹马从北门带出去，然后赶到坟场，没有任何困难。没有人将会阻止或者询问一个穿着华丽，牵着一匹战马，并且带着一位骑马的女士到河的下游去的侍从。而且拉斯阿拉莉恩拥有很多可以派遣的侍从。决定阿拉维斯本人要做什么是一件不容易的事情。她提议她可以坐在轿帘放下来的轿子中。但是拉斯阿拉莉恩告诉她，轿子仅仅可以在城里使用，而且看到一顶轿子从城门出去，一定会引起人们的注意。
她们已经讨论了很长一段时间——阿拉维斯发现之所以需要这么长时间，是因为很难确保她的朋友停留在这个话题之上——最后拉斯阿拉莉恩抓住她的手并且说，“噢，我有一个主意了。有一个方法可以不利用城门就离开这座城市。太洛帝，愿吾皇万寿无疆！他的花园一直延伸到河的下游，在那里有一个小的水门。当然仅仅供宫殿里的人们使用。但是你要知道，亲爱的，说到这里，她哧哧地笑了笑，我们几乎也算是宫殿里的人了。我是说，你来找我真的很幸运。亲爱的太洛帝非常善良。愿吾皇万寿无疆！我们几乎可以每天到宫殿里拜访，并且将它当作自己的第二个家。我喜欢所有亲爱的王子和公主，而且我十分崇拜王子罗八达。我可以在白天或者晚上的任何一个时间进入宫殿里去见任何一位夫人。为什么我们不在天黑后带你溜进去，然后将你从水门放出去呢？总是有一些平底船一类的东西系在水门外边。而且，即使我们被抓住了……”
“那一切就完了。”阿拉维斯说道。
“噢，亲爱的，你不要这么激动。”拉斯阿拉莉恩说道，“我要说的是，即使我们被抓住了，每个人也仅仅会说，这不过是我开的疯狂玩笑之一罢了。我因为开玩笑而十分出名。就在几天之前，听着，亲爱的，这真的是非常有趣……”
“我的意思是，对于我来说一切都完了。”阿拉维斯有些生气地说道。
“噢……啊……是的……我完全知道你在说什么，亲爱的，但是，你能想出更好的计划吗？”
阿拉维斯想不出来，只能回答道：“不能。我们将不得不冒险了。我们什么时候可以开始呢？”
“噢，今晚不行，”拉斯阿拉莉恩说道，“当然不能是今晚。今晚有一个巨大的盛会，我必须开始在几分钟之内整理好我的头发，而且整个宫殿将灯火通明，还非常拥挤。不得不改到明天晚上了。”这对阿拉维斯来说是一个坏消息，但是她不得不充分利用这个消息。今天下午过得非常缓慢，当拉斯阿拉莉恩去赴宴的时候对她来说反而是个解脱。因为阿拉维斯厌倦了她咯咯的笑声，厌倦她只谈论关于衣服，聚会，婚礼，订婚和丑闻。她早早地上床，这一点她真的很享受：重新睡在床单和枕头之上真的十分舒坦。
但是第二天过得十分缓慢。拉斯阿拉莉恩想要取消整个计划，并且坚持告诉阿拉维斯，纳尼亚是一个终年下雪和结冰，并且居住着恶魔和巫师的国家，她一想到要去那里就感到疯狂。“而且还是和一个乡下男孩一起！”拉斯阿拉莉恩说道，“亲爱的，想想看！这可一点都不美好。”阿拉维斯仔细思考过了，但是她如今真的厌倦了拉斯阿拉莉恩的愚蠢，第一次，她开始想到比起塔什班城时髦的生活，和沙斯塔的旅行真的是有趣得多。所以她只是重复道：“你忘记了，当我们到达纳尼亚的时候，我和他一样都是无名小卒。而且无论如何，我承诺过要一起去的。”
“你想想，”拉斯阿拉莉恩几乎哭着说道，“如果你自己有头脑的话，你就可以成为首相大臣的妻子！”阿拉维斯却跑出去，对马儿说起悄悄话。
“你们必须和一个侍从一起，在太阳下山之前早一点赶到坟场。”她说道，“不要再背着这些包裹了。你将再次配上马鞍和辔头。但是赫温的鞍囊里需要放一些东西，布里，你的则需要放上满满一皮袋的水。侍从会奉命带你们两个在远离大桥的岸边美美地喝上一顿水。”“然后呢，直奔纳尼亚和北方！”布里低声地说道，“但是如果沙斯塔不在坟场，怎么办呢？”
“当然要等他了，”阿拉维斯说道，“我想你们在这里过得足够舒适。”
“我从来没有待过比这更好的马厩，”布里说道，“但是如果你那位哧哧笑的朋友泰坎希娜的丈夫给他的侍从头子钱要去买最好的燕麦，那么我认为侍从头子一定欺骗了他。”
阿拉维斯和拉斯阿拉莉恩在圆柱房间里用了晚餐。
大概两个小时之后，她们已经准备好出发了。阿拉维斯打扮得像一个大户人家的高级女奴，并且带上了面纱。她们商量好，如果有人问起，拉斯阿拉莉恩就假装说，阿拉维斯是她准备作为礼物送给某一位公主的女奴。
两个女孩都光着脚走了出来。没过几分钟就到了宫殿的门前。门口当然有士兵在站岗，但是军官对拉斯阿拉莉恩十分熟悉，并且让他手下的士兵们立正敬礼。她们立刻走进了黑色大理石做成的大厅。
许多大臣，奴隶和其他一些人仍然在大厅里来回走动，使得两个女孩更加不引人注目了。她们进入圆柱大厅，然后进入雕像大厅，然后沿着柱廊走下去，经过觐见室的铜箔大门。她们在昏暗的灯光中所看到的一切，都是无法用语言形容的富丽堂皇。
不久她们走出了宫殿，进入到王宫花园中，花园利用许多台阶依山而建。她们从花园的另一边来到古老的宫殿。天色已经几乎完全黑了，并且她们现在发现自己置身于回廊的迷宫里，只能依靠着偶尔出现的，固定在墙壁上的火把照明。拉斯阿拉莉恩在一个不知该往左走，还是往右走的路口停了下来。“继续走啊，继续走。”阿拉维斯低声说道，她的心可怕地砰砰跳着，她心里觉得她的父亲很可能突然出现在任何一个角落撞见她们。
“我只是觉得奇怪……”拉斯阿拉莉恩说道，“我不确定哪条路能让我们从这里出去。我认为是左边的。是的，我几乎确定是左边这条路了。多么有趣啊！”
她们选择了左手边的那条路，然后发现她们自己置身在一条几乎没有任何光的通道里，通道不久就出现了一级又一级向下延伸的台阶。“这就对了，”拉斯阿拉莉恩说道，“我现在确认我们对了。
我记得这些台阶。”但就在这个时候，一个移动的光出现在前方。不一会，从一个遥远的角落里，出现了两个男人的黑色影子，他们拿着高大的蜡烛，正倒退着行走。当然，只有在王室的人面前，人们才会倒退着行走。阿拉维斯感觉到拉斯阿拉莉恩抓住了她的手臂——这突然的一抓几乎是拧了她一把，这意味着伸手去抓的人确实十分惊恐。阿拉维斯感到很奇怪，拉斯阿拉莉恩竟然会这么害怕太洛帝，如果太洛帝真的是她的一个朋友的话。但阿拉维斯几乎没有时间继续思考。拉斯阿拉莉恩正匆忙地赶回台阶的顶端，发疯似的沿着墙壁前进。“这有一个门。”她低声说道，“快点。”
她们走了进去，轻轻地将身后的门关上，然后发现她们置身于一团漆黑之中。阿拉维斯可以从拉斯阿拉莉恩的呼吸中知道她十分惊恐。
“塔什神救救我们吧。”拉斯阿拉莉恩低声说道，“如果他们走到这里来，我们能做什么呢？我们能躲起来吗？”她们脚下有一块柔软的地毯。她们摸索着进入房间，结果撞到了一张沙发上。
“让我们在沙发后面躺下来，”拉斯阿拉莉恩呜咽地说道，“噢，我真希望我们从来没有来过这里。”
沙发和幕墙之间恰好有空间仅够两个女孩躺下。拉斯阿拉莉恩试图占据更好的位置，并且几乎完全遮住了自己的身体。阿拉维斯的上半部分脸从沙发后面露了出来，这样的话，如果有什么人拿着灯走进房间中，碰巧朝着这个地方看过来，就会看到她了。由于她带着面纱，他们一下子看到的也不会像是一个前额和一双眼睛。阿拉维斯绝望地试图让拉斯阿拉莉恩给自己更多的空间。但是现在的拉斯阿拉莉恩，已经陷入恐慌之中。她十分自私，又把阿拉维斯挤了回去，并且拧她的脚。她们最终放弃了，只能挤在一起躺着，有一点点气喘。她们自己的呼吸似乎吵得可怕，但是那里没有任何其他声音。
“这里安全吗？”阿拉维斯最后用尽可能小的声音低声问道。
“我……我……我认为是这样的。”拉斯阿拉莉恩开始说，“但我可怜的神经……”此刻传来了她们能够听到的最可怕的声音：开门的声音。然后灯光照了进来，而且因为阿拉维斯不能让她的头更多地藏在沙发后面，她可以看到一切。
首先进来的是两个奴隶( 又聋又哑，就像阿拉维斯猜测的那样，这里方便用于最秘密的会议)，手执蜡烛，倒退着走了进来。他们站在了沙发的两边。这是一件好事，因为一旦阿拉维斯面前站了一个奴隶，任何人就很难看到她了，而且她可以通过两个奴隶的脚跟之间向外看。
然后走进来一个老人，很胖，戴着一顶奇怪的帽子，凭借这个帽子，她立即就知道这个人就是太洛帝。他浑身上下都是珠宝首饰，加起来超过纳尼亚王王爷们所有的衣服和武器加在一起的总价值——但是他太胖了，况且那么一大堆首饰、皱裙、羊毛球、纽扣、流苏、辟邪物，使得阿拉维斯禁不住想到纳尼亚的时装( 无论如何那是给人穿的) 看起来更漂亮一些。
在他进来之后，一个高高的年轻人走了进来，年轻人头上戴着羽毛和珠宝装饰的头巾，身旁佩戴者一把象牙刀鞘的弯刀。他看起来十分兴奋，他的眼睛和牙齿在烛光里凶狠地闪烁。最后，进来了一个驼背、枯槁的老人，让她感到惊恐，因为她认出这个老头正是新的首相大臣，她新订婚的丈夫，泰坎阿霍什塔本人。
三个人一进入到房间，门就被关上了。太洛帝在沙发上落座，发出惬意的声音。年轻的男人也站到他的位置上，就在太洛帝的面前，首相大臣则双膝跪了下来，他双肘撑地，脸则埋入到地毯之上。

第八章 太洛帝密室
“噢……我的父亲……噢……我……眼中……的……快乐……”年轻人开始说话，非常快速地喃喃自语，闷闷不乐，一点都不像他自己说的太洛帝是他眼中的快乐那样。“愿你永在，但你已经完全将我摧毁掉了。如果你在日出的时候给我最快的帆船，当我最开始看到那些野蛮人开着船从她的地方离开，我就追出去的话，可能我现在已经追上他们了。但是你却劝我先去送他们，看看他们是否只是绕着海峡找一个更好的停泊地。现在整天都已经被浪费掉了。他们已经离开了……离开……离开我能够追上的地方了！那个虚假的女人，那……”然后他加了非常多描述语在苏珊女王的身上，如果全都印出来，就一点都不雅观了。当然，这个年轻的男人就是罗八达王子，那个虚假的女人就是纳尼亚的苏珊。
“镇定下来，噢，我的儿子。”太洛帝说道，“因为客人的离去而造成的伤害，对于一个明智的主人的心理是很容易被治愈的。”“但是我想得到她。”王子大声说道，“我必须拥有她。如果我得不到她我将会死掉。她是一个虚伪的，骄傲的，黑心肠的老狗的女儿。我无法入睡，我食不知味，因为她的魅力，我的眼睛都完全漆黑一片了。我必须得到那个野蛮人的女王。”
“一个天才诗人说得多么好啊！”首相大人从地毯中抬起他的脸( 在一个布满了灰尘的环境下)，说道，“为了熄灭青春的爱情之火，从理智的泉水中痛饮几口是非常合理的。”
这段话好像激怒了王子。“狗奴才，”他大声喊道，一连几脚直接踹到首相大臣的屁股上去，“你竟然敢对我引证诗人的话责骂我。整天都有格言和诗句抛到我这里来，我已经再也忍受不了啦！我觉得，阿拉维斯一点都不会为首相感到难过。”
太洛帝明显已经陷入了思索，半晌之后，当他注意到正在发生什么事情的时候，他平静地说道：“我的儿子，无论如何，请不要再踢这位开明且年老的大臣了：正如珍贵的珠宝即使藏在粪堆之中也依然保有它的价值，所以年老和慎重，即使存在于我们微不足道的臣民身上，也应该是被尊敬的。因此停止吧，告诉我你的渴望和建议是什么。”
“我的希望和建议是，噢，我的父亲，”罗八达说道，“你立即召集你的战无不胜的军队，侵入纳尼亚该死的领土上，用火和剑扫荡它，并且把它吞并到您无垠的帝国之中，杀掉他们的至尊王和除了苏珊女王之外的所有王族。因为我必须要她成为我的妻子，虽然她应该首先要受到一些严厉的教训。”
“明白了，噢，我的儿子，”太洛帝说道，“你的任何话都不能让我去和纳尼亚展开一场战争。”
“如果你不是我的父亲，噢，永生的太洛帝啊，”王子咬着牙说道，
“我就会说你刚刚说的是懦夫所说的话。”
“如果你不是我的儿子，最容易激动的罗八达，”他的父亲回应道，“你的生命将十分短暂，而且当你说这些的时候你会死得非常无助。”他说这些话的时候，语调冰冷、平静，让阿拉维斯觉得血液都变得冰冷了。
“但是为什么，噢，我的父亲，”王子说道，现在他的语调变得尊敬多了，“为什么关于惩罚纳尼亚的事情我们要考虑两次，比绞死一个游手好闲的奴隶或是发配筋疲力尽的老马去做狗的食物，要考虑得多呢？这个国家还不如你最小的省的四分之一。上千枝长矛可以不用五星期就征服它。它是你帝国边境上一个不相宜的印记。”
“这毫无疑问，”太洛帝说道，“这些小小的野蛮人的国家自称他们自己是自由的( 这等于说是游手好闲，毫无秩序，并且没有任何利益的)，是对神灵和所有明智人的厌恶。”
“那么为什么我们要忍受纳尼亚这样一个国家的存在，而长期不去征服它呢？”
“要知道，噢，我开明的王子啊，”首相大臣说道，“在你高贵的父亲开始他有益且永恒的统治的那一年之前，纳尼亚的土地上覆盖着冰雪，而且被一个最强大的女巫统治着。”
“这我非常清楚地知道，噢，多嘴的首相。”王子回答道，“但我也知道女巫已经死了。冰雪都已经消失了，所以纳尼亚如今遍布着水果，并且十分美味。”
“这些变化，噢，最博学的王子啊，无疑是那些邪恶的人的强力咒语改变的，那些人现在称呼他们自己是纳尼亚的国王和女王呢。”
“我宁可认为，”罗八达说道，“这种变化是因为星宿的改变和自然界的作用造就的。”
“这一切，”太洛帝说道，“是需要博学的人来讨论的问题。我永远也不相信，这么伟大的交替，还有老巫女的被杀，不是强大魔法的影响造成的。而且这些事情在那片土地上是有可能出现的，那里居住着恶魔，像人一样会说话的野兽，还有半人半兽的怪物。报告通常说，纳尼亚的至尊王( 希望神灵们都抛弃他) 是被一个恶魔支持的王，那个恶魔长得十分丑陋，不可抗拒，化身为狮子出现。因此，袭击纳尼亚是一个黑暗并且可疑的冒险行为，我决心不将自己的手伸到无法缩回来的地方。”
“多么有福气的卡乐门人啊，”首相再次抬起他的脸说道，“神灵已经赐予了严谨和审慎的规则给他们！然而，如同无可反驳的，足智多谋的太洛帝所说的，面对纳尼亚这样的美餐却被迫不能下手，的确是十分令人痛惜的。天才诗人说过……”讲到这里的时候，阿霍什塔注意到王子脚趾不耐烦地移动，就突然安静了。
“这是十分让人痛苦的，”太洛帝用他低沉且平静的声音说道，
“每天早上太阳在我眼里都是黑色的，每天晚上我的睡眠总是不太痛快，因为我总是记得纳尼亚仍然是自由的。”
“噢，我的父亲，”罗八达说道，“如果我能给你展示一个办法，通过这个办法你可以将手伸到纳尼亚，万一那尝试是不幸的，还可以把手不受伤害地缩回来，怎么样？”
“如果你可以给我展示那样的方法，噢，罗八达，”太洛帝说道，
“你将是我最好的儿子。”
“听着，噢，父亲。就在今天晚上，在这几个小时里，我将带着仅仅两百人马骑行通过沙漠。这需要像是所有人都不知道我接下来要做什么一样。第二天早上，我将来到阿钦兰的安瓦德，国王伦恩的堡垒的城门口。他们现在与我们和平相处，并且没有任何戒备，我可以在他们有所行动之前，就占领安瓦德。然后我会骑行通过安瓦德上方的关卡，通过纳尼亚到达凯尔帕拉维尔。至尊王不会在那里，当我离开那里的时候，他们已经准备好迎击北方边界上的巨人了。我很可能发现凯尔帕拉维尔城门打开，然后我将骑马进入。我将审慎和礼貌地尽我所能让纳尼亚人少流一点鲜血。接下来的事情不过是在那里等待‘灿烂晶莹号’入港了，船上就载着苏珊女王，当她的脚踏入到陆地上的时候，我会立刻抓住我走失的小鸟，将她甩到马鞍上，然后骑行，骑行，骑行到安瓦德。”
“但是，可能，噢，我的儿子，”太洛帝说道，“在抢走这个女人之时，不是爱德蒙国王就是你会丢掉生命，不是吗？”
“他们不过是一支小队伍，”罗八达说道，“而且我将会命令我手下的十个士兵解除掉他们的武装，并且将他捆绑起来，我会克制自己想要让他流血的渴望，这样在你和至尊王之间就不会有什么致命的战争原因了。”
“如果‘灿烂晶莹’号比你先到达凯尔帕拉维尔，怎么办？”
“根据这些风的走向，我估计不会有那种情况，噢，我的父亲。”
“最后，噢，我足智多谋的儿子，”太洛帝说道，“你已经清楚地说明了这一切将使你得到野蛮的女人，但是没有说清楚是如何帮助我战胜纳尼亚王国。”
“噢，我的父亲，一切都逃不过您的眼睛。尽管我和我的人马，像一支箭一样在纳尼亚来回，我们不是永远地占领了安瓦德吗？当我们控制住安瓦德的时候，你就坐在了纳尼亚的城门口了，你的守卫军队可以一点点增加，直到成为伟大的主人。”
“这说得很有见地，很有先见之明。但是，如果一切都失算了，我怎么才能缩回我伸出去的手臂呢？”
“你可以说是我独自这样做的，在你毫不知情的情况下，违背了你的意愿，没有得到你的批准，是被我自己强烈的爱情，和青春的浮躁所逼迫的。” “那么如果至尊王要求我们把那个野蛮的女人，他的妹妹送回去的话，怎么办？”
“噢，我的父亲，我确定他不会那样要求的。虽然一个女人的幻想已经拒绝了这场婚姻，但至尊王彼得是一个谨慎且明白事理的男人，他不会希望失去这次和我们这种王室联姻的荣耀和获得利益的机会，他还要看着他的外甥和外孙坐上卡乐门的王位。”
“正如你希望的那样，我会永在，他将永远看不到那天。”太洛帝用一种比平常更干巴巴的腔调说道。
“还有，噢，我的父亲，我眼中的快乐，”王子在一阵尴尬的沉默之后说道，“我们应该仿造女王写信，说她爱我，不想回到纳尼亚了。因为所有人都知道，女人像善变的风信子，随风改变方向。而且即使他们不完全相信那些信，他们也不敢武装来到塔什班城将她夺走。”
“噢，明智的首相，”太洛帝说道，“关于我们这个奇怪的建议，请你用高明的智慧指点一下吧。”
“噢，太洛帝万岁，”阿霍什塔回答道，“父子情深的力量我是不知道的，我时常听说，在父亲眼睛里看到的儿子们，比红宝石还要珍贵。对于这件很可能会威胁到我们尊贵的王子生命的事情，我怎么敢放肆地自由陈述意见呢？”
“毫无疑问你是敢的，”太洛帝回应道，“因为你会发现如果你不这么做，也会面对同样的危险。”
“我服从命令。”首相为难地呜咽道，“那么，最通情达理的太洛帝，第一，王子的危险并不会那么可能发生。因为神灵们没有赐给野蛮人谨慎的光芒，就好像他们的诗歌不像我们那样充满美妙的箴言和有用的格言，他们只有爱情和战争。因为，什么也不会像这样疯狂的冒险那么高尚，且更加令人敬佩……噢！”当王子听到“疯狂”这个词，再次踢了他一下。
“停下，我的儿子，”太洛帝说道，“还有你，值得尊敬的首相，不管他是不是踢你，无论如何也不要中断你滔滔不绝的陈述。因为，那些严肃且有礼的人，以坚定不移的态度来忍受小小的不便利是再正确不过的了。”
“我服从命令。”首相说道，他扭动着，将自己缩成更圆一点的样子，好使自己的屁股离罗八达的脚趾远一点儿。“我是说，这种危险的尝试，特别是为了得到一个女人的爱情而做的，在他们的眼睛里看来，即使是不能被尊敬的，也应该是可以被原谅的。因此，如果王子不幸地落入到他们的手中，他们肯定不会杀死他。不，甚至可能会是这样的，虽然他没能抢走女王，但是看到了他伟大的勇气和狂热的热情，女王会倾心于他。”
“这是个好想法，你这饶舌的老头儿，”罗八达说道，“很好，虽然这么高明的想法进入了你那个丑陋的脑袋里。”
“主人们的称赞就是我眼中的光明。”阿霍什塔说道，“然后，太洛帝啊，你的统治必然是没有止境的。我认为通过神灵们的帮助，安瓦德非常可能落到王子的手中。如果这样的话，我们就扼住了纳尼亚王国的喉咙。”突然，出现了一个长时间的停顿，房间变得那么安静，以至于两个女孩几乎不敢呼吸了。最后太洛帝终于开口。
“去吧，我的儿子。”他说，“去做你刚刚说的事情。但是，别指望任何来自我的支援和帮助。如果你被杀害了，我不会替你复仇，而且如果野蛮人将你关进了监狱，我也不会去解救你。而且，不管是成功还是失败，如果你超过必需地让纳尼亚人多流了一滴鲜血，因此引起了战争，我的偏爱将永远不会再次落到你的身上。你的弟弟将会拥有你在卡乐门的地位。现在去吧，要迅速，隐秘并且祝顺利。但愿塔什神的力量坚定地，不可抗拒地附在你的剑和长矛上。”
“我服从命令。”罗八达大声说道，在他跪下来亲吻了一会他父亲的双手之后，他冲出了房间。阿拉维斯被恐怖束缚住了，使她感到巨大失望的是，太洛帝和首相留了下来。"
“噢，首相，”太洛帝说道，“你确定没有任何一个活人知道我们三个今晚在这里举行的会议吗？”
“噢，我的主人，”阿霍什塔说道，“不可能有任何人知道。出于这个原因我建议，并且由您的智慧批准，我们应该在这个以前从未开过会，宫殿里也没有任何人可以偶然到这旧宫殿里开会。”
“这很好。”太洛帝说道，“如果任何人知道了，我一定会让他在一个小时之内死去。你也一样，我亲爱的大臣，忘掉这里的一切。从我自己的心里，从你的心里，消除掉我们所知道的王子的计划。他没有得到我的同意就离开了，我也不知道他去了哪，一切都是因为年轻人的狂暴、鲁莽和不听话。听到安瓦德落到他的手里这个消息，没有人会比我和你更加感到惊讶。”
“我服从命令。”阿霍什塔说道。
“这就是为什么，即使在你最隐秘的心里，你可能会认为我是父亲中心肠最硬的，我竟然派我的长子去完成一个几乎会结束他生命的任务。这一定让你很高兴，因为你不爱王子。我看得到你的内心深处。”
“明察秋毫的太洛帝啊。”首相说道，“和您相比，我既不爱王子，也不爱我自己的生命，不爱面包，不爱水和太阳的光辉或光芒。”
“你的情操，”太洛帝说道，“是高尚且正确的。和王位的光荣和权力相比，我也不爱这些东西。如果王子成功了，我们将拥有阿钦兰的领土，而且以后还要占领纳尼亚。如果他失败了——我还有十八个儿子。罗八达呢，身为王子们中最年长的儿子，他的行为，已经开始变得危险起来了。塔什班城里有五个以上的太洛帝都早早死去，因为他们的长子，开明的王子，对王位感到急不可耐。他能在国外将自己的血液冷静下来，比起在国内这里无所事事，热血沸腾要好很多。现在，我杰出的首相，作为父亲的焦躁已让我筋疲力尽，想要睡觉了。命令乐师们到我的寝宫里。但是在你躺下之前，将我们写给第三个厨子的赦罪书追回来。我感觉我的肚子明显有些消化不良。”
“我服从命令。”首相说道。他四肢着地，倒退着爬行到门口，站起来，鞠躬，然后退了出去。即使现在，太洛帝也仍然安静地坐在长沙发上，直到阿拉维斯担心他是不是已经深入睡眠了。但是最后，随着一阵嘎吱嘎吱的声音和一声轻叹，他抬起他巨大的身体，示意奴隶们将烛火拿到他的面前，然后走了出去。门在他的身后关了起来，房间再次变得更加漆黑了，两个女孩总算可以自由呼吸了。

第九章 穿越沙漠
“真可怕啊！真是可怕到了极点！”拉斯阿拉莉恩呜咽地说道，“噢，亲爱的，我真是吓坏了。我一直都在浑身颤抖。感觉一下我的颤抖。”
“来吧，”阿拉维斯说，她自己也在颤抖，“他们已经返回到新宫殿去了。这次我们出了房间就足够安全了。但是真的是浪费了太多的时间。你要尽快地将我带到山下的水门那里去。”
“亲爱的，你怎么可以这样？”拉斯阿拉莉恩尖声说道，“我什么都做不了了——不能是现在。我可怜的神经！不！我们必须只能是这样躺一下，然后回去。”
“为什么回去？”阿拉维斯问道。
“噢，你不懂。你是那么没有同情心。”拉斯阿拉莉恩说，并且开始哭。阿拉维斯确定这绝对不是应该同情的时刻。
“听着！”她抓住拉斯阿拉莉恩，并且摇晃她说道，“如果你再说一句关于回去的话，如果你不立刻将我送到水门那里——你知道我将会做什么吗？我将冲出去，到通道里面尖叫。然后我们两个都会被抓住。” 你没有听到太洛帝( 愿吾皇万寿无疆！ ) 刚刚说了什么吗？”
“听到了，而且，如果要嫁给阿霍什塔，我宁可早点被杀死。”
“噢，你这个不善良的人，”拉斯阿拉莉恩说道，“而且我竟然落到了这样的处境。”
但最后她还是不得不对阿拉维斯妥协了。她带路走下那些之前她们已经走下过的台阶，然后沿着另一条通道行走，最后走到了空旷的地方。她们现在在王宫的花园里，这里的台阶一层层地迤逦而下，一直延伸到城墙的地方。月亮十分明亮。冒险的一大遗憾是，当你进入到最美妙的地方的时候，你总是太焦躁，太匆忙，而无法赞美眼前的美丽。所以，阿拉维斯( 尽管她很多年后记得它们) 仅仅只有一个很模糊的印象，关于那些银灰色的草地，安静流淌的泉水，和长长的柏树的黑色影子。
当她们到达底部的时候，城墙在她们面前耸立着，拉斯阿拉莉恩浑身颤抖，以至于她不能打开门的门闩。于是阿拉维斯打开了门。在那里，她终于看到了河流，河面上布满了余光，还有一个小小的码头和几艘游船。
“再见。”阿拉维斯说道，“而且，谢谢你。我很抱歉我曾经像一头猪一样。但是想想，我正在逃跑啊。”
“噢，亲爱的阿拉维斯。”拉斯阿拉莉恩说道，“你能不能改变主意呢？现在你已经看到阿霍什塔是一个多么伟大的男人了。”
“伟大的男人！”阿拉维斯说道，“一个可怕地卑躬屈膝的奴隶，当人家踢他的屁股的时候，他还在阿谀逢迎，还将这件事情藏在心底，怂恿恐怖的太洛帝将他的儿子置于死地，希望通过这个来为自己报仇雪恨。我宁愿嫁给家里的厨子也不愿嫁给这样一号人物。” “噢，阿拉维斯，阿拉维斯！你怎么能说出这么致命的话来！
还涉及太洛帝( 愿吾皇万寿无疆)。如果他决定去做一件事情，那一定是正确的。”
“再见。”阿拉维斯说道，“而且我认为你的衣服十分可爱。我认为你的马也很可爱。我确信你将会拥有一个可爱的生活——尽管那并不适合我，轻轻地在我身后关上门吧。”她将自己从朋友的热情拥抱中挣脱出来，踏上一艘方头平底船，撑起船，不一会儿船就到了河的中央，头顶上是一轮巨大的真实的月亮，河里则是那个巨大月亮的倒影。空气新鲜、凉爽，船到达对岸的时候她好像听到了一只猫头鹰的叫声。“啊！这真好。”阿拉维斯心里想道。她过去一直生活在乡村里，而且憎恨她自己在塔什班城里的每一分钟。
当她上岸的时候，由于地势上升，树木遮住了月光，她发现自己完全置身在黑暗之中。但她设法去找到沙斯塔以前发现的那条路，然后像他一样走到了草地的尽头和沙漠的开端，再然后像他一样向左边望去，并且看到了巨大的，黑漆漆的坟场。最后，即使她是个勇敢的姑娘，她心里还是害怕了。说不定其他人都不在那里！说不定食尸鬼们在那里！但是她昂起下巴( 舌头也伸出了一点)，笔直地朝着坟场走去。
幸好她还没有到达坟场就看到了布里、赫温和那个侍从。
“你现在可以回到你的女主人那里去了。”阿拉维斯说道( 完全忘记了直到明天早上城门打开，他不能回去)，“这是给你的酬劳。”
“我服从命令。”侍从说道，然后立刻以相当快的速度朝塔什班城跑去。根本没必要告诉他尽快回去，他也已经想了很多关于食尸鬼的事情。接下来的几秒钟，阿拉维斯忙于亲吻赫温和布里的鼻子，拍拍他们的脖子，就好像他们只是安静的普通马儿一样。
“沙斯塔来了！感谢狮王！”布里说道。阿拉维斯朝四周望去，的确，沙斯塔一看到侍从离开，就立刻从他躲藏的地方走出来了。
“现在，”阿拉维斯说道，“一分钟都不能耽误。”她快速地告诉他们关于罗八达的出征阴谋。
“奸诈的野狗！”布里抖动着鬃毛，蹬着四蹄，说道，“在这样和平的时刻，连一个挑战书都不下就进攻！但是我们会为他把燕麦拌上油，我们一定会在他之前赶到那里。”
“我们可以吗？”阿拉维斯跳上赫温的马鞍说道。沙斯塔也希望自己能像那样跳上马去。
“布罗赫一霍赫！”布里喷着鼻息说道，“你上来，沙斯塔。我们可以！而且还会有一个好的开始。”
“他说他立刻就要出发。”阿拉维斯说。
“人们总是这样说。”布里说道，“但是，你要让两百人马在一分钟之内成立一个队伍，喝足水，吃饱饭是不可能的。现在，我们朝着哪个方向前进？是正北方吗？”
“不，”沙斯塔说，“我知道。我已经画好了路线。我晚点解释给你们。你们两个要稍微往左边一点儿。啊，这就对了。”
“现在，”布里说，“像故事里所说的那样一天一夜地奔跑，是不可能完成的。必须行走和小跑相互配合，轻快的小跑，然后短时间行走。而且无论我们什么时候行走，你们两个人类也可以下来行走。现在，你们准备好了吗，赫温？我们走吧。向着纳尼亚和北方！”开始是快乐的。黑夜已经持续了好几个小时，沙漠已经把它们在白天从太阳那里吸收的全部热量差不多都散发没了，空气是凉爽，新鲜并且干净的。在月光之下，他们能够看到四面八方尽可能远的地方，仿佛是一片光滑平静的水，或者是一个巨大的银色盆子。除了布里和赫温的声音，什么声音都没有。沙斯塔几乎要睡着了，如果不是他不时从马上下来走走路的话。
这种情况似乎持续了几个小时。接下来一段时间，他们再也看不到月亮了。他们好像在死亡一样的黑暗中骑行一个小时接着一个小时。又过了一阵子，沙斯塔注意到他能够看到在他前面的布里的脖子和脑袋，比之前清晰一点了。然后，缓慢地，十分缓慢地，他开始注意到那一边巨大的，灰茫茫的，平坦的沙漠。看上去绝对没有任何生命，就好像完全在一个死亡的世界里。沙斯塔感觉到非常恐怖的疲惫，并且注意到自己开始感到寒冷，嘴唇也是干燥的。自始至终，能听到皮带嘎吱作响，马嚼子叮当作响，马蹄敲击的声音——不是踩在坚实的土地上的声音，而是踩在干燥的沙子上的声音。
最后，在几个小时的骑行之后，他的右方出现了一道淡灰色，低低地镶嵌在地平线上，然后是一道红色。终于迎来了早晨，但是没有一只鸟因为早上而欢畅。现在他很高兴地散散步，因为他比之前感觉更冷了。
突然太阳升起来了，所有的一切都在瞬间变了样。灰色的沙漠变成了黄色，并且发着光，好像它们上面洒满了钻石。沙斯塔、赫温、布里、阿拉维斯的影子极长，在他们的左边互相追逐。皮尔峰的双峰在他们前方的远处，在阳光中闪闪发光。沙斯塔看到他们有一点点偏离。“往左边一点点，往左边一点点。”他叫道。最好的是，当你向后看的时候，塔什班城已经小且远了。坟场完全看不到，被淹没在边缘参差不齐的驼峰里了，那驼峰就是太洛帝的城市，所有人都感觉好多了。但是这种现象没有持续很久。即使塔什班城在他们第一次回头看的时候，看起来离得很远，但当他们继续前进的时候，它看起来没有更远一点。沙斯塔放弃回头去看它，因为那只给了他一种在原地停留，根本没有一点移动的感觉。于是光也变成了令人厌烦的东西。沙子的光芒让他的眼睛感到疼痛，但他知道他不能够闭上眼睛。他必须眯起眼睛，保证确认皮尔峰就在他们的前方，并且不断地大喊出正确的方向。随后是炙热，当他不得不下来行走的时候，他第一次感觉到了灼热。他从马的身上滑下来到沙子上，沙子上腾起来的热气直直地朝着他的脸冲过来，就好像从炉灶门口冲出来的一样。第二次下马的时候更加糟糕了；第三次，他光光的脚丫子一碰到沙子就痛得叫了起来，说时迟那时快，他迅速缩回一只脚到马镫上，另外一只脚已经半跨到布里的背上了。
“抱歉，布里。”他气喘吁吁地说，“我没办法走路，沙子烫伤了我的脚。”
“当然了。”布里喘着说，“我自己早就应该想到的。待着吧，不会有其他办法了。”
“你倒还可以。”沙斯塔对正在赫温身边行走着的阿拉维斯说道，
“你穿着鞋呢。”阿拉维斯绷着脸什么都没有说。我们希望她不是故意这样的吧，但她的确是故意的。
再次地，小跑、行走、再小跑，叮当……叮当……叮当……嘎吱……嘎吱……嘎吱，马儿热得出汗的味道，热气本身的味道，炫目的光，头痛。一千米又一千米，一切没有任何不同。塔什班城看上去永远都不会离得更远一些。那些山永远不会离得更近一些。你会感觉一切都在重复——叮当……叮当……叮当……嘎吱……嘎吱……嘎吱，马儿热的出汗的味道，热气本身的味道。当然，当人们精疲力竭的时候会用各种各样的游戏尝试来消耗时间。当然，这些游戏毫无作用。他们竭力不去想饮料——那种在塔什班城地一个宫殿里喝到的冰凉果汁，来自黑土大地的清泉，乳酪丰富却不油腻，冰凉柔和的牛奶——然而越是竭力不去想它，越是容易想得更多。
最后终于出现了一些不同的东西——沙子里挺起一块巨大的石头，有三十英尺高，五十码那么长。大石头并没有投下多少影子，因为此时太阳升的非常高，所以只有一点阴凉。他们挤到阴凉的地方。在那里他们吃了一些食物，喝了一点水。将装在皮囊里的水给马喝并不容易，但是布里和赫温都聪明地利用了他们的嘴唇。没有一个人拥有足够的东西。谁也没有说话。马儿们浑身都是汗水，呼吸的声音很吵，孩子们脸色苍白。
在很短暂的休息之后，他们再次继续赶路。同样的声音，同样的味道，同样的光芒，直到最后他们的影子开始转移到他们的右边，然后变得越来越长，好像要伸展到世界的尽头一样。太阳十分缓慢地靠近了西边的地平线。现在，太阳最终落山了，谢天谢地，残酷的反光终于消失了，尽管从沙漠里散发出来的热气仍然像之前一样咄咄逼人。四双眼睛都迫切地寻找着山谷的迹象，萨罗帕德和乌鸦都提到过的那个山谷。但是，一千米又一千米，除了沙子什么都没有。现在白天完全结束了，大部分星星也都出来了，马儿们仍然在前行着，孩子们在马鞍上起伏不定，被口渴和疲惫折磨得十分痛苦。月亮还是没有升起来，沙斯塔用奇怪的，渴到极点的人的声音喊道：“前面就是了！”现在不会再错了。前边，稍稍靠右一点，终于出现了一个斜坡：一个缓慢向下的斜坡，斜坡的两边都是石头垒成的小堆。马儿们已经累得无法说话，只能蹒跚地向前跑去，一两分钟之后他们进入了峡谷。一开始，在峡谷里比起在沙漠里还要不舒服，因为被夹在石墙的中间，闷热得无法呼吸，而且月光也太少了。斜坡险峻地向下延伸，两边的岩石耸立成峭壁。接着，他们开始发现植物了——很像仙人掌的多刺的植物，还有会扎痛手指的粗糙的草。
不久，马蹄不再是踏在沙子上，而是踩在石头上了，他们在山谷的每一个拐角急切地寻找着水。马儿们几乎已经精疲力竭，赫温脚步蹒跚，喘着粗气，落在了布里的后面。在他们几乎绝望的时候，终于发现了一点儿泥浆，和一条从柔软茂密的青草中渗出来的细细河流。那河流变成了溪水，溪水变成了两岸长着灌木的小河，小河又变成了大河。在经历了无法形容的许多次失望之后，这个时刻真是喜出望外。一直处于困倦状态的沙斯塔，突然发现布里停了下来，他自己也快速从马上滑了下来。在他们面前一条瀑布流泻到一个宽阔的水池里，两匹马儿们已经在水池里面了，它们低着自己的脑袋，喝啊，喝啊，喝啊。
“噢……噢……噢，”沙斯塔说着跳进了池塘，池水一直升到他的膝盖，他干脆直接将自己的脑袋伸到瀑布中区，这可能是他一生中最快乐的时刻了。
大概十分钟之后，当他们四个( 其中两个孩子几乎浑身都湿了)从池塘里出来的时候，他们才开始注意到四周。月亮现在足够高，又足够照到山谷里面。河的两边有柔软的青草，青草之上，大树和灌木一直延续到悬崖绝壁的地步。那里一定有许多奇妙的花朵隐藏着，因为整片空地中弥漫着最凉爽最芳香的味道。而且从树木之间紧密的地方传来了一个声音，沙斯塔以前从未听到过的夜莺的歌声。每个人都太疲倦了，以致不能讲话或者吃东西。马儿们不等解下马鞍就立刻躺了下来。阿拉维斯和沙斯塔也一样躺了下来。大概十分钟之后，谨慎的赫温说：“但是我们一定不能睡觉，我们要坚持在罗八达到达之前赶到。”
“是啊，”布里慢悠悠地说道，“一定不能睡觉，只是休息一下。”沙斯塔知道了( 几乎是瞬间)，如果他不站起来做一些他应该做的事情的话，他们所有人都会沉沉入睡。事实上，他下定决心自己站起来，并且劝说他们继续前行。但是现在……不，只是等一下……
不久，月光便照射到两匹马和两个孩子的身上，夜莺的歌声也传到了大家耳边，他们全都睡着了。
最先醒过来的是阿拉维斯。太阳已经在天空中升得很高，凉爽的清晨时间已经错过了。“这是我的错误，”她一边对自己愤愤地说道，一边跳起身来，开始叫醒其他人。“马儿连续赶了一整天的路，是不能指望他们不睡觉的，即使他们能够说话；当然男孩也是，他虽然没有教养，但是我应该更加懂事啊。”
其他人马都因为沉睡而迷迷糊糊的，有些傻掉了。
“嗨——噢！——布罗——呵！”布里说，“不解马鞍就睡熟了，嗯？我再也不这么做了。最最不舒服的是……”
“噢，走吧，走吧，”阿拉维斯说道，“我们已经浪费了大半个早上。现在没有一分钟多余的了。”
“总得吃一口草吧。”布里说道。
“恐怕我们不能再等了。”阿拉维斯说道。
“为什么这么急急忙忙的呢？”布里说道，“我们已经穿过了沙漠，不是吗？”
“但是我们还没有进入阿钦兰，”阿拉维斯说道，“而且我们必须要在罗八达到达之前赶到那里。”
“噢，我们一定在他前面好几千米远了，”布里说，“我们不是走了一条更近的路吗？沙斯塔，难道你的乌鸦朋友说的不是这条捷径吗？”
“他并没有说这里更近，”沙斯塔回答道，“他只是说更好，因为在这条路上你可以遇到一条河。如果绿洲正好在塔什班城的正北方，那么，恐怕这条路更长些。”
“我如果不吃一顿的话就没有办法继续赶路。”布里说道，“沙斯塔，帮我取下马鞍。”
“对不起，”赫温害羞地说道，“我只是和布里一样感觉不能继续了。但是当马身上背负着人( 还配上了马刺一类的)，马儿们不是即使像这样感到饥饿，也经常被驱使着赶路吗？然后它们发现它们可以。我是说——我们甚至应该做得更好，既然我们是自由的。这一切都是为了纳尼亚啊。”
“我认为，女士，”布里用非常压倒性的口气说道，“关于战争，武力行军，一匹马能够忍受什么，我比你懂的要更多一点。”对于这点赫温并没有做出回答，像大部分出身高贵的马一样，她非常紧张和温柔，很容易被说服。事实上，它的意见是十分正确的，而且如果此时有一个泰坎骑在布里的马背上，布里能拼命跑上好几个小时。但需要努力，又被迫需要干活的最坏结果就是：一旦没有人强迫你去做什么的时候，你会发现自己几乎没有做事的力量。
所以他们不得不等布里吃东西和喝水，当然，赫温和孩子们也吃了一点，喝了一点。他们重新开始赶路之前，已经快要到上午十一点了。而且即使已经到了这个时间，布里干起活来比昨天更加轻柔了。虽然赫温是两匹马之中比较柔弱，而且更加疲惫的，但是真正走在前头的却是赫温。山谷本身，包括它棕色的，凉爽的河流、草坪、苍苔和杜鹃花，是一个那么令人感到愉快的地方，使你不由放慢自己的脚步。

第十章 南来隐士
他们在山谷里骑行了几个小时之后，山谷变得宽阔了，他们可以看得见前边的景象了。他们一路沿着走过来的那条河，在这里和一条更加宽阔、汹涌的大河汇合在一起。大河从他们的左边流淌到右边，一直向东流去。在这条大河的后面，有一个更加美丽的国度，山丘逐渐升高，山丘外还有山丘，一直连接到北方的群山。右边有几个塔形的岩石，其中两三个顶部的突出部分还积着雪。左边是密布着松树的山坡，峭壁，狭窄的山谷，蓝色的山峰，一直伸展到眼睛可以看到的地方。他们再也认不出皮尔峰了。在笔直的正前方，山脉凹了下去，形成一个树木茂密的马鞍状，这里一定就是从阿钦兰进入纳尼亚的关卡了。
“布罗——呵呵，北方，绿色的北方。”布里嘶鸣着。阿拉维斯和沙斯塔的眼睛都是在南方长成的，所以低矮的小山看起来比他们所能够想象到的任何东西都要更加翠绿，更加新鲜。当他们走到两条河的交汇处，他们更加精神了。
向东奔腾而去的大河是从西边的高山上倾泻下来的，速度太快，太湍急，他们不敢游泳过去。但是在岸上寻找了半天，终于找到了一个浅的足够涉水过去的地方。哗啦啦的水声，冲刷在马蹄茸毛上的漩涡，清凉的，舞动的空气，飞来飞去的蜻蜓，都使沙斯塔的心里充满了兴奋之情。
“朋友们，我们已经到阿钦兰了。”布里泼着水，摇晃着上岸，骄傲地说道，“我想我们刚刚渡过的河流就叫做旋箭河。”
“希望我们及时赶到了。”赫温喃喃地说道。然后他们开始攀登，缓慢曲折地，因为山都很陡峭。这里是完全开放的，公园一样的乡野，视线中没有任何道路和房子。树木到处都是，但没有茂密到足够成为森林。沙斯塔以前都生活在一个几乎没有树木的草原上，从来都没有看到过这么多的树，这么多种类的树。如果你也在那里，你可能知道( 他可不知道就) 他看到的是橡树、山毛棒、白桦、花楸、栗子树呢。当他们前进的时候，野兔就向四面八方逃走，不久他们就看到一群棕色黇鹿从林木之间逃走了。
“这地方真是美极了。”阿拉维斯说道。登上第一个山脊的时候，沙斯塔从马鞍上向后望去，再也没有塔什班城的一点痕迹了。茫茫的大沙漠一直绵延到地平线上，唯一隔断沙漠的，就是刚才他们走过的那一道狭窄的翠绿的裂痕。
“喂，”他突然说道，“那是什么！”
“什么？”布里转过身说道。赫温和阿拉维斯也都转过身来。
“那里。”沙斯塔指着说，“那看起来好像是烟，着火了吗？”
“我觉得是沙暴。”布里说。
“风没有大到可以产生沙暴。”阿拉维斯说道。
“噢！”赫温喊道，“看，有些东西在闪光。看，是钢盔——盔甲。它们正在移动，朝着这个方向。”
“噢，塔什神啊！”阿拉维斯说道，“那是军队，属于罗八达的。” “当然是。”赫温说道，“这正是我担心的事情。我们必须在它的前面赶到安瓦德。”赫温不再说话，转过身来，开始朝着北边奔跑。布里晃了晃它的脑袋，也一样向着北方奔跑起来。
“快点，布里，快点。”阿拉维斯回头喊道。对于马儿们来说，这是一次极为紧张的竞跑。当他们到达每个山脊的顶端的时候，总是会发现前面有另一个山脊。尽管他们知道他们走的方向是正确的，但是没有人知道离安瓦德有多远。在第二个山脊上，沙斯塔再次回头望过去。现在看到的不是从沙漠里冒起来的一阵烟，而是一团黑漆漆的东西，看起来像是蚂蚁。正在旋箭河的河岸上移动。毫无疑问，他们正在寻找可以涉水过来的地方。
“他们到河边了。”他惊呼道。
“快！快！”阿拉维斯大声喊道，“如果我们不能及时地赶到安瓦德，我们就等于从来没有来过。快跑，布里，快跑。记住你是一匹战马。”
沙斯塔能做的，只是阻止他自己喊出类似于指示的话。但是他想：
“可怜的家伙们已经做了他们能做的一切”。但他没有说出口。当然，这两匹马，如果不是筋疲力尽，也都以为自己筋疲力尽了，这两者可不是同一回事。布里已经追上了赫温，他们并驾齐驱地穿过草地。看起来赫温可能不能坚持更久了。
就在这个关键的时刻，每个人都感觉到后面的声音改变了。并不是他们意料中会听到的声音——马蹄的嗒嗒声和盔甲的叮当声，或者还掺杂着卡乐门人的呐喊声。然而，沙斯塔立刻听出来了。这是他们在月明之夜第一次遇到阿拉维斯和赫温的时候，听到的咆哮声。布里也马上明白了，他的眼睛发光，两个耳朵靠后贴在它的脑袋上。布里这个时候才发现，他并没有真正尽力地在跑——并没有足够的快——像他能够做到的那样。沙斯塔立刻感觉到了变化。现在他们真的是在用尽全力在跑，不出几秒钟，就超过了赫温。
“真不顺利。”沙斯塔想到，“我还以为这里比较安全，已经远离狮子了呢。”
他回过头去看。所有的一切都看得很清楚。一只巨大的黄褐色生物，躯体低垂到地上，正跟随在他们的身后，就好像一只陌生的狗闯入到花园的时候，一只猫正跑过草地要窜到树上去一样。转眼之间，那动物越来越近了。
他再次向前看了看，看到了之前他没有注意到，甚至没有想到的事情。他们前进的路被一道十英尺高的光滑绿色墙壁挡住了。在墙垣的中间有一个大门，门里边站着一个很高的男人，光着脚穿一件秋叶色的长袍，身子歪斜着靠在一根笔直的手杖上。他的胡须很长，几乎到他的膝盖了。
沙斯塔一瞥就看到了一切，他回过头去看，狮子现在几乎要抓到赫温了。狮子正在向她的腿扑去，此刻赫温汗迹斑斑，圆睁的眼睛上已经露出了绝望的神色。
“停，”沙斯塔在布里的耳边大声喊道，“我们必须回去，必须回去救她。”
布里在后来总是说他从来没有听到过这句话，或者从来没有听懂这句话，一般来说，他是一匹十分忠实的马，我们必须要相信他的话。
沙斯塔从马镫中抽出了两只脚，只犹豫了百分之一秒的可怕时间，就从马的左边跳了下来。他受了重伤，腰几乎闪了，但他还没有弄清楚自己受了什么伤，就立刻蹒跚着走回去救阿拉维斯了。他一生都没有做过这类的事情，现在也不清楚自己为什么要这样做。
 
世界上最可怕的声音——一匹马儿的哀鸣声，从赫温的嘴里发了出来。阿拉维斯正低下身来趴在赫温的脖子上，好像试图拔出刀来。现在，他们三个——阿拉维斯，赫温和狮子，几乎都在沙斯塔的头顶上。他们还没有靠近他，那狮子便用后腿站了起来( 你简直没办法相信他躯体的巨大)，伸出前腿的右爪子，猛然间扑向阿拉维斯。沙斯塔看得见那全部伸开来的爪子。阿拉维斯尖叫着，在马鞍上摇摇晃晃，狮子在扯着她的肩膀。沙斯塔，几乎害怕到半疯了，试图向野兽扑过去。他没有武器，甚至没有一根棍子或者一块石头。他大喊着，像傻子一样，就好像狮子就是一只狗一样。“回家去，回家去。”在危机时刻，他紧盯着那长得大大的，凶狠的狮子的嘴巴。然后，让他十分诧异的是，狮子仍旧用后腿站立着，突然控制住自己，变得俯首贴地了，并且迅速地跑掉了。
沙斯塔一时间还以为狮子并没有真的跑掉。他转过身，向着绿色城墙的大门跑去，现在他第一次记起自己看过那面墙。赫温脚步蹒跚，几乎要晕过去了，刚刚进入那个大门。阿拉维斯仍然保持坐在马鞍上，但她的背上已经被鲜血覆盖了。
“进来，我的女儿，进来吧。”穿长袍的长须老人说。然后，当沙斯塔气喘吁吁地跑向他那里的时候，他又说“进来吧，我的儿子。”沙斯塔听到大门在他身后关上，奇怪的长须老人已经在帮助阿拉维斯下马了。
他们在一个宽阔的，圆形的围场里，四周有一道高高的绿色草皮叠成的高墙保护。他们面前是一汪池水，十分平静，水面和地面一样高。池水的另一边，生长着沙斯塔从来都没有见过的，最大、最美丽的树木，树叶繁茂，遮蔽着池塘。池塘的后面是一间低矮的小石头房子，茅草屋顶又厚又旧。从远处有着一些山羊的围场那边传来羊的叫声。平地上完全地覆盖着肥美的青草。
“你是……是……是”沙斯塔喘着气问道，“你是阿钦兰的伦恩国王吗？”
老人摇了摇头，“不，”他低声回应道，“我是南来的隐士。亲爱的，不要浪费时间问问题了，按照我说的去做。这位小姐受伤了，你的马已经没有力气了。罗八达此时在旋箭河上已经找到了可以涉水而过的地方。如果你现在跑过去，一刻也不休息的话，你将仍然来得及向伦恩国王示警。”
沙斯塔听到这些话心凉了一半，因为他感觉自己的力量都消失了。他内心苦恼，认为这要求对于他太不公平了。他还没有学到，如果你做了一件好事，你得到的奖励常常是去做另外一件更难更好的事情。但沙斯塔只是大声问道：“国王在哪？”
隐士转过身，用他的手杖指示道：“看，”他说，“那里还有一扇门，正好对着你进来的那扇门。打开它，笔直地往前走，一直保持笔直，经过平地和陡峭的地方，经过顺利或者不顺利的地方，经过干燥或者潮湿的地方。我知道，凭借法术，你只要笔直地前进，就能够找到伦恩国王。但是你要跑，跑，始终奔跑。”
沙斯塔点了点头，朝着北边的那门跑去，然后消失了。隐士刚刚一直用左臂支撑着阿拉维斯，这时候他半扶着她进入了房间。好久之后，他再次从里面出来。
“现在，伙计们，”他对马儿们说道，“轮到你们了。”没有等他们回答——事实上他们已经筋疲力尽到无法说话了——他为他们卸下马鞍和马嚼，用力按摩两匹马儿的全身，按摩得太好，即使是国王的侍从也不能做得更好。
“听着，伙计们，”他说，“请把一切都抛开吧。放宽心，这里有水，那里有青草。等到我给其他的伙计们——山羊们——挤完奶，你们就有羊奶喝了。”
“先生，”赫温终于缓过气来了，它问道，“泰坎希娜还活着吗？狮子杀了她吗？”
“根据我的魔法，我知道很多正在发生的事情，”隐士微笑道，
“但未来的事情就没法预测那么多。因此我不知道任何人或动物在日落时是否还活着。不过还是要心怀希望，这位少女有可能活得比她的同龄人都久。”
当阿拉维斯苏醒过来的时候，她发现自己正躺在一张特别柔软的床上，房间里什么陈设也没有，石头墙也是未经雕琢的、粗糙的。她不明白为什么要安排她俯卧；但当她想要翻身的时候，背上感觉到了灼热的，十分疼痛的感觉，她想起来了，意识到了为什么会这样。她不明白这床是用什么舒适又有弹性的材料做的，因为这床是用石南荒原草( 最好的垫褥) 做成的，她从来没有见过或听过这种草。门打开了，然后隐士走了进来，手里拿着一个大木碗。他小心翼翼地将碗放下后，来到床边，问：“你觉得自己怎么样，我的女儿？”
“我的后背很痛，父亲，”阿拉维斯说道，“但是没有其他的问题了。”
他跪在她的旁边，将手放到她的额头上，感受她的体温。
“没有发烧，”他说，“你会好的。事实上，明天你就没有任何理由继续躺着了。现在，请把这个喝掉。”他拿起木碗送到她的唇边。阿拉维斯喝下去的时候禁不住做了一个鬼脸，因为还没有习惯羊奶味道的时候总是震惊的。但是她很口渴，所以设法将羊奶全部喝掉了，当她喝完之后，感觉好多了。
“现在，我的女儿，你可以安安稳稳地睡一会儿。”隐士说道，
“因为你的伤口都已经洗过，并且敷了药包好了，伤口虽然很痛，但是并不比鞭打产生的伤痕严重。这肯定是一头非常奇怪的狮子，它并没有用牙齿咬到你的肉里，将你从马鞍上拽下来，而是用爪子在你的背上挠了一下。十道抓痕，痛，但是并不深也不会危及生命。”
“要我说，”阿拉维斯说道，“是我运气好。”
“女儿啊，”隐士说道，“我已经在世界上活了一百零九个冬天了，但从来没有碰到过类似于运气的东西。关于这一切，有些东西我没有搞懂，但是我确实需要去弄明白，你不妨确信我们一定会弄明白的。”
“那么罗八达和他的二百人马怎么样了？”阿拉维斯问道。
“他们不会经过这条路，我认为。”隐士说道，“现在他们一定已经找到了一条离我们东边一点的路，他们将试图笔直地骑行到安瓦德。”
“可怜的沙斯塔。”阿拉维斯说道，“他要跑很远吗？他能够先到达吗？”
“很有可能。”老人说道。
阿拉维斯再次躺了下来( 这回是侧躺着)，她说：“我已经睡了很长时间码？好像天已经黑下来了。”
隐士从唯一的窗子望了出去，窗子朝向北方。“这不是夜晚的黑暗，”他立刻说道，“云朵们从暴风雨峰汹涌而下，我们这里的恶劣天气都是从那一部分来的。今晚将会有很大的雾。”
第二天，除了后背疼痛，阿拉维斯感觉很好，所以在用过早餐( 早餐是粥和奶油) 之后，隐士说她可以起床了。当然，她立刻就去和两匹马儿说话。天气变好了，整个围场好像绿色的巨大杯子，里面装满了阳光。这是个非常和平的地方，孤独而且安静。
赫温立刻跑了过来，给阿拉维斯一个马儿的亲吻。
“布里呢？”当他们互相问过彼此的健康和睡眠之后，阿拉维斯问道。
“在那边。”赫温说，用她的鼻子指着围场的另一边，“而且我希望你能和他说说话。感觉有些事情不对，我没办法从他那里问出来。”
他们慢慢地走过去，发现布里面对着墙躺着，他一定已经听到
他们过来了，但是根本不转过他的头，也不说话。
“早，布里。”阿拉维斯说道，“你今天早上还好吗？”布里喃喃地说了些什么，但是没有人能听懂。
“隐士说，沙斯塔可能及时地找到了国王伦恩。”阿拉维斯继续说，“所以看起来我们的困难已经解决了。我们最终要到纳尼亚去了，布里。”
“我将永远不会再看到纳尼亚了。”布里用他低沉的声音说道。
“你身体不好吗？亲爱的布里。”阿拉维斯说道。布里最终转过身来，他的脸上写满了哀痛，只有马儿才会这样。
“我要回到卡乐门去。”他说。
“什么？”阿拉维斯说道，“回去做奴隶吗？”
“是的，”布里说，“我只合适做奴隶。我有什么脸去见纳尼亚那些自由的马啊？我是丢下了一匹母马，一个女孩和一个男孩，让他们被狮子吃掉，却为了自己活命，使出浑身力气逃跑的马。”
“我们所有人都尽我们的力量逃跑啊。”赫温说道。
“沙斯塔没有。”布里喘息着说道，“至少他是按照正确的方向跑的。他跑了回去，这是最让我感觉到羞愧的。我，自称自己是一匹战马，身经百战，但是却被一个小小的人类男孩比了下去。一个孩子，不过是一头驹子，一辈子都没有拿过剑，也没有受到过好的教育，没有见到过任何榜样。”“
我懂。”阿拉维斯说道，“我有同样地感觉。沙斯塔很了不起。我和你一样糟糕，布里。自从遇到你们，我一直都瞧不起他，怠慢他，现在他转过身来成为我们所有人中最好的。但是我认为，还是应该留下来对他说我们很抱歉，这要比回到卡乐门更好一些。”
“这办法对你来说很好。”布里说，“你并没有给自己丢脸。但是我却丢掉了一切。”
“我的好马儿，”隐士说道，大家没有察觉到他的到来，是因为他光着脚踩在清香的沾满露水的草地上没有任何声音，“我的好马，你除了失去了自己的自命不凡外没有失去任何东西。不，不，我的老伙计，别对着我把耳朵朝后，也别抖动你的鬃毛。如果你确实像你一分钟之前说的那样谦虚，你就应该学着去听更理智的声音。你一直都生活在那些安静的可怜的马儿之间，你会自然地认为自己是最了不起的马儿。其实不是这样的。当然，你比它们要更加勇敢，更加聪明。你很难不这样，但这不能说明你在纳尼亚就是什么杰出的马儿。但是只要你现在知道自己没有什么特别的，总的看来，你是一匹很不错的马。而且现在，如果你能和我们另一位四足的老伙计一起绕到厨房门口来，我们就为你准备另外半份饲料了。”

第十一章 不受欢迎的同路人
沙斯塔穿过门，看到一个芳草萋萋的山坡，一些杂草蔓延到了树边。除了奔跑之外他毫无办法，但是这也足够了；他四肢颤抖，两肋如针扎般的疼，汗水落进眼睛里，让它们疼痛并且模糊不清。走路踉踉跄跄，脚踝不止一次地撞在凌乱的石头上。
树木比刚才更加茂盛，空地上生长着大片的蕨类植物。太阳藏了起来，但是仍然燥热不已。当看到苍蝇似乎比往常多了一倍的时候，他感觉更加炎热灰暗。沙斯塔脸上爬满了苍蝇，但是他现在没有工夫去赶走它们。
突然，他听到了号角声——不是塔什班城那种悸动的号角声，而是一种欢乐的呼喊：蒂……罗……托托……霍！很快他就走进了一片宽阔的林间空地，发觉自己周围都是人了。
至少在他看来是一大群人。事实上总共有大概十五或者二十人，绅士们都身着绿色打猎装，有的坐在马鞍上，有些站在马身边。中间有个人拉住马镫，以方便一位绅士上马。那个绅士你能够想象得到，就是兴高采烈、肥头大耳、圆滚滚、眼睛亮晶晶的国王。
国王一看到沙斯塔，就把上马的事儿全忘了。兴高采烈的向他展开双臂，用他那仿佛来自胸腔最深处的洪厚声音喊道：“科林！我的儿子！像个乞丐一样在步行！发生了什么……”
“不，”沙斯塔晃着脑袋，气喘吁吁的说，“我不是科林王子，我……我……知道和他长得很像……我在塔什班见到了王子殿下……我带来了王子的问候。”国王用诧异的表情盯着沙斯塔。
“您是国……国王伦恩吗？”沙斯塔没有等国王回答就气喘吁吁的说了下去，“国王陛下……快跑……安瓦德关上城门……罗八达和两百人马正在逼近。”
“你确信，孩子？”另一位绅士问道。
“亲眼所见，”沙斯塔说，“我看到了他们。我从塔什班城一路和他们赛跑过来的。”
“步行？”绅士微微挑了下眉毛说道。
“骑马……马在隐士家里。”沙斯塔说。
“别问了，达兰，”国王伦恩说，“我看是真的。绅士们，我们必须抓紧时间了。给这孩子一匹备用马。你能骑马快跑吗，朋友？”作为回答，沙斯塔纵身骑到了马鞍上。过去几个星期，布里已经引导他骑过很多次马了，第一次上马的那个晚上，布里嘲笑他就像在爬一个干草堆，但是现在情况大为改观了。当听到达兰爵士对国王说：“这孩子骑马姿势颇具骑士风度，陛下，我保证他有贵族血统。”沙斯塔兴奋不已。
“他的血统，是呀，这是关键。”国王说。再次用那双坚定的、灰色的眼睛紧紧盯着他，眼里露出探询甚至是渴望的神色。
但是很快这群绅士就开始行动。沙斯塔的马鞍很棒，但是他苦于不知如何使用缰绳，当骑在布里背上时是从不用缰绳的。他小心翼翼的偷瞄其他人的动作( 就像我们在宴会上不知道选择刀子还是叉子那样)，竭力让自己的手指姿势正确。但他不敢直接用缰绳去控制马；他深信马会随着其他人马一起行动。马当然是不会说话的普通马；但是它也认识到了，背上这个奇怪的孩子，既没有马鞭，也没有马刺，难以控制局面。这就是为什么沙斯塔很快发现自己远远落后的原因了。
即便如此，他的速度也不慢。苍蝇很少，空气清新。他呼吸平稳，使命已经完成。这是他到达塔什班城( 好像是很久以前的事情了) 后第一次感觉到逍遥自在。
他抬起头，看看自己离山顶还有多远。让他大失所望的是，只看到一片沉重的灰色迎面而来，压根就看不到山顶。他从未在山区待过，眼前的景象让他诧异。“是云，”他自言自语，“一片下降的云，看来这里有一座高耸入云的山。我能够看到云里面是什么样子了。多有趣！我不止一次地想弄清楚。”在遥远的左后方，太阳开始落山了。此时他们到了崎岖的道路上，速度加快。沙斯塔仍落在最后。
有那么一两次，在大路转弯的地方( 现在大路两旁是绵延不绝的森林)，其他人马在他视野里消失了几秒钟。
接着他们遇到了大雾，或者说大雾吞没了他们，世界变得灰蒙蒙的。沙斯塔不曾想到，在云雾中是如此湿冷和黑暗，灰白的雾以惊人的速度变黑了。
队伍的前头不时有号角声传来，声音越来越远。他现在已经看不到其他人了，当在拐弯的地方时，好像能够看到，但是过了拐弯处，又什么也看不到了。事实上，他压根就没看到过。现在马像是在散步。“快点儿，马儿，快点儿。”沙斯塔说。然后他听到已经十分轻微的号角声。布里不止一次地告诉他，骑马时放好脚跟，所以沙斯塔认为，脚跟踢到马两肋的时候会有可怕的事情发生。但是现在他不得不试一下了。“听着，马儿，你再不快点的话，可知道我会干什么？我保证会用脚跟踢你。”然而马毫不理睬。迫不得已，沙斯塔只得牢牢坐在马鞍上，牙关紧咬，双膝夹紧，用尽力气用脚跟踢马的两肋。结果只是那马儿装模作样的小跑几步，然后又恢复常态了。天色漆黑，号角声已经没有了。唯一的声音就是树叶上的滴水声。“好吧，我想即使马步行，也能带我到某个地方去，”沙斯塔安慰自己，“我只希望不要碰到罗八达和他的人马。”马儿用步行的速度，又走了仿佛很长时间。他饥肠辘辘，开始讨厌马儿了。
不久，他到了一个岔路口，正琢磨着哪一条能够通往安瓦德的时候，背后的一阵声音惊吓到了他。是马儿的蹄声，“罗八达！”沙斯塔想。他没法猜测罗八达会走哪条路。“但是如果我走了这一条路，”沙斯塔告诉自己，“说不定他会走那条，但是我继续待在这儿，肯定会被抓住。”他下了马，牵着它以最快的速度走上右手边那条路。骑兵的声音迅速逼近，很快沙斯塔就意识到，他们已经到了岔路口。他屏息静气，等着看他们到底走哪条路。
“停止前进！”，一声低沉的命令传来。接下来是马的鼻息声，马蹄刨地的声音，咬嚼子的声音和拍马脖子的声音。然后有人说话了。
“大家听着，”那声音说道，“现在离城堡不到200 米了，记住命令。一旦进入纳尼亚国境( 应该在日出时到达)，尽量不要杀人。在这番冒险行动中，你们要把每一滴纳尼亚人的血看作比你们一加仑的血还重要，记住了，只是在这次行动中。以后在凯尔帕拉维尔和西部沙漠之间你们可以大杀特杀，那是天神赐予你们的。但现在还没有到达纳尼亚。这儿——阿钦兰境内，是另一回事儿。以最快的速度攻下伦恩国王的城堡。拿出勇气，务必一个时辰内成功。如果你们占领了它，我把所有都给你们，什么战利品也不留给自己。把城里每一个野蛮的男人，包括昨天刚出生的婴儿，统统杀掉，其他一切你们想怎么分就怎么分——包括女人、金子、珠宝、武器和美酒。畏缩的人会被活活烧死，以不可阻挡、不可抗拒的塔什神的名义——前进。”随着一阵喧闹的蹄声，骑兵们行动了，沙斯塔缓了口气。他们选择了另一条路。
骑兵们花了好长时间才过去，虽然他口头和心上整天都挂着“两百人马”，但实际上有多少人他并不清楚。骑兵的声音最终还是消失了，他只得继续听树叶滴水的声音。
现在他知道去安瓦德的路了，但显然现在还不能动身，不然就是自寻死路。“我究竟该怎么办呢？”沙斯塔问自己。他重新跨上马，沿着选择的路继续走，抱着微薄的希望，但愿能找到几户人家，求个栖身之所，填饱肚子。他当然也想过回到隐士那里去，和阿拉维斯、布里、赫温汇合，但是现在他办不到，因为他已经弄不清楚方向了。“这条路，”沙斯塔想，“终归是要通往某个地方的。”
但那完全取决于你说的某个地方是什么意思。道路通向的地方，看起来树木越来越多，漆黑一片，水声嗒嗒，空气凛冽，寒风阵阵，想要吹走雾霭但是徒劳无功。如果他在山区生活过，他就会明白，现在他所处的海拔越来越高，也许正好在山口顶上。但是沙斯塔对山一无所知。
“我确信，”沙斯塔说，“我肯定是这个世界上最不幸的孩子。除了我，人人都万事如意。那些纳尼亚国王女王都安全地离开了塔什班城，只有我被抛下。阿拉维斯、布里、赫温都和老隐士一起享受生活，我却被派出来奔波。伦恩国王和其他人应该安全到达城堡，用城门阻止了罗八达，也把我关在了外面。”
他饥肠辘辘，疲惫不堪，暗自伤心垂泪。
一种突然的惶恐打断了他的伤感。沙斯塔发现有人或者动物在身边走来走去。周围伸手不见五指。那个东西( 或者人) 脚步非常轻，难以辨别。他只能听到呼吸声。这个“隐身人”呼吸沉重，沙斯塔感觉这是一种庞然大物。他才发现自己是逐渐注意到呼吸声的，也就是说它早就在这儿了。沙斯塔不觉心惊肉跳。
他突然想到，在很久以前，他听说过北方国家有巨人存在。他惶恐地咬着嘴唇，本来应该哭泣的，但是他没有。
这个庞然大物( 如果不是人) 仍然安静地在他身边走着，沙斯塔希望这不过是幻觉而已。但他逐渐确信这种想法的时候，身旁的黑暗中传来一声沉重的长叹，这不可能是幻觉！确信无疑的是，他感觉到一股热气喷到了他冰冷的左手上。
如果马还能发挥点作用——或者他知道如何让它发挥作用——他历尽千难万险也要逃脱出去。但他不知道怎么让马跑起来，如果他继续让马慢悠悠地走，身旁环绕着庞然大物的呼吸。他最后肯定会崩溃的。
“你到底是谁？”他说，声音比窃窃私语高不了多少。
“一个等你说话的人，”那东西说。声音不大，但是响亮浑厚。
“你是——你是巨人吗？”沙斯塔问。
“你也可以叫我巨人，”大嗓门说，“但我并不像你们所说的巨人。”
“我根本就看不见你，”沙斯塔努力瞧了一会儿说。接着( 一个更可怕的念头跳了出来)，他几乎是尖叫着说，“你是活着的是吗？哦，请——请你离开吧。我没有做过伤害你的事。哎，我是这个世界上最倒霉的人了！”一阵热热的气息再一次扑到他的手上和脸上。“听着，”那东西说，
“这可不是鬼魂能够发出来的。请把你的苦恼告诉我吧。”感受到那气息，沙斯塔稍稍心安：他向那个庞然大物倾诉，他不知道亲生父母是谁，被渔民养大。然后他说出了怎样被狮子追逐，不得不泅水逃命的逃命故事；还有在塔什班城遇到的种种危险，在坟地中过夜和听到那些沙漠中的野兽的吼叫。他讲到了沙漠跋涉中的炎热口渴，在快要到达目的地的时候被狮子追逐，阿拉维斯也被抓伤，还有他已经很久没吃东西了。
“我并不认为你是不幸的。”大嗓门说。
“遇到这么多狮子，难道还是幸运的？”沙斯塔说。
“只有一头狮子。”那声音说。
“你究竟是什么意思？我刚才就告诉你，第一夜就有至少两头狮子，还有……”
“只有一头狮子，但是速度极快。”
“你怎么知道？”
“我就是那头狮子。”沙斯塔瞠目结舌，无话可说，庞然大物继续说。“我就是逼你和阿拉维斯同行的那头狮子。我就是在坟场里给你安全感的猫咪。我就是在你熟睡时为你驱赶豺狼的那头狮子。我就是那头最后一英里路时在恐惧中重新赐予你的马力量，让你能够及时和伦恩国王汇合的狮子。我就是那头推着一条船的狮子，船里的你奄奄一息，一个深夜未眠的渔夫收留了你。而这一切，你都不记得。”
“抓伤阿拉维斯的也是你？”
“是我。”
“为什么？”
“孩子，”大嗓门说，“我在讲述你的故事，而不是她的。除了一个人自己的故事，我什么也不讲。”
“那你是谁？”沙斯塔问。
“我就是我自己，”那声音说，缓慢沉重，大地仿佛因此震颤：还是那句“我自己”，响亮、清晰、愉快；然后是第三遍“我自己”，声音柔和细微，难以辨别，然后这声音又从四面八方簇拥过来，树叶仿佛随之簌簌有声。
这声音即使来自要吃他的怪物，来自鬼魂，沙斯塔也不再害怕了。一种截然不同的敬畏传遍全身，他也逐渐乐观起来。
雾霭由漆黑变得灰白然后变得雪白，这种变化可能很早就发生了，但是沙斯塔和庞然大物交谈的时候，心无旁骛。周围的白色开始变得闪耀；沙斯塔眨眨眼睛，前方有鸟叫声传来。他知道黑夜终于过去了。马儿的脑袋、耳朵、鬃毛清晰可辨，一道金色光芒从左边照下来。起初他感觉是阳光。
他转过头，看到一头比马还高的狮子。马毫不畏惧，也许根本就看不到它。光芒来自狮子。这可能是他见过的最可怕、最美丽的东西了。
幸好沙斯塔一直生活在卡乐门南方的边远地区，没有听过塔什班城流传的传言：一个可怕的纳尼亚魔鬼化身为一头狮子。当然，关于阿斯兰的真正故事，关于伟大的狮子，海那边的王子，纳尼亚至高无上的皇帝，沙斯塔一无所知。但沙斯塔瞥了一眼狮子，就翻身下马，跪倒在狮子脚边。他无话可说，也不想说，而且他明白自己毋需多言。至高无上的狮王俯下头来，鬃毛有一种奇怪并庄严的香气，围绕在沙斯塔周围。狮子轻轻舔舐他的额头，沙斯塔抬起头，四目相对。接着，雾霭的白色光芒和狮子的金色光芒立刻混在一起，化作散发光芒的漩涡，聚拢收缩，最终消失。沙斯塔和马坐在蓝天下芳草嫩绿的山坡上，鸟鸣声声。

第十二章 沙斯塔在纳尼亚
“这是个梦？”沙斯塔疑惑不已。但当他看到在面前草地上，有个又大又深的狮子右爪爪印的时候，就知道这不是梦。能造成这样的爪印的力量，想想也叫人透不过气来。当他看到爪印的时候，发生了比爪印更奇怪的事，水已经浸满爪印底部，很快就溢了出来，形成了一条小溪，经过他身边，经过青草，向山下奔流而去。
沙斯塔弯下身子喝水——喝了很久，然后把脸浸在水里，用水泼头。水很凉，清澈透亮，沙斯塔神清气爽。然后他起身，甩掉耳朵里的水，把额前湿漉漉的头发撩到后面，开始观察周围的环境。
显然天色尚早，太阳刚刚升起，他看到右手边有茂密的森林，太阳就是从那儿出来的。他眺望这片土地，新奇不已。这儿溪流潺潺，树木茂盛，他瞥见一条熠熠生光的河流，拐了个弯，大致向西北方向奔流而去。溪谷对岸是高高的石头小山，但是比起昨天看到的山峰要低，他开始猜测自己身处何地。他转过身，看到自己身后是层层叠叠的山峰。
“我知道了，”沙斯塔自言自语，“这些就是介于阿钦兰和纳尼亚之间的大山。昨晚我在山的那边。我肯定是在夜晚穿过了山口。多幸运啊——可能压根就不是幸运，是那头狮子。我现在在纳尼亚国境了。”
他又转过身，给马卸下了缰绳和鞍子——“尽管你是一匹特别讨人厌的马。”他说。但是马毫不理会，开始吃草。马对沙斯塔评价同样不高。
“真希望我能吃草！”沙斯塔想，“回到安瓦德毫无意义，这个城将被围攻。我还不如到下面的山谷中找点吃的。”然后他就下山去( 露水浓重，让他的赤脚冰凉)，一直走到一个林场。他沿着一条贯穿林场的小路走了没几分钟，就听到一个沙哑的嗓音，呼哧呼哧的和他讲话。
“早安，邻居。”沙斯塔急忙四顾，想找出谁在说话，很快他就看到一个身材短小、黑脸多刺的小人，从树丛里走出来。作为一个人，显得有点小，但是作为一只刺猬，着实有点大了。但是它就是一只刺猬。
“早安，”沙斯塔说，“可我并不是你的邻居，事实上我对这儿并不熟。”
“啊？”刺猬充满疑问。
“我来自山那边——阿钦兰，你知道的。”
“啊，阿钦兰，”刺猬说，“实在太远了。我自己从没去过。”
“我想，你们应该了解，”沙斯塔说，“安瓦德城此时正在受到野蛮的卡乐门军队的进攻。”“不是吧！”刺猬答道，“好吧，想想吧，他们不是说卡乐门在成千上百里外吗，在世界尽头，需要越过一个大沙漠。”
“没有那么远，”沙斯塔说，“难道不应该解救一下安瓦德城吗？不应该禀报一下你们至高无上的国王吗？”
“确实如此，得干点事儿。”刺猬说，“但你瞧，我正要到床上去享受安眠。喂，邻居！”最后一句是对一只巨大的淡褐色兔子说的，刚才兔子脑袋从小径底下突然冒出来。刺猬立刻把沙斯塔告诉它的转告给兔子。兔子也认为这个消息惊人，应该发动群众做点事情。
一传十十传百。每隔几分钟就有新的生物加入进来，有的来自头顶的树枝，有的来自脚下的地底小屋。最后，这一帮子共有五只兔子、一只松鼠、两只喜鹊、一个长着羊脚的怪物和一只老鼠，他们议论纷纷，最终同意刺猬的意见。事实的真相是：在那个黄金时代，女巫和萧条都被赶走，至尊王彼得治理着凯尔帕拉维尔，纳尼亚小林区的居民生活安定幸福，以至他们有点麻痹大意了。
不过，很快就有两个比较像样的居民来了。一个是红的小矮人，叫德夫尔。另一个是一头漂亮的牡鹿，眼睛宽大，四肢修长，看上去好像用两根手指就能折断。
“狮子还活着！”德夫尔听到消息就大声嚷嚷，“如果真是这样，那么就别站在这儿闲谈了，敌人在进攻安瓦德！要立刻把消息送到凯尔帕拉维尔去。组织军队，纳尼亚必须去支援伦恩国王。”
“啊！”刺猬说，“但是皇帝现在不在凯尔帕拉维尔。他已经北上去讨伐巨人。说到巨人，我想起了……”
“谁去送信？”小矮人打断刺猬，“这儿有谁比我跑得快？”
“我，”牡鹿说，“我怎么说？有多少卡乐门人？”
“罗八达王子率领两百人马，还有……”但牡鹿已经跑了——
四肢飞奔，白色的臀部很快消失在遥远的树木之间。
“他要去哪儿，”一只兔子说，“要知道，皇帝现在不在凯尔帕拉维尔。”
“可以找露茜女王，”德夫尔说，“然后……喂！这个人怎么了？脸色发青。我想他快要昏过去了。可能是太饿了。你上一顿饭是什么时候吃的，小家伙？”
“昨天早晨。”沙斯塔虚弱无力。
“来，来，”德夫尔说，立刻用他的小细手臂撑住沙斯塔。“喂，邻居们！我们应该感到羞愧！来，小子。吃早饭！别说话了，吃早饭。”小矮人一阵手忙脚乱，喃喃的责备自己，将沙斯塔搀扶着走进树林，带下山一点儿。这段路真是很长，还没等走出树林，到达光秃秃的山坡，他就感觉两腿颤抖。他们来到山坡上的一个小屋子，炊烟袅袅，门户洞开，在门口的时候，德夫尔就喊道：
“嘿，兄弟！有位客人来吃早饭了。”随着一阵嘶嘶的油炸声，一股令人垂涎欲滴的香味飘来。此前沙斯塔从未闻过这种香味。但我肯定你闻过，事实上，这是咸肉、鸡蛋、蘑菇一起炸的香味。
“留神你的脑袋，小子。”但是沙斯塔的额头已经撞到了低低的门楣上。
“现在，”德夫尔继续说，“坐下吧。虽然桌子和凳子都有点矮。但是足够了。这是粥，这是奶油，这个是勺子。”
沙斯塔刚喝完粥，德夫尔的两个兄弟( 他们叫罗金和布里克尔森姆)，就把盛着鸡蛋、咸肉、蘑菇的盘子，以及热牛奶和吐司放在桌上。对沙斯塔来说，这顿早餐新奇不已，因为卡乐门的食物和其他地方完全不同。他甚至不知道这一片片的棕色东西是什么，因为他从没见过吐司。他不知道涂在吐司上的柔软的黄色的是什么，因为在卡乐门，总是用食用油代替黄油。这屋子和阿什伊什黑暗、发霉、有鱼腥味的小屋不同，和塔什班城珠帘画栋的宫殿也不同。屋子低矮，一切都是木头做的，有一个杜鹃报时的钟，一块红白格子台布，放在碗里的野花，后玻璃窗上有小小的白色窗帘。但是用小矮人的餐具是件麻烦事。也意味着必须少食多餐，所以沙斯塔一直在添饭。小矮人们也一直在说“再来点黄油”，“给我杯咖啡”，或是“再要点蘑菇”，还有“再来份煎鸡蛋好吗？”，当大家都八九分饱的时候，就抓阄决定谁洗盘子，结果是罗金倒霉。于是德夫尔、布里克尔森姆和沙斯塔一起，坐在墙边的一张长凳上；大家伸直双腿，心满意足地长呼一口气，两个小矮人还开始摆弄烟斗。露水蒸发，暖阳融融，一阵阵的清风让他们感觉凉爽不已。
“现在，陌生人，”德夫尔说，“我来给你指指这儿的地形。从这儿你能看到几乎整个南纳尼亚，这儿的景色让我们自豪。在你左边，那些小山后，你能看到南部群山。你右手边那个圆圆的小山，叫作石台。就在那后面……”
但是他被沙斯塔的鼾声打断了，沙斯塔长途奔波，又吃了很棒的早餐，疲惫不已。善良的小矮人发现他睡着了，就打手势告诉别人安静。他们窃窃私语，点头会意，踮着脚尖走路，事实上，如果不是沙斯塔太过疲倦，一定会被他们惊醒。
沙斯塔几乎睡了一天，在晚饭的时候醒来。屋子里的床太小，但是他们将蕨类植物铺在地上，给他做了一张很棒的床，他睡在床上，一夜无梦。第二天早上，刚吃完早饭，他们就听到一个激动尖锐的声音。
“喇叭声！”小矮人们异口同声，他们立刻和沙斯塔跑了出去。喇叭声又响起来：对沙斯塔来说，这是种崭新的声音，既不像塔什班城号角那样沉重洪亮，也不像伦恩国王的狩猎号角那样轻松欢快，这种声音清晰、尖锐、豪迈。喇叭声从树林的东边传来，很快又出现了嗒嗒的马蹄声。一会儿，他们就看到了先头部队。
打头的是帕里丹勋爵，骑栗色马，手执纳尼亚大旗——青绿底上一头红色狮子。沙斯塔立刻认出了他。紧跟着三个并驾齐驱的人，两人骑战马，一人骑小马。战马上一个是爱德蒙国王，另一个是兴高采烈的金发女郎，头戴钢盔，穿锁子甲，肩上背弓，身边有装满箭的箭袋（“露茜女王”德夫尔低声说）。骑着小马的是科林。接下来就是军队：骑在普通马上的士兵、骑着会说话的马的军人( 遇到紧急情况，例如纳尼亚发生战争时，这种马并不在意被骑)、人头马、顽强的熊、大的会说话的狗，最后是六个巨人，在纳尼亚有好巨人，尽管他知道巨人站在正义这边，但起先他还是不敢抬头看；要习惯某些东西，需要很长时间。
国王和女王到了小屋门口，小矮人们开始鞠躬，国王爱德蒙大喊：“朋友们！吃点东西，歇一歇吧。”于是立刻一阵喧闹，人们纷纷下马，打开干粮袋，开始交谈，这时科林向沙斯塔跑来，抓住他的双手喊道：
“啊！你在这儿！你平安无事？我太高兴了。现在我们可以活动活动了，真是幸运！昨天早上我们刚到凯尔帕拉维尔港口，就碰到了牡鹿彻耳，它把敌人进攻安瓦德的全部消息带来了。你认为……”
“这是你的朋友？”刚下马的爱德蒙国王问。
“难道您没看出来吗，陛下？”科林说，“这就是我的翻版：你在塔什班城错把他当成我了。”
“呀，他就是和你很相似的那个人，”露茜女王叫道，“简直就像双胞胎，真是不可思议。”
“陛下，”沙斯塔向爱德蒙国王说，“我真的不是奸细，我不小心听到了您的计划。但我从没想过要泄密。”
“我知道你不是奸细，孩子，”爱德蒙国王用手抚摸沙斯塔的额头，“如果你不想被当作奸细，就不要听你不应该听到的事情。那么一切就会很完美。”
这之后，又有无数的交谈、人来人往，有那么几分钟，沙斯塔竟看不到科林、爱德蒙和露茜了。但是科林不是那种特别老实的孩子；果然没过多久，就听到爱德蒙国王大声喊：“天啊，王子，你够了！难道你永远不长进吗？整个军队加起来也没有你事多！我宁愿去管理一个大黄蜂的团也不想去管你了！”
沙斯塔穿过人群，看到了愤怒不已的爱德蒙国王，科林有点不好意思，一个奇怪的小矮人坐在地上扮鬼脸。两只半羊人刚刚帮助小矮人卸下盔甲。
“如果我带了药酒，”露茜女王说，“那我很快就能治好他。但皇帝不让我随意使用，要留到紧要关头再用！”事情原来是这样，科林刚同沙斯塔说过话，就被小矮人抓住了胳膊。军队里把小矮人叫做“刺头儿”。
“干什么，刺头儿？”
“王子殿下，”刺头儿把他拉到一边，“我们今天行军会经过关卡，直达你父王的城堡。午夜之前就会发生战斗。”
“我知道，”科林说，“战争很壮观！”
“壮观也好不壮观也罢，”刺头儿说，“国王严厉命令我，留意不要让你参与战争。你可以旁观；以王子殿下的年龄，这种待遇最恰当了。”
“胡说八道！”科林很生气，“我当然要打仗。露茜女王都能带着弓箭手打仗，为什么我不可以？”
“女王慈悲为怀，能随心所欲，”刺头儿说，“现在我看管你。你的马必须和我的并驾齐驱——超过一点儿也不行——直到我允许殿下离开：或者如陛下所说，咱俩必须像囚徒一样，把手腕绑在一起。”
“你要敢绑我，我就揍你。”科林说。
“我倒是很期望呢。”小矮人说。这句话足以惹恼科林这样的孩子，他立刻和小矮人陷入了激烈的搏斗。本来势均力敌，但科林手长脚长，小矮人老道健壮。搏斗最终没有分出结果( 这是山坡上最糟糕的一次搏斗)，刺头儿倒霉，踩在一块不牢靠的石头上，鼻子着地倒下了，想要站起来但是发现脚扭了：扭伤疼痛难忍，至少两个星期不能骑马走路。
“瞧瞧殿下的所作所为吧，”爱德蒙国王说，“战争一触即发，我却失去了一个久经沙场的战士。”
“我会替代他的，陛下。”科林说。
“呸，”爱德蒙说，“你的勇气毋庸置疑，但是孩子在战争中不过是累赘。”科林趁着国王被请去安排别的事情，向小矮人真诚地道了个歉，便跑到沙斯塔身边，悄悄说：“赶快。这儿有一匹备用的小马，还有小矮人的盔甲。趁没人注意，你赶紧穿上。”
“干吗？”沙斯塔说。
“当然是去打仗了！难道你不想打仗吗？”
“啊，是的，当然想，”沙斯塔说。但他压根没想过去打仗，从骨子里感觉到不舒服。
“这就对了，”科林说，“戴上头盔，佩上剑带。但我们必须不声不响地跟在队伍最后，像老鼠一样。战争一旦打响，就没人注意我们了。”

第十三章 安瓦德之战
大概十一点的时候，部队开始向西疾行，大山在左边若隐若现。巨人在前面，科林和沙斯塔垫后。露茜、爱德蒙和帕里丹忙于商量作战计划；虽然露茜女王也提到了：“滑稽的王子殿下去哪了？”爱德蒙简单回答:“不在先头部队里，这就已经够好了。随他去吧。”
沙斯塔将他大部分历险告诉了科林，并且告诉他是跟一匹马学习骑术的，这就是为什么他不会用缰绳的原因。科林就指导他怎样使用缰绳，还把他们从塔什班城秘密出行的经历告诉他。
“那么苏珊女王在哪儿？”
“在凯尔帕拉维尔，”科林说，“她不像露茜那样像个男子汉，或者至少像个男孩子。苏珊女王更像大家闺秀。就算她箭术不错，也不会去骑马打仗。”
山路越来越窄，旁边的山坡也更加陡峭。最后他们不得不一前一后，沿着悬崖边缘走。当想到自己那个晚上是否也是这样走的，就不寒而栗。“当然，”他自我安慰，“我十分安全。狮子一直在我左边，一直在我和悬崖之间。”
山路开始向左延伸，背着悬崖向南而去，两边是茂密的树林，山路险峻陡峭，他们向上攀爬，终于到了山口。如果山口开阔，从山顶俯瞰，景色优美，但是周围树木茂盛，就什么也看不到了——只是偶尔看到树顶上出现的石峰，一两只盘旋在蓝天之上的鹰。“鹰嗅到了战争的气息，”科林指着那些鸟说，“他们知道将会有丰盛的一餐了。”
沙斯塔对这种俏皮话兴趣不大。
他们过了山口，走了挺长一段路，开始逐渐开阔起来，沙斯塔能眺望整个阿钦兰国土，蓝蓝的，雾蒙蒙的，在他脚下铺展开来( 他认为)，他甚至能够隐约看到更加遥远的大沙漠。但是，太阳将要下山，射进眼睛的光芒让他目眩，他没法把景物看得很清楚。
军队在此止步，排列成一条战线，国王做了新的作战计划。一整队会说话的野兽，沙斯塔以前没有注意过；大部分是猫科动物( 花豹、黑豹等等)，咆哮着、大踏步走到左边去列成阵地。巨人奉命开拔到右边，进入阵地前，它们卸下背上的东西，坐下休息了一会儿。沙斯塔这才有机会看清巨人背的东西，还有脚上穿的是一双双靴子：难看的、沉重的、底部有尖钉、长及膝头，接着巨人就扛着大棒进入阵地。露茜和弓箭手被安排在后方，他们在试弓，然后能听到拉紧弓弦的嘣嘣声。不论何处，人们都在系紧腰带，戴上头盔，抽出刀剑，把大麾放在地上。场面肃穆，无人交谈。“现在没法当逃兵了——真的不能当逃兵了。”沙斯塔想。阵地前方声音嘈杂：人们大嚷大叫，还有一种沉重的砰砰声。
“攻城槌，”科林小声说，“敌人想打破城门。”连科林也开始严肃起来了。
“为什么爱德蒙国王不出击？”他说，“我受不了这种等待。浑身冰冷。”
沙斯塔点点头：希望他不像外在表现的那样害怕。
喇叭声终于响起！部队开始出兵——马儿疾奔——旗帜飘扬。他们爬上了一个山脊，山下景色一览无遗。一个多城楼的小城堡，城门正对他们。不幸的是没有护城河，城门紧闭，吊闸落下。城墙上保卫者的脸像一个个小白点，大约五十个卡乐门人下了马，用一根大树干牢牢的撞击城门，但是这情景转瞬即逝。罗八达的主力部队早已下马步行，做好攻击城门的准备，当他们看到奔腾而下的纳尼亚军队时，这些训练有素的卡乐门部队几乎一秒内就上了马，调转马头，排好队列，开始迎战。
随着一阵狂奔，两军之间的距离急剧缩短，越来越快，越来越快。刀剑出鞘，盾牌举起，祷告已宣，牙关紧咬，沙斯塔惶恐至极。但一个想法突然冒出来：“这次害怕，那么今后就无法面对战争，时不我待！”
但是两军短兵相接的时候，他对现场情况毫不知情，加上可怕的混乱和恐怖的惨叫，他手中的刀很快就被直接打落，缰绳也不知弄哪儿去了。他发觉自己正滑下马，一支长矛笔直地刺过来，他低头躲避，滑落下马，左膝猛地撞在别人的盔甲上，然后……但试图从沙斯塔的角度去描绘战争毫无意义，他对战斗了解甚少，甚至不了解自己在战争中扮演何种角色。如果想要知道发生了什么，最好的办法就是带你到几英里外，那里的南征隐士正在目不转睛地凝视平静的池水，树影荫蔽，布里、赫温和阿拉维斯都在他身边。
如果想要知道自己世外桃源外的世界在发生什么，隐士就朝池水张望。在像镜子一样的池水里，他能看到在特定的时间，远在塔什班南方的城市街道上发生的事情，诸如什么船在遥远的七群岛驶进了红港，或者强盗或野兽在灯柱野林和台尔马之间的西部大森林里捣乱。这天隐士在池边寸步不离，吃饭和喝水也不离开，因为他知道，阿钦兰有重大事件发生。
阿拉维斯和另两匹马也朝水里张望，他们看得出，这水有魔力。水中没有绿树蓝天的倒影，却有活动的、模糊的彩色影像。但是他们什么也看不清，看得清的隐士便把看到的告诉他们。沙斯塔骑上马，进入人生中第一次战争前的一会儿，隐士便这样说道： “我看到一只、两只、三只鹰，在暴风雨山的山口盘旋。其中那只年纪最大的，没有一触即发的战争它是不会出来的。它来回盘旋，时而俯瞰安瓦德，时而俯瞰暴风雨山背后的东方。啊！现在我知道罗八达和他的部队整天在忙什么了。他们砍了一棵大树，锯掉一段，掮着它出了树林，想把树干用作攻城槌。他们从昨晚的失败中吸取了一点教训，如果他让部队制作云梯显然更好：但制作云梯很费时间，他等不及。真是愚蠢！初战失利，应该立刻策马回塔什班，因为他的整个作战计划，靠的是速度和出其不意。现在他部署好了攻城槌。伦恩国王的士兵在城墙上拼命射箭，五个卡乐门士兵倒下了；但不会有更多人倒下，因为他们用盾牌挡着。罗八达已经下令，他最信赖的主公，从东部各地来的凶残的泰坎，都和他一起。我看得见泰坎的脸，托芒城堡的安拉丁、阿兹鲁、奇拉马什，歪嘴伊尔加默思，还有个红胡子的泰坎……”
“天啊，那是我的老主人安拉丁！”布里说。
“嘘……”阿拉维斯说。
“攻城槌开始撞击了。如果我能听见，那东西会发出多大的声音啊！一槌又一槌！没有一个城门扛得住。且慢！暴风雨山附近的鸟儿受到了惊动，大群的飞了出来。再等等……我还看不到……啊！现在看见了。东边高地，山脊上全是黑压压的骑兵。风能把军旗吹开就好了。不管他们是谁，现在都越过山脊了。啊！我看到旗子了。纳尼亚，是纳尼亚！红狮旗！他们全速下山。我看到爱德蒙国王。阵地后方有个女弓箭手。哦！”
“那是什么东西？”赫温屏息静气的问。
“所有猫科动物从左翼攻了过去。”
“猫科动物？”阿拉维斯问。
“巨大的猫科动物，雪豹之类的，”隐士有点焦躁，“我明白了，明白了。猫科动物要围成一圈，去逮那些无人骑的马。好高明的一着棋。卡乐门的马已经恐惧不已了。这些猫科动物又冲进了马群中。但罗八达调整了队伍，百来个士兵上了马，他们纵马迎战纳尼亚人，现在两边队伍不到一百码，现在不到五十码了。我看见爱德蒙国王和帕丽丹勋爵，纳尼亚队伍中有两个孩子模样的人，国王怎么可以让孩子参加战斗？双方距离只有十码了——短兵相接。纳尼亚右翼的巨人们正在大杀四方……但有个巨人倒下了，我猜是眼睛被射中了。中间在混战，左边的能够看到更多，又是那两个孩子。天哪，一个是科林王子，另一个和科林一模一样，就是你们的小沙斯塔。科林像个男子汉一样战斗，他杀死了一个卡乐门人。现在能够看见一点中间的战况了。罗八达和爱德蒙几乎要面对面了，但蜂拥而上的士兵冲散了他们……”
“沙斯塔怎么样了？”阿拉维斯问。
“这个傻瓜！”隐士不禁叹息，“可怜的、勇敢的小傻瓜。他不了解打仗。他根本就没有使用盾牌，要害都暴露在外。他也不知道怎么用他的剑，现在他想起来用剑了。他胡乱挥舞……差点把自己小马的脑袋砍下来。现在他的剑被打落了，让孩子上战场，简直就是谋杀；他只有不到五分钟可活了。你这傻瓜，低头啊……啊，他从马上跌下来了。”
“死了？”三个声音屏息问道。
“我该怎么说呢？”隐士说，“猫科动物完成了战斗任务，无人骑的马非死即散：骑这些马的卡乐门人必死无疑。现在猫科动物重新全力投入战斗，他们向用攻城槌的人扑去，攻城槌掉在地上了。啊，妙！妙！城门由里打开：马上就有一番突围了。打头三个人，伦恩国王在中间，达尔达兰兄弟在其左右。特兰、沙尔、柯尔和科林兄弟紧随其后。现在有十个、二十个、三十个左右的战士出来了。卡乐门军队被逼退后，爱德蒙国王勇猛奋起，威力无比。他刚砍下安拉丁的脑袋，卡乐门战士丢盔弃甲，向树林逃窜。巨人在左翼，猫科动物在右翼，伦恩国王在后面，步步紧逼余下的队伍。卡乐门队伍腹背受敌，紧张慌乱，他们围成圈子守备。布里，你的老主人倒下了。伦恩国王和阿兹鲁短兵相接；国王优势明显——国王保持着优势——国王赢了，阿兹鲁倒下了。国王爱德蒙倒下了又站了起来：他在和罗八达搏斗。他们在城堡门口交战，好多卡乐门人投降了，达兰杀了伊尔加默思。我不知道罗八达怎么样了，他紧靠城墙，我不清楚他是否已经死了。奇拉马什仍在苟延残喘，但剩下队伍大势已去。奇拉马什投降，战争结束。卡乐门人彻底输了。”
沙斯塔跌落下马的时候，认为自己已经死了。但马踩人的情况在战场上，远比他想的要少。恐怖的十分钟过去了，沙斯塔突然发现：附近的马已经寥寥无几，而喧闹的声音( 因为附近的喧闹声仍在持续)不再是交战的声音了。他坐起来自己打量四周，虽然他对战争不熟悉，但他也很快看出来：阿钦兰人和纳尼亚人取得了胜利。活着的卡乐门人已经沦为俘虏，城堡大门洞开，伦恩国王和爱德蒙国王手握着槌越过攻城。一群王公大臣和战士围在周围，激动、愉快地交谈着，突然谈话声变成了一阵哄堂大笑。
沙斯塔爬起来，觉得四肢不受控制。他朝人群跑去，想看看笑声的源头在哪里。他看到一副有趣的景象，倒霉的罗八达被悬在城墙上，脚离地两英尺，胡乱地踢着。锁子甲被吊了起来，勒紧了他的腋下，中间的锁子甲遮住半边脸。事实上，他看上去就像一个人正把一件尺寸太小的衬衫硬穿上身时的模样。沙斯塔后来得知( 你可以确信，这个故事后来广为流传)，事情的经过大致如此：刚开战时，一个巨人用他的尖钉靴子踩了罗八达一脚。但未能如愿的把罗八达踩个稀巴烂；幸运的是也有点作用，因为靴子像你我撕开一件普通衬衫那样，刺破了锁子甲。所以，罗八达和爱德蒙在城门搏斗时，背后有个大窟窿。爱德蒙向城墙方向步步紧逼，罗八达跳上一个高台，他在台上，用雨点般的剑法攻击爱德蒙。但他觉得自己的位置太显眼，容易成为弓箭手的众矢之的，所以决定跳下来。在跳下来前，他察言观色——毫无疑问，他确实试探了一会儿，然后庄严地跳了下来，口中大喊：“塔什神的雷霆将惩罚你们。”但前面的人太多，没有落脚的地方，所以不得不朝旁边跳，接着，简单来说，他锁子甲上的窟窿，被墙上的一个钩子钩住了( 几百年前，这钩子是用来系马的铁圈)。他发现自己成为了洗净待晾干的衣服，人人都在嘲笑他。
“爱德蒙，放我下来，”罗八达号叫道，“放我下来，以国王的身份，像男子汉那样和我战斗，如果你是个懦夫，不敢放我下来，那就立马杀了我。”
“当然可以。”爱德蒙国王说，但伦恩国王打断了他。
“请允许我插一句，”伦恩国王对爱德蒙说，“别这样。”然后，他转过来对罗八达说道：“殿下，如果你在一个星期前就下了挑战书，我会保证：整个爱德蒙国土，上至皇帝，下至最小的会说话的号手，都不会拒绝你的请求。但你在和平时期，连挑战书也不下，就贸然攻击安瓦德，你不配做一个真正的武士，只配做个挨刽子手鞭打的奸贼，不配任何高贵的人和你交战。把他绑起来，带到城里去，等我们宣告了胜利的消息，再作定夺。”
罗八达的剑被强硬地夺走，他被带到城里去了，他叫喊、威吓、咒骂，甚至大声哭号。因为，他能忍受严刑拷打，却难以忍受嘲弄耻笑。在塔什班城，人人都慑于他的威严。就在这时，科林跑过来，抓着沙斯塔的手把他拖到国王跟前。“他在这儿，父亲，他在这儿。”科林大声说。
“呀，你还是来这儿了，”国王粗鲁地说，“而且不听我的话，参加了战斗。一个让父亲担忧心碎的孩子！你这样的年纪，要你拿剑还不如在你身上插根棍子呢。哈哈！”但包括科林在内的所有人，都看出国王自豪不已。
“对不起，陛下，不要责备他了，”达兰勋爵说，“国王的儿子就要继承国王的英雄气概。如果他不敢参加战争，那才是最让陛下伤心的吧。”
“好吧，好吧，”国王咕咕哝哝的说，“下不为例。现在……”接下来的事情，比平生遭遇的事情，更让沙斯塔惊讶不已。伦恩国王像熊一样紧紧地抱住他，亲吻他的脸。然后国王放下他，说：
“站在这儿，孩子们，让王公贵族们都看看你们。昂起头来。现在，先生们，瞧瞧这两人。还有什么值得怀疑的吗？”而沙斯塔一头雾水：为什么人们在目不转睛地盯着他和科林？他们在欢呼什么？

第十四章 布里变聪明
现在我们要转过头，看看阿拉维斯和马儿们了。隐士盯着池水，告诉马儿沙斯塔并没有死，甚至重伤也没有，因为他看见沙斯塔站起来，受到伦恩国王的慈爱接待。但他只能看见不能听见，他就不知道他们在谈些什么，而且，战争已经结束，看池水中他们谈话也没什么意义。
第二天早上，隐士还没出门，他们三个就讨论下一步的计划。
“我已经过够了这种生活，”赫温说，“隐士待我们不薄，我十分感激他。但我们除了吃睡，一点运动都没，现在胖得像供观赏的小马了。我们继续向纳尼亚进发吧。”
“今天可不行，女士，”布里说，“我不喜欢匆匆忙忙，再过几天如何？”
“我要先见到沙斯塔，跟他道别……而且……向他道歉。”阿拉维斯说。
“确实如此！”布里急切地说，“这正是我想说的。”
“哦，当然，”赫温说，“我想他就在安瓦德，我们可一定要去看看他，向他道别。正好顺路。所以为什么不立刻动身？总之，我们的目标就是纳尼亚。”
“我看也是这样。”阿拉维斯说。她开始考虑到了纳尼亚具体要干什么，同时感到有点孤苦伶仃。
“当然，当然，”布里急忙说，“然而无需匆忙，如果你了解我心意。”
“不，我不了解，”赫温说，“为什么你不想走呢？”
“呼……呼……呼，布鲁……呼，”布里含糊不清，“好吧，你不明白吗，女士……恰逢良机……回到祖国……融入社交界……最高层的社交界……好的印象非常重要……但我们看上去还没恢复本来面目，是吧？”赫温发出一阵嘲笑。“布里，你在担心你的尾巴！我完全明白了。你想等你的尾巴重新长出来！但是我们连纳尼亚的马是否留长尾巴都不清楚。布里啊，你的虚荣心的确很强，和塔什班城的那位泰坎希娜一模一样。”
“你真蠢，布里。”阿拉维斯说。
“天哪，我和泰坎希娜那种人物截然不同，”布里愤愤地说，“我对我自己，包括我的马儿伙伴，都抱有足够的尊重，仅此而已。”
“布里，”阿拉维斯说，她对布里的短尾巴兴趣不大，“我很久以来一直好奇一件事情。为什么你总是‘凭狮子’、‘凭狮子的鬃毛’起誓？难道你憎恨狮子？”
“当然不是，”布里答道，“我说的狮子是指阿斯兰，纳尼亚的救世主，它驱赶了萧条和女巫。所有纳尼亚人都以阿斯兰起誓。”
“但它是狮子吗？”
“不，不，当然不是。”布里诚惶诚恐地说。
“在塔什班流传的故事，都说它是狮子。”阿拉维斯说，“如果不是的话，你干嘛称它为狮子呢？”
“你太年轻，无法理解，”布里说，“我离开纳尼亚时，只不过是还未满周岁的小马，所以我也不大清楚。”
布里说这话的时候，背靠绿色墙垣，赫温和阿拉维斯面对布里。布里眼睛半闭，语气傲慢，所以他没看到赫温和阿拉维斯的表情变化。她们瞠目结舌是有原因的，因为布里在说话时，一只巨大的狮子从墙外稳稳的跃到墙头上：和她们从前见过的狮子比，这头更加有光泽，肢体强壮、美丽，也更让人害怕。它往墙下纵身一跳，从背后靠近布里，没什么声音。赫温和阿拉维斯吓得都噤声了，像冻僵了似的。
“毫无疑问，”布里继续说，“当讲起它时，说是狮子，只是指它和狮子一样强壮，或者和狮子一样凶猛( 当然是对敌人而言)；或者诸如此类的意思。哪怕是像阿拉维斯一样的小姑娘，也必须留神，你要是认为它真的是一头狮子，那就荒谬了，这样是很失敬的。如果它真的是狮子，那就和我们马儿一样是兽类了。呃！”( 说到这儿，布里开始哈哈大笑)“如果它是狮子，那它就生着四个爪子，一条尾巴，还有胡子！……啊艾伊，呜，呵——呵！救命！”
当他恰巧说出“胡子”两字时，阿斯兰的一根胡子触到他的耳朵，痒痒的。布里像支箭一样窜到墙的那边，然后转过身来：墙太高，他没法跳过去，无路可逃了。阿拉维斯和赫温都吓得缩到后面。大约一秒钟的时间，气氛紧张，寂静无声。
接着，浑身发抖的赫温，却发出一声奇怪的、低低的嘶鸣，小步向狮子走去。
“对不起，”赫温说，“你那么健壮，可以随心所欲把我吃掉。比起喂其他人，我更愿意早点被你吃掉。”
“我最亲爱的子女啊，”阿斯兰说，吻了一下她那天鹅绒般翕动的鼻子，“我知道你不久就会来到我身边。欢乐必将归你所有。”
“布里啊，”他说，“你这可怜巴巴、骄傲自大、战战兢兢的马，向我靠拢吧，我的子女，再靠拢点儿。别害怕。摸摸我，闻闻我吧，这是我的爪子，这是尾巴，这是胡子。我是一头真正的野兽。”
“阿斯兰，”布里声音发颤，“我真是个傻瓜。”
“亡羊补牢，为时未晚。人类也是一样。靠近点，我亲爱的女儿阿拉维斯。看！我的爪子像天鹅绒一般，这次不会再抓伤你了。”
“这次，先生？”阿拉维斯说。
“上一次就是我抓伤你的，”阿斯兰说，“在你的整个旅途中，只碰到我一头狮子。你知道我为什么抓伤你吗？”
“不知道，先生。”
“你背上的伤痕，以牙还牙，以眼还眼，和你继母的女奴背上的鞭痕是对应的，因为你给她吃了安眠药，害她挨打。”
“是的，先生。对不起……”
“亲爱的，还有问题吗。”阿斯兰说。
“我给她吃安眠药，还带来了什么其他伤害吗？”
“孩子，”狮子说，“我在讲述你的故事，不是女奴的。我只对一个人讲述他自己的故事。”然后他摇摇头，语调轻快。
“高兴起来，小家伙们，”他说，“后会有期。不过很快会有另一个客人来访。”于是他窜上墙头，很快消失了。说起来也奇怪，阿斯兰走了之后，他们都无意去谈论他。他们慢慢地散开，到宁静的草地的不同角落去了，各自在那儿踌躇沉思。半个小时后，两匹马被叫到屋子后头，享用隐士准备的好东西去了，而阿拉维斯仍在踱步、思索，一阵喇叭声从门外传来，吓了她一跳。
“谁啊？”阿拉维斯问。
“阿钦兰王子科奥殿下。”门外传来一个声音。阿拉维斯拔掉门闩，打开大门，向后退了一点，以便让陌生人进来。
两个士兵持戟先进门，在门口两侧守备，传令官和号手跟在后面。
“阿钦兰王子科奥殿下要接见阿拉维斯女士。”传令官说。然后和号手退到旁边，士兵敬礼，王子殿下进来了。随从都退了出去，大门被随手关上。
王子鞠了一躬，但是稍显笨拙。阿拉维斯用卡乐门的行礼方式( 和我们的屈膝礼压根不一样)，当然，她行礼像模像样的，因为父母曾经教过她。然后她抬起头，看看这个王子到底是什么人物。她觉得他只不过是个小孩子。没戴帽子，漂亮的金发上围着一条薄薄的金色带子，比铁丝还要薄。白麻布做的紧身短衣，像手绢一样精致整洁，明显的映出了里面鲜亮的红色内衣。裹着绷带的左手按在宝剑的珐琅柄上。
阿拉维斯再次打量他的脸，长吁一口气，说：“呀！你是沙斯塔！”沙斯塔立刻红了脸，说话速度也快了：“听我说，阿拉维斯，我希望你不要认为我这副打扮( 还有号手等排场) 是为了让你印象深刻，或者显得我与众不同，或诸如此类的摆阔炫耀。因为我宁愿身着旧装来见你，但它们已经被烧掉了，我的父亲也说……”
“你的父亲？”阿拉维斯说。
“很显然，我的父亲就是伦恩国王，”沙斯塔说，“我早就该猜到。科林和我那么像。你看，我们是孪生兄弟。哦，我不叫沙斯塔，我叫科奥。”
“科奥这名字比沙斯塔好。”阿拉维斯说。
“在阿钦兰，兄弟的名字都这么起，”沙斯塔( 或许我们现在应该叫他科奥王子了) 说，“例如达尔和达兰，柯尔和科林，诸如此类。”
“沙斯塔——我是说科奥，”阿拉维斯说。“不，闭嘴。我有些话必须说。我很抱歉，从前我像猪一样蠢。但在得知你是王子之前我就改变了，老实说：就在你折回来，对抗狮子的时候。”
“那狮子，并不是有意要杀你。”科奥说。
“我知道，”阿拉维斯点头说道。当看出彼此对阿斯兰都有所了解的时候，好一会儿，他们都沉默无语。阿拉维斯突然想起科奥绑着绷带的手。“啊呀！”她喊道，“我竟然忘了！这是你参加战争受的伤吗？”
“擦破了点皮而已。”科奥说，第一次像王公大臣那样的语气。但很快，他就哈哈大笑，说：“如果你知道真相，这压根就不是伤。只不过是手指头擦破了点皮，任何一个不了解战场的傻瓜，都会受这样的伤。”
“但是你毕竟参加了战争，”阿拉维斯说，“这肯定是了不起的事。”
“压根不像我原先想的那样。”科奥说。
“但沙——我是说科奥——关于伦恩国王，以及他怎么知道你身份的事，还没有告诉我呢。”
“好吧，要促膝长谈了，”科奥说，“说来话长。顺便一提，父亲是个绝对好心的人。当发现他是我父亲时，即使他不是国王，我也会喜不自禁的；尽管我马上就要接受教育和其他可怕的事情了。但你想听故事……好，科林和我是双胞胎。大概在我们出生后的一个星期，他们把我们带到纳尼亚一个年长的、智慧的人头马那里，接受祝福什么的。现在这个人头马和许多其他人头马一样，成为了先知。或许你从没见过人头马吧。昨天的战争中还有几匹，确实很杰出：但我还不能说和它们相处融洽。我说，阿拉维斯，在这些北方国家中，有很多需要我们习惯的事情。”
“是，有很多，”阿拉维斯说，“但是继续讲故事啊！”
“好吧，一看见我和科林，人头马就好像看着我说道：‘有朝一日，这个孩子将拯救阿钦兰于水火之中’。我父母理所当然的很高兴。但是，在场的人中，有个叫巴尔勋爵的人并不高兴。他曾经是我父亲手下的大法官。显然他犯了一些错误——贪污渎职或者诸如此类的，这些事情我不清楚，然后父亲只得解除他的职务，但并没有多作惩罚，仍然被允许生活在阿钦兰。但他肯定是个奸贼，因为后来查明，他曾经被太洛帝收买，把很多秘密情报送到了塔什班城。一听见我将成为阿钦兰的救世主时，就下定决心除掉我。接着，他成功地绑架了我( 我也不知道究竟怎么绑架的)，策马沿着旋箭河跑到海滩。他计划完美，早有一条他的随从驾驶的船在那儿等他，他驾着船，带我从海上逃离。但父亲还是听到风声，虽然不太及时，但仍然奋力追赶。父亲到达海滩时，巴尔勋爵已经出海，但是没走远。二十分钟后，父亲就跳上了一艘巴尔勋爵的战舰。”
“这注定是一场大追捕。他们追赶巴尔的大帆船六天六夜，第七天，巴尔不得不交战。这是一场伟大的海战( 昨晚我还听别人说了不少)，从早上十点打到日沉西山。我们的士兵终于占领了那条大帆船。但我不在船上。巴尔勋爵已经战死。但他的一个手下说，那天早上，他发觉自己必被赶上，便把我交给了一个武士，用一艘小船把我们送走了。那条小船永远地消失了。但是，当然了，阿斯兰( 看来阿斯兰在每件事后都做好了安排) 把小船推到海滩上合适的地方，以便阿什伊什能够捡到我。我真希望知道那位武士的名字，因为他忍饥挨饿，才让我活了下来。”
“我想，阿斯兰肯定会说，这部分是别人的故事了。”阿拉维斯说。
“我倒忘了这一点。”科奥说。
“我很想知道，预言如何成为现实，”阿拉维斯说，“究竟你要把阿钦兰从什么大危险中拯救出来。”
“好吧，”科奥有点尴尬，“他们好像认为我已经拯救了阿钦兰了。”
阿拉维斯鼓掌。“哦，当然！”她说，“我太笨了。你太了不起了。罗八达带着两百人马过了旋箭河的时候，如果你还没有把消息送到，那时候阿钦兰危险到了极点。你难道不自豪吗？”
“我觉得有点害怕。”科奥说。
“现在你要在安瓦德生活下去了。”阿拉维斯若有所思地说。
“啊！”科奥说，“我差点忘了来这儿干什么。父亲想要你来和我们一起住。他说宫廷里( 他们都叫它宫廷，我也不知道为何) 自从母亲去世后，一直没有女士。来吧，阿拉维斯。你会喜欢父亲和科林的。他们不像我：他们富有教养。你不必害怕……”
“哦，别说了，”阿拉维斯说，“不然我们真的要打架。我肯定会去的。”
“让我们去看看其他马儿。”科奥说。布里和科奥的相见是愉快欢乐的，虽然布里情绪低落，但仍然同意立刻向安瓦德进发：翌日，她和赫温将经由安瓦德进入纳尼亚境内。三匹马和一个人向隐士道别，许诺不久就会来看他。大概早上十点的时候，他们上路了。马儿们以为阿拉维斯和科奥会骑马走，但科奥解释道，除非在人人参与的战争中，纳尼亚和阿钦兰是不会有人想骑会说话的马的。
这件事再次提醒了布里：他对纳尼亚风俗习惯一无所知，很可能犯大错。所以，赫温愉快的一路走过去，布里的步伐却变得忐忑不安、扭扭捏捏了。
“振作点，布里，”科奥说，“我的处境远比你糟。你不用上学，我不得不马上就要学习读书写字、纹章学、跳舞、历史和音乐等等课程，而你可以在纳尼亚小山上尽情驰骋、打滚，心满意足地玩耍。”
“但这正正是个问题，”布里嘟囔道，“说话的马还打滚？如果不打滚呢？要我放弃打滚，那可受不了。你觉得呢，赫温？”
“我无论如何都要打滚，”赫温说，“你是否打滚，我看没人会介意。”
“快到城堡了吗？”布里问科奥。
“再拐个弯就是了。”王子说。
“好吧，”布里说，“现在我要尽情地打个滚儿，也许是最后一次了。等我一会儿。”五分钟后，布里重新站了起来，剧烈地喷着鼻息，浑身都是斑斑点点的羊齿植物。
“我准备好了，”布里说，声音沉闷，“科奥王子，带路吧。向着纳尼亚和北方进发。”然而，布里的神色，与其说是浪子回归家乡和自由，不如说是一匹马走向他的殡葬地的神色。

第十五章 荒唐的罗八达
道路再转一次弯——就将他们从树林中带了出来，那里，穿过绿色的草地，他们看到安瓦德的城堡。在城堡的后面高高的，被树林覆盖的山脊为它抵挡了北风。城堡非常古老，用温暖的，红褐色的石头建造而成。
在他们走到城门口之前，国王伦恩已经走出来迎接他们了，看起来一点都不像阿拉维斯心中的国王的样子，他穿着旧衣服还是最旧的衣服呢。因为他刚刚和他的猎人们一起巡视过养狗场回来，仅仅有一刻钟的时间停下来洗一洗他碰过狗的手。但当他握着阿拉维斯的手向她鞠躬致意，笑脸相迎的时候，他的风度足以表明他是一位帝王。
“小姐，”他说道，“我们发自内心地欢迎您。如果我亲爱的妻子仍然活着的话，我们能够让你更加愉悦，但现在却不能做得更好了。而且我非常抱歉，你遭遇到了不幸，并被赶出了你父亲的家庭，这对你一定是件悲痛的事情。我的儿子科奥告诉过我关于你和他一起经历过的冒险以及你的英勇。”
“一切英勇的行为都是他做出来的，陛下。”阿拉维斯说道，“如果问为什么，他还冲到了一只狮子的面前去救我。”
“啊，那是怎么回事？”国王伦恩面露喜色地说道，“我从来没有听到过这部分的故事。”
于是阿拉维斯告诉他这段故事。科奥，原本十分希望人们知道这个故事，尽管他感到不好意思自己讲出来。听到她说出来，并没有像他期待的一样享受，并且确实觉得相当愚蠢。但是他的父亲确实十分享受这件事情，并且在接下来的几个星期里不断地讲给许多人听，使得科奥希望这件事情从来没有发生过。
然后国王转向赫温和布里，对待他们就和对待阿拉维斯一样礼貌，并询问了许多关于他们家庭，以及他们被抓之前住在纳尼亚哪里的问题。马儿们张口结舌——因为他们还不习惯平等地和人们说话——当然是指成人们。他们不介意和阿拉维斯还有科奥这样的孩子说话。
不久，女王露茜从城堡里面出来了，并且加入了他们。国王伦恩对阿拉维斯说：“我亲爱的，我们家庭里来了一个可爱的朋友，她已经去看你的起居室安排，以确保一切都是舒适的，她来做这些比我来做更好。”
“你愿意过来看看他们吗？”露茜亲吻着阿拉维斯，说道。她们立刻喜欢上了彼此，并且不久就一起离开，去谈论关于阿拉维斯的卧室和闺房，以及准备给她的衣服，还有所有姑娘们在这种时刻总要谈论的种种事情。
她们在阳台上用过午餐( 有冷盘鸟肉，冷盘野味派，酒，面包和干酪) 后，国王伦恩皱着眉头，并且叹息道：“嗨！我们手里仍然掌握着那个丑角罗八达，亲爱的朋友们，我们必须决定如何处置他。”露茜坐在国王的右边，阿拉维斯坐在他的左边。爱德蒙国王坐在桌子的另一头，达兰勋爵面对着他坐在另一头。达尔、帕里丹、科奥、科林都和国王坐在同一边。
“陛下完全有权力砍掉他的头颅，”帕里丹说道，“他那样突然的袭击，将他自己放到了和刺客一样的位置之上了。”
“这倒是事实。”爱德蒙说，“但是即使是一个叛徒也可能改过自新。我就认识一个这样的人。”他看起来十分深思熟虑的样子。
“杀了罗八达就相当于向太洛帝挑起战争。”达兰说。
“太洛帝什么都不是，”国王伦恩说道，“他的力量在于有很多人，可他们永远都无法穿过沙漠。但是我不想冷血地杀人( 即使是叛徒)。在战争中割断他的喉咙对于我来说倒是十分心安理得，可是现在情况是不一样的。”
“我建议，”露茜说道，“陛下可以给他一次检验的机会。如果他作出了未来公平交易的严格承诺，我们就放他自由，可能他会遵守诺言。”
“也许猩猩将会变得诚实，妹妹。”爱德蒙说道，“但是，以狮子起誓，如果他再次违背诺言，那么到那个时候，我们中的任何一个人都可以在战争中利落地砍掉他的头颅。”
“这可以试试。”国王说道，并且吩咐侍者的一个，“将囚犯带上来，朋友。”
带着镣铐的罗八达被带到了他们面前。看他现在的模样，任何人都会猜到他是在一个非常吵闹的地牢里度过了一个晚上，既没有食物，也没有睡。但是事实上，他被关在一个非常舒适的房间里，并且提供了非常美味的晚餐。可是他的闷气太过强烈，以至于不想碰晚餐。他花费整个晚上的时间顿足、吼叫和咒骂，现在自然看不到他最好的样子了。
“不需要多说，殿下也应知道，”国王伦恩说道，“根据国家的法律，也根据谨慎的政策等种种理由，就像一个人有权力处置你的头颅，就像一个人针对一个死对头一样。然而，考虑到你年轻，天性残暴，缺少教养和谦逊，这些毫无疑问都是在一个奴隶和暴君的国度里养成的，我们倾向于不让你受伤并放你自由，条件是：首先……”
“我诅咒你这个野蛮狗！”罗八达喷溅着吐沫说道，“你以为我会听你的条件吗？呸！你大谈特谈人性，我不知道那是什么。很简单，对于一个被镣铐锁住的人，哈！解开这些卑鄙的镣铐，给我一把剑，然后让你们中的任何一个敢于和我较量的人，来和我争论一番。”几乎所有的王爷们都跳了起来，科林大声喊道：“父亲！我能揍他吗？求你了。”
“安静下来！陛下，王爷们！”伦恩国王说道，“难道我们没有庄严到，被一个混蛋的几句辱骂就激怒了吗？坐下，科林，否则你就离开桌子吧。我再次要求阁下，听从我们的条件。”
“我不听从野蛮人和巫师们的任何条件，”罗八达说道，“你们中没有一个敢碰我脑袋上的一根头发。你们对我的每一种侮辱都将用纳尼亚人和阿钦兰人的血来偿还。太洛帝的报复将是可怕的：甚至现在也是。但是杀了我，然后北方的土地将饱受焚烧和折磨的灾难，将变成一千年之后令人惊恐的传说。当心！当心！当心！当心塔什神的雷霆之怒从天上打下来！”
“雷霆会在中途被钩子钩住吗？”科林问道。
“你不感到羞耻吗！科林，”国王说，“永远不要取笑别人，除非你比对方强大。对方如果比你弱，那就随便你了。”
“噢，愚蠢的罗八达啊！”露茜叹息地说道。
下一个瞬间，科奥想知道为什么坐在桌子旁边的人都站起来，而且完全一动不动。当然他自己也是这样。然后，他看到了原因。阿斯兰和他们在一起，虽然没有一个人看到他进来。狮子极大的身型在罗八达和谴责罗八达的人中间轻柔地来回走着，罗八达吃了一惊。
“罗八达，”阿斯兰说，“注意，你的厄运近在咫尺了，但是你仍然可以避开它。忘掉你的骄傲( 你有什么可骄傲的) 和你的愤怒( 谁伤害了你)，然后接受这些善良的国王们的怜悯吧。”
罗八达转动着他的眼睛，张开嘴巴，像鲨鱼一样，露着牙齿发出一种可怕且阴郁的笑声，同时上下摆动他的耳朵( 如果他们肯费事的话，任何人都可以学会怎么做)。他过去总是发现这在卡乐门很奏效。当他做鬼脸的时候，最勇敢的人也浑身发抖，普通的人们会摔倒在地上，神经紧张的人们总是直接晕过去。但是罗八达从来没有意识到，人们知道你下个命令就可以立即将他们活活烹死，你想要吓到这种人是非常容易的。但在阿钦兰，扮鬼脸一点都不吓人。事实上，露茜认为罗八达是要生病了。
“恶魔！恶魔！恶魔！”王子尖叫道，“我知道你。你是纳尼亚邪恶的魔王。你是神灵们的敌人。听着我是谁，可怕的幽灵。我是不屈不挠的，不可抵抗的塔什神的后代。塔什神的诅咒将降临在你的头上，蝎子型的闪电将打在你的身上，纳尼亚的山峰将变成尘土……”“当心，罗八达，”阿斯兰安静地说道，“厄运现在更近了，就在门外，就要拔掉门闩了。”
“让天塌下来吧，”罗八达尖叫道，“让大地裂开吧！让鲜血和火焰淹没这个世界吧！但是要确保我永远不会停止，直到我抓住那不识好歹的女人，抓住那野蛮人的女王的头发，将她拖到我的宫殿里去……”
“时间到了。”阿斯兰说道，然后罗八达看到所有的人都开始大笑，对于他来讲这是极致的恐怖。
他们没法控制住不笑。罗八达一直摆动着他的耳朵，阿斯兰刚一说“时间到了”，他的耳朵就开始变化。它们变得越来越长，越来越尖，很快又长满了灰色的毛发。然后每个人都想知道他们以前在什么地方看到过类似的耳朵，罗八达的脸也开始发生变化了。脸变得更长，顶上变得更厚，眼睛变得更大，鼻子都已经陷到脸里去了( 如果不是这样的话，就是脸全都鼓了出来，变成全都是鼻子)，脸上也长满了毛发。他的胳膊开始变长，在前边垂了下来，一直垂到双手碰到地上。但是现在不是手了，而是蹄子了。他四脚着地站在那里，身上的衣服全都消失了，人们哈哈大笑，越笑声音越大( 他们忍不住要笑)，因为当初的罗八达王子现在完全变成了一头驴。可怕的是，他人类的语言只比他的人形多保留了一会，当他意识到自己身上发生了什么变化的时候，他叫喊道：“噢，不要变成驴子！怜悯我吧！哪怕是一匹马……哪怕……匹马……恩……啊……霍……伊赫……奥赫，伊赫……奥赫。”然后语言也消失在驴叫声中了。
“现在你听着，罗八达。”阿斯兰说道，“公正的审判里自有怜悯。你将来不会永远是一头驴子的。”
当然，在阿斯兰说话的时候，驴子的耳朵转到前面来听，这看起来十分搞笑，所有人更加哈哈大笑了。他们试图不笑，但是却是徒劳。
“你曾呼吁塔什神，”阿斯兰说道，“你将会在塔什神的神庙中被治愈。在今年伟大的收获节里，你必须站在塔什班城的塔什神的祭台之前，在所有塔什班人的面前，你驴子的形体将会从你身上脱落，所有人都将知道你是王子罗八达。但是只要你活着，只要你曾经走到离塔什班城伟大神庙的十英里以外的地方，你就会立即再次变成现在的样子。而且当你第二次变成这样的时候，就再也变不回去了。”
短暂的寂静，然后他们都动了起来，你看着我，我看着你，就好像刚刚从睡梦中走出来一样。阿斯兰已经走了。但是空气中和草地上有一道光芒，在他们的心中仍然保留着，这些都向他们保证刚刚并不是做梦。而且，无论如何，他们面前有一头驴子。
国王伦恩是所有男人们心肠最为慈悲的，看到他的敌人陷入这种懊悔不已的境地中，他忘记了他的愤怒。
“殿下，”他说，“事情发展到这个极端的地步，我真的非常抱歉。殿下亲眼看到，这并不是我们做的。当然我们很高兴提供船只给您，送殿下回到塔什班城去……额……按照阿斯兰的方式。殿下将拥有现下最适合殿下的环境：最好的装载牲口的船，最新鲜的胡萝卜和野蓟……”
但是震耳欲聋的一声驴叫，和瞄准了警卫的狠狠一击，清楚地表明这些好心的提供并没有被对方感激地接受。
这里，为了不再提到他，我们还是将罗八达的故事结束为好。
他( 或者它) 被及时地用船送回了塔什班城，并在伟大的收获节的时候被送进了塔什神的神庙，重新变成了一个人。当然，有四五千人亲眼目睹了他的变化，这件事情就无法保密了。老太洛帝死了，罗八达便代替他成为了太洛帝，他成为了卡乐门有史以来最和平的太洛帝。因为他不敢跑到离塔什班城十英里远的地方，他没办法亲自参加一场战争，但是他又不希望他手下的泰坎们在损害他权势的情况下从战争中获得声誉，因为太洛帝们都是这样被推翻的。
但是，虽然他的目的是自私自利的，但却使得卡乐门周边的小国过得舒服多了。他自己的百姓们从来都没有忘记过，他曾经是一头驴子。在他统治期间，当着他的面，人们称呼他是“和平造就者”，但是在他死后和背着他的时候，则称呼他是“可笑的罗八达”。如果你在一本优秀的《卡乐门历史》( 不妨到当地的图书馆里找一下) 里搜索他的话，你就会发现他是被放在“荒唐的罗八达”这个称呼下面的。即使到了今天，在卡乐门的学校里，如果你做了什么超乎寻常的愚蠢事情，你很可能被称为“第二个罗八达”。
同时，安瓦德城里的每一个人都很高兴，在真正的玩乐开始之前，罗八达已经被遣送了。那是一个盛大的宴席，当天晚上在城堡前的草坪上举办，数十盏灯和月亮一起照亮着。酒流淌着，人们讲着故事，谈着笑话，然后安静了下来，国王的诗人和两个提琴手走到了圈子的中心。阿拉维斯和科奥已经准备好忍受沉闷，因为他们知道的诗篇都是卡乐门那种诗歌，现在才知道真正的诗歌是什么样的了。
但是当提琴手刚刚开始演奏的曲调时，就好像有一个火箭飞入到他们的脑海中，诗人唱着伟大的古老的关于奥尔文的歌谣，关于他如何与巨人战争，将巨人变成了石头( 这就是皮尔峰的来历——一个长着两个脑袋的巨人)，并且赢得了莉尔恩小姐成为他的新娘。当歌谣结束的时候，他们真的希望再听一次。布里虽然不会唱歌，但是却讲了关于扎林德雷战争的故事。露茜再次讲了大衣柜以及他和国王爱德蒙，女王苏珊还有至尊王彼得进入纳尼亚的故事，除了阿拉维斯和科奥，所有人都听她讲过好多次了，但他们都愿意再听一次。不一会儿，反正迟早都是要说的，伦恩国王说话了：“现在是年轻人上床睡觉的时间了。“明天，科奥，”他加了一句，“你要和我一起视察所有的城堡，去看看城堡的状况，判断哪些是强势哪些是弱势。因为如果我离开了人世，王宫将由你来守卫。”
“但是那时候，科林就是国王了，父亲。”科奥说道。
“不，孩子，”伦恩国王说道，“你是我的继承人，王冠要传给你。”
“但我不想要，”科奥说，“我倒是宁可……”
“这不是你是不是最想要的问题，科奥，也不是要不要的问题。这是法律规定的。”
“但是如果我们是双胞胎，我们年龄是一样的。”
“不，”国王笑着说，“肯定有一个先出生。你比科林早出生整整二十分钟。你也比他更好，让我们有希望，尽管那并不是什么伟大的优势。”然后他看向科林，眼睛里闪闪发光。
“但是，父亲，难道你不能选择你喜欢的人作为下一任的吗？”
“不能。国王是在法律之下的，法律使他成为国王。国王没有权力脱离王冠，就好像哨兵不能脱离岗位一样。”
“噢，上天啊！”科奥说道，“我一点都不想成为国王。科林——我非常非常抱歉，我做梦也没有想到我的出现会把你从国王的位置上挤下去。”
“万岁！万岁！”科林说道，“我不需要成为国王了。我不需要成为国王了。我将永远做一个王子，做王子是最开心的。”
“科奥，事实上，你的兄弟只知道玩，”伦恩国王说道，“做一个国王就意味着，在每一次绝望的袭击中都要站在最前方，在每次绝望的撤退中都是最后一个，当国土上出现饥荒的时候( 收成不好的年头肯定会这样的)，需要穿更好的衣服，对着不够吃的饭，也要比你土地上的国民笑得更加响亮。”
当两个孩子上楼去睡觉的时候，科奥再次问科林，是否这件事情就这么确定了。科林说道：“如果你再提一次这件事情，我将——我将把你打趴下。”
故事的结尾最好说一下，从此以后，两个兄弟之间再也没有任何不同的意见了，但我担心这并不是事实。事实上，他们经常像其他兄弟一样争吵和打架，而且他们所有打架的结果( 如果真的打起来的话)，最后总是科奥被打趴下。他们两个长大的时候，都成为了剑士，
科奥在战争中是最危险的男人，然而，作为拳击手，科奥以及北方所有国家的任何人都不能和科林相比。他就是这样获得了“霹雳拳击手科林”的美名的，也是这样压倒了暴风雨峰“野蛮的熊”，立了大功。它原来是一头会说话的熊，后来却恢复到了野蛮的熊的习惯中去了。在山上开始积雪的冬天的一天，科林登上了暴风雨峰的一侧，也没有带计时器，挥拳打了那只熊三十三个回合。最后，那只熊的眼睛都没法看到东西了，它后来才又改好了。
阿拉维斯也经常和科奥吵架( 我认为恐怕还会打架)，但是他们总是和好：以至于好多年后，他们都长大成人了，还是习惯吵架然后又再次和好，所以他们干脆结婚了，这样就更加方便吵架和和好。
国王伦恩去世之后，他们成为了很好的阿钦兰国王和王后。他们的孩子伟大的拉姆，是阿钦兰历代国王中最有名的。布里和赫温都在纳尼亚幸福地活到了高龄，而且也都分别结婚了，虽然他们两个并没有成为夫妇。但是往往用不了几个月，他们中的一个，或者他们两个，就会小跑着经过关卡，去看望他们在安瓦德的老朋友。

CHAPTER ONE HOW SHASTA SET OUT ON HIS TRAVELS
THIS is the story of an adventure that happened in Narnia and Calormen and the lands between， in the Golden Age when Peter was High King in Narnia and his brother and his two sisters were King and Queens under him．
In those days， far south in Calormen on a little creek of thesea， there lived a poor fisherman called Arsheesh， and withhim there lived a boy who called him Father. The boy’s name wasShasta. On most days Arsheesh went out in his boat to fish in themorning， and in the afternoon he harnessed his donkey to a cartand loaded the cart with fish and went a mile or so southward tothe village to sell it．If it had sold well he would come home ina moderately good temper and say nothing to Shasta， but if ithad sold badly he would find fault with him and perhaps beat him.There was always something to find fault with for Shasta had plentyof work to do， mending and washing the nets， cooking thesupper， and cleaning the cottage in which they both lived．
Shasta was not at all interested in anything that lay south of his home because he had once or twice been to the village with Arsheesh and he knew that there was nothing very interesting there. In the village he only met other men who were just like his father— men with long, dirty robes, and wooden shoes turned up at the toe, and turbans on their heads, and beards, talking to one another very slowly about things that sounded dull. But he was very interested in everything that lay to the North because no one ever went that way and he was never allowed to go there himself. When he was sitting out of doors mending the nets, and all alone, he would often look eagerly to the North. One could see nothing but a grassy slope running up to a level ridge and beyond that the sky with perhaps a few birds in it.
Sometimes if Arsheesh was there Shasta would say,"O my Father, what is there beyond that hill ?" And then if the fisherman was in a bad temper he would box Shasta's ears and tell him to attend to his work. Or if he was in a peaceable mood he would say,"O my son, do not allow your mind to be distracted by idle questions. For one of the poets has said, 'Application to business is the root of prosperity, but those who ask questions that do not concern them are steering the ship of folly towards the rock of indigence'. "
Shasta thought that beyond the hill there must be some delightful secret which his father wished to hide from him. In reality, however, the fisherman talked like this because he didn' t know what lay to the North. Neither did he care. He had a very practical mind.
One day there came from the South a stranger who was unlike any man that Shasta had seen before. He rode upon a strong dappled horse with flowing mane and tail and his stirrups and bridle were inlaid with silver. The spike of a helmet projected from the middle of his silken turban and he wore a shirt of chain mail. By his side hung a curving scimitar, a round shield studded with bosses of brass hung at his back, and his right hand grasped a lance. His face was dark, but this did not surprise Shasta because all the people of Calormen are like that; what did surprise him was the man's beard which was dyed crimson, and curled and gleaming with scented oil. But Arsheesh knew by the gold on the stranger's bare arm that he was a Tarkaan or great lord, and he bowed kneeling before him till his beard touched the earth and made signs to Shasta to kneel also.
The stranger demanded hospitality for the night which of course the fisherman dared not refuse. All the best they had was set before the Tarkaan for supper (and he didn't think much of it) and Shasta, as always happened when the fisherman had company, was given a hunk of bread and turned out of the cottage. On these occasions he usually slept with the donkey in its little thatched stable. But it was much too early to go to sleep yet, and Shasta, who had never learned that it is wrong to listen behind doors, sat down with his ear to a crack in the wooden wall of the cottage to hear what the grown-ups were talking about. And this is what he heard.
"And now, O my host," said the Tarkaan,"I have a mind to buy that boy of yours."
"O my master/' replied the fisherman (and Shasta knew by the wheedling tone the greedy look that was probably coming into his face as he said it),"what price could induce your servant, poor though he is, to sell into slavery his only child and his own flesh ? Has not one of the poets said, 'Natural affection is stronger than soup and offspring more precious than carbuncles ?'
"It is even so,"replied the guest dryly."But another poet has likewise said,"He who attempts to deceive the judicious is already baring his own back for the scourge."Do not load your aged mouth with falsehoods. This boy is manifestly no son of yours, for your cheek is as dark as mine but the boy is fair and white like the accursed but beautiful barbarians who inhabit the remote North."
"How well it was said," answered the fisherman,"that Swords can be kept off with shields but the Eye of Wisdom pierces through every defence ! Know then, O my formidable guest, that because of my extreme poverty I have never married and have no child. But in that same year in which the Tisroc (may he live forever) began his august and beneficent reign, on a night when the moon was at her full, it pleased the gods to deprive me of my sleep. Therefore I arose from my bed in this hovel and went forth to the beach to refresh myself with looking upon the water and the moon and breathing the cool air. And presently I heard a noise as of oars coming to me across the water and then, as it were, a weak cry.And shortly after, the tide brought to the land a little boat in which there was nothing but a man lean with extreme hunger and thirst who seemed to have died but a few moments before (for he was still warm), and an empty water-skin, and a child, still living."Doubtless,"said I,"these unfortunates have escaped from the wreck of a great ship, but by the admirable designs of the gods, the elder has starved himself to keep the child alive and has perished in sight of land."Accordingly, remembering how the gods never fail to reward those who befriend the destitute, and being moved by compassion (for your servant is a man of tender heart) —"
"Leave out all these idle words in your own praise, " interrupted the Tarkaan."It is enough to know that you took the child— and have had ten times the worth of his daily bread out of him in labour, as anyone can see. And now tell me at once what price you put on him, for I am wearied with your loquacity."
"You yourself have wisely said, " answered Arsheesh, "that the boy' s labour has been to me of inestimable value.This must be taken into account in fixing the price. For if I sell the boy I must undoubtedly either buy or hire another to do his work."
"I'll give you fifteen crescents for him," said the Tarkaan.
"Fifteen!" cried Arsheesh in a voice that was something between a whine and a scream."Fifteen !For the prop of my old age and the delight of my eyes !Do not mock my grey beard, Tarkaan though you be. My price is seventy. "
At this point Shasta got up and tiptoed away. He had heard all he wanted, for he had open listened when men were bargaining in the village and knew how it was done. He was quite certain that Arsheesh would sell him in the end for something much more than fifteen crescents and much less than seventy, but that he and the Tarkaan would take hours in getting to an agreement.
You must not imagine that Shasta felt at all as you and I would feel if we had just overheard our parents talking about selling us for slaves. For one thing, his life was already little better than slavery;for all he knew, the lordly stranger on the great horse might be kinder to him than Arsheesh. For another, the story about his own discovery in the boat had filled him with excitement and with a sense of relief.He had often been uneasy because, try as he might, he had never been able to love the fisherman, and he knew that a boy ought to love his father. And now, apparently, he was no relation to Arsheesh at all.That took a great weight off his mind."Why, I might be anyone !"he thought.'! might be the son of a Tarkaan myself—or the son of the Tisroc (may he live for ever) or of a god !"
He was standing out in the grassy place before the cottage while he thought these things. Twilight was coming on apace and a star or two was already out, but the remains of the sunset could still be seen in the west. Not far away the stranger' s horse, loosely tied to an iron ring in the wall of the donkey' s stable, was grazing. Shasta strolled over to it and patted its neck. It went on tearing up the grass and took no notice of him.
Then another thought came into Shasta's mind."I wonder what sort of a man that Tarkaan is," he said out loud."It would be splendid if he was kind. Some of the slaves in a great lord's house have next to nothing to do. They wear lovely clothes and eat meat every day. Perhaps he'd take me to the wars and I'd save his life in a battle and then he' d set me free and adopt me as his son and give me a palace and a chariot and a suit of armour. But then he might be a horrid cruel man. He might send me to work on the fields in chains. I wish I knew. How can I know ? I bet this horse knows, if only he could tell me."
The Horse had lifted its head. Shasta stroked its smooth—as— satin nose and said,"I wish you could talk, old fellow."
And then for a second he thought he was dreaming, for quite distinctly, though in a low voice, the Horse said,"But I can."
Shasta stared into its great eyes and his own grew almost as big, with astonishment.
"How ever did you learn to talk ?" he asked.
"Hush !Not so loud," replied the Horse."Where I come from, nearly all the animals talk."
"Wherever is that ?" asked Shasta.
"Narnia," answered the Horse."The happy land of Narnia—Narnia of the heathery mountains and the thymy downs, Narnia of the many rivers, the plashing glens, the mossy caverns and the deep forests ringing with the hammers of the Dwarfs. Oh the sweet air of Narnia ! An hour' s life there is better than a thousand years in Calormen."It ended with a whinny that sounded very like a sigh.
"How did you get here ?" said Shasta.
"Kidnapped," said the Horse."Or stolen, or captured whichever you like to call it. I was only a foal at the time. My mother warned me not to range the Southern slopes, into Archenland and beyond, but I wouldn' t heed her. And by the Lion' s Mane I have paid for my folly. All these years I have been a slave to humans, hiding my true nature and pretending to be dumb and witless like their horses."
"Why didn't you tell them who you were ?"
"Not such a fool, that's why. If they'd once found out I could talk they would have made a show of me at fairs and guarded me more carefully than ever. My last chance of escape would have been gone."
"And why—"began Shasta, but the Horse interrupted him.
"Now look," it said," we mustn't waste time on idle questions. You want to know about my master the Tarkaan Anradin. Well, he' s bad. Not too bad to me, for a war horse costs too much to be treated very badly. But you' d better be lying dead tonight than go to be a human slave in his house tomorrow."
"Then I'd better run away," said Shasta, turning very pale.
"Yes, you had," said the Horse."But why not run away with me ?"
"Are you going to run away too ?" said Shasta. "Yes, if you'll come with me," answered the Horse."This is the chance for both of us.You see if I run away without a rider, everyone who sees me will say' Stray horse' and be after me as quick as he can. With a rider I' ve a chance to get through. That' s where you can help me. On the other hand, you can' t get very far on those two silly legs of yours (what absurd legs humans have!) without being overtaken. But on me you can outdistance any other horse in this country. That' s where I can help you. By the way,I suppose you know how to ride ?"
"Oh yes, of course," said Shasta."At least, I've ridden the donkey."
"Ridden the what ?" retorted the Horse with extreme contempt. (At least,that is what he meant. Actually it came out in a sort of neigh— "Ridden the wha-ha-ha-ha-ha."Talking horses always become more horsy in accent when they are angry.)
"In other words," it continued," you can't ride. That's a drawback. I' ll have to teach you as we go along. If you can' t ride, can you fall ?"
"I suppose anyone can fall," said Shasta.
"I mean can you fall and get up again without crying and mount again and fall again and yet not be afraid of falling ?"
"I—I'll try,"said Shasta."Poor little beast,"said the Horse in a gentler tone."I forget you're only a foal. We'll make a fine rider of you in time. And now—we mustn't start until those two in the but are asleep. Meantime we can make our plans. My Tarkaan is on his way North to the great city, to Tashbaan itself and the court of the Tisroc—"
"I say, " put in Shasta in rather a shocked voice,"oughtn't you to say 'May he live for ever'?"
"Why ?"asked the Horse."I'm a free Narnian. And why should I talk slaves' and fools' talk ? I don' t want him to live for ever, and I know that he' s not going to live for ever whether I want him to or not. And I can see you' re from the free North too. No more of this Southern jargon between you and me ! And now, back to our plans. As I said, my human was on his way North to Tashbaan."
"Does that mean we'd better go to the South ?"
"I think not," said the Horse. "You see, he thinks I'm dumb and witless like his other horses. Now if I really were, the moment I got loose I' d go back home to my stable and paddock; back to his palace which is two days' journey South. That' s where he' ll look for me. He' d never dream of my going on North on my own. And anyway he will probably think that someone in the last village who saw him ride through has followed us to here and stolen me."
"Oh hurrah !" said Shasta."Then we'll go North. I've been longing to go to the North all my life."
"Of course you have," said the Horse."That's because of the blood that' s in you. I' m sure you' re true Northern stock. But not too loud. I should think they' d be asleep soon now."
"I'd better creep back and see," suggested Shasta.
"That's a good idea," said the Horse."But take care you're not caught."
It was a good deal darker now and very silent except for the sound of the waves on the beach, which Shasta hardly noticed because he had been hearing it day and night as long as he could remember. The cottage, as he approached it, showed no light. When he listened at the front there was no noise. When he went round to the only window, he could hear, after a second or two, the familiar noise of the old fisherman' s squeaky snore. It was funny to think that if all went well he would never hear it again. Holding his breath and feeling a little bit sorry, but much less sorry than he was glad, Shasta glided away over the grass and went to the donkey' s stable, groped along to a place he knew where the key was hidden, opened the door and found the Horse' s saddle and bridle which had been locked up there for the night. He bent forward and kissed the donkey's nose."I'm sorry we can't take you," he said.
"There you are at last," said the Horse when he got back to it."I was beginning to wonder what had become of you."
"I was getting your things out of the stable," replied Shasta."And now, can you tell me how to put them on ?"
For the next few minutes Shasta was at work, very cautiously to avoid jingling, while the Horse said things like, "Get that girth a bit tighter, " or "You'll find a buckle lower down, " or"You'll need to shorten those stirrups a good bit."When all was finished it said:
"Now,we've got to have reins for the look of the thing, but you won' t be using them. Tie them to the saddle-bow: very slack so that I can do what I like with my head. And, remember? you are not to touch them."
"What are they for, then ?" asked Shasta.
"Ordinarily they are for directing me," replied the Horse."But as I intend to do all the directing on this journey, you' ll please keep your hands to yourself. And there' s another thing. I' m not going to have you grabbing my mane."
"But I say," pleaded Shasta."If I'm not to hold on by the reins or by your mane, what am I to hold on by ?"
"You hold on with your knees," said the Horse."That's the secret of good riding. Grip my body between your knees as hard as you like; sit straight up, straight as a poker; keep your elbows in. And by the way,what did you do with the spurs ?"
"Put them on my heels, of course," said Shasta."I do know that much."
"Then you can take them off and put them in the saddle-bag. We may be able to sell them when we get to Tashbaan. Ready ? And now I think you can get up."
"Ooh ! You're a dreadful height," gasped Shasta after his first,and unsuccessful, attempt.
"I'm a horse, that's all," was the reply."Anyone would think I was a haystack from the way you' re trying to climb up me ! There, that' s better. Now sit up and remember what I told you about your knees. Funny to think of me who has led cavalry charges and won races having a potato—sack like you in the saddle ! However,off we go."It chuckled, not unkindly.
And it certainly began their night journey with great caution.
First of all it went just south of the fisherman' s cottage to the little river which there ran into the sea, and took care to leave in the mud some very plain hoof-marks pointing South. But as soon as they were in the middle of the ford it turned upstream and waded till they were about a hundred yards farther inland than the cottage. Then it selected a nice gravelly bit of bank which would take no footprints and came out on the Northern side. Then, still at a walking pace, it went Northward till the cottage, the one tree, the donkey' s stable, and the creek—everything, in fact, that Shasta had ever known—had sunk out of sight in the grey summer-night darkness. They had been going uphill and now were at the top of the ridge— that ridge which had always been the boundary of Shasta' s known world. He could not see what was ahead except that it was all open and grassy. It looked endless: wild and lonely and free.
"I say !" observed the Horse."What a place for a gallop, eh !"
"Oh don't let's," said Shasta."Not yet. I don't know how to—please, Horse. I don' t know your name."
"Breehy—hinny—brinny—hooky—hah," said the Horse.
"I'll never be able to say that," said Shasta."Can I call you Bree ?"
"Well,if it's the best you can do,I suppose you must, said the Horse."And what shall I call you ?" "I'm called Shasta."
"Hm," said Bree."Well, now, there's a name that's really hard to pronounce. But now about this gallop. It' s a good deal easier than trotting if you only knew, because you don' t have to rise and fall. Grip with your knees and keep your eyes straight ahead between my ears. Don't look at the ground. If you think you're going to fall just grip harder and sit up straighter. Ready ? Now:for Narnia and the North. "

CHAPTER TWO A WAYSIDE ADVENTURE
IT was nearly noon on the following day when Shasta was wakened by something warm and soft moving over his face. He opened his eyes and found himself staring into the long face of a horse; its nose and lips were almost touching his. He remembered the exciting events of the previous night and sat up. But as he did so he groaned.
"Ow, Bree," he gasped."I'm so sore.All over.I can hardly move."
"Good morning, small one," said Bree. "I was afraid you might feel a bit stiff. It can't be the falls. You didn't have more than a dozen or so, and it was all lovely, soft springy turf that must have been almost a pleasure to fall on. And the only one that might have been nasty was broken by that gorse bush. No, it' s the riding itself that comes hard at first. What about breakfast ? I' ve had mine."
"Oh bother breakfast.Bother everything," said Shasta."I tell you I can't move. " But the horse nuzzled at him with its nose and pawed him gently with a hoof till he had to get up. And then he looked about him and saw where they were. Behind them lay a little copse. Before them the turf, dotted with white flowers, sloped down to the brow of a cliff. Far below them, so that the sound of the breaking waves was very faint, lay the sea. Shasta had never seen it from such a height and never seen so much of it before, nor dreamed how many colours it had. On either hand the coast stretched away, headland after headland, and at the points you could see the white foam running up the rocks but making no noise because it was so far off. There were gulls flying overhead and the heat shivered on the ground;it was a blazing day. But what Shasta chiefly noticed was the air. He couldn't think what was missing, until at last he realized that there was no smell of fish in it. For of course, neither in the cottage nor among the nets, had he ever been away from that smell in his life. And this new air was so delicious, and all his old life seemed so far away, that he forgot for a moment about his bruises and his aching muscles and said:
"I say, Bree, didn't you say something about breakfast ?"
"Yes, I did," answered Bree."I think you'll find something in the saddle-bags. They're over there on that tree where you hung them up last night—or early this morning, rather. "
They investigated the saddle-bags and the results were cheering—a meat pasty, only slightly stale, a lump of dried figs and another lump of green cheese,a little flask of wine, and
some money;about forty crescents in all, which was more than Shasta had ever seen.
While Shasta sat down-painfully and cautiously-with his back against a tree and started on the pasty, Bree had a few more mouthfuls of grass to keep him company.
"Won't it be stealing to use the money ?" asked Shasta.
"Oh," said the Horse, looking up with its mouth full of grass,"I never thought of that. A free horse and a talking horse mustn' t steal, of course. But I think it' s all right. We' re prisoners and captives in enemy country. That money is booty, spoil. Besides, how are we to get any food for you without it ? I suppose, like all humans, you won' t eat natural food like grass and oats."
I can t.
"Ever tried ?"
"Yes,I have.I can't get it down at all.You couldn't either if you were me."
"You're rum little creatures, you humans," remarked Bree. When Shasta had finished his breakfast (which was by far the nicest he had ever eaten), Bree said,"I think I 'll have a nice roll before we put on that saddle again."And he proceeded to do so.
"That's good. That's very good," he said, rubbing his back on the turf and waving all four legs in the air."You ought to have one too,Shasta," he snorted."It's most refreshing. "
But Shasta burst out laughing and said,"You do look funny when you're on your back !"
"I look nothing of the sort," said Bree. But then suddenly he rolled round on his side, raised his head and looked hard at Shasta,blowing a little.
"Does it really look funny ?" he asked in an anxious voice.
"Yes, it does," replied Shasta. "But what does it matter ?"
"You don't think, do you," said Bree, " that it might be a thing talking horses never do—a silly, clownish trick I ve learned from the dumb ones ?It would be dreadful to find,when I get back to Narnia, that I' ve picked up a lot of low,bad habits. What do you think, Shasta? Honestly,now.Don't spare my feelings. Should you think the real,free horses—the talking kind—do roll ?"
"How should I know ? Anyway I don't think I should bother about it if I were you. We ve got to get there first. Do you know the way ?"
"I know my way to Tashbaan.After that comes the desert. Oh,we ll manage the desert somehow,never fear. Why, we ll be in sight of the Northern mountains then.Think of it ! To Narnia and the North !Nothing will stop us then.But I d be glad to be past Tashbaan.You and I are safer away from cities."
"Can't we avoid it ?"
"Not without going a long way inland, and that would take us into cultivated land and main roads;and I wouldn t know the way. No, we'll just have to creep along the coast. Up here on the downs we ll meet nothing but sheep and rabbits and gulls and afew shepherds.And by the way, what about starting ?"
Shasta s legs ached terribly as he saddled Bree and climbed into the saddle, but the Horse was kindly to him and went at a soft pace all afternoon. When evening twilight came they dropped by steep tracks into a valley and found a village. Before they got into it Shasta dismounted and entered it on foot to buy a loaf and some onions and radishes. The Horse trotted round by the fields in the dusk and met Shasta at the far side. This became their regular plan every second night.
These were great days for Shasta, and every day better than the last as his muscles hardened and he fell less often. Even at the end of his training Bree still said he sat like a bag of flour in the saddle."And even if it was safe, young' un, I'd be ashamed to be seen with you on the main road."But in spite of his rude words Bree was a patient teacher. No one can teach riding so well as a horse. Shasta learned to trot, to canter, to jump, and to keep his seat even when Bree pulled up suddenly or swung unexpectedly to the left or the right-which, as Bree told him, was a thing you might have to do at any moment in a battle. And then of course Shasta begged to be told of the battles and wars in which Bree had carried the Tarkaan. And Bree would tell of forced marches and the fording of swift rivers, of charges and of fierce fights between cavalry and cavalry when the war horses fought as well as the men, being all fierce stallions, trained to bite and kick, and to rear at the right moment so that the horse s weight as well as the rider s would come down on a enemy s crest in the stroke of sword or battleaxe. But Bree did not want to talk about the wars as often as Shasta wanted to hear about them."Don't speak of them, youngster," he would say."They were only the Tisroc's wars and I fought in them as a slave and a dumb beast. Give me the Narnian wars where I shall fight as a free Horse among my own people ! Those will be wars worth talking about. Narnia and the North ! Bra-ha-ha ! Broo hoo !"
Shasta soon learned,when he heard Bree talking like that, to prepare for a gallop.
After they had travelled on for weeks and weeks past more bays and headlands and rivers and villages than Shasta could remember, there came a moonlit night when they started their journey at evening, having slept during the day. They had left the downs behind them and were crossing a wide plain with a forest about half a mile away on their left. The sea, hidden by low sandhills, was about the same distance on their right. They had jogged along for about an hour, sometimes trotting and sometimes walking, when Bree suddenly stopped. "What's up ?" said Shasta.
"S-s-ssh !" said Bree, craning his neck round and twitching his ears."Did you hear something ? Listen. "
"It sounds like another horse—between us and the wood,"said Shasta after he had listened for about a minute.
"It is another horse," said Bree. " And that's what I don't
like."
"Isn't it probably just a farmer riding home late ?" said
Shasta with a yawn.
"Don't tell me ! " said Bree." That's not a farmer's riding. Nor a farmer' s horse either. Can' t you tell by the sound ? That' s quality,that horse is.And it's being ridden by a real horseman I. tell you what it is,Shasta.There' s a Tarkaan under the edge of that wood.Not on his war horse—it' s too light for that.On a fine blood mare,I should say."
"Well, it's stopped now, whatever it is," said Shasta.
"You're right,"said Bree."And why should he stop just when we do ? Shasta, my boy, I do believe there' s someone shadowing us at last."
"What shall we do ?" said Shasta in a lower whisper than before."Do you think he can see us as well as hear us ?"
"Not in this light so long as we stay quite still," answered Bree."But look ! There's a cloud coming up. I'll wait till that gets over the moon. Then we' ll get off to our right as quietly as we can, down to the shore. We can hide among the sandhills if the worst comes to the worst."
They waited till the cloud covered the moon and then, first at a walking pace and afterwards at a gentle trot, made for the shore.
The cloud was bigger and thicker than it had looked at first and soon the night grew very dark. Just as Shasta was saying to himself,"We must be nearly at those sandhills by now," his heart leaped into his mouth because an appalling noise had suddenly risen up out of the darkness ahead;a long snarling roar, melancholy and utterly savage.Instantly Bree swerved round and began galloping inland again as fast as he could gallop. "What is it ?" gasped Shasta.
"Lions !" said Bree, without checking his pace or turning his head.
After that there was nothing but sheer galloping for some time. At last they splashed across a wide, shallow stream and Bree came to a stop on the far side. Shasta noticed that he was trembling and sweating all over.
"That water may have thrown the brute off our scent," panted Bree when he had partly got his breath again."We can walk for a bit now."
As they walked Bree said, "Shasta,I'm ashamed of myself. I m just as frightened as a common,dumb Calormene horse. I am really.I don t feel like a Talking Horse at all.I don t mind swords and lances and arrows but I can t bear—those creatures. I think I ll trot for a bit."
About a minute later, however, he broke into a gallop again, and no wonder. For the roar broke out again, this time on their left from the direction of the forest.
"Two of them," moaned Bree. When they had galloped for several minutes without any further noise from the lions Shasta said,"I say !That other horse is galloping beside us now.Only a stone s throw away."
"All the b-better," panted Bree."Tarkaan on it-will have a sword-protect us all."
"But,Bree !" said Shasta. "We might just as well be killed by lions as caught. Or I might. They'll hang me for horse-stealing."He was feeling less frightened of lions than Bree because he had never met a lion;Bree had.
Bree only snorted in answer but he did sheer away to his right. Oddly enough the other horse seemed also to be sheering away to the left, so that in a few seconds the space between them had widened a good deal. But as soon as it did so there came two more lions roars, immediately after one another, one on the right and the other on the left, the horses began drawing nearer together. So, apparently, did the lions. The roaring of the brutes on each side was horribly close and they seemed to be keeping up with the galloping horses quite easily. Then the cloud rolled away. The moonlight, astonishingly bright, showed up everything almost as if it were broad day. The two horses and two riders were galloping neck to neck and knee to knee just as if they were in a race. Indeed Bree said (afterwards) that a finer race had never been seen in Calormen.
Shasta now gave himself up for lost and began to wonder whether lions killed you quickly or played with you as a cat plays with a mouse and how much it would hurt. At the same time (one sometimes does this at the most frightful moments) he noticed everything. He saw that the other rider was a very small, slender person, mail-clad (the moon shone on the mail) and riding magnificently.He had no beard.
Something flat and shining was spread out before them. Before Shasta had time even to guess what it great splash and he found his mouth half full of salt water. The shining thing had been a long inlet of the sea. Both horses were swimming and the water was up to Shasta' s knees. There was an angry roaring behind them and looking back Shasta saw a great, shaggy, and terrible shape crouched on the water' s edge;but only one."We must have shaken off the other lion," he thought.
The lion apparently did not think its prey worth a wetting;at any rate it made no attempt to take the water in pursuit. The two horses, side by side, were now well out into the middle of the creek and the opposite shore could be clearly seen. The Tarkaan had not yet spoken a word."But he will," thought Shasta.
"As soon as we have landed. What am I to say ? I must begin thinking out a story."
Then,suddenly, two voices spoke at his side.
"Oh,I am so tired," said the one."Hold your tongue, Hwin, and don' t be a fool,"said the other.
"I'm dreaming/' thought Shasta."I could have sworn that other horse spoke."
Soon the horses were no longer swimming but walking and soon with a great sound of water running off their sides and tails and with a great crunching of pebbles under eight hoofs, they came out on the farther beach of the inlet. The Tarkaan, to Shasta' s surprise, showed no wish to ask questions. He did not even look at Shasta but seemed anxious to urge his horse straight on. Bree, however,at once shouldered himself in the other horse' s way.
"Broo-hoo-hah !" he snorted."Steady there !I heard you, I did.There' s no good pretending, Ma' am.I heard you. You' re a Talking Horse, a Narnian horse just like me."
"What's it got to do with you if she is ?" said the strange rider fiercely, laying hand on sword-hilt. But the voice in which the words were spoken had already told Shasta something.
"Why, it's only a girl !" he exclaimed.
"And what business is it of yours if I am only a girl ?" snapped the stranger. "You're probably only a boy: a rude, common little boy-a slave probably,who' s stolen his master' s horse."
"That's all you know," said Shasta.
"He's not a thief, little Tarkheena," said Bree. "At least, if there' s been any stealing, you might just as well say I stole him. And as for its not being my business,you wouldn' t expect me to pass a lady of my own race in this strange country without speaking to her ? It' s only natural I should."
"I think it's very natural too," said the mare.
"I wish you'd held your tongue, Hwin, "said the girl. "Look at the trouble you' ve got us into."
"I don't know about trouble," said Shasta. "You can clear off as soon as you like.We shan' t keep you."
"No, you shan't," said the girl.
"What quarrelsome creatures these humans are," said Bree to the mare. "They're as bad as mules.Let's try to talk a little sense. I take it,ma' am,your story is the same as mine ? Captured in early youth—years of slavery among the Calormenes ?"
"Too true,sir," said the mare with a melancholy whinny. "And now, perhaps-escape ?"
"Tell him to mind his own business,Hwin," said the girl.
"No, I won't, Aravis," said the mare putting her ears back. "This is my escape just as much as yours. And I'm sure a noble warhorse like this is not going to betray us. We are trying to escape, to get to Narnia."
"And so, of course, are we," said Bree. "Of course you guessed that at once. A little boy in rags riding (or trying to ride) a warhorse at dead of night couldn t mean anything but an escape of some sort. And, if I may say so, a high-born Tarkheena riding alone at night-dressed up in her brother s armour-and very anxious for everyone to mind their own business and ask her no questions-well, if that s not fishy, call me a cob !"
"All right then," said Aravis."You've guessed it. Hwin and I are running away. We are trying to get to Narnia. And now, what about it ?"
"Why, in that case, what is to prevent us all going together ?" said Bree."I trust, Madam Hwin, you will accept such assistance and protection as I may be able to give you on the journey ?"
"Why do you keep talking to my horse instead of to me ?"asked the girl.
"Excuse me, Tarkheena," said Bree (with just the slightest backward tilt of his ears), "but that' s Calormene talk. We 're free Narnians,Hwin and I,and I suppose,if you re running away to Narnia, you want to be one too. In that case Hwin isn t your horse any longer.One might just as well say you re her human."
The girl opened her mouth to speak and then stopped. Obviously she had not quite seen it in that light before.
"Still," she said after a moment's pause,"I don't know that there s so much point in all going together. Aren t we more likely to be noticed ?"
"Less," said Bree;and the mare said,"Oh do let's. I should feel much more comfortable. We re not even certain of the way.I m sure a great charger like this knows far more than we do."
"Oh come on, Bree," said Shasta, "and let them go their own way.Can t you see they don t want us ?"
"We do," said Hwin.”
"Look here," said the girl. "I don't mind going with you, Mr.War-Horse,but what about this boy ?How do I know he s not a spy ?"
"Why don't you say at once that you think I'm not good enough for you ?"said Shasta.
"Be quiet, Shasta," said Bree. "The Tarkheena's question is quite reasonable. I ll vouch for the boy, Tarkheena. He s been true to me and a good friend. And he s certainly either a Narnian or an Archenlander."
"All right, then. Let's go together. " But she didn't say anything to Shasta and it was obvious that she wanted Bree, not him.
"Splendid !" said Bree. "And now that we've got the water between us and those dreadful animals, what about you two humans taking off our saddles and our all having a rest and hearing one another' s stories."
Both the children unsaddled their horses and the horses had a little grass and Aravis produced rather nice things to eat from her saddle-bag ? But Shasta sulked and said No thanks, and that he wasn' t hungry. And he tried to put on what he thought very grand and stiff manners, but as a fisherman' s but is not usually a good place for learning grand manners, the result was dreadful. And he half knew that it wasn' t a success and then became sulkier and more awkward than ever. Meanwhile the two horses were getting on splendidly. They remembered the very same places in Narnia-"the grasslands up above Beaversdam"and found that they were some sort of second cousins once removed. This made things more and more uncomfortable for the humans until at last Bree said, "And now, Tarkheena, tell us your story. And don' t hurry it-I' m feeling comfortable now."
Aravis immediately began,sitting quite still and using a rather different tone and style from her usual one.For in Calormen,story-telling (whether the stories are true or made up) is a thing you're taught,just as English boys and girls are taught essay-writing.The difference is that people want to hear the stories,whereas I never heard of anyone who wanted to read the essays.

CHAPTER THREE AT THE GATES OF TASHBAAN
"MY name," said the girl at once, "is Aravis Tarkheena and I am the only daughter of Kidrash Tarkaan, the son of Rishti Tarkaan, the son of Kidrash Tarkaan, the son of Ilsombreh Tisroc, the son of Ardeeb Tisroc who was descended in a right line from the god Tash. My father is the lord of the province of Calavar and is one who has the right of standing on his feet in his shoes before the face of Tisroc himself (may he live for ever). My mother (on whom be the peace of the gods) is dead and my father has married another wife. One of my brothers has fallen in battle against the rebels in the far west and the other is a child. Now it came to pass that my father' s wife, my stepmother, hated me, and the sun appeared dark in her eyes as long as I lived in my father' s house. And so she persuaded my father to promise me in marriage to Ahoshta Tarkaan. Now this Ahoshta is of base birth, though in these latter years he has won the favour of the Tisroc (may he live for ever) by flattery and evil counsels,and is now made a Tarkaan and the lord of many cities and is likely to be chosen as the Grand Vizier when the present Grand Vizier dies. Moreover he is at least sixty years old and has a hump on his back and his face resembles that of an ape. Nevertheless my father, because of the wealth and power of this Ahoshta, and being persuaded by his wife, sent messengers offering me in marriage, and the offer was favourably accepted and Ahoshta sent word that he would marry me this very year at the time of high summer.
"When this news was brought to me the sun appeared dark in my eyes and I laid myself on my bed and wept for a day.But on the second day I rose up and washed my face and caused my mare Hwin to be saddled and took with me a sharp dagger which my brother had carried in the western wars and rode out alone. And when my father' s house was out of sight and I was come to a green open place in a certain wood where there were no dwellings of men,I dismounted from Hwin my mare and took out the dagger. Then I parted my clothes where I thought the readiest way lay to my heart and I prayed to all the gods that as soon as I was dead I might find myself with my brother. After that I shut my eyes and my teeth and prepared to drive the dagger into my heart.But before I had done so,this mare spoke with the voice of one of the daughters of men and said,"O my mistress,do not by any means destroy yourself,for if you live you may yet have good fortune but all the dead are dead alike."
"I didn't say it half so well as that," muttered the mare.
"Hush,Ma'am,hush," said Bree,who was thoroughly enjoying the story. "She's telling it in the grand Calormene manner and no story-teller in a Tisroc' s court could do it better. Pray go on,Tarkheena."
"When I heard the language of men uttered by my mare," continued Aravis, "I said to myself the fear of death has disordered my reason and subjected me to delusions.And I became full of shame for none of my lineage ought to fear death more than the biting of a gnat. Therefore I addressed myself a second time to the stabbing,but Hwin came near to me and put her head in between me and the dagger and discoursed to me most excellent reasons and rebuked me as a mother rebukes her daughter. And now my wonder was so great that I forgot about killing myself and about Ahoshta and said, 'O my mare,how have you learned to speak like one of the daughters of men ? ' And Hwin told me what is known to all this company,that in Narnia there are beasts that talk,and how she herself was stolen from thence when she was a little foal.She told me also of the woods and waters of Narnia and the castles and the great ships,till I said, 'In the name of Tash and Azaroth and Zardeenah Lady of the Night,I have a great wish to be in that country of Narnia. 'O my mistress,' answered the mare, 'if you were in Narnia you would be happy,for in that land no maiden is forced to marry against her will.
"And when we had talked together for a great time hope returned to me and I rejoiced that I had not killed myself. Moreover it was agreed between Hwin and me that we should steal ourselves away together and we planned it in this fashion. We returned to my father s house and I put on my gayest clothes and sang and danced before my father and pretended to be delighted with the marriage which he had prepared for me. Also I said to him, 'O my father and O the delight of my eyes,give me your licence and permission to go with one of my maidens alone for three days into the woods to do secret sacrifices to Zardeenah,Lady of the Night and of Maidens,as is proper and customary for damsels when they must bid farewell to the service of Zardeenah and prepare themselves for marriage. ' And he answered, 'O my daughter and O the delight of my eyes,so shall it be.
"But when I came out from the presence of my father I went immediately to the oldest of his slaves,his secretary,who had dandled me on his knees when I was a baby and loved me more than the air and the light. And I swore him to be secret and begged him to write a certain letter for me. And he wept and implored me to change my resolution but in the end he said, 'To hear is to obey,' and did all my will. And I sealed the letter and hid it in my bosom."
"But what was in the letter ?" asked Shasta.
"Be quiet, youngster," said Bree."You're spoiling the story. She'll tell us all about the letter in the right place. Go on, Tarkheena."
"Then I called the maid who was to go with me to the woods and perform the rites of Zardeenah and told her to wake me very early in the morning. And I became merry with her and gave her wine to drink;but I had mixed such things in her cup that I knew
she must sleep for a night and a day. As soon as the household of my father had committed themselves to sleep I arose and put on an armour of my brother s which I always kept in my chamber in his memory. I put into my girdle all the money I had and certain choice jewels and provided myself also with food, and saddled the mare with my own hands and rode away in the second watch of the night. I directed my course not to the woods where my father supposed that I would go but north and east to Tashbaan.
"Now for three days and more I knew that my father would not seek me, being deceived by the words I had said to him. And on the fourth day we arrived at the city of Azim Balda. Now Azim Balda stands at the meeting of many roads and from it the posts of the Tisroc (may he live for ever) ride on swift horses to every part of the empire: and it is one of the rights and privileges of the greater Tarkaans to send messages by them. I therefore went to the Chief of the Messengers in the House of Imperial Posts in Azim Balda and said, 'O dispatcher of messages, here is a letter from my uncle Ahoshta Tarkaan to Kidrash Tarkaan lord of Calavar. Take now these five crescents and cause it to be sent to him. ' And the Chief of the Messengers said, 'To hear is to obey.
"This letter was feigned to be written by Ahoshta and this was the signification of the writing:'Ahoshta Tarkaan to Kidrash Tarkaan, salutation and peace. In the name of Tash the irresistible, the inexorable. Be it known to you that as I made my journey towards your house to perform the contract of marriage between me and your daughter Aravis Tarkheena, it pleased
fortune and the gods that I fell in with her in the forest when she had ended the rites and sacrifices of Zardeenah according to the custom of maidens. And when I learned who she was, being delighted with her beauty and discretion, I became inflamed with love and it appeared to me that the sun would be dark to me if I did not marry her at once. Accordingly I prepared the necessary sacrifices and married your daughter the same hour that I met her and have returned with her to my own house. And we both pray and charge you to come hither as speedily as you may that we may be delighted with your face and speech; and also that you may bring with you the dowry of my wife, which, by reason of my great charges and expenses, I require without delay. And because thou and I are brothers I assure myself that you will not be angered by the haste of my marriage which is wholly occasioned by the great love I bear your daughter.And I commit you to the care of all the gods. '
"As soon as I had done this I rode on in all haste from Azim Balda, fearing no pursuit and expecting that my father,having received such a letter, would send messages to Ahoshta or go to him himself, and that before the matter was discovered I should be beyond Tashbaan. And that is the pith of my story until this very night when I was chased by lions and met you at the swimming of the salt water.
"And what happened to the girl—the one you drugged ?" asked Shasta.
"Doubtless she was beaten for sleeping late," said Aravis coolly. "But she was a tool and spy of my stepmother's.I am very glad they should beat her."
"I say, that was hardly fair," said Shasta.
"I did not do any of these things for the sake of pleasing you," said Aravis.
"And there's another thing I don't understand about that story," said Shasta. "You're not grown up,I don't believe you're any older than I am.I don't believe you're as old.How could you be getting married at your age ?"
Aravis said nothing,but Bree at once said, "Shasta,don't display your ignorance.They' re always married at that age in the great Tarkaan families."
Shasta turned very red (though it was hardly light enough for the others to see this) and felt snubbed. Aravis asked Bree for his story.Bree told it,and Shasta thought that he put in a great deal more than he needed about the falls and the bad riding.Bree obviously thought it very funny,but Aravis did not laugh.When Bree had finished they all went to sleep.
Next day all four of them ,two horses and two humans, continued their journey together.Shasta thought it had been much pleasanter when he and Bree were on their own.For now it was Bree and Aravis who did nearly all the talking.Bree had lived a long time in Calormen and had always been among Tarkaans and Tarkaans' horses, and so of course he knew a great many of the same people and places that Aravis knew. She would always be saying things like,"But if you were at the fight of Zulindreh you would have seen my cousin Alimash,"and Bree would answer,
"Oh, yes, Alimash, he was only captain of the chariots, you know. I don' t quite hold with chariots or the kind of horses who draw chariots. That's not real cavalry. But he is a worthy nobleman. He filled my nosebag with sugar after the taking of Teebeth." Or else Bree would say, "I was down at the lake of Mezreel that summer," and Aravis would say, "Oh, Mezreel! I had a friend there, Lasaraleen Tarkheena. What a delightful place it is. Those gardens, and the Valley of the Thousand Perfumes !" Bree was not in the least trying to leave Shasta out of things, though Shasta sometimes nearly thought he was. People who know a lot of the same things can hardly help talking about them, and if you' re there you can hardly help feeling that you' re out of it.
Hwin the mare was rather shy before a great warhorse like Bree and said very little. And Aravis never spoke to Shasta at all if she could help it.
Soon, however, they had more important things to think of. They were getting near Tashbaan. There were more, and larger, villages, and more people on the roads. They now did nearly all their travelling by night and hid as best they could during the day. And at every halt they argued and argued about what they were to do when they reached Tashbaan. Everyone had been putting off this difficulty, but now it could be put off no longer. During these discussions Aravis became a little, a very little, less unfriendly to Shasta;one usually gets on better with people when one is making plans than when one is talking about nothing in particular.
Bree said the first thing now to do was to fix a place where they would all promise to meet on the far side of Tashbaan even if, by any ill luck, they got separated in passing the city. He said the best place would be the Tombs of the Ancient Kings on the very edge of the desert. "Things like great stone beehives”he said,
"you can't possibly miss them. And the best of it is that none of the Calormenes will go near them because they think the place is haunted by ghouls and are afraid of it."Aravis asked if it wasn' t really haunted by ghouls. But Bree said he was a free Narnian horse and didn' t believe in these Calormene tales. And then Shasta said he wasn' t a Calormene either and didn' t care a straw about these old stories of ghouls. This wasn' t quite true. But it rather impressed Aravis (though at the moment it annoyed her too) and of course she said she didn' t mind any number of ghouls either. So it was settled that the Tombs should be their assembly place on the other side of Tashbaan, and everyone felt they were getting on very well till Hwin humbly pointed out that the real problem was not where they should go when they had got through Tashbaan but how they were to get through it.
"We'll settle that tomorrow,Ma'am," said Bree. "Time for a little sleep now."
But it wasn' t easy to settle. Aravis' s first suggestion was that they should swim across the river below the city during the night and not go into Tashbaan at all. But Bree had two reasons against this. One was that the river-mouth was very wide and it would be far too long a swim for Hwin to do,especially with a rider on her
back. (He thought it would be too long for himself too, but he said much less about that). The other was that it would be full of shipping and of course anyone on the deck of a ship who saw two horses swimming past would be almost certain to be inquisitive.
Shasta thought they should go up the river above Tashbaan and cross it where it was narrower. But Bree explained that there were gardens and pleasure houses on both banks of the river for miles and that there would be Tarkaans and Tarkheenas living in them and riding about the roads and having water parties on the river. In fact it would be the most likely place in the world for meeting someone who would recognize Aravis or even himself.
"We' ll have to have a disguise,"said Shasta. Hwin said it looked to her as if the safest thing was to go right through the city itself from gate to gate because one was less likely to be noticed in the crowd. But she approved of the idea of disguise as well. She said, "both the human will have to dress in rags and look like peasants or slaves And all Aravis' s armour and our saddles and things must be made into bundles and put on our backs, and the children must pretend to drive us and people will think we' re on pack-horses."
"My dear Hwin !" said Aravis rather scornfully. "As if anyone could mistake Bree for anything but a warhors however you disguised him !"
"I should think not, indeed," said Bree, snorting an letting his ears go ever so little back.
"I know it's not a very good plan," said Hwin."But I think it' s our only chance. And we haven' t been groomed for ages and we' re not looking quite ourselves (at least, I' m sure I' m not). I do think if we get well plastered with mud and go along with our heads down as if we' re tired and lazy-and don' t lift our hooves hardly at all-we might not be noticed. And our tails ought to be cut shorter: not neatly, you know, but all ragged. "
"My dear Madam," said Bree. "Have you pictured to yourself how very disagreeable it would be to arrive in Narnia in that condition ?"
"Well/said Hwin humbly (she was a very sensible mare), "the main thing is to get there."
Though nobody much liked it, it was Hwin' s plan which had to be adopted in the end. It was a troublesome one and involved a certain amount of what Shasta called stealing, and Bree called,raiding". One farm lost a few sacks that evening and another lost a coil of rope the next: but some tattered old boy' s clothes for Aravis to wear had to be fairly bought and paid for in a village. Shasta returned with them in triumph just as evening was closing in. The others were waiting for him among the trees at the foot of a low range of wooded hills which lay right across their path.Everyone was feeling excited because this was the last hill; when they reached the ridge at the top they would be looking down on Tashbaan.,I do wish we were safely past it,"muttered Shasta to Hwin.,Oh I do, I do,"said Hwin fervently.
That night they wound their way through the woods up to the ridge by a wood—cutter' s track.And when they came out of the woods at the top they could see thousands of lights in the valley down below them. Shasta had had no notion of what a great city would be like and it frightened him. They had their supper and the children got some sleep. But the horses woke them very early in the morning.
The stars were still out and the grass was terribly cold and wet, but daybreak was just beginning, far to their right across the sea. Aravis went a few steps away into the wood and came back looking odd in her new, ragged clothes and carrying her real ones in a bundle. These, and her armour and shield and scimitar and the two saddles and the rest of the horses' fine furnishings were put into the sacks. Bree and Hwin had already got themselves as dirty and bedraggled as they could and it remained to shorten their tails. As the only tool for doing this was Aravis' s scimitar, one of the packs had to be undone again in order to get it out. It was a longish job and rather hurt the horses.
"My word !"said Bree,,if I wasn' t a Talking Horse what a lovely kick in the face I could give you !I thought you were going to cut it, not pull it out.That' s what it feels like."
But in spite of semi—darkness and cold fingers all was done in the end, the big packs bound on the horses, the rope halters (which they were now wearing instead of bridles and reins) in the children' s hands, and the journey began.
"Remember," said Bree. "Keep together if we possibly can. If not, meet at the Tombs of the Ancient Kings, and whoever gets there first must wait for the others."
"And remember,"said Shasta.,Don' t you two horses forget yourselves and start talking, whatever happens."

CHAPTER FOUR SHASTA FALLS IN WITH THE NARNIANS
AT first Shasta could see nothing in the valley below him but a sea of mist with a few domes and pinnacles rising from it;but as the light increased and the mist cleared away he saw more and more.A broad river divided itself into two streams and on the island between them stood the city of Tashbaan, one of the wonders of the world. Round the very edge of the island, so that the water lapped against the stone, ran high walls strengthened with so many towers that he soon gave up trying to count them. Inside the walls the island rose in a hill and every bit of that hill, up to the Tisroc' s palace and the great temple of Tash at the top, was completely covered with buildings-terrace above terrace, street above street, zigzag roads or huge flights of steps bordered with orange trees and lemon trees, roof-gardens, balconies, deep archways, pillared colonnades, spires, battlements, minarets, pinnacles. And when at last the sun rose out of the sea and the great silver-plated dome of the temple flashed back its light, he was almost dazzled.
"Get on, Shasta," Bree kept saying.
The river banks on each side of the valley were such a mass of gardens that they looked at first like forest, until you got closer and saw the white walls of innumerable houses peeping out from beneath the trees. Soon after that, Shasta noticed a delicious smell of flowers and fruit. About fifteen minutes later they were down among them, plodding on a level road with white walls on each side and trees bending over the walls.
"I say,"said Shasta in an awed voice.,This is a wonderful place !"
"I daresay,"said Bree.,But I wish we were safely through it and out at the other side. Narnia and the North !"
At that moment a low, throbbing noise began which gradually swelled louder and louder till the whole valley seemed to be swaying with it. It was a musical noise, but so strong and solemn as to be a little frightening.
"That' s the horns blowing for the city gates to be open,"said Bree.,We shall be there in a minute. Now, Aravis, do droop your shoulders a bit and step heavier and try to look less like a princess. Try to imagine you' ve been kicked and cuffed and called names all your life."
"If it comes to that,"said Aravis,,what about you drooping your head a bit more and arching your neck a bit less and trying to look less like a warhorse ?"
"Hush,"said Bree. Here we are."
And they were.They had come to the river' s edge and the road ahead of them ran along a many—arched bridge. The water danced brightly in the early sunlight;away to the right nearer the river' s mouth, they caught a glimpse ships' masts. Several other travellers were before them on the bridge, mostly peasants driving laden donkeys and mules or carrying baskets on their heads. The children and horses joined the crowd.
"Is anything wrong ?"whispered Shasta to Aravis, who had an odd look on her face.
"Oh it' s all very well for you,"whispered Aravis rather savagely.,What would you care about Tashbaan ? But I ought to be riding in on a litter with soldiers before me and slaves behind, and perhaps going to a feast in the Tisroc' s palace (may he live for ever)—not sneaking in like this. It' s different for you."
Shasta thought all this very silly.
At the far end of the bridge the walls of the city towered high above them and the brazen gates stood open in the gateway which was really wide but looked narrow because it was so very high. Half a dozen soldiers, leaning on their spears, stood on each side. Aravis couldn' t help thinking,,They' d all jump to attention and salute me if they knew whose daughter I am."But the others were only thinking of how they' d get through and hoping the soldiers would not ask any questions. Fortunately they did not. But one of them picked a carrot out of a peasant' s basket and threw it at Shasta with a rough laugh, saying: "Hey ! Horse-boy! You'll catch it if your master finds you' ve been using his saddle-horse for pack work."
This frightened him badly for of course it showed that no one who knew anything about horses would mistake Bree for anything but a charger.
"It' s my master' s orders, so there !"said Shasta. But it would have been better if he had held his tongue for the soldier gave him a box on the side of his face that nearly knocked him down and said,,Take that, you young filth, to teach you how to talk to freemen."But they all slunk into the city without being stopped. Shasta cried only a very little;he was used to hard knocks.
Inside the gates Tashbaan did not at first seem so splendid as it had looked from a distance. The first street was narrow and there were hardly any windows in the walls on each side. It was much more crowded than Shasta had expected: crowded partly by the peasants (on their way to market) who had come in with them, but also with watersellers, sweetmeat sellers, porters, soldiers, beggars, ragged children, hens, stray dogs, and bare-footed slaves. What you would chiefly have noticed if you had been there was the smells, which came from unwashed people, unwashed dogs, scent, garlic, onions, and the piles of refuse which lay everywhere.
Shasta was pretending to lead but it was really Bree, who knew the way and kept guiding him by little nudges with his nose. They soon turned to the left and began going up a steep hill. It was much fresher and pleasanter, for the road was bordered by trees and there were houses only on the right side;on the other they looked out over the roofs of houses in the lower town and could see some way up the river.Then they went round a hairpin bend to their right and continued rising.They were zigzagging up to the centre of Tashbaan.Soon they came to finer streets. Great statues of the gods and heroes of Calormen—who are mostly impressive rather than agreeable to look at—rose on shining pedestals.Palm trees and pillared arcades cast shadows over the burning pavements. And through the arched gateways of many a palace Shasta caught sight of green branches,cool fountains,and smooth lawns.It must be nice inside,he thought.
At every turn Shasta hoped they were getting out of the crowd, but they never did. This made their progress very slow, and every now and then they had to stop altogether. This usually happened because a loud voice shouted out,Way, way, way, for the Tarkaan", or,for the Tarkheena", or,for the fifteenth Vizier",,or for the Ambassador", and everyone in the crowd would crush back against the walls;and above their heads Shasta would sometimes see the great lord or lady for whom all the fuss was being made, lolling upon a litter which four or even six gigantic slaves carried on their bare shoulders. For in Tashbaan there is only one traffic regulation, which is that everyone who is less important has to get out of the way for everyone who is more important;unless you want a cut from a whip or punch from the butt end of a spear.
It was in a splendid street very near the top of the city (the Tisroc' s palace was the only thing above it) that the most disastrous of these stoppages occurred.
Way ! Way ! Way !"came the voice.,Way for the White Barbarian King, the guest of the Tisroc (may he live for ever) ! Way for the Narnian lords. "
Shasta tried to get out of the way and to make Bree go back.But no horse, not even a Talking Horse from Narnia, backs easily. And a woman with a very edgy basket in her hands, who was just behind Shasta, pushed the basket hard against his shoulders, and said,,Now then ! Who are you shoving !"And then someone else jostled him from the side and in the confusion of the moment he lost hold of Bree. And then the whole crowd behind him became so stiffened and packed tight that he couldn' t move at all. So he found himself, unintentionally, in the first row and had a fine sight of the party that was coming down the street.
It was quite unlike any other party they had seen that day. The crier who went before it shouting, Way, way !"was the only Calormene in it. And there was no litter;everyone was on foot. There were about half a dozen men and Shasta had never seen anyone like them before. For one thing, they were all as fair-skinned as himself, and most of them had fair hair. And they were not dressed like men of Calormen. Most of them had legs bare to the kneee. Their tunics were of fine, bright, hardy colours—woodland green, or gay yellow, or fresh blue. Instead of turbans they wore steel or silver caps, some of them set with jewels, and one with little wings on each side of it. A few were bare-headed. The swords at their sides were long and straight, not curved like Calormene scimitars. And instead of being grave and mysterious like most Calormenes, they walked with a swing and let their arms and shoulders free, and chatted and laughed. One was whistling. You could see that they were ready to be friends with anyone who was friendly and didn' t give a fig for anyone who wasn' t. Shasta thought he had never seen anything so lovely in his life.
But there was not time to enjoy it for at once a really dreadful thing happened. The leader of the fair-headed men suddenly pointed at Shasta, cried out,,There he is ! There' s our runaway !" and seized him by the shoulder. Next moment he gave Shasta a smack-not a cruel one to make you cry but a sharp one to let you know you are in disgrace and added, shaking:
"Shame on you, my lord ! Fie for shame ! Queen Susan's eyes are red with weeping because of you. What ! Truant for a whole night ! Where have you been ?"
Shasta would have darted under Bree' s body and tried to make himself scarce in the crowd if he had had the least chance;but the fair-haired men were all round him by now and he was held firm.
Of course his first impulse was to say that he was only poor Arsheesh the fisherman' s son and that the foreign lord must have mistaken him for someone else. But then, the very last thing he wanted to do in that crowded place was to start explaining who he was and what he was doing. If he started on that, he would soon be asked where he had got his horse from, and who Aravis was— and then, goodbye to any chance of getting through Tashbaan. His next impulse was to look at Bree for help.But Bree had no intention of letting all the crowd know that he could talk, and stood looking just as stupid as a horse can. As for Aravis, Shasta did not even dare to look at her for fear of drawing attention. And there was no time to think, for the leader of the Narnians said at once:
"Take one of his little lordship' s hands, Peridan, of your courtesy, and I' ll take the other. And now, on. Our royal sister' s mind will be greatly eased when she sees our young scapegrace safe in our lodging."
And so, before they were half—way through Tashbaan, all their plans were ruined, and without even a chance to say good?bye to the others Shasta found himself being marched off among strangers and quite unable to guess what might be going to happen next. The Narnian King-for Shasta began to see by the way the rest spoke to him that he must be a king—kept on asking him questions;where he had been, how he had got out, what he had done with his clothes, and didn' t he know that he had been very naughty.Only the king called it,naught"instead of naughty.
And Shasta said nothing in answer, because he couldn' t think of anything to say that would not be dangerous.
"What ! All mum ?"asked the king.I must plainly tell you, prince, that this hangdog silence becomes one of your blood even less than the scape itself. To run away might pass for a boy' s frolic with some spirit in it. But the king' s son of Archenland should avouch his deed;not hang his head like a Calormene slave."
This was very unpleasant,for Shasta felt all the time that this young king was the very nicest kind of grown-up and would have liked to make a good impression on him.
The strangers led him-held tightly by both hands-along a narrow street and down a flight of shallow stairs and then up another to a wide doorway in a white wall with two tall, dark cypress trees, one on each side of it. Once through the arch, Shasta found himself in a courtyard which was also a garden. A marble basin of clear water in the centre was kept continually rippling by the fountain that fell into it. Orange trees grew round it out of smooth grass, and the four white walls which surrounded the lawn were covered with climbing roses. The noise and dust and crowding of the streets seemed suddenly fad away. He was led rapidly across the garden and then into a dark doorway. The crier remained outside. After that they took him along a corridor, where the stone floor felt beautifully cool to his hot feet, and up some stairs. A moment later he found himself blinking in the light of a big, airy room with wide open windows, all looking North so that no sun came in. There was a carpet on the floor more wonderfully coloured than anything he had ever seen and his feet sank down into it as if he were treading in thick moss. All round the walls there were low sofas with rich cushions on them, and the room seemed to be full of people;very queer people some of them, thought Shasta. But he had no time to think of that before the most beautiful lady he had ever seen rose from her place and threw her arms round him and kissed him, saying:
"Oh Corin,Corin,how could you? And thou and I such close friends ever since thy mother died. And what should I have said to thy royal father if I came home without thee ? Would have been a cause almost of war between Archenland and Narnia which are friends time out of mind. It was naught, playmate, very naught of thee to use us so."
"Apparently," thought Shasta to himself, "I'm being mistaken for a prince of Archenland, wherever that is. And these must be the Narnians. I wonder where the real Corin is ?"But these thoughts did not help him say anything out loud.
"Where hast been, Corin ?" said the lady, her hands still on Shasta' s shoulders.
"I-I don'tknow," stammered Shasta.
"There it is, Susan," said the King. "I could get no tale out of him, true or false."
"Your Majesties ! Queen Susan ! King Edmund !" said a voice: and when Shasta turned to look at the speaker he nearly jumped out of his skin with surprise. For this was one of these queer people whom he had noticed out of the corner of his eye when he first came into the room. He was about the same height as Shasta himself. From the waist upwards he was like a man, but his legs were hairy like a goat' s, and shaped like a goat' s and he had goat' s hooves and a tail. His skin was rather red and he had curly hair and a short pointed beard and two little horns. He was in fact a Faun, which is a creature Shasta had never seen a picture of or even heard of. And if you've read a book called The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe ,you may like to know that this was the very same Faun, Tumnus by name, whom Queen Susan's sister Lucy had met on the very first day when she found her way into Narnia. But he was a good deal older now for by this time Peter and Susan and Edmund and Lucy had been Kings and Queens of Narnia for several years.
"Your Majesties," he was saying,"His little Highness has had a touch of the sun. Look at him ! He is dazed. He does not know where he is. "
Then of course everyone stopped scolding Shasta and asking him questions and he was made much of and laid on a sofa and cushions were put under his head and he was given iced sherbet in a golden cup to drink and told to keep very quiet.
Nothing like this had ever happened to Shasta in his life before. He had never even imagined lying on anything so comfortable as that sofa or drinking anything so delicious as that sherbet. He was still wondering what had happened to the others and how on earth he was going to escape and meet them at the Tombs, and what would happen when the real Corin turned up again. But none of these worries seemed so pressing now that he was comfortable. And perhaps, later on, there would be nice things to eat !
Meanwhile the people in that cool airy room were very interesting. Besides the Faun there were two Dwarfs (a kind of creature he had never seen before) and a very large Raven.The rest were all humans;grown-ups, but young, and all of them, both men and women, had nicer faces and voices than most Calormenes.And soon Shasta found himself taking an interest in the conversation."Now, Madam," the King was saying to Queen Susan (the lady who had kissed Shasta)."What think you ? We have been in this city fully three weeks. Have you yet settled in your mind whether you will marry this dark-faced lover of yours, this Prince Rabadash, or no ?"
The lady shook her head."No, brother," she said,"not for all the jewels in Tashbaan."("Hullo !" thought Shasta."Although they're king and queen,they're brother and sister, not married to one another.")
"Truly, sister,"said the King, "I should have loved you the less if you had taken him. And I tell you that at the first coming of the Tisroc' s ambassadors into Narnia to treat of this marriage, and later when the Prince was our guest at Cair Paravel, it was a wonder to me that ever you could find it in your heart to show him so much favour."
"That was my folly, Edmund,"said Queen Susan,"of which I cry you mercy. Yet when he was with us in Narnia, truly this Prince bore himself in another fashion than he does now in Tashbaan. For I take you all to witness what marvellous feats he did in that great tournament and hastilude which our brother the High King made for him, and how meekly and courteously he consorted with us the space of seven days. But here, in his own city, he has shown another face."
"Ah !" croaked the Raven."It is an old saying: see the bear in his own den before you judge of his conditions."
"That's very true, Sallowpad, " said one of the Dwarfs. "And another is,Come, live with me and you' ll know me."
"Yes," said the King."We have now seen him for what he is:that is,a most proud,bloody,luxurious,cruel,and self-pleasing tryant."
"Then in the name of Aslan," said Susan,"let us leave Tashbaan this very day."
"There's the rub, sister," said Edmund. "For now I must open to you all that has been growing in my mind these last two days and more. Peridan, of your courtesy look to the door and see that there is no spy upon us. All well ? So. For now we must be secret."
Everyone had begun to look very serious. Queen Susan jumped up and ran to her brother."Oh, Edmund," she cried. "What is it ? There is something dreadful in your face."

CHAPTER FIVE PRINCE CORIN
"MY dear sister and very good Lady," said King Edmund, "you must now show your courage.For I tell you plainly we are in no small danger."
"What is it, Edmund ?" asked the Queen.
"It is this," said Edmund."I do not think we shall find it easy to leave Tashbaan.While the Prince had hope that you would take him,we were honoured guests.But by the Lion' s Mane, I think that as soon as he has your flat denial we shall be no better than prisoners."
One of the Dwarfs gave a low whistle.
"I warned your Majesties, I warned you," said Sallowpad the Raven. "Easily in but not easily out, as the lobster said in the lobster pot !"
"I have been with the Prince this morning," continued Edmund. "He is little used (more's the pity) to having his will crossed.And he is very chafed at your long delays and doubtful
answers. This morning he pressed very hard to know your mind. I put it aside—meaning at the same time to diminish his hopes-with some light common jests about women's fancies, and hinted that his suit was likely to be cold. He grew angry and dangerous. There was a sort of threatening, though still veiled under a show of courtesy, in every word he spoke. "
"Yes," said Tumnus. "And when I supped with the Grand Vizier last night, it was the same. He asked me how I like Tashbaan. And I (for I could not tell him I hated every stone of it and I would not lie) told him that now, when high summer was coming on, my heart turned to the cool woods and dewy slopes of Narnia. He gave a smile that meant no good and said, 'There is nothing to hinder you from dancing there again, little goatfoot; always provided you leave us in exchange a bride for our prince.
"Do you mean he would make me his wife by force ?" exclaimed Susan.
"That's my fear, Susan," said Edmund. "Wife: or slave which is worse."
"But how can he ? Does the Tisroc think our brother the High King would suffer such an outrage ?"
"Sire," said Peridan to the King."They would not be so mad.Do they think there are no swords and spears in Narnia ?"
"Alas," said Edmund. "My guess is that the Tisroc has very small fear of Narnia. We are a little land. And little lands on the borders of a great empire were always hateful to the lords of the great empire.He longs to blot them out,gobble them up.
When first he suffered the Prince to come to Cair Paravel as your lover, sister, it may be that he was only seeking an occasion against us. Most likely he hopes to make one mouthful of Narnia and Archenland both."
"Let him try,"said the second Dwarf. "At sea we are as big as he is. And if he assaults us by land, he has the desert to cross."
"True, friend," said Edmund. "But is the desert a sure defence ? What does Sallowpad say ?"
"I know that desert well," said the Raven. "For I have flown above it far and wide in my younger days," (you may be sure that Shasta pricked up his ears at this point). "And this is certain;that if the Tisroc goes by the great oasis he can never lead a great army across it into Archenland. For though they could reach the oasis by the end of their first day' s march, yet the springs there would be too little for the thirst of all those soldiers and their beasts. But there is another way."
Shasta listened more attentively still.
"He that would find that way," said the Raven, "must start from the Tombs of the Ancient Kings and ride northwest so that the double peak of Mount Pire is always straight ahead of him. And so, in a day' s riding or a little more, he shall come to the head of a stony valley, which is so narrow that a man might be within a furlong of it a thousand times and never know that it was there. And looking down this valley he will see neither grass nor water nor anything else good.But if he rides on down it he will come to a river and can ride by the water all the way into Archenland. "
"And do the Calormenes know of this Western way ?" asked the Queen.
"Friends, friends/' said Edmund, "what is the use of all this discourse ? We are not asking whether Narnia or Calormen would win if war arose between them. We are asking how to save the honour of the Queen and our own lives out of this devilish city. For though my brother, Peter the High King, defeated the Tisroc a dozen times over, yet long before that day our throats would be cut and the Queen' s grace would be the wife, or more likely, the slave, of this prince. "
"We have our weapons, King," said the first Dwarf. "And this is a reasonably defensible house."
"As to that,"said the King,"I do not doubt that every one of us would sell our lives dearly in the gate and they would not come at the Queen but over our dead bodies. Yet we should be merely rats fighting in a trap when all' s said."
"Very true," croaked the Raven. "These last stands in a house make good stories, but nothing ever came of them. After their first few repulses the enemy always set the house on fire."
"I am the cause of all this," said Susan, bursting into tears."Oh, if only I had never left Cair Paravel. Our last happy day was before those ambassadors came from Calormen. The Moles were planting an orchard for us---oh---oh. " And she buried her face in her hands and sobbed.
"Courage,Su, courage," said Edmund. "Remember-but what is the matter with you, Master Tumnus ?" For the Faun was holding both his horns with his hands as if he were trying to keep his head on by them and writhing to and fro as if he had a pain in his inside.
"Don't speak to me, don't speak to me," said Tumnus. "I'm thinking.I'm thinking so that I can hardly breathe. Wait, wait,do wait. "
There was a moment' s puzzled silence and then the Faun looked up, drew a long breath, mopped its forehead and said:
"The only difficulty is how to get down to our ship—with some stores, too—without being seen and stopped. "
"Yes," said a Dwarf dryly. "Just as the beggar's only difficulty about riding is that he has no horse."
"Wait, wait," said Mr. Tumnus impatiently. "All we need is some pretext for going down to our ship today and taking stuff on board."
"Yes," said King Edmund doubtfully.
"Well, then," said the Faun, "how would it be if your majesties bade the Prince to a great banquet to be held on board our own galleon, the Spendour Hyaline, tomorrow night ? And let the message be worded as graciously as the Queen can contrive without pledging her honour: so as to give the Prince a hope that she is weakening."
"This is very good counsel,Sire," croaked the Raven.
"And then," continued Tumnus excitedly, "everyone will expect us to be going down to the ship all day, making preparations for our guests. And let some of us go to the bazaars and spend every minim we have at the fruiterers and the sweetmeat sellers and the wine merchants, just as we would if we were really giving a feast. And let us order magicians and jugglers and dancing girls and flute players,all to be on board tomorrow night."
"I see, I see," said King Edmund, rubbing his hands.
"And then," said Tumnus, "we'll all be on board tonight. And as soon as it is quite dark—"
"Up sails and out oars—!" said the King.
"And so to sea," cried Tumnus, leaping up and beginning to dance.
"And our nose Northward," said the first Dwarf.
"Running for home ! Hurrah for Narnia and the North !"said the other.
"And the Prince waking next morning and finding his birds flown !"said Peridan, clapping his hands.
"Oh Master Tumnus,dear Master Tumnus," said the Queen,catching his hands and swinging with him as he danced. "You have saved us all. "
"The Prince will chase us," said another lord, whose name Shasta had not heard.
"That's the least of my fears," said Edmund. "I have seen all the shipping in the river and there' s no tall ship of war nor swift galley there. I wish he may chase us ! For the Splendour Hyaline could sink anything he has to send after her—if we were overtaken at all."
"Sire," said the Raven. "You shall hear no better plot than the Faun' s though we sat in council for seven days. And now, as we birds say, nests before eggs. Which is as much as to say, let us all take our food and then at once be about our business."
Everyone arose at this and the doors were opened and the lords and the creatures stood aside for the King and Queen to go out first .Shasta wondered what he ought to do,but Mr.Tumnus said,
"Lie there, your Highness, and I will bring you up a little feast to yourself in a few moments. There is no need for you to move until we are all ready to embark."Shasta laid his head down again on the pillows and soon he was alone in the room.
"This is perfectly dreadful/' thought Shasta. It never came into his head to tell these Narnians the whole truth and ask for their help. Having been brought up by a hard, closefisted man like Arsheesh, he had a fixed habit of never telling grown-ups anything if he could help it: he thought they would always spoil or stop whatever you were trying to do. And he thought that even if the Narnian King might be friendly to the two horses, because they were Talking Beasts of Narnia, he would hate Aravis, because she was a Calormene, and either sell her for a slave or send her back to her father. As for himself, "I simply daren't tell them I'm not Prince Corin now," thought Shasta. "I've heard all their plans. If they knew I wasn't one of themselves, they'd never let me out of this house alive. They' d be afraid I' d betray them to the Tisroc. They'd kill me. And if the real Corin turns up, it'll all come out,and they will !" He had,you see,no idea of how noble and free-born people behave.
"What am I to do ? What am I to do ?" he kept saying to himself. "What-hullo, here comes that goaty little creature again. "
The Faun trotted in, half dancing, with a tray in its hands which was nearly as large as itself. This he set on an inlaid table beside Shasta's sofa, and sat down himself on the carpeted floor with his goaty legs crossed.
"Now,princeling/' he said. "Make a good dinner. It will be your last meal in Tashbaan."
It was a fine meal after the Calormene fashion. I don' t know whether you would have liked it or not, but Shasta did. There were lobsters, and salad, and snipe stuffed with almonds and truffles, and a complicated dish made of chickenlivers and rice and raisins and nuts, and there were cool melons and gooseberry fools and mulberry fools, and every kind of nice thing that can be made with ice. There was also a little flagon of the sort of wine that is called"white"though it is really yellow.
While Shasta was eating, the good little Faun, who thought he was still dazed with sunstroke, kept talking to him about the fine times he would have when they all got home;about his good old father King Lune of Archenland and the little castle where he lived on the southern slopes of the pass. "And don't forget," said Mr.Tumnus,"that you are promised your first suit of armour and your first war horse on your next birthday. And then your Highness will begin to learn how to tilt and joust. And in a few years, if all goes well,King Peter has promised your royal father that he himself will make you Knight at Cair Paravel. And in the meantime there will be plenty of comings and goings between Narnia and Archenland across the neck of the mountains. And of course you remember you have promised to come for a whole week to stay with me for the Summer Festival, and there'll be bonfires and all-night dances of Fauns and Dryads in the heart of the woods and, who knows ? We might see Aslan himself !"
When the meal was over the Faun told Shasta to stay quietly where he was. "And it wouldn't do you any harm to have a little sleep," he added. "I'll call you in plenty of time to get on board. And then, Home.Narnia and the North !"
Shasta had so enjoyed his dinner and all the things Tumnus had been telling him that when he was left alone his thoughts took a different turn. He only hoped now that the real Prince Corin would not turn up until it was too late and that he would be taken away to Narnia by ship. I am afraid he did not think at all of what might happen to the real Corin when he was left behind in Tashbaan. He was a little worried about Aravis and Bree waiting for him at the Tombs. But then he said to himself, "well, how can I help it ?" and, "anyway, that Aravis thinks she's too good to go about with me, so she can jolly well go alone," and at the same time he couldn' t help feeling that it would be much nicer going to Narnia by sea than toiling across the desert.
When he had thought all this he did what I expect you would have done if you had been up very early and had a long walk and a great deal of excitement and then a very good meal,and were lying on a sofa in a cool room with no noise in it except when a bee came buzzing in through the wide open windows.He fell asleep.
What woke him was a loud crash. He jumped up off the sofa, staring. He saw at once from the mere look of the room— the lights and shadows all looked different—that he must have slept for several hours. He saw also what had made the crash: a costly porcelain vase which had been standing on the window-sill lay on-the floor broken into about thirty pieces. But he hardly noticed all these things. What he did notice was two hands gripping the windowsill from outside. They gripped harder and harder (getting white at the knuckles) and then up came a head and a pair of shoulders. A moment later there was a boy of Shasta' s own age sitting astride the sill with one leg hanging down inside the room.
Shasta had never seen his own face in a looking-glass. Even if he had, he might not have realized that the other boy was (at ordinary times) almost exactly like himself. At the moment this boy was not particularly like anyone for he had the finest black eye you ever saw, and a tooth missing, and his clothes (which must have been splendid ones when he put them on) were torn and dirty, and there was both blood and mud on his face.
"Who are you ?" said the boy in a whisper.
"Are you Prince Corin ?" said Shasta.
"Yes, of course," said the other. "But who are you ?"
"I'm nobody,nobody in particular,I mean," said Shasta."King Edmund caught me in the street and mistook me for you. I suppose we must look like one another. Can I get out the way you' ve got in ?"
"Yes, if you're any good at climbing," said Corin. "But why are you in such a hurry ? I say: we ought to be able to get some fun out of this being mistaken for one another."
"No, no," said Shasta. "We must change places at once. It' ll be simply frightful if Mr. Tumnus comes back and finds us both here.I' ve had to pretend to be you.And you' re starting tonight-secretly.And where were you all this time ?"
"A boy in the street made a beastly joke about Queen Susan," said Prince Corin, "so I knocked him down. He ran howling into a house and his big brother came out. So I knocked the big brother down. Then they all followed me until we ran into three old men with spears who are called the Watch. So I fought the Watch and they knocked me down. It was getting dark by now. Then the Watch took me along to lock me up somewhere. So I asked them if they' d like a stoup of wine and they said they didn' t mind if they did. Then I took them to a wine shop and got them some and they all sat down and drank till they feel asleep. I thought it was time for me to be off so I came out quietly and then I found the first boy-the one who had started all the trouble-still hanging about. So I knocked him down again. After that I climbed up a pipe on to the roof of a house and lay quiet till it began to get light this morning. Ever since that I' ve been finding my way back. I say, is there anything to drink ?"
"No, I drank it," said Shasta."And now,show me how you got in. There's not a minute to lose. You'd better lie down on the sofa and pretend—but I forgot. It'll be no good with all those bruises and black eye. You'll just have to tell them the truth, once I'm safely away. "
"What else did you think I'd be telling them ?" asked the Prince with a rather angry look. "And who are you ?"
"There's no time," said Shasta in a frantic whisper. "I'm a Narnian,I believe;something Northern anyway.But I've been brought up all my life in Calormen. And I'm escaping: across the desert;with a talking Horse called Bree.And now, quick ! How do I get away ?"
"Look," said Corin. "Drop from this window on to the roof of the verandah. But you must do it lightly, on your toes, or someone will hear you. Then along to your left and you can get up to the top of that wall if you' re any good at all as a climber. Then along the wall to the corner. Drop onto the rubbish heap you will find outside, and there you are. "
"Thanks," said Shasta, who was already sitting on the sill. The two boys were looking into each other' s faces and suddenly found that they were friends.
"Good-bye," said Corin. "And good luck. I do hope you get safe away."
"Good-bye," said Shasta. "I say, you have been having some adventures."
"Nothing to yours," said the Prince. "Now drop;lightly I say," he added as Shasta dropped. "I hope we meet in Archenland.
Go to my father King Lune and tell him you're a friend of mine. Look out !I hear someone coming."

CHAPTER SIX SHASTA AMONG THE TOMBS
SHASTA ran lightly along the roof on tiptoes. It felt hot to his bare feet. He was only a few seconds scrambling up the wall at the far end and when he got to the corner he found himself looking down into a narrow, smelly street, and there was a rubbish heap against the outside of the wall just as Corin had told him. Before jumping down he took a rapid glance round him to get his bearings. Apparently he had now come over the crown of the island-hill on which Tashbaan is built. Everything sloped away before him, flat roofs below flat roofs, down to the towers and battlements of the city' s Northern wall. Beyond that was the river and beyond the river a short slope covered with gardens. But beyond that again there was something he had never seen the like of—a great yellowish—grey thing, flat as a calm sea, and stretching for miles. On the far side of it were huge blue things, lumpy but with jagged edges, and some of them with white tops. "The desert ! the mountains !"thought Shasta.
He jumped down on to the rubbish and began trotting along downhill as fast as he could in the narrow lane, which soon brought him into a wider street where there were more people. No one bothered to look at a little ragged boy running along on bare feet. Still, he was anxious and uneasy till he turned a corner and there saw the city gate in front of him. Here he was pressed and jostled a bit, for a good many other people were also going out; and on the bridge beyond the gate the crowd became quite a slow procession, more like a queue than a crowd. Out there, with clear running water on each side, it was deliciously fresh after the smell and heat and noise of Tashbaan.
When once Shasta had reached the far end of the bridge he found the crowd melting away;everyone seemed to be going either to the left or right along the river bank. He went straight ahead up a road that did not appear to be much used, between gardens. In a few paces he was alone, and a few more brought him to the top of the slope. There he stood and stared. It was like coming to the end of the world for all the grass stopped quite suddenly a few feet before him and the sand began: endless level sand like on a sea shore but a bit rougher because it was never wet. The mountains, which now looked further off than before, loomed ahead. Greatly to his relief he saw, about five minutes' walk away on his left, what must certainly be the Tombs, just as Bree had described them;great masses of mouldering stone shaped like gigantic bee-hive, but a little narrower. They looked very black and grim, for the sun was now setting right behind them.
He turned his face West and trotted towards the Tombs. He could not help looking out very hard for any sign of his friends, though the setting sun shone in his face so that he could see hardly anything."And anyway," he thought,"of course they'll be round on the far side of the farthest Tomb, not this side where anyone might see them from the city."
There were about twelve Tombs, each with a low arched doorway that opened into absolute blackness. They were dotted about in no kind of order, so that it took a long time, going round this one and going round that one, before you could be sure that you had looked round every side of every tomb. This was what Shasta had to do.There was nobody there.
It was very quiet here out on the edge of the desert;and now the sun had really set.
Suddenly from somewhere behind him there came a terrible sound. Shasta' s heart gave a great jump and he had to bite his tongue to keep himself from screaming. Next moment he realized what it was: the horns of Tashbaan blowing for the closing of the gates."Don't be a silly little coward," said Shasta to himself.
"Why, it's only the same noise you heard this morning. " But there is a great difference between a noise heard letting you in with your friends in the morning, and a noise heard alone at nightfall, shutting you out. And now that the gates were shut he knew there was no chance of the others joining him that evening. "Either they're shut up in Tashbaan for the night,"thought Shasta, "or else they' ve gone on without me. It' s just the sort of thing that
Aravis would do.But Bree wouldn't.Oh,he wouldn't. —now, would he ?"
In this idea about Aravis Shasta was once more quite wrong. She was proud and could be hard enough but she was as true as steel and would never have deserted a companion,whether she liked him or not.
Now that Shasta knew he would have to spend the night alone (it was getting darker every minute),he began to like the look of the place less and less. There was something very uncomfortable about those great, silent shapes of stone. He had been trying his hardest for a long time not to think of ghouls: but he couldn' t keep it up any longer.
"Ow ! Ow ! Help !" he shouted suddenly, for at that very moment he felt something touch his leg. I don' t think anyone can be blamed for shouting if something comes up from behind and touches him;not in such a place and at such a time, when he is frightened already. Shasta at any rate was too frightened to run. Anything would be better than being chased round and round the burial places of the Ancient Kings with something he dared not look at behind him. Instead, he did what was really the most sensible thing he could do. He looked round,and his heart almost burst with relief.What had touched him was only a cat.
The light was too bad now for Shasta to see much of the cat except that it was big and very solemn. It looked as if it might have lived for long, long years among the Tombs, alone. Its eyes made you think it knew secrets it would not tell."Puss,puss," said Shasta."I suppose you're not a talking cat."
The cat stared at him harder than ever. Then it started walking away, and of course Shasta followed it. It led him right through the tombs and out on the desert side of them. There it sat down bolt upright with its tail curled round its feet and its face set towards the desert and towards Narnia and the North, as still as if it were watching for some enemy. Shasta lay down beside it with his back against the cat and his face towards the Tombs, because if one is nervous there' s nothing like having your face towards the danger and having something warm and solid at your back. The sand wouldn' t have seemed very comfortable to you, but Shasta had been sleeping on the ground for weeks and hardly noticed it. Very soon he fell asleep, though even in his dreams he went on wondering what had happened to Bree and Aravis and Hwin.
He was wakened suddenly by a noise he had never heard before. "Perhaps it was only a nightmare, " said Shasta to himself. At the same moment he noticed that the cat had gone from his back, and he wished it hadn' t. But he lay quite still without even opening his eyes because he felt sure he would be more frightened if he sat up and looked round at the Tombs and the loneliness: just as you or I might lie still with the clothes over our heads. But then the noise came again-a harsh, piercing cry from behind him out of the desert.Then of course he had to open his eyes and sit up.
The moon was shining brightly. The Tombs-far bigger and nearer than he had thought they would be-looked grey in the moonlight. In fact, they looked horribly like huge people, draped in grey robes that covered their heads and faces. They were not at all nice things to have near you when spending a night alone in a strange place. But the noise had come from the opposite side, from the desert. Shasta had to turn his back on the Tombs (he didn' t like that much) and stare out across the level sand. The wild cry rang out again.
"I hope it's not more lions," thought Shasta. It was in fact not very like the lion' s roars he had heard on the night when they met Hwin and Aravis, and was really the cry of a jackal. But of course Shasta did not know this. Even if he had known, he would not have wanted very much to meet a jackal.
The cries rang out again and again."There's more than one of them, whatever they are," thought Shasta."And they're coming nearer."
I suppose that if he had been an entirely sensible boy he would have gone back through the Tombs nearer to the river where there were houses, and wild beasts would be less likely to come. But then there were (or he thought there were) the ghouls. To go back through the Tombs would mean going past those dark openings in the Tombs;and what might come out of them ? It may have been silly, but Shasta felt he would rather risk the wild beasts. Then, as the cries came nearer and nearer, he began to change his mind.
He was just going to run for it when suddenly, between him and the desert, a huge animal bounded into view. As the moon was behind it,it looked quite black,and Shasta did not know what it was, except that it had a very big, shaggy head and went on four legs. It did not seem to have noticed Shasta, for it suddenly stopped, turned its head towards the desert and let out a roar which re-echoed through the Tombs and seemed to shake the sand under Shasta' s feet. The cries of the other creatures suddenly stoppd and he thought he could hear feet scampering away. Then the great beast turned to examine Shasta.
"It's a lion, I know it's a lion," thought Shasta."I'm done. I wonder will it hurt much.I wish it was over. I wonder does anything happen to people after they' re dead. O-o-oh ! Here it comes !"And he shut his eyes and his teeth tight.
But instead of teeth and claws he only felt something warm lying down at his feet. And when he opened his eyes he said,"Why, it' s not nearly as big as I thought !It' s only half the size. No, it isn' t even quarter the size.I do declare it' s only the cat ! I must have dreamed all that about its being as big as a horse."
And whether he really had been dreaming or not, what was now lying at his feet, and staring him out of countenance with its big, green, unwinking eyes, was the cat;though certainly one of the largest cats he had ever seen.
"Oh, Puss," gasped Shasta."I am so glad to see you again. I' ve been having such horrible dreams."And he at once lay down again, back to back with the cat as they had been at the beginning of the night.The warmth from it spread all over him.
"I'll never do anything nasty to a cat again as long as I live," said Shasta,half to the cat and half to himself."! did once, you know. I threw stones at a half-starved mangy old stray. Hey ! Stop that. " For the cat had turned round and given him a scratch. "None of that," said Shasta."It isn't as if you could understand what I' m saying."Then he dozed off.
Next morning when he woke, the cat was gone, the sun was already up, and the sand hot. Shasta, very thirsty, sat up and rubbed his eyes. The desert was blindingly white and, though there was a murmur of noises from the city behind him, where he sat everything was perfectly still. When he looked a little left and west, so that the sun was not in his eyes, he could see the mountains on the far side of the desert, so sharp and clear that they looked only a stone' s throw away. He particularly noticed one blue height that divided into two peaks at the top and decided that it must be Mount Pire."That's our direction, judging by what the Raven said," he thought, "so I'll just make sure of it, so as not to waste any time when the others turn up."So he made a good, deep straight furrow with his foot pointing exactly to Mount Pire.
The next job, clearly, was to get something to eat and drink. Shasta trotted back through the Tombs—they looked quite ordinary now and he wondered how he could ever have been afraid of them-and down into the cultivated land by the river' s side. There were a few people about but not very many, for the city gates had been open several hours and the early morning crowds had already gone in. So he had no diffculty in doing a little"raiding" (as Bree called it). It involved a climb over a garden wall and the results were three oranges,a melon,a fig or two, and a pomegranate. After that, he went down to the river bank, but not too near the bridge, and had a drink. The water was so nice that he took off his hot, dirty clothes and had a dip;for of course Shasta, having lived on the shore all his life, had learned to swim almost as soon as he had learned to walk. When he came out he lay on the grass looking across the water at Tashbaan-all the splendour and strength and glory of it. But that made him remember the dangers of it too. He suddenly realized that the others might have reached the Tombs while he was bathing ("and gone on without me, as likely as not"), so he dressed in a fright and tore back at such a speed that he was all hot and thirsty when he arrived and so the good of his bathe was gone.
Like most days when you are alone and waiting for something this day seemed about a hundred hours long. He had plenty to think of, of course, but sitting alone, just thinking, is pretty slow. He thought a good deal about the Narnians and especially about Corin. He wondered what had happened when they discovered that the boy who had been lying on the sofa and hearing all their secret plans wasn' t really Corin at all. It was very unpleasant to think of all those nice people imagining him a traitor.
But as the sun slowly, slowly climbed up to the top of the sky and then slowly, slowly began going downwards to the West, and no one came and nothing at all happened, he began to get more and more anxious. And of course he now realized that when they arranged to wait for one another at the Tombs no one had said anything about How Long.He couldn' t wait here for the rest of his life!And soon it would be dark again, and he would have another night just like last night. A dozen different plans went through his head, all wretched ones, and at last he fixed on the worst plan of all. He decided to wait till it was dark and then go back to the river and steal as many melons as he could carry and set out for Mount Pire alone, trusting for his direction to the line he had drawn that morning in the sand. It was a crazy idea and if he had read as many books as you have about journeys over deserts he would never have dreamed of it.But Shasta had read no books at all.
Before the sun set something did happen. Shasta was sitting in the shadow of one of the Tombs when he looked up and saw two horses coming towards him. Then his heart gave a great leap, for he recognized them as Bree and Hwin. But the next moment his heart went down into his toes again. There was no sign of Aravis. The Horses were being led by a strange man, an armed man pretty handsomely dressed like an upper slave in a great family. Bree and Hwin were no longer got up like pack-horses,but saddled and bridled.And what could it all mean ?
"It's a trap," thought Shasta."Somebody has caught Aravis and perhaps they' ve tortured her and she' s given the whole thing away. They want me to jump out and run up and speak to Bree and then I' ll be caught too ! And yet if I don' t, I may be losing my only chance to meet the others. Oh I do wish I knew what had happened."And he skulked behind the Tomb, looking out every few minutes, and wondering which was the least dangerous thing to do.

CHAPTER SEVEN ARAVIS IN TASHBAAN
WHAT had really happened was this. When Aravis saw Shasta hurried away by the Narnians and found herself alone with two horses who (very wisely) wouldn' t say a word, she never lost her head even for a moment. She grabbed Bree' s halter and stood still, holding both the horses;and though her heart was beating as hard as a hammer, she did nothing to show it. As soon as the Narnian lords had passed she tried to move on again. But before she could take a step, another crier ("Bother all these people"thought Aravis) was heard shouting out,"Way, way, way ! Way for the Tarkheena Lasaraleen !"and immediately, following the crier, came four armed slaves and then four bearers carrying a litter which was all a-flutter with silken curtains and all a-jingle with silver bells and which scented the whole street with perfumes and flowers. After the litter, female slaves in beautiful clothes, and then a few grooms, runners, pages, and the like. And now Aravis made her first mistake. She knew Lasaraleen quite well-almost as if they had been at school together-because they had often stayed in the same houses and been to the same parties. And Aravis couldn' t help looking up to see what Lasaraleen looked like now that she was married and a very great person indeed.
It was fatal. The eyes of the two girls met. And immediately Lasaraleen sat up in the litter and burst out at the top of her voice.
"Aravis ! What on earth are you doing here ? Your father—" There was not a moment to lose.Without a second' s delay Aravis let go the Horses,caught the edge of the litter, swung herself up beside Lasaraleen and whispered furiously in her ear.
"Shut up !Do you hear !Shut up.You must hide me. Tell your people—"
"But darling—"began Lasaraleen in the same loud voice. (She didn' t in the least mind making people stare;in fact she rather liked it.)
"Do what I tell you or I'll never speak to you again," hissed Aravis. "Please, please be quick, Las. It's frightfully important. Tell your people to bring those two horses along. Pull all the curtains of the litter and get away somewhere where I can' t be found.And do hurry."
"All right,darling," said Lasaraleen in her lazy voice. "Here.Two of you take the Tarkheena's horses. " (This was to the slaves.) "And now home.I say,darling,do you think we really want the curtains drawn on a day like this ?I mean to say—" But Aravis had already drawn the curtains, enclosing Lasaraleen and herself in a rich and scented, but rather stuffy, kind of tent.
"I mustn't be seen, "she said. "My father doesn't know I'm here.I' m running away."
"My dear, how perfectly thrilling, "said Lasaraleen. "I'm dying to hear all about it. Darling, you' re sitting on my dress. Do you mind ? That' s better.It is a new one. Do you like it ? I got it at—"
"Oh,Las,do be serious,"said Aravis..Where is my father ?"
"Didn' t you know?"said Lasaraleen..He' s here,of course. He came to town yesterday and is asking about you everywhere. And to think of you and me being here together and his not knowing anything about it ! It' s the funniest thing I ever heard."And she went off into giggles.She always had been a terrible giggler,as Aravis now remembered.
"It isn' t funny at all,"she said..It' s dreadfully serious. Where can you hide me ?"
"No difficulty at all, my dear girl,"said Lasaraleen..I'll take you home. My husband' s away and no one will see you. Phew!It' s not much fun with the curtains drawn.I want to see people.There' s no point in having a new dress on if one' s to go about shut up like this."
"I hope no one heard you when you shouted out to me like that,"said Aravis.
"No,no,of course,darling,"said Lasaraleen absentmindedly..But you haven' teven told me yet what you think of the dress."
"Another thing,"said Aravis..You must tell your people to treat those two horses very respectfully. That' s part of the secret. They' re really Talking Horses from Narnia."
"Fancy !"said Lasaraleen..How exciting !And oh,darling,have you seen the barbarian queen from Narnia ? She' s staying in Tashbaan at present.They say Prince Rabadash is madly in love with her. There have been the most wonderful parties and hunts and things all this last fortnight. I can' t see that she' s so very pretty myself.But some of the Narnian men are lovely. I was taken out on a river party the day before yesterday, and I was wearing my—"
How shall we prevent your people telling everyone that you' ve got a visitor-dressed like a beggar' s brat-in your house ? It might so easily get round to my father."
"Now don' t keep on fussing, there' s a dear,"said Lasaraleen..We' ll get you some proper clothes in a moment. And here we are !"
The bearers had stopped and the litter was being lowered. When the curtains had been drawn Aravis found that she was in a courtyard-garden very like the one that Shasta had been taken into a few minutes earlier in another part of the city. Lasaraleen would have gone indoors at once but Aravis reminded her in a frantic whisper to say something to the slaves about not telling anyone of their mistress' s strange visitor.
"Sorry, darling, it had gone right out of my head,"saidLasareleen. "Here. All of you. And you, doorkeeper. No one is to be let out of the house today. And anyone I catch talking about this young lady will be first beaten to death and then burned alive and after that be kept on bread and water for six weeks.There."
Although Lasaraleen had said she was dying to hear Aravis' s story,she showed no sign of really wanting to hear it at all. She was,in fact,much better at talking than at listening. She insisted on Aravis having a long and luxurious bath (Calormene baths are famous) and then dressing her up in the finest clothes before she would let her explain anything.The fuss she made about choosing the dresses nearly drove Aravis mad. She remembered now that Lasaraleen had always been like that, interested in clothes and parties and gossip. Aravis had always been more interested in bows and arrows and horses and dogs and swimming.You will guess that each thought the other silly. But when at last they were both seated after a meal (it was chiefly of the whipped cream and jelly and fruit and ice sort) in a beautiful pillared room (which Aravis would have liked better if Lasaraleen' s spoiled pet monkey hadn' t been climbing about it all the time), Lasaraleen at last asked her why she was running away from home.
When Aravis had finished telling her story, Lasaraleen said, "But,darling, why don't you marry Ahoshta Tarkaan ? Everyone' s crazy about him.My husband says he is beginning to be one of the greatest men in Calormen.He has just been made Grand Vizier now old Axartha has died.Didn't you know ?"
"I don't care.I can't stand the sight of him," said Aravis.
"But, darling, only think ! Three palaces, and one of them that beautiful one down on the lake at Ilkeen. Positively ropes of pearls, I' m told. Baths of asses' milk. And you' d see such a lot of me."
"He can keep his pearls and palaces as far as I'm concerned," said Aravis.
"You always were a queer girl,Aravis," said Lasaraleen. "What more do you want ?"
In the end, however, Aravis managed to make her friend believe that she was in earnest and even to discuss plans. There would be no difficulty now about getting the two horses out of the North gate and then on to the Tombs. No one would stop or question a groom in fine clothes leading a war horse and a lady' s saddle horse down to the river, and Lasaraleen had plenty of grooms to send. It wasn' t so easy to decide what to do about Aravis herself. She suggested that she could be carried out in the litter with the curtains drawn. But Lasaraleen told her that litters were only used in the city and the sight of one going out through the gate would be certain to lead to questions.
When they had talked for a long time-and it was all the longer because Aravis found it hard to keep her friend to the point-at last Lasaraleen clapped her hands and said,"Oh, I have an idea. There is one way of getting out of the city without using the gates. The Tisroc' s garden (may he live for ever !) runs right down to the water and there is a little water-door. Only for the palace people of course-but then you know, dear. "(here she tittered a little) "We almost are palace people. I say, it is lucky for you that you came to me. The dear Tisroc (may he live for ever !) is so kind. We' re asked to the palace almost every day and it is like a second home. I love all the dear princes and princesses and I positively adore Prince Rabadash. I might run in and see any of the palace ladies at any hour of the day or night. Why shouldn' t I slip in with you, after dark, and let you out by the water-door ? There are always a few punts and things tied up outside it. And even if we were caught—"
"All would be lost,"said Aravis.
"Oh darling, don' t get so excited,"said Lasaraleen.. I was going to say, even if we were caught everyone would only say it was one of my mad jokes. I'm getting quite well known for them. Only the other day-do listen, dear, this is frightfully funny—"
"I meant, all would be lost for me,"said Aravis a little sharply.
"Oh-ah-yes-I do see what you mean, darling. Well, can you think of any better plan ?"
Aravis couldn' t, and answered,.No. We' ll have to risk it. When can we start ?"
"Oh, not tonight,"said Lasaraleen..Of course not tonight. There' s a great feast on tonight (I must start getting my hair done for it in a few minutes) and the whole place will be a blaze of lights. And such a crowd too !It would have to be tomorrow night."
This was bad news for Aravis,but she had to make the best of it. The afternoon passed very slowly and it was a relief when Lasaraleen went out to the banquet, for Aravis was very tired of her giggling and her talk about dresses and parties, weddings and engagements and scandals. She went to bed early and that part she did enjoy: it was so nice to have pillows and sheets again.
But the next day passed very slowly.Lasaraleen wanted to go back on the whole arrangement and kept on telling Aravis that Narnia was a country of perpetual snow and ice inhabited by demons and sorcerers,and she was mad to think of going there. .And with a peasant boy,too !"said Lasaraleen..Darling, think of it ! It' s not Nice."Aravis had thought of it a good deal, but she was so tired of Lasaraleen' s silliness by now that,for the first time,she began to think that travelling with Shasta was really rather more fun than fashionable life in Tashbaan.So she only replied,.You forget that I' ll be nobody, just like him, when we get to Narnia.And anyway, I promised."
"And to think," said Lasaraleen,almost crying, .that if only you had sense you could be the wife of a Grand Vizier !" Aravis went away to have a private word with the horses.
"You must go with a groom a little before sunset down to the Tombs,"she said..No more of those packs. You' ll be saddled and bridled again. But there' ll have to be food in Hwin' s saddle-bags and a full water-skin behind yours, Bree. The man has orders to let you both have a good long drink at the far side of the bridge."
"And then, Narnia and the North !"whispered Bree..But what if Shasta is not at the Tombs."
"Wait for him of course," said Aravis. "I hope you've been quite comfortable."
"Never better stabled in my life," said Bree. "But if the husband of that tittering Tarkheena friend of yours is paying his head groom to get the best oats, then I think the head groom is cheating him."
Aravis and Lasaraleen had supper in the pillared room.
About two hours later they were ready to start. Aravis was dressed to look like a superior slave-girl in a great house and wore a veil over her face. They had agreed that if any questions were asked Lasaraleen would pretend that Aravis was a slave she was taking as a present to one of the princesses.
The two girls went out on foot. A very few minutes brought them to the palace gates. Here there were of course soldiers on guard but the officer knew Lasaraleen quite well and called his men to attention and saluted. They passed at once into the Hall of Black Marble. A fair number of courtiers, slaves and others were still moving about here but this only made the two girls less conspicuous. They passed on into the Hall of Pillars and then into the Hall of Statues and down the colonnade, passing the great beatencopper doors of the throne room. It was all magnificent beyond description;what they could see of it in the dim light of the lamps.
Presently they came out into the garden-court which sloped downhill in a number of terraces.On the far side of that they came to the Old Palace. It had already grown almost quite dark and they now found themselves in a maze of corridors lit only by occasional torches fixed in brackets to the walls. Lasaraleen halted at a place where you had to go either left or right.
"Go on, do go on," whispered Aravis, whose heart was beating terribly and who still felt that her father might run into them at any corner.
"I'm just wondering---"said Lasaraleen."I'm not absolutely sure which way we go from here. I think it' s the left. Yes, I' m almost sure it' s the left.What fun this is !"
They took the left hand way and found themselves in a passage that was hardly lighted at all and which soon began going down steps.
"It's all right," said Lasaraleen. "I'm sure we're right now. I remember these steps."But at that moment a moving light appeared ahead. A second later there appeared from round a distant corner, the dark shapes of two men walking backwards and carrying tall candles. And of course it is only before royalties that people walk backwards. Aravis felt Lasaraleen grip her arm-that sort of sudden grip which is almost a pinch and which means that the person who is gripping you is very frightened indeed. Aravis thought it odd that Lasaraleen should be so afraid of the Tisroc if he were really such a friend of hers, but there was no time to go on thinking. Lasaraleen was hurrying her back to the top of the steps,on tiptoes,and groping wildly along the wall.
"Here's a door," she whispered. "Quick. "
They went in,drew the door very softly behind them, and found themselves in pitch darkness.Aravis could hear by Lasaraleen' s breathing that she was terrified.
"Tash preserve us !"whispered Lasaraleen..What shall we do if he comes in here.Can we hide ?"
There was a soft carpet under their feet. They groped forward into the room and blundered on to a sofa.
"Let's lie down behind it," whimpered Lasaraleen. "Oh, I do wish we hadn' t come."
There was just room between the sofa and the curtained wall and the two girls got down. Lasaraleen managed to get the better position and was completely covered. The upper part of Aravis' s face stuck out beyond the sofa, so that if anyone came into that room with a light and happened to look in exactly the right place they would see her. But of course, because she was wearing a veil, what they saw would not at once look like a forehead and a pair of eyes. Aravis shoved desperately to try to make Lasaraleen give her a little more room. But Lasaraleen, now quite selfish in her panic, fought back and pinched her feet. They gave it up and lay still, panting a little. Their own breath semed dreadfully noisy,but there was no other noise.
"Is it safe ?" said Aravis at last in the tiniest possible whisper.
"I-I-think so," began Lasaraleen. "But my poor nerves-" and then came the most terrible noise they could have heard at that moment: the noise of the door opening. And then came light.
And because Aravis couldn' t get her head any further in behind the sofa, she saw everything.
First came the two slaves (deaf and dumb, as Aravis rightly guessed, and therefore used at the most secret councils) walking backwards and carrying the candles. They took up their stand one at each end of the sofa. This was a good thing, for of course it was now harder for anyone to see Aravis once a slave was in front of her and she was looking between his heels. Then came an old man, very fat, wearing a curious pointed cap by which she immediately knew that he was the Tisroc. The least of the jewels with which he was covered was worth more than all the clothes and weapons of the Narnian lords put together: but he was so fat and such a mass of frills and pleats and bobbles and buttons and tassels and talismans that Aravis couldn' t help thinking the Narnian fashions (at any rate for men) looked nicer. After him came a tall young man with a feathered and jewelled turban on his head and an ivory—sheathed scimitar at his side. He seemed very excited and his eyes and teeth flashed fiercely in the candlelight. Last of all came a little hump-backed, wizened old man in whom she recognized with a shudder the new Grand Vizier and her own betrothed husband,Ahoshta Tarkaan himself.
As soon as all three had entered the room and the door was shut, the Tisroc seated himself on the divan with a sigh of contentment, the young man took his place, standing before him, and the Grand Vizier got down on his knees and elbows and laid his face flat on the carpet.

CHAPTER EIGHT IN THE HOUSE OF THE TISROC
"OH-my-father-and-oh-the-delight-of-my-eyes, " began the young man, muttering the words very quickly and sulkily and not at all as if the Tisroc were the delight of his eyes."May you live forever, but you have utterly destroyed me. If you had given me the swiftest of the galleys at sunrise when I first saw that the ship of the accursed barbarians was gone from her place I would perhaps have overtaken them. But you persuaded me to send first and see if they had not merely moved round the point into better anchorage . And now the whole day has been wasted. And they are gone-gone-out of my reach ! The false jade, the—"and here he added a great many descriptions of Queen Susan which would not look at all nice in print. For of course this young man was Prince Rabadash and of course the false jade was Susan of Narnia.
"Compose yourself, O my son," said the Tisroc. "For the departure of guests makes a wound that is easily healed in the heart of a judicious host."
"But I want her," cried the Prince."I must have her. I shall die if I do not get her-false, proud, black-hearted daughter of a dog that she is ! I can not sleep and my food has no savour and my eyes are darkened because of her beauty. I must have the barbarian queen."
"How well it was said by a gifted poet," observed the Vizier, raising his face (in a somewhat dusty condition) from the carpet, "that deep draughts from the fountain of reason are desirable in order to extinguish the fire of youthful love."
This seemed to exasperate the Prince."Dog," he shouted, directing a series of well-aimed kicks at the hindquarters of the Vizier,"do not dare to quote the poets to me.I have had maxims and verses flung at me all day and I can endure them no more."I am afraid Aravis did not feel at all sorry for the Vizier.
The Tisroc was apparently sunk in thought, but when, after a long pause,he noticed what was happening,he said tranquilly:
"My son, by all means desist from kicking the venerable and enlightened Vizier: for as a costly jewel retains its value even if hidden in a dung-hill, so old age and discretion are to be respected even in the vile persons of our subjects. Desist therefore, and tell us what you desire and propose."
"I desire and propose,O my father," said Rabadash, "that you immediately call out your invincible armies and invade the thrice-accursed land of Narnia and waste it with fire and sword and add it to your illimitable empire,killing their High King and all of his blood except the queen Susan.For I must have her as my wife, though she shall learn a sharp lesson first."
"Understand, O my son," said the Tisroc, "that no words you can speak will move me to open war against Narnia."
"If you were not my father, O ever-living Tisroc,"said the Prince, grinding his teeth,.I should say that was the word of a coward."
"And if you were not my son, O most inflammable Rabadash," replied his father,"your life would be short and your death slow when you had said it."(The cool, placid voice in which he spoke these words made Aravis' s blood run cold.)
"But why, O my father,"said the Prince-this time in a much more respectful voice,.why should we think twice about punishing Narnia any more than about hanging an idle slave or sending a worn-out horse to be made into dog' smeat ? It is not the fourth size of one of your least provinces. A thousand spears could conquer it in five weeks. It is an unseemly blot on the skirts of your empire."
"Most undoubtedly,"said the Tisroc..These little barbarian countries that call themselves free (which is as much as to say, idle, disordered,and unprofitable) are hateful to the gods and to all persons of discernment."
"Then why have we suffered such a land as Narnia to remain thus long unsubdued ?"
"Know, O enlightened Prince."said the Grand Vizier, "that until the year in which your exalted father began his salutary and unending reign,the land of Narnia was covered with ice and snow and was moreover ruled by a most powerful enchantress."
"This I know very well, O loquacious Vizier,"answered the Prince..But I know also that the enchantress is dead. And the ice and snow have vanished,so that Narnia is now wholesome, fruitful,and delicious."
"And this change, O most learned Prince, has doubtless been brought to pass by the powerful incantations of those wicked persons who now call themselves kings and queens of Narnia."
.I am rather of the opinion,"said Rabadash,.that it has come about by the alteration of the stars and the operation of natural causes."
.All this,"said the Tisroc,.is a question for the disputations of learned men.I will never believe that so great an alteration, and the killing of the old enchantress,were effected without the aid of strong magic.And such things are to be expected in that land, which is chiefly inhabited by demons in the shape of beasts that talk like men, and monsters that are half man and half beast. It is commonly reported that the High King of Narnia (whom may the gods utterly reject) is supported by a demon of hideous aspect and irresistible maleficence who appears in the shape of a Lion. Therefore the attacking of Narnia is a dark and doubtful enterprise, and I am determined not to put my hand out farther than I can draw it back."
"How blessed is Calormen," said the Vizier, popping up his face again,.on whose ruler the gods have been pleased to bestow prudence and circumspection !Yet as the irrefutable and sapient Tisroc has said it is very grievous to be constrained to keep our hands off such a dainty dish as Narnia. Gifted was that poet who said-"but at this point Ahoshta noticed an impatient movement of the Prince' s toe and became suddenly silent.
"It is very grievous,"said the Tisroc in his deep, quiet voice."Every morning the sun is darkened in my eyes, and every night my sleep is the less refreshing, because I remember that Narnia is still free."
"O my father,"said Rabadash."How if I show you a way by which you can stretch out your arm to take Narnia and yet draw it back unharmed if the attempt prove unfortunate ?"
"If you can show me that, O Rabadash,""aid the Tisroc,"you will be the best of sons."
"Hear then, O father. This very night and in this hour I will take but two hundred horse and ride across the desert. And it shall seem to all men that you know nothing of my going. On the second morning I shall be at the gates of King Lune's castle of Anvard in Archenland. They are at peace with us and unprepared and I shall take Anvard before they have bestirred themselves. Then I will ride through the pass above Anvard and down through Narnia to Cair Paravel. The High King will not be there;when I left them he was already preparing a raid against the giants on his northern border. I shall find Cair Paravel, most likely with open gates, and ride in. I shall exercise prudence and courtesy and spill as little Narnian blood as I can. And what then remains but to sit there till the Splendour Hyaline puts in, with Queen Susan on board, catch my strayed bird as she sets foot ashore, swing her into the saddle, and then, ride, ride,ride back to Anvard ?"
"But is it not probable, O my son, " said the Tisroc, "that at the taking of the woman either King Edmund or you will lose his life ?"
"They will be a small company," said Rabadash,"and I will order ten of my men to disarm and bind him: restraining my vehement desire for his blood so that there shall be no deadly cause of war between you and the High King."
"And how if the Splendour Hyaline is at Cair Paravel before you ?"
"I do not look for that with these winds, O my father. "
"And lastly, O my resourceful son, " said the Tisroc, "you have made clear how all this might give you the barbarian woman, but not how it helps me to the over-throwing of Narnia."
"O my father, can it have escaped you that though I and my horsemen will come and go through Narnia like an arrow from a bow, yet we shall have Anvard for ever ? And when you hold Anvard you sit in the very gate of Narnia, and your garrison in Anvard can be increased by little and little till it is a great host."
"It is spoken with understanding and foresight. But how do I draw back my arm if all this miscarries ?"
"You shall say that I did it without your knowledge and against your will, and without your blessing, being constrained by the violence of my love and the impetuosity of youth."
"And how if the High King then demands that we send back the barbarian woman, his sister ?"
“O my father, be assured that he will not. For though the fancy of a woman has rejected this marriage, the High King Peter is a man of prudence and understanding who will in no way wish to lose the high honour and advantage of being allied to our House and seeing his nephew and grand nephew on the throne of Calormen."
“He will not see that if I live for ever as is no doubt your wish,"said the Tisroc in an even drier voice than usual.
"And also, O my father and O the delight of my eyes,"said the Prince, after a moment of awkward silence,.we shall write letters as if from the Queen to say that she loves me and has no desire to return to Narnia. For it is well known that women are as changeable as weathercocks. And even if they do not wholly believe the letters, they will not dare to come to Tashbaan in arms to fetch her."
“O enlightened Vizier,"said the Tisroc,.bestow your wisdom upon us concerning this strange proposal."
“O eternal Tisroc,"answered Ahosta,.the strength of paternal affection is not unknown to me and I have often heard that sons are in the eyes of their fathers more precious than carbuncles. How then shall I dare freely to unfold to you my mind in a matter which may imperil the life of this exalted Prince ?"
“Undoubtedly you will dare,"replied the Tisroc..Because you will find that the dangers of not doing so are at least equally great.
“To hear is to obey,"moaned the wretched man.Know then, O most reasonable Tisroc, in the first place, that the danger of the Prince is not altogether so great as might appear. For the gods have withheld from the barbarians the light of discretion, as that their poetry is not, like ours, full of choice apophthegms and useful maxims, but is all of love and war. Therefore nothing will appear to them more noble and admirable than such a mad enterprise as this of ow !"For the Prince, at the word.mad", had kicked him again.
"Desist,O my son," said the Tisroc. "And you, estimable Vizier, whether he desists or not, by no means allow the flow of your eloquence to be interrupted. For nothing is more suitable to persons of gravity and decorum than to endure minor inconveniences with constancy."
“To hear is to obey,"said the Vizier, wriggling himself round a little so as to get his hinder parts further away from Rabadash' s toe. “Nothing, I say, will seem as pardonable, if not estimable,in their eyes as this-er-hazardous attempt, especially because it is undertaken for the love of a woman. Therefore,if the Prince by misfortune fell into their hands, they would assuredly not kill him.Nay, it may even be, that though he failed to carry off the queen,yet the sight of his great valour and of the extremity of his passion might incline her heart to him."
"That is a good point, old babbler,"said Rabadash..Very good, however it came into your ugly head."
"The praise of my masters is the light of my eyes,"said Ahoshta..And secondly,O Tisroc,whose reign must and shall be interminable,I think that with the aid of the gods it is very likely that Anvard will fall into the Prince' s hands.And if so, we have Narnia by the throat."
There was a long pause and the room became so silent that the two girls hardly dared to breathe.At last the Tisroc spoke.
"Go, my son," he said."And do as you have said. But expect no help nor countenance from me. I will not avenge you if you are killed and I will not deliver you if the barbarians cast you into prison. And if, either in success or failure, you shed a drop more than you need of Narnian noble blood and open war arises from it, my favour shall never fall upon you again and your next brother shall have your place in Calormen. Now go. Be swift, secret, and fortunate. May the strength of Tash the inexorable, the irresistible be in your sword and lance."
"To hear is to obey," cried Rabadash,and after kneeling for a moment to kiss his father' s hands he rushed from the room. Greatly to the disappointment of Aravis,who was now horribly cramped,the Tisroc and Vizier remained.
"O Vizier," said the Tisroc, "is it certain that no living soul knows of this council we three have held here tonight ?"
"O my master," said Ahoshta, "it is not possible that any should know. For that very reason I proposed, and you in your wisdom agreed, that we should meet here in the Old Palace where no council is ever held and none of the household has any occasion to come."
"It is well," said the Tisroc. "If any man knew,I would see to it that he died before an hour had passed. And do you also, O prudent Vizier, forget it. I sponge away from my own heart and from yours all knowledge of the Prince' s plans. He is gone without my knowledge or my consent, I know not whither, because of his violence and the rash and disobedient disposition of youth. No man will be more astonished than you and I to hear that Anvard is in his hands."
"To hear is to obey," said Ahoshta.
"That is why you will never think even in your secret heart that I am the hardest hearted of fathers who thus send my first-born son on an errand so likely to be his death;pleasing as it must be to you who do not love the Prince. For I see into the bottom of your mind."
"O impeccable Tisroc," said the Vizier."In comparison with you I love neither the Prince nor my own life nor bread nor water nor the light of the sun."
"Your sentiments," said the Tisroc,"are elevated and correct. I also love none of these things in comparison with the glory and strength of my throne. If the Prince succeeds, we have Archenland, and perhaps hereafter Narnia. If he fails—I have eighteen other sons and Rabadash, after the manner of the eldest sons of kings, was beginning to be dangerous. More than five Tisrocs in Tashbaan have died before their time because their eldest sons, enlightened princes, grew tired of waiting for their throne. He had better cool his blood abroad than boil it in inaction here. And now,O excellent Vizier,the excess of my paternal anxiety inclines me to sleep. Command the musicians to my chamber. But before you lie down, call back the pardon we wrote for the third cook.I feel within me the manifest prognostics of indigestion."
"To hear is to obey,"said the Grand Vizier. He crawled backwards on all fours to the door, rose, bowed, and went out. Even then the Tisroc remained seated in silence on the divan till Aravis almost began to be afraid that he had dropped asleep. But at last with a great creaking and sighing he heaved up his enormous body, signed to the slaves to precede him with the lights, and went out. The door closed behind him, the room was once more totally dark,and the two girls could breathe freely again.

CHAPTER NINE ACROSS THE DESERT
"HOVE dreadful ! How perfectly dreadful !"whimpered Lasaraleen."Oh darling, I am so frightened. I' m shaking all over.Feel me."
"Come on,"said Aravis, who was trembling herself. "They' ve gone back to the new palace.Once we' re out of this room we' re safe enough. But it' s wasted a terrible time.Get me down to that water-gate as quick as you can."
"Darling, how can you ?"squeaked Lasaraleen."I can' t do anything-not now. My poor nerves ! No: we must just lie still a bit and then go back."
"Why back ?" asked Aravis.
"Oh, you don' t understand. You' re so unsympathetic,"said Lasaraleen, beginning to cry. Aravis decided it was no occasion for mercy.
."Look here !"she said, catching Lasaraleen and giving her a good shake..If you say another word about going back, and if you don' t start taking me to that water-gate at once-do you know what I' ll do ? I' ll rush out into that passage and scream. Then we' ll both be caught."
"But we shall both be k-k-killed !" said Lasaraleen. "Didn't you hear what the Tisroc (may he live for ever) said ?"
"Yes,and I'd sooner be killed than married to Ahoshta. So come on. "
"Oh you are unkind," said Lasaraleen. "And I in such a state !"
But in the end she had to give in to Aravis. She led the way down the steps they had already descended, and along another corridor and so finally out into the open air. They were now in the palace garden which sloped down in terraces to the city wall. The moon shone brightly. One of the drawbacks about adventures is that when you come to the most beautiful places you are often too anxious and hurried to appreciate them;so that Aravis (though she remembered them years later) had only a vague impression of grey lawns, quietly bubbling fountains, and the long black shadows of cypress trees.
When they reached the very bottom and the wall rose frowning above them, Lasaraleen was shaking so that she could not unbolt the gate. Aravis did it. There, at last, was the river, full of reflected moonlight, and a little landing stage and a few pleasure boats.
"Good-bye," said Aravis,"and thank you. I'm sorry if I' ve been a pig.But think what I' m flying from !"
"Oh Aravis darling," said Lasaraleen."Won't you change your mind ? Now that you' ve seen what a very great man Ahoshta is!"
"Great man !" said Aravis."A hideous grovelling slave who flatters when he' s kicked but treasures it all up and hopes to get his own back by egging on that horrible Tisroc to plot his son' s death. Faugh ! I' d sooner marry my father' s scullion than a creature like that."
"Oh Aravis, Aravis ! How can you say such dreadful things;and about the Tisroc (may he live for ever) too. It must be right if he' s going to do it !"
"Good-bye," said Aravis, "and I thought your dresses lovely. And I think your house is lovely too. I' m sure you' ll have a lovely life-though it wouldn' t suit me. Close the door softly behind me."
She tore herself away from her friend' s affectionate embraces, stepped into a punt, cast off, and a moment later was out in midstream with a huge real moon overhead and a huge reflected moon down, deep down, in the river. The air was fresh and cool and as she drew near the farther bank she heard the hooting of an owl."Ah ! That's better !"thought Aravis. She had always lived in the country and had hated every minute of her time in Tashbaan.
When she stepped ashore she found herself in darkness for the rise of the ground, and the trees, cut off the moonlight. But she managed to find the same road that Shasta had found, and came just as he had done to the end of the grass and the beginning of the sand, and looked (like him) to her left and saw the big, black Tombs. And now at last, brave girl though she was, her heart quailed. Supposing the others weren't there!Supposing the ghouls were ! But she stuck out her chin (and a little bit of her tongue too) and went straight towards them.
But before she had reached them she saw Bree and Hwin and the groom.
"You can go back to your mistress now," said Aravis (quite forgetting that he couldn' t, until the city gates opened next morning)."Here is money for your pains. "
"To hear is to obey,"said the groom, and at once set off at a remarkable speed in the direction of the city. There was no need to tell him to make haste: he also had been thinking a good deal about ghouls.
For the next few seconds Aravis was busy kissing the noses and patting the necks of Hwin and Bree just as if they were quite ordinary horses.
"And here comes Shasta !Thanks be to the Lion !" said Bree.
Aravis looked round, and there, right enough, was Shasta who had come out of hiding the moment he saw the groom going away.
"And now, " said Aravis. "There's not a moment to lose." And in hasty words she told them about Rabadash' s expedition.
"Treacherous hounds !" said Bree,shaking his mane and stamping with his hoof."An attack in time of peace, without defiance sent ! But we' ll grease his oats for him. We' ll be there before he is."
"Can we ?" said Aravis, swinging herself into Hwin's saddle.Shasta wished he could mount like that.
"Brooh-hoo !" snorted Bree."Up you get, Shasta. Can we ! And with a good start too !"
"He said he was going to start at once," said Aravis.
"That's how humans talk," said Bree. "But you don't get a company of two hundred horse and horsemen watered and victualled and armed and saddled and started all in a minute. Now: what' s our direction ? Due North ?"
"No," said Shasta. "I know about that.I've drawn a line.I' ll explain later.Bear a bit to our left, both you horses. Ah here it is !"
"Now," said Bree. "All that about galloping for a day and a night,like in stories,can' t really be done.It must be walk and trot: but brisk trots and short walks.And whenever we walk you two humans can slip off and walk too. Now.Are you ready, Hwin ? Off we go.Narnia and the North !"
At first it was delightful. The night had now been going on for so many hours that the sand had almost finished giving back all the sun-heat it had received during the day, and the air was cool, fresh, and clear. Under the moonlight the sand, in every direction and as far as they could see, gleamed as if it were smooth water or a great silver tray. Except for the noise of Bree's and Hwin' s hoofs there was not a sound to be heard. Shasta would nearly have fallen asleep if he had not had to dismount and walk every now and then.
This seemed to last for hours. Then there came a time when there was no longer any moon. They seemed to ride in the dead darkness for hours and hours. And after that there came a moment when Shasta noticed that he could see Bree' s neck and head in front of him a little more clearly than before;and slowly, very slowly, he began to notice the vast grey flatness on every side. It looked absolutely dead, like something in a dead world; and Shasta felt quite terribly tired and noticed that he was getting cold and that his lips were dry. And all the time the squeak of the leather, the jingle of the bits, and the noise of the hoofs-not Propputty-propputty as it would be on a hard road, but Thubbudy-thubbudy on the dry sand.
At last, after hours of riding, far away on his right there came a single long streak of paler grey, low down on the horizon. Then a streak of red.It was the morning at last, but without a single bird to sing about it.He was glad of the walking bits now, for he was colder than ever.
Then suddenly the sun rose and everything changed in a moment. The grey sand turned yellow and twinkled as if it was strewn with diamonds. On their left the shadows of Shasta and Hwin and Bree and Aravis, enormously long, raced beside them. The double peak of Mount Pire, far ahead, flashed in the sunlight and Shasta saw they were a little out of the course. "A bit left, a bit left,"he sang out. Best of all, when you looked back, Tashbaan was already small and remote. The Tombs were quite invisible: swallowed up in that single, jagged-edged hump which was the city of the Tisroc.Everyone felt better.
But not for long. Though Tashbaan looked very far away when they first saw it, it refused to look any further away as they went on. Shasta gave up looking back at it, for it only gave him the feeling that they were not moving at all. Then the light became a nuisance. The glare of the sand made his eyes ache: but he knew he mustn't shut them. He must screw them up and keep on looking ahead at Mount Pire and shouting out directions. Then came the heat. He noticed it for the first time when he had to dismount and walk: as he slipped down to the sand the heat from it struck up into his face as if from the opening of an oven door. Next time it was worse. But the third time, as his bare feet touched the sand he screamed with pain and got one foot back in the stirrup and the other half over Bree' s back before you could have said knife.
"Sorry, Bree,"he gasped."I can't walk. It burns my feet.""Of course !" panted Bree."Should have thought of that myself.Stay on.Can' t be helped."
"It's all right for you," said Shasta to Aravis who was walking beside Hwin."You've got shoes on. "
Aravis said nothing and looked prim. Let' s hope she didn' t mean to, but she did.
On again, trot and walk and trot, jingle-jingle-jingle, squeak-squeak-squeak, smell of hot horse,smell of hot self, blinding glare,headache.And nothing at all different for mile after mile.Tashbaan would never look any further away. The mountains would never look any nearer.You felt this had been going on for always-jingle-jingle-jingle, squeaksqueak-squeak,smell of hot horse, smell of hot self.
Of course one tried all sorts of games with oneself to try to make the time pass: and of course they were all no good. And one tried very hard not to think of drinks-iced sherbet in a palace in Tashbaan, clear spring water tinkling with a dark earthy sound, cold, smooth milk just creamy enough and not too creamy-and the harder you tried not to think, the more you thought.
At last there was something different-a mass of rock sticking up out of the sand about fifty yards long and thirty feet high. It did not cast much shadow, for the sun was now very high, but it cast a little. Into that shade they crowded. There they ate some food and drank a little water. It is not easy giving a horse a drink out of a skin bottle, but Bree and Hwin were clever with their lips. No one had anything like enough. No one spoke. The Horses were flecked with foam and their breathing was noisy. The children were pale.
After a very short rest they went on again. Same noises, same smells, same glare, till at last their shadows began to fall on their right, and then got longer and longer till they seemed to stretch out to the Eastern end of the world. Very slowly the sun drew nearer to the Western horizon. And now at last he was down and,thank goodness,the merciless glare was gone, though the heat coming up from the sand was still as bad as ever. Four pairs of eyes were looking out eagerly for any sign of the valley that Sallowpad the Raven had spoken about. But, mile after mile, there was nothing but level sand. And now the day was quite definitely done, and most of the stars were out, and still the Horses thundered on and the children rose and sank in their saddles, miserable with thirst and weariness. Not till the moon had risen did Shasta-in the strange, barking voice of someone whose mouth is perfectly dry-shout out: "There it is !"
There was no mistaking it now. Ahead, and a little to their right, there was at last a slope: a slope downward and hummocks of rock on each side. The Horses were far too tired to speak but they swung round towards it and in a minute or two they were entering the gully. At first it was worse in there than it had been out in the open desert, for there was a breathless stuffiness between the rocky walls and less moonlight. The slope continued steeply downwards and the rocks on either hand rose to the height of cliffs. Then they began to meet vegetation-prickly cactus-like plants and coarse grass of the kind that would prick your fingers. Soon the horse-hoofs were falling on pebbles and stones instead of sand. Round every bend of the valley-and it had many bends-they looked eagerly for water. The Horses were nearly at the end of their strength now, and Hwin,stumbling and panting,was lagging behind Bree. They were almost in despair before at last they came to a little muddiness and a tiny trickle of water through softer and better grass. And the trickle became a brook, and the brook became a stream with bushes on each side, and the stream became a river and there came (after more disappointments than I could possibly describe) a moment when Shasta, who had been in a kind of doze, suddenly realized that Bree had stopped and found himself slipping off. Before them a little cataract of water poured into a broad pool: and both the Horses were already in the pool with their heads down,drinking,drinking,drinking. "O-o-oh," said Shasta and plunged in-it was about up to his knees—and stooped his head right into the cataract. It was perhaps the loveliest moment in his life.
It was about ten minutes later when all four of them (the two children wet nearly all over) came out and began to notice their surroundings. The moon was now high enough to peep down into the valley. There was soft grass on both sides of the river, and beyond the grass, trees and bushes sloped up to the bases of the cliffs. There must have been some wonderful flowering shrubs hidden in that shadowy undergrowth for the whole glade was full of the coolest and most delicious smells. And out of the darkest recess among the trees there came a sound Shasta had never heard beforea nightingale.
Everyone was much too tired to speak or to eat. The Horses, without waiting to be unsaddled,lay down at once.So did Aravis and Shasta.
About ten minutes later the careful Hwin said, "But we mustn't go to sleep.We've got to keep ahead of that Rabadash. "
"No," said Bree very slowly. "Mustn't go sleep. Just a little rest."
Shasta knew (for a moment) that they would all go to sleep if he didn' t get up and do something about it, and felt that he ought to. In fact he decided that he would get up and persuade them to go on.But presently;not yet: not just yet"
Very soon the moon shone and the nightingale sang over two horses and two human children,all fast asleep.
It was Aravis who awoke first. The sun was already high in the heavens and the cool morning hours were already wasted. "It's my fault,"she said to herself furiously as she jumped up and began rousing the others. "One wouldn't expect Horses to keep awake after a day' s work like that, even if they can talk. And of course that Boy wouldn' t;he' s had no decent training. But I ought to have known better."
The others were dazed and stupid with the heaviness of their sleep.
"Neigh-ho-broo-hoo," said Bree. "Been sleeping in my saddle, eh ? I' ll never do that again.Most uncomfortable—"
"Oh come on, come on," said Aravis. "We've lost half the morning already.There isn' t a moment to spare."
"A fellow's got to have a mouthful of grass," said Bree.
"I'm afraid we can't wait," said Aravis.
"What's the terrible hurry ?" said Bree. "We've crossed the desert, haven' t we ?"
"But we're not in Archenland yet," said Aravis. "And we' ve got to get there before Rabadash."
"Oh, we must be miles ahead of him, "said Bree. "Haven't we been coming a shorter way ? Didn' t that Raven friend of yours say this was a short cut,Shasta ?"
"He didn' t say anything about shorter,"answered Shasta. .He only said better,because you got to a river this way.If the oasis is due North of Tashbaan,then I'm afraid this may be longer."
"Well I can' t go on without a snack,"said Bree..Take my bridle off, Shasta."
"P-please,"said Hwin, very shyly,.I feel just like Bree that I can' t go on. But when Horses have humans (with spurs and things) on their backs, aren' t they often made to go on when they' re feeling like this ? and then they find they can. I m-mean-oughtn' t we to be able to do even more, now that we' re free.It' s all for Narnia."
"I think, Ma' am,"said Bree very crushingly,.that I know a little more about campaigns and forced marches and what a horse can stand than you do."
To this Hwin made no answer, being, like most highly bred mares, a very nervous and gentle person who was easily put down. In reality she was quite right, and if Bree had had a Tarkaan on his back at that moment to make him go on, he would have found that he was good for several hours' hard going. But one of the worst results of being a slave and being forced to do things is that when there is no one to force you any more you find you have almost lost the power of forcing yourself.
So they had to wait while Bree had a snack and a drink, and of course Hwin and the children had a snack and a drink too. It must have been nearly eleven o' clock in the morning before they finally got going again. And even then Bree took things much more gently than yesterday. It was really Hwin, though she was the weaker and more tired of the two,who set the pace.
The valley itself, with its brown, cool river, and grass and moss and wild flowers and rhododendrons, was such a pleasant place that it made you want to ride slowly.

CHAPTER TEN THE HERMIT OF THE SOUTHERN MARCH
AFTER they had ridden for several hours down the valley, it widened out and they could see what was ahead of them. The river which they had been following here joined a broader river, wide and turbulent, which flowed from their left to their right, towards the east. Beyond this new river a delightful country rose gently in low hills, ridge beyond ridge, to the Northern Mountains themselves. To the right there were rocky pinnacles, one or two of them with snow clinging to the ledges. To the left, pine-clad slopes, frowning cliffs, narrow gorges, and blue peaks stretched away as far as the eye could reach. He could no longer make out Mount Pire. Straight ahead the mountain range sank to a wooded saddle which of course must be the pass from Archenland into Narnia.
"Broo-hoo-hoo, the North, the green North !" neighed Bree: and certainly the lower hills looked greener and fresher than anything that Aravis and Shasta, with their southern-bred eyes,had ever imagined. Spirits rose as they clattered down to the water' s-meet of the two rivers.
The eastern-flowing river, which was pouring from the higher mountains at the western end of the range, was far too swift and too broken with rapids for them to think of swimming it;but after some casting about, up and down the bank, they found a place shallow enough to wade. The roar and clatter of water, the great swirl against the horses' fetlocks, the cool, stirring air and the darting dragon-flies, filled Shasta with a strange excitement.
"Friends,we are in Archenland !" said Bree proudly as he splashed and churned his way out on the Northern bank. "I think that river we' ve just crossed is called the Winding Arrow." "I hope we 're in time," murmured Hwin.
Then they began going up, slowly and zigzagging a good deal, for the hills were steep. It was all open park-like country with no roads or houses in sight. Scattered trees, never thick enough to be a forest, were everywhere. Shasta, who had lived all his life in an almost tree-less grassland, had never seen so many or so many kinds. If you had been there you would probably have known (he didn' t) that he was seeing oaks, beeches, silver birches, rowans, and sweet chestnuts. Rabbits scurried away in every direction as they advanced, and presently they saw a whole herd of fallow deer making off among the trees. "Isn't it simply glorious !" said Aravis.
At the first ridge Shasta turned in the saddle and looked back. There was no sign of Tashbaan;the desert, unbroken except by the narrow green crack which they had travelled down, spread to the horizon.
"Hullo !" he said suddenly."What's that !"
"What's what ?" said Bree,turning round.Hwin and Aravis did the same.
"That,"said Shasta, pointing..It looks like smoke. Is it a fire ?"
"Sand-storm, I should say,"said Bree.
"Not much wind to raise it,"said Aravis.
"Oh !"exclaimed Hwin..Look ! There are things flashing in it. Look ! They' re helmets-and armour. And it' s moving: moving this way."
"By Tash !"said Aravis."It' s the army.It' s Rabadash." "Oh course it is," said Hwin."Just what I was afraid of. Quick !We must get to Anvard before it. " And without another word she whisked round and began galloping North.Bree tossed his head and did the same.
"Come on, Bree, come on,"yelled Aravis over her shoulder.
The race was very gruelling for the Horses. As they topped each ridge they found another valley and another ridge beyond it; and though they knew they were going in more or less the right direction, no one knew how far it was to Anvard. From the top of the second ridge Shasta looked back again. Instead of a dust-cloud well out in the desert he now saw a black, moving mass, rather like ants,on the far bank of the Winding Arrow. They were doubtless looking for a ford.
"They' re on the river !"he yelled wildly.
"Quick !Quick !"shouted Aravis..We might as well not have come at all if we don' t reach Anvard in time. Gallop, Bree, gallop. Remember you're a warhorse."
It was all Shasta could do to prevent himself from shouting out similar instructions;but he thought,.The poor chap' s doing all he can already,"and held his tongue. And certainly both Horses were doing, if not all they could, all they thought they could; which is not quite the same thing. Bree had caught up with Hwin and they thundered side by side over the turf. It didn' t look as if Hwin could possibly keep it up much longer.
At that moment everyone' s feelings were completely altered by a sound from behind. It was not the sound they had been expecting to hear-the noise of hoofs and jingling armour, mixed, perhaps, with Calormene battle-cries. Yet Shasta knew it at once. It was the same snarling roar he had heard that moonlit night when they first met Aravis and Hwin. Bree knew it too. His eyes gleamed red and his ears lay flat back on his skull. And Bree now discovered that he had not really been going as fast-not quite as fast-as he could. Shasta felt the change at once. Now they were really going all out. In a few seconds they were well ahead of Hwin.
"It' s not fair,"thought Shasta.. I did think we' d be safe from lions here !"
He looked over his shoulder.Everything was only too clear.
A huge tawny creature, its body low to the ground, like a cat streaking across the lawn to a tree when a strange dog has got into the garden, was behind them. And it was nearer every second and half second.
He looked forward again and saw something which he did not take in, or even think about. Their way was barred by a smooth green wall about ten feet high. In the middle of that wall there was a gate, open. In the middle of the gateway stood a tall man dressed, down to his bare feet, in a robe coloured like autumn leaves, leaning on a straight staff. His beard fell almost to his knees.
Shasta saw all this in a glance and looked back again. The lion had almost got Hwin now. It was making snaps at her hind legs, and there was no hope now in her foam-flecked, wide-eyed face.
"Stop," bellowed Shasta in Bree's ear. "Must go back. Must help !"
Bree always said afterwards that he never heard, or never understood this;and as he was in general a very truthful horse we must accept his word.
Shasta slipped his feet out of the stirrups, slid both his legs over the left side, hesitated for one hideous hundredth of a second, and jumped. It hurt horribly and nearly winded him; but before he knew how it hurt him he was staggering back to help Aravis. He had never done anything like this in his life before and hardly knew why he was doing it now.
One of the most terrible noises in the world, a horse' s scream, broke from Hwin' s lips. Aravis was stooping low over Hwin' s neck and seemed to be trying to draw her sword. And now all three-Aravis, Hwin, and the lion were almost on top of Shasta. Before they reached him the lion rose on its hind legs, larger than you would have believed a lion could be, and jabbed at Aravis with its right paw. Shasta could see all the terrible claws extended. Aravis screamed and reeled in the saddle. The lion was tearing her shoulders. Shasta, half mad with horror, managed to lurch towards the brute. He had no weapon, not even a stick or a stone. He shouted out, idiotically, at the lion as one would at a dog."Go home ! Go home !" For a fraction of a second he was staring right into its wide-opened, raging mouth. Then, to his utter astonishment, the lion, still on its hind legs, checked itself suddenly, turned head over heels, picked itself up,and rushed away.
Shasta did not for a moment suppose it had gone for good. He turned and raced for the gate in the green wall which, now for the first time, he remembered seeing. Hwin, stumbling and nearly fainting, was just entering the gate: Aravis still kept her seat but her back was covered with blood.
"Come in, my daughter, come in," the robed and bearded man was saying, and then"Come in, my son"as Shasta panted up to him. He heard the gate closed behind him;and the bearded stranger was already helping Aravis off her horse.
They were in a wide and perfectly circular enclosure,protected by a high wall of green turf. A pool of perfectly still water, so full that the water was almost exactly level with the ground, lay before him. At one end of the pool, completely overshadowing it with its branches, there grew the hugest and most beautiful tree that Shasta had ever seen. Beyond the pool was a little low house of stone roofed with deep and ancient thatch. There was a sound of bleating and over at the far side of the enclosure there were some goats. The level ground was completely covered with the finest grass.
"Are-are-are you,"panted Shasta..Are you King Lune of Archenland ?"
The old man shook his head."No,"he replied in a quiet voice,"I am the Hermit of the Southern March. And now, my son, waste no time on questions, but obey. This damsel is wounded. Your horses are spent. Rabadash is at this moment finding a ford over the Winding Arrow. If you run now, without a moment' s rest, you will still be in time to warn King Lune."
Shasta' s heart fainted at these words for he felt he had no strength left. And he writhed inside at what seemed the cruelty and unfairness of the demand. He had not yet learned that if you do one good deed your reward usually is to be set to do another and harder and better one.But all he said out loud was:
"Where is the King ?"
The Hermit turned and pointed with his staff..Look,"he said..There is another gate, right opposite to the one you entered by.Open it and go straight ahead: always straight ahead, over level or steep,over smooth or rough, over dry or wet.I know by my art that you will find King Lune straight ahead.But run, run: always run."
Shasta nodded his head,ran to the northern gate and disappeared beyond it.Then the Hermit took Aravis,whom he had all this time been supporting with his left arm,and half led, half carried her into the house.After a long time he came out again.
"Now, cousins,"he said to the Horses."It is your turn."
Without waiting for an answer-and indeed they were too exhausted to speak-he took the bridles and saddles off both of them. Then he rubbed them both down,so well that a groom in a King' s stable could not have done it better.
"There, cousins,"he said,.dismiss it all from your minds and be comforted. Here is water and there is grass. You shall have a hot mash when I have milked my other cousins, the goats."
"Sir,"said Hwin, finding her voice at last,.will the Tarkheena live ? Has the lion killed her ?"
"I who know many present things by my art,"replied the Hermit with a smile,.have yet little knowledge of things future. Therefore I do not know whether any man or woman or beast in the whole world will be alive when the sun sets tonight.But be of good hope.The damsel is likely to live as long as any of her age."
When Aravis came to herself she found that she was lying on her face on a low bed of extraordinary softness in a cool, bare room with walls of undressed stone. She couldn' t understand why she had been laid on her face;but when she tried to turn and felt the hot, burning pains all over her back, she remembered, and realized why. She couldn' t understand what delightfully springy stuff the bed was made of, because it was made of heather (which is the best bedding) and heather was a thing she had never seen or heard of.
The door opened and the Hermit entered, carrying a large wooden bowl in his hand. After carefully setting this down, he came to the bedside, and asked:
"How do you find yourself, my daughter ?" "My back is very sore, father," said Aravis,"but there is nothing else wrong with me."
He knelt beside her, laid his hand on her forehead, and felt her pulse.
"There is no fever," he said."You will do well. Indeed there is no reason why you should not get up tomorrow. But now,drink this."
He fetched the wooden bowl and held it to her lips. Aravis couldn' t help making a face when she tasted it, for goats' milk is rather a shock when you are not used to it. But she was very thirsty and managed to drink it all and felt better when she had finished.
"Now, my daughter, you may sleep when you wish," said the Hermit. "For your wounds are washed and dressed and though they smart they are no more serious than if they had been the cuts of a whip. It must have been a very strange lion;for insteadof catching you out of the saddle and getting his teeth into you, he has only drawn his claws across your back.Ten scratches: sore, but not deep or dangerous."
"I say !" said Aravis."I have had luck. "
"Daughter," said the Hermit, "I have now lived a hundred and nine winters in this world and have never yet met any such thing as Luck. There is something about all this that I do not understand: but if ever we need to know it, you may be sure that we shall."
"And what about Rabadash and his two hundred horse ?" asked Aravis.
"They will not pass this way, I think,"said the Hermit. "They must have found a ford by now well to the east of us. From there they will try to ride straight to Anvard."
"Poor Shasta !" said Aravis."Has he far to go ? Will he get there first ?"
"There is good hope of it,"said the old man. Aravis lay down again (on her side this time) and said, "Have I been asleep for a long time ? It seems to be getting dark."
The Hermit was looking out of the only window, which faced north. "This is not the darkness of night, " he said presently. "The clouds are falling down from Stormness Head. Our foul weather always comes from there in these parts. There will be thick fog tonight."
Next day, except for her sore back, Aravis felt so well that after breakfast (which was porridge and cream) the Hermit said she could get up. And of course she at once went out to speak to the Horses. The weather had changed and the whole of that green enclosure was filled, like a great green cup, with sunlight. It was a very peaceful place, lonely and quiet.
Hwin at once trotted across to Aravis and gave her a horse-kiss.
"But where' s Bree ?"said Aravis when each had asked after the other' s health and sleep.
"Over there,"said Hwin,pointing with her nose to the far side of the circle..And I wish you' d come and talk to him. There' s something wrong,I can' t get a word out of him."
They strolled across and found Bree lying with his face towards the wall, and though he must have heard them coming, he never turned his head or spoke a word.
"Good morning, Bree,"said Aravis..How are you this morning ?"
Bree muttered something that no one could hear. "The Hermit says that Shasta probably got to King Lune in time,"continued Aravis,.so it looks as if all our troubles are over.Narnia,at last, Bree !"
"I shall never see Narnia,"said Bree in a low voice.
"Aren' t you well, Bree dear ?"said Aravis.
Bree turned round at last, his face mournful as only a horse' s can be.
"I shall go back to Calormen,"he said.
"What ?"said Aravis..Back to slavery !"
"Yes,"said Bree..Slavery is all I' m fit for. How can I ever show my face among the free Horses of Narnia ? -I who left a mare and a girl and a boy to be eaten by lions while I galloped all I could to save my own wretched skin !"
"We all ran as hard as we could,"said Hwin.
"Shasta didn' t !"snorted Bree..At least he ran in the right direction: ran back.And that is what shames me most of all. I, who called myself a warhorse and boasted of a hundred fights, to be beaten by a little human boy—a child,a mere foal, who had never held a sword nor had any good nurture or example in his life !"
"I know," said Aravis."I felt just the same. Shasta was marvellous. I' m just as bad as you, Bree. I' ve been snubbing him and looking down on him ever since you met us and now he turns out to be the best of us all. But I think it would be better to stay and say we' re sorry than to go back to Calormen."
"It's all very well for you," said Bree. "You haven't disgraced yourself.But I' ve lost everything."
"My good Horse,"said the Hermit, who had approached them unnoticed because his bare feet made so little noise on that sweet, dewy grass..My good Horse, you' ve lost nothing but your self-conceit. No, no, cousin. Don't put back your ears and shake your mane at me. If you are really so humbled as you sounded a minute ago, you must learn to listen to sense. You' re not quite the great Horse you had come to think, from living among poor dumb horses. Of course you were braver and cleverer than them. You could hardly help being that.It doesn' t follow that you' ll be anyone very special in Narnia. But as long as you know you' re nobody special, you' ll be a very decent sort of Horse, on the whole, and taking one thing with another. And now, if you and my other four-footed cousin will come round to the kitchen door we' ll see about the other half of that mash."

CHAPTER ELEVEN THE UNWELCOME FELLOW TRAVELLER
WHEN Shasta went through the gate he found a slope of grass and a little heather running up before him to some trees. He had nothing to think about now and no plans to make: he had only to run, and that was quite enough. His limbs were shaking, a terrible stitch was beginning in his side, and the sweat that kept dropping into his eyes blinded them and made them smart. He was unsteady on his feet too, and more than once he nearly turned his ankle on a loose stone.
The trees were thicker now than they had yet been and in the more open spaces there was bracken. The sun had gone in without making it any cooler. It had become one of those hot, grey days when there seem to be twice as many flies as usual. Shasta' s face was covered with them;he didn' t even try to shake them off-he had too much else to do.
Suddenly he heard a horn-not a great throbbing horn like the horns of Tashbaan but a merry call, Ti-ro-to-to-ho! Next moment he came out into a wide glade and found himself in a crowd of people.
At least, it looked a crowd to him. In reality there were about fifteen or twenty of them, all gentlemen in green hunting-dress, with their horses; some in the saddle and some standing by their horses' heads. In the centre someone was holding the stirrup for a man to mount. And the man he was holding it for was the jolliest, fat, apple-cheeked, twinkling-eyed King you could imagine.
As soon as Shasta came in sight this King forgot all about mounting his horse. He spread out his arms to Shasta, his face lit up, and he cried out in a great, deep voice that seemed to come from the bottom of his chest:
"Corin! My son! And on foot, and in rags! What—" "No," panted Shasta,shaking his head."Not Prince Corin.I-I-know I'm like him…saw his Highness in Tashbaan… sent his greetings."
The King was staring at Shasta with an extraordinary expression on his face.
"Are you K-King Lune ?"gasped Shasta.And then, without waiting for an answer,.Lord King-fly-Anvard shut the gates-enemies upon you-Rabadash and two hundred horse. "
"Have you assurance of this, boy ?"asked one of the other gentlemen.
"My own eyes,"said Shasta..I' ve seen them. Raced them all the way from Tashbaan."
"On foot ?"said the gentleman, raising his eyebrows a little.
"Horses-with the Hermit," said Shasta.
"Question him no more;Darrin,"said King Lune."I see truth in his face. We must ride for it, gentlemen. A spare horse there, for the boy. You can ride fast,friend ?"
For answer Shasta put his foot in the stirrup of the horse which had been led towards him and a moment later he was in the saddle. He had done it a hundred times with Bree in the last few weeks, and his mounting was very different now from what it had been on that first night when Bree had said that he climbed up a horse as if he were climbing a haystack.
He was pleased to hear the Lord Darrin say to the King,.The boy has a true horseman' s seat, Sire. I' ll warrant there' s noble blood in him."
"His blood, aye, there' s the point,"said the King. And he stared hard at Shasta again with that curious expression, almost a hungry expression, in his steady,grey eyes.
But by now-the whole party was moving off at a brisk canter. Shasta's seat was excellent but he was sadly puzzled what to do with his reins, for he had never touched the reins while he was on Bree' s back. But he looked very carefully out of the corners of his eyes to see what the others were doing (as some of us have done at parties when we weren' t quite sure which knife or fork we were meant to use) and tried to get his fingers right. But he didn' t dare to try really directing the horse;he trusted it would follow the rest.The horse was of course an ordinary horse,not a Talking Horse;but it had quite wits enough to realize that the strange boy on its back had no whip and no spurs and was not really master of the situation. That was why Shasta soon found himself at the tail end of the procession.
Even so, he was going pretty fast. There were no flies now and the air in his face was delicious. He had got his breath back too. And his errand had succeeded. For the first time since the arrival at Tashbaan (how long ago it seemed !) he was beginning to enjoy himself.
He looked up to see how much nearer the mountain tops had come. To his disappointment he could not see them at all: only a vague greyness, rolling down towards them. He had never been in mountain country before and was surprised. "It's a cloud," he said to himself, "a cloud coming down. I see. Up here in the hills one is really in the sky. I shall see what the inside of a cloud is like. What fun ! I' ve often wondered."Far away on his left and a little behind him, the sun was getting ready to set.
They had come to a rough kind of road by now and were making very good speed. But Shasta' s horse was still the last of the lot. Once or twice when the road made a bend (there was now continuous forest on each side of it) he lost sight of the others for a second or two.
Then they plunged into the fog, or else the fog rolled over them. The world became grey. Shasta had not realized how cold and wet the inside of a cloud would be;nor how dark. The grey turned to black with alarming speed.
Someone at the head of the column winded the horn every now and then, and each time the sound came from a little farther off. He couldn' t see any of the others now, but of course he' d be able to as soon as he got round the next bend. But when he rounded it he still couldn' t see them. In fact he could see nothing at all. His horse was walking now. "Get on, Horse, get on," said Shasta. Then came the horn, very faint. Bree had always told him that he must keep his heels well turned out, and Shasta had got the idea that something very terrible would happen if he dug his heels into a horse' s sides.This seemed to him an occasion for trying it.
"Look here, Horse," he said,"if you don'tbuck up, do you know what I' ll do ? I' ll dig my heels into you. I really will."The horse, however, took no notice of this threat. So Shasta settled himself firmly in the saddle, gripped with his knees, clenched his teeth, and punched both the horse' s sides with his heels as hard as he could.
The only result was that the horse broke into a kind of pretence of a trot for five or six paces and then subsided into a walk again. And now it was quite dark and they seemed to have given up blowing that horn. The only sound was a steady drip-drip from the branches of the trees.
"Well, I suppose even a walk will get us somewhere sometime," said Shasta to himself. "I only hope I shan't run into Rabadash and his people."
He went on for what seemed a long time, always at a walking pace.He began to hate that horse,and he was also beginning to feel very hungry.
Presently he came to a place where the road divided into two. He was just wondering which led to Anvard when he was startled by a noise from behind him. It was the noise of trotting horses. "Rabadash !" thought Shasta. He had no way of guessing which road Rabadash would take..But if I take one,"said Shasta to himself,.he may take the other: and if I stay at the cross-roads I' m sure to be caught."He dismounted and led his horse as quickly as he could along the right-hand road.
The sound of the cavalry grew rapidly nearer and in a minute or two Shasta realized that they were at the crossroads. He held his breath,waiting to see which way they would take.
There came a low word of command.Halt !"then a moment of horsey noises-nostrils blowing, hoofs pawing, bits being champed,necks being patted.Then a voice spoke.
"Attend,all of you,"it said..We are now within a furlong of the castle.Remember your orders. Once we are in Narnia, as we should be by sunrise,you are to kill as little as possible. On this venture you are to regard every drop of Narnian blood as more precious than a gallon of your own. On this venture,I say. The gods will send us a happier hour and then you must leave nothing alive between Cair Paravel and the Western Waste. But we are not yet in Narnia.Here in Archenland it is another thing. In the assault on this castle of King Lune' s, nothing matters but speed. Show your mettle.It must be mine within an hour.And if it is, I give it all to you.I reserve no booty for myself.Kill me every barbarian male within its walls, down to the child that was born yesterday, and everything else is yours to divide as you please-the women, the gold, the jewels, the weapons, and the wine. The man that I see hanging back when we come to the gates shall be burned alive. In the name of Tash the irresistible, the inexorable forward !"
With a great cloppitty-clop the column began to move, and Shasta breathed again.They had taken the other road.
Shasta thought they took a long time going past, for though he had been talking and thinking about.two hundred horse"all day, he had not realized how many they really were. But at last the sound died away and once more he was alone amid the drip-drip from the trees.
He now knew the way to Anvard but of course he could not now go there: that would only mean running into the arms of Rabadash' s troopers..What on earth am I to do ?"said Shasta to himself. But he remounted his horse and continued along the road he had chosen, in the faint hope of finding some cottage where he might ask for shelter and a meal. He had thought, of course, of going back to Aravis and Bree and Hwin at the hermitage, but he couldn' t because by now he had not the least idea of the direction.
"After all," said Shasta, "this road is bound to get to somewhere."
But that all depends on what you mean by somewhere. The road kept on getting to somewhere in the sense that it got to more and more trees,all dark and dripping,and to colder and colder air. And strange, icy winds kept blowing the mist past him though they never blew it away. If he had been used to mountain country he would have realized that this meant he was now very high up-perhaps right at the top of the pass. But Shasta knew nothing about mountains.
"I do think," said Shasta, "that I must be the most unfortunate boy that ever lived in the whole world. Everything goes right for everyone except me. Those Narnian lords and ladies got safe away from Tashbaan;I was left behind. Aravis and Bree and Hwin are all as snug as anything with that old Hermit: of course I was the one who was sent on. King Lune and his people must have got safely into the castle and shut the gates long before Rabadash arrived, but I get left out. "
And being very tired and having nothing inside him, he felt so sorry for himself that the tears rolled down his cheeks.
What put a stop to all this was a sudden fright. Shasta discovered that someone or somebody was walking beside him. It was pitch dark and he could see nothing. And the Thing (or Person) was going so quietly that he could hardly hear any footfalls. What he could hear was breathing. His invisible companion seemed to breathe on a very large scale, and Shasta got the impression that it was a very large creature. And he had come to notice this breathing so gradually that he had really no idea how long it had been there.It was a horrible shock.
It darted into his mind that he had heard long ago that there were giants in these Northern countries.He bit his lip in terror.
But now that he really had something to cry about, he stopped crying.
The Thing (unless it was a Person) went on beside him so very quietly that Shasta began to hope he had only imagined it. But just as he was becoming quite sure of it, there suddenly came a deep, rich sigh out of the darkness beside him. That couldn't be imagination ! Anyway, he had felt the hot breath of that sigh on his chilly left hand.
If the horse had been any good-or if he had known how to get any good out of the horse-he would have risked everything on a breakaway and a wild gallop. But he knew he couldn't make that horse gallop. So he went on at a walking pace and the unseen companion walked and breathed beside him. At last he could bear it no longer.
"Who are you ?" he said,scarcely above a whisper.
"One who has waited long for you to speak," said the Thing. Its voice was not loud, but very large and deep.
"Are you-are you a giant ?" asked Shasta.
"You might call me a giant," said the Large Voice. "But I am not like the creatures you call giants."
"I can't see you at all," said Shasta, after staring very hard. Then (for an even more terrible idea had come into his head) he said, almost in a scream, "You're not-not something dead, are you ? Oh please-please do go away. What harm have I ever done you ? Oh, I am the unluckiest person in the whole world !"
Once more he felt the warm breath of the Thing on his hand and face. There,it said, that is not the breath of a ghost. Tell me your sorrows."
Shasta was a little reassured by the breath: so he told how he had never known his real father or mother and had been brought up sternly by the fisherman. And then he told the story of his escape and how they were chased by lions and forced to swim for their lives;and of all their dangers in Tashbaan and about his night among the tombs and how the beasts howled at him out of the desert. And he told about the heat and thirst of their desert journey and how they were almost at their goal when another lion chased them and wounded Aravis. And also, how very long it was since he had had anything to eat.
"I do not call you unfortunate," said the Large Voice.
"Don't you think it was bad luck to meet so many lions ?" said Shasta.
"There was only one lion," said the Voice. "What on earth do you mean ? I've just told you there were at least two the first night, and—"
"There was only one: but he was swift of foot. " "How do you know ?"
"I was the lion. " And as Shasta gaped with open mouth and said nothing, the Voice continued."! was the lion who forced you to join with Aravis. I was the cat who comforted you among the houses of the dead. I was the lion who drove the jackals from you while you slept. I was the lion who gave the Horses the new strength of fear for the last mile so that you should reach King Lune in time. And I was the lion you do not remember who pushed the boat in which you lay, a child near death, so that it came to shore where a man sat, wakeful at midnight, to receive you. "
"Then it was you who wounded Aravis ?"
"It was I. "
"But what for ?"
"Child," said the Voice,"I am telling you your story, not hers.I tell no one any story but his own." "Who are you ?" asked Shasta.
"Myself," said the Voice, very deep and low so that the earth shook: and again"Myself", loud and clear and gay: and then the third time"Myself", whispered so softly you could hardly hear it, and yet it seemed to come from all round you as if the leaves rustled with it.
Shasta was no longer afraid that the Voice belonged to something that would eat him, nor that it was the voice of a ghost. But a new and different sort of trembling came over him. Yet he felt glad too.
The mist was turning from black to grey and from grey to white. This must have begun to happen some time ago, but while he had been talking to the Thing he had not been noticing anything else. Now, the whiteness around him became a shining whiteness;his eyes began to blink. Somewhere ahead he could hear birds singing. He knew the night was over at last. He could see the mane and ears and head of his horse quite easily now. A golden light fell on them from the left.He thought it was the sun.
He turned and saw, pacing beside him, taller than the horse, a Lion. The horse did not seem to be afraid of it or else could not see it. It was from the Lion that the light came. No one ever saw anything more terrible or beautiful.
Luckily Shasta had lived all his life too far south in Calormen to have heard the tales that were whispered in Tashbaan about a dreadful Narnian demon that appeared in the form of a lion. And of course he knew none of the true stories about Aslan, the great Lion, the son of the Emperor-over-the-sea, the King above all High Kings in Narnia. But after one glance at the Lion' s face he slipped out of the saddle and fell at its feet. He couldn' t say anything but then he didn' t want to say anything, and he knew he needn' t say anything.
The High King above all kings stooped towards him. Its mane, and some strange and solemn perfume that hung about the mane, was all round him. It touched his forehead with its tongue. He lifted his face and their eyes met. Then instantly the pale brightness of the mist and the fiery brightness of the Lion rolled themselves together into a swirling glory and gathered themselves up and disappeared. He was alone with the horse on a grassy hillside under a blue sky.And there were birds singing.

CHAPTER TWELVE SHASTA IN NARNIA
"WAS it all a dream ?" wondered Shasta. But it couldn't have been a dream for there in the grass before him he saw the deep, large print of the Lion' s front right paw. It took one' s breath away to think of the weight that could make a footprint like that. But there was something more remarkable than the size about it. As he looked at it, water had already filled the bottom of it. Soon it was full to the brim, and then overflowing, and a little stream was running downhill,past him,over the grass.
Shasta stooped and drank-a very long drink-and then dipped his face in and splashed his head. It was extremely cold, and clear as glass, and refreshed him very much. After that he stood up, shaking the water out of his ears and flinging the wet hair back from his forehead,and began to take stock of his surroundings.
Apparently it was still very early morning. The sun had only just risen, and it had risen out of the forests which he saw low down and far away on his right.The country which he was looking at was absolutely new to him. It was a green valley-land dotted with trees through which he caught the gleam of a river that wound away roughly to the North-West. On the far side of the valley there were high and even rocky hills, but they were lower than the mountains he had seen yesterday. Then he began to guess where he was. He turned and looked behind him and saw that the slope on which he was standing belonged to a range of far higher mountains.
"I see," said Shasta to himself. "Those are the big mountains between Archenland and Narnia. I was on the other side of them yesterday. I must have come through the pass in the night. What luck that I hit it ! At least it wasn' t luck at all really, it was Him.And now I' m in Narnia."
He turned and unsaddled his horse and took off its bridle-"Though you are a perfectly horrid horse,"he said.It took no notice of this remark and immediately began eating grass. That horse had a very low opinion of Shasta.
"I wish I could eat grass !" thought Shasta. "It's no good going back to Anvard, it' ll all be besieged. I' d better get lower down into the valley and see if I can get anything to eat."
So he went on downhill (the thick dew was cruelly cold to his bare feet) till he came into a wood.There was a kind of track running through it and he had not followed this for many minutes when he heard a thick and rather wheezy voice saying to him. "Good morning, neighbour. " Shasta looked round eagerly to find the speaker and presently saw a small, prickly person with a dark face who had just come out from among the trees. At least, it was small for a person but very big indeed for a hedgehog,which was what it was.
"Good morning," said Shasta. "But I'm not a neighbour. In fact I' m a stranger in these parts."
"Ah ?" said the Hedgehog inquiringly.
"I 've come over the mountains-from Archenland, you know."
"Ah, Archenland," said the Hedgehog."That's a terrible long way.Never been there myself."
"And I think, perhaps," said Shasta, "someone ought to be told that there s an army of savage Calormenes attacking Anvard at this very moment."
"You don't say so !" answered the Hedgehog. "Well, think of that.And they do say that Calormen is hundreds and thousands of miles away, right at the world s end,across a great sea of sand."
"It's not nearly as far as you think," said Shasta. "And oughtn t something to be done about this attack on Anvard ? Oughtn t your High King to be told ?"
"Certain sure, something ought to be done about it,"said the Hedgehog. "But you see I'm just on my way to bed for a good day s sleep. Hullo,neighbour !"
The last words were addressed to an immense biscuit-coloured rabbit whose head had just popped up from somewhere beside the path.The Hedgehog immediately told the Rabbit what it had just learned from Shasta. The Rabbit agreed that this was very remarkable news and that somebody ought to tell someone about it with a view to doing something.
And so it went on. Every few minutes they were joined by other creatures, some from the branches overhead and some from little underground houses at their feet, till the party consisted of five rabbits, a squirrel, two magpies, a goat-foot faun, and a mouse, who all talked at the same time and all agreed with the Hedgehog. For the truth was that in that golden age when the Witch and the Winter had gone and Peter the High King ruled at Cair Paravel, the smaller woodland people of Narnia were so safe and happy that they were getting a little careless.
Presently, however, two more practical people arrived in the little wood. One was a Red Dwarf whose name appeared to be Duffle. The other was a stag, a beautiful lordly creature with wide liquid eyes, dappled flanks and legs so thin and graceful that they looked as if you could break them with two fingers.
"Lion alive !" roared the Dwarf as soon as he had heard the news. "And if that's so, why are we all standing still, chattering ? Enemies at Anvard !News must be sent to Cair Paravel at once. The army must be called out.Narnia must go to the aid of King Lune."
"Ah !" said the Hedgehog."But you won't find the High King at the Cair. He s away to the North trouncing those giants. And talking of giants, neighbours, that puts me in mind—"
"Who'll take our message ?" interrupted the Dwarf.
"Anyone here got more speed than me ?"
"I've got speed,"said the Stag."What's my message? How many Calormenes ?"
"Two hundred: under Prince Rabadash. And-" But the Stag was already away-all four legs off the ground at once, and in a moment its white stern had disappeared among the remoter trees.
"Wonder where he's going," said a Rabbit. "He won't find the High King at Cair Paravel, you know."
"He'll find Queen Lucy," said Duffle."And then hullo ! What s wrong with the Human ? It looks pretty green.Why, I do believe it s quite faint.Perhaps it s mortal hungry.When did you last have a meal,youngster ?"
"Yesterday morning," said Shasta weakly.
"Come on, then, come on," said the Dwarf, at once throwing his thick little arms round Shasta s waist to support him.
"Why, neighbours,we ought all to be ashamed of ourselves ! You come with me, lad.Breakfast ! Better than talking."
With a great deal of bustle, muttering reproaches to itself, the Dwarf half led and half supported Shasta at a great speed further into the wood and a little downhill. It was a longer walk than Shasta wanted at that moment and his legs had begun to feel very shaky before they came out from the trees on to bare hillside. There they found a little house with a smoking chimney and an open door,and as they came to the doorway Duffle called out,
"Hey, brothers ! A visitor for breakfast." And immediately,mixed with a sizzling sound,there came to Shasta a simply delightful smell. It was one he had never smelled in his life before, but I hope you have. It was, in fact, the smell of bacon and eggs and mushrooms all frying in a pan.
"Mind your head, lad," said Duffle a moment too late, for Shasta had already bashed his forehead against the low lintel of the door."Now," continued the Dwarf,"sit you down. The table s a bit low for you, but then the stool s low too. That s right. And here s porridge-and here s a jug of cream—and here s a spoon."
By the time Shasta had finished his porridge, the Dwarf s two brothers (whose names were Rogin and Bricklethumb) were putting the dish of bacon and eggs and mushrooms, and the coffee pot and the hot milk,and the toast,on the table.
It was all new and wonderful to Shasta for Calormene food is quite different. He didn t even know what the slices of brown stuff were, for he had never seen toast before. He didn t know what the yellow soft thing they smeared on the toast was, because in Calormen you nearly always get oil instead of butter. And the house itself was quite different from the dark, frowsty, fish-smelling but of Arsheesh and from the pillared and carpeted halls in the palaces of Tashbaan. The roof was very low, and everything was made of wood, and there was a cuckoo-clock and a red-and-white checked table-cloth and a bowl of wild flowers and little curtains on the thick-paned windows. It was also rather troublesome having to use dwarf cups and plates and knives and forks. This meant that helpings were very small, but then there were a great many helpings, so that Shasta s plate or cup was being filled every moment, and every moment the Dwarfs themselves were saying,"Butter please", or"Another cup of coffee", or"I'd like a few more mushrooms", or"What about frying another egg or so ?"And when at last they had all eaten as much as they possibly could the three Dwarfs drew lots for who would do the washing-up, and Rogin was the unlucky one. Then Duffle and Bricklethumb took Shasta outside to a bench which ran against the cottage wall, and they all stretched out their legs and gave a great sigh of contentment and the two Dwarfs lit their pipes. The dew was off the grass now and the sun was warm;indeed, if there hadn t been a light breeze, it would have been too hot.
"Now, Stranger," said Duffle, "I'll show you the lie of the land. You can see nearly all South Narnia from here, and we re rather proud of the view. Right away on your left, beyond those near hills, you can just see the Western Mountains. And that round hill away on your right is called the Hill of the Stone Table. Just beyond—"
But at that moment he was interrupted by a snore from Shasta who, what with his night s journey and his excellent breakfast, had gone fast asleep. The kindly Dwarfs, as soon as they noticed this, began making signs to each other not to wake him, and indeed did so much whispering and nodding and getting up and-tiptoeing away that they certainly would have waked him if he had been less tired.
He slept pretty well-nearly all day but woke up in time for supper. The beds in that house were all too small for him but they made him a fine bed of heather on the floor, and he never stirred nor dreamed all night. Next morning they had just finished breakfast when they heard a shrill, exciting sound from outside.
"Trumpets !" said all the Dwarfs,as they and Shasta all came running out.
The trumpets sounded again: a new noise to Shasta, not huge and solemn like the horns of Tashbaan nor gay and merry like King Lune s hunting horn, but clear and sharp and valiant. The noise was coming from the woods to the East, and soon there was a noise of horse-hoofs mixed with it. A moment later the head of the column came into sight.
First came the Lord Peridan on a bay horse carrying the great banner of Narnia-a red lion on a green ground. Shasta knew him at once. Then came three people riding abreast, two on great chargers and one on a pony. The two on the chargers were King Edmund and a fair-haired lady with a very merry face who wore a helmet and a mail shirt and carried a bow across her shoulder and a quiver full of arrows at her side. ("The Queen Lucy"whispered Duffle.) But the one on the pony was Corin. After that came the main body of the army: men on ordinary horses, men on Talking Horses (who didn t mind being ridden on proper occasions, as when Narnia went to war), centaurs, stern, hard-bitten bears, great Talking Dogs, and last of all six giants. For there are good giants in Narnia.But though he knew they were on the right side Shasta at first could hardly bear to look at them;there are some things that take a lot of getting used to.
Just as the King and Queen reached the cottage and the Dwarfs began making low bows to them,King Edmund called out:
"Now, friends ! Time for a halt and a morsel !" and at once there was a great bustle of people dismounting and haversacks being opened and conversation beginning when Corm came running up to Shasta and seized both his hands and cried:
"What ! You here ! So you got through all right ? I am glad. Now we shall have some sport. And isn t it luck ! We only got into harbour at Cair Paravel yesterday morning and the very first person who met us was Chervy the Stag with all this news of an attack on Anvard.Don t you think—"
"Who is your Highness's friend ?" said King Edmund who had just got off his horse.
"Don't you see, Sire ?" said Corin. "It's my double: the boy you mistook me for at Tashbaan."
"Why, so he is your double, " exclaimed Queen Lucy. "As like as two twins.This is a marvellous thing."
"Please, your Majesty," said Shasta to King Edmund, "I was no traitor,really I wasn't.And I couldn't help hearing your plans.But I d never have dreamed of telling them to your enemies."
"I know now that you were no traitor, boy," said King Edmund, laying his hand on Shasta's head. "But if you would not be taken for one,another time try not to hear what s meant for other ears.But all s well."
After that there was so much bustle and talk and coming and going that Shasta for a few minutes lost sight of Corin and Edmund and Lucy. But Corin was the sort of boy whom one is sure to hear of pretty soon and it wasn t very long before Shasta heard King Edmund saying in a loud voice:
"By the Lion's Mane, prince, this is too much ! Will your Highness never be better ? You are more of a heart s-scald than our whole army together ! I d as lief have a regiment of hornets in my command as you."
Shasta wormed his way through the crowd and there saw Edmund, looking very angry indeed, Corin looking a little ashamed of himself, and a strange Dwarf sitting on the ground making faces. A couple of fauns had apparently just been helping it out of its armour.
"If I had but my cordial with me, "Queen Lucy was saying, "I could soon mend this. But the High King has so strictly charged me not to carry it commonly to the wars and to keep it only for great extremities !"
What had happened was this. As soon as Corin had spoken to Shasta, Corin s elbow had been plucked by a Dwarf in the army called Thornbut.
,What is it, Thornbut ?"Corin had said.
,Your Royal Highness,"said Thornbut, drawing him aside,,our march today will bring us through the pass and right to your royal father s castle.We may be in battle before night."
"I know,"said Corin.,Isn t it splendid !"
"Splendid or not,"said Thornbut,"I have the strictest orders from King Edmund to see to it that your Highness is not in the fight. You will be allowed to see it, and that s treat enough for your Highness s little years."
"Oh what nonsense !" Corin burst out. "Of course I'm going to fight. Why, the Queen Lucy s going to be with the archers."
"The Queen s grace will do as she pleases,"said Thornbut. ,But you are in my charge. Either I must have your solemn and princely word that you ll keep your pony beside mine-not half a neck ahead-till I give your Highness leave to depart: or else-it is his Majesty s word—we must go with our wrists tied together like two prisoners."
"I ll knock you down if you try to bind me,"said Corm.
"I d like to see your Highness do it,"said the Dwarf.
That was quite enough for a boy like Corin and in a second he and the Dwarf were at it hammer and tongs. It would have been an even match for, though Corin had longer arms and more height, the Dwarf was older and tougher. But it was never fought out (that's the worst of fights on a rough hillside) for by very bad luck Thornbut trod on a loose stone, came flat down on his nose, and found when he tried to get up that he had sprained his ankle: a real excruciating sprain which would keep him from walking or riding for at least a fortnight.
"See what your Highness has done,"said King Edmund.
"Deprived us of a proved warrior on the very edge of battle."
"I ll take his place, Sire,"said Corin.
"Pshaw,"said Edmund.,No one doubts your courage. But a boy in battle is a danger only to his own side."
At that moment the King was called away to attend to something else, and Corin, after apologizing handsomely to the Dwarf,rushed up to Shasta and whispered,
"Quick. There s a spare pony now, and the Dwarf s armour.Put it on before anyone notices."
"What for ?"said Shasta.
"Why, so that you and I can fight in the battle of course ! Don t you want to ?"
"Oh-ah, yes, of course,"said Shasta. But he hadn t been thinking of doing so at all, and began to get a most uncomfortable prickly feeling in his spine.
"That s right,"said Corin.,Over your head. Now the sword-belt. But we must ride near the tail of the column and keep as quiet as mice. Once the battle begins everyone will be far too busy to notice us."

CHAPTER THIRTEEN THE FIGHT AT ANVARD
BY about eleven o clock the whole company was once more on the march, riding westward with the mountains on their left. Corin and Shasta rode right at the rear with the Giants immediately in front of them. Lucy and Edmund and Peridan were busy with their plans for the battle and though Lucy once said,"But where is his goosecap Highness ?"Edmund only replied,,Not in the front, "and that s good news enough."Leave well alone."
Shasta told Corin most of his adventures and explained that he had learned all his riding from a horse and didn t really know how to use the reins. Corin instructed him in this, besides telling him all about their secret sailing from Tashbaan.
"And where is the Queen Susan ?"
"At Cair Paravel,"said Corin.,She s not like Lucy, you know, who s as good as a man, or at any rate as good as a boy. Queen Susan is more like an ordinary grown-up lady.She doesn t ride to the wars, though she is an excellent archer."
The hillside path which they were following became narrower all the time and the drop on their right hand became steeper. At last they were going in single file along the edge of a precipice and Shasta shuddered to think that he had done the same last night without knowing it.,But of course,"he thought,"I was quite safe. That is why the Lion kept on my left. He was between me and the edge all the time."
Then the path went left and south away from the cliff and there were thick woods on both sides of it and they went steeply up and up into the pass. There would have been a splendid view from the top if it were open ground but among all those trees you could see nothing-only, every now and then, some huge pinnacle of rock above the tree-tops, and an eagle or two wheeling high up in the blue air.
"They smell battle,"said Corin,pointing at the birds.,They know we re preparing a feed for them." Shasta didn t like this at all.
When they had crossed the neck of the pass and come a good deal lower they reached more open ground and from here Shasta could see all Archenland, blue and hazy, spread out below him and even (he thought) a hint of the desert beyond it. But the sun, which had perhaps two hours or so to go before it set, was in his eyes and he couldn t make things out distinctly.
Here the army halted and spread out in a line, and there was a great deal of rearranging. A whole detachment of very dangerous-looking Talking Beasts whom Shasta had not noticed before and who were mostly of the cat kind (leopards, panthers, and the like) went padding and growling to take up their positions on the left. The giants were ordered to the right, and before going there they all took off something they had been carrying on their backs and sat down for a moment. Then Shasta saw that what they had been carrying and were now putting on were pairs of boots: horrid, heavy, spiked boots which came up to their knees. Then they sloped their huge clubs over their shoulders and marched to their battle position. The archers, with Queen Lucy, fell to the rear and you could first see them bending their bows and then hear the twangtwang as they tested the strings. And wherever you looked you could see people tightening girths, putting on helmets, drawing swords, and throwing cloaks to the ground. There was hardly any talking now. It was very solemn and very dreadful. "I m in for it now—I really am in for it now,"thought Shasta. Then there came noises far ahead: the sound of many men shouting and a steady thud-thud-thud.
"Battering ram,"whispered Corin."They re battering the gate."
Even Corin looked quite serious now.
"Why doesn t King Edmund get on ?"he said.,I can t stand this waiting about.Chilly too."
Shasta nodded: hoping he didn t look as frightened as felt.
The trumpet at last ! On the move now-now trotting the banner streaming out in the wind. They had topped low ridge now,and below them the whole scene sudden opened out;a little, many-towered castle with its gate towards them. No moat, unfortunately, but of course the gate shut and the portcullis down. On the walls they could see, like little white dots, the faces of the defenders. Down below, about fifty of the Calormenes, dismounted, were steadily swinging a great tree trunk against the gate. But at once the scene changed. The main bulk of Rabadash s men had been on foot ready to assault the gate. But now he had seen the Narnians sweeping down from the ridge. There is no doubt those Calormenes are wonderfully trained. It seemed to Shasta only a second before a whole line of the enemy were on horseback again, wheeling round to meet them, swinging towards them.
And now a gallop.The ground between the two armies grew less every moment.Faster,faster.All swords out now, all shields up to the nose,all prayers said,all teeth clenched. Shasta was dreadfully frightened.But it suddenly came into his head,,If you funk this,you ll funk every battle all your life. Now or never."
But when at last the two lines met he had really very littler idea of what happened. There was a frightful confusion;and an appalling noise. His sword was knocked clean out of his hand pretty soon. And he d got the reins tangled somehow. Then he found himself slipping. Then a spear came straight at him and as he ducked to avoid it he rolled right off his horse, bashed his left knuckles terribly against someone else s armour, and then-But it is no use trying to describe the battle from Shasta s point of view;
he understood too little of the fight in general and even of his own part in it.The best way I can tell you what really happened is to take you some miles away to where the Hermit of the Southern March sat gazing into the smooth pool beneath the spreading tree, with Bree and Hwin and Aravis beside him.
For it was in this pool that the Hermit looked when he wanted to know what was going on in the world outside the green walls of his hermitage. There, as in a mirror, he could see, at certain times, what was going on in the streets of cities far farther south than Tashbaan, or what ships were putting into Redhaven in the remote Seven Isles, or what robbers or wild beasts stirred in the great Western forests between Lantern Waste and Telmar. And all this day he had hardly left his pool, even to eat or drink, for he knew that great events were on foot in Archenland. Aravis and the Horses gazed into it too. They could see it was a magic pool: instead of reflecting the tree and the sky it revealed cloudy and coloured shapes moving, always moving, in its depths. But they could see nothing clearly. The Hermit could and from time to time he told them what he saw. A little while before Shasta rode into his first battle, the Hermit had begun speaking like this:
"I see one-two-three eagles wheeling in the gap by Stormness Head. One is the oldest of all the eagles. He would not be out unless battle was at hand. I see him wheel to and fro, peering down sometimes at Anvard and sometimes to the east, behind Stormness. Ah-I see now what Rabadash and his men have been so busy at all day.They have felled and lopped a great tree and they are now coming out of the woods carrying it as a ram. They have learned something from the failure of last night s assult. He would have been wiser if he had set his men to making ladders: but it takes too long and he is impatient. Fool that he is ! He ought to have ridden back to Tashbaan as soon as the first attack failed, for his whole plan depended on speed and surprise. Now they are bringing their ram into position. King Lune s men are shooting hard from the walls. Five Calormenes have fallen: but not many will. They have their shields above their heads. Rabadash is giving his orders now. With him are his most trusted lords, fierce Tarkaans from the eastern provinces. I can see their faces. There is Corradin of Castle Tormunt, and Azrooh, and Chlamash, and Ilgamuth of the twisted lip, and a tall Tarkaan with a crimson beard—"
"By the Mane,my old master Anradin !"said Bree. "S-s-sh"said Aravis.
"Now the ram has started.If I could hear as well as see, what a noise that would make ! Stroke after stroke: and no gate can stand it for ever.But wait ! Something up by Stormness has scared the birds.They re coming out in masses.And wait again--- I can't see yet---ah !Now I can.The whole ridge, up on the east,is black with horsemen. If only the wind would catch that standard and spread it out.They re over the ridge now,whoever they are.Aha !I ve seen the banner now. Narnia,Narnia ! It s the red lion.They re in full career down the hill now. I can see King Edmund. There s a woman behind among the archers.Oh !—"
"What is it ?"asked Hwin breathlessly.
"All his Cats are dashing out from the left of the line."
"Cats ?"said Aravis. "Great cats, leopards and such," said the Hermit impatiently."I see, I see. The Cats are coming round in a circle to get at the horses of the dismounted men. A good stroke. The Calormene horses are mad with terror already. Now the Cats are in among them. But Rabadash has reformed his line and has a hundred men in the saddle. They re riding to meet the Narnians. There s only a hundred yards between the two lines now. Only fifty. I can see King Edmund, I can see the Lord Peridan. There are two mere children in the Narnian line. What can the King be about to let them into battle ? Only ten yards-the lines have met. The Giants on the Narnian right are doing wonders-but one s down-shot through the eye, I suppose. The centre s all in a muddle. I can see more on the left. There are the two boys again. Lion alive ! one is Prince Corm. The other, like him as two peas. It s your little Shasta. Corm is fighting like a man. He s killed a Calormene. I can see a bit of the centre now. Rabadash and Edmund almost met then, but the press has separated them—"
"What about Shasta ?"said Aravis.
"Oh the fool !"groaned the Hermit.,Poor, brave little fool. He knows nothing about this work. He s making no use at all of his shield.His whole side s exposed.He hasn t the faintest idea what to do with his sword. Oh, he s remembered it now. He s waving it wildly about- nearly cut his own pony s head off, and he will in a moment if he s not careful. It s been knocked out of his hand now. It s mere murder sending a child into the battle;he can't live five minutes. Duck you fool-oh, he s down."
"Killed ?" asked three voices breathlessly.
"How can I tell ?" said the Hermit."The Cats have done their work. All the riderless horses are dead or escaped now: no retreat for the Calormenes on them. Now the Cats are turning back into the main battle. They re leaping on the rams-men. The ram is down. Oh, good!good!The gates are opening from the inside: there s going to be a sortie. The first three are out. It s King Lune in the middle: the brothers Dar and Darrin on each side of him. Behind them are Tran and Shar and Cole with his brother Colin. There are ten—twenty—nearly thirty of them out by now. The Calormen line is being forced back upon them. King Edmund is dealing marvellous strokes. He's just slashed Corradin's head off. Lots of Calormenes have thrown down their arms and are running for the woods. Those that remain are hard pressed. The Giants are closing in on the right-Cats on the left-King Lune from their rear. The Calormenes are a little knot now, fighting back to back. Your Tarkaan's down, Bree. Lune and Azrooh are fighting hand to hand;the King looks like winning-the King is keeping it up well—the King has won. Azrooh s down. King Edmund s down—no,he s up again: he s at it with Rabadash.
They re fighting in the very gate of the castle. Several Calormenes have surrendered. Darrin has killed Ilgamuth. I can t see what s happened to Rabadash. I think he s dead, leaning against the castle wall, but I don t know. Chlamash and King Edmund are still fighting but the battle is over everywhere else. Chlamash has surrendered. The battle is over. The Calormenes are utterly defeated."
When Shasta fell off his horse he gave himself up for lost. But horses, even in battle, tread on human beings very much less than you would suppose. After a very horrible ten minutes or so Shasta realized suddenly that there were no longer any horses stamping about in the immediate neighbourhood and that the noise (for there were still a good many noises going on) was no longer that of a battle. He sat up and stared about him. Even he, little as he knew of battles, could soon see that the Archenlanders and Narnians had won. The only living Calormenes he could see were prisoners, the castle gates were wide open, and King Lune and King Edmund were shaking hands across the battering ram. From the circle of lords and warriors around them there arose a sound of breathless and excited, but obviously cheerful conversation. And then,suddenly,it all united and swelled into a great roar of laughter.
Shasta,picked himself up,feeling uncommonly stiff,and ran towards the sound to see what the joke was.A very curious sight met his eyes.The unfortunate Rabadash appeared to be suspended from the castle walls. His feet,which were about two feet from the ground, were kicking wildly. His chain-shirt was somehow hitched up so that it was horribly tight under the arms and came halfway over his face. In fact he looked just as a man looks if you catch him in the very act of getting into a stiff shirt that is a little too small for him. As far as could be made out afterwards (and you may be sure the story was well talked over for many a day) what happened was something like this. Early in the battle one of the Giants had made an unsuccessful stamp at Rabadash with his spiked boot: unsuccessful because it didn t crush Rabadash, which was what the Giant had intended, but not quite useless because one of the spikes tore the chain mail, just as you or I might tear an ordinary shirt. So Rabadash, by the time he encountered Edmund at the gate, had a hole in the back of his hauberk. And when Edmund pressed him back nearer and nearer to the wall, he jumped up on a mounting block and stood there raining down blows on Edmund from above. But then, finding that this position, by raising him above the heads of everyone else, made him a mark for every arrow from the Narnian bows, he decided to jump down again. And he meant to look and sound-no doubt for a moment he did look and sound—very grand and very dreadful as he jumped, crying,"The bolt of Tash falls from above. " But he had to jump sideways because the crowd in front of him left him no landing place in that direction. And then, in the neatest way you could wish, the tear in the back of his hauberk caught on a hook in the wall. (Ages ago this hook had had a ring in it for tying horses to.) And there he found himself,like a piece of washing hung up to dry, with everyone laughing at him.
"Let me down, Edmund," howled Rabadash. "Let me down and fight me like a king and a man;or if you are too great a coward to do that, kill me at once."
"Certainly," began King Edmund, but King Lune interrupted.
"By your Majesty's good leave," said King Lune to Edmund. "Not so. " Then turning to Rabadash he said, "your royal Highness, if you had given that challenge a week ago, I ll answer for it there was no one in King Edmund s dominion, from the High King down to the smallest Talking Mouse, who would have refused it. But by attacking our castle of Anvard in time of peace without defiance sent, you have proved yourself no knight, but a traitor, and one rather to be whipped by the hangman than to be suffered to cross swords with any person of honour. Take him down, bind him, and carry him within till our pleasure is further known."
Strong hands wrenched Rabadash s sword from him and he was carried away into the castle,shouting, threatening, cursing,and even crying.For though he could have faced torture he couldn t bear being made ridiculous.In Tashbaan everyone had always taken him seriously.
At that moment Corin ran up to Shasta,seized his hand and started dragging him towards King Lune. "Here he is, Father, here he is,"cried Corin.
"Aye,and here thou art,at last," said the King in a very gruff voice."And hast been in the battle, clean contrary to your obedience. A boy to break a father s heart ! At your age a rod to your breech were fitter than a sword in your fist, ha !"But everyone, including Corin, could see that the King was very proud of him.
"Chide him no more, Sire, if it please you,"said Lord Darrin."His Highness would not be your son if he did not inherit your conditions. It would grieve your Majesty more if he had to be reproved for the opposite fault."
"Well, well," grumbled the King."We'll pass it over for this time.And now—"
What came next surprised Shasta as much as anything that had ever happened to him in his life. He found himself suddenly embraced inn bear-like hug by King Lune and kissed on both cheeks. Then the King set him down again and said,"Stand here together, boys, and let all the court see you. Hold up your heads. Now, gentlemen, look on them both. Has any man any doubts ?"
And still Shasta could not understand why everyone stared at him and at Corin nor what all the cheering was about.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN HOW BREE BECAME A WISER HORSE
WE must now return to Aravis and the Horses. The Hermit, watching his pool, was able to tell them that Shasta was not killed or even seriously wounded, for he saw him get up and saw how affectionately he was greeted by King Lune. But as he could only see, not hear, he did not know what anyone was saying and, once the fighting had stopped and the talking had begun, it was not worthwhile looking in the pool any longer.
Next morning, while the Hermit was indoors, the three of them discussed what they should do next.
"I've had enough of this," said Hwin. "The Hermit has been very good to us and I m very much obliged to him I m sure. But I m getting as fat as a pet pony,eating all day and getting no exercise.Let s go on to Narnia."
"Oh not today,Ma'am," said Bree."I wouldn't hurry things.Some other day,don t you think ?"
"We must see Shasta first and say good-bye to him-and-and apologize,"said Aravis.
"Exactly !" said Bree with great enthusiasm. "Just what I was going to say."
"Oh, of course," said Hwin. "I expect he is in Anvard. Naturally we d look in on him and say good-bye. But that s on our way. And why shouldn t we start at once ? After all, I thought it was Narnia we all wanted to get to ?"
"I suppose so," said Aravis. She was beginning to wonder what exactly she would do when she got there and was feeling a little lonely.
"Of course, of course," said Bree hastily. "But there's no need to rush things, if you know what I mean."
"No, I don't know what you mean," said Hwin. "Why don t you want to go ?"
"M-m-m, broo-hoo," muttered Bree. "Well, don't you see, Ma am-it s an important occasion-returning to one s country-entering society-the best society-it is so essential to make a good impression-not perhaps looking quite ourselves, yet,eh ?"
Hwin broke out into a horse-laugh. "It's your tail, Bree ! I see it all now. You want to wait till your tail s grown again ! And we don t even know if tails are worn long in Narnia. Really, Bree, you re as vain as that Tarkheena in Tashbaan !"
"You are silly, Bree," said Aravis.
"By the Lion's Mane, Tarkheena, I'm nothing of the sort," said Bree indignantly. "I have a proper respect for myself and for my fellow horses, that s all."
"Bree," said Aravis, who was not very interested in the cut of his tail, "I've been wanting to ask you something for a long time. Why do you keep on swearing By the Lion and By the Lion s Mane ? I thought you hated lions."
"So I do," answered Bree. "But when I speak of the Lion of course I mean Aslan, the great deliverer of Narnia who drove away the Witch and the Winter.All Narnians swear by him."
"But is he a lion ?"
"No,no,of course not," said Bree in a rather shocked
voice.
"All the stories about him in Tashbaan say he is," replied Aravis. "And if he isn't a lion why do you call him a lion ?"
"Well, you'd hardly understand that at your age," said Bree. "And I was only a little foal when I left so I don't quite fully understand it myself."
(Bree was standing with his back to the green wall while he said this, and the other two were facing him. He was talking in rather a superior tone with his eyes half shut;that was why he didn t see the changed expression in the faces of Hwin and Aravis. They had good reason to have open mouths and staring eyes;because while Bree spoke they saw an enormous lion leap up from outside and balance itself on the top of the green wall;only it was a brighter yellow and it was bigger and more beautiful and more alarming than any lion they had ever seen. And at once it jumped down inside the wall and began approaching Bree from behind. It made no noise at all. And Hwin and Aravis couldn t make any noise themselves, no more than if they were frozen.)
"No doubt," continued Bree,"when they speak of him as a Lion they only mean he s as strong as a lion or (to our enemies, of course) as fierce as a lion.Or something of that kind.Even a little girl like you, Aravis, must see that it would be quite absurd to suppose he is a real lion.Indeed it would be disrespectful. If he was a lion he d have to be a Beast just like the rest of us. Why !" (and here Bree began to laugh) "If he was a lion he'd have four paws,and a tail,and Whiskers!-Aie,ooh, hoo-hoo !Help !"
For just as he said the word Whiskers one of Aslan s had actually tickled his ear. Bree shot away like an arrow to the other side of the enclosure and there turned;the wall was too high for him to jump and he could fly no farther. Aravis and Hwin both started back.There was about a second of intense silence.
Then Hwin, though shaking all over, gave a strange little neigh,and trotted across to the Lion.
"Please,"she said,"you're so beautiful. You may eat me if you like. I d sooner be eaten by you than fed by anyone else."
"Dearest daughter," said Aslan, planting a lion's kiss on her twitching, velvet nose,"I knew you would not be long in coming to me.Joy shall be yours."
Then he lifted his head and spoke in a louder voice.
"Now, Bree," he said,"you poor, proud frightened Horse,draw near.Nearer still, my son.Do not dare not to dare. Touch me. Smell me. Here are my paws, here is my tail, these are my whiskers.I am a true Beast."
"Aslan," said Bree in a shaken voice,"I'm afraid I must be rather a fool."
"Happy the Horse who knows that while he is still young. Or the Human either. Draw near, Aravis my daughter. See ! My paws are velveted.You will not be torn this time."
"This time,sir ?" said Aravis.
"It was I who wounded you," said Aslan. "I am the only lion you met in all your journeyings. Do you know why I tore you ?"
No, sir.
"The scratches on your back, tear for tear, throb for throb, blood for blood, were equal to the stripes laid on the back of your stepmother s slave because of the drugged sleep you cast upon her.You needed to know what it felt like."
"Yes,sir.Please—"
"Ask on, my dear," said Aslan.
"Will any more harm come to her by what I did ?"
"Child," said the Lion, "I am telling you your story, not hers. No one is told any story but their own."Then he shook his head and spoke in a lighter voice.
"Be merry,little ones," he said. "We shall meet soon again.But before that you will have another visitor."Then in one bound he reached the top of the wall and vanished from their sight. Strange to say,they felt no inclination to talk to one another about him after he had gone. They all moved slowly away to different parts of the quiet grass and there paced to and fro, each alone, thinking.
About half an hour later the two Horses were summoned to the back of the house to eat something nice that the Hermit had got ready for them and Aravis,still walking and thinking, was startled by the harsh sound of a trumpet outside the gate. "Who is there ?" asked Aravis.
"His Royal Highness Prince Cor of Archenland," said a voice from outside.
Aravis undid the door and opened it, drawing back a little way to let the strangers in.
Two soldiers with halberds came first and took their stand at each side of the entry.Then followed a herald, and the trumpeter.
"His Royal Highness Prince Cor of Archenland desires an audience of the Lady Aravis,"said the Herald. Then he and the trumpeter drew aside and bowed and the soldiers saluted and the Prince himself came in. All his attendants withdrew and closed the gate behind them.
The Prince bowed, and a very clumsy bow for a Prince it was. Aravis curtsied in the Calormene style (which is not at all like ours) and did it very well because, of course, she had been taught how. Then she looked up and saw what sort of person this Prince was.
She saw a mere boy. He was bare-headed and his fair hair was encircled with a very thin band of gold,hardly thicker than a wire. His upper tunic was of white cambric, as fine as a handkerchief, so that the bright red tunic beneath it showed through. His left hand, which rested on his enamelled sword hilt, was bandaged.
Aravis looked twice at his face before she gasped and said, "Why ! It's Shasta !"
Shasta all at once turned very red and began speaking very quickly."Look here, Aravis,"he said,"I do hope you won t think I m got up like this (and the trumpeter and all) to try to impress you or make out that I m different or any rot of that sort. Because I d far rather have come in my old clothes, but they re burnt now, and my father said—" "Your father ?" said Aravis.
"Apparently King Lune is my father," said Shasta. "I might really have guessed it.Corin being so like me.We were twins, you see.Oh,and my name isn t Shasta,it s Cor."
"Cor is a nicer name than Shasta," said Aravis.
"Brothers' names run like that in Archenland," said Shasta (or Prince Cor as we must now call him). "Like Dar and Darrin, Cole and Colin and so on."
"Shasta-I mean Cor," said Aravis. "No,shut up. There s something I ve got to say at once.I m sorry I ve been such a pig.But I did change before I knew you were a Prince, honestly I did: when you went back, and faced the Lion."
"It wasn't really going to kill you at all,that Lion," said Cor.
"I know," said Aravis, nodding.Both were still and solemn for a moment as each saw that the other knew about Asian.
Suddenly Aravis remembered Cor's bandaged hand. "I say !" she cried,"I forgot!You've been in a battle. Is that a wound ?"
"A mere scratch," said Cor,using for the first time a rather lordly tone.But a moment later he burst out laughing and said,
"If you want to know the truth, it isn't a proper wound at all. I only took the skin off my knuckles just as any clumsy fool might do without going near a battle."
"Still you were in the battle," said Aravis."It must have been wonderful."
"It wasn't at all like what I thought," said Cor.
"But Sha-Cor,I mean-you haven't told me anything yet about King Lune and how he found out who you were. "
"Well, let's sit down," said Cor. "For it's rather a long story. And by the way, Father's an absolute brick. I'd be just as pleased-or very nearly-at finding he' s my father even if he wasn't a king. Even though Education and all sorts of horrible things are going to happen to me. But you want the story. Well, Corin and I were twins. And about a week after we were both born, apparently, they took us to a wise old Centaur in Narnia to be blessed or something. Now this Centaur was a prophet as a good many Centaurs are. Perhaps you haven't seen any Centaurs yet ? There were some in the battle yesterday. Most remarkable people,but I can't say I feel quite at home with them yet. I say, Aravis, there are going to be a lot of things to get used to in these Northern countries."
"Yes, there are," said Aravis."But get on with the story."
"Well, as soon as he saw Corin and me, it seems this Centaur looked at me and said, A day will come when that boy will save Archenland from the deadliest danger in which ever she lay. So of course my Father and Mother were very pleased. But there was someone present who wasn' t. This was a chap called the Lord Bar who had been Father' s Lord Chancellor. And apparently he'd done something wrong—bezzling or some word like that—I didn't understand that part very well—and Father had had to dismiss him. But nothing else was done to him and he was allowed to go on living in Archenland. But he must have been as bad as he could be, for it came out afterwards he had been in the pay of the Tisroc and had sent a lot of secret information to Tashbaan. So as soon as he heard I was going to save Archenland from a great danger he decided I must be put out of the way. Well, he succeeded in kidnapping me (I don't exactly know how) and rode away down the Winding Arrow to the coast. He'd had everything prepared and there was a ship manned with his own followers lying ready for him and he put out to sea with me on board. But Father got wind of it, though not quite in time, and was after him as quickly as he could. The Lord Bar was already at sea when Father reached the coast, but not out of sight. And Father was embarked in one of his own warships within twenty minutes.
"It must have been a wonderful chase.They were six days following Bar s galleon and brought her to battle on the seventh. It was a great sea-fight (I heard a lot about it yesterday evening) from ten o clock in the morning till sunset. Our people took the ship in the end. But I wasn t there. The Lord Bar himself had been killed in the battle. But one of his men said that, early that morning, as soon as he saw he was certain to be overhauled, Bar had given me to one of his knights and sent us both away in the ship s boat. And that boat was never seen again. But of course that was the same boat that Aslan (he seems to be at the back of all the stories) pushed ashore at the right place for Arsheesh to pick me up. I wish I knew that knight s name, for he must have kept me alive and starved himself to do it."
"I suppose Aslan would say that was part of someone else's story,"said Aravis.
"I was forgetting that," said Cor.
"And I wonder how the prophecy will work out," said Aravis, "and what the great danger is that you're to save Archenland from."
"Well," said Cor rather awkwardly, "they seem to think I've done it already."
Aravis clapped her hands. "Why, of course !"she said. "How stupid I am. And how wonderful ! Archenland can never be in much greater danger than it was when Rabadash had crossed the Arrow with his two hundred horse and you hadn t yet got through with your message.Don t you feel proud ?"
"I think I feel a bit scared," said Cor.
"And you'll be living at Anvard now," said Aravis rather wistfully.
"Oh !" said Cor, "I'd nearly forgotten what I came about. Father wants you to come and live with us. He says there s been no lady in the court (they call it the court, I don t know why) since Mother died. Do, Aravis. You ll like Father—and Corin. They re not like me;they ve been properly brought up. You needn t be afraid that—"
"Oh stop it," said Aravis, "or we'll have a real fight. Of course I ll come."
"Now let's go and see the Horses," said Cor. There was a great and joyous meeting between Bree and Cor, and Bree,who was still in a rather subdued frame of mind, agreed to set out for Anvard at once: he and Hwin would cross into Narnia on the following day.All four bade an affectionate farewell to the Hermit and promised that they would soon visit him again.By about the middle of the morning they were on their way. The Horses had expected that Aravis and Cor would ride, but Cor explained that except in war,where everyone must do what he can do best,no one in Narnia or Archenland ever dreamed of mounting a Talking Horse.
This reminded poor Bree again of how little he knew about Narnian customs and what dreadful mistakes he might make. So while Hwin strolled along in a happy dream,Bree got more nervous and more self-conscious with every step he took.
"Buck up, Bree," said Cor. "It's far worse for me than for you. You aren t going to be educated. I shall be learning reading and writing and heraldry and dancing and history and music while you ll be galloping and rolling on the hills of Narnia to your heart s content."
"But that's just the point," groaned Bree."Do Talking Horses roll ? Supposing they don t ? I can t bear to give it up. What do you think, Hwin ?"
"I'm going to roll anyway," said Hwin."I don't suppose any of them will care two lumps of sugar whether you roll or not."
"Are we near that castle ?" said Bree to Cor.
"Round the next bend," said the Prince.
"Well," said Bree,"I'm going to have a good one now: it may be the last.Wait for me a minute."
It was five minutes before he rose again, blowing hard and covered with bits of bracken.
"Now I'm ready," he said in a voice of profound gloom. "Lead on,Prince Cor, Narnia and the North. "
But he looked more like a horse going to a funeral than a long-lost captive returning to home and freedom.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN RABADASH THE RIDICULOUS
THE next turn of the road-brought them out from among the trees and there, across green lawns, sheltered from the north wind by the high wooded ridge at its back, they saw the castle of Anvard. It was very old and built of a warm, reddish-brown stone.
Before they had reached the gate King Lune came out to meet them, not looking at all like Aravis s idea of a king and wearing the oldest of old clothes;for he had just come from making a round of the kennels with his Huntsman and had only stopped for a moment to wash his doggy hands. But the bow with which he greeted Aravis as he took her hand would have been stately enough for an Emperor.
"Little lady," he said, "we bid you very heartily welcome. If my dear wife were still alive we could make you better cheer but could not do it with a better will. And I am sorry that you have had misfortunes and been driven from your father s house, which cannot but be a grief to you. My son Cor has told me about your adventures together and all your valor."
"It was he who did all that, Sir," said Aravis. "Why, he rushed at a lion to save me."
"Eh, what's that ?" said King Lune, his face brightening. "I haven' t heard that part of the story."
Then Aravis told it. And Cor, who had very much wanted the story to be known, though he felt he couldn' t tell it himself, didn' t enjoy it so much as he had expected, and indeed felt rather foolish. But his father enjoyed it very much indeed and in the course of the next few weeks told it to so many people that Cor wished it had never happened.
Then the King turned to Hwin and Bree and was just as polite to them as to Aravis, and asked them a lot of questions about their families and where they had lived in Narnia before they had been captured. The Horses were rather tongue-tied for they weren't yet used to being talked to as equals by Humans grown-up Humans, that is.They didn' t mind Aravis and Cor.
Presently Queen Lucy came out from the castle and joined them and King Lune said to Aravis, "My dear, here is a loving friend of our house, and she has been seeing that your apartments are put to rights for you better than I could have done it."
"You'd like to come and see them, wouldn't you ?" said Lucy, kissing Aravis. They liked each other at once and soon went away together to talk about Aravis' s bedroom and Aravis' s boudoir and about getting clothes for her,and all the sort of things girls do talk about on such an occasion.
After lunch,which they had on the terrace (it was cold birds and cold game pie and wine and bread and cheese), King Lune ruffled up his brow and heaved a sigh and said,"Heigh-ho ! We have still that sorry creature Rabadash on our hands, my friends, and must needs resolve what to do with him."
Lucy was sitting on the King' s right and Aravis on his left. King Edmund sat at one end of the table and the Lord Darrin faced him at the other.Dar and Peridan and Cor and Corin were on the same side as the King.
"Your Majesty would have a perfect right to strike off his head," said Peridan. "Such an assault as he made puts him on a level with assassins."
"It is very true," said Edmund."But even a traitor may mend. I have known one that did."And he looked very thoughtful.
"To kill this Rabadash would go near to raising war with the Tisroc,"said Darrin.
"A fig for the Tisroc," said King Lune."His strength is in numbers and numbers will never cross the desert. But I have no stomach for killing men (even traitors) in cold blood. To have cut his throat in the battle would have eased my heart mightily, but this is a different thing."
"By my counsel," said Lucy,"your Majesty shall give him another trial. Let him go free on strait promise of fair dealing in the future.It may be that he will keep his word."
"Maybe Apes will grow honest, Sister, "said Edmund. "But, by the Lion, if he breaks it again, may it be in such time and place that any of us could swap off his head in clean battle."
"It shall be tried," said the King: and then to one of the attendants,"Send for the prisoner, friend. "
Rabadash was brought before them in chains. To look at him anyone would have supposed that he had passed the night in a noisome dungeon without food or water;but in reality he had been shut up in quite a comfortable room and provided with an excellent supper. But as he was sulking far too furiously to touch the supper and had spent the whole night stamping and roaring and cursing, he naturally did not now look his best.
"Your royal Highness needs not to be told," said King Lune,"that by the law of nations as well as by all reasons of prudent policy, we have as good right to your head as ever one mortal man had against another. Nevertheless, in consideration of your youth and the ill nurture, devoid of all gentilesse and courtesy, which you have doubtless had in the land of slaves and tyrants, we are disposed to set you free, unharmed, on these conditions: first, that—"
"Curse you for a barbarian dog !" spluttered Rabadash. "Do you think I will even hear your conditions ? Faugh !You talk very largely of nurture and I know not what.It s easy,to a man in chains,ha !Take off these vile bonds,give me a sword, and let any of you who dares then debate with me."
Nearly all the lords sprang to their feet,and Corin shouted:
"Father !Can I box him ? Please. "
"Peace !Your Majesties !My Lords !" said King Lune. "Have we no more gravity among us than to be so chafed by the taunt of a pajock ?Sit down,Corin,or shaft leave the table. I ask your Highness again,to hear our conditions."
"I hear no conditions from barbarians and sorcerers," said Rabadash."Not one of you dare touch a hair of my head. Every insult you have heaped on me shall be paid with oceans of Narnian and Archenlandish blood. Terrible shall the vengeance of the Tisroc be: even now. But kill me, and the burnings and torturings in these northern lands shall become a tale to frighten the world a thousand years hence. Beware ! Beware ! Beware ! The bolt of Tash falls from above !"
"Does it ever get caught on a hook half-way ?" asked Corin.
"Shame,Corin," said the King."Never taunt a man save when he is stronger than you: then,as you please."
"Oh you foolish Rabadash," sighed Lucy. Next moment Cor wondered why everyone at the table had risen and was standing perfectly still. Of course he did the same himself. And then he saw the reason. Aslan was among them though no one had seen him coming. Rabadash started as the immense shape of the Lion paced softly in between him and his accusers.
"Rabadash," said Aslan. "Take heed. Your doom is very near, but you may still avoid it. Forget your pride (what have you to be proud of ?) and your anger (who has done you wrong ?)and accept the mercy of these good kings."
Then Rabadash rolled his eyes and spread out his mouth into a horrible, long mirthless grin like a shark, and wagged his ears up and down (anyone can learn how to do this if they take the trouble). He had always found this very effective in Calormen. The bravest had trembled when he made these faces, and ordinary people had fallen to the floor, and sensitive people had often fainted. But what Rabadash hadn' t realized is that it is very easy to frighten people who know you can have them boiled alive the moment you give the word. The grimaces didn' t look at all alarming in Archenland; indeed Lucy only thought Rabadash was going to be sick.
"Demon ! Demon ! Demon !" shrieked the Prince. "I know you. You are the foul fiend of Narnia. You are the enemy of the gods. Learn who I am, horrible phantasm. I am descended from Tash, the inexorable, the irresistible. the curse of Tash is upon you. Lightning in the shape of scorpions shall be rained on you. The mountains of Narnia shall be ground into dust. The—"
"Have a care, Rabadash," said Aslan quietly. "The doom is nearer now: it is at the door: it has lifted the latch. "
"Let the skies fall," shrieked Rabadash. "Let the earth gape ! Let blood and fire obliterate the world ! But be sure I will never desist till I have dragged to my palace by her hair the barbarian queen, the daughter of dogs, the—"
"The hour has struck," said Aslan: and Rabadash saw, to his supreme horror, that everyone had begun to laugh.
They couldn' t help it. Rabadash had been wagging his ears all the time and as soon as Aslan said,"The hour has struck !" the ears began to change. They grew longer and more pointed and soon were covered with grey hair. And while everyone was wondering where they had seen ears like that before, Rabadash' s face began to change too. It grew longer, and thicker at the top and larger eyed, and the nose sank back into the face (or else the face swelled out and became all nose) and there was hair all over it. And his arms grew longer and came down in front of him till his hands were resting on the ground: only they weren' t hands, now, they were hoofs. And he was standing on all fours, and his clothes disappeared, and everyone laughed louder and louder (because they couldn' t help it) for now what had been Rabadash was, simply and unmistakably, a donkey. The terrible thing was that his human speech lasted just a moment longer than his human shape, so that when he realized the change that was coming over him,he screamed out:
"Oh, not a Donkey ! Mercy ! If it were even a horse— e' en—a hor—eeh—auh, eeh—auh."And so the words died away into a donkey' s bray.
"Now hear me, Rabadash," said Aslan. "Justice shall be mixed with mercy.You shall not always be an Ass."
At this of course the Donkey twitched its ears forward and that also was so funny that everybody laughed all the more. They tried not to,but they tried in vain.
"You have appealed to Tash," said Aslan. "And in the temple of Tash you shall be healed. You must stand before the altar of Tash in Tashbaan at the great Autumn Feast this year and there, in the sight of all Tashbaan, your ass s shape will fall from you and all men will know you for Prince Rabadash. But as long as you live, if ever you go more than ten miles away from the great temple in Tashbaan you shall instantly become again as you now are.And from that second change there will be no return."
There was a short silence and then they all stirred and looked at one another as if they were waking from sleep.Aslan was gone. But there was a brightness in the air and on the grass,and a joy in their hearts,which assured them that he had been no dream: and anyway, there was the donkey in front of them.
King Lune was the kindest-hearted of men and on seeing his enemy in this regrettable condition he forgot all his anger.
"Your royal Highness," he said. "I am most truly sorry that things have come to this extremity. Your Highness will bear witness that it was none of our doing. And of course we shall be delighted to provide your Highness with shipping back to Tashbaan for the—er—treatment which Aslan has prescribed. You shall have every comfort which your Highness s situation allows: the best of the cattle-boats—the freshest carrots and thistles—"
But a deafening bray from the Donkey and a well-aimed kick at one of the guards made it clear that these kindly offers were ungratefully received.
And here,to get him out of the way,I d better finish off the story of Rabadash. He (or it) was duly sent back by boat to Tashbaan and brought into the temple of Tash at the great Autumn Festival, and then he became a man again. But of course four or five thousand people had seen the transformation and the affair could not possibly be hushed up. And after the old Tisroc s death when Rabadash became Tisroc in his place he turned out the most peaceable Tisroc Calormen had ever known. This was because, not daring to go more than ten miles from Tashbaan, he could never go on a war himself: and he didn t want his Tarkaans to win fame in the wars at his expense, for that is the way Tisrocs get overthrown. But though his reasons were selfish, it made things much more comfortable for all the smaller countries round Calormen. His own people never forgot that he had been a donkey. During his reign, and to his face, he was called Rabadash the Peacemaker, but after his death and behind his back he was called Rabadash the Ridiculous, and if you look him up in a good History of Calormen (try the local library) you will find him under that name. And to this day in Calormene schools, if you do anything unusually stupid, you are very likely to be called"a second Rabadash".
Meanwhile at Anvard everyone was very glad that he had been disposed of before the real fun began, which was a grand feast held that evening on the lawn before the castle, with dozens of lanterns to help the moonlight. And the wine flowed and tales were told and jokes were cracked, and then silence was made and the King s poet with two fiddlers stepped out into the middle of the circle. Aravis and Cor prepared themselves to be bored, for the only poetry they knew was the Calormene kind, and you know now what that was like. But at the very first scrape of the fiddles a rocket seemed to go up inside their heads, and the poet sang the great old lay of Fair Olvin and how he fought the Giant Pire and turned him into stone (and that is the origin of Mount Pire—it was a two-headed Giant) and won the Lady Liln for his bride;and when it was over they wished it was going to begin again. And though Bree couldn't sing he told the story of the fight at Zalindreh. And Lucy told again (they had all, except Aravis and Cor, heard it many times but they all wanted it again) the tale of the Wardrobe and how she and King Edmund and Queen Susan and Peter the High King had first come into Narnia.
And presently,as was certain to happen sooner or later, King Lune said if was time for young people to be in bed."And tomorrow,Cor,"he added,"shalt come over all the castle with me and see the estres and mark all its strength and weakness: for it will be thine to guard when I' m gone."
"But Corin will be the King then, Father," said Cor.
"Nay,lad," said King Lune, "thou art my heir. The crown comes to thee."
"But I don't want it," said Cor. "I'd far rather—"
"Tis no question what thou wantest,Cor,nor I either.' Tis in the course of law."
"But if we're twins we must be the same age. "
"Nay," said the King with a laugh. "One must come first.
Art Corin' s elder by full twenty minutes.And his better too, let' s hope,though that' s no great mastery."And he looked at Corin with a twinkle in his eyes.
"But, Father, couldn't you make whichever you like to be the next King ?"
"No. The king' s under the law, for it' s the law makes him a king. Hast no more power to start away from thy crown than any sentry from his post."
"Oh dear,"said Cor. "I don't want to at all. And Corin— I am most dreadfully sorry. I never dreamed my turning up was going to chisel you out of your kingdom."
"Hurrah ! Hurrah !" said Corin. "I shan't have to be King. I shan' t have to be King. I' ll always be a prince. It' s princes have all the fun."
"And that's truer than thy brother knows, Cor," said King Lune. "For this is what it means to be a king: to be first in every desperate attack and last in every desperate retreat, and when there' s hunger in the land (as must be now and then in bad years) to wear finer clothes and laugh louder over a scantier meal than any man in your land."
When the two boys were going upstairs to bed Cor again asked Corin if nothing could be done about it.And Corin said:
"If you say another word about it, I'll-I'll knock you down." It would be nice to end the story by saying that after that the two brothers never disagreed about anything again, but I am afraid it would not be true.In reality they quarrelled and fought just about as often as any other two boys would, and all their fights ended (if they didn t begin) with Cor getting knocked down.For though, when they had both grown up and become swordsmen, Cor was the more dangerous man in battle, neither he nor anyone else in the North Countries could ever equal Corin as a boxer. That was how he got his name of Corin Thunder—Fist;and how he performed his great exploit against the Lapsed Bear of Stormness, which was really a Talking Bear but had gone back to Wild Bear habits. Corm climbed up to its lair on the Narnian side of Stormness one winter day when the snow was on the hills and boxed it without a time-keeper for thirty-three rounds. And at the end it couldn t see out of its eyes and became a reformed character.
Aravis also had many quarrels (and, I m afraid, even fights) with Cor, but they always made it up again: so that years later, when they were grown up, they were so used to quarrelling and making it up again that they got married so as to go on doing it more conveniently. And after King Lune s death they made a good King and Queen of Archenland and Ram the Great, the most famous of all the kings of Archenland, was their son. Bree and Hwin lived happily to a great age in Narnia and both got married but not to one another. And there weren t many months in which one or both of them didn t come trotting over the pass to visit their friends at Anvard.



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