“I’lltry,”saidEdmund,stilllookingattheemptybox.
“Because,ifyoudidcomeagain-bringingthemwithyouofcourse-I’dbeabletogiveyousomemoreTurkishDelight.Ican’tdoitnow,themagicwillonlyworkonce.Inmyownhouseitwouldbeanothermatter.”
“Whycan’twegotoyourhousenow?”saidEdmund.Whenhehadfirstgotontothesledgehehadbeenafraidthatshemightdriveawaywithhimtosomeunknownplacefromwhichhewouldnotbeabletogetback;buthehadforgottenaboutthatfearnow.
“Itisalovelyplace,myhouse,”saidtheQueen.“Iamsureyouwouldlikeit.TherearewholeroomsfullofTurkishDelight,andwhat’smore,Ihavenochildrenofmyown.IwantaniceboywhomIcouldbringupasaPrinceandwhowouldbeKingofNarniawhenIamgone.WhilehewasPrincehewouldwearagoldcrownandeatTurkishDelightalldaylong;andyouaremuchthecleverestandhandsomestyoungmanI’veevermet.IthinkIwouldliketomakeyouthePrince-someday,whenyoubringtheotherstovisitme.”
“Whynotnow?”saidEdmund.Hisfacehadbecomeveryredandhismouthandfingersweresticky.Hedidnotlookeithercleverorhandsome,whatevertheQueenmightsay.
“Oh,butifItookyoutherenow,”saidshe,“Ishouldn’tseeyourbrotherandyoursisters.Iverymuchwanttoknowyourcharmingrelations.YouaretobethePrinceand-lateron-theKing;thatisunderstood.Butyoumusthavecourtiersandnobles。IwillmakeyourbrotheraDukeandyoursistersDuchesses.”
“There’snothingspecialaboutthem,”saidEdmund,“and,anyway,Icouldalwaysbringthemsomeothertime.”
“Ah,butonceyouwereinmyhouse,”saidtheQueen,“youmightforgetallaboutthem.Youwouldbeenjoyingyourselfsomuchthatyouwouldn’twantthebotherofgoingtofetchthem.No.Youmustgobacktoyourowncountrynowandcometomeanotherday,withthem,youunderstand.Itisnogoodcomingwithoutthem.”
“ButIdon’tevenknowthewaybacktomyowncountry,”pleadedEdmund.“That’seasy,”answeredtheQueen.“Doyouseethatlamp?”ShepointedwithherwandandEdmundturnedandsawthesamelamp-postunderwhichLucyhadmettheFaun.“Straighton,beyondthat,isthewaytotheWorldofMen.Andnowlook
theotherway-hereshepointedintheoppositedirection-”andtellmeifyoucanseetwolittlehillsrisingabovethetrees.
“IthinkIcan,”saidEdmund.
“Well,myhouseisbetweenthosetwohills.Sonexttimeyoucomeyouhaveonlytofindthelamp-postandlookforthosetwohillsandwalkthroughthewoodtillyoureachmyhouse.Butremember-youmustbringtheotherswithyou.Imighthavetobeveryangrywithyouifyoucamealone.”
“I’lldomybest,”saidEdmund.
“And,bytheway,”saidtheQueen,“youneedn’ttellthemaboutme.Itwouldbefuntokeepitasecretbetweenustwo,wouldn’tit?Makeitasurpriseforthem.Justbringthemalongtothetwohills-acleverboylikeyouwilleasilythinkofsomeexcusefordoingthat-andwhenyoucometomyhouseyoucouldjustsay‘Let’sseewholiveshere’orsomethinglikethat.Iamsurethatwouldbebest.IfyoursisterhasmetoneoftheFauns,shemayhaveheardstrangestoriesaboutme-nastystoriesthatmightmakeherafraidtocometome.Faunswillsayanything,youknow,andnow-”
“Please,please,”saidEdmundsuddenly,“pleasecouldn’tIhavejustonepieceofTurkishDelighttoeatonthewayhome?”
“No,no,”saidtheQueenwithalaugh,“youmustwaittillnexttime.”Whileshespoke,shesignalledtothedwarftodriveon,butasthesledgesweptawayoutofsight,theQueenwavedtoEdmund,callingout,“Nexttime!Nexttime!Don’tforget.Comesoon.”
Edmundwasstillstaringafterthesledgewhenheheardsomeonecallinghisownname,andlookingroundhesawLucycomingtowardshimfromanotherpartofthewood.
“Oh,Edmund!”shecried.“Soyou’vegotintoo!Isn’titwonderful,andnow-”
“Allright,”saidEdmund,“Iseeyouwererightanditisamagicwardrobeafterall.I’llsayI’msorryifyoulike.Butwhereonearthhaveyoubeenallthistime?I’vebeenlookingforyoueverywhere.”
“IfI’dknownyouhadgotinI’dhavewaitedforyou,”saidLucy,whowastoohappyandexcitedtonoticehowsnappishlyEdmundspokeorhowflushedandstrangehisfacewas.“I’vebeenhavinglunchwithdearMr。Tumnus,theFaun,andhe’sverywellandtheWhiteWitchhasdonenothingtohimforlettingmego,sohethinksshecan’thavefoundoutandperhapseverythingisgoingtobeallrightafterall.”
“TheWhiteWitch?”saidEdmund,“who’sshe?”
“Sheisaperfectlyterribleperson,”saidLucy.“ShecallsherselftheQueenofNarniathoughshehasnorighttobequeenatall,andalltheFaunsandDryadsandNaiadsandDwarfsandAnimals-atleastallthegoodones-simplyhateher.Andshecanturnpeopleintostoneanddoallkindsofhorriblethings.AndshehasmadeamagicsothatitisalwayswinterinNarnia-alwayswinter,butitnevergetstoChristmas.Andshedrivesaboutonasledge,drawnbyreindeer,withherwandinherhandandacrownonherhead.”
https://www.cwzww.com https://www.du8.org https://www.shuhuangxs.comabxsw.net dingdianshu.com bxwx9.net
kenshu.tw pashuba.com quanshu.la
tlxsw.cc qudushu.net zaidudu.org
duyidu.org baquge.cc kenshuge.cc
qushumi.com xepzw.com 3dllc.net