The Lion, the Witch and the War-第18章

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he　led　them　up　the　steep　slope　out　of　the　river　valley　and　then　slightly　to　　the　right　…　apparently　by　the　very　same　route　which　they　had　used　that　afternoon　in　　ing　from　the　hill　of　the　stone　table。　on　and　on　he　led　them；　into　dark　shadows　and　out　　into　pale　moonlight；　getting　their　feet　wet　with　the　heavy　dew。　he　looked　somehow　　different　from　the　aslan　they　knew。　his　tail　and　his　head　hung　low　and　he　walked　slowly　as　　if　he　were　very；　very　tired。　then；　when　they　were　crossing　a　wide　open　place　where　　there　where　no　shadows　for　them　to　hide　in；　he　stopped　and　looked　round。　it　was　no　good　　trying　to　run　away　so　they　came　towards　him。　when　they　were　closer　he　said；　　〃oh；　children；　children；　why　are　you　following　me？”

〃we　couldnt　sleep；〃　said　lucy　…　and　then　felt　sure　that　she　need　say　no　　more　and　that　aslan　knew　all　they　had　been　thinking。

〃please；　may　we　e　with　you　…　wherever　youre　going？〃　asked　susan。

〃well　…〃　said　aslan；　and　seemed　to　be　thinking。　then　he　said；　〃i　should　be　　glad　of　pany　tonight。　yes；　you　may　e；　if　you　will　promise　to　stop　when　i　tell　　you；　and　after　that　leave　me　to　go　on　alone。”

〃oh；　thank　you；　thank　you。　and　we　will；〃　said　the　two　girls。

forward　they　went　again　and　one　of　the　girls　walked　on　each　side　of　the　　lion。　but　how　slowly　he　walked！　and　his　great；　royal　head　drooped　so　that　his　nose　nearly　　touched　the　grass。　presently　he　stumbled　and　gave　a　low　moan。

〃aslan！　dear　aslan！〃　said　lucy；　〃what　is　wrong？　cant　you　tell　us？”

〃are　you　ill；　dear　aslan？〃　asked　susan。

〃no；〃　said　aslan。　〃i　am　sad　and　lonely。　lay　your　hands　on　my　mane　so　that　i　　can　feel　you　are　there　and　let　us　walk　like　that。”

and　so　the　girls　did　what　they　would　never　have　dared　to　do　without　his　　permission；　but　what　they　had　longed　to　do　ever　since　they　first　saw　him　buried　their　cold　　hands　in　the　beautiful　sea　of　fur　and　stroked　it　and；　so　doing；　walked　with　him。　and　　presently　they　saw　that　they　were　going　with　him　up　the　slope　of　the　hill　on　which　the　　stone　table　stood。　they　went　up　at　the　side　where　the　trees　came　furthest　up；　and　when　　they　got　to　the　last　tree　（it　was　one　that　had　some　bushes　about　it）　aslan　stopped　and　　said；　　〃oh；　children；　children。　here　you　must　stop。　and　whatever　happens；　do　not　　let　yourselves　be　seen。　farewell。”

and　both　the　girls　cried　bitterly　（though　they　hardly　knew　why）　and　clung　　to　the　lion　and　kissed　his　mane　and　his　nose　and　his　paws　and　his　great；　sad　eyes。　then　he　　turned　from　them　and　walked　out　on　to　the　top　of　the　hill。　and　lucy　and　susan；　　crouching　in　the　bushes；　looked　after　him；　and　this　is　what　they　saw。

a　great　crowd　of　people　were　standing　all　round　the　stone　table　and　though　　the　moon　was　shining　many　of　them　carried　torches　which　burned　with　evil…looking　red　　flames　and　black　smoke。　but　such　people！　ogres　with　monstrous　teeth；　and　wolves；　and　　bull…headed　men；　spirits　of　evil　trees　and　poisonous　plants；　and　other　creatures　whom　i　　wont　describe　because　if　i　did　the　grownups　would　probably　not　let　you　read　this　book　…　　cruels　and　hags　and　incubuses；　wraiths；　horrors；　efreets；　sprites；　orknies；　wooses；　　and　ettins。　in　fact　here　were　all　those　who　were　on　the　witchs　side　and　whom　the　wolf　had　　summoned　at　her　mand。　and　right　in　the　middle；　standing　by　the　table；　was　the　　witch　herself。

a　howl　and　a　gibber　of　dismay　went　up　from　the　creatures　when　they　first　　saw　the　great　lion　pacing　towards　them；　and　for　a　moment　even　the　witch　seemed　to　be　　struck　with　fear。　then　she　recovered　herself　and　gave　a　wild　fierce　laugh。

〃the　fool！〃　she　cried。　〃the　fool　has　e。　bind　him　fast。”

lucy　and　susan　held　their　breaths　waiting　for　aslans　roar　and　his　spring　　upon　his　enemies。　but　it　never　came。　four　hags；　grinning　and　leering；　yet　also　（at　　first）　hanging　back　and　half　afraid　of　what　they　had　to　do；　had　approached　him。　〃bind　him；　　i　say！”

repeated　the　white　witch。　the　hags　made　a　dart　at　him　and　shrieked　with　　triumph　when　they　found　that　he　made　no　resistance　at　all。　then　others　…　evil　dwarfs　and　　apes　…　rushed　in　to　help　them；　and　between　them　they　rolled　the　huge　lion　over　on　his　　back　and　tied　all　his　four　paws　together；　shouting　and　cheering　as　if　they　had　done　something　　brave；　though；　had　the　lion　chosen；　one　of　those　paws　could　have　been　the　death　of　　them　all。

but　he　made　no　noise；　even　when　the　enemies；　straining　and　tugging；　pulled　　the　cords　so　tight　that　they　cut　into　his　flesh。　then　they　began　to　drag　him　towards　the　　stone　table。

〃stop！〃　said　the　witch。　〃let　him　first　be　shaved。”

another　roar　of　mean　laughter　went　up　from　her　followers　as　an　ogre　with　a　　pair　of　shears　came　forward　and　squatted　down　by　aslans　head。　snip…snip…snip　went　　the　shears　and　masses　of　curling　gold　began　to　fall　to　the　ground。　then　the　ogre　stood　　back　and　the　children；　watching　from　their　hiding…place；　could　see　the　face　of　aslan　　looking　all　small　and　different　without　its　mane。　the　enemies　also　saw　the　difference。

〃why；　hes　only　a　great　cat　after　all！〃　cried　one。

〃is　that　what　we　were　afraid　of？〃　said　another。

and　they　surged　round　aslan；　jeering　at　him；　saying　things　like　〃puss；　　puss！　poor　pussy；”

and　〃how　many　mice　have　you　caught　today；　cat？〃　and　〃would　you　like　a　　saucer　of　milk；　pussums？”

〃oh；　how　can　they？〃　said　lucy；　tears　streaming　down　her　cheeks。　〃the　　brutes；　the　brutes！〃　for　now　that　the　first　shock　was　over　the　shorn　face　of　aslan　　looked　to　her　braver；　and　more　beautiful；　and　more　patient　than　ever。

〃muzzle　him！〃　said　the　witch。　and　even　now；　as　they　worked　about　his　face　　putting　on　the　muzzle；　one　bite　from　his　jaws　would　have　cost　two　or　three　of　them　　their　hands。　but　he　never　moved。　and　this　seemed　to　enrage　all　that　rabble。　everyone　was　at　　him　now。

those　who　had　been　afraid　to　e　near　him　even　after　he　was　bound　began　to　　find　their　courage；　and　for　a　few　minutes　the　two　girls　could　not　even　see　him　…　so　　thickly　was　he　surrounded　by　the　whole　crowd　of　creatures　kicking　him；　hitting　him；　　spitting　on　him；　jeering　at　him。

at　last　the　rabble　had　had　enough　of　this。　they　began　to　drag　the　bound　and　　muzzled　lion　to　the　stone　table；　some　pulling　and　some　pushing。　he　was　so　huge　that　　even　when　they　got　him　there　it　took　all　their　efforts　to　hoist　him　on　to　the　surface　　of　it。　then　there　was　more　tying　and　tightening　of　cords。

〃the　cowards！　the　cowards！〃　sobbed　susan。　〃are　they　still　afraid　of　him；　　even　now？”

when　once　aslan　had　been　tied　（and　tied　so　that　he　was　really　a　mass　of　　cords）　on　the　flat　stone；　a　hush　fell　on　the　crowd。　four　hags；　holding　four　torches；　stood　at　　the　corners　of　the　table。　the　witch　bared　her　arms　as　she　had　bared　them　the　previous　　night　when　it　had　been　edmund　instead　of　aslan。　then　she　began　to　whet　her　knife。　it　　looked　to　the　children；　when　the　gleam　of　the　torchlight　fell　on　it；　as　if　the　knife　were　　made　of　stone；　not　of　steel；　and　it　was　of　a　strange　and　evil　shape。

as　last　she　drew　near。　she　stood　by　aslans　head。　her　face　was　working　and　　twitching　with　passion；　but　his　looked　up　at　the　sky；　still　quiet；　neither　angry　nor　　afraid；　but　a　little　sad。　then；　just　before　she　gave　the　blow；　she　stooped　down　and　said　in　a　　quivering　voice；　　〃and　now；　who　has　won？　fool；　did　you　think　that　by　all　this　you　would　save　　the　human　traitor？　now　i　will　kill　you　instead　of　him　as　our　pact　was　and　so　the　deep　　magic　will　be　appeased。　but　when　you　are　dead　what　will　prevent　me　from　killing　him　as　　well？　and　who　will　take　him　out　of　my　hand　then？　understand　that　you　have　given　me　　narnia　forever；　you　have　lost　your　own　life　and　you　have　not　saved　his。　in　that　　knowledge；　despair　and　die。”

the　children　did　not　see　the　actual　moment　of　the　killing。　they　couldnt　　bear　to　look　and　had　covered　their　eyes。

　。。　



CHAPTER　FIFTEEN

，＿
deeper　magic　from　before　the　dawn　of　time　　while　the　two　girls　still　crouched　in　the　bushes　with　their　hands　over　　their　faces；　they　heard　the　voice　of　the　witch　calling　out；　　〃now！　follow　me　all　and　we　will　set　about　what　remains　of　this　war！　it　will　　not　take　us　long　to　crush　the　human　vermin　and　the　traitors　now　that　the　great　fool；　　the　great　cat；　lies　dead。”

at　this　moment　the　children　were　for　a　few　seconds　in　very　great　danger。　　for　with　wild　cries　and　a　noise　of　skirling　pipes　and　shrill　horns　blowing；　the　whole　of　　that　vile　rabble　came　sweeping　off　the　hill…top　and　down　the　slope　right　past　their　hiding…　place。　they　felt　the　spectres　go　by　them　like　a　cold　wind　and　they　felt　the　ground　shake　　beneath　them　under　the　galloping　feet　of　the　minotaurs；　and　overhead　there　went　a　flurry　　of　foul　wings　and　a　blackness　of　vultures　and　giant　bats。　at　any　other　time　they　would　　have　trembled　with　fear；　but　now　the　sadness　and　shame　and　horror　of　aslans　death　so　　filled　their　minds　that　they　hardly　thought　of　it。

as　soon　as　the　wood　was　silent　again　susan　and　lucy　crept　out　onto　the　open　　hill…top。

the　moon　was　getting　low　and　thin　clouds　were　passing　across　her；　but　still　　they　could　see　the　shape　of　the　lion　lying　dead　in　his　bonds。　and　down　they　both　knelt　　in　the　wet　grass　and　kissed　his　cold　face　and　stroked　his　beautiful　fur　…　what　was　　left　of　it　…　and　cried　till　they　could　cry　no　more。　and　then　they　looked　at　each　other　and　held　　each