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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 are； sire；〃 he said。 〃and it was like this。 the professor and aunt polly had got all us friends of narnia together …鈥�
〃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。鈥�
〃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。鈥�
〃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。鈥�
〃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。鈥�
〃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。鈥�
〃gosh！〃 said eustace。 〃its getting hot in this sun。 are we nearly there； sire？鈥�
〃look；〃 said tirian and pointed。 not many yards away grey battlements rose above the tree…tops； and after a minutes more walking they came out in an open grassy space。 a stream ran across it and on the far side of the stream stood a squat； square tower with very few and narrow windows and one heavy…looking door in the wall that faced them。
tirian looked sharply this way and that to make sure that no enemies were in sight。 then he walked up to the tower and stood still for a moment fishing up his bunch of keys which he wore inside his hunting…dress on a narrow silver chain that went round his neck。
it was a nice bunch of keys that he brought out； for two were golden and many were richly ornamented： you could see at once that they were keys made for opening solemn and secret rooms in palaces； or chests and caskets of sweet…smelling wood that contained royal treasures。 but the key which he now put into the lock of the door was big and plain and more rudely made。 the lock was stiff and for a moment tirian began to be afraid that he would not be able to turn it： but at last he did and the door swung open with a sullen creak。
〃wele friends；〃 said tirian。 〃i fear this is the best palace that the king of narnia can now offer to his guests。鈥�
tirian was pleased to see that the two strangers had been well brought up。 they both said not to mention it and that they were sure it would be very nice。
as a matter of fact it was not particularly nice。 it was rather dark and smelled very damp。
there was only one room in it and this room went right up to the stone roof： a wooden staircase in one corner led up to a trap door by which you could get out on the battlements。 there were a few rude bunks to sleep in； and a great many lockers and bundles。 there was also a hearth which looked as if nobody had lit a fire in it for a great many years。
〃wed better go out and gather some firewood first thing； hadnt we？〃 said jill。
〃not yet； rade；〃 said tirian。 he was determined that they should not be caught unarmed； and began searching the lockers； thankfully remembering that he had always been careful to have these garrison towers inspected once a year and to make sure that they were stocked with all things needful。 the bow strings were there in their coverings of oiled silk； the swords and spears were greased against rust； and the armour was kept bright in its wrappings。 but there was something even better。 〃look you！〃 said tirian as he drew out a long mail shirt of a curious pattern and flashed it before the childrens eyes。
〃thats funny…looking mail； sire；〃 said eustace。
〃aye； lad；〃 said tirian。 〃no narnian dwarf smithied that。 tis mail of calormen； outlandish gear。 i have ever kept a few suits of it in readiness； for i never knew when i or
my friends might have reason to walk unseen in the tisrocs land。 and look on this stone bottle。 in this there is a juice which； when we have rubbed it on our hands and faces； will make us brown as calormenes。鈥�
〃oh hurrah！〃 said jill。 〃disguise！ i love disguises。鈥�
tirian showed them how to pour out a little of the juice into the palms of their hands and then rub it well over their faces and necks； right down to the shoulders； and then on their hands； right up to the elbows。 he did the same himself。
〃after this has hardened on us；〃 he said； 〃we may wash in water and it will not change。
nothing but oil and ashes will make us white narnians again。 and now； sweet jill； let us go see how this mail shirt bees you。 tis something too long； yet not so much as i feared。 doubtless it belonged to a page in the train of one of their tarkaans。鈥�
after the mail shirts they put on calormene helmets； which are little round ones fitting tight to the head and having a spike on top。 then tirian took long rolls of some white stuff out of the locker and wound them over the helmets till they became turbans： but the little steel spike still stuck up in the middle。 he and eustace took curved calormene swords and little round shields。 there was no sword light enough for jill； but he gave her a long； straight hunting knife which might do for a sword at a pinch。
〃hast any skill with the bow； maiden？〃 said tirian。
〃nothing worth talking of；〃 said jill； blushing。 〃scrubbs not bad。鈥�
〃dont you believe her； sire；〃 said eustace。 〃weve both been practising archery ever since we got back from narnia last time； and shes about as good as me now。 not that either of us is much。鈥�
then tirian gave jill a bow and a quiver full of arrows。 the next business was to light a fire； for inside that tower it still felt more like a cave than like anything indoors and set one shivering。 but they got warm gathering wood … the sun was now at its highest … and once the blaze was roaring up the chimney the place began to look cheerful。 dinner was； however； a dull meal； for the best they could do was to pound up some of the hard biscuit which they found in a locker and pour it into boiling water； with salt； so as to make a kind of porridge。 and of course there was nothing to drink but water。
〃i wish wed brought a packet of tea；〃 said jill。
〃or a tin of cocoa；〃 said eustace。
〃a firkin or so of good wine in each of these towers would not have been amiss；〃 said tirian。
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CHAPTER SIX
灏�*璇�**t*xt**澶�*鍫�
a good nights work about four hours later tirian flung himself into one of the bunks to snatch a little sleep。 the two children were already snoring： he had made them go to bed before he did because they would have to be up most of the night and he knew that at their age they couldnt do without sleep。 also； he had tired them out。 first he had given jill some practice in archery and found that； though not up to narnian standards； she was really not too bad。 indeed she had succeeded in shooting a rabbit （not a talking rabbit； of course： there are lots of the ordinary kind about in western narnia） and it was already skinned； cleaned； and hanging up。 he had found that both the children knew all about this chilly and smelly job； they had learned that kind of thing on their great journey through giant…land in the days of prince rilian。 then he had tried to teach eustace how to use his sword and shield。 eustace had learned quite a lot about sword fighting on his earlier adventures but that had been all with a straight narnian sword。 he had never handled a curved calormene scimitar and that made it hard； for many of the strokes are quite different and some of the habits he had learned with the long sword had now to be unlearned again。 but tirian found that he had a good eye and was very quick on his feet。
he was surprised at the strength of both children： in fact they both seemed to be already much stronger and bigger and more grown…up than they had been when he first met them a few hours ago。 it is one of the effects which narnian air often has on visitors from our world。
all three of them agreed that the very first thing they must do was to go back to stable hill and try to rescue jewel the unicorn。 after that； if they succeeded； they would try to get away eastward and meet the little army which roonwit the centaur would be bringing from cair paravel。
an experienced warrior and huntsman like tirian can always wake up at the time he wants。 so he gave himself till nine oclock that night and then put all worries out of his head and fell asleep at once。 it seemed only a moment later when he woke but he knew by the light and the very feel of things that he had timed his sleep exactly。 he got up； put on his helmet…and…turban （he had slept in his mail shirt）； and then shook the other two till they woke up。 they looked； to tell the truth； very grey and dismal as they climbed out of their bunks and there was a good deal of yawning。
〃now；〃 said tirian； 〃we go due north from here … by good fortune tis a starry night … and it will be much shorter than our journey this morning； for then we went round…about but now we shall go straight。 if we are challenged； then do you two hold your peace and i will do my best to talk like a curst； cruel； proud lord of calormen。 if i draw my sword then thou； eustace； must do likewise and let jill leap behind us and stand with an arrow on the string。 but if i cry ‘home； then fly for the tower both of you。 and let none try to fight on … not even one stroke after i have given the retreat： such false valour has spoiled many notable plans in the wars。 and now； friends； in the name of aslan let us go forward。鈥�
out they went into the cold nig