“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.”
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