《THE VOYAGE OF THE DAWN TREADER》第27章

〃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。”
〃well；　i　neednt　go　over　the　whole　story　again；〃　began　the　chief　voice。
〃no。　certainly　not；〃　said　caspian　and　edmund。
〃well；　then；　to　put　it　in　a　nutshell；〃　said　the　chief　voice；　〃weve　been waiting　for　ever　so　long　for　a　nice　little　girl　from　foreign　parts；　like　it　might　be　you； missie　…　that　would　go　upstairs　and　go　to　the　magic　book　and　find　the　spell　that　takes　off　the invisibleness；　and　say　it。　and　we　all　swore　that　the　first　strangers　as　landed　on　this　island （having　a　nice　little　girl　with　them；　i　mean；　for　if　they　hadnt　itd　be　another　matter） we　wouldnt　let　them　go　away　alive　unless　theyd　done　the　needful　for　us。　and　thats　why； gentlemen；　if　your　little　girl　doesnt　e　up　to　scratch；　it　will　be　our　painful　duty　to　cut all　your　throats。
merely　in　the　way　of　business；　as　you　might　say；　and　no　offence；　i　hope。”
〃i　dont　see　all　your　weapons；〃　said　reepicheep。　〃are　they　invisible　too？〃 the　words　were　scarcely　out　of　his　mouth　before　they　heard　a　whizzing　sound　and　next moment　a　spear　had　stuck；　quivering；　in　one　of　the　trees　behind　them。
〃thats　a　spear；　that　is；〃　said　the　chief　voice。
〃that　it　is；　chief；　that　it　is；〃　said　the　others。　〃you　couldnt　have　put　it better。”
〃and　it　came　from　my　hand；〃　the　chief　voice　continued。　〃they　get　visible when　they　leave　us。”
〃but　why　do　you　want　me　to　do　this？〃　asked　lucy。
〃why　cant　one　of　your　own　people？　havent　you　got　any　girls？”
〃we　dursent；　we　dursent；〃　said　all　the　voices。　〃were　not　going　upstairs again。”
〃in　other　words；〃　said　caspian；　〃you　are　asking　this　lady　to　face　some danger　which　you　darent　ask　your　own　sisters　and　daughters　to　face！”
〃thats　right；　thats　right；〃　said　all　the　voices　cheerfully。　〃you　couldnt have　said　it　better。
eh；　youve　had　some　education；　you　have。　anyone　can　see　that。”
〃well；　of　all　the　outrageous　…　〃　began　edmund；　but　lucy　interrupted。
〃would　i　have　to　go　upstairs　at　night；　or　would　it　do　in　daylight？”
〃oh；　daylight；　daylight；　to　be　sure；〃　said　the　chief　voice。　〃not　at　night。 no　ones　asking　you　to　do　that。　go　upstairs　in　the　dark？　ugh。”
〃all　right；　then；　ill　do　it；〃　said　lucy。　〃no；〃　she　said；　turning　to　the others；　〃dont　try　to　stop　me。　cant　you　see　its　no　use？　there　are　dozens　of　them　there。　we cant　fight　them。
and　the　other　way　there　is　a　chance。”
〃but　a　magician！〃　said　caspian。
〃i　know；〃　said　lucy。　〃but　he　maynt　be　as　bad　as　they　make　out。　dont　you get　the　idea　that　these　people　are　not　very　brave？”
〃theyre　certainly　not　very　clever；〃　said　eustace。
〃look　here；　lu；〃　said　edmund。　〃we　really　cant　let　you　do　a　thing　like this。　ask　reep；　im　sure　hell　say　just　the　same。”
〃but　its　to　save　my　own　life　as　well　as　yours；〃　said　lucy。　〃i　dont　want to　be　cut　to　bits　with　invisible　swords　any　more　than　anyone　else。”
〃her　majesty　is　in　the　right；〃　said　reepicheep。　〃if　we　had　any　assurance　of saving　her　by　battle；　our　duty　would　be　very…plain。　it　appears　to　me　that　we　have　none。 and　the　service　they　ask　of　her　is　in　no　way　contrary　to　her　majestys　honour；　but　a　noble and　heroical　act。　if　the　queens　heart　moves　her　to　risk　the　magician；　i　will　not　speak against　it。”
as　no　one　had　ever　known　reepicheep　to　be　afraid　of　anything；　he　could　say this　without　feeling　at　all　awkward。　but　the　boys；　who　had　all　been　afraid　quite　often； grew　very　red。
none　the　less；　it　was　such　obvious　sense　that　they　had　to　give　in。　loud cheers　broke　from　the　invisible　people　when　their　decision　was　announced；　and　the　chief　voice （warmly　supported　by　all　the　others）　invited　the　narnians　to　e　to　supper　and spend　the　night。
eustace　didnt　want　to　accept；　but　lucy　said；　〃im　sure　theyre　not treacherous。　theyre　not　like　that　at　all；〃　and　the　others　agreed。　and　so；　acpanied　by　an enormous　noise　of　thumpings　（which　became　louder　when　they　reached　the　flagged　and　echoing courtyard）
they　all　went　back　to　the　house。
m。
CHAPTER　TEN
。
the　magicians　book the　invisible　people　feasted　their　guests　royally。　it　was　very　funny　to　see the　plates　and　dishes　ing　to　the　table　and　not　to　see　anyone　carrying　them。　it　would have　been　funny　even　if　they　had　moved　along　level　with　the　floor；　as　you　would　expect things　to　do　in　invisible　hands。　but　they　didnt。　they　progressed　up　the　long　dining…hall in　a　series　of　bounds　or　jumps。　at　the　highest　point　of　each　jump　a　dish　would　be　about fifteen　feet　up　in　the　air；　then　it　would　e　down　and　stop　quite　suddenly　about　three feet　from　the　floor。　when　the　dish　contained　anything　like　soup　or　stew　the　result　was rather　disastrous。
〃im　beginning　to　feel　very　inquisitive　about　these　people；〃　whispered eustace　to　edmund。　〃do　you　think　theyre　human　at　all？　more　like　huge　grasshoppers　or giant　frogs；　i　should　say。”
〃it　does　look　like　it；〃　said　edmund。　〃but　dont　put　the　idea　of　the grasshoppers　into　lucys　head。　shes　not　too　keen　on　insects；　especially　big　ones。”
the　meal　would　have　been　pleasanter　if　it　had　not　been　so　exceedingly messy；　and　also　if　the　conversation　had　not　consisted　entirely　of　agreements。　the　invisible people　agreed　about　everything。　indeed　most　of　their　remarks　were　the　sort　it　would　not be　easy　to　disagree　with：　〃what　i　always　say　is；　when　a　chaps　hungry；　he　likes　some victuals；〃　or　〃getting　dark　now；　always　does　at　night；〃　or　even　〃ah；　youve　e　over　the water。
powerful　wet　stuff；　aint　it？〃　and　lucy　could　not　help　looking　at　the　dark yawning　entrance　to　the　foot　of　the　staircase　…　she　could　see　it　from　where　she　sat …　and　wondering　what　she　would　find　when　she　went　up　those　stairs　next　morning。　but　it　was a　good　meal
otherwise；　with　mushroom　soup　and　boiled　chickens　and　hot　boiled　ham　and　gooseberries；　redcurrants；　curds；　cream；　milk；　and　mead。　the　others　liked the　mead　but　eustace　was　sorry　afterwards　that　he　had　drunk　any。
when　lucy　woke　up　next　morning　it　was　like　waking　up　on　the　day　of　an examination　or　a　day　when　you　are　going　to　the　dentist。　it　was　a　lovely　morning　with　bees buzzing　in　and　out　of　her　open　window