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le feast to yourself in a few moments。 there is no need for you to move until we are all ready to embark。鈥�
shasta laid his head down again on the pillows and soon he was alone in the room。
〃this is perfectly dreadful；〃 thought shasta。 it never came into his head to tell these narnians the whole truth and ask for their help。 having been brought up by a hard； closefisted man like arsheesh； he had a fixed habit of never telling grown …ups anything if he could help it： he thought they would always spoil or stop whatever you were trying to do。 and he thought that even if the narnian king might be friendly to the two horses； because they were talking beasts of narnia； he would hate aravis； because she was a calormene； and either sell her for a slave or send her back to her father。 as for himself； 〃i simply dnt tell them im not prince corin now；〃 thought shasta。 〃ive heard all their plans。 if they knew i wasnt one of themselves； theyd never let me out of this house alive。
theyd be afraid id betray them to the tisroc。 theyd kill me。 and if the real corin turns up； itll all e out； and they will！〃 he had； you see； no idea of how noble and free…born people behave。
〃what am i to do？ what am i to do？〃 he kept saying to himself。 〃what…hullo； here es that goaty little creature again。鈥�
the faun trotted in； half dancing； with a tray in its hands which was nearly as large as itself。 this he set on an inlaid table beside shastas sofa； and sat down himself on the carpeted floor with his goaty legs crossed。
〃now； princeling；〃 he said。 〃make a good dinner。 it will be your last meal in tashbaan。鈥�
it was a fine meal after the calormene fashion。 i dont know whether you would have liked it or not； but shasta did。 there were lobsters； and salad； and snipe stuffed with almonds and truffles； and a plicated dish made of chickenlivers and rice and raisins and nuts； and there were cool melons and gooseberry fools and mulberry fools； and every kind of nice thing that can be made with ice。 there was also a little flagon of the sort of wine that is called 〃white〃 though it is really yellow。
while shasta was eating； the good little faun； who thought he was still dazed with sunstroke； kept talking to him about the fine times he would have when they all got home； about his good old father king lune of archenland and the little castle where he lived on the southern slopes of the pass。 〃and dont forget；〃 said mr tumnus； 〃that you are promised your first suit of armour and your first war horse on your next birthday。 and then your highness will begin to learn how to tilt and joust。 and in a few years； if all goes well； king peter has promised your royal father that he himself will make you knight at cair paravel。 and in the meantime there will be plenty of ings and goings between narnia and archenland across the neck of the mountains。 and of course you remember you have promised to e for a whole week to stay with me for the summer festival； and therell be bonfires and all…night dances of fauns and dryads in the heart of the woods and； who knows？…we might see aslan himself！鈥�
when the meal was over the faun told shasta to stay quietly where he was。 〃and it wouldnt do you any harm to have a little sleep；〃 he added。 〃ill call you in plenty of time to get on board。 and then； home。 narnia and the north！鈥�
shasta had so enjoyed his dinner and all the things tumnus had been telling him that when he was left alone his thoughts took a different turn。 he only hoped now that the real prince corin would not turn up until it was too late and that he would be taken away to narnia by ship。 i am afraid he did not think at all of what might happen to the real corin when he was left behind in tashbaan。 he was a little worried about aravis and bree waiting for him at the tombs。 but then he said to himself； 〃well； how can i help it？〃 and； 〃anyway； that aravis thinks shes too good to go about with me； so she can jolly well go alone；〃 and at the same time he couldnt help feeling that it would be much nicer going to narnia by sea than toiling across the desert。
when he had thought all this he did what i expect you would have done if you had been up very early and had a long walk and a great deal of excitement and then a very good meal； and were lying on a sofa in a cool room with no noise in it except when a bee came buzzing in through the wide open windows。 he fell asleep。
what woke him was a loud crash。 he jumped up off the sofa； staring。 he saw at once from the mere look of the room … the lights and shadows all looked different … that he must have slept for several hours。 he saw also what had made the crash： a costly porcelain vase which had been standing on the window…sill lay on …the floor broken into about thirty pieces。 but he hardly noticed all these things。 what he did notice was two hands gripping the window…sill from outside。 they gripped harder and harder （getting
white at the knuckles） and then up came a head and a pair of shoulders。 a moment later there was a boy of shastas own age sitting astride the sill with one leg hanging down inside the room。
shasta had never seen his own face in a looking…glass。 even if he had； he might not have realized that the other boy was （at ordinary times） almost exactly like himself。 at the moment this boy was not particularly like anyone for he had the finest black eye you ever saw； and a tooth missing； and his clothes （which must have been splendid ones when he put them on） were torn and dirty； and there was both blood and mud on his face。
〃who are you？〃 said the boy in a whisper。
〃are you prince corin？〃 said shasta。
〃yes； of course；〃 said the other。 〃but who are you？鈥�
〃im nobody； nobody in particular； i mean；〃 said shasta。 〃king edmund caught me in the street and mistook me for you。 i suppose we must look like one another。 can i get out the way youve got in？鈥�
〃yes； if youre any good at climbing；〃 said corin。 〃but why are you in such a hurry？ i say： we ought to be able to get some fun out of this being mistaken for one another。鈥�
〃no； no；〃 said shasta。 〃we must change places at once。 itll be simply frightful if mr tumnus es back and finds us both here。 ive had to pretend to be you。 and youre starting tonight … secretly。 and where were you all this time？鈥�
〃a boy in the street made a beastly joke about queen susan；〃 said prince corin； 〃so i knocked him down。 he ran howling into a house and his big brother came out。 so i knocked the big brother down。 then they all followed me until we ran into three old men with spears who are called the watch。 so i fought the watch and they knocked me down。
it was getting dark by now。 then the watch took me along to lock me up somewhere。 so i asked them if theyd like a stoup of wine and they said they didnt mind if they did。 then i took them to a wine shop and got them some and they all sat down and drank till they feel asleep。 i thought it was time for me to be off so i came out quietly and then i found the first boy … the one who had started all the trouble … still hanging about。 so i knocked him down again。 after that i climbed up a pipe on to the roof of a house and lay quiet till it began to get light this morning。 ever since that ive been finding my way back。 i say； is there anything to drink？鈥�
〃no； i drank it；〃 said shasta。 〃and now； show me how you got in。 theres not a minute to lose。 youd better lie down on the sofa and pretend…but i forgot。 itll be no good with all those bruises and black eye。 youll just have to tell them the truth； once im safely away。鈥�
〃what else did you think id be telling them？〃 asked the prince with a rather angry look。
〃and who are you？鈥�
〃theres no time；〃 said shasta in a frantic whisper。 〃im a narnian； i believe； something northern anyway。 but ive been brought up all my life in calormen。 and im escaping： across the desert； with a talking horse called bree。 and now； quick！ how do i get away？鈥�
〃look；〃 said corin。 〃drop from this window on to the roof of the verandah。 but you must do it lightly； on your toes； or someone will hear you。 then along to your left and you can get up to the top of that wall if youre any good at all as a climber。 then along the wall to the corner。 drop onto the rubbish heap you will find outside； and there you are。鈥�
〃thanks；〃 said shasta； who was already sitting on the sill。 the two boys were looking into each others faces and suddenly found that they were friends。
〃good…bye；〃 said corin。 〃and good luck。 i do hope you get safe away。鈥�
〃good…bye；〃 said shasta。 〃i say； you have been having some adventures。鈥�
〃nothing to yours；〃 said the prince。 〃now drop； lightlyi say；〃 he added as shasta dropped。 〃i hope we meet in archenland。 go to my father king lune and tell him youre a friend of mine。 look out！ i hear someone ing。鈥�
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CHAPTER SIX
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shasta among the tombs shasta ran lightly along the roof on tiptoes。 it felt hot to his bare feet。 he was only a few seconds scrambling up the wall at the far end and when he got to the corner he found himself looking down into a narrow； smelly street； and there was a rubbish heap against the outside of the wall just as corin had told him。 before jumping down he took a rapid glance round him to get his bearings。 apparently he had now e over the crown of the island…hill on which tashbaan is built。 everything sloped away before him； flat roofs below flat roofs； down to the towers and battlements of the citys northern wall。 beyond that was the river and beyond the river a short slope covered with gardens。 but beyond that again there was something he had never seen the like of … a great yellowish…grey thing； flat as a calm sea； and stretching for miles。 on the far side of it were huge blue things； lumpy but with jagged edges； and some of them with white tops。 〃the desert！ the mountains！〃 thought shasta。
he jumped down on to the rubbish and began trotting along downhill as fast as he could in the narrow lane； which soon brought him into a wider street where there were more people。 no one bothered to look at a little ragged boy running along on bare feet。 still； he was anxious and uneasy till he turned a corner and there saw the city gate in front of him。
here he was pressed and jostled a bit； for a good many other people were also going out； and on the bridge beyond the gate the crowd became quite a slow procession； more like a queue than a crowd。 out there； with clear running water on each side； it was deliciously fresh after the smell and heat and noise of tashbaan。
when once shasta had reached the far end of the bridge he found the crowd melting away； everyone seemed to be going either to the left or right along the river bank。 he went straight ahead up a road that did not appear to be much used； between gardens。 in a few paces he was alone； and a few more brought him to the top of the slope。 there he stood and stared。 it was like ing to the end of the world for all the grass stopped quite suddenly a few feet before him and the sand began： endless level sand like on a sea shore but a bit rougher because it was never wet。 the mountains； which now looked further off than before； loomed ahead。 greatly to his relief he saw； about five minutes walk away on his left； what must certainly be the tombs； just as bree had described them； great masses of mouldering stone shaped like gigantic bee…hive； but a little narrower。 they looked very black and grim； for the sun was now setting right behind them。
he turned his face west and trotted towards the tombs。 he could not help looking out very hard for any sign of his friends； though the setting sun shone in his face so that he could see hardly anything。 〃and anyway；〃 he thought； 〃of course theyll be round on the far side of the farthest tomb； not this side where anyone might see them from the city。鈥�
there were about twelve tombs； each with a low arched doorway that opened into absolute blackness。 they were dotted about in no kind of order； so that it took a long time； going round this one and going round that one； before you could be sure that you had looked round every side of every tom