The Last Battle-第3章

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；　without　knowing　it；　he　laid　his　hand　on　his　sword　　hilt。

〃that　i　know　not；　lord　king；〃　said　the　centaur。　〃but　i　know　there　are　liars　　on　earth；　there　are　none　among　the　stars。”

〃i　wonder；〃　said　jewel；　〃whether　aslan　might　not　e　though　all　the　stars　　foretold　otherwise。　he　is　not　the　slave　of　the　stars　but　their　maker。　is　it　not　said　　in　all　the　old　stories　that　he　is　not　a　tame　lion。”

〃well　said；　well　said；　jewel；〃　cried　the　king。　〃those　are　the　very　words：　　not　a　tame　lion。

it　es　in　many　tales。”

roonwit　had　just　raised　his　hand　and　was　leaning　forward　to　say　something　　very　earnestly　to　the　king　when　all　three　of　them　turned　their　heads　to　listen　　to　a　wailing　sound　that　was　quickly　drawing　nearer。　the　wood　was　so　thick　to　the　west　of　　them　that　they　could　not　see　the　newer　yet。　but　they　could　soon　hear　the　words。

〃woe；　woe；　woe！〃　called　the　voice。　〃woe　for　my　brothers　and　sisters！　woe　　for　the　holy　trees！　the　woods　are　laid　waste。　the　axe　is　loosed　against　us。　we　are　being　　felled。　great　trees　are　falling；　falling；　falling。”

with　the　last　〃falling〃　the　speaker　came　in　sight。　she　was　like　a　woman　but　　so　tall　that　her　head　was　on　a　level　with　the　centaurs　yet　she　was　like　a　tree　too。　it　　is　hard　to　explain　if　you　have　never　seen　a　dryad　but　quite　unmistakable　once　you　have　…　　something　different　in　the　colour；　the　voice；　and　the　hair。　king　tirian　and　the　two　　beasts　knew　at　once　that　she　was　the　nymph　of　a　beech　tree。

〃justice；　lord　king！〃　she　cried。　〃e　to　our　aid。　protect　your　people。　　they　are　felling　us　in　lantern　waste。

forty　great　trunks　of　my　brothers　and　sisters　are　already　on　the　ground。”

〃what；　lady！　felling　lantern　waste？　murdering　the　talking　trees？〃　cried　the　　king；　leaping　to　his　feet　and　drawing　his　sword。　〃how　dare　they？　and　who　dares　　it？　now　by　the　mane　of　aslan…”

〃a…a…a…h；〃　gasped　the　dryad　shuddering　as　if　in　pain　…　shuddering　time　　after　time　as　if　under　repeated　blows。　then　all　at　once　she　fell　sideways　as　suddenly　as　if　　both　her　feet　had　been　cut　from　under　her。　for　a　second　they　saw　her　lying　dead　on　the　　grass　and　then　she　vanished。　they　knew　what　had　happened。　her　tree；　miles　away；　had　been　　cut　down。

for　a　moment　the　kings　grief　and　anger　were　so　great　that　he　could　not　　speak。　then　he　said：　　〃e；　friends。　we　must　go　up　river　and　find　the　villains　who　have　done　　this；　with　all　the　speed　we　may。　i　will　leave　not　one　of　them　alive。”

〃sire；　with　a　good　will；〃　said　jewel。

but　roonwit　said；　〃sire；　be　wary　in　your　just　wrath。　there　are　strange　　doings　on　foot。　if　there　should　be　rebels　in　arms　further　up　the　valley；　we　three　are　too　few　　to　meet　them。　if　it　would　please　you　to　wait　while　…”

〃i　will　not　wait　the　tenth　part　of　a　second；〃　said　the　king。　〃but　while　　jewel　and　i　go　forward；　do　you　gallop　as　hard　as　you　may　to　cair　paravel。　here　is　my　ring　　for　your　token。　get　me　a　score　of　men…at…arms；　all　well　mounted；　and　a　score　of　　talking　dogs；　and　ten　dwarfs　（let　them　all　be　fell　archers）；　and　a　leopard　or　so；　and　　stonefoot　the　giant。　bring　all　these　after　us　as　quickly　as　may　be。”

〃with　a　good　will；　sire；〃　said　roonwit。　and　at　once　he　turned　and　galloped　　eastward　down　the　valley。

the　king　strode　on　at　a　great　pace；　sometimes　muttering　to　himself　and　　sometimes　clenching　his　fists。　jewel　walked　beside　him；　saying　nothing；　so　there　was　　no　sound　between　them　but　the　faint　jingle　of　a　rich　gold　chain　that　hung　round　the　　unicorns　neck　and　the　noise　of　two　feet　and　four　hoofs。

they　soon　reached　the　river　and　turned　up　it　where　there　was　a　grassy　road：　　they　had　the　water　on　their　left　and　the　forest　on　their　right。　soon　after　that　they　　came　to　the　place　where　the　ground　grew　rougher　and　thick　wood　came　down　to　the　waters　edge。　　the　road；　what　there　was　of　it；　now　ran　on　the　southern　bank　and　they　had　to　ford　the　　river　to　reach　it。　it　was　up　to　tirians　arm…pits；　but　jewel　（who　had　four　legs　and　　was　therefore　steadier）　kept　on　his　right　so　as　to　break　the　force　of　the　current；　and　　tirian　put　his　strong　arm　round　the　unicorns　strong　neck　and　they　both　got　safely　over。　the　king　　was　still　so　angry　that　he　hardly　noticed　the　cold　of　the　water。　but　of　course　he　dried　　his　sword　very　carefully　on　the　shoulder　of　his　cloak；　which　was　the　only　dry　part　of　him；　　as　soon　as　they　came　to　shore。

they　were　now　going　westward　with　the　river　on　their　right　and　lantern　　waste　straight　ahead　of　them。　they　had　not　gone　more　than　a　mile　when　they　both　stopped　　and　both　spoke　at　the　same　moment。　the　king　said　〃what　have　we　here？〃　and　jewel　said　　〃look！”

〃it　is　a　raft；〃　said　king　tirian。

and　so　it　was。　half　a　dozen　splendid　tree…trunks；　all　newly　cut　and　newly　　lopped　of　their　branches；　had　been　lashed　　together　to　make　a　raft；　and　were　gliding　　swiftly　down　the　river。　on　the　front　of　the　raft　there　was　a　water　rat　with　a　pole　to　steer　　it。

〃hey！　water…rat！　what　are　you　about？〃　cried　the　king。

〃taking　logs　down　to　sell　to　the　calormenes；　sire；〃　said　the　rat；　touching　　his　ear　as　he　might　have　touched　his　cap　if　he　had　had　one。

〃calormenes！〃　thundered　tirian。　〃what　do　you　mean？　who　gave　order　for　these　　trees　to　be　felled？”

the　river　flows　so　swiftly　at　that　time　of　the　year　that　the　raft　had　　already　glided　past　the　king　and　jewel。　but　the　water…rat　looked　back　over　its　shoulder　and　shouted　　out：　　〃the　lions　orders；　sire。　aslan　himself。〃　he　added　something　more　but　they　　couldnt　hear　it。

the　king　and　the　unicorn　stared　at　one　another　and　both　looked　more　　frightened　than　they　had　ever　been　in　any　battle。

〃aslan；〃　said　the　king　at　last；　in　a　very　low　voice。　〃aslan。　could　it　be　　true？　could　he　be　felling　the　holy　trees　and　murdering　the　dryads？”

〃unless　the　dryads　have　all　done　something　dreadfully　wrong…〃　murmured　　jewel。

〃but　selling　them　to　calormenes！〃　said　the　king。　〃is　it　possible？”

〃i　dont　know；〃　said　jewel　miserably。　〃hes　not　a　tame　lion。”

〃well；〃　said　the　king　at　last；　〃we　must　go　on　and　take　the　adventure　that　　es　to　us。”

〃it　is　the　only　thing　left　for　us　to　do；　sire；〃　said　the　unicorn。　he　did　　not　see　at　the　moment　how　foolish　it　was　for　two　of　them　to　go　on　alone；　nor　did　the　king。　　they　were　too　angry　to　think　clearly。　but　much　evil　came　of　their　rashness　in　the　　end。

suddenly　the　king　leaned　hard　on　his　friends　neck　and　bowed　his　head。

〃jewel；〃　he　said；　〃what　lies　before　us？　horrible　thoughts　arise　in　my　　heart。　if　we　had　died　before　today　we　should　have　been　happy。”

〃yes；〃　said　jewel。　〃we　have　lived　too　long。　the　worst　thing　in　the　world　　has　e　upon　us。〃　they　stood　like　that　for　a　minute　or　two　and　then　went　on。

before　long　they　could　hear　the　hack…hack…hack　of　axes　falling　on　timber；　　though　they　could　see　nothing　yet　because　there　was　a　rise　of　the　ground　in　front　of　　them。　when　they　had　reached　the　top　of　it　they　could　see　right　into　lantern　waste　itself。　　and　the　kings　face　turned　white　when　he　saw　it。

right　through　the　middle　of　that　ancient　forest　…　that　forest　where　the　　trees　of　gold　and　of　silver　had　once　grown　and　where　a　child　from　our　world　had　once　planted　the　　tree　of　protection　…　a　broad　lane　had　already　been　opened。　it　was　a　hideous　lane　　like　a　raw　gash　in　the　land；　full　of　muddy　ruts　where　felled　trees　had　been　dragged　down　to　　the　river。

there　was　a　great　crowd　of　people　at　work；　and　a　cracking　of　whips；　and　　horses　tugging　and　straining　as　they　dragged　at　　the　logs。　the　first　thing　that　struck　the　　king　and　the　unicorn　was　that　about　half　the　people　in　the　crowd　were　not　talking　beasts　　but　men。

the　next　thing　was　that　these　men　were　not　the　fair…haired　men　of　narnia：　　they　were　dark；　bearded　men　from　calormen；　that　great　and　cruel　country　that　lies　　beyond　archenland　across　the　desert　to　the　south。　there　was　no　reason；　of　course；　　why　one　should　not　meet　a　calormene　or　two　in　narnia　…　a　merchant　or　an　ambassador　　…　for　there　was　peace　between　narnia　and　calormen　in　those　days。　but　tirian　could　not　　understand　why　there　were　so　many　of　them：　nor　why　they　were　cutting　down　a　narnian　　forest。　he　grasped　his　sword　tighter　and　rolled　his　cloak　round　his　left　arm。　they　　came　quickly　down　among　the　men。

two　calormenes　were　driving　a　horse　which　was　harnessed　to　a　log。　just　as　　the　king　reached　them　the　log　had　got　stuck　in　a　bad　muddy　place。

〃get　on；　son　of　sloth！　pull；　you　lazy　pig！〃　cried　the　calormenes；　cracking　　their　whips。

the　horse　was　already　straining　himself　as　hard　as　he　could；　his　eyes　were　　red　and　he　was　covered　with　foam。

〃work；　lazy　brute；〃　shouted　one　of　the　calormenes：　and　as　he　spoke　he　　struck　the　horse　savagely　with　his　whip。　it　was　then　that　the　really　dreadful　thing　　happened。

up　till　now　tirian　had　taken　it　for　granted　that　the　horses　which　the　　calormenes　were　driving　were　their　own　horses；　dumb；　witless　animals　like　the　horses　of　our　　own　world。

and　though　he　hated　to　see　even　a　dumb　horse　overdriven；　he　was　of　course　　thinking　more　about　the　murder　of　the　trees。　it　had　never　crossed　his　mind　that　　anyone　would　dare　to　harness　one　of　the　free　talking　horses　of　narnia；　much　less　to　use　　a　whip　on　it。

but　as　that　savage　blow　fell　the　horse　reared　up　and　said；　half　screaming：　　〃fool　and　tyrant！　do　you　not　see　i　am　doing　all　i　can？”