《THE VOYAGE OF THE DAWN TREADER》第36章

〃what　is　it？〃　asked　caspian。
〃never　to　bring　me　back　there；〃　he　said。　he　pointed　astern。　they　all looked。　but　they　saw　only　bright　blue　sea　and　bright　blue　sky。　the　dark　island　and　the　darkness had　vanished　for　ever。
〃why！〃　cried　lord　rhoop。　〃you　have　destroyed　it！”
〃i　dont　think　it　was　us；〃　said　lucy。
〃sire；〃　said　drinian；　〃this　wind　is　fair　for　the　southeast。　shall　i　have our　poor　fellows　up　and　set　sail？　and　after　that；　every　man　who　can　be　spared；　to　his　hammock。”
〃yes；〃　said　caspian；　〃and　let　there　be　grog　all　round。　heigh…ho；　i　feel　i could　sleep　the　clock　round　myself。”
so　all　afternoon　with　great　joy　they　sailed　south…east　with　a　fair　wind。 but　nobody　noticed　when　the　albatross　had　disappeared。
。。
CHAPTER　THIRTEEN
。
the　three　sleepers the　wind　never　failed　but　it　grew　gentler　every　day　till　at　length　the waves　were　little　more　than　ripples；　and　the　ship　glided　on　hour　after　hour　almost　as　if　they were　sailing　on　a　lake。　and　every　night　they　saw　that　there　rose　in　the　east　new constellations　which　no　one　had　ever　seen　in　narnia　and　perhaps；　as　lucy　thought　with　a　mixture　of joy　and　fear；　no　living　eye　had　seen　at　all。　those　new　stars　were　big　and　bright　and　the nights　were　warm。　most　of　them　slept　on　deck　and　talked　far　into　the　night　or　hung　over the　ships　side　watching　the　luminous　dance　of　the　foam　thrown　up　by　their　bows。
on　an　evening　of　startling　beauty；　when　the　sunset　behind　them　was　so crimson　and　purple　and　widely　spread　that　the　very　sky　itself　seemed　to　have　grown larger；　they　came　in　sight　of　land　on　their　starboard　bow。　it　came　slowly　nearer　and　the light　behind　them　made　it　look　as　if　the　capes　and　headlands　of　this　new　country　were　all　on fire。　but　presently　they　were　sailing　along　its　coast　and　its　western　cape　now　rose up　astern　of　them；　black　against　the　red　sky　and　sharp　as　if　it　was　cut　out　of cardboard；　and　then　they　could　see　better　what　this　country　was　like。　it　had　no　mountains　but　many gentle　hills　with　slopes　like　pillows。　an　attractive　smell　came　from　it　…　what　lucy called　〃a　dim；　purple　kind　of　smell〃；　which　edmund　said　（and　rhince　thought）　was　rot；　but caspian　said；　〃i　know　what　you　mean。”
they　sailed　on　a　good　way；　past　point　after　point；　hoping　to　find　a　nice deep　harbour；　but　had　to　content　themselves　in　the　end　with　a　wide　and　shallow　bay。　though　it had　seemed　calm　out　at　sea　there　was　of　course　surf　breaking　on　the　sand　and　they could　not　bring　the　dawn　treader　as　far　in　as　they　would　have　liked。　they　dropped　anchor　a　good way　from　the　beach　and　had　a　wet　and　tumbling　landing　in　the　boat。　the　lord　rhoop remained　on　board　the　dawn　treader。　he　wished　to　see　no　more　islands。　all　the　time　that they　remained　in　this　country　the　sound　of　the　long　breakers　was　in　their　ears。
two　men　were　left　to　guard　the　boat　and　caspian　led　the　others　inland；　but not　far　because　it　was　too　late　for　exploring　and　the　light　would　soon　go。　but there　was　no　need　to　go　far　to　find　an　adventure。　the　level　valley　which　lay　at　the　head　of the　bay　showed　no　road　or　track　or　other　sign　of　habitation。　underfoot　was　tine　springy turf　dotted　here　and　there　with　a　low　bushy　growth　which　edmund　and　lucy　took　for　heather。 eustace；　who　was　really　rather　good　at　botany；　said　it　wasnt；　and　he　was　probably right；　but　it　was　something　of　very　much　the　same　kind。
when　they　had　gone　less　than　a　bowshot　from　the　shore；　drinian　said；　〃look！ whats　that？〃　and　everyone　stopped。
〃are　they　great　trees？〃　said　caspian。
〃towers；　l　think；〃　said　eustace。
〃it　might　be　giants；〃　said　edmund　in　a　lower　voice。
〃the　way　to　find　out　is　to　go　right　iv　among　them；〃　said　reepicheep； drawing　his　sword　and　pattering　off　ahead　of　everyone　else。
〃i　think　its　a　ruin；〃　said　lucy　when　they　had　got　a　good　deal　nearer；　and her　guess　was　the　best　so　far。　what　they　now　saw　was　a　wide　oblong　space　flagged　with smooth　stones　and　surrounded　by　grey　pillars　but　unroofed。　and　from　end　to　end　of　it　ran a　long　table　laid　with　a　rich　crimson　cloth　that　came　down　nearly　to　the　pavement。　at either　side　of　it　were　many　chairs　of　stone　richly　carved　and　with　silken　cushions　upon　the seats。　but　on　the　table　itself　there　was　set　out　such　a　banquet　as　had　never　been　seen； not　even　when　peter　the　high　king　kept　his　court　at　cair　paravel。　there　were　turkeys　and geese　and　peacocks；　there　were　boars　heads　and　sides　of　venison；　there　were　pies shaped　like　ships　under　full　sail　or　like　dragons　and　elephants；　there　were　ice　puddings　and bright　lobsters　and　gleaming　salmon；　there　were　nuts　and　grapes；　pineapples　and　peaches； pomegranates　and　melons　and　tomatoes。　there　were　flagons　of　gold　and　silver　and curiouslywrought　glass；　and　the　smell　of　the　fruit　and　the　wine　blew　towards　them　like　a promise　of　all　happiness。
〃i　say！〃　said　lucy。
they　came　nearer　and　nearer；　all　very　quietly。
〃but　where　are　the　guests？〃　asked　eustace。
〃we　can　provide　that；　sir；〃　said　rhince。
〃look！〃　said　edmund　sharply。　they　were　actually　within　the　pillars　now　and standing　on　the　pavement。　everyone　looked　where　edmund　had　pointed。　the　chairs　were　not all　empty。　at　the　head　of　the　table　and　in　the　two　places　beside　it　there　was something…　or　possibly　three　somethings。
〃what　are　those？〃　asked　lucy　in　a　whisper。　〃it　looks　like　three　beavers sitting　on　the　table。”
〃or　a　huge　birds　nest；〃　said　edmund。
〃it　looks　more　like　a　haystack　to　me；〃　said　caspian。
reepicheep　ran　forward；　jumped　on　a　chair　and　thence　on　to　the　table；　and ran　along　it；　threading　his　way　as　nimbly　as　a　dancer　between　jewelled　cups　and　pyramids of　fruit　and　…ivory　salt…cellars。　he　ran　right　up　to　the　mysterious　grey　mass　at　the end：　peered；　touched；　and　then　called　out： 〃these　will　not　fight；　i　think。”
everyone　now　came　close　and　saw　that　what　sat　in　those　three　chairs　was three　men；　though　hard　to　recognize　as　men　till　you　looked　closely。　their　hair；　which was　grey；　had
grown　over　their　eyes　till　it　almost　concealed　their；　faces；　and　their beards　had　grown　over　the　table；　climbing　pound　and　entwining　plates　and　goblets　as brambles；　entwine　a　fence；　until；　all　mixed　in　one　great　mat　of　ha