The Last Battle 第8部分

heflewuponthechiefsoldierlikelightning.eustace,whohaddrawnhisswordwhenhesawthekingdrawhis,rushedattheotherone:hisfacewasdeadlypale,butiwouldntblamehimforthat.andhehadtheluckthatbeginnerssometimesdohave.heforgotallthattirianhadtriedtoteachhimthatafternoon,slashedwildly(indeedimnotsurehiseyeswerentshut)andsuddenlyfound,tohisowngreatsurprise,thatthecalormenelaydeadathisfeet.andthoughthatwasagreatrelief,itwas,atthemoment,ratherfrightening.thekingsfightlastedasecondortwolonger:thenhetoohadkilledhismanandshoutedtoeustace,"waretheothertwo.”

butthedwarfshadsettledthetworemainingcalormenes.therewasnoenemyleft.

"wellstruck,eustace!"criedtirian,clappinghimontheback."now,dwarfs,youarefree.tomorrowiwillleadyoutofreeallnarnia.threecheersforaslan!”

buttheresultwhichfollowedwassimplywretched.therewasafeebleattemptfromafewdwarfs(aboutfive)whichdiedawayallatonce:fromseveralothersthereweresulkygrowls.manysaidnothingatall.

"donttheyunderstand?"saidjillimpatiently."whatswrongwithallyoudwarfs?dontyouhearwhatthekingsays?itsallover.theapeisntgoingtorulenarniaanylonger.

everyonecangobacktoordinarylife.youcanhavefunagain.arentyouglad?”

afterapauseofnearlyaminuteanot-very-nice-lookingdwarfwithhairandbeardasblackassootsaid:"andwhomightyoube,missie?”

"imjill,"shesaid."thesamejillwhorescuedkingrilianfromtheenchantmentandthisiseustacewhodidittoo-andwevecomebackfromanotherworldafterhundredsofyears.aslansentus.”

thedwarfsalllookedatoneanotherwithgrins;sneeringgrins,notmerryones.

"well,"saidtheblackdwarf(whosenamewasgriffle),"idontknowhowallyouchapsfeel,butifeeliveheardasmuchaboutaslanasiwanttofortherestofmylife.”

"thatsright,thatsright,"growledtheotherdwarfs."itsallaplant,allabloomingplant.”

"whatdoyoumean?"saidtirian.hehadnotbeenpalewhenhewasfightingbuthewaspalenow.hehadthoughtthiswasgoingtobeabeautifulmoment,butitwasturningoutmorelikeabaddream.

"youmustthinkwerebloomingsoftinthehead,thatyoumust,"saidgriffle."wevebeentakeninonceandnowyouexpectustobetakeninagainthenextminute.wevenomoreuseforstoriesaboutaslan,see!lookathim!anoldmokewithlongears!”

"byheaven,youmakememad,"saidtirian."whichofussaidthatwasaslan?thatistheapesimitationoftherealaslan.cantyouunderstand?”

"andyouvegotabetterimitation,isuppose!"saidgriffle."nothanks.wevebeenfooledonceandwerenotgoingtobefooledagain.”

"ihavenot,"saidtirianangrily,"iservetherealaslan.”

"whereshe?whoshe?showhimtous!"saidseveraldwarfs.

"doyouthinkikeephiminmywallet,fools?"saidtirian."whoamithaticouldmakeaslanappearatmybidding?hesnotatamelion.”

themomentthosewordswereoutofhismouthherealizedthathehadmadeafalsemove.thedwarfsatoncebeganrepeating"notatamelion,notatamelion,"inajeeringsing-song."thatswhattheotherlotkeptontellingus,"saidone.

"doyoumeanyoudontbelieveintherealaslan?"saidjill."butiveseenhim.andhehassentustwohereoutofadifferentworld.”

"ah,"saidgrifflewithabroadsmile."soyousay.theyvetaughtyouyourstuffallright.sayingyourlessons,aintyou?”

"churl,"criedtirian,"willyougivealadythelietoherveryface?”

"youkeepaciviltongueinyourhead,mister,"repliedthedwarf."idontthinkwewantanymorekings-ifyouaretirian,whichyoudontlooklikehim-nomorethanwewantanyaslans.weregoingtolookafterourselvesfromnowonandtouchourcapstonobody.see?”

"thatsright,"saidtheotherdwarfs."wereonourownnow.nomoreaslan,nomorekings,nomoresillystoriesaboutotherworlds.thedwarfsareforthedwarfs."andtheybegantofallintotheirplacesandtogetreadyformarchingbacktowherevertheyhadcomefrom.

"littlebeasts!"saideustace."arentyouevengoingtosaythankyouforbeingsavedfromthesalt-mines?”

"oh,weknowallaboutthat,"saidgriffleoverhisshoulder."youwantedtomakeuseofus,thatswhyyourescuedus.youreplayingsomegameofyourown.comeonyouchaps.”

andthedwarfsstruckupthequeerlittlemarchingsongwhichgoeswiththedrum-beat,andofftheytrampedintothedarkness.

tirianandhisfriendsstaredafterthem.thenhesaidthesingleword"come,"andtheycontinuedtheirjourney.

theywereasilentparty.puzzlefelthimselftobestillindisgrace,andalsohedidntreallyquiteunderstandwhathadhappened.jill,besidesbeingdisgustedwiththedwarfs,wasveryimpressedwitheustacesvictoryoverthecalormeneandfeltalmostshy.asforeustace,hisheartwasstillbeatingratherquickly.tirianandjewelwalkedsadlytogetherintherear.thekinghadhisarmontheunicornsshoulderandsometimestheunicornnuzzledthekingscheekwithhissoftnose.theydidnottrytocomfortoneanotherwithwords.itwasntveryeasytothinkofanythingtosaythatwouldbecomforting.tirianhadneverdreamedthatoneoftheresultsofanapessettingupasafalseaslanwouldbe

tostoppeoplefrombelievingintherealone.hehadfeltquitesurethatthedwarfswouldrallytohissidethemomentheshowedthemhowtheyhadbeendeceived.andthennextnighthewouldhaveledthemtostablehillandshownpuzzletoallthecreaturesandeveryonewouldhaveturnedagainsttheapeand,perhapsafterascufflewiththecalormenes,thewholethingwouldhavebeenover.butnow,itseemed,hecouldcountonnothing.howmanyothernarniansmightturnthesamewayasthedwarfs?

"somebodyscomingafterus,ithink,"saidpuzzlesuddenly.

theystoppedandlistened.sureenough,therewasathump-thumpofsmallfeetbehindthem.

"whogoesthere!"shoutedtheking.

"onlyme,sire,"cameavoice."me,pogginthedwarf.iveonlyjustmanagedtogetawayfromtheothers.imonyourside,sire:andonaslans.ifyoucanputadwarfishswordinmyfist,idgladlystrikeablowontherightsidebeforeallsdone.”

everyonecrowdedroundhimandwelcomedhimandpraisedhimandslappedhimontheback.ofcourseonesingledwarfcouldnotmakeaverygreatdifference,butitwassomehowverycheeringtohaveevenone.thewholepartybrightenedup.butjillandeustacedidntstaybrightforverylong,fortheywerenowyawningtheirheadsoffandtootiredtothinkaboutanythingbutbed.

itwasatthecoldesthourofthenight,justbeforedawn,thattheygotbacktothetower.

iftherehadbeenamealreadyforthemtheywouldhavebeengladenoughtoeat,butthebotheranddelayofgettingonewasnottobethoughtof.theydrankfromastream,splashedtheirfaceswithwater,andtumbledintotheirbunks,exceptforpuzzleandjewelwhosaidtheydbemorecomfortableoutside.thisperhapswasjustaswell,foraunicornandafat,full-growndonkeyindoorsalwaysmakearoomfeelrathercrowded.

narniandwarfs,thoughlessthanfourfeethigh,arefortheirsizeaboutthetoughestandstrongestcreaturesthereare,sothatpoggin,inspiteofaheavydayandalatenight,wokefullyrefreshedbeforeanyoftheothers.heatoncetookjillsbow,wentoutandshotacoupleofwoodpigeons.thenhesatpluckingthemonthedoorstepandchattingtojewelandpuzzle.puzzlelookedandfeltagooddealbetterthismorning.jewel,beingaunicornandthereforeoneofthenoblestanddelicatestofbeasts,hadbeenverykindtohim,talkingtohimaboutthingsofthesorttheycouldbothunderstandlikegrassandsugarandthecareofoneshoofs.whenjillandeustacecameoutofthetoweryawningandrubbingtheireyesatalmosthalfpastten,thedwarfshowedthemwheretheycouldgatherplentyofanarnianweedcalledwildfresney,whichlooksratherlikeourwood-sorrelbuttastesagooddealnicerwhencooked.(itneedsalittlebutterandpeppertomakeitperfect,buttheyhadntgotthese.)sothatwhatwithonethingandanother,theyhadthemakingsofacapitalstewfortheirbreakfastordinner,whicheveryouchoosetocallit.tirianwentalittlefurtheroffintothewoodwithanaxeandbroughtbacksomebranchesforfuel.whilethemealwascooking-whichseemedaverylongtime,

especiallyasitsmellednicerandnicertheneareritcametobeingdone-thekingfoundacompletedwarfishoutfitforpoggin:mailshirt,helmet,shield,sword,belt,anddagger.

thenheinspectedeustacesswordandfoundthateustacehadputitbackinthesheathallmessyfromkillingthecalormene.hewasscoldedforthatandmadetocleanandpolishit.

allthiswhilejillwenttoandfro,sometimesstirringthepotandsometimeslookingoutenviouslyatthedonkeyandtheunicornwhowerecontentedlygrazing.howmanytimesthatmorningshewishedshecouldeatgrass!

butwhenthemealcameeveryonefeltithadbeenworthwaitingfor,andthereweresecondhelpingsallround.wheneveryonehadeatenasmuchashecould,thethreehumansandthedwarfcameandsatonthedoorstep,thefour-footedoneslaydownfacingthem,thedwarf(withpermissionbothfromjillandfromtirian)lithispipe,andthekingsaid:"now,friendpoggin,youhavemorenewsoftheenemy,belike,thanwe.tellusallyouknow.andfirst,whattaledotheytellofmyescape?”

"ascunningatale,sire,aseverwasdevised,"saidpoggin."itwasthecat,ginger,whotoldit,andmostlikelymadeituptoo.thisginger,sire-oh,hesaslybootsifeveracatwas-saidhewaswalkingpastthetreetowhichthosevillainsboundyourmajesty.andhesaid(savingyourreverence)thatyouwerehowlingandswearingandcursingaslan:`languageiwouldntliketorepeatwerethewordsheused,lookingeversoprimandproperyouknowthewayacatcanwhenitpleases.andthen,saysginger,aslanhimselfsuddenlyappearedinaflashoflightningandswallowedyourmajestyupatonemouthful.allthebeaststrembledatthisstoryandsomefaintedrightaway.andofcoursetheapefolloweditup.there,hesays,seewhataslandoestothosewhodontrespecthim.letthatbeawarningtoyouall.andthepoorcreatureswailedandwhinedandsaid,itwill,itwill.sothatintheupshotyourmajestysescapehasnotsetthemthinkingwhetheryoustillhaveloyalfriendstoaidyou,butonlymadethemmoreafraidandmoreobedienttotheape.”

"whatdevilishpolicy!"saidtirian."thisginger,then,iscloseintheapescounsels.”

"itsmoreaquestionbynow,sire,iftheapeisinhiscounsels,"repliedthedwarf."theapehastakentodrinking,yousee.mybeliefisthattheplotisnowmostlycarriedonbygingerorrishda-thatsthecalormenecaptain.andithinksomewordsthatgingerhasscatteredamongthedwarfsarechieflytoblameforthescurvyreturntheymadeyou.

andilltellyouwhy.oneofthosedreadfulmidnightmeetingshadjustbrokenupthenightbeforelastandidgoneabitofthewayhomewhenifoundidleftmypipebehind.

itwasarealgoodun,anoldfavourite,soiwentbacktolookforit.butbeforeigottotheplacewhereidbeensitting(itwasblackaspitchthere)iheardacatsvoicesaymewandacalormenevoicesay`here...speaksoftly,soijuststoodasstillasifiwasfrozen.andthesetwoweregingerandrishdatarkaanastheycallhim.`nobletarkaan,saidthecatinthatsilkyvoiceofhis,`ijustwantedtoknowexactlywhatwe

bothmeanttodayaboutaslanmeaningnomorethantash.`doubtless,mostsagaciousofcats,saystheother,`youhaveperceivedmymeaning.`youmean,saysginger,`thattheresnosuchpersonaseither.""allwhoareenlightenedknowthat,saidthetarkaan.