《THE VOYAGE OF THE DAWN TREADER》第26章

ught　by　the　tail。”
〃i　really　think　reep　is　in　the　right　this　time；〃　said　edmund。
〃surely；〃　said　lucy；　〃if　rhince　and　the　others　on　the　dawn　treader　see　us fighting　on　the　shore　theyll　be　able　to　do　something。”
〃but　they　wont　see　us　fighting　if　they　cant　see　any　enemy；〃　said　eustace miserably。
〃theyll　think　were　just　swinging　our　swords　in　the　air　for　fun。”
there　was　an　unfortable　pause。
〃well；〃　said　caspian　at　last；　〃lets　get　on　with　it。　we　must　go　and　face them。　shake　hands　all　round　…　arrow　on　the　string；　lucy　…　swords　out；　everyone　else　…　and　now for　it。　perhaps　theyll　parley。”
it　was　strange　to　see　the　lawns　and　the　great　trees　looking　so　peaceful　as they　marched　back　to　the　beach。　and　when　they　arrived　there；　and　saw　the　boat　lying where　they　had　left　her；　and　the　smooth　sand　with　no　one　to　be　seen　on　it；　more　than　one doubted　whether　lucy　had　not　merely　imagined　all　she　had　told　them。　but　before　they　reached the　sand；　a　voice　spoke　out　of　the　air。
〃no　further；　masters；　no　further　now；〃　it　said。　〃weve　got　to　talk　with　you first。　theres　fifty　of　us　and　more　here　with　weapons　in　our　fists。”
〃hear　him；　hear　him；〃　came　the　chorus。　〃thats　our　chief。　you　can　depend　on what　he　says。　hes　telling　you　the　truth；　he　is。”
〃i　do　not　see　these　fifty　warriors；〃　observed　reepicheep。
〃thats　right；　thats　right；〃　said　the　chief　voice。　〃you　dont　see　us。　and why　not？
because　were　invisible。”
〃keep　it　up；　chief；　keep　it　up；〃　said　the　other　voices。　〃youre　talking like　a　book。　they　couldnt　ask　for　a　better　answer　than　that。”
〃be　quiet；　reep；〃　said　caspian；　and　then　added　in　a　louder　voice；　〃you invisible　people；　what　do　you　want　with　us？　and　what　have　we　done　to　earn　your　enmity？”
〃we　want　something　that　little　girl　can　do　for　us；〃　said　the　chief　voice。 （the　others　explained　that　this　was　just　what　they　would　have　said　themselves。）
〃little　girl！〃　said　reepicheep。　〃the　lady　is　a　queen。”
〃we　dont　know　about　queens；〃　said　the　chief　voice。
（〃no　more　we　do；　no　more　we　do；〃　chimed　in　the　others。）　〃but　we　want something　she　can　do。”
〃what　is　it？〃　said　lucy。
〃and　if　it　is　anything　against　her　majestys　honour　or　safety；〃　added reepicheep；　〃you　will　wonder　to　see　how　many　we　can　kill　before　we　die。”
〃well；〃　said　the　chief　voice。　〃its　a　long　story。　suppose　we　all　sit　down？〃 ； the　proposal　was　warmly　approved　by　the　other　voices　but　the　narnians remained　standing。
〃well；〃　said　the　chief　voice。　〃its　like　this。　this　island　has　been　the property　of　a　great　magician　time　out　of　mind。　and　we　all　are　…　or　perhaps　in　a　manner　of speaking；　i　might　say；　we　were　…　his　servants。　well；　to　cut　a　long　story　short；　this　magician that　i　was　speaking　about；　he　told　us　to　do　something　we　didnt　like。　and　why　not？ because　we　didnt　want　to。　well；　then；　this　same　magician　he　fell　into　a　great　rage； for　i　ought　to　tell　you　he　owned　the　island　and　he　wasnt　used　to　being　crossed。　he　was terribly　downright；　you　know。　but　let　me　see；　where　am　i？　oh　yes；　this　magician　then；　he　goes upstairs　（for　you　must　know　he　kept　all　his　magic　things　up　there　and　we　all　lived　down below）；　i　say　he　goes　upstairs　and　puts　a　spell　on　us。　an　uglifying　spell。　if　you　saw　us now；　which　in　my　opinion　you　may　thank　your　stars　you　cant；　you　wouldnt　believe　what　we looked　like　before　we　were　uglified。　you　wouldnt　really。　so　there　we　all　were　so　ugly we　couldnt　bear　to　look　at　one　another。　so　then　what　did　we　do？　well；　ill　tell　you what　we　did。　we　waited　till　we　thought　this　same　magician　would　be　asleep　in　the　afternoon and　we　creep　upstairs　and　go　to　his　magic　book；　as　bold　as　brass；　to　see　if　we　can　do anything　about　this　uglification。　but　we　were　all　of　a　sweat　and　a　tremble；　so　i　wont deceive　you。　but；　believe　me　or　believe　me　not；　i　do　assure　you　that　we　couldnt　find　any thing　in　the　way　of　a　spell　for　taking　off　the　ugliness。　and　what　with　time　getting　on　and being　afraid　that
the　old　gentleman　might　wake　up　any　minute　…　i　was　all　of　a　muck　sweat；　so i　wont　deceive　you　…　well；　to　cut　a　long　story　short；　whether　we　did　right　or whether　we　did　wrong；　in　the　end　we　see　a　spell　for　making　people　invisible。　and　we thought　wed　rather　be　invisible　than　go　on　being　as　ugly　as　all　that。　and　why？　because　wed like　it　better。　so　my　little　girl；　whos　just　about　your　little　girls　age；　and　a　sweet　child she　was　before　she　was　uglified；　though　now　…　but　least　said　soonest　mended　…　i　say；　my　little girl　she　says　the　spell；　for　its　got　to　be　a　little　girl　or　else　the　magician　himself； if　you　see　my　meaning；　for　otherwise　it　wont　work。　and　why　not？　because　nothing　happens。　so　my clipsie　says　the　spell；　for　i　ought　to　have　told　you　she　reads　beautifully；　and　there　we all　were　as　invisible　as　you　could　wish　to　see。　and　i　do　assure　you　it　was　a　relief　not to　see　one　anothers　faces。　at　first；　anyway。　but　the　long　and　the　short　of　it　is were　mortal　tired　of　being　invisible。　and　theres　another　thing。　we　never　reckoned　on　this magician　（the　one　i　was　telling　you　about　before）　going　invisible　too。　but　we　havent　ever　seen him　since。　so　we　dont　know　if　hes　dead；　or　gone　。away；　or　whether　hes　just　sitting upstairs　being　invisible；　and　perhaps　ing　down　and　being　invisible　there。　and；　believe me；　its　no　manner　of　use　listening　because　he　always　did　go　about　with　his　bare　feet on；　making　no　more　noise　than　a　great　big　cat。　and　ill　tell　all　you　gentlemen　straight； its　getting　more　than　what　our　nerves　can　stand。”
such　was　the　chief　voices　story；　but　very　much　shortened；　because　i　have left　out　what　the　other　voices　said。　actually　he　never　got　out　more　than　six　or　seven words　without　being　interrupted　by　their　agreements　and　encouragements；　which　drove　the narnians　nearly　out　of　their　minds　with　impatience。　when　it　was　over　there　was　a very　long　silence。
〃but；〃　said　lucy　at　last；　〃whats　all　this　got　to　do　with　us？　i　dont understand。”
〃why；　bless　me；　if　i　havent　gone　and　left　out　the　whole　point；〃　said　the chief　voice。
〃that　you　have；　that　you　have；〃　roared　the　other　voices　with　great enthusiasm。　〃no　one　couldnt　have　left　it　out　cleaner　and　better。　keep　it　up；　chief；　keep　it up。”