the last battle_c·s·刘易斯-第9章

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　tower　and　stood　still　for　a　moment　fishing　up　his　bunch　　of　keys　which　he　wore　inside　his　hunting…dress　on　a　narrow　silver　chain　that　went　　round　his　neck。

it　was　a　nice　bunch　of　keys　that　he　brought　out；　for　two　were　golden　and　　many　were　richly　ornamented：　you　could　see　at　once　that　they　were　keys　made　for　　opening　solemn　and　secret　rooms　in　palaces；　or　chests　and　caskets　of　sweet…smelling　wood　　that　contained　royal　treasures。　but　the　key　which　he　now　put　into　the　lock　of　the　door　was　　big　and　plain　and　more　rudely　made。　the　lock　was　stiff　and　for　a　moment　tirian　began　to　　be　afraid　that　he　would　not　be　able　to　turn　it：　but　at　last　he　did　and　the　door　swung　open　　with　a　sullen　creak。

〃wele　friends；〃　said　tirian。　〃i　fear　this　is　the　best　palace　that　the　　king　of　narnia　can　now　offer　to　his　guests。鈥�

tirian　was　pleased　to　see　that　the　two　strangers　had　been　well　brought　up。　　they　both　said　not　to　mention　it　and　that　they　were　sure　it　would　be　very　nice。

as　a　matter　of　fact　it　was　not　particularly　nice。　it　was　rather　dark　and　　smelled　very　damp。

there　was　only　one　room　in　it　and　this　room　went　right　up　to　the　stone　　roof：　a　wooden　staircase　in　one　corner　led　up　to　a　trap　door　by　which　you　could　get　out　on　　the　battlements。　there　were　a　few　rude　bunks　to　sleep　in；　and　a　great　many　　lockers　and　bundles。　there　was　also　a　hearth　which　looked　as　if　nobody　had　lit　a　fire　　in　it　for　a　great　many　years。

〃wed　better　go　out　and　gather　some　firewood　first　thing；　hadnt　we？〃　said　　jill。

〃not　yet；　rade；〃　said　tirian。　he　was　determined　that　they　should　not　be　　caught　unarmed；　and　began　searching　the　lockers；　thankfully　remembering　that　he　　had　always　been　careful　to　have　these　garrison　towers　inspected　once　a　year　and　to　　make　sure　that　they　were　stocked　with　all　things　needful。　the　bow　strings　were　there　in　　their　coverings　of　oiled　silk；　the　swords　and　spears　were　greased　against　rust；　and　the　　armour　was　kept　bright　in　its　wrappings。　but　there　was　something　even　better。　〃look　you！〃　　said　tirian　as　he　drew　out　a　long　mail　shirt　of　a　curious　pattern　and　flashed　it　before　　the　childrens　eyes。

〃thats　funny…looking　mail；　sire；〃　said　eustace。

〃aye；　lad；〃　said　tirian。　〃no　narnian　dwarf　smithied　that。　tis　mail　of　　calormen；　outlandish　gear。　i　have　ever　kept　a　few　suits　of　it　in　readiness；　for　i　　never　knew　when　i　or　　

my　friends　might　have　reason　to　walk　unseen　in　the　tisrocs　land。　and　look　　on　this　stone　bottle。　in　this　there　is　a　juice　which；　when　we　have　rubbed　it　on　our　hands　　and　faces；　will　make　us　brown　as　calormenes。鈥�

〃oh　hurrah！〃　said　jill。　〃disguise！　i　love　disguises。鈥�

tirian　showed　them　how　to　pour　out　a　little　of　the　juice　into　the　palms　of　　their　hands　and　then　rub　it　well　over　their　faces　and　necks；　right　down　to　the　shoulders；　　and　then　on　their　hands；　right　up　to　the　elbows。　he　did　the　same　himself。

〃after　this　has　hardened　on　us；〃　he　said；　〃we　may　wash　in　water　and　it　will　　not　change。

nothing　but　oil　and　ashes　will　make　us　white　narnians　again。　and　now；　sweet　　jill；　let　us　go　see　how　this　mail　shirt　bees　you。　tis　something　too　long；　yet　not　so　　much　as　i　feared。　doubtless　it　belonged　to　a　page　in　the　train　of　one　of　their　　tarkaans。鈥�

after　the　mail　shirts　they　put　on　calormene　helmets；　which　are　little　round　　ones　fitting　tight　to　the　head　and　having　a　spike　on　top。　then　tirian　took　long　rolls　of　　some　white　stuff　out　of　the　locker　and　wound　them　over　the　helmets　till　they　became　　turbans：　but　the　little　steel　spike　still　stuck　up　in　the　middle。　he　and　eustace　took　curved　　calormene　swords　and　little　round　shields。　there　was　no　sword　light　enough　for　jill；　　but　he　gave　her　a　long；　straight　hunting　knife　which　might　do　for　a　sword　at　a　pinch。

〃hast　any　skill　with　the　bow；　maiden？〃　said　tirian。

〃nothing　worth　talking　of；〃　said　jill；　blushing。　〃scrubbs　not　bad。鈥�

〃dont　you　believe　her；　sire；〃　said　eustace。　〃weve　both　been　practising　　archery　ever　since　we　got　back　from　narnia　last　time；　and　shes　about　as　good　as　me　now。　　not　that　either　of　us　is　much。鈥�

then　tirian　gave　jill　a　bow　and　a　quiver　full　of　arrows。　the　next　business　　was　to　light　a　fire；　for　inside　that　tower　it　still　felt　more　like　a　cave　than　like　　anything　indoors　and　set　one　shivering。　but　they　got　warm　gathering　wood　…　the　sun　was　now　at　its　　highest　…　and　once　the　blaze　was　roaring　up　the　chimney　the　place　began　to　look　cheerful。　　dinner　was；　however；　a　dull　meal；　for　the　best　they　could　do　was　to　pound　up　some　of　　the　hard　biscuit　which　they　found　in　a　locker　and　pour　it　into　boiling　water；　with　salt；　so　　as　to　make　a　kind　of　porridge。　and　of　course　there　was　nothing　to　drink　but　water。

〃i　wish　wed　brought　a　packet　of　tea；〃　said　jill。

〃or　a　tin　of　cocoa；〃　said　eustace。

〃a　firkin　or　so　of　good　wine　in　each　of　these　towers　would　not　have　been　　amiss；〃　said　tirian。

ww锛枫��



CHAPTER　SIX

灏�*璇�**t*xt**澶�*鍫�
a　good　nights　work　　about　four　hours　later　tirian　flung　himself　into　one　of　the　bunks　to　snatch　　a　little　sleep。　the　two　children　were　already　snoring：　he　had　made　them　go　to　bed　　before　he　did　because　they　would　have　to　be　up　most　of　the　night　and　he　knew　that　at　　their　age　they　couldnt　do　without　sleep。　also；　he　had　tired　them　out。　first　he　had　given　　jill　some　practice　in　archery　and　found　that；　though　not　up　to　narnian　standards；　she　　was　really　not　too　bad。　indeed　she　had　succeeded　in　shooting　a　rabbit　（not　a　talking　　rabbit；　of　course：　there　are　lots　of　the　ordinary　kind　about　in　western　narnia）　and　it　was　　already　skinned；　cleaned；　and　hanging　up。　he　had　found　that　both　the　children　knew　all　about　　this　chilly　and　smelly　job；　they　had　learned　that　kind　of　thing　on　their　great　journey　　through　giant…land　in　the　days　of　prince　rilian。　then　he　had　tried　to　teach　eustace　how　　to　use　his　sword　and　shield。　eustace　had　learned　quite　a　lot　about　sword　fighting　on　　his　earlier　adventures　but　that　had　been　all　with　a　straight　narnian　sword。　he　had　　never　handled　a　curved　calormene　scimitar　and　that　made　it　hard；　for　many　of　the　strokes　　are　quite　different　and　some　of　the　habits　he　had　learned　with　the　long　sword　had　now　　to　be　unlearned　again。　but　tirian　found　that　he　had　a　good　eye　and　was　very　quick　　on　his　feet。

he　was　surprised　at　the　strength　of　both　children：　in　fact　they　both　seemed　　to　be　already　much　stronger　and　bigger　and　more　grown…up　than　they　had　been　when　he　first　　met　them　a　few　hours　ago。　it　is　one　of　the　effects　which　narnian　air　often　has　on　　visitors　from　our　world。

all　three　of　them　agreed　that　the　very　first　thing　they　must　do　was　to　go　　back　to　stable　hill　and　try　to　rescue　jewel　the　unicorn。　after　that；　if　they　succeeded；　　they　would　try　to　get　away　eastward　and　meet　the　little　army　which　roonwit　the　centaur　would　　be　bringing　from　cair　paravel。

an　experienced　warrior　and　huntsman　like　tirian　can　always　wake　up　at　the　　time　he　wants。　so　he　gave　himself　till　nine　oclock　that　night　and　then　put　all　　worries　out　of　his　head　and　fell　asleep　at　once。　it　seemed　only　a　moment　later　when　he　woke　　but　he　knew　by　the　light　and　the　very　feel　of　things　that　he　had　timed　his　sleep　　exactly。　he　got　up；　put　on　his　helmet…and…turban　（he　had　slept　in　his　mail　shirt）；　and　then　shook　　the　other　two　till　they　woke　up。　they　looked；　to　tell　the　truth；　very　grey　and　dismal　as　they　　climbed　out　of　their　bunks　and　there　was　a　good　deal　of　yawning。

〃now；〃　said　tirian；　〃we　go　due　north　from　here　…　by　good　fortune　tis　a　　starry　night　…　and　it　will　be　much　shorter　than　our　journey　this　morning；　for　then　we　went　　round…about　but　now　we　shall　go　straight。　if　we　are　challenged；　then　do　you　two　hold　your　　peace　and　i　will　do　my　best　to　talk　like　a　curst；　cruel；　proud　lord　of　calormen。　if　i　　draw　my　sword　then　thou；　eustace；　must　do　likewise　and　let　jill　leap　behind　us　and　stand　　with　an　arrow　on　the　string。　but　if　i　cry　‘home；　then　fly　for　the　tower　both　of　you。　and　　let　none　try　to　fight　on　…　not　even　one　stroke　after　i　have　given　the　retreat：　such　false　　valour　has　spoiled　many　notable　plans　in　the　wars。　and　now；　friends；　in　the　name　of　aslan　let　　us　go　forward。鈥�

out　they　went　into　the　cold　night。　all　the　great　northern　stars　were　　burning　above　the　tree…tops。　the　north…star