《The Horse and His Boy》第12章

shasta　would　have　darted　under　brees　body　and　tried　to　make　himself　scarce in　the　crowd　if　he　had　had　the　least　chance；　but　the　fair…haired　men　were　all round　him　by　now　and　he　was　held　firm。
of　course　his　first　impulse　was　to　say　that　he　was　only　poor　arsheesh　the fishermans　son　and　that　the　foreign　lord　must　have　mistaken　him　for　someone　else。　but then；　the　very　last　thing　he　wanted　to　do　in　that　crowded　place　was　to　start　explaining　who　he was　and　what　he　was　doing。　if　he　started　on　that；　he　would　soon　be　asked　where　he　had got　his　horse　from；　and　who　aravis　was　…　and　then；　goodbye　to　any　chance　of　getting through　tashbaan。　his　next　impulse　was　to　look　at　bree　for　help。　but　bree　had　no intention　of　letting　all　the　crowd　know　that　he　could　talk；　and　stood　looking　just　as stupid　as　a　horse　can。　as　for　aravis；　shasta　did　not　even　dare　to　look　at　her　for　fear　of drawing　attention。
and　there　was　no　time　to　think；　for　the　leader　of　the　narnians　said　at once： 〃take　one　of　his　little　lordships　hands；　peridan；　of　your　courtesy；　and ill　take　the　other。
and　now；　on。　our　royal　sisters　mind　will　be　greatly　eased　when　she　sees our　young　scapegrace　safe　in　our　lodging。”
and　so；　before　they　were　half…way　through　tashbaan；　all　their　plans　were ruined；　and　without　even　a　chance　to　say　good…bye　to　the　others　shasta　found　himself being　marched　off　among　strangers　and　quite　unable　to　guess　what　might　be　going　to　happen next。　the　narnian　king　…　for　shasta　began　to　see　by　the　way　the　rest　spoke　to　him that　he　must　be　a　king　…　kept　on　asking　him　questions；　where　he　had　been；　how　he　had　got　out； what　he　had　done　with　his　clothes；　and　didnt　he　know　that　he　had　been　very　naughty。 only　the　king　called　it　〃naught〃　instead　of　naughty。
and　shasta　said　nothing　in　answer；　because　he　couldnt　think　of　anything　to say　that　would　not　be　dangerous。
〃what！　all　mum？〃　asked　the　king。　〃i　must　plainly　tell　you；　prince；　that this　hangdog　silence　bees　one　of　your　blood　even　less　than　the　scape　itself。　to　run away　might　pass　for　a　boys　frolic　with　some　spirit　in　it。　but　the　kings　son　of archenland　should　avouch　his　deed；　not　hang　his　head　like　a　calormene　slave。”
this　was　very　unpleasant；　for　shasta　felt　all　the　time　that　this　young　king was　the　very　nicest　kind　of　grown…up　and　would　have　liked　to　make　a　good　impression　on him。
the　strangers　led　him…held　tightly　by　both　hands…along　a　narrow　street　and down　a　flight　of　shallow　stairs　and　then　up　another　to　a　wide　doorway　in　a　white　wall with　two　tall；　dark　cypress　trees；　one　on　each　side　of　it。　once　through　the　arch；　shasta found　himself　in　a　courtyard　which　was　also　a　garden。　a　marble　basin　of　clear　water　in　the centre　was　kept　continually　rippling　by　the　fountain　that　fell　into　it。　orange　trees　grew round　it　out　of　smooth　grass；　and　the　four　white　walls　which　surrounded　the　lawn　were covered　with　climbing　roses。　the　noise　and　dust　and　crowding　of　the　streets　seemed suddenly　fad　away。　he　was　led　rapidly　across　the　garden　and　then　into　a　dark　doorway。 the　crier　remained　outside。　after　that　they　took　him　along　a　corridor；　where　the stone　floor　felt　beautifully　cool　to　his　hot　feet；　and　up　some　stairs。　a　moment　later　he found　himself　blinking　in　the　light　of　a　big；　airy　room　with　wide　open　windows；　all looking　north　so　that　no　sun　came　in。　there　was　a　carpet　on　the　floor　more　wonderfully coloured　than　anything　he　had　ever　seen　and　his　feet　sank　down　into　it　as　if　he　were treading　in　thick　moss。　all　round　the　walls　there　were　low　sofas　with　rich　cushions　on　them； and　the　room　seemed　to　be　full　of　people；　very　queer　people　some　of　them；　thought shasta。　but　he　had　no　time　to　think　of　that　before　the　most　beautiful　lady　he　had　ever　seen rose　from　her　place　and　threw　her　arms　round　him　and　kissed　him；　saying： 〃oh　corin；　corin；　how　could　you？　and　thou　and　i　such　close　friends　ever since　thy　mother　died。　and　what　should　i　have　said　to　thy　royal　father　if　i　came　home without　thee？　would　have　been　a　cause　almost　of　war　between　archenland　and　narnia which　are　friends　time　out　of　mind。　it　was　naught；　playmate；　very　naught　of　thee　to use　us　so。”
〃apparently；〃　thought　shasta　to　himself；　〃im　being　mistaken　for　a　prince of　archenland；　wherever　that　is。　and　these　must　be　the　narnians。　i　wonder　where　the　real corin　is？〃　but　these　thoughts　did　not　help　him　say　anything　out　loud。
〃where　hast　been；　corin？〃　said　the　lady；　her　hands　still　on　shastas shoulders。
〃i…　i　dont　know；〃　stammered　shasta。
〃there　it　is；　susan；〃　said　the　king。　〃i　could　get　no　tale　out　of　him；　true or　false。”
〃your　majesties！　queen　susan！　king　edmund！〃　said　a　voice：　and　when　shasta turned　to　look　at　the　speaker　he　nearly　jumped　out　of　his　skin　with　surprise。　for this　was　one　of　these　queer　people　whom　he　had　noticed　out　of　the　corner　of　his　eye　when　he first　came　into　the　room。　he　was　about　the　same　height　as　shasta　himself。　from　the waist　upwards　he　was　like　a　man；　but　his　legs　were　hairy　like　a　goats；　and　shaped　like　a goats　and　he　had　goats　hooves　and　a　tail。　his　skin　was　rather　red　and　he　had　curly　hair and　a　short　pointed　beard　and　two　little　horns。　he　was　in　fact　a　faun；　which　is　a creature　shasta　had　never　seen　a　picture　of　or　even　heard　of。　and　if　youve　read　a　book　called the　lion；　the　witch　and　the　wardrobe　you　may　like　to　know　that　this　was　the　very　same faun；　tumnus　by　name；　whom　queen　susans　sister　lucy　had　met　on　the　very　first　day　when she　found　her　way　into　narnia。　but　he　was　a　good　deal　older　now　for　by　this　time peter　and　susan　and　edmund　and　lucy　had　been　kings　and　queens　of　narnia　for　several　years。
〃your　majesties；〃　he　was　saying；　〃his　little　highness　has　had　a　touch　of the　sun。　look　at　him！　he　is　dazed。　he　does　not　know　where　he　is。”
then　of　course　everyone　stopped　scolding　shasta　and　asking　him　questions and　he　was　made　much　of　and　laid　on　a　sofa　and　cushions　were　put　under　his　head　and　he was　given　iced　sherbet　in　a　golden　cup　to　drink　and　told　to　keep　very　quiet。
nothing　like　this　had　ever　happened　to　shasta　in　his　life　before。　he　had never　even　imagined　lying　on　anything　so　fortable　as　that　sofa　or　drinking　anything so　deliciou