乐文小说网

chater eleven the ace icken（第1页）

QUICKaslightning，RishdaTarkaanleapedbackoutofreachoftheKing’ssword。Hewasnocoward，andwouldhavefoughtsingle-handedagainstTirianandtheDwarfifneedwere。ButhecouldnottakeontheEagleandtheUnicornaswell。HeknewhowEaglescanflyintoyourfaceandpeckatyoureyesandblindyouwiththeirwings。Andhehadheardfromhisfather（whohadmetNarniansinbattle）thatnoman，exceptwitharrows，oralongspear，canmatchaUnicorn，foritrearsonitshindlegsasitfallsuponyouandthenyouhaveitshoofsanditshornanditsteethtodealwithallatonce。Soherushedintothecrowdandstoodcallingout：

“Tome，tome，warriorsofTheTisroc，may-he-liveforever。Tome，allloyalNarnians，lestthewrathofTashlanfalluponyou!”

Whilethiswashappeningtwootherthingshappenedaswell。TheApehadnotrealizedhisdangerasquicklyastheTarkaan。

Forasecondorsoheremainedsquattingbesidethefirestaringatthenewcomers。ThenTirianrusheduponthewretchedcreature，pickeditupbythescruffoftheneck，anddashedbacktothestableshouting，“Openthedoor!”Pogginopenedit。“Goanddrinkyourownmedicine，Shift!”saidTirianandhurledtheApethroughintothedarkness。ButastheDwarfbangedthedoorshutagain，ablindinggreenish-bluelightshoneoutfromtheinsideofthestable，theearthshook，andtherewasastrangenoise-acluckingandscreamingasifitwasthehoarsevoiceofsomemonstrousbird。TheBeastsmoanedandhowledandcalledout“Tashlan!Hideusfromhim!”andmanyfelldown，andmanyhidtheirfacesintheirwingsorpaws。NooneexceptFarsighttheEagle，whohasthebesteyesofalllivingthings，noticedthefaceofRishdaTarkaanatthatmoment。AndfromwhatFarsightsawthereheknewatoncethatRishdawasjustassurprised，andnearlyfrightened，aseveryoneelse。“Theregoesone，”thoughtFarsight，“whohascalledongodshedoesnotbelievein。Howwillitbewithhimiftheyhavereallycome？”

Thethirdthing-whichalsohappenedatthesamemoment-wastheonlyreallybeautifulthingthatnight。EverysingleTalkingDoginthewholemeeting（therewerefifteenofthem）cameboundingandbarkingjoyouslytotheKing’sside。Theyweremostlygreatbigdogswiththickshouldersandheavyjaws。Theircomingwaslikethebreakingofagreatwaveontheseabeach：itnearlyknockedyoudown。ForthoughtheywereTalkingDogstheywerejustasdoggyastheycouldbe：andtheyallstoodupandputtheirfrontpawsontheshouldersofthehumansandlickedtheirfaces，allsayingatonce：“Welcome!Welcome!We’llhelp，we’llhelp，help，help。Showushowtohelp，showushow，how。How-how-how？”

Itwassolovelythatitmadeyouwanttocry。This，atlast，wasthesortofthingtheyhadbeenhopingfor。Andwhen，amomentlater，severallittleanimals（miceandmolesandasquirrelorso）camepatteringup，squealingwithjoy，andsaying“See，see。We’rehere，”andwhen，afterthat，theBearandtheBoarcametoo，Eustacebegantofeelthatperhaps，afterall，everythingmightbegoingtocomeright。ButTiriangazedroundandsawhowveryfewoftheanimalshadmoved．

“Tome!tome!”hecalled。“HaveyouallturnedcowardssinceIwasyourKing？”

“Wedaren’t，”whimpereddozensofvoices。“Tashlanwouldbeangry。ShieldusfromTashlan。”

“WherearealltheTalkingHorses？”askedTirian．

“We’veseen，we’veseen，”squealedtheMice。“TheApehasmadethemwork。They’realltied-downatthebottomofthehill。”

“Thenallyoulittleones，”saidTirian，“younibblersandgnawersandnutcrackers，awaywithyouasfastasyoucanscamperandseeiftheHorsesareonourside。Andiftheyare，getyourteethintotheropesandgnawtilltheHorsesarefreeandbringthemhither。”

“Withagoodwill，Sire，”camethesmallvoices，andwithawhiskoftailsthosesharp-eyedandsharp-toothedfolkwereoff。Tiriansmiledformereloveashesawthemgo。Butitwasalreadytimetobethinkingofotherthings。RishdaTarkaanwasgivinghisorders．

“Forward，”hesaid。“Takeallofthemaliveifyoucanandhurlthemintothestableordrivethemintoit。WhentheyareallinwewillputfiretoitandmakethemanofferingtothegreatgodTash。”

“Ha!”saidFarsighttohimself。“SothatishowhehopestowinTash’spardonforhisunbelief。”

Theenemyline-abouthalfofRishda’sforce-wasnowmovingforward，andTirianhadbarelytimetogivehisorders．

“Outontheleft，Jill，andtrytoshootallyoumaybeforetheyreachus。BoarandBearnexttoher。Pogginonmyleft，Eustaceonmyright。Holdtherightwing，Jewel。Standbyhim，Puzzle，anduseyourhoofs。Hoverandstrike，Farsight。YouDogs，justbehindus。Goinamongthemafterthesword-playhasbegun。Aslantoouraid!”

Eustacestoodwithhisheartbeatingterribly，hopingandhopingthathewouldbebrave。Hehadneverseenanything（thoughhehadseenbothadragonandaseaserpent）thatmadehisbloodrunsocoldasthatlineofdark-facedbright-eyedmen。TherewerefifteenCalormenes，aTalkingBullofNarnia，SlinkeytheFox，andWraggletheSatyr。Thenheheardtwang-and-zipponhisleftandoneCalormenefell：thentwang-andzippagainandtheSatyrwasdown。“Oh，welldone，daughter!”cameTirian’svoice;andthentheenemywereuponthem．

Eustacecouldneverrememberwhathappenedinthenexttwominutes。Itwasalllikeadream（thesortyouhavewhenyourtemperatureisover100）untilheheardRishdaTarkaan’svoicecallingoutfromthedistance：

“Retire。Backhitherandre-form。”

ThenEustacecametohissensesandsawtheCalormenesscamperingbacktotheirfriends。Butnotallofthem。Twolaydead，piercedbyJewel’shorn，onebyTirian’ssword。TheFoxlaydeadathisownfeet，andhewonderedifitwashewhohadkilledit。TheBullalsowasdown，shotthroughtheeyebyanarrowfromJillandgashedinhissidebytheBoar’stusk。Butoursidehaditslossestoo。Threedogswerekilledandafourthwashobblingbehindthelineonthreelegsandwhimpering。TheBearlayontheground，movingfeebly。Thenitmumbledinitsthroatyvoice，bewilderedtothelast，“I-Idon’tunderstand，”laiditsbigheaddownonthegrassasquietlyasachildgoingtosleep，andnevermovedagain．

Infact，thefirstattackhadfailed。Eustacedidn’tseemabletobegladaboutit：hewassoterriblythirstyandhisarmachedso．

AsthedefeatedCalormeneswentbacktotheircommander，theDwarfsbeganjeeringatthem．

“Hadenough，Darkies？”theyyelled。“Don’tyoulikeit？Whydoesn’tyourgreatTarkaangoandfighthimselfinsteadofsendingyoutobekilled？PoorDarkies!”

“Dwarfs，”criedTirian。“Comehereanduseyourswords，notyourtongues。Thereisstilltime。DwarfsofNarnia!Youcanfightwell，Iknow。Comebacktoyourallegiance。”

“Yah!”sneeredtheDwarfs。“Notlikely。You’rejustasbighumbugsastheotherlot。Wedon’twantanyKings。TheDwarfsarefortheDwarfs。Boo!”

ThentheDrumbegan：notaDwarfdrumthistime，butabigbull’shideCalormenedrum。Thechildrenfromtheveryfirsthatedthesound。Boom-boom-ba-ba-boomitwent。Buttheywouldhavehateditfarworseiftheyhadknownwhatitmeant。Tiriandid。ItmeantthattherewereotherCalormenetroopssomewherenearandthatRishdaTarkaanwascallingthemtohisaid。TirianandJewellookedatoneanothersadly。Theyhadjustbeguntohopethattheymightwinthatnight：butitwouldbealloverwiththemifnewenemiesappeared．

Tiriangazeddespairinglyround。SeveralNarnianswerestandingwiththeCalormenes，whetherthroughtreacheryorinhonestfearof“Tashlan”。Othersweresittingstill，staring，notlikelytojoineitherside。Buttherewerefeweranimalsnow：thecrowdwasmuchsmaller。Clearly，severalofthemhadjustcreptquietlyawayduringthefighting．

Boom-boom-ba-ba-boomwentthehorribledrum。Thenanothersoundbegantomixwithit。“Listen!”saidJewel：andthen“Look!”saidFarsight。Amomentlatertherewasnodoubtwhatitwas。Withathunderofhoofs，withtossingheads，widenednostrils，andwavingmanes，overascoreofTalkingHorsesofNarniacamechargingupthehill。Thegnawersandnibblershaddonetheirwork．

PoggintheDwarfandthechildrenopenedtheirmouthstocheerbutthatcheernevercame。Suddenlytheairwasfullofthesoundoftwangingbow-stringsandhissingarrows。ItwastheDwarfswhowereshootingand-foramomentJillcouldhardlybelievehereyes-theywereshootingtheHorses。Dwarfsaredeadlyarchers。HorseafterHorserolledover。NotoneofthosenobleBeastseverreachedtheKing．

“LittleSwine，”shriekedEustace，dancinginhisrage。“Dirty，filthy，treacherouslittlebrutes。”EvenJewelsaid，“ShallIrunafterthoseDwarfs，Sire，andspittenofthemonmyhornateachplunge？”ButTirianwithhisfaceassternasstone，said，“Standfast，Jewel。Ifyoumustweep，sweetheart（thiswastoJill），turnyourfaceasideandseeyouwetnotyourbow-string。Andpeace，Eustace。Donotscold，likeakitchen-girl。Nowarriorscolds。Courteouswordsorelsehardknocksarehisonlylanguage。”

ButtheDwarfsjeeredbackatEustace。“Thatwasasurpriseforyou，littleboy，eh？Thoughtwewereonyourside，didyou？Nofear。Wedon’twantanyTalkingHorses。Wedon’twantyoutowinanymorethantheothergang。Youcan’ttakeusin。TheDwarfsarefortheDwarfs。”

RishdaTarkaanwasstilltalkingtohismen，doubtlessmakingarrangementsforthenextattackandprobablywishinghehadsenthiswholeforceintothefirst。Thedrumboomedon。Then，totheirhorror，Tirianandhisfriendsheard，farfainterasiffromalongwayoff，anansweringdrum。AnotherbodyofCalormeneshadheardRishda’ssignalandwerecomingtosupporthim。YouwouldnothaveknownfromTirian’sfacethathehadnowgivenupallhope．

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