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第14部分

the last battle_c·s·刘易斯-第14部分

小说: the last battle_c·s·刘易斯 字数: 每页4000字

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uld dream of riding on a unicorn。

this time jill and eustace walked together。 they had been feeling very  brave when they were begging to be allowed to e with the others; but now they didnt  feel brave at all。

〃pole;〃 said eustace in a whisper。 〃i may as well tell you ive got the  wind up。鈥

〃oh youre all right; scrubb;〃 said jill。 〃you can fight。 but i … im just  shaking; if you want to know the truth。鈥

〃oh shakings nothing;〃 said eustace。 〃im feeling im going to be sick。鈥

〃dont talk about that; for goodness sake;〃 said jill。

they went on in silence for a minute or two。

〃pole;〃 said eustace presently。

〃what?〃 said she。

〃whatll happen if we get killed here?鈥

〃well well be dead; i suppose。鈥

〃but i mean; what will happen in our own world? shall we wake up and find  ourselves back in that train? or shall we just vanish and never be heard of any more?  or shall we be dead in england?鈥

〃gosh。 i never thought of that。鈥

〃itll be rum for peter and the others if they saw me waving out of the  window and then when the train es in were nowhere to be found! or if they found two … i  mean; if were dead over there in england。鈥

〃ugh!〃 said jill。 〃what a horrid idea。鈥

〃it wouldnt be horrid for us;〃 said eustace。 〃we shouldnt be there。鈥

〃i almost wish … no i dont; though;〃 said jill。

〃what were you going to say?鈥

〃i was going to say i wished wed never e。 but i dont; i dont; i  dont。 even if we are killed。 id rather be killed fighting for narnia than grow old and stupid  at home and perhaps go about in a bath…chair and then die in the end just the same。鈥

〃or be smashed up by british railways!鈥

〃why dyou say that?鈥

〃well when that awful jerk came … the one that seemed to throw us into  narnia … i thought it was the beginning of a railway accident。 so i was jolly glad to find  ourselves here instead。鈥

while jill and eustace were talking about this; the others were discussing  their plans and being less miserable。 that was because they were now thinking of what  was to be done this very night and the thought of what had happened to narnia … the  thought that all her glories and joys were over … was pushed away into the back part of  their minds。 the moment they stopped talking it would e out and make them wretched again:  but they kept on talking。 poggin was really quite cheerful about the nights work  they had to do。

he was sure that the boar and the bear; and probably all the dogs would  e over to their side at once。 and he couldnt believe that all the other dwarfs would  stick to griffle。

and fighting by firelight and in and out among trees would be an advantage  to the weaker side。 and then; if they could win tonight; need they really throw their  lives away by meeting the main calormene army a few days later?

why not hide in the woods; or even up in the western waste beyond the great  waterfall and live like outlaws? and then they might gradually get stronger and  stronger; for talking beasts and archenlanders would be joining them every day。 and at  last theyd e out of hiding and sweep the calormenes (who would have got careless by  then) out of the country and narnia would be revived。 after all; something very like  that had happened in the time of king miraz!

and tirian heard all this and thought 〃but what about tash?〃 and felt in  his bones that none of it was going to happen。 but he didnt say so。

when they got nearer to stable hill of course everyone became quiet。 then  the real wood…work began。 from the moment at which they first saw the hill to the  moment at which they all arrived at the back of the stable; it took them over two  hours。 its the sort of thing one couldnt describe properly unless one wrote pages and pages  about it。 the journey from each bit of cover to the next was a separate adventure; and  there were very long waits in between; and several false alarms。 if you are a good scout or  a good guide you will know already what it must have been like。 by about sunset they  were all safe in a clump of holly trees about fifteen yards behind the stable。 they all  munched some biscuit and lay down。

then came the worst part; the waiting。 luckily for the children they slept  for a couple of hours; but of course they woke up when the night grew cold; and what was  worse; woke up very thirsty and with no chance of getting a drink。 puzzle just stood;  shivering a little with nervousness; and said nothing。 but tirian; with his head against  jewels flank; slept as soundly as if he were in his royal bed at cair paravel; till the sound  of a gong beating awoke him and he sat up and saw that there was firelight on the far side of  the stable and knew that the hour had e。

〃kiss me; jewel;〃 he said。 〃for certainly this is our last night on earth。  and if ever i offended against you in any matter great or small; forgive me now。鈥

〃dear king;〃 said the unicorn; 〃i could almost wish you had; so that i  might forgive it。

farewell。 we have known great joys together。 if aslan gave me my choice i  would choose no other life than the life i have had and no other death than the  one we go to。鈥

then they woke up farsight; who was asleep with his head under his wing (it  made him look as if he had no head at all); and crept forward to the stable。 they  left puzzle (not without a kind word; for no one was angry with him now) just behind it;  telling him not to move till someone came to fetch him; and took up their position at one  end of the stable。

the bonfire had not been lit for long and was just beginning to blaze up。  it was only a few feet away from them; and the great crowd of narnian creatures were on  the other side of it; so that tirian could not at first see them very well; though of  course he saw dozens of eyes shining with the reflection of the fire; as youve seen a rabbits  or cats eyes in the  

headlights of a car。 and just as tirian took his place; the gong stopped  beating and from somewhere on his left three figures appeared。 one was rishda tarkaan the  calormene captain。 the second was the ape。 he was holding on to the tarkaans hand  with one paw and kept whimpering and muttering; 〃not so fast; dont go so fast; im not  at all well。 oh my poor head! these midnight meetings are getting too much for me。 apes  arent meant to be up at night: its not as if i was a rat or a bat … oh my poor head。〃  on the other side of the ape; walking very soft and stately; with his tail straight up in the  air; came ginger the cat。 they were heading for the bonfire and were so close to tirian that  they would have seen him at once if they had looked in the right direction。 fortunately  they did not。 but tirian heard rishda say to ginger in a low voice:  〃now; cat; to thy post。 see thou play thy part well。鈥

〃miaow; miaow。 count on me!〃 said ginger。 then he stepped away beyond the  bonfire and sat down in the front row of the assembled beasts: in the audience; as  you might say。

for really; as it happened; the whole thing was rather like a theatre。 the  crowd of narnians were like the people in the seats; the little grassy place just in  front of the stable; where the bonfire burned and the ape and the captain stood to talk to the  crowd; was like the stage; the stable itself was like the scenery at the back of the stage;  and tirian and his friends were like people peering round from behind the scenery。 it was a  splendid position。 if any of them stepped forward into the full firelight; all eyes  would be fixed on him at once: on the other hand; so long as they stood still in the shadow  of the end…wall of the stable; it was a hundred to one against their being noticed。

rishda tarkaan dragged the ape up close to the fire。 the pair of them  turned to face the crowd; and this of course meant that their backs were towards tirian and  his friends。

〃now; monkey;〃 said rishda tarkaan in a low voice。 〃say the words that  wiser heads have put into thy mouth。 and hold up thy head。〃 as he spoke he gave the ape  a little prod or kick from behind with the point of his toe。

〃do leave me alone;〃 muttered shift。 but he sat up straighter and began; in  a louder voice … 〃now listen; all of you。 a terrible thing has happened。 a wicked thing。  the wickedest thing that ever was done in narnia。 and aslan …鈥

〃tashlan; fool;〃 whispered rishda tarkaan。

〃tashlan i mean; of course;〃 said the ape; 〃is very angry about it。鈥

there was a terrible silence while the beasts waited to hear what new  trouble was in store for them。 the little party by the end…wall of the stable also held their  breath。 what on earth was ing now?

〃yes;〃 said the ape。 〃at this very moment; when the terrible one himself is  among us … there in the stable just behind me … one wicked beast has chosen to do what  youd think  

no one would dare to do even if he were a thousand miles away。 it has  dressed itself up in a lion…skin and is wandering about in these very woods pretending to be  aslan。鈥

jill wondered for a moment if the ape had gone mad。 was he going to tell  the whole truth? a roar of horror and rage went up from the beasts。 〃grrr!〃 came the  growls。 〃who is he? where is he? just let me get my teeth into him!鈥

〃it was seen last night;〃 sc

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