小说园

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．”