THE VOYAGE OF THE DAWN TREADER-第31章

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〃your　majesty　promised；〃　said　reepicheep；　〃to　be　good　lord　to　the　talking　　beasts　of　narnia。”

〃talking　beasts；　yes；〃　said　caspian。　〃i　said　nothing　about　beasts　that　　never　stop　talking。”

and　he　flung　down　the　ladder　in　a　temper　and　went　into　the　cabin；　slamming　　the　door。

but　when　the　others　rejoined　him　a　little　later　they　found　him　changed；　he　　was　white　and　there　were　tears　in　his　eyes。

〃its　no　good；〃　he　said。　〃i　might　as　well　have　behaved　decently　for　all　the　　good　i　did　with　my　temper　and　swagger。　aslan　has　spoken　to　me。　no　…　i　dont　mean　he　was　　actually　here。

he　wouldnt　fit　into　the　cabin；　for　one　thing。　but　that　gold　lions　head　on　　the　wall　came　to　life　and　spoke　to　me。　it　was　terrible　his　eyes。　not　that　he　was　at　all　　rough　with　me　…　only　a　bit　stern　at　first。　but　it　was　terrible　all　the　same。　and　he　said　…　he　said　　…　oh；　i　cant　bear　it。

the　worst　thing　he　could　have　said。　youre　to　go　on　…　reep　and　edmund；　and　　lucy；　and　eustace；　and　im　to　go　back。　alone。　and　at　once。　and　what　is　the　good　of　　anything？”

〃caspian；　dear；〃　said　lucy。　〃you　knew　wed　have　to　go　back　to　our　own　world　　sooner　or　later。”

〃yes；〃　said　caspian　with　a　sob；　〃but　this　is　sooner。”

〃youll　feel　better　when　you　get　back　to　ramandus　island；〃　said　lucy。

he　cheered　up　a　little　later　on；　but　it　was　a　grievous　parting　oo　both　　sides　and　i　will　not　dwell　on　it。　about　two　oclock　in　the　afternoon；　well　victualled　and　　watered　（though　they　thought　they　would　need　neither　food　nor　drink）　and　with　reepicheeps　　coracle　on　board；　the　boat　pulled　away　from　the　dawn　treader　to　row　through　the　endless　　carpet　of　lilies。

the　dawn　trader　flew　all　her　flags　and　hung　out　her　shields　to　honour　their　　departure。

tall　and　big　and　homelike　she　looked　from　their　low　position　with　the　　lilies　all　round　them。　and　before　she　was　out　of　sight　they　saw　her　turn　and　begin　rowing　　slowly　westward。　yet　though　lucy　shed　a　few　tears；　she　could　not　feel　it　as　much　　as　you　might　have　expected。　the　light；　the　silence；　the　tingling　smell　of　the　silver　　sea；　even　（in　some　odd　way）　the　loneliness　itself；　were　too　exciting。

there　was　no　need　to　row；　for　the　current　drifted　them　steadily　to　the　　east。　none　of　them　slept　or　ate。　all　that　night　and　all　next　day　they　glided　eastward；　and　　when　the　third　day　dawned　…　with　a　brightness　you　or　i　could　not　bear　even　if　we　had　dark　　glasses　on　…　they　saw　a　wonder　ahead。　it　was　as　if　a　wall　stood　up　between　them　and　the　sky；　　a　greenish…grey；　trembling；　shimmering　wall。　then　up　came　the　sun；　and　at　its　first　　rising　they　saw　it　through　the　wall　and　it　turned　into　wonderful　rainbow　colours。　then　they　　knew　that　the　wall　was　really　a　long；　tall　wave　…　a　wave　endlessly　fixed　in　one　place　as　　you　may　often　see　at　the　edge　of　a　waterfall。　it　seemed　to　be　about　thirty　feet　high；　and　　the　current　was　gliding　them　swiftly　towards　it。　you　might　have　supposed　they　would　have　　thought　of　their　danger。　they　didnt。　i　dont　think　anyone　could　have　in　their　　position。　for　now　they　saw　something　not　only　behind　the　wave　but　behind　the　sun。　they　could　not　　have　seen　even　the　sun　if　their　eyes　had　not　been　strengthened　by　the　water　of　the　　last　sea。　but　now　they　could　look　at　the　rising　sun　and　see　it　clearly　and　see　things　　beyond　it。　what　they　saw　…　eastward；　beyond　the　sun　…　was　a　range　of　mountains。　it　was　so　　high　that　either　　

they　never　saw　the　top　of　it　or　they　forgot　it。　none　of　them　remembers　　seeing　any　sky　in　that　direction。　and　the　mountains　must　really　have　been　outside　the　world。　　for　any　mountains　even　a　quarter　of　a　twentieth　of　that　height　ought　to　have　had　　ice　and　snow　on　them。　but　these　were　warm　and　green　and　full；　of　forests　and　waterfalls　　however　high　you　looked。　and　suddenly　there　came　a　breeze　from　the　east；　tossing　the　top　　of　the　wave　into　foamy　shapes　and　ruffling　the　smooth　water　all　round　them。　it　lasted　　only　a　second　or　so　but　what　it　brought　them　in　that　second　none　of　those　three　children　　will　ever　forget。

it　brought　both　a　smell　and　a　sound；　a　musical　sound　edmund　and　eustace　　would　never　talk　about　it　afterwards。　lucy　could　only　say；　〃it　would　break　your　heart。〃　　〃why；〃　said　i；　〃was　it　so　sad：　〃　〃sad！！　no；〃　said　lucy。

no　one　in　that　boat　doubted　chat　they　were　seeing　beyond　the　end　of　the　　world　into　aslans　country。

at　that　moment；　with　a　crunch；　the　boat　ran　aground。　the　water　was　too　　shallow　now　for　it。　〃this；〃　said　reepicheep；　〃is　where　i　go　on　alone。”

they　did　not　even　try　to　stop　dim；　for　everything　now　felt　as　if　it　had　　been　fated　or　had　happened　before。　they　helped　him　to　lower　his　little　coracle。　then　he　took　　off　his　sword　（〃i　shall　need　it　no　more；〃　he　said）　and　flung　it　far　away　across　the　idled　　sea。　where　it　fell　it　stood　upright　with　the　hilt　above　the　surface。　then　he　bade　them　goodbye　　trying　to　be　sad　for　their　sakes　but　he　was　quivering　with　happiness。　lucy；　for　the　　first　and　last　time；　did　what　she　had　always　wanted　to　do；　taking　him　in　her　arms　and　caressing　　him。　then　hastily　he　got　into　his　coracle　and　took　his　paddle；　and　the　current　caught　　it　and　away　he　went；　very　black　against　the　lilies。　but　no　lilies　grew　on　the　wave；　it　was　　a　smooth　green　slope。　the　coracle　went　more　and　more　quickly；　and　beautifully　it　rushed　up　　the　waves　side。　for　one　split　second　they　saw　its　shape　and　reepicheeps　on　the　very　　top。　then　it　vanished；　and　since　that　moment　no　one　can　truly　claim　to　have　seen　　reepicheep　the　mouse。　but　my　belief　is　that　he　came　safe　to　aslans　country　and　is　alive　　there　to　this　day。

as　the　sun　rose　the　sight　of　those　mountains　outside　the　world　faded　away。　　the　wave　remained　but　there　was　only　blue　sky　behind　it。

the　children　got　out　of　the　boat　and　waded　…　not　towards　the　wave　but　　southward　with　the　wall　of　water　on　their　left。　they　could　not　have　told　you　why　they　did　　this；　it　was　their　fate。　and　though　they　had　felt　…　and　been　very　grown…up　on　the　dawn　　treader；　they　now　felt　just　the　opposite　and　held　hands　as　they　waded　through　the　lilies。　　they　never　felt　tired。　the　water　was　warm　and　all　the　time　it　got　shallower。　at　last　they　　were　on　dry　sand；　and　then　on　grass　…　a　huge　plain　of　very　fine　short　grass；　almost　　level　with　the　silver　sea　and　spreading　in　every　direction　without　so　much　as　a　molehill。

and　of　course；　as　it　always　does　in　a　perfectly　flat　place　without　trees；　　it　looked　as　if　the　sky　came　down　to　meet　the　grass　in　front　of　them。　but　as　they　went　on　they　　got　the　strangest　impression　that　here　at　last　the　sky　did　really　e　down　and　　join　the　earth　…　a　　

blue　wall；　very　bright；　but　real　and　solid：　more　like　glass　than　anything　　else。　and　soon　they　were　quite　sure　of　it。　it　was　very　near　now。

but　between　them　and　the　foot　of　the　sky　there　was　something　so　white　on　　the　green　grass　that　even　with　their　eagles　eyes　they　could　hardly　look　at　it。　they　　came　on　and　saw　that　it　was　a　lamb。

〃e　and　have　breakfast；〃　said　the　lamb　in　its　sweet　milky　voice。

then　they　noticed　for　the　first　time　that　there　was　a　fire　lit　on　the　grass　　and　fish　roasting　on　it。　they　sat　down　and　ate　the　fish；　hungry　now　for　the　first　time　for　　many　days。　and　it　was　the　most　delicious　food　they　had　ever　tasted。

〃please；　lamb；〃　said　lucy；　〃is　this　the　way　to　aslans　country？”

〃not　for　you；〃　said　the　lamb。　〃for　you　the　door　into　aslans　country　is　　from　your　own　world。”

〃what！〃　said　edmund。　〃is　there　a　way　into　aslans　country　from　our　world　　too？”

〃there　is　a　way　into　my　country　from　all　the　worlds；〃　said　the　lamb；　but　as　　he　spoke　his　snowy　white　flushed　into　tawny　gold　and　his　size　changed　and　he　was　aslan　　himself；　towering　above　them　and　scattering　light　from　his　mane。

〃oh；　aslan；〃　said　lucy。　〃will　you　tell　us　how　to　get　into　your　country　from　　our　world？”

〃i　shall　be　telling　you　all　the　time；〃　said　aslan。　〃but　i　will　not　tell　you　　how　long　or　short　the　way　will　be；　only　that　it　lies　across　a　river。　but　do　not　fear　that；　　for　i　am　the　great　bridge　builder。　and　now　e；　i　will　open　the　door　in　the　sky　and　send　you　　to　your　own　land。”

〃please；　aslan；〃　said　lucy。　〃before　we　go；　will　you　tell　us　when　we　can　　e　back　to　narnia　again？　please。　and　oh；　do；　do；　do　make　it　soon。〃　　　〃dearest；〃　said　aslan　very　gently；　〃you　and　your　brother　will　never　e　　balk　to　narnia。”

〃oh；　aslan！！〃　said　edmund　and　lucy　both　together　in　despairing　voices。

〃you　are　too　old；　children；〃　said　aslan；　〃and　you　must　begin　to　e　close　　to　your　own　world　now。”

〃it　isnt　narnia；　you　know；〃　sobbed　lucy。　〃its　you。　we　shant　meet　you　　there。　and　how　can　we　live；　never　meeting　you？”

〃but　you　shall　meet　me；　dear　one；〃　said　aslan。

〃are　are　you　there　too；　sir？〃　said　edmund。

〃i　am；〃　said　aslan。　〃but　there　i　have　another　name。　you　must　learn　to　know　　me　by　that　name。　this　was　the　very　reason　why　you　were　brought　to　narnia；　that　by　　knowing　me　here　for　a　little；　you　may　know　me　better　there。”

〃and　is　eustace　never　to　e　back　here　either？〃　said　lucy。

〃child；〃　said　aslan；　〃do　you　really　need　to　know　that？　e；　i　am　opening　　the　door　in　the　sky。〃　then　all　in　one　moment　there　was　a　rending　of　the　blue　wall　（like　　a　curtain　being　torn）　and　a　terrible　white　light　from　beyond　the　sky；　and　the　feel　of　　aslans　mane　and　a　lions　kiss　on　their　foreheads　and　the