《The Horse and His Boy》第25章

for　the　next　few　seconds　aravis　was　busy　kissing　the　noses　and　patting　the necks　of　hwin　and　bree　just　as　if　they　were　quite　ordinary　horses。
〃and　here　es　shasta！　thanks　be　to　the　lion！〃　said　bree。
aravis　looked　round；　and　there；　right　enough；　was　shasta　who　had　e　out of　hiding　the　moment　he　saw　the　groom　going　away。
〃and　now；〃　said　aravis。　〃theres　not　a　moment　to　lose。〃　and　in　hasty　words she　told　them　about　rabadashs　expedition。
〃treacherous　hounds！〃　said　bree；　shaking　his　mane　and　stamping　with　his hoof。　〃an　attack　in　time　of　peace；　without　defiance　sent！　but　well　grease　his　oats for　him。　well　be　there　before　he　is。”
〃can　we？〃　said　aravis；　swinging　herself　into　hwins　saddle。　shasta　wished he　could　mount　like　that。
〃brooh…hoo！〃　snorted　bree。　〃up　you　get；　shasta。　can　we！　and　with　a　good start　too！”
〃he　said　he　was　going　to　start　at　once；〃　said　aravis。
〃thats　how　humans　talk；〃　said　bree。　〃but　you　dont　get　a　pany　of　two hundred　horse　and　horsemen　watered　and　victualled　and　armed　and　saddled　and　started　all in　a　minute。
now：　whats　our　direction？　due　north？
〃no；〃　said　shasta。　〃i　know　about　that。　ive　drawn　a　line。　ill　explain later。　bear　a　bit　to　our　left；　both　you　horses。　ah　here　it　is！”
〃now；〃　said　bree。　〃all　that　about　galloping　for　a　day　and　a　night；　like　in stories；　cant　really　be　done。　it　must　be　walk　and　trot：　but　brisk　trots　and　short　walks。 and　whenever　we　walk　you　two　humans　can　slip　off　and　walk　too。　now。　are　you　ready；　hwin？ off　we　go。　narnia　and　the　north！”
at　first　it　was　delightful。　the　night　had　now　been　going　on　for　so　many hours　that　the　sand　had　almost　finished　giving　back　all　the　sun…heat　it　had　received during　the　day；　and　the　air　was　cool；　fresh；　and　clear。　under　the　moonlight　the　sand；　in　every direction　and　as　far　as　they　could　see；　gleamed　as　if　it　were　smooth　water　or　a　great　silver tray。　except　for　the　noise　of　brees　and　hwins　hoofs　there　was　not　a　sound　to　be　heard。 shasta　would　nearly　have　fallen　asleep　if　he　had　not　had　to　dismount　and　walk　every　now and　then。
this　seemed　to　last　for　hours。　then　there　came　a　time　when　there　was　no longer　any　moon。　they　seemed　to　ride　in　the　dead　darkness　for　hours　and　hours。　and after　that　there　came　a　moment　when　shasta　noticed　that　he　could　see　brees　neck　and　head　in front　of　him　a　little　more　clearly　than　before；　and　slowly；　very　slowly；　he　began　to notice　the　vast　grey　flatness　on　every　side。　it　looked　absolutely　dead；　like　something　in　a dead　world；　and　shasta　felt　quite　terribly　tired　and　noticed　that　he　was　getting　cold and　that　his　lips　were　dry。　and　all　the　time　the　squeak　of　the　leather；　the　jingle　of　the bits；　and　the　noise　of　the　hoofs…not　propputtypropputty　as　it　would　be　on　a　hard　road；　but thubbudythubbudy　on　the　dry　sand。
at　last；　after　hours　of　riding；　far　away　on　his　right　there　came　a　single long　streak　of　paler　grey；　low　down　on　the　horizon。　then　a　streak　of　red。　it　was　the　morning　at last；　but　without　a　single　bird　to　sing　about　it。　he　was　glad　of　the　walking　bits now；　for　he　was　colder　than　ever。
then　suddenly　the　sun　rose　and　everything　changed　in　a　moment。　the　grey sand　turned　yellow　and　twinkled　as　if　it　was　strewn　with　diamonds。　on　their　left　the shadows　of　shasta　and　hwin　and　bree　and　aravis；　enormously　long；　raced　beside　them。 the　double　peak　of　mount　pire；　far　ahead；　flashed　in　the　sunlight　and　shasta　saw　they were　a　little　out　of　the　course。　〃a　bit　left；　a　bit　left；〃　he　sang　out。　best　of　all；　when you　looked　back；　tashbaan　was　already　small　and　remote。　the　tombs　were　quite　invisible： swallowed　up　in　that　single；　jagged…edged　hump　which　was　the　city　of　the　tisroc。 everyone　felt　better。
but　not　for　long。　though　tashbaan　looked　very　far　away　when　they　first　saw it；　it　refused　to　look　any　further　away　as　they　went　on。　shasta　gave　up　looking　back　at it；　for　it　only　gave　him　the　feeling　that　they　were　not　moving　at　all。　then　the　light became　a　nuisance。
the　glare　of　the　sand　made　his　eyes　ache：　but　he　knew　he　mustnt　shut　them。 he　must　screw　them　up　and　keep　on　looking　ahead　at　mount　pire　and　shouting　out directions。
then　came　the　heat。　he　noticed　it　for　the　first　time　when　he　had　to dismount　and　walk：　as　he　slipped　down　to　the　sand　the　heat　from　it　struck　up　into　his　face　as　if from　the　opening　of　an　oven　door。　next　time　it　was　worse。　but　the　third　time；　as　his　bare feet　touched　the　sand　he　screamed　with　pain　and　got　one　foot　back　in　the　stirrup　and　the other　half　over　brees　back　before　you　could　have　said　knife。
〃sorry；　bree；〃　he　gasped。　〃i　cant　walk。　it　burns　my　feet。〃　〃of　course！〃 panted　bree。
〃should　have　thought　of　that　myself。　stay　on。　cant　be　helped。”
〃its　all　right　for　you；〃　said　shasta　to　aravis　who　was　walking　beside hwin。　〃youve　got　shoes　on。”
aravis　said　nothing　and　looked　prim。　lets　hope　she　didnt　mean　to；　but　she did。
on　again；　trot　and　walk　and　trot；　jingle…jingle…jingle；　squeak…squeak…　squeak；　smell　of　hot　horse；　smell　of　hot　self；　blinding　glare；　headache。　and　nothing　at　all different　for　mile　after　mile。　tashbaan　would　never　look　any　further　away。　the　mountains　would never　look　any　nearer。　you　felt　this　had　been　going　on　for　always　…　jingle…　jingle…jingle；　squeaksqueak…squeak；　smell　of　hot　horse；　smell　of　hot　self。
of　course　one　tried　all　sorts　of　games　with　oneself　to　try　to　make　the　time pass：　and　of　course　they　were　all　no　good。　and　one　tried　very　hard　not　to　think　of drinks…iced　sherbet　in　a　palace　in　tashbaan；　clear　spring　water　tinkling　with　a　dark　earthy sound；　cold；　smooth　milk　just　creamy　enough　and　not　too　creamy　…　and　the　harder　you tried　not　to　think；　the　more　you　thought。
at　last　there　was　something　different　…　a　mass　of　rock　sticking　up　out　of the　sand　about　fifty　yards　long　and　thirty　feet　high。　it　did　not　cast　much　shadow；　for　the sun　was　now　very　high；　but　it　cast　a　little。　into　that　shade　they　crowded。　there　they ate　some　food　and　drank　a　little　water。　it　is　not　easy　giving　a　horse　a　drink　out　of　a　skin bottle；　but　bree　and　hwin　were　clever　with　their　lips。　no　one　had　anything　like　enough。　no　one spoke。　the　horses　were　flecked　with　foam　and　their　breathing　was　noisy。　t