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he could see quite clearly the stable behind it； all lit up in the red glow； and a great crowd of beasts and men between the fire and himself。 a small figure； hunched up beside the fire； must be the ape。 it was saying something to the crowd； but he could not hear what。
then it went and bowed three times to the ground in front of the door of the stable。 then it got up and opened the door。 and something on four legs … something that walked rather stiffly … came out of the stable and stood facing the crowd。
a great wailing or howling went up； so loud that tirian could hear some of the words。
〃aslan！ aslan！ aslan！〃 cried the beasts。 〃speak to us。 fort us。 be angry with us no more。鈥�
from where tirian was he could not make out very clearly what the thing was； but he could see that it was yellow and hairy。 he had never seen the great lion。 he had never seen a mon lion。 he couldnt be sure that what he saw was not the real aslan。 he had not expected aslan to look like that stiff thing which stood and said nothing。 but how could one be sure？ for a moment horrible thoughts went through his mind： then he remembered the nonsense about tash and aslan being the same and knew that the whole thing must be a cheat。
the ape put his head close up to the yellow things head as if he were listening to something it was whispering to him。 then he turned and spoke to the crowd； and the crowd wailed again。 then the yellow thing turned clumsily round and walked … you might almost say； waddled … back into the stable and the ape shut the door behind it。 after that the fire must have been put out for the light vanished quite suddenly； and tirian was once more alone with the cold and the darkness。
he thought of other kings who had lived and died in narnia in old times and it seemed to him that none of them had ever been so unlucky as himself。 he thought of his great…grandfathers great…grandfather king rilian who had been stolen away by a witch when he was only a young prince and kept hidden for years in the dark caves beneath the land of the northern giants。 but then it had all e； right in the end； for two mysterious
children had suddenly appeared from the land beyond the worlds end and had rescued him so that he came home to narnia and had a long and prosperous reign。 〃its not like that with me；〃 said tirian to himself。 then he went further back and： thought about rilians father； caspian the seafarer； whose wicked uncle king miraz had tried to murder him and how caspian had fled away into the woods and lived among the dwarfs。 but that story too had all e right in the end： for caspian also had been helped by children … only there were four of them that time … who came from somewhere beyond the world and fought a great battle and set him on his fathers throne。 〃but it was all long ago；〃 said tirian to himself。 〃that sort of thing doesnt happen now。〃 and then he remembered （for he had always been good at history when he was a boy） how those same four children who had helped caspian had been in narnia over a thousand years before； and it was then that they had done the most remarkable thing of all。 for then they had defeated the terrible white witch and ended the hundred years of winter； and after that they had reigned （all four of them together） at cair paravel； till they were no longer children but great kings and lovely queens； and their reign had been the golden age of narnia。 and aslan had e into that story a lot。 he had e into all the other stories too； as tirian now remembered。 〃aslan … and children from another world；〃 thought tirian。 〃they have always e in when things were at their worst。 oh； if only they could now。鈥�
and he called out 〃aslan！ aslan！ aslan！ e and help us now。鈥�
but the darkness and the cold and the quietness went on just the same。
〃let me be killed；〃 cried the king。 〃i ask nothing for myself。 but e and save all narnia。鈥�
and still there was no change in the night or the wood； but there began to be a kind of change inside tirian。 without knowing why； he began to feel a faint hope。 and he felt somehow stronger。 〃oh aslan； aslan；〃 he whispered。 〃if you will not e yourself； at least send me the helpers from beyond the world。 or let me call them。 let my voice carry beyond the world。〃 then； hardly knowing that he was doing it； he suddenly cried out in a great voice： 〃children！ children！ friends of narnia！ quick。 e to me。 across the worlds i call you； i tirian； king of narnia； lord of cair paravel； and emperor of the lone islands！鈥�
and immediately he was plunged into a dream （if it was a dream） more vivid than any he had had in his life。
he seemed to be standing in a lighted room where seven people sat round a table。 it looked as if they had just finished their meal。 two of those people were very old； an old man with a white beard and an old woman with wise； merry； twinkling eyes。 he who sat at the right hand of the old man was hardly full grown； certainly younger than tirian himself； but his face had already the look of a king and a warrior。 and you could almost say the same of the other youth who sat at the right hand of the old woman。 facing tirian across the table sat a fair…haired girl younger than either of these； and on either side of her
a boy and girl who were younger still。 they were all dressed in what seemed to tirian the oddest kind of clothes。
but he had no time to think about details like that； for instantly the younger boy and both the girls started to their feet； and one of them gave a little scream。 the old woman started and drew in her breath sharply。 the old man must have made some sudden movement too for the wine glass which stood at his right hand was swept off the table： tirian could hear the tinkling noise as it broke on the floor。
then tirian realized that these people could see him； they were staring at him as if they saw a ghost。 but he noticed that the king…like one who sat at the old mans right never moved （though he turned pale） except that he clenched his hand very tight。 then he said： 〃speak； if youre not a phantom or a dream。 you have a narnian look about you and we are the seven friends of narnia。鈥�
tirian was longing to speak； and he tried to cry out aloud that he was tirian of narnia； in great need of help。 but he found （as i have sometimes found in dreams too） that his voice made no noise at all。
the one who had already spoken to him rose to his feet。 〃shadow or spirit or whatever you are；〃 he said； fixing his eyes full upon tirian。 〃if you are from narnia； i charge you in the name of aslan； speak to me。 i am peter the high king。鈥�
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。
xiaoshuot锛竧锛宑o锛�
CHAPTER FIVE
灏忚…txt澶╁爞
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 …鈥�
〃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。鈥�
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。鈥�
〃a week； fair maid？〃 said tirian。 〃my dream led me into your world scarce ten minutes since。鈥�
〃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？鈥�
〃of course；〃 said the girl。 〃its you weve e to help。鈥�
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 six sandwiches 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？鈥�
〃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。鈥�
〃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 …鈥�
〃ha！〃 cried tirian； 〃are you then that eustace and that jill who rescued king rilian from his long enchantment？鈥�
〃yes； thats us；〃 said jill。 〃so hes king rilian now； is he？ oh of course he would be。 i forgot…鈥�
〃nay；〃 said tirian； 〃i am the seventh in descent from him。 he has been dead over two hundred years。鈥�
jill made a face。 〃ugh！〃 she said。 〃thats the horrid part about ing back to narnia。鈥�
but eustace went on。
〃well now you know who we a