小说园

chater eleven the l rar（第1页）

WHENthewholepartywasfinallyawakeLucyhadtotellherstoryforthefourthtime．Theblanksilencewhichfolloweditwasasdiscouragingasanythingcouldbe．

“Ican’tseeanything，”saidPeterafterhehadstaredhiseyessore．“Canyou，Susan？”

“No，ofcourseIcan’t，”snappedSusan．“Becausethereisn’tanythingtosee．She’sbeendreaming．Doliedownandgotosleep，Lucy．”

“AndIdohope，”saidLucyinatremulousvoice，“thatyouwillallcomewithme．Because—becauseI’llhavetogowithhimwhetheranyoneelsedoesornot．”

“Don’ttalknonsense，Lucy，”saidSusan．“Ofcourseyoucan’tgooffonyourown．Don’tlether，Peter．She’sbeingdownrightnaughty．”

“I’llgowithher，ifshemustgo，”saidEdmund．“She’sbeenrightbefore．”

Caspian

“Iknowshehas，”saidPeter．“Andshemayhavebeenrightthismorning．Wecertainlyhadnoluckgoingdownthegorge．Still-atthishourofthenight．AndwhyshouldAslanbeinvisibletous？Heneverusedtobe．It’snotlikehim．WhatdoestheD．L．F．say？”

“Oh，Isaynothingatall，”answeredtheDwarf．“Ifyouallgo，ofcourse，I’llgowithyou;andifyourpartysplitsup，I’llgowiththeHighKing．That’smydutytohimandKingCaspian．But，ifyouaskmyprivateopinion，I’maplaindwarfwhodoesn’tthinkthere’smuchchanceoffindingaroadbynightwhereyoucouldn’tfindonebyday．AndIhavenouseformagiclionswhicharetalkinglionsanddon’ttalk，andfriendlylionsthoughtheydon’tdousanygood，andwhoppingbiglionsthoughnobodycanseethem．It’sallbilgeandbeanstalksasfarasIcansee．”

“He’sbeatinghispawonthegroundforustohurry，”saidLucy．“Wemustgonow．AtleastImust．”

“You’venorighttotrytoforcetherestofuslikethat．It’sfourtooneandyou’retheyoungest，”saidSusan．

“Oh，comeon，”growledEdmund．“We’vegottogo．There’llbenopeacetillwedo．”HefullyintendedtobackLucyup，buthewasannoyedatlosinghisnight’ssleepandwasmakingupforitbydoingeverythingassulkilyaspossible．

“Onthemarch，then，”saidPeter，wearilyfittinghisarmintohisshield-strapandputtinghishelmeton．AtanyothertimehewouldhavesaidsomethingnicetoLucy，whowashisfavouritesister，forheknewhowwretchedshemustbefeeling，andheknewthat，whateverhadhappened，itwasnotherfault．Buthecouldn’thelpbeingalittleannoyedwithherallthesame．

Susanwastheworst．“SupposingIstartedbehavinglikeLucy，”shesaid．“Imightthreatentostayherewhethertherestofyouwentonornot．IjollywellthinkIshall．”

“ObeytheHighKing，yourMajesty，”saidTrumpkin，“andlet’sbeoff．IfI’mnottobeallowedtosleep，I’dassoonmarchasstandheretalking．”

Andsoatlasttheygotonthemove．Lucywentfirst，bitingherlipandtryingnottosayallthethingsshethoughtofsayingtoSusan．ButsheforgotthemwhenshefixedhereyesonAslan．Heturnedandwalkedataslowpaceaboutthirtyyardsaheadofthem．TheothershadonlyLucy’sdirectionstoguidethem，forAslanwasnotonlyinvisibletothembutsilentaswell．Hisbigcat-likepawsmadenonoiseonthegrass．

Heledthemtotherightofthedancingtrees—whethertheywerestilldancingnobodyknew，forLucyhadhereyesontheLionandtheresthadtheireyesonLucy—andnearertheedgeofthegorge．“Cobblesandkettledrums！”thoughtTrumpkin．“Ihopethismadnessisn’tgoingtoendinamoonlightclimbandbrokennecks．”

ForalongwayAslanwentalongthetopoftheprecipices．Thentheycametoaplacewheresomelittletreesgrewrightontheedge．Heturnedanddisappearedamongthem．Lucyheldherbreath，foritlookedasifhehadplungedoverthecliff;butshewastoobusykeepinghiminsighttostopandthinkaboutthis．Shequickenedherpaceandwassoonamongthetreesherself．Lookingdown，shecouldseeasteepandnarrowpathgoingslantwisedownintothegorgebetweenrocks，andAslandescendingit．Heturnedandlookedatherwithhishappyeyes．Lucyclappedherhandsandbegantoscrambledownafterhim．Frombehindhersheheardthevoicesoftheothersshouting，“Hi！Lucy！Lookout，forgoodness’sake．You’rerightontheedgeofthegorge．Comeback—”andthen，amomentlater，Edmund’svoicesaying，“No，she’sright．Thereisawaydown．”

Half—waydownthepathEdmundcaughtupwithher．

“Look！”hesaidingreatexcitement．“Look！What’sthatshadowcrawlingdowninfrontofus？”

“It’shisshadow，”saidLucy．

“Idobelieveyou’reright，Lu，”saidEdmund．“Ican’tthinkhowIdidn’tseeitbefore．Butwhereishe？”

“Withhisshadow，ofcourse．Can’tyouseehim？”

“Well，IalmostthoughtIdid-foramoment．It’ssucharumlight．”

“Geton，KingEdmund，geton，”cameTrumpkin’svoicefrombehindandabove:andthen，fartherbehindandstillnearlyatthetop，Peter’svoicesaying，“Oh，buckup，Susan．Givemeyourhand．Why，ababycouldgetdownhere．Anddostopgrousing．”