《The Last Battle》第34章

t once　and　bowed　gravely。
〃sir；〃　he　said　to　peter；　〃i　know　not　whether　you　are　my　friend　or　my　foe； but　i　should　count　it　my　honour　to　have　you　for　either。　has　not　one　of　the　poets　said that　a　noble　friend　is　the　best　gift　and　a　noble　enemy　the　next　best？”
〃sir；〃　said　peter；　〃i　do　not　know　that　there　need　be　any　war　between　you and　us。”
〃do　tell　us　who　you　are　and　whats　happened　to　you；〃　said　jill。
〃if　theres　going　to　be　a　story；　lets　all　have　a　drink　and　sit　down；〃 barked　the　dogs。
〃were　quite　blown。”
〃well　of　course　you　will　be　if　you　keep　tearing　about　the　way　you　have done；〃　said　eustace。
so　the　humans　sat　down　on　the　grass。　and　when　the　dogs　had　all　had　a　very noisy　drink　out　of　the　stream　they　all　sat　down；　bolt　upright；　panting；　with　their tongues　hanging　out　of　their　heads　a　little　on　one　side　to　hear　the　story。　but　jewel　remained standing；　polishing　his　horn　against　his　side。
x
CHAPTER　FIFTEEN
．．．
further　up　and　further　in 〃know；　o　warlike　kings；〃　said　emeth；　〃and　you；　o　ladies　whose　beauty illuminates　the　universe；　that　i　am　emeth　the　seventh　son　of　harpha　tarkaan　of　the　city of　tehishbaan；　westward　beyond　the　desert。　i　came　lately　into　narnia　with　nine and　twenty　others　under　the　mand　of　rishda　tarkaan　now　when　i　first　heard　that　we should　march　upon　narnia　i　rejoiced；　for　i　had　heard　many　things　of　your　land　and desired　greatly　to　meet　you　in　battle。　but　when　i　found　that　we　were　to　go　in disguised　as　merchants　（which　is　a　shameful　dress　for　a　warrior　and　the　son　of　a tarkaan）　and　to　work　by　lies　and　trickery；　then　my　joy　departed　from　me。　and　most　of　all　when　i found　we　must　wait　upon　a　monkey；　and　when　it　began　to　be　said　that　tash　and　aslan were　one；　then　the　world　became　dark　in　my　eyes。　for　always　since　i　was　a　boy　i　have served　tash　and　my　great　desire　was　to　know　more　of　him；　if　it　might　be；　to　look　upon his　face。　but　the　name　of　aslan　was　hateful　to　me。
〃and；　as　you　have　seen；　we　were　called　together　outside　the　straw…roofed hovel；　night　after　night；　and　the　fire　was　kindled；　and　the　ape　brought　forth　out　of　the hovel　something　upon　four　legs　that　i　could　not　well　see。　and　the　people　and　the beasts　bowed　down　and　did　honour　to　it。　but　i　thought；　the　tarkaan　is　deceived　by　the ape：　for　this　thing　that　es　out　of　the　stable　is　neither　tash　nor　any　other　god。　but when　i　watched　the　tarkaans　face；　and　marked　every　word　that　he　said　to　the　monkey；　then i　changed　my　mind：　for　i　saw　that　the　tarkaan　did　not　believe　in　it　himself。　and　then　i understood　that　he　did　not　believe　in　tash　at　all：　for　if　he　had；　how　could　he　dare　to　mock him？
〃when　i　understood　this；　a　great　rage　fell　upon　me　and　i　wondered　that　the true　tash　did　not　strike　down　both　the　monkey　and　the　tarkaan　with　fire　from　heaven。 nevertheless　i　hid　my　anger　and　held　my　tongue　and　waited　to　see　how　it　would　end。　but last　night；　as　some　of　you　know；　the　monkey　brought　not　forth　the　yellow　thing　but　said that　all　who　desired　to　look　upon　tashlan　…　for　so　they　mixed　the　two　words　to　pretend that　they　were　all　one　…　must　pass　one　by　one　into　the　hovel。　and　i　said　to　myself； doubtless　this　is　some　other　deception。　but　when　the　cat　had　followed　in　and　had　e　out　again　in a　madness　of　terror；　then　i　said　to　myself；　surely　the　true　tash；　whom　they　called　on without　knowledge　or　belief；　has　now　e　among　us；　and　will　avenge　himself。　and though　my　heart　was　turned　into　water　inside　me　because　of　the　greatness　and　terror of　tash；　yet　my　desire　was　stronger　than　my　fear；　and　i　put　force　upon　my　knees　to　stay them　from　trembling；　and　on　my　teeth　that　they　should　not　chatter；　and　resolved　to look　upon　the　face　of　tash　though　he　should　slay　me。　so　i　offered　myself　to　go　into　the hovel；　and　the　tarkaan；　though　unwillingly；　let　me　go。
〃as　soon　as　i　had　gone　in　at　the　door；　the　first　wonder　was　that　i　found myself　in　this　great　sunlight　（as　we　all　are　now）　though　the　inside　of　the　hovel　had looked　dark　from　outside。　but　i　had　no　time　to　marvel　at　this；　for　immediately　i　was　forced to　fight　for　my　head　against　one　of　our　own　men。　as　soon　as　i　saw　him　i　understood　that　the monkey　and　the　tarkaan　had　set　him　there　to　slay　any　who　came　in　if　he　were　not　in their　secrets：　so　that　this　man　also　was　a　liar　and　a　mocker　and　no　true　servant　of　tash。 i　had　the　better　will　to　fight　him；　and　having　slain　the　villain；　i　cast　him　out　behind　me through　the　door。
〃then　i　looked　about　me　and　saw　the　sky　and　the　wide　lands；　and　smelled　the sweetness。
and　i　said；　by　the　gods；　this　is　a　pleasant　place：　it　may　be　that　i　am　e into　the　country　of　tash。　and　i　began　to　journey　into　the　strange　country　and　to seek　him。
〃so　i　went　over　much　grass　and　many　flowers　and　among　all　kinds　of wholesome　and　delectable　trees　till　lo！　in　a　narrow　place　between　two　rocks　there　came　to meet　me　a　great　lion。　the　speed　of　him　was　like　the　ostrich；　and　his　size　was　an elephants；　his　hair　was　like　pure　gold　and　the　brightness　of　his　eyes　like　gold　that　is　liquid in　the　furnace。　he　was　more　terrible　than　the　flaming　mountain　of　lagour；　and　in　beauty　he surpassed　all　that　is　in　the　world　even　as　the　rose　in　bloom　surpasses　the　dust　of　the desert。　then　i　fell　at　his　feet　and　thought；　surely　this　is　the　hour　of　death；　for　the　lion （who　is　worthy　of　all　honour）　will　know　that　i　have　served　tash　all　my　days　and　not　him。 nevertheless；　it　is　better　to　see　the　lion　and　die　than　to　be　tisroc　of　the　world　and　live　and not　to　have　seen
him。　but　the　glorious　one　bent　down　his　golden　head　and　touched　my　forehead with　his　tongue　and　said；　son；　thou　art　wele。　but　i　said；　alas；　lord；　i　am　no　son of　thine　but　the　servant　of　tash。　he　answered；　child；　all　the　service　thou　hast　done　to tash；　i　account　as　service　done　to　me。　then　by　reasons　of　my　great　desire　for　wisdom　and understanding；　i　overcame　my　fear　and　questioned　the　glorious　one　and　said；　lord；　is　it then　true；　as　the　ape　said；　that　thou　and　tash　are　one？　the　lion　growled　so　that　the　earth shook　（but　his　wrath　was　not　against　me）　and　said；　it　is　false。　not　because　he　and　i　are one；　but　because　we　are　opposites；　i　take　to　me　the　services　which　thou