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第17部分

prince caspian_c·s·刘易斯-第17部分

小说: prince caspian_c·s·刘易斯 字数: 每页4000字

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; shes right。 there is a way  down。鈥

half…way down the path edmund caught up with her。

〃look!〃 he said in great excitement。 〃look! whats that shadow crawling  down in front of us?鈥

〃its his shadow;〃 said lucy。

〃i do believe youre right; lu;〃 said edmund。 〃i cant think how i didnt  see it before。 but where is he?鈥

〃with his shadow; of course。 cant you see him?鈥

〃well; i almost thought i did … for a moment。 its such a rum light。鈥

〃get on; king edmund; get on;〃 came trumpkins voice from behind and above:  and then; farther behind and still nearly at the top; peters voice saying;  〃oh; buck up; susan。

give me your hand。 why; a baby could get down here。 and do stop grousing。鈥

in a few minutes they were at the bottom and the roaring of water filled  their ears。

treading delicately; like a cat; aslan stepped from stone to stone across  the stream。 in the middle he stopped; bent down to drink; and as he raised his shaggy head;  dripping from the water; he turned to face them again。 this time edmund saw him。 〃oh;  aslan!〃 he cried; darting forward。 but the lion whisked round and began padding up the  slope on the far side of the rush。

〃peter; peter;〃 cried edmund。 〃did you see?鈥

〃i saw something;〃 said peter。 〃but its so tricky in this moonlight。 on we  go; though; and three cheers for lucy。 i dont feel half so tired now; either。鈥

aslan without hesitation led them to their left; farther up the gorge。 the  whole journey was odd and dream…like the roaring stream; the wet grey grass; the  glimmering cliffs which they were approaching; and always the glorious; silently pacing beast  ahead。

everyone except susan and the dwarf could see him now。

presently they came to another steep path; up the face of the farther  precipices。 these were far higher than the ones they had just descended; and the journey up  them was a long and tedious zig…zag。 fortunately the moon shone right above the gorge  so that neither side was in shadow。

lucy was nearly blown when the tail and hind legs of aslan disappeared over  the top: but with one last effort she scrambled after him and came out; rather shaky… legged and breathless; on the hill they had been trying to reach ever since they left  glasswater。 the long gentle slope (heather and grass and a few very big rocks that shone  white in the moonlight) stretched up to where it vanished in a glimmer of trees about  half a mile away。 she knew it。 it was the hill of the stone table:  with a jingling of mail the others climbed up behind her。 aslan glided on  before them and they walked after him。

〃lucy;〃 said susan in a very small voice。

〃yes?〃 said lucy。

〃i see him now。 im sorry。鈥

〃thats all right。鈥

〃but ive been far worse than you know。 i really believed it was him … he;  i mean … yesterday。 when he warned us not to go down to the fir wood。 and i really  believed it  

was him tonight; when you woke us up。 i mean; deep down inside。 or i could  have; if id let myself。 but i just wanted to get out of the woods and … and … oh; i  dont know。 and what ever am i to say to him?鈥

〃perhaps you wont need to say much;〃 suggested lucy。

soon they reached the trees and through them the children could see the  great mound; aslans how; which had been raised over the table since their days。

〃our side dont keep very good watch;〃 muttered trumpkin。 〃we ought to have  been challenged before now …鈥

〃hush!〃 said the other four; for now aslan had stopped and turned and stood  facing them; looking so majestic that they felt as glad as anyone can who feels afraid;  and as afraid as anyone can who feels glad。 the boys strode forward: lucy made way for them:  susan and the dwarf shrank back。

〃oh; aslan;〃 said king peter; dropping on one knee and raising the lions  heavy paw to his face; 〃im so glad。 and im so sorry。 ive been leading them wrong ever  since we started and especially yesterday morning。鈥

〃my dear son;〃 said aslan。

then he turned and weled edmund。 〃well done;〃 were his words。

then; after an awful pause; the deep voice said; 〃susan。〃 susan made no  answer but the others thought she was crying。 〃you have listened to fears; child;〃 said  aslan。 〃e; let me breathe on you。 forget them。 are you brave again?鈥

〃a little; aslan;〃 said susan。

〃and now!〃 said aslan in a much louder voice with just a hint of roar in  it; while his tail lashed his flanks。 〃and now; where is this little dwarf; this famous  swordsman and archer; who doesnt believe in lions? e here; son of earth; e here!〃  … and the last word was no longer the hint of a roar but almost the real thing。

〃wraiths and wreckage!〃 gasped trumpkin in the ghost of a voice。 the  children; who knew aslan well enough to see that he liked the dwarf very much; were not  disturbed; but it was quite another thing for trumpkin; who had never seen a lion  before; let alone this lion。 he did the only sensible thing he could have done; that is;  instead of bolting; he tottered towards aslan。

aslan pounced。 have you ever seen a very young kitten being carried in the  mother cats mouth? it was like that。 the dwarf; hunched up in a little; miserable ball;  hung from aslans mouth。 the lion gave him one shake and all his armour rattled like  a tinkers pack and then … heypresto … the dwarf flew up in the air。 he was as safe as  if he had been  

in bed; though he did not feel so。 as he came down the huge velvety paws  caught him as gently as a mothers arms and set him (right way up; too) on the ground。

〃son of earth; shall we be friends?〃 asked aslan。

〃ye … he … he … hes;〃 panted the dwarf; for it had not yet got its breath  back。

〃now;〃 said aslan。 〃the moon is setting。 look behind you: there is the dawn  beginning。

we have no time to lose。 you three; you sons of adam and son of earth;  hasten into the mound and deal with what you will find there。鈥

the dwarf was still speechless and neither of the boys dared to ask if  aslan would follow them。 all three drew their swords and saluted; then turned and jingled away  into the dusk。

lucy noticed that there was no sign of weariness in their faces: both the  high king and king edmund looked more like men than boys。

the girls watched them out of sight; standing close beside aslan。 the light  was changing。

low down in the east; aravir; the morning star of narnia; gleamed like a  little moon。

aslan; who seemed larger than before; lifted his head; shook his mane; and  roared。

the sound; deep and throbbing at first like an organ beginning on a low  note; rose and became louder; and then far louder again; till the earth and air were  shaking with it。 it rose up from that hill and floated across all narnia。 down in mirazs camp  men woke; stared palely in one anothers faces; and grasped their weapons。 down below  that in the great river; now at its coldest hour; the heads and shoulders of the  nymphs; and the great weedy…bearded head of the river…god; rose from the water。 beyond it; in  every field and wood; the alert ears of rabbits rose from their holes; the sleepy heads of  birds came out from under wings; owls hooted; vixens barked; hedgehogs grunted; the trees  stirred。 in towns and villages mothers pressed babies close to their breasts; staring  with wild eyes; dogs whimpered; and men leaped up groping for lights。 far away on the  northern frontier the mountain giants peered from the dark gateways of their castles。

what lucy and susan saw was a dark something ing to them from almost  every direction across the hills。 it looked first like a black mist creeping on  the ground; then like the stormy waves of a black sea rising higher and higher as it came on; and  then; at last; like what it was woods on the move。 all the trees of the world appeared to  be rushing towards aslan。 but as they drew nearer they looked less like trees; and  when the whole crowd; bowing and curtsying and waving thin long arms to aslan; were all  around lucy; she saw that it was a crowd of human shapes。 pale birch…girls were tossing  their heads; willowwomen pushed back their hair from their brooding faces to gaze on  aslan; the queenly beeches stood still and adored him; shaggy oak…men; lean and  melancholy elms; shockheaded hollies (dark themselves; but their wives all bright with  berries) and gay rowans; all bowed and rose again; shouting; 〃aslan; aslan!〃 in their  various husky or creaking or wave…like voices。

the crowd and the dance round aslan (for it had bee a dance once more)  grew so thick and rapid that lucy was confused。 she never saw where certain other  people came from who were soon capering about among the trees。 one was a youth; dressed  only in a fawn…skin; with vine…leaves wreathed in his curly hair。 his face would have  been almost too pretty for a boys; if it had not looked; so extremely wild。 you felt;  as edmund said when he saw him a few days later; 〃theres a chap who might do anything  absolutely anything。〃 he seemed to have a great many names … bromios; bassareus; and  the ram were three of them。 there were a lot of girls with him; as wild as he。  there was even; unexpectedly; someone on a donkey。 and everybody was laughing: and  everybody was shouting out; 〃euan; euan; eu…oi…oi…oi。鈥

〃is it a romp; as

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