小说园>纳尼亚传奇附录一凯斯宾王子主要内容 > chater thirteen the high kg and（第1页）
chater thirteen the high kg and（第1页）
“NOW，”saidPeter，astheyfinishedtheirmeal，“Aslanandthegirls（that’sQueenSusanandQueenLucy，Caspian）aresomewhereclose．Wedon’tknowwhenhewillact．Inhistime，nodoubt，notours．Inthemeantimehewouldlikeustodowhatwecanonourown．Yousay，Caspian，wearenotstrongenoughtomeetMirazinpitchedbattle？”
“I’mafraidnot，HighKing，”saidCaspian．HewaslikingPeterverymuch，butwasrathertongue-ied．ItwasmuchstrangerforhimtomeetthegreatKingsoutoftheoldstoriesthanitwasforthemtomeethim．
“Verywell，then，”saidPeter，“I’llsendhimachallengetosinglecombat．”Noonehadthoughtofthisbefore．
“Please，”saidCaspian，“coulditnotbeme？Iwanttoavengemyfather．”
“You’rewounded，”saidPeter．“Andanyway，wouldn’thejustlaughatachallengefromyou？Imean，wehaveseenthatyouareakingandawarriorbuthethinksofyouasakid．”
“But，Sire，”saidtheBadger，whosatveryclosetoPeterandnevertookhiseyesoffhim．“Willheaccepta．challengeevenfromyou？Heknowshehasthestronger．army．”
“Verylikelyhewon’t，”saidPeter，“butthere’salwaysthechance．Andevenifhedoesn’t，weshallspendthebestpartofthedaysendingheraldstoandfroandallthat．BythenAslanmayhavedonesomething．AndatleastIcaninspectthearmyandstrengthentheposition．Iwillsendthechallenge．InfactIwillwriteitatonce．Haveyoupenandink，MasterDoctor？”
“Ascholarisneverwithoutthem，yourMajesty，”answeredDoctorCornelius．
“Verywell，Iwilldictate，”saidPeter．AndwhiletheDoctorspreadoutaparchmentandopenedhisink-hornandsharpenedhispen，Peterleantbackwithhalf-closedeyesandrecalledtohismindthelanguageinwhichhehadwrittensuchthingslongagoinNarnia’sgoldenage．
“Right，”hesaidatlast．“Andnow，ifyouareready，Doctor？”
DoctorCorneliusdippedhispenandwaited．Peterdictatedasfollows:
“Peter，bythegiftofAslan，byelection，byprescription，andbyconquest，HighKingoverallKingsinNarnia，EmperoroftheLoneIslandsandLordofCairParavel，KnightoftheMostNobleOrderoftheLion，toMiraz，SonofCaspiantheEighth，sometimeLordProtectorofNarniaandnowstylinghimselfKingofNarnia，Greeting．Haveyougotthat？”
“Narnia，comma，greeting，”mutteredtheDoctor．“Yes，Sire．”
“Thenbeginanewparagraph，”saidPeter．Fortopreventtheeffusionofblood，andfortheavoidingallotherinconvenienceslikelytogrowfromthewarsnowleviedinourrealmofNarnia，itisourpleasuretoadventureourroyalpersononbehalfofourtrustyandwell-belovedCaspianincleanwagerofbattletoproveuponyourLordship’sbodythatthesaidCaspianislawfulKingunderusinNarniabothbyourgiftandbythelawsoftheTelmarines，andyourLordshiptwiceguiltyoftreacherybothinwithholdingthedominionofNarniafromthesaidCaspianandinthemostabhominable，—don’tforgettospellitwithanH，Doctor—bloody，andunnaturalmurderofyourkindlylordandbrotherKingCaspianNinthofthatname．Whereforewemostheartilyprovoke，challenge，anddefyyourLordshiptothesaidcombatandmonomachy，andhavesenttheselettersbythehandofourwellbelovedandroyalbrotherEdmund，sometimeKingunderusinNarnia，DukeofLanternWasteandCountoftheWesternMarch，KnightoftheNobleOrderoftheTable，towhomwehavegivenfullpowerofdeterminingwithyourLordshipalltheconditionsofthesaidbattle．GivenatourlodginginAslan’sHowthisXIIdayofthemonthGreenroofinthefirstyearofCaspianTenthofNarnia．
“Thatoughttodo，”saidPeter，drawingadeepbreath．
“AndnowwemustsendtwootherswithKingEdmund．IthinktheGiantoughttobeone．”
“He’s—he’snotveryclever，youknow，”saidCaspian．
“Ofcoursenot，”saidPeter．“Butanygiantlooksimpressiveifonlyhewillkeepquiet．Anditwillcheerhimup．Butwhofortheother？”
“Uponmyword，”saidTrumpkin，“ifyouwantsomeonewhocankillwithlooks，Reepicheepwouldbethebest．”
“Hewouldindeed，fromallIhear，”saidPeterwithalaugh．“Ifonlyhewasn’tsosmall．Theywouldn’tevenseehimtillhewasclose！”
“SendGlenstorm，Sire，”saidTrufflehunter．“NooneeverlaughedataCentaur．”
AnhourlatertwogreatlordsinthearmyofMiraz，theLordGlozelleandtheLordSopespian，strollingalongtheirlinesandpickingtheirteethafterbreakfast，lookedupandsawcomingdowntothemfromthewoodtheCentaurandGiantWimbleweather，whomtheyhadseenbeforeinbattle，andbetweenthemafiguretheycouldnotrecognize．NorindeedwouldtheotherboysatEdmund’sschoolhaverecognizedhimiftheycouldhaveseenhimatthatmoment．ForAslanhadbreathedonhimattheirmeetingandakindofgreatnesshungabouthim．
“What’stodo？”saidtheLordGlozelle．“Anattack？”
“Aparley，rather，”saidSopespian．“See，theycarrygreenbranches．Theyarecomingtosurrendermostlikely．”
“HethatiswalkingbetweentheCentaurandtheGianthasnolookofsurrenderinhisface，”saidGlozelle．“Whocanhebe？ItisnottheboyCaspian．”
“Noindeed，”saidSopespian．“Thisisafellwarrior，Iwarrantyou，wherevertherebelshavegothimfrom．Heis（inyourLordship’sprivateear）akingliermanthaneverMirazwas．Andwhatmailhewears！Noneofoursmithscanmakethelike．”
“I’llwagermydappledPomelyhebringsachallenge，notasurrender，”saidGlozelle．
“Howthen？”saidSopespian．“Weholdtheenemyinourfisthere．Mirazwouldneverbesohair-brainedastothrowawayhisadvantageonacombat．”
