THEnextturnoftheroad-broughtthemoutfromamongthetreesandthere,acrossgreenlawns,shelteredfromthenorthwindbythehighwoodedridgeatitsback,theysawthecastleofAnvard。Itwasveryoldandbuiltofawarm,reddish-brownstone。
BeforetheyhadreachedthegateKingLunecameouttomeetthem,notlookingatalllikeAravissideaofakingandwearingtheoldestofoldclothes;forhehadjustcomefrommakingaroundofthekennelswithhisHuntsmanandhadonlystoppedforamomenttowashhisdoggyhands。ButthebowwithwhichhegreetedAravisashetookherhandwouldhavebeenstatelyenoughforanEmperor。
"Littlelady,"hesaid,"webidyouveryheartilywelcome。Ifmydearwifewerestillalivewecouldmakeyoubettercheerbutcouldnotdoitwithabetterwill。AndIamsorrythatyouhavehadmisfortunesandbeendrivenfromyourfathershouse,whichcannotbutbeagrieftoyou。MysonCorhastoldmeaboutyouradventurestogetherandallyourvalor。"
"Itwashewhodidallthat,Sir,"saidAravis。"Why,herushedataliontosaveme。"
"Eh,what'sthat?"saidKingLune,hisfacebrightening。"Ihaven'theardthatpartofthestory。"
ThenAravistoldit。AndCor,whohadverymuchwantedthestorytobeknown,thoughhefelthecouldn'ttellithimself,didn'tenjoyitsomuchashehadexpected,andindeedfeltratherfoolish。ButhisfatherenjoyeditverymuchindeedandinthecourseofthenextfewweekstoldittosomanypeoplethatCorwishedithadneverhappened。
ThentheKingturnedtoHwinandBreeandwasjustaspolitetothemastoAravis,andaskedthemalotofquestionsabouttheirfamiliesandwheretheyhadlivedinNarniabeforetheyhadbeencaptured。TheHorseswererathertongue-tiedfortheyweren'tyetusedtobeingtalkedtoasequalsbyHumansgrown-upHumans,thatis。Theydidn'tmindAravisandCor。
PresentlyQueenLucycameoutfromthecastleandjoinedthemandKingLunesaidtoAravis,"Mydear,hereisalovingfriendofourhouse,andshehasbeenseeingthatyourapartmentsareputtorightsforyoubetterthanIcouldhavedoneit。"
"You'dliketocomeandseethem,wouldn'tyou?"saidLucy,kissingAravis。TheylikedeachotheratonceandsoonwentawaytogethertotalkaboutAravis'sbedroomandAravis'sboudoirandaboutgettingclothesforher,andallthesortofthingsgirlsdotalkaboutonsuchanoccasion。
Afterlunch,whichtheyhadontheterrace(itwascoldbirdsandcoldgamepieandwineandbreadandcheese),KingLuneruffleduphisbrowandheavedasighandsaid,"Heigh-ho!WehavestillthatsorrycreatureRabadashonourhands,myfriends,andmustneedsresolvewhattodowithhim。"
LucywassittingontheKing'srightandAravisonhisleft。KingEdmundsatatoneendofthetableandtheLordDarrinfacedhimattheother。DarandPeridanandCorandCorinwereonthesamesideastheKing。
"YourMajestywouldhaveaperfectrighttostrikeoffhishead,"saidPeridan。"Suchanassaultashemadeputshimonalevelwithassassins。"
"Itisverytrue,"saidEdmund。"Butevenatraitormaymend。Ihaveknownonethatdid。"Andhelookedverythoughtful。
"TokillthisRabadashwouldgoneartoraisingwarwiththeTisroc,"saidDarrin。
"AfigfortheTisroc,"saidKingLune。"Hisstrengthisinnumbersandnumberswillnevercrossthedesert。ButIhavenostomachforkillingmen(eventraitors)incoldblood。Tohavecuthisthroatinthebattlewouldhaveeasedmyheartmightily,butthisisadifferentthing。"
"Bymycounsel,"saidLucy,"yourMajestyshallgivehimanothertrial。Lethimgofreeonstraitpromiseoffairdealinginthefuture。Itmaybethathewillkeephisword。"
"MaybeApeswillgrowhonest,Sister,"saidEdmund。"But,bytheLion,ifhebreaksitagain,mayitbeinsuchtimeandplacethatanyofuscouldswapoffhisheadincleanbattle。"
"Itshallbetried,"saidtheKing:andthentooneoftheattendants,"Sendfortheprisoner,friend。"
Rabadashwasbroughtbeforetheminchains。Tolookathimanyonewouldhavesupposedthathehadpassedthenightinanoisomedungeonwithoutfoodorwater;butinrealityhehadbeenshutupinquiteacomfortableroomandprovidedwithanexcellentsupper。Butashewassulkingfartoofuriouslytotouchthesupperandhadspentthewholenightstampingandroaringandcursing,henaturallydidnotnowlookhisbest。
"YourroyalHighnessneedsnottobetold,"saidKingLune,"thatbythelawofnationsaswellasbyallreasonsofprudentpolicy,wehaveasgoodrighttoyourheadaseveronemortalmanhadagainstanother。Nevertheless,inconsiderationofyouryouthandtheillnurture,devoidofallgentilesseandcourtesy,whichyouhavedoubtlesshadinthelandofslavesandtyrants,wearedisposedtosetyoufree,unharmed,ontheseconditions:first,that—"
"Curseyouforabarbariandog!"splutteredRabadash。"DoyouthinkIwillevenhearyourconditions?Faugh!YoutalkverylargelyofnurtureandIknownotwhat。Itseasy,toamaninchains,ha!Takeoffthesevilebonds,givemeasword,andletanyofyouwhodaresthendebatewithme。"
Nearlyallthelordssprangtotheirfeet,andCorinshouted:
"Father!CanIboxhim?Please。"
"Peace!YourMajesties!MyLords!"saidKingLune。"Havewenomoregravityamongusthantobesochafedbythetauntofapajock?Sitdown,Corin,orshaftleavethetable。IaskyourHighnessagain,tohearourconditions。"
"Ihearnoconditionsfrombarbariansandsorcerers,"saidRabadash。"Notoneofyoudaretouchahairofmyhead。EveryinsultyouhaveheapedonmeshallbepaidwithoceansofNarnianandArchenlandishblood。TerribleshallthevengeanceoftheTisrocbe:evennow。Butkillme,andtheburningsandtorturingsinthesenorthernlandsshallbecomeataletofrightentheworldathousandyearshence。Beware!Beware!Beware!TheboltofTashfallsfromabove!"
"Doesitevergetcaughtonahookhalf-way?"askedCorin。
"Shame,Corin,"saidtheKing。"Nevertauntamansavewhenheisstrongerthanyou:then,asyouplease。"
"OhyoufoolishRabadash,"sighedLucy。NextmomentCorwonderedwhyeveryoneatthetablehadrisenandwasstandingperfectlystill。Ofcoursehedidthesamehimself。Andthenhesawthereason。Aslanwasamongthemthoughnoonehadseenhimcoming。RabadashstartedastheimmenseshapeoftheLionpacedsoftlyinbetweenhimandhisaccusers。
"Rabadash,"saidAslan。"Takeheed。Yourdoomisverynear,butyoumaystillavoidit。Forgetyourpride(whathaveyoutobeproudof?)andyouranger(whohasdoneyouwrong?)andacceptthemercyofthesegoodkings。"
ThenRabadashrolledhiseyesandspreadouthismouthintoahorrible,longmirthlessgrinlikeashark,andwaggedhisearsupanddown(anyonecanlearnhowtodothisiftheytakethetrouble)。HehadalwaysfoundthisveryeffectiveinCalormen。Thebravesthadtrembledwhenhemadethesefaces,andordinarypeoplehadfallentothefloor,andsensitivepeoplehadoftenfainted。ButwhatRabadashhadn'trealizedisthatitisveryeasytofrightenpeoplewhoknowyoucanhavethemboiledalivethemomentyougivetheword。Thegrimacesdidn'tlookatallalarminginArchenland;indeedLucyonlythoughtRabadashwasgoingtobesick。
"Demon!Demon!Demon!"shriekedthePrince。"Iknowyou。YouarethefoulfiendofNarnia。Youaretheenemyofthegods。LearnwhoIam,horriblephantasm。IamdescendedfromTash,theinexorable,theirresistible。thecurseofTashisuponyou。Lightningintheshapeofscorpionsshallberainedonyou。ThemountainsofNarniashallbegroundintodust。The—"
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