《The Horse and His Boy》第16章

it　was　getting　dark　by　now。　then　the　watch　took　me　along　to　lock　me　up somewhere。　so　i　asked　them　if　theyd　like　a　stoup　of　wine　and　they　said　they　didnt　mind if　they　did。　then　i　took　them　to　a　wine　shop　and　got　them　some　and　they　all　sat　down　and drank　till　they　feel　asleep。　i　thought　it　was　time　for　me　to　be　off　so　i　came　out　quietly and　then　i　found　the　first　boy　…　the　one　who　had　started　all　the　trouble　…　still　hanging about。　so　i　knocked　him　down　again。　after　that　i　climbed　up　a　pipe　on　to　the　roof　of　a　house and　lay　quiet　till　it　began　to　get　light　this　morning。　ever　since　that　ive　been　finding　my way　back。　i　say；　is　there　anything　to　drink？”
〃no；　i　drank　it；〃　said　shasta。　〃and　now；　show　me　how　you　got　in。　theres not　a　minute　to　lose。　youd　better　lie　down　on　the　sofa　and　pretend…but　i　forgot。　itll　be no　good　with　all　those　bruises　and　black　eye。　youll　just　have　to　tell　them　the　truth；　once im　safely　away。”
〃what　else　did　you　think　id　be　telling　them？〃　asked　the　prince　with　a rather　angry　look。
〃and　who　are　you？”
〃theres　no　time；〃　said　shasta　in　a　frantic　whisper。　〃im　a　narnian；　i believe；　something　northern　anyway。　but　ive　been　brought　up　all　my　life　in　calormen。　and　im escaping：　across　the　desert；　with　a　talking　horse　called　bree。　and　now；　quick！　how　do i　get　away？”
〃look；〃　said　corin。　〃drop　from　this　window　on　to　the　roof　of　the　verandah。 but　you　must　do　it　lightly；　on　your　toes；　or　someone　will　hear　you。　then　along　to　your left　and　you　can　get　up　to　the　top　of　that　wall　if　youre　any　good　at　all　as　a　climber。　then along　the　wall　to　the　corner。　drop　onto　the　rubbish　heap　you　will　find　outside；　and　there　you are。”
〃thanks；〃　said　shasta；　who　was　already　sitting　on　the　sill。　the　two　boys were　looking　into　each　others　faces　and　suddenly　found　that　they　were　friends。
〃good…bye；〃　said　corin。　〃and　good　luck。　i　do　hope　you　get　safe　away。”
〃good…bye；〃　said　shasta。　〃i　say；　you　have　been　having　some　adventures。”
〃nothing　to　yours；〃　said　the　prince。　〃now　drop；　lightlyi　say；〃　he　added　as shasta　dropped。　〃i　hope　we　meet　in　archenland。　go　to　my　father　king　lune　and　tell him　youre　a　friend　of　mine。　look　out！　i　hear　someone　ing。”
/d/
CHAPTER　SIX
！小＄说＾网＆
shasta　among　the　tombs shasta　ran　lightly　along　the　roof　on　tiptoes。　it　felt　hot　to　his　bare　feet。 he　was　only　a　few　seconds　scrambling　up　the　wall　at　the　far　end　and　when　he　got　to　the corner　he　found　himself　looking　down　into　a　narrow；　smelly　street；　and　there　was　a　rubbish heap　against　the　outside　of　the　wall　just　as　corin　had　told　him。　before　jumping　down　he took　a　rapid　glance　round　him　to　get　his　bearings。　apparently　he　had　now　e　over　the crown　of　the　island…hill　on　which　tashbaan　is　built。　everything　sloped　away　before　him； flat　roofs　below　flat　roofs；　down　to　the　towers　and　battlements　of　the　citys　northern wall。　beyond　that　was　the　river　and　beyond　the　river　a　short　slope　covered　with　gardens。 but　beyond　that　again　there　was　something　he　had　never　seen　the　like　of　…　a　great yellowish…grey　thing；　flat　as　a　calm　sea；　and　stretching　for　miles。　on　the　far　side　of　it were　huge　blue　things；　lumpy　but　with　jagged　edges；　and　some　of　them　with　white　tops。　〃the desert！　the　mountains！〃　thought　shasta。
he　jumped　down　on　to　the　rubbish　and　began　trotting　along　downhill　as　fast as　he　could　in　the　narrow　lane；　which　soon　brought　him　into　a　wider　street　where　there were　more　people。　no　one　bothered　to　look　at　a　little　ragged　boy　running　along　on bare　feet。　still；　he　was　anxious　and　uneasy　till　he　turned　a　corner　and　there　saw　the　city　gate in　front　of　him。
here　he　was　pressed　and　jostled　a　bit；　for　a　good　many　other　people　were also　going　out；　and　on　the　bridge　beyond　the　gate　the　crowd　became　quite　a　slow　procession； more　like　a　queue　than　a　crowd。　out　there；　with　clear　running　water　on　each　side；　it was　deliciously　fresh　after　the　smell　and　heat　and　noise　of　tashbaan。
when　once　shasta　had　reached　the　far　end　of　the　bridge　he　found　the　crowd melting　away；　everyone　seemed　to　be　going　either　to　the　left　or　right　along　the river　bank。　he　went　straight　ahead　up　a　road　that　did　not　appear　to　be　much　used；　between gardens。　in　a　few　paces　he　was　alone；　and　a　few　more　brought　him　to　the　top　of　the　slope。 there　he　stood　and　stared。　it　was　like　ing　to　the　end　of　the　world　for　all　the grass　stopped　quite　suddenly　a　few　feet　before　him　and　the　sand　began：　endless　level　sand　like on　a　sea　shore　but　a　bit　rougher　because　it　was　never　wet。　the　mountains；　which　now　looked further　off　than　before；　loomed　ahead。　greatly　to　his　relief　he　saw；　about　five minutes　walk　away　on　his　left；　what　must　certainly　be　the　tombs；　just　as　bree　had　described them；　great　masses　of　mouldering　stone　shaped　like　gigantic　bee…hive；　but　a　little　narrower。 they　looked　very　black　and　grim；　for　the　sun　was　now　setting　right　behind　them。
he　turned　his　face　west　and　trotted　towards　the　tombs。　he　could　not　help looking　out　very　hard　for　any　sign　of　his　friends；　though　the　setting　sun　shone　in　his face　so　that　he　could　see　hardly　anything。　〃and　anyway；〃　he　thought；　〃of　course　theyll　be round　on　the　far　side　of　the　farthest　tomb；　not　this　side　where　anyone　might　see　them from　the　city。”
there　were　about　twelve　tombs；　each　with　a　low　arched　doorway　that　opened into　absolute　blackness。　they　were　dotted　about　in　no　kind　of　order；　so　that　it took　a　long　time；　going　round　this　one　and　going　round　that　one；　before　you　could　be sure　that　you　had　looked　round　every　side　of　every　tomb。　this　was　what　shasta　had　to　do。 there　was　nobody　there。
it　was　very　quiet　here　out　on　the　edge　of　the　desert；　and　now　the　sun　had really　set。
suddenly　from　somewhere　behind　him　there　came　a　terrible　sound。　shastas heart　gave　a　great　jump　and　he　had　to　bite　his　tongue　to　keep　himself　from　screaming。 next　moment　he　realized　what　it　was：　the　horns　of　tashbaan　blowing　for　the　closing　of the　gates。
〃dont　be　a　silly　little　coward；〃　said　shasta　to　himself。　〃why；　its　only the　same　noise　you　heard　this　morning。〃　but　there　is　a　great　difference　between　a　noise　heard letting　you　in　with　your　friends　in　the　morning；　and　a　noise　heard　al