《The Horse and His Boy》第14章

or　though　they　could　reach　the　oasis　by　the　end　of their　first　days　march；　yet　the　springs　there　would　be　too　little　for　the　thirst　of　all those　soldiers　and　their　beasts。　but　there　is　another　way。”
shasta　listened　more　attentively　still。
〃he　that　would　find　that　way；〃　said　the　raven；　〃must　start　from　the　tombs of　the　ancient　kings　and　ride　northwest　so　that　the　double　peak　of　mount　pire　is　always straight　ahead　of　him。　and　so；　in　a　days　riding　or　a　little　more；　he　shall　e　to　the head　of　a　stony　valley；　which　is　so　narrow　that　a　man　might　be　within　a　furlong　of　it　a thousand　times　and　never　know　that　it　was　there。　and　looking　down　this　valley　he　will　see neither　grass　nor　water　nor　anything　else　good。　but　if　he　rides　on　down　it　he　will　e　to　a river　and　can　ride　by　the　water　all　the　way　into　archenland。”
〃and　do　the　calormenes　know　of　this　western　way？〃　asked　the　queen。
〃friends；　friends；〃　said　edmund；　〃what　is　the　use　of　all　this　discourse？　we are　not　asking　whether　narnia　or　calormen　would　win　if　war　arose　between　them。　we　are asking　how　to　save　the　honour　of　the　queen　and　our　own　lives　out　of　this　devilish　city。 for　though　my　brother；　peter　the　high　king；　defeated　the　tisroc　a　dozen　times　over；　yet long　before　that　day　our　throats　would　be　cut　and　the　queens　grace　would　be　the　wife；　or more　likely；　the　slave；　of　this　prince。”
〃we　have　our　weapons；　king；〃　said　the　first　dwarf。　〃and　this　is　a reasonably　defensible　house。”
〃as　to　that；〃　said　the　king；　〃i　do　not　doubt　that　every　one　of　us　would sell　our　lives　dearly　in　the　gate　and　they　would　not　e　at　the　queen　but　over　our　dead bodies。　yet　we　should　be　merely　rats　fighting　in　a　trap　when　alls　said。”
〃very　true；〃　croaked　the　raven。　〃these　last　stands　in　a　house　make　good stories；　but　nothing　ever　came　of　them。　after　their　first　few　repulses　the　enemy　always set　the　house　on　fire。”
〃i　am　the　cause　of　all　this；〃　said　susan；　bursting　into　tears。　〃oh；　if　only i　had　never　left　cair　paravel。　our　last　happy　day　was　before　those　ambassadors　came　from calormen。
the　moles　were　planting　an　orchard　for　us　。　。　。　oh　。　。　。　oh。”
and　she　buried　her　face　in　her　hands　and　sobbed。
〃courage；　su；　courage；〃　said　edmund。　〃remember…but　what　is　the　matter　with you；　master　tumnus？〃　for　the　faun　was　holding　both　his　horns　with　his　hands　as if　he　were
trying　to　keep　his　head　on　by　them　and　writhing　to　and　fro　as　if　he　had　a pain　in　his　inside。
〃dont　speak　to　me；　dont　speak　to　me；〃　said　tumnus。　〃im　thinking。　im thinking　so　that　i　can　hardly　breathe。　wait；　wait；　do　wait。”
there　was　a　moments　puzzled　silence　and　then　the　faun　looked　up；　drew　a long　breath；　mopped　its　forehead　and　said： 〃the　only　difficulty　is　how　to　get　down　to　our　ship…with　some　stores；　too…　without　being　seen　and　stopped。”
〃yes；〃　said　a　dwarf　dryly。　〃just　as　the　beggars　only　difficulty　about riding　is　that　he　has　no　horse。”
〃wait；　wait；〃　said　mr　tumnus　impatiently。　〃all　we　need　is　some　pretext　for going　down　to　our　ship　today　and　taking　stuff　on　board。”
〃yes；〃　said　king　edmund　doubtfully。
〃well；　then；〃　said　the　faun；　〃how　would　it　be　if　your　majesties　bade　the prince　to　a　great　banquet　to　be　held　on　board　our　own　galleon；　the　spendour　hyaline；　tomorrow night？
and　let　the　message　be　worded　as　graciously　as　the　queen　can　contrive without　pledging　her　honour：　so　as　to　give　the　prince　a　hope　that　she　is　weakening。”
〃this　is　very　good　counsel；　sire；〃　croaked　the　raven。
〃and　then；〃　continued　tumnus　excitedly；　〃everyone　will　expect　us　to　be going　down　to　the　ship　all　day；　making　preparations　for　our　guests。　and　let　some　of　us　go to　the　bazaars　and　spend　every　minim　we　have　at　the　fruiterers　and　the　sweetmeat　sellers and　the　wine　merchants；　just　as　we　would　if　we　were　really　giving　a　feast。　and　let　us order　magicians　and　jugglers　and　dancing　girls　and　flute　players；　all　to　be　on　board tomorrow　night。”
〃i　see；　i　see；〃　said　king　edmund；　rubbing　his　hands。
〃and　then；〃　said　tumnus；　〃well　all　be　on　board　tonight。　and　as　soon　as　it is　quite　dark…”
〃up　sails　and　out　oars…！〃　said　the　king。
〃and　so　to　sea；〃　cried　tumnus；　leaping　up　and　beginning　to　dance。
〃and　our　nose　northward；〃　said　the　first　dwarf。
〃running　for　home！　hurrah　for　narnia　and　the　north！〃　said　the　other。
〃and　the　prince　waking　next　morning　and　finding　his　birds　flown！〃　said peridan；　clapping　his　hands。
〃oh　master　tumnus；　dear　master　tumnus；〃　said　the　queen；　catching　his　hands and　swinging　with　him　as　he　danced。　〃you　have　saved　us　all。”
〃the　prince　will　chase　us；〃　said　another　lord；　whose　name　shasta　had　not heard。
〃thats　the　least　of　my　fears；〃　said　edmund。　〃i　have　seen　all　the　shipping in　the　river　and　theres　no　tall　ship　of　war　nor　swift　galley　there。　i　wish　he　may　chase　us！ for　the　splendour　hyaline　could　sink　anything　he　has　to　send　after　her　…　if　we　were overtaken　at　all。”
〃sire；〃　said　the　raven。　〃you　shall　hear　no　better　plot　than　the　fauns though　we　sat　in　council　for　seven　days。　and　now；　as　we　birds　say；　nests　before　eggs。　which is　as　much　as　to　say；　let　us　all　take　our　food　and　then　at　once　be　about　our　business。”
everyone　arose　at　this　and　the　doors　were　opened　and　the　lords　and　the creatures　stood　aside　for　the　king　and　queen　to　go　out　first。　shasta　wondered　what　he　ought to　do；　but　mr　tumnus　said；　〃lie　there；　your　highness；　and　i　will　bring　you　up　a　little feast　to　yourself　in　a　few　moments。　there　is　no　need　for　you　to　move　until　we　are all　ready　to　embark。”
shasta　laid　his　head　down　again　on　the　pillows　and　soon　he　was　alone　in　the room。
〃this　is　perfectly　dreadful；〃　thought　shasta。　it　never　came　into　his　head to　tell　these　narnians　the　whole　truth　and　ask　for　their　help。　having　been　brought　up　by a　hard；　closefisted　man　like　arsheesh；　he　had　a　fixed　habit　of　never　telling　grown　…ups　anything　if　he　could　help　it：　he　thought　they　would　always　spoil　or　stop　whatever　you were　trying　to　do。　and　he　thought　that　even　if　the　narnian　king　might　be　friendly　to　the two　horses；　because　they　were　talking　beasts　of　narnia；　he　would　hate　aravis；　because she　was　a　calormene；　and　either　sell　her　for　a　slave　or　send　her