《The Lion, the Witch and the War》第28章

at　each　other　and　held each　others　hands　for　mere　loneliness　and　cried　again；　and　then　again　were　silent。　at last　lucy　said； 〃i　cant　bear　to　look　at　that　horrible　muzzle。　i　wonder　could　we　take　if off？”
so　they　tried。　and　after　a　lot　of　working　at　it　（for　their　fingers　were cold　and　it　was　now　the　darkest　part　of　the　night）　they　succeeded。　and　when　they　saw　his　face without　it　they　burst　out　crying　again　and　kissed　it　and　fondled　it　and　wiped　away　the blood　and　the　foam　as　well　as　they　could。　and　it　was　all　more　lonely　and　hopeless　and horrid　than　i　know　how　to　describe。
〃i　wonder　could　we　untie　him　as　well？〃　said　susan　presently。　but　the enemies；　out　of　pure　spitefulness；　had　drawn　the　cords　so　tight　that　the　girls　could　make nothing　of　the　knots。
i　hope　no　one　who　reads　this　book　has　been　quite　as　miserable　as　susan　and lucy　were　that　night；　but　if　you　have　been　…　if　youve　been　up　all　night　and　cried till　you　have　no　more　tears　left　in　you　…　you　will　know　that　there　es　in　the　end　a　sort of　quietness。　you　feel　as　if　nothing　was　ever　going　to　happen　again。　at　any　rate　that　was　how it　felt　to　these　two。　hours　and　hours　seemed　to　go　by　in　this　dead　calm；　and　they　hardly noticed　that　they　were　getting　colder　and　colder。　but　at　last　lucy　noticed　two　other things。　one　was　that　the　sky　on　the　east　side　of　the　hill　was　a　little　less　dark　than　it had　been　an　hour　ago。
the　other　was　some　tiny　movement　going　on　in　the　grass　at　her　feet。　at first　she　took　no　interest　in　this。　what　did　it　matter？　nothing　mattered　now！　but　at　last　she saw　that　whatever…it…was　had　begun　to　move　up　the　upright　stones　of　the　stone　table。 and　now　whatever…they…were　were　moving　about　on　aslans　body。　she　peered　closer。 they　were　little　grey　things。
〃ugh！〃　said　susan　from　the　other　side　of　the　table。　〃how　beastly！　there　are horrid　little　mice　crawling　over　him。　go　away；　you　little　beasts。〃　and　she　raised　her hand　to　frighten　them　away。
〃wait！〃　said　lucy；　who　had　been　looking　at　them　more　closely　still。　〃can you　see　what　theyre　doing？”
both　girls　bent　down　and　stared。
〃i　do　believe　…〃　said　susan。　〃but　how　queer！　theyre　nibbling　away　at　the cords！”
〃thats　what　i　thought；〃　said　lucy。　〃i　think　theyre　friendly　mice。　poor little　things　…　they　dont　realize　hes　dead。　they　think　itll　do　some　good　untying　him。”
it　was　quite　definitely　lighter　by　now。　each　of　the　girls　noticed　for　the first　time　the　white　face　of　the　other。　they　could　see　the　mice　nibbling　away；　dozens　and dozens；　even　hundreds；　of　little　field　mice。　and　at　last；　one　by　one；　the　ropes　were　all gnawed　through。
the　sky　in　the　east　was　whitish　by　now　and　the　stars　were　getting　fainter　… all　except　one　very　big　one　low　down　on　the　eastern　horizon。　they　felt　colder　than　they had　been　all　night。　the　mice　crept　away　again。
the　girls　cleared　away　the　remains　of　the　gnawed　ropes。　aslan　looked　more like　himself　without　them。　every　moment　his　dead　face　looked　nobler；　as　the　light　grew and　they　could　see　it　better。
in　the　wood　behind　them　a　bird　gave　a　chuckling　sound。　it　had　been　so　still for　hours　and　hours　that　it　startled　them。　then　another　bird　answered　it。　soon　there　were birds　singing　all　over　the　place。
it　was　quite　definitely　early　morning　now；　not　late　night。
〃im　so　cold；〃　said　lucy。
〃so　am　i；〃　said　susan。　〃lets　walk　about　a　bit。”
they　walked　to　the　eastern　edge　of　the　hill　and　looked　down。　the　one　big star　had　almost　disappeared。　the　country　all　looked　dark　grey；　but　beyond；　at　the　very　end of　the　world；　the　sea　showed　pale。　the　sky　began　to　turn　red。　they　walked　to　ands　fro more　times　than　they　could　count　between　the　dead　aslan　and　the　eastern　ridge；　trying　to keep　warm；　and　oh；　how　tired　their　legs　felt。　then　at　last；　as　they　stood　for　a　moment looking　out　towards　they　sea　and　cair　paravel　（which　they　could　now　just　make　out）　the　red turned　to　gold　along　the　line　where　the　sea　and　the　sky　met　and　very　slowly　up　came　the edge　of　the　sun。
at　that　moment　they　heard　from　behind　them　a　loud　noise　…　a　great　cracking； deafening　noise　as　if　a　giant　had　broken　a　giants　plate。
〃whats　that？〃　said　lucy；　clutching　susans　arm。
〃i　…　i　feel　afraid　to　turn　round；〃　said　susan；　〃something　awful　is happening。”
〃theyre　doing　something　worse　to　him；〃　said　lucy。　〃e　on！〃　and　she turned；　pulling　susan　round　with　her。
the　rising　of　the　sun　had　made　everything　look　so　different　…　all　colours and　shadows　were　changed　that　for　a　moment　they　didnt　see　the　important　thing。　then they　did。　the　stone　table　was　broken　into　two　pieces　by　a　great　crack　that　ran　down　it from　end　to　end；　and　there　was　no　aslan。
〃oh；　oh；　oh！〃　cried　the　two　girls；　rushing　back　to　the　table。
〃oh；　its　too　bad；〃　sobbed　lucy；　〃they　might　have　left　the　body　alone。”
〃whos　done　it？〃　cried　susan。　〃what　does　it　mean？　is　it　magic？”
〃yes！〃　said　a　great　voice　behind　their　backs。　〃it　is　more　magic。〃　they looked　round。
there；　shining　in　the　sunrise；　larger　than　they　had　seen　him　before； shaking　his　mane　（for　it　had　apparently　grown　again）　stood　aslan　himself。
〃oh；　aslan！〃　cried　both　the　children；　staring　up　at　him；　almost　as　much frightened　as　they　were　glad。
〃arent　you　dead　then；　dear　aslan？〃　said　lucy。
〃not　now；〃　said　aslan。
〃youre　not　…　not　a　…　？〃　asked　susan　in　a　shaky　voice。　she　couldnt　bring herself　to　say　the　word　ghost。　aslan　stooped　his　golden　head　and　licked　her　forehead。　the warmth　of　his　breath　and　a　rich　sort　of　smell　that　seemed　to　hang　about　his　hair　came　all over　her。
〃do　i　look　it？〃　he　said。
〃oh；　youre　real；　youre　real！　oh；　aslan！〃　cried　lucy；　and　both　girls　flung themselves　upon　him　and　covered　him　with　kisses。
〃but　what　does　it　all　mean？〃　asked　susan　when　they　were　somewhat　calmer。
〃it　means；〃　said　aslan；　〃that　though　the　witch　knew　the　deep　magic；　there is　a　magic　deeper　still　which　she　did　not　know：　her　knowledge　goes　back　only　to　the dawn　of　time。
but　if　she　could　have　looked　a　little　further　back；　into　the　stillness　and the　darkness　before　time　dawned；　she　would　have　read　there　a　different　incantation。　she would　have　known　that　when　a　willing　victim　who　had　mitted　no　treachery　was