小说园

chater the rahne f the kg（第2页）

RoonwithadjustraisedhishandandwasleaningforwardtosaysomethingveryearnestlytotheKingwhenallthreeofthemturnedtheirheadstolistentoawailingsoundthatwasquicklydrawingnearer。ThewoodwassothicktotheWestofthemthattheycouldnotseethenewcomeryet。Buttheycouldsoonhearthewords．

“Woe，woe，woe!”calledthevoice。“Woeformybrothersandsisters!Woefortheholytrees!Thewoodsarelaidwaste。Theaxeisloosedagainstus。Wearebeingfelled。Greattreesarefalling，falling，falling。”

Withthelast“falling”thespeakercameinsight。ShewaslikeawomanbutsotallthatherheadwasonalevelwiththeCentaur’syetshewaslikeatreetoo。ItishardtoexplainifyouhaveneverseenaDryadbutquiteunmistakableonceyouhave-somethingdifferentinthecolour，thevoice，andthehair。KingTirianandthetwoBeastsknewatoncethatshewasthenymphofabeechtree．

“Justice，LordKing!”shecried。“Cometoouraid。Protectyourpeople。TheyarefellingusinLanternWaste．Fortygreattrunksofmybrothersandsistersarealreadyontheground。”

“What，Lady!FellingLanternWaste？Murderingthetalkingtrees？”criedtheKing，leapingtohisfeetanddrawinghissword。“Howdarethey？Andwhodaresit？NowbytheManeofAslan-”

“A-a-a-h，”gaspedtheDryadshudderingasifinpain-shudderingtimeaftertimeasifunderrepeatedblows。Thenallatonceshefellsidewaysassuddenlyasifbothherfeethadbeencutfromunderher。Forasecondtheysawherlyingdeadonthegrassandthenshevanished。Theyknewwhathadhappened。Hertree，milesaway，hadbeencutdown．

ForamomenttheKing’sgriefandangerweresogreatthathecouldnotspeak。Thenhesaid：

“Come，friends。Wemustgoupriverandfindthevillainswhohavedonethis，withallthespeedwemay。Iwillleavenotoneofthemalive。”

“Sire，withagoodwill，”saidJewel．

ButRoonwitsaid，“Sire，bewaryinyourjustwrath。Therearestrangedoingsonfoot。Ifthereshouldberebelsinarmsfurtherupthevalley，wethreearetoofewtomeetthem。Ifitwouldpleaseyoutowaitwhile-”

“Iwillnotwaitthetenthpartofasecond，”saidtheKing。“ButwhileJewelandIgoforward，doyougallopashardasyoumaytoCairParavel。Hereismyringforyourtoken。Getmeascoreofmen-at-arms，allwellmounted，andascoreofTalkingDogs，andtenDwarfs（letthemallbefellarchers），andaLeopardorso，andStonefoottheGiant。Bringalltheseafterusasquicklyasmaybe。”

“Withagoodwill，Sire，”saidRoonwit。AndatonceheturnedandgallopedEastwarddownthevalley．

TheKingstrodeonatagreatpace，sometimesmutteringtohimselfandsometimesclenchinghisfists。Jewelwalkedbesidehim，sayingnothing;sotherewasnosoundbetweenthembutthefaintjingleofarichgoldchainthathungroundtheUnicorn’sneckandthenoiseoftwofeetandfourhoofs．

TheysoonreachedtheRiverandturnedupitwheretherewasagrassyroad：theyhadthewaterontheirleftandtheforestontheirright。Soonafterthattheycametotheplacewherethegroundgrewrougherandthickwoodcamedowntothewater’sedge。Theroad，whattherewasofit，nowranontheSouthernbankandtheyhadtofordtheRivertoreachit。ItwasuptoTirian’sarm-pits，butJewel（whohadfourlegsandwasthereforesteadier）keptonhisrightsoastobreaktheforceofthecurrent，andTirianputhisstrongarmroundtheUnicorn’sstrongneckandtheybothgotsafelyover。TheKingwasstillsoangrythathehardlynoticedthecoldofthewater。Butofcoursehedriedhisswordverycarefullyontheshoulderofhiscloak，whichwastheonlydrypartofhim，assoonastheycametoshore．

TheywerenowgoingWestwardwiththeRiverontheirrightandLanternWastestraightaheadofthem。Theyhadnotgonemorethanamilewhentheybothstoppedandbothspokeatthesamemoment。TheKingsaid“Whathavewehere？”andJewelsaid“Look!”

“Itisaraft，”saidKingTirian．

Andsoitwas。Halfadozensplendidtree-trunks，allnewlycutandnewlyloppedoftheirbranches，hadbeenlashedtogethertomakearaft，andwereglidingswiftlydowntheriver。Onthefrontoftherafttherewasawaterratwithapoletosteerit．

“Hey!Water-Rat!Whatareyouabout？”criedtheKing．

“TakinglogsdowntoselltotheCalormenes，Sire，”saidtheRat，touchinghisearashemighthavetouchedhiscapifhehadhadone．

“Calormenes!”thunderedTirian。“Whatdoyoumean？Whogaveorderforthesetreestobefelled？”

TheRiverflowssoswiftlyatthattimeoftheyearthattherafthadalreadyglidedpasttheKingandJewel。ButtheWater-Ratlookedbackoveritsshoulderandshoutedout：

“TheLion’sorders，Sire。Aslanhimself。”Headdedsomethingmorebuttheycouldn’thearit．