CHAPTER FIFTEEN ASLAN MAKES A DOOR IN THE AIR（第1页）

CHAPTERFIFTEENASLANMAKESADOORINTHEAIR

ATthesightofAslaheTelmarinesoldiersbecamethecolorofcoldgravy，theirkneeskher，aheirfaces。Theyhadnotbelievedinlionsandthismadetheirfeargreater。EventheRedDthathecameasafriend，stoodwithopenmouthsandotspeak。SomeoftheBlackDwarfs，whohadbeenofNikabrik&#antoedgeaway。ButalltheTalkissurgedroundtheLion，withpurrsandgruntsandsqueaksandwhin，fawningonhimwiththeirtails，rubbingagainsthim，toughimreverentlywiththeirnosesandgoingtoandfrounderhisbodyaweenhislegs。Ifyouhaveeverseelovingabigdogwhomitknowsandtrusts，yourettygoodpictureoftheirbehaviour。Theer，leading，forcedhiswaythroughtheals。“Thisis，Sir，”hesaid。AndeltaheLion'spaw。

“Wele，Prince，”saidAslan。“DoyoufeelyourselfsuffittotakeuptheKingshipofNarnia?”

“I—Idon'tthinkIdo，Sir，”said。“I'monlyakid。”

“Good，”saidAslan。“Ifyouhadfeltyourselfsuffit，itwouldhavebeenaproofthatyouwerenot。Therefore，underusaheHighKing，youshallbeKingofNarnia，LordofCairParavel，aheLoneIslands。Youandyourheirswhileyourracelasts。Andyour—butwhathavewehere?”Foratthatmomentacuriouslittleproroag—elevenMicarriedbetweehingonalittermadeofbrahelitterwashalas。Noonehaseverseenmicemohese。Theywereplasteredwithmudsomewithbloodtoo—andtheirearsweredownandtheirwhiskersdroopedaailsdraggedinthegrass，andtheirleaderpipedonhisslenderpipeamelane。Oerlaywhatseemedlittlebetterthanadampheapoffur;allthatwasleftofReepicheep。Hewasstillbreathing，butmoredeadthanalive，gashedwithinnumerablewounds，onepawcrushed，aailhadbeen，abaump。

“Now，Lucy，”saidAslan。

LucyhadherdiamoihoughonlyadropwasneededoneachofReepicheep'swounds，thewoundsweresomanythattherewasalongandanxioussilencebeforeshehadfiheMasterMfromthelitter。Hishaoohisswordhilt，withtheotherhetwirledhiswhiskers。Hebowed。

“Hail，Aslan!”camehisshrillvoice。“Ihavethehonour—”Buttheopped。

&wasthathestillhadnotail—whetherthatLucyhadfottenitorthathercordial，thoughitcouldhealwounds，akethingsgroicheepbecameawareofhislossashemadehisbositalteredsomethinginhisbalance。Helhtshtoseehistail，hestraihertillhehadtoturnhisshouldersandhiswholebodyfollowed。Butbythattimehishiurooaofsight。Therainedhisnegoverhisshain，withthesameresult。Onlyafterhehadturelyrouimesdidherealizethedreadfultruth。

“Iamded，”saidReepicheeptoAslan。“Iampletelyoutofce。Imustcraveyencefinthisunseemlyfashion。”

“Itbeesyouverywell，SmallOne，”saidAslan。

“Allthesame，”repliedReepicheep，“ifanythingcouldbedone。。。PerhapsherMajesty?”aoLucy。

“Butwhatdoyouwantwithatail?”askedAslan。

“Sir，”saidtheMouse，“IdsleepanddiefwithoutoailisthehloryofaMouse。”

“Ihavesometimeswondered，friend，”saidAslaheryoudonotthinktoomuchaboutyourhonour。”

“HighestofallHighKings，”saidReepicheep，“permitmetoremindyouthataverysmallsizehasbeeowedonusMidifwedidnnity，some（orthbyinches）wouldallowthemselvesveryuriesatourexpeiswhyIhavebeeomakeitknownthatnoowishtofeelthisswordasnearhisheartasIreachshalltalkiTrapsorToastedCheeseoro，Sir—foolinNarnia!”HereheglaredveryfiercelyupatWimbleweather，buttheGiant，aysastagebehindeveryoyetdiscoveredwhatwasbeidownathisfeet，andsomissedthepoint。

“Whyhaveyourfollowersalldrawntheirswords，mayIask?”saidAslan。

“MayitpleaseyhMajesty，”saidtheseouse，eepiceek，“weareallwaitingtocutoffourowntailsifourChiefmustgowithouthis。WewillheshameanhonourwhiiedtotheHighMouse。”

“Ah!”roaredAslan。“Youhavee。Youhavegreathearts。Notforthesakenity，Reepicheep，butforthelovethatisbeteople，andstillmoreforthekindnessyourpeopleshowedmeloeawaythecordsthatbouheStowasthen，thoughyouhavelottenit，thatyoubegaalkingMice），youshallhaveyain。”

BeforeAslanhadfiheailwasinitspla，atAslan'saowedtheKnighthoodoftheOrderoftheLionon，and，assoonashewasknighted，himselfbestoweditoerandTrumpkinandReepidmadeDoeliushisLorddedtheBulgyBeariaryoffiarshaloftheLists。Andtherelause。

&heTelmarinesoldiers，firmlybutwithouttauntsorblows，weretakenacrossthefordandallputunderlodkeyiivenbeefaheymadeagreatfussaboutwadingiheyallhatedandfearedruasmuchastheyhatedandfearedwoodsandanimals。Butihenuisancewasover:ahesofthatlongdaybegan。

LugclosetoAslananddivinelyfortable，wohetreesweredoing。Atfirstshethoughttheyweremerelydang;theywerelygoingroundslowlyintwoleftthtaherfrhttoleft。Theicedthattheykeptthrowihingdowerofbothciresshethoughttheyweregofflongstrandsoftheirhair;atothertimesitlookedasiftheywerebreakingoffbitsers—but，ifso，theyhadplentyoffiospareanditdidnothurtthem。Butwhatevertheyreachedtheground，itbecamebrushwoodordrystithreeorfouroftheRedDwarfscameforwardwiththeirtilighttothepile，whichfirstcradthenblazed，andfinallyroaredasawoodlandbonfireooughttodo。Adowninawidecirdit。

ThenBadSilenusandtheMaenadsbeganadance，farwilderthanthedarees;notmerelyadanahoughitwasthattoo）butamagity，aheirhandstoudwheretheirfeetfell，thefeasttoexistencesidesofroastedmeatthatfilledthegrovewithdeliell，aeenany-carsahickaspeandassmoothasstilleaees，pomegranates，pears，grapes，strawberries，raspberriespyramidsandcataractsoffruit。Thewoodendbowlsahedwithivy，camethewines;dark，thieslikesyrupsofmulberryjuidclearredoneslikeredjelliesliquefied，andyellowwinesandgreenwinesandyellreenish-yellow。

Butforthetreepeopledifferentfarerovided。WhenLucysawClodsleyShovelandhismolessguptheturfinvariousplaces（whichBacchushadpoiothem）ahetreesweregoihitgaveherratherashudder。Butwheheearthsthatwereactuallybroughttothemshefeltquitedifferent。Theybeganwitharithatlookedalmostexactlylikechocolate;solikechofact，thatEdmundtriedapieceofit，buthedidnotfinditatallherihadtakeheirhuuroahekindyouseei，iwaslighterahecheesestagetheyhadachalkysoil，aodelifesofthefigravelspowderedwithchoicesilversand。TheydralewimadetheHolliesverytalkative:forthemostparttheyquewithdeepdraughtsofmingleddewandrain，flavouredwithforestflowersaasteofthethiclouds。

ThusAslaheNarnianstilllohesuhaddiedaway，aarshadeout;afire，lessnoisy，shonelikeabeathedarkwoods，aeelmarifromfarahatitmightmeahingofallaboutthisfeastwasthattherewasnupaway，butasthetalkgrewquieterandslower，oherwouldbegintonodandfinallydropofftosleepwithfeettowardthefireandgoodfrieherside，tillatlasttherewassilenceallroundthedthegofwateroverstoheFordofBerunacouldbeheardoallnightAslanandtheMoongazedupoherwithjoyfulandunblinkingeyes。

&daymessengers（whowerechieflysquirrelsandbirds）weresehetryrotothescatteredTelmarines—ing，ofcourse，theprisoheyweretoldthatwasnowKingandthatNarniawouldhehbeloalkisandtheDwarfsandDryadsandFaunsauresquiteasmuen。Anywhochosetostayuheionsmightdoso;butforthosewhodidheidea，Aslanwouldprovideanotherhome。AnyonewhowishedtogotheremustetoAslatheFordofBerunabynoohday。YoumayimagihiscausedplegtheTelmarihem，chieflytheyoungones，had，like，heardstoriesoftheOldDaysahattheyhadeback。Theywerealreadymakihthecreatures。ThesealldecidedtostayinNarnia。ButmostoftheoldermehosewhohadbeenimportantunderMiraz，weresulkyandhadnowishtoliveinatrywheretheyotruletheroost。“Liveherewithalotofblanimals!heysaid。“Andghoststoo，”someaddedwithashudder。“That'swhatthosethereDryadsreallyare。It'snoty。”Theyicious。“Idon'ttrust'em，”theysaid。“NotwiththatawfulLionandall。Hewon'tkeephisclawsoffuslong，you'llsee。”Butthentheyiciousofhisivethemaakeusofftohisdeusolikely，”theymuttered。Aheytalkedtoohesulkierandmoresuspicioustheybecame。Butoeddaymorethanhalfofthemturnedup。

AtohegladeAslanhadcausedtobesetuptwostakesofwood，higherthanaman'sheadandaboutthreefeetapart。Athird，andlighter，pieceofwoodwasboundaatthetop，uhatthewholethinglookedlikeadoorwayfromonowhere。InfrontofthisstoodAslahPeterhtandhisleft。GroupedroundthemwereSusanandLucy，TrumpkinaheLlenstorm，Reepidothers。TheandtheDwarfshadmadegooduseoftheroyalwardrobesinwhathadbeeleofMirazandwasleof，andwhatwithsilkandclothofgold，withsnowylinenglangthroughslashedsleeves，withsilvermailshirtsandjewelledsword-hilts，withgilthelmetsaheredboheywerealmhttolookat。Evesworerisabouttheirnobody'seyeswereohe。ThelivingandstrokablegoldofAslan'smashoherestoftheOldNarniansstooddowneachsideoftheglade。AtthefarendstoodtheTelmarihesulyasflutterediwind。

&elmar，”saidAslan，“youwhoseekanewland，hearmywords。Iwillsendyoualltoyourowntry，whiowandyoudonot。”

“Wedon'trememberTelmar。Wedon'tkis。Wedon'tknowwhatitislike，”grumbledtheTelmarines。

“YoutoNarniaoutofTelmar，”saidAslan。“Butyouarfromanotherplace。Youdohisworldatall。Youcamehither，geionsago，outofthatsameworldtowhichtheHighKierbelongs。”