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第16部分

the last battle_c·s·刘易斯-第16部分

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

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d in england。 and the longer he caterwauled the less like a talking beast he  looked。 uneasy whimperings and little sharp squeals broke out from among the other  animals。

〃look; look!〃 said the voice of the bear。 〃it cant talk。 it has forgotten  how to talk! it has gone back to being a dumb beast。 look at its face。〃 everyone saw that it  was true。 and then the greatest terror of all fell upon those narnians。 for every one of  them had been taught … when it was only a chick or a puppy or a cub … how aslan at the  beginning of the world had turned the beasts of narnia into talking beasts and warned them  that if they werent good they might one day be turned back again and be like the poor  witless animals one meets in other countries。 〃and now it is ing upon us;〃 they  moaned。

〃mercy! mercy!〃 wailed the beasts。 〃spare us; lord shift; stand between us  and aslan; you must always go in and speak to him for us。 we darent; we darent。鈥

ginger disappeared further up into the tree。 no one ever saw him again。

tirian stood with his hand on his sword…hilt and his head bowed。 he was  dazed with the horrors of that night。 sometimes he thought it would be best to draw his  sword at once and rush upon the calormenes: then next moment he thought it would be  better to wait and see what new turn affairs might take。 and now a new turn came。

〃my father;〃 came a clear; ringing voice from the left of the crowd。 tirian  knew at once that it was one of the calormenes speaking; for in the tisrocs army the  mon soldiers call the officers 〃my master〃 but the officers call their senior officers  〃my father〃。 jill and eustace didnt know this but; after looking this way and that; they saw  the speaker; for of course people at the sides of the crowd were easier to see than  people in the middle where the glare of the fire made all beyond it look rather black。 he was  young and tall and slender; and even rather beautiful in the dark; haughty; calormene way。

〃my father;〃 he said to the captain; 〃i also desire to go in。鈥

〃peace; emeth;〃 said the captain; 〃who called thee to counsel? does it  bee a boy to speak?鈥

〃my father;〃 said emeth。 〃truly i am younger than thou; yet i also am of  the blood of the tarkaans even as thou art; and i also am the servant of tash。 therefore 。 。  。鈥

〃silence;〃 said rishda tarkaan。 〃am not i thy captain? thou hast nothing to  do with this stable。 it is for the narnians。鈥

〃nay; my father;〃 answered emeth。 〃thou hast said that their aslan and our  tash are all one。 and if that is the truth; then tash himself is in yonder。 and how then  sayest thou that i have nothing to do with him? for gladly would i die a thousand  deaths if i might look once on the face of tash。鈥

〃thou art a fool and understandest nothing;〃 said rishda tarkaan。 〃these be  high matters。鈥

emeths face grew sterner。 〃is it then not true that tash and aslan are all  one?〃 he asked。

〃has the ape lied to us?鈥

〃of course theyre all one;〃 said the ape。

〃swear it; ape;〃 said emeth。

〃oh dear!〃 whimpered shift; 〃i wish youd all stop bothering me。 my head  does ache。

yes; yes; i swear it。鈥

〃then; my father;〃 said emeth; 〃i am utterly determined to go in。鈥

〃fool;〃 began rishda tarkaan; but at once the dwarfs began shouting: 〃e  along; darkie。 why dont you let him in? why do you let narnians in and keep your  own people out? what have you got in there that you dont want your own men to meet?鈥

tirian and his friends could only see the back of rishda tarkaan; so they  never knew what his face looked like as he shrugged his shoulders and said; 〃bear  witness all that i am guiltless of this young fools blood。 get thee in; rash boy; and make  haste。鈥

then; just as ginger had done; emeth came walking forward into the open  strip of grass between the bonfire and the stable。 his eyes were shining; his face very  solemn; his hand was on his sword…hilt; and he carried his head high。 jill felt like crying  when she looked at his face。 and jewel whispered in the kings ear; 〃by the lions mane; i  almost love this young warrior; calormene though he be。 he is worthy of a better god  than tash。鈥

〃i do wish we knew what is really inside there;〃 said eustace。

emeth opened the door and went in; into the black mouth of the stable。 he  closed the door behind him。 only a few moments passed … but it seemed longer before  the door opened again。 a figure in calormene armour reeled out; fell on its back;  and lay still: the door closed behind it。 the captain leaped towards it and bent down to stare  at its face。 he gave a start of surprise。 then he recovered himself and turned to the  crowd; crying out:  〃the rash boy has had his will。 he has looked on tash and is dead。 take  warning; all of you。鈥

〃we will; we will;〃 said the poor beasts。 but tirian and his friends stared  at the dead calormene and then at one another。 for they; being so close; could see what  the crowd; being further off and beyond the fire; could not see: this dead man was not  emeth。 he was quite different: an older man; thicker and not so tall; with a big  beard。

〃ho…ho…ho;〃 chuckled the ape。 〃any more? anyone else want to go in? well;  as youre all shy; ill choose the next。 you; you boar! on you e。 drive him up;  calormenes。 he shall see tashlan face to face。鈥

〃o…o…mph;〃 grunted the boar; rising heavily to his feet。 〃e on; then。  try my tusks。鈥

when tirian saw that brave beast getting ready to fight for its life … and  calormene soldiers beginning to close in on it with their drawn scimitars … and no  one going to its help … something seemed to burst inside him。 he no longer cared if this was  the best moment to interfere or not。

〃swords out;〃 he whispered to the others。 〃arrow on string。 follow。鈥

next moment the astonished narnians saw seven figures leap forth in front  of the stable; four of them in shining mail。 the kings sword flashed in the firelight as  he waved it above his head and cried in a great voice:  〃here stand i; tirian of narnia; in aslans name; to prove with my body  that tash is a foul fiend; the ape a manifold traitor; and these calormenes worthy of  death。 to my side; all true narnians。 would you wait till your new masters have killed you all  one by one?鈥

 ww銆w。x锛゛oshuotxt。銆



CHAPTER ELEVEN

灏忥伎璇矗xt=锛垮ぉ。鍫
the pace quickens   quick as lightning; rishda tarkaan leaped back out of reach of the kings  sword。 he was no coward; and would have fought single…handed against tirian and the  dwarf if need were。 but he could not take on the eagle and the unicorn as well。 he  knew how eagles can fly into your face and peck at your eyes and blind you with  their wings。 and he had heard from his father (who had met narnians in battle) that no man;  except with arrows; or a long spear; can match a unicorn; for it rears on its hind legs  as it falls upon you and then you have its hoofs and its horn and its teeth to deal with all  at once。 so he rushed into the crowd and stood calling out:  〃to me; to me; warriors of the tisroc; may…he…liveforever。 to me; all loyal  narnians; lest the wrath of tashlan fall upon you!鈥

while this was happening two other things happened as well。 the ape had not  realized his danger as quickly as the tarkaan。 for a second or so he remained  squatting beside the fire staring at the newers。 then tirian rushed upon the wretched  creature; picked it up by the scruff of the neck; and dashed back to the stable shouting; 〃open  the door!鈥

poggin opened it。 〃go and drink your own medicine; shift!〃 said tirian and  hurled the ape through into the darkness。 but as the dwarf banged the door shut again;  a blinding greenish…blue light shone out from the inside of the stable; the earth  shook; and there was a strange noise … a clucking and screaming as if it was the hoarse voice of  some monstrous bird。 the beasts moaned and howled and called out 〃tashlan! hide  us from him!〃 and many fell down; and many hid their faces in their wings or paws。  no one except farsight the eagle; who has the best eyes of all living things;  noticed the face of rishda tarkaan at that moment。 and from what farsight saw there he knew at  once that rishda was just as surprised; and nearly frightened; as everyone else。  〃there goes one;鈥

thought farsight; 〃who has called on gods he does not believe in。 how will  it be with him if they have really e?鈥

the third thing … which also happened at the same moment … was the only  really beautiful thing that night。 every single talking dog in the whole meeting (there were  fifteen of  

them) came bounding and barking joyously to the kings side。 they were  mostly great big dogs with thick shoulders and heavy jaws。 their ing was like the  breaking of a great wave on the seabeach: it nearly knocked you down。 for though they  were talking dogs they were just as doggy as they could be: and they all stood up and  put their front paws on the shoulders of the humans and licked their faces; all saying at  once: 〃wele! wele! well help; well help; help; help。 show us how to help;  show us how; how。 how…how…how?鈥

it was so lovely that it made you want to cry。 this; at last; was the sort  of thing they had been hoping for。 and when; a moment

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