《The Horse and His Boy》第36章

ooked　you　could　see　people　tightening　girths； putting　on　helmets；　drawing　swords；　and　throwing　cloaks　to　the　ground。　there　was hardly　any　talking　now。　it　was　very　solemn　and　very　dreadful。　〃im　in　for　it　now　…　i really　am　in　for　it　now；〃　thought　shasta。　then　there　came　noises　far　ahead：　the　sound　of　many men　shouting　and　a　steady　thud…thud…thud 〃battering　ram；〃　whispered　corin。　〃theyre　battering　the　gate。”
even　corin　looked　quite　serious　now。
〃why　doesnt　king　edmund　get　on？〃　he　said。　〃i　can　stand　this　waiting about。　chilly　too。”
shasta　nodded：　hoping　he　didnt　look　as　frightened　as　felt。
the　trumpet　at　last！　on　the　move　now　…　now　trotting　the　banner　streaming out　in　the　wind。　they　had　topped　low　ridge　now；　and　below　them　the　whole　scene　sudden opened　out；　a　little；　many…towered　castle　with　its　gate　towards　them。　no　moat； unfortunately；　but　of　course　the　gate　shut　and　the　portcullis　down。　on　the　walls　they　could see；　like　little　white　dots；　the　faces　of　the　defenders。　down　below；　about　fifty　of　the calormenes；　dismounted；　were　steadily　swinging　a　great　tree　trunk　against　the　gate。　but at　once　the　scene　changed。　the　main　bulk　of　rabadashs　men　had　been　on　foot　ready　to assault　the　gate。　but　now　he　had　seen　the　narnians　sweeping　down　from　the　ridge。　there is　no　doubt　those　calormenes　are　wonderfully　trained。　it　seemed　to　shasta　only　a　second before　a　whole　line　of　the　enemy　were　on　horseback　again；　wheeling　round　to　meet them；　swinging　towards　them。
and　now　a　gallop。　the　ground　between　the　two　armies　grew　less　every　moment。 faster；　faster。　all　swords　out　now；　all　shields　up　to　the　nose；　all　prayers　said； all　teeth　clenched。
shasta　was　dreadfully　frightened。　but　it　suddenly　came　into　his　head；　〃if you　funk　this；　youll　funk　every　battle　all　your　life。　now　or　never。”
but　when　at　last　the　two　lines　met　he　had　really　very　littler　idea　of　what happened。　there　was　a　frightful　confusion‘；　and　an　appalling　noise。　his　sword　was　knocked clean　out　of　his　hand　pretty　soon。　and　hed　got　the　reins　tangled　somehow。　then　he　found himself　slipping。　then　a　spear　came　straight　at　him　and　as　he　ducked　to　avoid　it　he rolled　right　off　his　horse；　bashed　his　left　knuckles　terribly　against　someone　elses　armour； and　then　…　but　it　is　no　use　trying　to　describe　the　battle　from　shastas　point　of　view；　he understood　too　little　of　the　fight　in　general　and　even　of　his　own　part　in　it。　the　best　way i　can　tell　you　what　really　happened　is　to　take　you　some　miles　away　to　where　the　hermit　of the　southern　march　sat　gazing　into　the　smooth　pool　beneath　the　spreading　tree；　with　bree and　hwin　and　aravis　beside　him。
for　it　was　in　this　pool　that　the　hermit　looked　when　he　wanted　to　know　what was　going　on　in　the　world　outside　the　green　walls　of　his　hermitage。　there；　as　in　a mirror；　he　could　see；　at　certain　times；　what　was　going　on　in　the　streets　of　cities　far farther　south　than　tashbaan；　or　what　ships　were　putting　into　redhaven　in　the　remote　seven isles；　or　what　robbers　or　wild　beasts　stirred　in　the　great　western　forests　between　lantern waste　and　telmar。　and　all　this　day　he　had　hardly　left　his　pool；　even　to　eat　or　drink； for　he　knew　that　great　events　were　on　foot　in　archenland。　aravis　and　the　horses　gazed　into it　too。　they　could　see　it　was　a　magic　pool：　instead　of　reflecting　the　tree　and　the　sky it　revealed　cloudy　and　coloured　shapes　moving；　always　moving；　in　its　depths。　but　they　could see　nothing　clearly。　the　hermit　could　and　from　time　to　time　he　told　them　what　he　saw。　a little　while　before　shasta　rode　into　his　first　battle；　the　hermit　had　begun　speaking like　this： 〃i　see　one　…　two　…　three　eagles　wheeling　in　the　gap　by　stormness　head。　one is　the　oldest　of　all　the　eagles。　he　would　not　be　out　unless　battle　was　at　hand。　i　see　him wheel　to　and　fro；　peering　down　sometimes　at　anvard　and　sometimes　to　the　east；　behind stormness。　ah　…　i　see　now　what　rabadash　and　his　men　have　been　so　busy　at　all　day。　they have　felled　and　lopped　a　great　tree　and　they　are　now　ing　out　of　the　woods　carrying it　as　a　ram。
they　have　learned　something　from　the　failure　of　last　nights　assult。　he would　have　been　wiser　if　he　had　set　his　men　to　making　ladders：　but　it　takes　too　long　and　he is　impatient。
fool　that　he　is！　he　ought　to　have　ridden　back　to　tashbaan　as　soon　as　the first　attack　failed；　for　his　whole　plan　depended　on　speed　and　surprise。　now　they　are bringing　their　ram　into　position。　king　lunes　men　are　shooting　hard　from　the　walls。　five calormenes　have　fallen：　but　not　many　will。　they　have　their　shields　above　their　heads。 rabadash　is　giving　his　orders　now。　with　him　are　his　most　trusted　lords；　fierce　tarkaans from　the　eastern　provinces。　i　can　see　their　faces。　there　is　corradin　of　castle tormunt；　and　azrooh；　and　chlamash；　and　ilgamuth　of　the　twisted　lip；　and　a　tall　tarkaan　with　a crimson　beard　…”
〃by　the　mane；　my　old　master　anradin！〃　said　bree。
〃s…s…sly〃　said　aravis。
〃now　the　ram　has　started。　if　i　could　hear　as　well　as　see；　what　a　noise　that would　make！
stroke　after　stroke：　and　no　gate　can　stand　it　for　ever。　but　wait！　something up　by　stormness　has　scared　the　birds。　theyre　ing　out　in　masses。　and　wait again　。　。　。　i　cant　see　yet　。　。　。　ah！　now　i　can。　the　whole　ridge；　up　on　the　east；　is　black　with horsemen。　if
only　the　wind　would　catch　that　standard　and　spread　it　out。　theyre　over　the ridge　now；　whoever　they　are。　aha！　ive　seen　the　banner　now。　narnia；　narnia！　its　the red　lion。
theyre　in　full　career　down　the　hill　now。　i　can　see　king　edmund。　theres　a woman　behind　among　the　archers。　oh！　…”
〃what　is　it？〃　asked　hwin　breathlessly。
〃all　his　cats　are　dashing　out　from　the　left　of　the　line。”
〃cats？〃　said　aravis。
〃great　cats；　leopards　and　such；〃　said　the　hermit　impatiently。　〃i　see；　i see。　the　cats　are　ing　round　in　a　circle　to　get　at　the　horses　of　the　dismounted　men。　a　good stroke。　the　calormene　horses　are　mad　with　terror　already。　now　the　cats　are　in　among them。　but　rabadash　has　reformed　his　line　and　has　a　hundred　men　in　the　saddle。　theyre riding　to　meet　the　narnians。　theres　only　a　hundred　yards　between　the　two　lines　now。 only　fifty。　i　can　see　king　edmund；　i　can　see　the　lord　peridan。　there　are　two　mere c