《The Horse and His Boy》第17章

noise　heard　alone　at　nightfall； shutting　you　out。
and　now　that　the　gates　were　shut　he　knew　there　was　no　chance　of　the　others joining　him　that　evening。　〃either　theyre　shut　up　in　tashbaan　for　the　night；〃　thought shasta；　〃or　else　theyve　gone　on　without　me。　its　just　the　sort　of　thing　that　aravis　would do。　but　bree　wouldnt。　oh；　he　wouldnt。　…　now；　would　he？”
in　this　idea　about　aravis　shasta　was　once　more　quite　wrong。　she　was　proud and　could　be　hard　enough　but　she　was　as　true　as　steel　and　would　never　have　deserted　a panion；　whether　she　liked　him　or　not。
now　that　shasta　knew　he　would　have　to　spend　the　night　alone　（it　was　getting darker　every　minute）　he　began　to　like　the　look　of　the　place　less　and　less。　there was　something　very　unfortable　about　those　great；　silent　shapes　of　stone。　he　had　been trying　his　hardest　for　a　long　time　not　to　think　of　ghouls：　but　he　couldnt　keep　it　up any　longer。
〃ow！　ow！　help！〃　he　shouted　suddenly；　for　at　that　very　moment　he　felt something　touch　his　leg。　i　dont　think　anyone　can　be　blamed　for　shouting　if　something　es up　from　behind　and　touches　him；　not　in　such　a　place　and　at　such　a　time；　when　he　is frightened　already。　shasta　at　any　rate　was　too　frightened　to　run。　anything　would　be better　than　being　chased　round　and　round　the　burial　places　of　the　ancient　kings　with something　he　dared　not　look　at　behind　him。　instead；　he　did　what　was　really　the　most　sensible thing　he　could　do。　he　looked　round；　and　his　heart　almost　burst　with　relief。　what　had touched　him　was　only　a　cat。
the　light　was　too　bad　now　for　shasta　to　see　much　of　the　cat　except　that　it was　big　and　very　solemn。　it　looked　as　if　it　might　have　lived　for　long；　long　years　among the　tombs；　alone。　its　eyes　made　you　think　it　knew　secrets　it　would　not　tell。
〃puss；　puss；〃　said　shasta。　〃i　suppose　youre　not　a　talking　cat。”
the　cat　stared　at　him　harder　than　ever。　then　it　started　walking　away；　and of　course　shasta　followed　it。　it　led　him　right　through　the　tombs　and　out　on　the　desert　side of　them。　there　it　sat　down　bolt　upright　with　its　tail　curled　round　its　feet　and　its　face　set towards　the　desert　and　towards　narnia　and　the　north；　as　still　as　if　it　were　watching　for　some enemy。　shasta　lay　down　beside　it　with　his　back　against　the　cat　and　his　face　towards　the tombs；　because　if　one　is　nervous　theres　nothing　like　having　your　face　towards　the　danger and　having　something　warm　and　solid　at　your　back。　the　sand　wouldnt　have　seemed　very　fortable　to　you；　but　shasta　had　been　sleeping　on　the　ground　for　weeks and　hardly　noticed　it。　very　soon　he　fell　asleep；　though　even　in　his　dreams　he　went　on wondering　what　had　happened　to　bree　and　aravis　and　hwin。
he　was　wakened　suddenly　by　a　noise　he　had　never　heard　before。　〃perhaps　it was　only　a　nightmare；〃　said　shasta　to　himself。　at　the　same　moment　he　noticed　that　the cat　had　gone　from　his　back；　and　he　wished　it　hadnt。　but　he　lay　quite　still　without　even opening　his　eyes　because　he　felt　sure　he　would　be　more　frightened　if　he　sat　up　and looked　round　at　the　tombs　and　the　loneliness：　just　as　you　or　i　might　lie　still　with　the clothes　over　our　heads。　but　then　the　noise　came　again　…　a　harsh；　piercing　cry　from　behind him　out　of　the　desert。　then　of　course　he　had　to　open　his　eyes　and　sit　up。
the　moon　was　shining　brightly。　the　tombs　…　far　bigger　and　nearer　than　he had　thought　they　would　be　…　looked　grey　in　the　moonlight。　in　fact；　they　looked　horribly like　huge　people；　draped　in　grey　robes　that　covered　their　heads　and　faces。　they　were not　at　all　nice　things　to　have　near　you　when　spending　a　night　alone　in　a　strange　place。　but the　noise　had　e　from　the　opposite　side；　from　the　desert。　shasta　had　to　turn　his　back on　the　tombs　（he　didnt　like　that　much）　and　stare　out　across　the　level　sand。　the　wild cry　rang　out　again。
〃i　hope　its　not　more　lions；〃　thought　shasta。　it　was　in　fact　not　very　like the　lions　roars　he　had　heard　on　the　night　when　they　met　hwin　and　aravis；　and　was　really　the cry　of　a　jackal。　but　of　course　shasta　did　not　know　this。　even　if　he　had　known；　he would　not　have　wanted　very　much　to　meet　a　jackal。
the　cries　rang　out　again　and　again。　〃theres　more　than　one　of　them； whatever　they　are；”
thought　shasta。　〃and　theyre　ing　nearer。”
i　suppose　that　if　he　had　been　an　entirely　sensible　boy　he　would　have　gone back　through　the　tombs　nearer　to　the　river　where　there　were　houses；　and　wild　beasts would　be　less　likely　to　e。　but　then　there　were　（or　he　thought　there　were）　the　ghouls。 to　go　back　through　the　tombs　would　mean　going　past　those　dark　openings　in　the　tombs； and　what　might　e　out　of　them？　it　may　have　been　silly；　but　shasta　felt　he　would rather　risk　the　wild　beasts。　then；　as　the　cries　came　nearer　and　nearer；　he　began　to　change his　mind。
he　was　just　going　to　run　for　it　when　suddenly；　between　him　and　the　desert； a　huge　animal　bounded　into　view。　as　the　moon　was　behind　it；　it　looked　quite　black；　and shasta　did　not　know　what　it　was；　except　that　it　had　a　very　big；　shaggy　head　and　went　on four　legs。　it　did　not　seem　to　have　noticed　shasta；　for　it　suddenly　stopped；　turned　its　head towards　the　desert　and　let　out　a　roar　which　re…echoed　through　the　tombs　and　seemed　to shake　the　sand　under　shastas　feet。　the　cries　of　the　other　creatures　suddenly　stoppd and　he　thought　he　could　hear　feet　scampering　away。　then　the　great　beast　turned　to　examine shasta。
〃its　a　lion；　i　know　its　a　lion；〃　thought　shasta。　〃im　done。　i　wonder　will it　hurt　much。　i　wish　it　was　over。　i　wonder　does　anything　happen　to　people　after　theyre dead。　o…o…oh！
here　it　es！〃　and　he　shut　his　eyes　and　his　teeth　tight。
but　instead　of　teeth　and　claws　he　only　felt　something　warm　lying　down　at his　feet。　and　when　he　opened　his　eyes　he　said；　〃why；　its　not　nearly　as　big　as　i　thought！ its　only　half　the　size。　no；　it　isnt　even　quarter　the　size。　i　do　declare　its　only　the cat！！　i　must　have　dreamed　all　that　about　its　being　as　big　as　a　horse。”
and　whether　he　really　had　been　dreaming　or　not；　what　was　now　lying　at　his feet；　and　staring　him　out　of　countenance　with　its　big；　green；　unwinking　eyes；　was　the cat；　though　certainly　one　of　the　largest　cats　he　had　ever　seen。
〃oh；　puss；〃　gasped　shasta。　〃i　am　so　glad　to　see　you　ag