《The Last Battle》第37章

quite　impossible　in　our　world。　even　if　you hadnt　been　drowned；　you　would　have　been　smashed　to　pieces　by　the　terrible　weight　of water　against　the　countless　jags　of　rock。　but　in　that　world　you　could　do　it。　you　went　on； up　and　up；　with　all　kinds　of　reflected　lights　flashing　at　you　from　the　water　and　all manner　of　coloured　stones　flashing　through　it；　till　it　seemed　as　if　you　were　climbing up　light　itself　…　and　always　higher　and　higher　till　the　sense　of　height　would　have　terrified you　if　you　could　be　terrified；　but　later　it　was　only　gloriously　exciting。　and　then　at last　one　came　to　the　lovely；　smooth　green　curve　in　which　the　water　poured　over　the　top　and found　that　one　was　out　on　the　level　river　above　the　waterfall。　the　current　was　racing　away behind　you；
but　you　were　such　a　wonderful　swimmer　that　you　could　make　headway　against it。　soon　they　were　all　on　the　bank；　dripping　buthappy。
a　long　valley　opened　ahead　and　great　snow…mountains；　now　much　nearer；　stood up　against　the　sky。
〃further　up　and　further　in；〃　cried　jewel　and　instantly　they　were　off　again。
they　were　out　of　narnia　now　and　up　into　the　western　wild　which　neither tirian　nor　peter　nor　even　the　eagle　had　ever　seen　before。　but　the　lord　digory　and　the lady　polly　had。　〃do　you　remember？　do　you　remember？〃　they　said　…　and　said　it　in　steady voices　too；　without　panting；　though　the　whole　party　was　now　running　faster　than　an arrow　flies。
〃what；　lord？〃　said　tirian。　〃is　it　then　true；　as　stories　tell；　that　you　two journeyed　here　on　the　very　day　the　world　was　made？”
〃yes；〃　said　digory；　〃and　it　seems　to　me　as　if　it　were　only　yesterday。”
〃and　on　a　flying　horse？〃　asked　tirian。　〃is　that　part　true？”
〃certainly；〃　said　digory。　but　the　dogs　barked；　〃faster；　faster！”
so　they　ran　faster　and　faster　till　it　was　more　like　flying　than　running； and　even　the　eagle　overhead　was　going　no　faster　than　they。　and　they　went　through　winding valley　after　winding　valley　and　up　the　steep　sides　of　hills　and；　faster　than　ever；　down the　other　side；　following　the　river　and　sometimes　crossing　it　and　skimming　across mountainlakes　as　if　they　were　living　speed…boats；　till　at　last　at　the　far　end　of　one　long　lake which　looked　as　blue　as　a　turquoise；　they　saw　a　smooth　green　hill。　its　sides　were　as　steep as　the　sides　of　a　pyramid　and　round　the　very　top　of　it　ran　a　green　wall：　but　above　the　wall rose　the　branches　of　trees　whose　leaves　looked　like　silver　and　their　fruit　like gold。
〃further　up　and　further　in！〃　roared　the　unicorn；　and　no　one　held　back。　they charged　straight　at　the　foot　of　the　hill　and　then　found　themselves　running　up　it almost　as　water　from　a　broken　wave　runs　up　a　rock　out　at　the　point　of　some　bay。　though　the slope　was　nearly　as　steep　as　the　roof　of　a　house　and　the　grass　was　smooth　as　a bowling　green；　no　one　slipped。　only　when　they　had　reached　the　very　top　did　they　slow　up；　that was　because　they　found　themselves　facing　great　golden　gates。　and　for　a　moment　none　of them　was　bold　enough　to　try　if　the　gates　would　open。　they　all　felt　just　as　they　had felt　about　the　fruit　〃dare　we？　is　it　right？　can　it　be　meant　for　us？”
but　while　they　were　standing　thus　a　great　horn；　wonderfully　loud　and　sweet； blew　from　somewhere　inside　that　walled　garden　and　the　gates　swung　open。
tirian　stood　holding　his　breath　and　wondering　who　would　e　out。　and　what came　was　the　last　thing　he　had　expected：　a　little；　sleek；　bright…eyed　talking　mouse with　a　red
feather　stuck　in　a　circlet　on　its　head　and　its　left　paw　resting　on　a　long sword。　it　bowed；　a　most　beautiful　bow；　and　said　in　its　shrill　voice： 〃wele；　in　the　lions　name。　e　further　up　and　further　in。”
then　tirian　saw　king　peter　and　king　edmund　and　queen　lucy　rush　forward　to kneel　down　and　greet　the　mouse　and　they　all　cried　out　〃reepicheep！〃　and　tirian breathed　fast　with　the　sheer　wonder　of　it；　for　now　he　knew　that　he　was　looking　at　one　of the　great　heroes　of　narnia；　reepicheep　the　mouse　who　had　fought　at　the　great　battle of　beruna　and　afterwards　sailed　to　the　worlds　end　with　king　caspian　the　seafarer。 but　before　he　had　had　much　time　to　think　of　this　he　felt　two　strong　arms　thrown　about　him and　felt　a　bearded　kiss　on　his　cheeks　and　heard　a　well　remembered　voice　saying： 〃what；　lad？　art　thicker　and　taller　since　i　last　touched　thee！”
it　was　his　own　father；　the　good　king　erlian：　but　not　as　tirian　had　seen　him last　when　they　brought　him　home　pale　and　wounded　from　his　fight　with　the　giant；　nor　even as　tirian　remembered　him　in　his　later　years　when　he　was　a　grey…headed　warrior。　this was　his　father；　young　and　merry；　as　he　could　just　remember　him　from　very　early　days when　he　himself　had　been　a　little　boy　playing　games　with　his　father　in　the　castle garden　at　cair　paravel；　just　before　bedtime　on　summer　evenings。　the　very　smell　of　the bread…and…milk　he　used　to　have　for　supper　came　back　to　him。
jewel　thought　to　himself；　〃i　will　leave　them　to　talk　for　a　little　and　then i　will　go　and　greet　the　good　king　erlian。　many　a　bright　apple　has　he　given　me　when　i　was　but　a colt。〃　but　next　moment　he　had　something　else　to　think　of；　for　out　of　the　gateway　there came　a　horse　so　mighty　and　noble　that　even　a　unicorn　might　feel　shy　in　its　presence：　a great　winged　horse。　it　looked　a　moment　at　the　lord　digory　and　the　lady　polly　and　neighed out　〃what；　cousins！〃　and　they　both　shouted　〃fledge！　good　old　fledge！〃　and　rushed　to kiss　it。
but　by　now　the　mouse　was　again　urging　them　to　e　in。　so　all　of　them passed　in　through　the　golden　gates；　into　the　delicious　smell　that　blew　towards　them out　of　that　garden　and　into　the　cool　mixture　of　sunlight　and　shadow　under　the　trees； walking　on　springy　turf　that　was　all　dotted　with　white　flowers。　the　very　first　thing which　struck　everyone　was　that　the　place　was　far　larger　than　it　had　seemed　from　outside。 but　no　one　had　time　to　think　about　that　for　people　were　ing　up　to　meet　the newers　from　every　direction。
everyone　you　had　ever　heard　of　（if　you　knew　the　history　of　these　countries） seemed　to　be　there。　there　was　glimfeather　the　owl　and　puddleglum　the　marshwiggle；　and king　rilian　the　disenchanted；　and　his　mother　the　stars　daughter　and　his　great　father caspian　himself。
and　close　b