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第4部分

the last battle_c·s·刘易斯-第4部分

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

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up till now tirian had taken it for granted that the horses which the  calormenes were driving were their own horses; dumb; witless animals like the horses of our  own world。

and though he hated to see even a dumb horse overdriven; he was of course  thinking more about the murder of the trees。 it had never crossed his mind that  anyone would dare to harness one of the free talking horses of narnia; much less to use  a whip on it。

but as that savage blow fell the horse reared up and said; half screaming:  〃fool and tyrant! do you not see i am doing all i can?鈥

when tirian knew that the horse was one of his own narnians; there came  over him and over jewel such a rage that they did not know what they were doing。 the  kings sword went up; the unicorns horn went down。 they rushed forward together。 next  moment both the calormenes lay dead; the one beheaded by tirians sword and the  other gored through the heart by jewels horn。

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CHAPTER THREE

灏彙h銆倀銆倄t…澶/鍫
the ape in its glory   〃master horse; master horse;〃 said tirian as he hastily cut its traces;  〃how came these aliens to enslave you? is narnia conquered? has there been a battle?鈥

〃no; sire;〃 panted the horse; 〃aslan is here。 it is all by his orders。 he  has manded …鈥

〃ware danger; king;〃 said jewel。 tirian looked up and saw that calormenes  (mixed with a few talking beasts) were beginning to run towards them from every  direction。 the two dead men had died without a cry and so it had taken a moment before the  rest of the crowd knew what had happened。 but now they did。 most of them had naked  scimitars in their hands。

〃quick。 on my back;〃 said jewel。

the king flung himself astride of his old friend who turned and galloped  away。 he changed direction twice or thrice as soon as they were out of sight of  their enemies; crossed a stream; and shouted without slackening his pace; 〃whither away;  sire? to cair paravel?鈥

〃hold hard; friend;〃 said tirian。 〃let me off。〃 he slid off the unicorns  back and faced him。

〃jewel;〃 said the king。 〃we have done a dreadful deed。鈥

〃we were sorely provoked;〃 said jewel。

〃but to leap on them unawares … without defying them while they were  unarmed … faugh!

we are two murderers; jewel。 i am dishonoured forever。鈥

jewel drooped his head。 he too was ashamed。

〃and then;〃 said the king; 〃the horse said it was by aslans orders。 the  rat said the same。 they all say aslan is here。 how if it were true?鈥

〃but; sire; how could aslan be manding such dreadful things?鈥

〃he is not a tame lion;〃 said tirian。 〃how should we know what he would do?  we; who are murderers。 jewel; i will go back。 i will give up my sword and put  myself in the hands of these calormenes and ask that they bring me before aslan。 let him do  justice on me。鈥

〃you will go to your death; then;〃 said jewel。

〃do you think i care if aslan dooms me to death?〃 said the king。 〃that  would be nothing; nothing at all。 would it not be better to be dead than to have  this horrible fear that aslan has e and is not like the aslan we have believed in and  longed for? it is as if the sun rose one day and were a black sun。鈥

〃i know;〃 said jewel。 〃or as if you drank water and it were dry water。 you  are in the right; sire。 this is the end of all things。 let us go and give ourselves  up。鈥

〃there is no need for both of us to go。鈥

〃if ever we loved one another; let me go with you now;〃 said the unicorn。  〃if you are dead and if aslan is not aslan; what life is left for me?鈥

they turned and walked back together; shedding bitter tears。

as soon as they came to the place where the work was going on the  calormenes raised a cry and came towards them with their weapons in hand。 but the king held out  his sword with the hilt towards them and said:  〃i who was king of narnia and am now a dishonoured knight give myself up to  the justice of aslan。 bring me before him。鈥

〃and i give myself up too;〃 said jewel。

then the dark men came round them in a thick crowd; smelling of garlic and  onions; their white eyes flashing dreadfully in their brown faces。 they put a rope halter  round jewels neck。 they took the kings sword away and tied his hands behind his back。  one of the calormenes; who had a helmet instead of a turban and seemed to be in  mand; snatched the gold circlet off tirians head and hastily put it away  somewhere among his clothes。 they led the two prisoners uphill to a place where there was a big  clearing。 and this was what the prisoners saw。   at the centre of the clearing; which was  also the highest point of the hill; there was a little hut like a stable; with a  thatched roof。 its door was shut。 on the grass in front of the door there sat an ape。 tirian and  jewel; who had been expecting to see aslan and had heard nothing about an ape yet; were  very bewildered when they saw it。 the ape was of course shift himself; but he  looked ten times uglier than when he lived by caldron pool; for he was now dress… ed  up。 he was wearing a scarlet jacket which did not fit him very well; having been made  for a dwarf。

he had jewelled slippers on his hind paws which would not stay on properly  because; as you know; the hind paws of an ape are really like hands。 he wore what  seemed to be a paper crown on his head。 there was a great pile of nuts beside him and he  kept cracking nuts with his jaws and spitting out the shells。 and he also kept on pulling  up the scarlet jacket to scratch himself。 a great number of talking beasts stood facing  him; and nearly every face in that crowd looked miserably worried and bewildered。 when they  saw who the prisoners were they all groaned and whimpered。

〃o lord shift; mouthpiece of aslan;〃 said the chief calormene。 〃we bring  you prisoners。

by our skill and courage and by the permission of the great god tash we  have taken alive these two desperate murderers。鈥

〃give me that mans sword;〃 said the ape。 so they took the kings sword and  handed it; with the sword…belt and all; to the monkey。 and he hung it round his own  neck: and it made him look sillier than ever。

〃well see about those two later;〃 said the ape; spitting out a shell in  the direction of the two prisoners。 〃i got some other business first。 they can wait。 now listen  to me; everyone。 the first thing i want to say is about nuts。 wheres that head  squirrel got to?鈥

〃here; sir;〃 said a red squirrel; ing forward and making a nervous  little bow。

〃oh you are; are you?〃 said the ape with a nasty look。 〃now attend to me。 i  want … i mean; aslan wants … some more nuts。 these youve brought arent anything  like enough。

you must bring some more; do you hear? twice as many。 and theyve got to be  here by sunset tomorrow; and there mustnt be any bad ones or any small ones among  them。鈥

a murmur of dismay ran through the other squirrels; and the head squirrel  plucked up courage to say:  〃please; would aslan himself speak to us about it? if we might be allowed  to see him …鈥

〃well you wont;〃 said the ape。 〃he may be very kind (though its a lot  more than most of you deserve) and e out for a few minutes tonight。 then you can all  have a look at him。 but he will not have you all crowding round him and pestering him with  questions。

anything you want to say to him will be passed on through me: if i think  its worth bothering him about。 in the meantime all you squirrels had better go and  see about the nuts。 and make sure they are here by tomorrow evening or; my word! youll  catch it。鈥

the poor squirrels all scampered away as if a dog were after them。 this new  order was terrible news for them。 the nuts they had carefully hoarded for the winter  had nearly all been eaten by now; and of the few that were left they had already given the  ape far more than they could spare。

then a deep voice … it belonged to a great tusked and shaggy boar … spoke  from another part of the crowd。

〃but why cant we see aslan properly and talk to him?〃 it said。 〃when he  used to appear in narnia in the old days everyone could talk to him face to face。鈥

〃dont you believe it;〃 said the ape。 〃and even if it was true; times have  changed。 aslan says hes been far too soft with you before; do you see? well; he isnt  going to be soft any more。 hes going to lick you into shape this time。 hell teach you to think  hes a tame lion!鈥

a low moaning and whimpering was heard among the beasts; and; after that; a  dead silence which was more miserable still。

〃and now theres another thing you got to learn;〃 said the ape。 〃i hear  some of you are saying im an ape。 well; im not。 im a man。 if i look like an ape; thats  because im so very old: hundreds and hundreds of years old。 and its because im so old  that im so wise。 and its because im so wise that im the only one aslan is ever  going to speak to。

he cant be bothered talking to a lot of stupid animals。 hell tell me what  youve got to do; and ill tell the rest of you。 and take my advice; and see you do it in  double quick time; for he doesnt mean to stand any nonsense。鈥

there was a dead silence except for the noise of a very young badger crying  and its mother trying to make it keep quiet。

〃and now heres another thing;〃 the ape went

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