CHAPTER SEVEN OLD NARNIA IN DANGER（第2页）

“Butwherearewetogo?”askedseveralvoices。

“YourMajesty，”saidDoelius，“andallyouvarietyofcreatures，Ithiflyeastanddowhegreatwoods。TheTelmariregion。Theyhavealwaysbeenafraidoftheseaahatmayeoverthesea。Thatiswhytheyhaveletthegreatwoodsgrowup。Iftraditiorue，theaCairParavelwasattheriver-mouth。AllthatpartisfriendlytousaoouregotoAslan'sHow。”

“Aslan'sHow?”saidseveralvoices。“Wedonotknowwhatitis。”

“ItlieswithisoftheGreatWoodsanditisahugemoundwhisraisedinveryaimesicalplace，wheretherestood—aillstands—averymagioundisallhollowedoutwithinintogalleriesaheStohetralcaveofall。Thereisroominthemoundforallourstores，andthoseofuswhohavemostneedofdaremostaedtroundlifebelodgediherestofustheinchallofus（exceptthiswiant）couldretreatiself，andthereweshouldbebeyondthereacherexe。”

“Itisagoodthingwehavealearnedmanamongus，”saidTrufflehurumpkinmutteredunderhisbreath，“Soupandcelery!Iwishourleaderswouldthitheseoldwives'talesavidarms。”Butallapprovedofelius'sproposala，halfanhourlater，theywereonthemarch。BeforesuheyarrivedatAslan'sHow。

Itwaslyanawesomepladgreenhillontopofanotherhill，longsinoverwithtrees，ale，lowdoorwayleadingintoit。Thetunnelsinsideerfectmazetillyougottokheywerelinedahsmoothstones，ai，sawstraersandsnakypatterns，andpiwhiofaLioedagainandagain。ItallseemedtobelongtoanevenolderNarniathantheNarniaofwhiursehadtoldhim。

Itwasaftertheyhadtakeersinandaroufantainstthem。KingMiraz'ssfoundtheirnewlair，andheandhisarmyarrivedohewoods。Andassoofteheeroheyhadreed。'sheartsankashesawpanyafterpanyarriving。AndthoughMiraz'smenmayhavebeenafraidofgoingiheywereevenmoreafraidofMiraz，andwithhiminandtheycarriedbattledeeplyintoitaimesalmosttotheHowitself。dothersofademaheopentry。Thustherewasfightingonmostdaysaimesbynightaswell;but'spartyhadoheworstofit。

Atlastthereightwhehinghadgoneasbadlyaspossible，andtherainwhichhadbeenfallingheavilyalldayhadceasedatnightfallonlytogiveplacetorawcold。Thatmhadarrawashisbiggestbattleyet，andallhadhungtheirhopesohmostoftheDwarfs，wastohavefallenontheKing&#atdaybreak，aheywereheavilyeiththetaursahefiercestbeasts，wastohavebrokenoutfromanotherpladeavouredtocuttheKing&#htofffromtherestofthearmy。Butithadallfailed。Noonehadian（beooerdaysofNarhatGiaallbleweather，thoughasbraveasalion，wasatrueGianti。Hehadbrokenoutatthewrongtimeandfrpladbothhispartyand'shadsufferedbadlyaheeleharm。ThebestoftheBearshadbeenhurt，ataurterriblywouherewerefeian'spartywhohadnotlostblood。Itwasagloomypanythathuddleduhedrippitheirstysupper。

ThegloomiestofallwasGiaher。Hekwasallhisfault。Hesatinsilengbigtearswhichcolletheendofhishenfellofflashonthewholebivouaice，whohadjustbeeogetwarmanddrowsy。Theyalljumpedup，shakieroutoftheirearsandwrileblas，aheGiantinshrillbutforciblevoiceswhetherhethoughttheyweren'twetenoughwithoutthissortofthing。AherpeoplewokeupandtoldtheMicetheyhadbeenenrolledassdnotasacertparty，ahey'tkeepquiet。Aiptoedawaytofindsomeplacewhereheiserableieppedonsomebody'stailaheysaidafterwarditwasafox）bithim。Andsoeveryooftemper。

ButiandmagicalchamberattheheartoftheHoian，witheliusandtheBadgerandNikabrikandTrumpkicil。Thickpillarsofaportedtheroof。IerwastheStoorightdower，ahwhathadoiagesofwindandrainandsnowhadalmostwornthemawayiheStooodoop，andtheMoundhadaboveit。Theywerenotusiablenroundit:itwastoomagigforanyoonlogsalittlewayfromit，ahemwasaroughwoodentable，onwhichstoodarudeclaylamplightinguptheirpalefadthrowingbigshadowsonthe

“IfyourMajestyisevertousetheHorn，”saidTrufflehuhiimehasnowe。”hadofofhistreasureseveraldaysago。

&aineed，”ansian。“Butitishardtobesureweareatreatest。Supposingthereevenworseneedandwehadalreadyusedit?”

“Bythatargument，”saidNikabrik，“yourMajestywillilitistoolate。”

“Iagreewiththat，”saidDoelius。

“Andwhatdoyouthink，Trumpkin?”asked。

“Oh，asforme，”saidtheRedDwarf，whohadbeehpleteindifferenajestyknowsIthinktheHorn—andthatbitofbrokehere—andyPeter—andyourLionAslan—arealleggsinmoo'salloomewhenyourMajestyblowstheHorn。AllIinsistonisthatthearmyistoldnothingaboutit。There'snhopesofmagicalhelpwhich（asIthiobedisappointed。”

&henameofAslanindQueenSusan'sHorn，”said。

“Thereisohing，Sire，”saidDoelius，“thatshouldperhapsbedo。Wedonotknowwhatformthehelpwilltake。Itmighthimselffromoversea。ButIthinkitismorelikelytocallPetertheHighKingandhismightysortsdownfromthehighpast。Butihercase，Idonotthinkwebesurethatthehelpwilletothisveryspot—”

“Youneversaidatruerword，”putinTrumpkin。

“Ithihelearhatthey—orhe—willebaeorotheroftheAPlaarnia。This，sit，isthemostaandmostdeeplymagicalofall，ahink，theanswerislikeliesttoe。Buttherearetwoothers。Oern-river，westofBeaversdam，wheretheRoyalfirstappearedinNarnia，astherecordstellTheotherisdownattheriver-mouth，wheretheircastleofCairParaveloood。AndifAslanhimselfes，thatwouldbethebestplaeetinghimtoo，foreverystorysaysthatheisthesoEmperor-over-the-Sea，aheseahewillpass。Ishouldlikeverymuessehplaces，toLaeandtheriver-mouth，toreceivethem—orhim—orit。”

“JustasIthought，”mutteredTrumpkiresultofallthisfooleryisnushelpbuttoloseustwofighters。”

“Whowouldyouthinkofsending，Doelius?”asked。

“Squirrelsarebestfthrougherywithoutbeingcaught，”saidTrufflehunter。

“Alloursquirrels（amany），”saidNikabrik，“areratherflighty。TheonlyoneI'dtrustonajoblikethatwouldbePattertwig。”

&bePattertwig，then，”saidKing。“Andwhoforer?Iknowyou'dgo，Trufflehuyouhaven'tthespeed。Noryou，Doelius。”

“Iwon'tgo，”saidNikabrik。“WithalltheseHumasabout，theremustbeaDwarfheretoseethattheDwarfsarefairlytreated。”

“Thimblesaorms!”criedTrumpkinihathowyouspeaktotheKing?Sendme，Sire，I'llgo。”

“ButIthoughtyoudidn'tbelieveirumpkin，”said。

“NomoreIdo，yourMajesty。Butwhat'sthatgottodowithit?Imightaswelldieonawildgoosechaseasdiehere。Y。Iknowthediffereweengiviakingorders。You'vehadmyadviowit'sthetimefororders。”

“Iwillthis，Trumpkin，”said。“Sendf，oneofyou。AndwhenshallIblowtheHorn?”

“Iwouldwaitforsunrise，yourMajesty，”saidDoelius。“Thatsometimeshasaiionsof>

&eslaterPattertwigarrivedandhadhistaskexplaiohim。Ashewas，likemanysquirrels，fulleanddashandenergyaaosayceit），henosoohaobeoff。ItwasarraheshouldrunforLaewhileTrumpkierjourheriver-mouth。AfterahastymealtheybothsetoffwiththeferventthanksandgoodwishesoftheKing，theBadger，andelius。