《The Horse and His Boy》第40章

k。　id　be　just　as　pleased　…　or　very　nearly　…　at　finding　hes my　father　even　if　he　wasnt　a　king。　even　though　education　and　all　sorts　of　horrible　things　are going　to　happen　to　me。　but　you　want　the　story。　well；　corin　and　i　were　twins。　and　about　a week　after　we　were　both　born；　apparently；　they　took　us　to　a　wise　old　centaur　in　narnia　to be　blessed　or　something。　now　this　centaur　was　a　prophet　as　a　good　many　centaurs　are。 perhaps　you　havent　seen　any　centaurs　yet？　there　were　some　in　the　battle　yesterday。 most　remarkable　people；　but　i　cant　say　i　feel　quite　at　home　with　them　yet。　i　say；　aravis； there　are　going　to　be　a　lot　of　things　to　get　used　to　in　these　northern　countries。”
〃yes；　there　are；〃　said　aravis。　〃but　get　on　with　the　story。”
〃well；　as　soon　as　he　saw　corin　and　me；　it　seems　this　centaur　looked　at　me and　said；　a　day　will　e　when　that　boy　will　save　archenland　from　the　deadliest　danger in　which　ever　she　lay。　so　of　course　my　father　and　mother　were　very　pleased。　but there　was　someone　present　who　wasnt。　this　was　a　chap　called　the　lord　bar　who　had been　fathers　lord　chancellor。　and　apparently　hed　done　something　wrong　…　bezzling　or some　word　like　that　…　i　didnt　understand　that　part　very　well　…　and　father　had　had　to dismiss　him。　but　nothing　else　was　done　to　him　and　he　was　allowed　to　go　on　living　in archenland。　but　he　must　have　been　as　bad　as　he　could　be；　for　it　came　out　afterwards　he　had been　in　the　pay　of　the　tisroc　and　had　sent　a　lot　of　secret　information　to　tashbaan。　so　as soon　as　he　heard　i　was　going　to　save　archenland　from　a　great　danger　he　decided　i　must　be　put out　of　the
way。　well；　he　succeeded　in　kidnapping　me　（i　dont　exactly　know　how）　and rode　away　down　the　winding　arrow　to　the　coast。　hed　had　everything　prepared　and　there was　a　ship　manned　with　his　own　followers　lying　ready　for　him　and　he　put　out　to　sea with　me　on　board。　but　father　got　wind　of　it；　though　not　quite　in　time；　and　was　after him　as　quickly　as　he　could。　the　lord　bar　was　already　at　sea　when　father　reached　the　coast； but　not　out　of　sight。　and　father　was　embarked　in　one　of　his　own　warships　within　twenty minutes。
〃it　must　have　been　a　wonderful　chase。　they　were　six　days　following　bars galleon　and　brought　her　to　battle　on　the　seventh。　it　was　a　great　sea…fight　（i　heard　a lot　about　it　yesterday　evening）　from　ten　oclock　in　the　morning　till　sunset。　our　people took　the　ship　in　the　end。　but　i　wasnt　there。　the　lord　bar　himself　had　been　killed　in　the battle。　but　one　of　his　men　said　that；　early　that　morning；　as　soon　as　he　saw　he　was　certain to　be　overhauled；　bar　had　given　me　to　one　of　his　knights　and　sent　us　both　away　in the　ships　boat。　and　that　boat　was　never　seen　again。　but　of　course　that　was　the　same boat　that　aslan　（he　seems　to　be　at　the　back　of　all　the　stories）　pushed　ashore　at　the　right place　for　arsheesh　to　pick　me　up。　i　wish　i　knew　that　knights　name；　for　he　must　have kept　me　alive　and　starved　himself　to　do　it。”
〃i　suppose　aslan　would　say　that　was　part　of　someone　elses　story；〃　said aravis。
〃i　was　forgetting　that；〃　said　cor。
〃and　i　wonder　how　the　prophecy　will　work　out；〃　said　aravis；　〃and　what　the great　danger　is　that　youre　to　save　archenland　from。”
〃well；〃　said　cor　rather　awkwardly；　〃they　seem　to　think　ive　done　it already。”
aravis　clapped　her　hands。　〃why；　of　course！〃　she　said。　〃how　stupid　i　am。　and how　wonderful！　archenland　can　never　be　in　much　greater　danger　than　it　was　when rabadash　had　crossed　the　arrow　with　his　two　hundred　horse　and　you　hadnt　yet　got through　with　your　message。　dont　you　feel　proud？”
〃i　think　i　feel　a　bit　scared；〃　said　cor。
〃and　youll　be　living　at　anvard　now；〃　said　aravis　rather　wistfully。
〃oh！〃　said　cor；　〃id　nearly　forgotten　what　i　came　about。　father　wants　you to　e　and　live　with　us。　he　says　theres　been　no　lady　in　the　court　（they　call　it　the court；　i　dont　know　why）　since　mother　died。　do；　aravis。　youll　like　father　…　and　corin。　theyre not　like　me；　theyve　been　properly　brought　up。　you　neednt　be　afraid　that　…”
〃oh　stop　it；〃　said　aravis；　〃or　well　have　a　real　fight。　of　course　ill e。”
〃now　lets　go　and　see　the　horses；〃　said　cor。
there　was　a　great　and　joyous　meeting　between　bree　and　cor；　and　bree；　who was　still　in　a　rather　subdued　frame　of　mind；　agreed　to　set　out　for　anvard　at　once：　he　and hwin　would　cross　into　narnia　on　the　following　day。　all　four　bade　an　affectionate farewell　to　the　hermit　and　promised　that　they　would　soon　visit　him　again。　by　about　the middle　of　the　morning　they　were　on　their　way。　the　horses　had　expected　that　aravis　and　cor would　ride；　but　cor　explained　that　except　in　war；　where　everyone　must　do　what　he can　do　best；　no　one　in　narnia　or　archenland　ever　dreamed　of　mounting　a　talking　horse。
this　reminded　poor　bree　again　of　how　little　he　knew　about　narnian　customs and　what　dreadful　mistakes　he　might　make。　so　while　hwin　strolled　along　in　a　happy dream；　bree　got　more　nervous　and　more　self…conscious　with　every　step　he　took。
〃buck　up；　bree；〃　said　cor。　〃its　far　worse　for　me　than　for　you。　you　arent going　to　be　educated。　i　shall　be　learning　reading　and　writing　and　heraldry　and　dancing and　history　and　music　while　youll　be　galloping　and　rolling　on　the　hills　of　narnia　to your　hearts　content。”
〃but　thats　just　the　point；〃　groaned　bree。　〃do　talking　horses　roll？ supposing　they　dont？
i　cant　bear　to　give　it　up。　what　do　you　think；　hwin？”
〃im　going　to　roll　anyway；〃　said　hwin。　〃i　dont　suppose　any　of　them　will care　two　lumps　of　sugar　whether　you　roll　or　not。”
〃are　we　near　that　castle？〃　said　bree　to　cor。
〃round　the　next　bend；〃　said　the　prince。
〃well；〃　said　bree；　〃im　going　to　have　a　good　one　now：　it　may　be　the　last。 wait　for　me　a　minute。”
it　was　five　minutes　before　he　rose　again；　blowing　hard　and　covered　with bits　of　bracken。
〃now　im　ready；〃　he　said　in　a　voice　of　profound　gloom。　〃lead　on；　prince cor；　narnia　and　the　north。”
but　he　looked　more　like　a　horse　going　to　a　funeral　than　a　long…lost　captive returning　to　home　and　freedom。
。d 。
CHAPTER　FIFTEEN
，＿
rabadash　the　ridiculous
the　next　turn　of　the　road…　brought　them　out　from　among　the　trees　and　there； across　green　lawns；　sheltered　from　the　north　wind　by　th