《The Last Battle》第27章

eader。 rishda　tarkaans　voice　cried　out： 〃thirty　of　you　keep　watch　on　those　fools　by　the　white　rock。　the　rest；　after me；　that　we　may　teach　these　sons　of　earth　a　lesson。”
tirian　and　his　friends；　still　panting　from　their　fight　and　thankful　for　a few　minutes　rest；　stood　and　looked　on　while　the　tarkaan　led　his　men　against　the　dwarfs。　it was　a　strange　scene　by　now。　the　fire　had　sunk　lower：　the　light　it　gave　was　now　less　and of　a　darker　red。
as　far　as　one　could　see；　the　whole　place　of　assembly　was　now　empty　except for　the　dwarf　and　the　calormenes。　in　that　light　one　couldnt　make　out　much　of　what was　happening。　it　sounded　as　if　the　dwarfs　were　putting　up　a　good　fight。　tirian could　hear　griffle　using　dreadful　language；　and　every　now　and　then　the　tarkaan calling；　〃take　all　you　can　alive！　take　them　alive！”
whatever　that　fight　may　have　been　like；　it　did　not　last　long。　the　noise　of it　died　away。
then　jill　saw　the　tarkaan　ing　back　to　the　stable：　eleven　men　followed him；　dragging　eleven　bound　dwarfs。　（whether　the　others　had　all　been　killed；　or　whether some　of　them　had　got　away；　was　never　known。）
〃throw　them　into　the　shrine　of　tash；〃　said　rishda　tarkaan。
and　when　the　eleven　dwarfs；　one　after　the　other；　had　been　flung　or　kicked into　that　dark　doorway　and　the　door　had　been　shut　again；　he　bowed　low　to　the　stable　and said： 〃these　also　are　for　thy　burnt　offering；　lord　tash。”
and　all　the　calormenes　banged　the　flats　of　their　swords　on　their　shields and　shouted；　〃tash！　tash！　the　great　god　tash！　inexorable　tash！〃　（there　was　no　nonsense about　〃tashlan〃　now。）
the　little　party　by　the　white　rock　watched　these　doings　and　whispered　to one　another。
they　had　found　a　trickle　of　water　ing　down　the　rock　and　all　had　drunk eagerly　…　jill　and　poggin　and　the　king　in　their　hands；　while　the　four…footed　ones　lapped from　the　little　pool　which　it　had　made　at　the　foot　of　the　stone。　such　was　their　thirst　that it　seemed　the　most　delicious　drink　they　had　ever　had　in　their　lives；　and　while　they　were drinking　they　were　perfectly　happy　and　could　not　think　of　anything　else。
〃i　feel　in　my　bones；〃　said　poggin；　〃that　we　shall　all；　one　by　one；　pass through　that　dark　door　before　morning。　i　can　think　of　a　hundred　deaths　i　would　rather　have died。”
〃it　is　indeed　a　grim　door；〃　said　tirian。　〃it　is　more　like　a　mouth。”
〃oh；　cant　we　do　anything　to　stop　it？〃　said　jill　in　a　shaken　voice。
〃nay；　fair　friend；〃　said　jewel；　nosing　her　gently。　〃it　may　be　for　us　the door　to　aslans　country　and　we　shall　sup　at　his　table　tonight。”
rishda　tarkaan　turned　his　back　on　the　stable　and　walked　slowly　to　a　place in　front　of　the　white　rock。
〃hearken；〃　he　said。　〃if　the　boar　and　the　dogs　and　the　unicorn　will　e over　to　me　and　put　themselves　in　my　mercy；　their　lives　shall　be　spared。　the　boar　shall　go to　a　cage　in　the　tisrocs　garden；　the　dogs　to　the　tisrocs　kennels；　and　the　unicorn； when　i　have　sawn　his　horn　off；　shall　draw　a　cart。　but　the　eagle；　the　children；　and　he who　was　the　king　shall　be　offered　to　tash　this　night。”
the　only　answer　was　growls。
〃get　on；　warriors；〃　said　the　tarkaan。　〃kill　the　beasts；　but　take　the　two…　legged　ones　alive。”
and　then　the　last　battle　of　the　last　king　of　narnia　began。
what　made　it　hopeless；　even　apart　from　the　numbers　of　the　enemy；　was　the spears。　the　calormenes　who　had　been　with　the　ape　almost　from　the　beginning　had　had　no spears：　that　was　because　they　had　e　into　narnia　by　ones　and　twos；　pretending　to be　peaceful　merchants；　and　of　course　they　had　carried　no　spears　for　a　spear　is　not　a thing　you　can　hide。　the　new　ones　must　have　e　in　later；　after　the　ape　was　already strong　and　they　could　march　openly。　the　spears　made　all　the　difference。　with　a　long　spear you　can　kill　a　boar　before　you　are　in　reach　of　his　tusks　and　a　unicorn　before　you　are　in reach　of　his　horn；　if　you　are　very　quick　and　keep　your　head。　and　now　the　levelled　spears were　closing　in　on　tirian　and　his　last　friends。　next　minute　they　were　all　fighting　for their　lives。
in　a　way　it　wasnt　quite　so　bad　as　you　might　think。
when　you　are　using　every　muscle　to　the　full　…　ducking　under　a　spear…point here；　leaping　over　it　there；　lunging　forward；　drawing　back；　wheeling　round　…　you　havent much　time　to　feel　either　frightened　or　sad。　tirian　knew　he　could　do　nothing　for　the others　now；　they　were　all　doomed　together。　he　vaguely　saw　the　boar　go　down　on　one　side　of him；　and　jewel　fighting　furiously　on　the　other。　out　of　the　corner　of　one　eye　he　saw； but　only　just　saw；　a　big　calormene　pulling　jill　away　somewhere　by　her　hair。　but　he　hardly thought　about　any　of　these　things。　his　only　thought　now　was　to　sell　his　life　as dearly　as　he　could。
the　worst　of　it　was　that　he　couldnt　keep　to　the　position　in　which　he　had started；　under　the　white　rock。　a　man　who　is　fighting　a　dozen　enemies　at　once　must　take　his chances　wherever　he　can；　must　dart　in　wherever　he　sees　an　enemys　breast　or　neck unguarded。　in　a　very　few　strokes　this　may　get　you　quite　a　distance　from　the　spot　where　you began。　tirian　soon　found　that　he　was　getting　further　and　further　to　the　right；　nearer　to the　stable。　he　had　a　vague　idea　in　his　mind　that　there　was　some　good　reason　for　keeping　away from　it。　but　he　couldnt　now　remember　what　the　reason　was。　and　anyway；　he　couldnt　help it。
all　at　once　everything　came　quite　clear。　he　found　he　was　fighting　the tarkaan　himself。
the　bonfire　（what　was　left　of　it）　was　straight　in　front。　he　was　in　fact fighting　in　the　very　doorway　of　the　stable；　for　it　had　been　opened　and　two　calormenes　were holding　the　door；　ready　to　slam　it　shut　the　moment　he　was　inside。　he　remembered　everything now；　and　he　realized　that　the　enemy　had　been　edging　him　to　the　stable　on　purpose　ever since　the　fight　began。　and　while　he　was　thinking　this　he　was　still　fighting　the　tarkaan　as hard　as　he　could。
a　new　idea　came　into　tirians　head。　he　dropped　his　sword；　darted　forward； in　under　the　sweep　of　the　tarkaans　scimitar；　seized　his　enemy　by　the　belt　with　both hands；　and　jumped　back　into　the　stable；　shouting： 〃e　in　and　meet　tash　yourself！”
there　was　a　deafening　noise。　as　when　the　ape　had　been　flung　in；　the　earth shook　and　there　was　a　blinding　light。