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CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  THEHUNTINGOFTHEWHITESTAGTHEbattlewasalloverafewmiertheirarrival.MostoftheenemyhadbeenkilledinthefirstchargeofAslanandhis-panions;ahosewhowerestilllivingsawthattheWitchwasdeadtheyeithergavethemselvesuportooktoflight.ThehingthatLuewwasthatPeterandAslanwereshakinghands.ItwasstraohertoseePeterlookingashelookednow-hisfacealeandsternandheseemedsomucholder.

  "ItwasallEdmundsdoing,Aslan,"Peterwassaying."Wedhavebeeenifithadntbeenforhim.TheWitchwasturningourtroopsintosthta.Butnothingwouldstophim.Hefoughthiswaythroughthreeogrestowhereshewasjustturningoneofyourleopardsintoastatue.Andwhenhereachedherhehadsehisswordsmashingdownonherwandinsteadtogoforherdirectlyandsimplygettingmadeastatuehimselfforhispains.Thatwasthemistakealltherestweremaking.Onceherwandwasbrokeohavesomece-ifwehadntlostsomanyalready.

  Hewasterriblywounded.Wemustgoandseehim.”

  TheyfoundEdmundinchargeofMrsBeaveralittlewaybathefightingline.Hewascoveredwithblood,hismouthen,andhisfaastygreencolour.

  "Quick,Lucy,"saidAslan.

  Andthen,almostforthefirsttime,LucyrememberedthepreciouscordialthathadbeengivenherforaChristmaspresent.Herhandstrembledsomuchthatshecouldhardly

  undothestopper,butshemaintheendandpouredafewdropsintoherbrothersmouth.

  "Thereareotherpeoplewounded,"saidAslanwhileshewasstilllookingeagerlyintoEdmundspalefadwifthecordialwouldhavea.

  "Yes,Iknow,"saidLucycrossly."Waitaminute.”

  "DaughterofEve,"saidAslaninagravervoice,"othersalsoareatthepointofdeath.

  MustmorepeopledieforEdmund?”

  "Imsorry,Aslan,"saidLucy,gettingupandgoingwithhim.Andforthehalf-hourtheywerebusy-sheattendingtothewoundedwhileherestoredthosewhohadbeenturostone.Whenatlastshewasfreetoebaundshefoundhimstandingonhisfeetandnotonlyhealedofhiswoundsbutlookierthanshehadseenhimlook-oh,fes;infacteversincehisfirsttermatthathorridschoolwhichwaswherehehadbegunt.HehadbeehisrealoldselfagainandcouldlookyouinthefadthereonthefieldofbattleAslanmadehimaknight.

  "Doesheknow,"whisperedLucytoSusan,"whatAslandidforhim?DoesheknowwhatthearrawiththeWitchreallywas?”

  "Hush!No.Ofcoursenot,"saidSusan.

  "Oughtobetold?"saidLucy.

  "Oh,surelynot,"saidSusan."Itwouldbetooawfulforhim.Thinkhowyoudfeelifyouwerehe.”

  "AllthesameIthinkheoughttoknow,"saidLucy.Butatthatmomenttheywereinterrupted.

  Thatnighttheysleptwheretheywere.HorovidedfoodforthemallIdontknow;butsomehoworothertheyfoundthemselvesallsittingdownonthegrasstoafinehighteaatabouteightocloextdaytheybeganmargeastwarddownthesideofthegreatriver.Adayafterthat,ataboutteatime,theyactuallyreachedthemouth.ThecastleofCairParavelonitslittlehilltoweredupabovethem;beforethemwerethesands,withrodlittlepoolsofsaltwater,andseaweed,andthesmelloftheseaandlongmilesofbluish-greenwavesbreakingforeverahebeadoh,thecryofthesea-gulls!Haveyouheardit?ember?

  Thateveningafterteathefourchildrenallmaogetdowntothebeachagainaheirshoesandstogsoffahesaweeoes.Butdaywasmoresolemn.Forthen,intheGreatHallofCairParavel-thatwonderfulhallwiththeivoryroofawallhungwithpeacocksfeathersaerndoorwhichlookstowardsthesea,inthepresenceofalltheirfriendsandtothesoundoftrumpets,

  Aslansolemnlyedthemahemtothefourthronesamiddeafeningshoutsof,"LongLiveKier!LongLiveQueenSusan!LongLiveKingEdmund!LongLiveQueenLucy!”

  "OnceakingorqueeninNarnia,alwaysakingorqueewell,SonsofAdam!

  Bearitwell,DaughtersofEve!"saidAslan.

  Andthroughtheeasterndoor,whichwaswideopen,camethevoicesofthemermenandthemermaidsswimmingclosetotheshoreandsinginginhonouroftheirnewKingsandQueens.

  Sothechildrensatohronesareswereputintotheirhandsandtheygaverewardsandhonourstoalltheirfriends,toTumnustheFaun,andtotheBeavers,andGiantRumblebuffin,totheleopards,andthegoodtaurs,andthegooddwarfs,andtothelion.AndthatnighttherewasagreatfeastinCairParavel,andrevelryanddang,andgoldflashedandwineflowed,andansweringtothemusiside,butstranger,sweeter,andmorepierg,camethemusicoftheseapeople.

  ButamidstalltheserejoigsAslanhimselfquietlyslippedaway.AheKingsandQueensnoticedthathewasheysaidnothingaboutit.ForMrBeaverhadwarhem,"Hellbeingandgoing,"hehadsaid."Onedayyoullseehimandanotheryouwont.Hedoesntlikebeingtieddownandofcoursehehasothertriestoattendto.Itsquiteallright.Helloftendropin.Onlyyoumustntpresshim.Heswild,youknow.Notlikeatamelion.”

  Andnow,asyousee,thisstoryisnearly(butnotquite)atahesetwoKingsandtwoQueensgovernedNarniawell,andlongandhappywastheirreign.AtfirstmuchoftheirtimeentinseekingouttheremnantsoftheWhiteWitchsarmyaroyingthem,andindeedforalongtimetherewouldbenewsofevilthingslurkinginthewilderpartsoftheforest-ahauntinghereandakillingthere,aglimpseofawerewolfohandarumourofahagthe.Butintheendallthatfoulbroodwasstampedout.Andtheymadegoodlawsahepeadsavedgoodtreesfrombeingunnecessarilycutdown,andliberatedyoungdwarfsandyoungsatyrsfrombeioschool,andgenerallystoppedbusybodiesandinterferersandencedordinarypeoplewhowaolivealive.Andtheydrovebackthefiercegiants(quiteadifferentsiantRumblebuffin)ohofNarniawhentheseventuredacrossthefrontier.Aeredintofriendshipandalliahtriesbeyondtheseaandpaidthemvisitsofstateandreceivedvisitsofstatefromthem.Ahemselvesgrewandgedastheyearspassedoverthem.Aerbecameatallanddeep-chestedmanandagreatwarrior,andhewascalledKiheMagnifit.AndSusaoatallandgraciouswomanwithblackhairthatfellalmosttoherfeetandthekingsofthetriesbeyondtheseabegantosendambassadorsaskingforherhandinmarriage.

  AndshewascalledSusale.Edmundwasagraverandquietermanthaer,aindjudgement.HewascalledKingEdmu.ButasforLucy,shewasalwaysgayandgolden-haired,andallprihosepartsdesiredhertobetheirQueen,andherownpeoplecalledherQueenLucytheValiant.

  Sotheylivedijoyaheyrememberedtheirlifeinthisworlditwasonlyasoneremembersadream.AndofelloutthatTumnus(whowasamiddle-agedFaunbynowandbeginningtobestout)camedownriverandbroughtthemhattheWhiteStaghadoncemoreappearedinhisparts-theWhiteStagwhowouldgiveyouwishesifyoucaughthim.SothesetwoKingsandtwoQueenswiththeprincipalmembersoftheircourt,rodea-huntingwithhornsandhoundsiernWoodstofollowtheWhiteStag.Andtheyhadnothuntedlongbeforetheyhadasightofhim.Ahemagreatpacehandsmoothandthroughthidthin,tillthehorsesofallthecourtiersweretiredoutandthesefourwerestillfollowing.Andtheysawthestageoathicketwheretheirhorsescouldnotfollow.ThensaidKier(fortheytalkedinquiteadifferentstylenow,havingbeenKingsandQueensforsolong),"Fairsorts,letusnowalightfromourhorsesandfollowthisbeastintothethicket;forinallmydaysIneverhuntedanoblerquarry.”

  "Sir,"saidtheothers,"eveusdo.”

  Sotheyalightedaheirhorsestotreesaonintothethickwoodonfoot.

  AndassoonastheyhadeQueenSusansaid,"Fairfriends,hereisagreatmarvel,forIseemtoseeatreeofiron.”

  "Madam,"said,KingEdmund,"ifyoulookwelluponityoushallseeitisapillarofironwithalanterhetopthereof.”

  "BytheLionsMarangedevice,"saidKier,"tosetalanternherewherethetreesclustersothickaboutitandsohighaboveitthatifitwerelititshouldgivelighttonoman!”

  "Sir,"saidQueenLucy."Bylikelihoodwhenthispostandthislampweresetherethereweresmallertreesintheplace,orfewer,ornone.Forthisisayoungwoodandtheironpostisold."Aoodlookinguponit.ThensaidKingEdmund,"Iknownothowitis,butthislampoworkethuporangely.ItrunsinmymindthatIhaveseenthelikebefore;asitwereinadream,orinthedreamofadream.”

  "Sir,"aheyall,"itisevensowithusalso.”

  "Andmore,"saidQueenLucy,"foritwillnotgooutofmymindthatifwepassthispostandlanterherweshallfindstrangeadventuresorelsesomegreatgeofourfortunes.”

  "Madam,"saidKingEdmund,"thelikeforebodingstirrethialso.”

  "Andinmine,fairbrother,"saidKier.

  "Andioo,"saidQueenSusan."WhereforebymyselweshalllightlyreturntoourhorsesandfollowthisWhiteStagnofurther.”

  "Madam,"saidKier,"thereinIpraytheetohavemeexcused.ForneversincewefourwereKingsandQueensinNarniahavewesetourhandstoanyhighmatter,asbattles,quests,featsofarms,actsofjustidthelike,andthengivenover;butalehavetakeninhand,thesamewehaveachieved.”

  "Sister,"saidQueenLucy,"myroyalbrotherspeaksrightly.Anditseemstomeweshouldbeshamedifforanyfearingorforebodiurnedbafollowingsonobleabeastasnowwehaveinchase.”

  "AndsosayI,"saidKingEdmund."AndIhavesuchdesiretofindthesignificationofthisthingthatIwouldnotbymygoodwillturnbackfortherichestjewelinallNarniaandalltheislands.”

  "TheninthenameofAslan,"saidQueenSusan,"ifyewillallhaveitso,letusgoonandtaketheadveshallfalltous.”

  SotheseKingsandQueeeredthethicket,andbeforetheyhadgoneascoreofpacestheyallrememberedthatthethingtheyhadseenwascalledalamppost,andbeforetheyhadgoymoretheynoticedthattheywere.makingtheirwaynhbrathroughcoats.Amomenttheyallcametumblingoutofawardrobedoorintotheemptyroom,andTheywerenolsandQueensintheirhuntingarraybutjustPeter,Susan,EdmundandLutheiroldclothes.Itwasthesamedayandthesamehourofthedayonwhichtheyhadallgoothewardrobetohide.MrsMacreadyandthevisitorswerestilltalkinginthepassage;butluckilytheynevercameintotheemptyroomandsothechildrecaught.

  AndthatwouldhavebeentheveryendofthestoryifithadhattheyfelttheyreallymustexplaintotheProfessorwhyfourofthecoatsoutofhiswardrobeweremissing.AndtheProfessor,whowasaveryremarkableman,didhemnottobesillyornottotelllies,butbelievedthewholestory."No,"hesaid,"Idontthinkitwillbeanygtogobackthroughthewardrobedetthecoats.YouwooNarniaagainbythatroute.Norwouldthecoatsbemuchusebynowifyoudid!

  Eh?Whatsthat?Yes,ofcourseyoullgetbaarniaagainsomeday.OnceaKinginNarnia,alwaysaKinginNarnia.Butdontgtousethesameroutetwice.

  Indeed,detthereatall.Itllhappenwhenyourenotlookingforit.Anddonttalktoomuchaboutitevenamongyourselves.Anddoionittoanyoneelseunlessyoufindthattheyvehadadvehesamesortthemselves.Whatsthat?Howwillyouknow?Oh,youllknowallright.Oddthingstheysay-eventheirlooks-willletthesecretout.Keepyour

  eyesopen.Blessme,whatdotheyteachthemattheseschools?

  Andthatistheveryendoftheadvehewardrobe.

  ButiftheProfessorwasrightitwasonlythebeginningoftheadventuresofNarnia.松语文学www.16sy.coM免费小说阅读