CHAPTER TWELVE THROUGH THE STABLE DOOR(第2页)
Whenyeverymuscletothefull—duderaspear-pointhere,leapihere,lungingfback,wheelinground—youhaven'tmuchtimetofeeleitherfrightenedorsad。Tirianknewheothihersnow;theywerealldoomedtuelysawtheBodownononesideofhim,aingfuriouslyooftheerofoonlyjustsaw,abigenepullingJillawaysomewherebyherhair。Buthehardlythoughtaboutahings。Hisonlythoughtnowwastosellhislifeasdearlyashecould。Theworstofitwasthathe'tkeeptothepositioniarted,uerowhoisfightingadozeoakehisceswhereverhe;mustdartinwhereverheseesanenemy'sbreastuarded。Irokesthismaygetyouquiteadistahespan。Tiriansoonfouingfurtheraheright,hestable。Hehadavagueideainhismindthattherewassomegoodreasawayfromit。Buthe'tthereasonwas。Andanyway,he'thelpit。
Allatcamequiteclear。Hefoundhewasfightiarkaahebowasleftofit)wasstraightinfront。Hewasinfagintheverydoorwayofthestable,forithadbeewoeneswereholdingthedoor,readytoslamitshutthemomenthewasinside。Herememberedeverythingnow,ahattheenemyhadbeenedginghimtothestableonpurposeeversibegan。Ahinkiillfightiarkaanashardashecould。
AnewideatoTirian'shead。Hedroppedhissword,dartedforward,ihesweepoftheTarkaan'sscimitar,seizedhisehebeltwithbothhands,andjumpedbatothestable,shouting:“eiashyourself!”
Therewasadeafeningnoise。Asehadbeenfluhshookandtherewasablindinglight。
Theesidescreamed。“Tash,Tash!”ahedoor。IfTashwaheirotain,Tashmusthavehim。They,atawaash。
ForamomentortwoTiriandidnotknoasoreveheeadiedhimself,blinked,andlookedaround。Itwasnotdarkiable,ashehadexpected。Hewasinstronglight:thatasblinking。
&olookatRishdaTarkaan,butRishdawasnotlookingathim。Rishdagaveagreatoihishandsbeforehisfadfellflat,fawards,ontheground。TiriahedirewheretheTarkaanhadpoiheood。
Aterriblefigurewas。Itwasfarsmallerthaheyhadseehoughstillmuchbiggerthanaman,anditwasthesame。Ithadavulture'sheadandfourarms。Itsbeakenanditseyesblazed。Agvoiceitsbeak。
“ThouhastcalledmeintoNarnia,RishdaTarkaan。HereIam。Whathastthoutosay?”
ButtheTarkaaedhisfathegroundnorsaidaword。Hewasshakinglikeaman。HewasbraveenoughihalfhiscehadlefthimearlierthatnightwhebegaheremightbearealTash。Therestofithadlefthimnow。
Withasuddenjerk-likeahenstoopingtopi—TashpouhemiserableRishdaandtuckedhimuheupperofhistwhtarms。ThenTashturnedhisheadsidewisetofixTiriaerribleeyes:forofcourse,havingabird'shead,he'tlookatyht。
Butimmediately,frombehindTash,strongandcalmasthesummersea,avoicesaid:“BegoakeyourlawfulpreytoyourowhenameofAslanandAslan'sgreatFathertheEmperor-over-the-Sea。”
ThehideouscreaturevaheTarkaanstillusarm。AndTiriaoseeoken。
Ahehisheartbeatingasithadeninanyfight。
SevenKingsaoodbeforehim,allwiththeirheadsandallihes,buttheKingsworefinemailaswellandhadtheirswordsdrawnintheirhands。TiriaeouslyandwasabouttospeakwheoftheQueearedhardatherfadthehamazement,forhekwasJill:butnotJillashehadlastseehherfacealldirtandtearsandanolddrilldresshalfslippingoffoneshoulder。Nowshelookeddfresh,asfreshasifshehadjustbathing。Andatfirsthethoughtshelookedolder,butthendidn't,andheevermakeuphismindonthatpoint。AtheyouheKiace:buthealsowasgedasJill>
Tiriaawkwardaboutongthesepeoplewiththebloodanddustaofabattlestilloherealizedthathewasnotinthatstateatall。HewasfreshanddddressedinsuchclothesashewouldhavewreatfeastatCairParavel。(ButinNarniayoodclotheswereneveryourunfortableoheykomakethingsthatfeltbeautifulaswellaslookiifulinNarnia:andtherewasnosugasstarobefoundfromohetrytotheother。)
“Sire,”saidJillingforwardandmakiifulcurtsey,“letmemakeyoukheHighKingsinNarnia。”
TirianhadoaskwhichwastheHighKing,forherememberedhisface(thoughhereitwasfarnobler)fromhisdream。Hesteppedforward,sankononekneeaer'shand。
“HighKing,”hesaid。“Youarewele。”
AndtheHighKingraisedhimandkissedhimonbothcheeksasaHighKingshould。TheotheeldestoftheQueens—buteveold,andtherewerenograyhairsonherheadandnowrinklesonherdsaid,“Sir,thisisthatLadyPollywhotoNarDay,whenAslareesgrowaalk。”Hebroughthimoamanwhosegoldenbeardflowedoverhisbreastandwhosefacewasfullofwisdom。“Andthis,”hesaid,“istheLoryithheronthatday。AndthisismybrEdmund:andthismysister,theQueenLucy。”
“Sir,”saidTirian,whenhehadgreetedallthese。“IfIhavereadtheiclearight,thereshouldbeanother。HasnotyourMajestytwosisters?WhereisQueenSusan?”
“MysisterSusaershravely,“isnolongerafriendofNarnia。”
“Yes,”saidEustadwheneveryouethertoeandtalkaboutNarniaordoanythingaboutNarnia,shesays,'Whatwonderfulmemoriesyouhave!Fancyyourstillthinkingaboutallthosefunnygamesweusedtoplayere。'”
“OhSusan!”saidJill。“She'sihingnylonsandlipstivitations。Shealwayswasajollysighttookeenonbeinggrown-up。”
“Grown-up,indeed,”saidtheLadyPolly。“Iup。Shewastedallhersewantiheagesheisnow,andshe'llwastealltherestofherlifetryingtostaythatage。Herwholeideaistoratothesilliesttimeofone'slifeasquickasshedthenstasshe。”
“Well,don'tlet'stalkaboutthatnoeter。“Look!Herearelovelyfruit-trees。Letustastethem。”
Ahefirsttime,Tiriahimandrealizedhowveryqueerthisadventure