《The Last Battle》第29章

rhead；　and　the　air　which　blew gently　on　their　faces　was　that　of　a　day　in　early　summer。　not　far　away　from　them　rose a　grove　of　trees；　thickly　leaved；　but　under　every　leaf　there　peeped　out　the　gold　or faint　yellow　or　purple　or　glowing　red　of　fruits　such　as　no　one　has　seen　in　our　world。　the fruit　made　tirian　feel　that　it　must　be　autumn　but　there　was　something　in　the　feel　of the　air　that　told　him　it　could　not　be　later　than　june。　they　all　moved　towards　the　trees。
everyone　raised　his　hand　to　pick　the　fruit　he　best　liked　the　look　of；　and then　everyone　paused　for　a　second。　this　fruit　was　so　beautiful　that　each　felt　〃it　cant be　meant　for　me。。。 surely　were　not　allowed　to　pluck　it。”
〃its　all　right；〃　said　peter。　〃i　know　what　were　all　thinking。　but　im sure；　quite　sure；　we　neednt。　ive　a　feeling　weve　got　to　the　country　where　everything　is allowed。”
〃here　goes；　then！〃　said　eustace。　and　they　all　began　to　eat。
what　was　the　fruit　like？　unfortunately　no　one　can　describe　a　taste。　all　i can　say　is　that；　pared　with　those　fruits；　the　freshest　grapefruit　youve　ever　eaten　was dull；　and　the　juiciest　orange　was　dry；　and　the　most　melting　pear　was　hard　and　woody；　and the　sweetest　wild　strawberry　was　sour。　and　there　were　no　seeds　or　stones；　and　no　wasps。 if　you　had　once　eaten　that　fruit；　all　the　nicest　things　in　this　world　would　taste　like medicines　after　it。
but　i　cant　describe　it。　you　cant　find　out　what　it　is　like　unless　you　can get　to　that　country　and　taste　it　for　yourself。
when　they　had　eaten　enough；　eustace　said　to　king　peter；　〃you　havent　yet told　us　how　you　got　here。　you　were　just　going　to；　when　king　tirian　turned　up。”
〃theres　not　much　to　tell；〃　said　peter。　〃edmund　and　i　were　standing　on　the platform　and　we　saw　your　train　ing　in。　i　remember　thinking　it　was　taking　the　bend　far too　fast。　and　i　remember　thinking　how　funny　it　was　that　our　people　were　probably　in　the same　train　though　lucy　didnt　know　about　it　…”
〃your　people；　high　king？〃　said　tirian。
〃i　mean　my　father　and　mother　…　edmunds　and　lucys　and　mine。”
〃why　were　they？〃　asked　jill。　〃you　dont　mean　to　say　they　know　about narnia？”
〃oh　no；　it　had　nothing　to　do　with　narnia。　they　were　on　their　way　to bristol。　id　only　heard　they　were　going　that　morning。　but　edmund　said　theyd　be　bound　to　be going　by　that　train。〃　（edmund　was　the　sort　of　person　who　knows　about　railways。）
〃and　what　happened　then？〃　said　jill。
〃well；　its　not　very　easy　to　describe；　is　it；　edmund？〃　said　the　high　king。
〃not　very；〃　said　edmund。　〃it　wasnt　at　all　like　that　other　time　when　we were　pulled　out　of　our　own　world　by　magic。　there　was　a　frightful　roar　and　something　hit　me with　a　bang；　but　it　didnt　hurt。　and　i　felt　not　so　much　scared　as　…　well；　excited。　oh　… and　this　is　one　queer　thing。
id　had　a　rather　sore　knee；　from　a　hack　at　rugger。　i　noticed　it　had suddenly　gone。　and　i　felt　very　light。　and　then　…　here　we　were。”
〃it　was　much　the　same　for　us　in　the　railway　carriage；〃　said　the　lord digory；　wiping　the　last　traces　of　the　fruit　from　his　golden　beard。　〃only　i　think　you　and　i； polly；　chiefly　felt
that　wed　been　unstiffened。　you　youngsters　wont　understand。　but　we　stopped feeling　old。”
〃youngsters；　indeed！〃　said　jill。　〃i　dont　believe　you　two　really　are　much older　than　we　are　here。”
〃well　if　we　arent；　we　have　been；〃　said　the　lady　polly。
〃and　what　has　been　happening　since　you　got　here？〃　asked　eustace。
〃well；〃　said　peter；　〃for　a　long　time　（at　least　i　suppose　it　was　a　long time）　nothing　happened。　then　the　door　opened　…”
〃the　door？〃　said　tirian。
〃yes；〃　said　peter。　〃the　door　you　came　in　…　or　came　out　…　by。　have　you forgotten？”
〃but　where　is　it？”
〃look；〃　said　peter　and　pointed。
tirian　looked　and　saw　the　queerest　and　most　ridiculous　thing　you　can imagine。　only　a　few　yards　away；　clear　to　be　seen　in　the　sunlight；　there　stood　up　a　rough wooden　door　and；　round　it；　the　framework　of　the　doorway：　nothing　else；　no　walls；　no　roof。　he walked　towards　it；　bewildered；　and　the　others　followed；　watching　to　see　what　he would　do。　he　walked　round　to　the　other　side　of　the　door。　but　it　looked　just　the　same from　the　other　side：　he　was　still　in　the　open　air；　on　a　summer　morning。　the　door　was simply　standing　up　by　itself　as　if　it　had　grown　there　like　a　tree。
〃fair　sir；〃　said　tirian　to　the　high　king；　〃this　is　a　great　marvel。”
〃it　is　the　door　you　came　through　with　that　calormene　five　minutes　ago；〃 said　peter　smiling。
〃but　did　i　not　e　in　out　of　the　wood　into　the　stable？　whereas　this　seems to　be　a　door　leading　from　nowhere　to　nowhere。”
〃it　looks　like　that　if　you　walk　round　it；〃　said　peter。　〃but　put　your　eye　to that　place　where　there　is　a　crack　between　two　of　the　planks　and　look　through。”
tirian　put　his　eye　to　the　hole。　at　first　he　could　see　nothing　but blackness。　then；　at　his　eyes　grew　used　to　it；　he　saw　the　dull　red　glow　of　a　bonfire　that　was　nearly going　out；　and　above　that；　in　a　black　sky；　stars。　then　he　could　see　dark　figures　moving about　or　standing　between　him　and　the　fire：　he　could　hear　them　talking　and　their　voices　were like　those　of　calormenes。　so　he　knew　that　he　was　looking　out　through　the　stable　door　into the　darkness　of　lantern　waste　where　he　had　fought　his　last　battle。　the　men　were discussing
whether　to　go　in　and　look　for　rishda　tarkaan　（but　none　of　them　wanted　to　do that）　or　to　set　fire　to　the　stable。
he　looked　round　again　and　could　hardly　believe　his　eyes。　there　was　the　blue sky　overhead；　and　grassy　country　spreading　as　far　as　he　could　see　in　every direction；　and　his　new　friends　all　round　him　laughing。
〃it　seems；　then；〃　said　tirian；　smiling　himself；　〃that　the　stable　seen　from within　and　the　stable　seen　from　without　are　two　different　places。”
〃yes；〃　said　the　lord　digory。　〃its　inside　is　bigger　than　its　outside。”
〃yes；〃　said　queen　lucy。　〃in　our　world　too；　a　stable　once　had　something inside　it　that　was　bigger　than　our　whole　world。〃　it　was　the　first　time　she　had　spoken；　and from　the　thrill　in　her　voice；　tirian　now　knew　why。　she　was　drinking　everything　in　even　more deeply　than　the　others。　she　had　been　too　happy　to　speak。　he　wanted　to　hear　her　speak again；　so　he　said： 〃of　your　courtesy；　madam；　t