The Last Battle- 第7部分

the　room　began　to　swim　before　tirians　eyes。　he　heard　the　voices　of　those　　seven　people　all　speaking　at　once；　and　all　getting　fainter　every　second；　and　they　were　　saying　things　like；　〃look！　its　fading。〃　〃its　melting　away。〃　〃its　vanishing。〃　next　　moment　he　was　wide　awake；　still　tied　to　the　tree；　colder　and　stiffer　than　ever。　the　wood　was　　full　of　the　pale；　dreary　light　that　es　before　sunrise；　and　he　was　soaking　wet　with　dew；　it　　was　nearly　morning。

that　waking　was　about　the　worst　moment　he　had　ever　had　in　his　life。

．co



CHAPTER　FIVE


how　help　came　to　the　king　　　bur　his　misery　did　not　last　long。　almost　at　once　there　came　a　bump；　and　　then　a　second　bump；　and　two　children　were　standing　before　him。　the　wood　in　front　of　him　　had　been　quite　empty　a　second　before　and　he　knew　they　had　not　e　from　behind　his　　tree；　for　he　would　have　heard　them。　they　had　in　fact　simply　appeared　from　nowhere。　he　　saw　at　a　glance　that　they　were　wearing　the　same　queer；　dingy　sort　of　clothes　as　the　　people　in　his　　

dream；　and　he　saw；　at　a　second　glance；　that　they　were　the　youngest　boy　and　　girl　out　of　that　party　of　seven。

〃gosh！〃　said　the　boy；　〃that　took　ones　breath　away！　i　thought　…”

〃hurry　up　and　get　him　untied；〃　said　the　girl。　〃we　can　talk；　afterwards。〃　　then　she　added；　turning　to　tirian；　〃im　sorry　weve　been　so　long。　we　came　the　moment　we　　could。”

while　she　was　speaking　the　boy　produced　a　knife　from　his　pocket　and　was　　quickly　cutting　the　kings　bonds：　too　quickly；　in　fact；　for　the　king　was　so　stiff　　and　numb　that　when　the　last　cord　was　cut　he　fell　forward　on　his　hands　and　knees。　he　　couldnt　get　up　again　till　he　had　brought　some　life　back　into　his　legs　by　a　good　rubbing。

〃i　say；〃　said　the　girl。　〃it　was　you；　wasnt　it；　who　appeared　to　us　that　　night　when　we　were　all　at　supper？　nearly　a　week　ago。”

〃a　week；　fair　maid？〃　said　tirian。　〃my　dream　led　me　into　your　world　scarce　　ten　minutes　since。”

〃its　the　usual　muddle　about　times；　pole；〃　said　the　boy。

〃i　remember　now；〃　said　tirian。　〃that　too　es　in　all　the　old　tales。　the　　time　of　your　strange　land　is　different　from　ours。　but　if　we　speak　of　time；　tis　time　to　　be　gone　from　here：　for　my　enemies　are　close　at　hand。　will　you　e　with　me？”

〃of　course；〃　said　the　girl。　〃its　you　weve　e　to　help。”

tirian　got　to　his　feet　and　led　them　rapidly　down　hill；　southward　and　away　　from　the　stable。　he　knew　where　he　meant　to　go　but　his　first　aim　was　to　get　to　rocky　　places　where　they　would　leave　no　trail；　and　his　second　to　cross　some　water　so　that　they　　would　leave　no　scent。　this　took　them　about　an　hours　scrambling　and　wading　and　while　that　　was　going　on　nobody　had　any　breath　to　talk。　but　even　so；　tirian　kept　on　stealing　　glances　at　his　panions。　the　wonder　of　walking　beside　the　creatures　from　another　world　　made　him　feel　a　little　dizzy：　but　it　also　made　all　the　old　stories　seem　far　more　　real　than　they　had　ever　seemed　before　。　。　。　anything　might　happen　now。

〃now；〃　said　tirian　as　they　came　to　the　head　of　a　little　valley　which　ran　　down　before　them　among　young　birch　trees；　〃we　are　out　of　danger　of　those　villains　for　a　　space　and　may　walk　more　easily。〃　the　sun　had　risen；　dew…drops　were　twinkling　on　every　　branch；　and　birds　were　singing。

〃what　about　some　grub？　…　i　mean　for　you；　sir；　we　two　have　had　our　　breakfast；〃　said　the　boy。

tirian　wondered　very　much　what　he　meant　by　〃grub〃；　but　when　the　boy　opened　　a　bulgy　satchel　which　he　was　carrying　and　pulled　out　a　rather　greasy　and　squashy　　packet；　he　understood。　he　was　ravenously　hungry；　though　he　hadnt　thought　about　it　　till　that　moment。　there　were　two　hard…boiled　egg　sandwiches；　and　two　cheese　　sandwiches；　and　two　with　some　kind　of　paste　in　them。　if　he　hadnt　been　so　hungry　he　　wouldnt　have　thought　much　of　the　paste；　for　that　is　a　sort　of　food　nobody　eats　in　　narnia。　by　the　time　he　had　eaten　all　siandwiches　they　had　e　to　the　bottom　of　the　valley　and　　there　they　found　a　mossy　cliff　with　a　little　fountain　bubbling　out　of　it。　all　three　　stopped　and　drank　and　splashed　their　hot　faces。

〃and　now；〃　said　the　girl　as　she　tossed　her　wet　hair　back　from　her　forehead；　　〃arent　you　going　to　tell　us　who　you　are　and　why　you　were　tied　up　and　what　its　all　　about？”

〃with　a　good　will；　damsel；〃　said　tirian。　〃but　we　must　keep　on　the　march。〃　　so　while　they　went　on　walking　he　told　them　who　he　was　and　all　the　things　that　had　　happened　to　him。

〃and　now；〃　he　said　at　the　end；　〃i　am　going　to　a　certain　tower；　one　of　three　　that　were　built　in　my　grandsires　time　to　guard　lantern　waste　against　certain　perilous　　outlaws　who　dwelled　there　in　his　day。　by　aslans　good　will　i　was　not　robbed　of　my　keys。　　in　that　tower　we　shall　find　stores　of　weapons　and　mail　and　some　victuals　also；　though　no　　better　than　dry　biscuit。　there　also　we　can　lie　safe　while　we　make　our　plans。　and　now；　　prithee；　tell　me　who　you　two　are　and　all　your　story。”

〃im　eustace　scrubb　and　this　is　jill　pole；〃　said　the　boy。　〃and　we　were　here　　once　before；　ages　and　ages　ago；　more　than　a　year　ago　by　our　time；　and　there　was　a　chap　　called　prince　rilian；　and　they　were　keeping　this　chap　underground；　and　puddleglum　put　his　　foot　in　…”

〃ha！〃　cried　tirian；　〃are　you　then　that　eustace　and　that　jill　who　rescued　　king　rilian　from　his　long　enchantment？”

〃yes；　thats　us；〃　said　jill。　〃so　hes　king　rilian　now；　is　he？　oh　of　course　　he　would　be。　i　forgot…”

〃nay；〃　said　tirian；　〃i　am　the　seventh　in　descent　from　him。　he　has　been　dead　　over　two　hundred　years。”

jill　made　a　face。　〃ugh！〃　she　said。　〃thats　the　horrid　part　about　ing　　back　to　narnia。”

but　eustace　went　on。

〃well　now　you　know　who　we　are；　sire；〃　he　said。　〃and　it　was　like　this。　the　　professor　and　aunt　polly　had　got　all　us　friends　of　narnia　together　…”

〃i　know　not　these　names；　eustace；〃　said　tirian。

〃theyre　the　two　who　came　into　narnia　at　the　very　beginning；　the　day　all　　the　animals　learned　to　talk。”

〃by　the　lions　mane；〃　cried　tirian。　〃those　two！　the　lord　digory　and　the　　lady　polly！

from　the　dawn　of　the　world！　and　still　in　your　place？　the　wonder　and　the　　glory　of　it！　but　tell　me；　tell　me。”

〃she　isnt　really　our　aunt；　you　know；〃　said　eustace。　〃shes　miss　plummer；　　but　we　call　her　aunt　polly。　well　those　two　got　us　all　together　partly　just　for　fun；　so　that　　we　could　all　have　a　good　jaw　about　narnia　（for　of　course　theres　no　one　else　we　can　ever　　talk　to　about　things　like　that）　but　partly　because　the　professor　had　a　feeling　that　we　　were　somehow　wanted　over　here。　well　then　you　came　in　like　a　ghost　or　goodness…knows…what　　and　nearly　frightened　the　lives　out　of　us　and　vanished　without　saying　a　word。　　after　that；　we　knew　for　certain　there　was　something　up。

the　next　question　was　how　to　get　here。　you　cant　go　just　by　wanting　to。　so　　we　talked　and　talked　and　at　last　the　professor　said　the　only　way　would　be　by　the　magic　　rings。　it　was　by　those　rings　that　he　and　aunt　polly　got　here　long；　long　ago　when　they　were　　only　kids；　years　before　we　younger　ones　were　born。　but　the　rings　had　all　been　buried　　in　the　garden　of　a　house　in　london　（thats　our　big　town；　sire）　and　the　house　had　been　　sold。　so　then　the　problem　was　how　to　get　at　them。　youll　never　guess　what　we　did　in　the　end！　　peter　and　edmund　…　thats　the　high　king　peter；　the　one　who　spoke　to　you　…　went　up　to　　london　to　get　into　the　garden　from　the　back；　early　in　the　morning　before　people　were　　up。　they　were　dressed　like　workmen　so　that　if　anyone　did　see　them　it　would　look　as　if　　theyd　e　to　do　something　about　the　drains。　i　wish　id　been　with　them：　it　must　have　been　　glorious　fun。

and　they　must　have　succeeded　for　next　day　peter　sent　us　a　wire　…　thats　a　　sort　of　message；　sire；　ill　explain　about　it　some　other　time　…　to　say　hed　got　the　rings。　　and　the　day　after　that　was　the　day　pole　and　i　had　to　go　back　to　school　…　were　the　only　two　　who　are　still　at　school　and　were　at　the　same　one。　so　peter　and　edmund　were　to　meet　us　at　a　　place　on　the　way　down　to　school　and　hand　over　the　rings。　it　had　to　be　us　two　who　were　to　　go　to　narnia；　you　see；　because　the　older　ones　couldnt　e　again。　so　we　got　into　　the　train　thats　a　kind　of　thing　people　travel　in　in　our　world：　a　lot　of　wagons　　chained　together　…　and　the　professor　and　aunt　polly　and　lucy　came　with　us。　we　wanted　to　keep　　together　as　long　as　we　could。　well　there　we　were　in　the　train。　and　we　were　just　getting　to　　the　station　where　the　others　were　to　meet　us；　and　i　was　looking　out　of　the　window　to　　see　if　i　could　see　them　when　suddenly　there　came　a　most　frightful　jerk　and　a　noise：　and　　there　we　were　in　narnia　and　there　was　your　majesty　tied　up　to　the　tree。”

〃so　you　never　used　the　rings？〃　said　tirian。

〃no；〃　said　eustace。　〃never　even　saw　them。　aslan　did　it　all　for　us　in　his　　own　way　without　any　rings。”

〃but　the　high　king　peter　has　them；〃　said　tirian。

〃yes；〃　said　jill。　〃but　we　dont　think　he　can　use　them。　when　the　two　other　　pevensies　…　king　edmund　and　queen　lucy　…　were　last　here；　aslan　said　they　would　never　　e　to　narnia　again。　and　he　said　something　of　the　same　sort　to　the　high　king；　only　　longer　ago。

you　may　be　sure　hell　e　like　a　shot　if　hes　allowed。”

〃gosh！〃　said　eustace。　〃its　getting　hot　in　this　sun。　are　we　nearly　there；　　sire？”

〃look；〃　said　tirian　and　pointed。　not　many　yards　away　grey　battlements　rose　　above　the　tree…tops；　and　after　a　minutes　more　walk