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〃is anything wrong？〃 whispered shasta to aravis； who had an odd look on her face。
〃oh its all very well for you；〃 whispered aravis rather savagely。 〃what would you care about tashbaan？ but i ought to be riding in on a litter with soldiers before me and slaves behind； and perhaps going to a feast in the tisrocs palace （may he live for ever） … not sneaking in like this。 its different for you。鈥�
shasta thought all this very silly。
at the far end of the bridge the walls of the city towered high above them and the brazen gates stood open in the gateway which was really wide but looked narrow because it was so very high。 half a dozen soldiers； leaning on their spears； stood on each side。 aravis couldnt help thinking； 〃theyd all jump to attention and salute me if they knew whose daughter i am。〃 but the others were only thinking of how theyd get through and hoping the soldiers would not ask any questions。 fortunately they did not。 but one of them picked a carrot out of a peasants basket and threw it at shasta with a rough laugh； saying： 〃hey！ horse…boy！ youll catch it if your master finds youve been using his saddle…horse for pack work。鈥�
this frightened him badly for of course it showed that no one who knew anything about horses would mistake bree for anything but a charger。
〃its my masters orders； so there！〃 said shasta。 but it would have been better if he had held his tongue for the soldier gave him a box on the side of his face that nearly knocked him down and said； 〃take that； you young filth； to teach you how to talk to freemen。〃 but
they all slunk into the city without being stopped。 shasta cried only a very little； he was used to hard knocks。
inside the gates tashbaan did not at first seem so splendid as it had looked from a distance。 the first street was narrow and there were hardly any windows in the walls on each side。 it was much more crowded than shasta had expected： crowded partly by the peasants （on their way to market） who had e in with them； but also with watersellers； sweetmeat sellers； porters； soldiers； beggars； ragged children； hens； stray dogs； and bare…footed slaves。 what you would chiefly have noticed if you had been there was the smells； which came from unwashed people； unwashed dogs； scent； garlic； onions； and the piles of refuse which lay everywhere。
shasta was pretending to lead but it was really bree； who knew the way and kept guiding him by little nudges with his nose。 they soon turned to the left and began going up a steep hill。 it was much fresher and pleasanter； for the road was bordered by trees and there were houses only on the right side； on the other they looked out over the roofs of houses in the lower town and could see some way up the river。 then they went round a hairpin bend to their right and continued rising。 they were zigzagging up to the centre of tashbaan。 soon they came to finer streets。 great statues of the gods and heroes of calormen … who are mostly impressive rather than agreeable to look at… rose on shining pedestals。 palm trees and pillared arcades cast shadows over the burning pavements。 and through the arched gateways of many a palace shasta caught sight of green branches； cool fountains； and smooth lawns。 it must be nice inside； he thought。
at every turn shasta hoped they were getting out of the crowd； but they never did。 this made their progress very slow； and every now and then they had to stop altogether。 this usually happened because a loud voice shouted out 〃way； way； way； for the tarkaan〃； or 〃for the tarkheena〃； or 〃for the fifteenth vizier〃； 〃or for the ambassador〃； and everyone in the crowd would crush back against the walls； and above their heads shasta would sometimes see the great lord or lady for whom all the fuss was being made； lolling upon a litter which four or even six gigantic slaves carried on their bare shoulders。 for in tashbaan there is only one traffic regulation； which is that everyone who is less important has to get out of the way for everyone who is more important； unless you want a cut from a whip or punch from the butt end of a spear。
it was in a splendid street very near the top of the city （the tisrocs palace was the only thing above it） that the most disastrous of these stoppages occurred。
〃way！ way！ way！〃 came the voice。 〃way for the white barbarian king； the guest of the tisroc （may he live for ever）！ way for the narnian lords。鈥�
shasta tried to get out of the way and to make bree go back。 but no horse； not even a talking horse from narnia； backs easily。 and a woman with a very edgy basket in her hands； who was just behind shasta； pushed the basket hard against his shoulders； and said； 〃now then！ who are you shoving！〃 and then someone else jostled him from the side and in the confusion of the moment he lost hold of bree。 and then the whole crowd
behind him became so stiffened and packed tight that he couldnt move at all。 so he found himself； unintentionally； in the first row and had a fine sight of the party that was ing down the street。
it was quite unlike any other party they had seen that day。 the crier who went before it shouting 〃way； way！〃 was the only calormene in it。 and there was no litter； everyone was on foot。 there were about half a dozen men and shasta had never seen anyone like them before。 for one thing； they were all as fair…skinned as himself； and most of them had fair hair。 and they were not dressed like men of calormen。 most of them had legs bare to the kneee。 their tunics were of fine； bright； hardy colours … woodland green； or gay yellow； or fresh blue。 instead of turbans they wore steel or silver caps； some of them set with jewels； and one with little wings on each side of it。 a few were bare…headed。 the swords at their sides were long and straight； not curved like calormene scimitars。 and instead of being grave and mysterious like most calormenes； they walked with a swing and let their arms and shoulders free； and chatted and laughed。 one was whistling。 you could see that they were ready to be friends with anyone who was friendly and didnt give a fig for anyone who wasnt。 shasta thought he had never seen anything so lovely in his life。
but there was not time to enjoy it for at once a really dreadful thing happened。 the leader of the fair…headed men suddenly pointed at shasta； cried out； 〃there he is！ theres our runaway！〃 and seized him by the shoulder。 next moment he gave shasta a smack … not a cruel one to make you cry but a sharp one to let you know you are in disgrace and added； shaking： 〃shame on you； my lord！ fie for shame！ queen susans eyes are red with weeping because of you。 what！ truant for a whole night！ where have you been？鈥�
shasta would have darted under brees body and tried to make himself scarce in the crowd if he had had the least chance； but the fair…haired men were all round him by now and he was held firm。
of course his first impulse was to say that he was only poor arsheesh the fishermans son and that the foreign lord must have mistaken him for someone else。 but then； the very last thing he wanted to do in that crowded place was to start explaining who he was and what he was doing。 if he started on that； he would soon be asked where he had got his horse from； and who aravis was … and then； goodbye to any chance of getting through tashbaan。 his next impulse was to look at bree for help。 but bree had no intention of letting all the crowd know that he could talk； and stood looking just as stupid as a horse can。 as for aravis； shasta did not even dare to look at her for fear of drawing attention。
and there was no time to think； for the leader of the narnians said at once： 〃take one of his little lordships hands； peridan； of your courtesy； and ill take the other。
and now； on。 our royal sisters mind will be greatly eased when she sees our young scapegrace safe in our lodging。鈥�
and so； before they were half…way through tashbaan； all their plans were ruined； and without even a chance to say good…bye to the others shasta found himself being marched off among strangers and quite unable to guess what might be going to happen next。 the narnian king … for shasta began to see by the way the rest spoke to him that he must be a king … kept on asking him questions； where he had been； how he had got out； what he had done with his clothes； and didnt he know that he had been very naughty。 only the king called it 〃naught〃 instead of naughty。
and shasta said nothing in answer； because he couldnt think of anything to say that would not be dangerous。
〃what！ all mum？〃 asked the king。 〃i must plainly tell you； prince； that this hangdog silence bees one of your blood even less than the scape itself。 to run away might pass for a boys frolic with some spirit in it。 but the kings son of archenland should avouch his deed； not hang his head like a calormene slave。鈥�
this was very unpleasant； for shasta felt all the time that this young king was the very nicest kind of grown…up and would have liked to make a good impression on him。
the strangers led him…held tightly by both hands…along a narrow street and down a flight of shallow stairs and then up another to a wide doorway in a white wall with two tall； dark cypress trees； one on each side of it。 once through the arch； shasta found himself in a courtyard which was also a garden。 a marble basin of clear water in the centre was kept continually rippling by the fountain that fell into it。 orange trees grew round it out of smooth grass； and the four white walls which surrounded the lawn were covered with climbing roses。 the noise and dust and crowding of the streets seemed suddenly fad away。 he was led rapidly across the garden and then into a dark doorway。 the crier remained outside。 after that they took him along a corridor； where the stone floor felt beautifully cool to his hot feet； and up some stairs。 a moment later he found himself blinking in the light of a big； airy room with wide open windows； all looking north so that no sun came in。 there was a carpet on the floor more wonderfully coloured than anything he had ever seen and his feet sank down into it as if he were treading in thick moss。 all round the walls there were low sofas with rich cushions on them； and the room seemed to be full of people； very queer people some of them； thought shasta。 but he had no time to think of that before the most beautiful lady he had ever seen rose from her place and threw her arms round him and kissed him； saying： 〃oh corin； corin； how could you？ and thou and i such close friends ever since thy mother died。 and what should i have said to thy royal father if i came home without thee？ would have been a cause almost of war between archenland and narnia which are friends time out of mind。 it was naught； playmate； very naught of thee to use us so。鈥�
〃apparently；〃 thought shasta to himself； 〃im being mistaken for a prince of archenland； wherever that is。 and these must be the narnians。 i wonder where the real corin is？〃 but these thoughts did not help him say anything out loud。
〃where hast been； corin？〃 said the lady； her hands still on shastas shoulders。
〃i… i dont know；〃 stammered shasta。
〃there it is； susan；〃 said the king。 〃i could get no tale out of him； true or false。鈥�
〃your majesties！ queen susan！ king edmund！〃 said a voice： and when shasta turned to look at the speaker he nearly jumped out of his skin with surprise。 for this was one of these queer people whom he had noticed out of the corner of his eye when he first came into the room。 he was about the same height as shasta himself。 from the waist upwards he was like a man； but his legs were hairy like a goats； and shaped like a goats and he had goats hooves and a tail。 his skin was rather red and he had curly hair and a short pointed beard and two little horns。 he was in fact a faun； which is a creature shasta had never seen a picture of or even heard of。 and if youve read a book called the lion； the witch and the wardrobe you may like to know that this was the very same faun； tumnus by name； whom queen susans sister lucy had met on the very first day when she found her way into narnia。 but he was a good deal older now for by this t