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第19部分

the last battle_c·s·刘易斯-第19部分

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

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ther to the right; nearer to  the stable。 he had a vague idea in his mind that there was some good reason for keeping away  from it。 but he couldnt now remember what the reason was。 and anyway; he couldnt help  it。

all at once everything came quite clear。 he found he was fighting the  tarkaan himself。

the bonfire (what was left of it) was straight in front。 he was in fact  fighting in the very doorway of the stable; for it had been opened and two calormenes were  holding the door; ready to slam it shut the moment he was inside。 he remembered everything  now; and he realized that the enemy had been edging him to the stable on purpose ever  since the fight began。 and while he was thinking this he was still fighting the tarkaan as  hard as he could。

a new idea came into tirians head。 he dropped his sword; darted forward;  in under the sweep of the tarkaans scimitar; seized his enemy by the belt with both  hands; and jumped back into the stable; shouting:  〃e in and meet tash yourself!鈥

there was a deafening noise。 as when the ape had been flung in; the earth  shook and there was a blinding light。

the calormene soldiers outside screamed。 〃tash; tash!〃 and banged the door。  if tash wanted their own captain; tash must have him。 they; at any rate; did not  want to meet tash。

for a moment or two tirian did not know where he was or even who he was。  then he steadied himself; blinked; and looked around。 it was not dark inside the  stable; as he had expected。 he was in strong light: that was why he was blinking。

he turned to look at rishda tarkaan; but rishda was not looking at him。  rishda gave a great wail and pointed; then he put his hands before his face and fell  flat; face downwards; on the ground。 tirian looked in the direction where the tarkaan  had pointed。

and then he understood。

a terrible figure was ing towards them。 it was far smaller than the  shape they had seen from the tower; though still much bigger than a man; and it was the  same。 it had a vultures head and four arms。 its beak was open and its eyes blazed。 a  croaking voice came from its beak。

〃thou hast called me into narnia; rishda tarkaan。 here i am。 what hast thou  to say?鈥

but the tarkaan neither lifted his face from the ground nor said a word。 he  was shaking like a man with a bad hiccup。 he was brave enough in battle: but half his  courage had left him earlier that night when he first began to suspect that there might be a  real tash。 the rest of it had left him now。

with a sudden jerk …like a hen stooping to pick up a worm … tash pounced on  the miserable rishda and tucked him under the upper of his two right arms。 then  tash turned his head sidewise to fix tirian with one of his terrible eyes: for of  course; having a birds head; he couldnt look at you straight。

but immediately; from behind tash; strong and calm as the summer sea; a  voice said:  〃begone; monster; and take your lawful prey to your own place: in the name  of aslan and aslans great father the emperor…over…the…sea。鈥

the hideous creature vanished; with the tarkaan still under its arm。 and  tirian turned to see who had spoken。

and what he saw then set his heart beating as it had never beaten in any  fight。

seven kings and queens stood before him; all with crowns on their heads and  all in glittering clothes; but the kings wore fine mail as well and had their  swords drawn in their hands。 tirian bowed courteously and was about to speak when the  youngest of the queens laughed。 he stared hard at her face; and then gasped with amazement;  for he knew her。 it was jill: but not jill as he had last seen her; with her face  all dirt and tears and an old drill dress half slipping off one shoulder。 now she looked cool  and fresh; as fresh as if she had just e from bathing。 and at first he thought she  looked older; but then didnt; and he could never make up his mind on that point。 and then he  saw that the youngest of the kings was eustace: but he also was changed as jill was  changed。

tirian suddenly felt awkward about ing among these people with the blood  and dust and sweat of a battle still on him。 next moment he realized that he was not  in that state at all。 he was fresh and cool and clean; and dressed in such clothes as he  would have worn for a great feast at cair paravel。 (but in narnia your good clothes were  never your unfortable ones。 they knew how to make things that felt beautiful as  well as looking beautiful in narnia: and there was no such thing as starch or flannel or  elastic to be found from one end of the country to the other。)

〃sire;〃 said jill ing forward and making a beautiful curtsey; 〃let me  make you known to peter the high king over all kings in narnia。鈥

tirian had no need to ask which was the high king; for he remembered his  face (though here it was far nobler) from his dream。 he stepped forward; sank on one  knee and kissed peters hand。

〃high king;〃 he said。 〃you are wele to me。鈥

and the high king raised him and kissed him on both cheeks as a high king  should。

then he led him to the eldest of the queens … but even she was not old; and  there were no grey hairs on her head and no wrinkles on her cheek … and said; 〃sir; this  is that lady polly who came into narnia on the first day; when aslan made the trees grow  and the beasts talk。〃 he brought him next to a man whose golden beard flowed over  his breast and whose face was full of wisdom。 〃and this;〃 he said; 〃is the lord digory  who was with her on that day。 and this is my brother; king edmund: and this my  sister; the queen lucy。鈥

〃sir;〃 said tirian; when he had greeted all these。 〃if i have read the  chronicle aright; there should be another。 has not your majesty two sisters? where is queen susan?鈥

〃my sister susan;〃 answered peter shortly and gravely; 〃is no longer a  friend of narnia。鈥

〃yes;〃 said eustace; 〃and whenever youve tried to get her to e and talk  about narnia or do anything about narnia; she says; ‘what wonderful memories you have!  fancy your still thinking about all those funny games we used to play when we were  children。鈥

〃oh susan!〃 said jill。 〃shes interested in nothing nowadays except nylons  and lipstick and invitations。 she always was a jolly sight too keen on being grown…up。鈥

〃grown…up; indeed;〃 said the lady polly。 〃i wish she would grow up。 she  wasted all her school time wanting to be the age she is now; and shell waste all the rest  of her life trying to stay that age。 her whole idea is to race on to the silliest time of  ones life as quick as she can and then stop there as long as she can。鈥

〃well; dont lets talk about that now;〃 said peter。 〃look! here are lovely  fruit…trees。 let us taste them。鈥

and then; for the first time; tirian looked about him and realized how very  queer this adventure was。





CHAPTER THIRTEEN

澶у鐢烜灏彙〃缃
how the dwarfs refused to be taken in   tirian had thought … or he would have thought if he had time to think at  all … that they were inside a little thatched stable; about twelve feet long and six feet  wide。 in reality they stood on grass; the deep blue sky was overhead; and the air which blew  gently on their faces was that of a day in early summer。 not far away from them rose  a grove of trees; thickly leaved; but under every leaf there peeped out the gold or  faint yellow or purple or glowing red of fruits such as no one has seen in our world。 the  fruit made tirian feel that it must be autumn but there was something in the feel of  the air that told him it could not be later than june。 they all moved towards the trees。

everyone raised his hand to pick the fruit he best liked the look of; and  then everyone paused for a second。 this fruit was so beautiful that each felt 〃it cant  be meant for me。。。  surely were not allowed to pluck it。鈥

〃its all right;〃 said peter。 〃i know what were all thinking。 but im  sure; quite sure; we neednt。 ive a feeling weve got to the country where everything is  allowed。鈥

〃here goes; then!〃 said eustace。 and they all began to eat。

what was the fruit like? unfortunately no one can describe a taste。 all i  can say is that; pared with those fruits; the freshest grapefruit youve ever eaten was  dull; and the juiciest orange was dry; and the most melting pear was hard and woody; and  the sweetest wild strawberry was sour。 and there were no seeds or stones; and no wasps。  if you had once eaten that fruit; all the nicest things in this world would taste like  medicines after it。

but i cant describe it。 you cant find out what it is like unless you can  get to that country and taste it for yourself。

when they had eaten enough; eustace said to king peter; 〃you havent yet  told us how you got here。 you were just going to; when king tirian turned up。鈥

〃theres not much to tell;〃 said peter。 〃edmund and i were standing on the  platform and we saw your train ing in。 i remember thinking it was taking the bend far  too fast。 and i remember thinking how funny it was that our people were probably in the  same train though lucy didnt know about it …鈥

〃your people; high king?〃 said tirian。

〃i mean my father and mother … edmunds and lucys and mine。鈥

〃why were they?〃 asked jill。 〃you dont mean to s

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