WHILEthedwarfandtheWhiteWitchweresayingthis,milesawaytheBeaversandthechildrenwerewalkingonhourafterhourintowhatseemedadeliciousdream.Longagotheyhadleftthecoatsbehindthem.Andbynowtheyhadevenstoppedsayingtooneanother,“Look!there’sakingfisher,”or“Isay,bluebells!”or“Whatwasthatlovelysmell?”or“Justlistentothatthrush!”Theywalkedoninsilencedrinkingitallin,passingthroughpatchesofwarmsunlightintocool,greenthicketsandoutagainintowidemossygladeswheretallelmsraisedtheleafyrooffaroverhead,andthenintodensemassesoffloweringcurrantandamonghawthornbusheswherethesweetsmellwasalmostoverpowering.
TheyhadbeenjustassurprisedasEdmundwhentheysawthewintervanishingandthewholewoodpassinginafewhoursorsofromJanuarytoMay.Theyhadn’tevenknownforcertain(astheWitchdid)thatthiswaswhatwouldhappenwhenAslancametoNarnia.Buttheyallknewthatitwasherspellswhichhadproducedtheendlesswinter;andthereforetheyallknewwhenthismagicspringbeganthatsomethinghadgonewrong,andbadlywrong,withtheWitch’sschemes.AndafterthethawhadbeengoingonforsometimetheyallrealizedthattheWitchwouldnolongerbeabletousehersledge.Afterthattheydidn’thurrysomuchandtheyallowedthemselvesmorerestsandlongerones.Theywereprettytiredbynowofcourse;butnotwhatI’dcallbitterlytired-onlyslowandfeelingverydreamyandquietinsideasonedoeswhenoneiscomingtotheendofalongdayintheopen.Susanhadaslightblisterononeheel.
Theyhadleftthecourseofthebigriversometimeago;foronehadtoturnalittletotheright(thatmeantalittletothesouth)toreachtheplaceoftheStoneTable.Evenifthishadnotbeentheirwaytheycouldn’thavekepttotherivervalleyoncethethawbegan,forwithallthatmeltingsnowtheriverwassooninflood-awonderful,roaring,thunderingyellowflood-andtheirpathwouldhavebeenunderwater.
Andnowthesungotlowandthelightgotredderandtheshadowsgotlongerandtheflowersbegantothinkaboutclosing.
“Notlongnow,”saidMr。Beaver,andbeganleadingthemuphillacrosssomeverydeep,springymoss(itfeltniceundertheirtiredfeet)inaplacewhereonlytalltreesgrew,verywideapart.Theclimb,comingattheendofthelongday,madethemallpantandblow.AndjustasLucywaswonderingwhethershecouldreallygettothetopwithoutanotherlongrest,suddenlytheywereatthetop.Andthisiswhattheysaw.
Theywereonagreenopenspacefromwhichyoucouldlookdownontheforestspreadingasfarasonecouldseeineverydirection-exceptrightahead.There,fartotheEast,wassomethingtwinklingandmoving.“Bygum!”whisperedPetertoSusan,“thesea!”Intheverymiddleofthisopenhill-topwastheStoneTable.Itwasagreatgrimslabofgreystonesupportedonfouruprightstones.Itlookedveryold;anditwascutalloverwithstrangelinesandfiguresthatmightbethelettersofanunknownlanguage.Theygaveyouacuriousfeelingwhenyoulookedatthem.Thenextthingtheysawwasapavilionpitchedononesideoftheopenplace.Awonderfulpavilionitwas-andespeciallynowwhenthelightofthesettingsunfelluponit-withsidesofwhatlookedlikeyellowsilkandcordsofcrimsonandtent-pegsofivory;andhighaboveitonapoleabannerwhichborearedrampantlionflutteringinthebreezewhichwasblowingintheirfacesfromthefar-offsea.Whiletheywerelookingatthistheyheardasoundofmusicontheirright;andturninginthatdirectiontheysawwhattheyhadcometosee.
Aslanstoodinthecentreofacrowdofcreatureswhohadgroupedthemselvesroundhimintheshapeofahalf-moon.TherewereTree-WomenthereandWell-Women(DryadsandNaiadsastheyusedtobecalledinourworld)whohadstringedinstruments;itwastheywhohadmadethemusic.Therewerefourgreatcentaurs.ThehorsepartofthemwaslikehugeEnglishfarmhorses,andthemanpartwaslikesternbutbeautifulgiants。Therewasalsoaunicorn,andabullwiththeheadofaman,andapelican,andaneagle,andagreatDog.AndnexttoAslanstoodtwoleopardsofwhomonecarriedhiscrownandtheotherhisstandard.
ButasforAslanhimself,theBeaversandthechildrendidn’tknowwhattodoorsaywhentheysawhim.PeoplewhohavenotbeeninNarniasometimesthinkthatathingcannotbegoodandterribleatthesametime.Ifthechildrenhadeverthoughtso,theywerecuredofitnow.ForwhentheytriedtolookatAslan’sfacetheyjustcaughtaglimpseofthegoldenmaneandthegreat,royal,solemn,overwhelmingeyes;andthentheyfoundtheycouldn’tlookathimandwentalltrembly.
“Goon,”whisperedMr。Beaver.
“No,”whisperedPeter,“youfirst.”
“No,SonsofAdambeforeanimals,”whisperedMr。Beaverbackagain.
“Susan,”whisperedPeter,“Whataboutyou?Ladiesfirst.”
“No,you’retheeldest,”whisperedSusan.Andofcoursethelongertheywentondoingthisthemoreawkwardtheyfelt.ThenatlastPeterrealizedthatitwasuptohim.Hedrewhisswordandraisedittothesaluteandhastilysayingtotheothers“Comeon。Pullyourselvestogether,”headvancedtotheLionandsaid:
“Wehavecome-Aslan.”
“Welcome,Peter,SonofAdam,”saidAslan.“Welcome,SusanandLucy,DaughtersofEve.WelcomeHe-BeaverandShe-Beaver.”
Hisvoicewasdeepandrichandsomehowtookthefidgetsoutofthem.Theynowfeltgladandquietanditdidn’tseemawkwardtothemtostandandsaynothing.
“Butwhereisthefourth?”askedAslan.
“HehastriedtobetraythemandjoinedtheWhiteWitch,OAslan,”saidMr。Beaver.AndthensomethingmadePetersay,
“Thatwaspartlymyfault,Aslan.IwasangrywithhimandIthinkthathelpedhimtogowrong.”
AndAslansaidnothingeithertoexcusePeterortoblamehimbutmerelystoodlookingathimwithhisgreatunchangingeyes.Anditseemedtoallofthemthattherewasnothingtobesaid.
“Please-Aslan,”saidLucy,“cananythingbedonetosaveEdmund?”
“Allshallbedone,”saidAslan.“Butitmaybeharderthanyouthink.”Andthenhewassilentagainforsometime.UptothatmomentLucyhadbeenthinkinghowroyalandstrongandpeacefulhisfacelooked;nowitsuddenlycameintoherheadthathelookedsadaswell.Butnextminutethatexpressionwasquitegone.TheLionshookhismaneandclappedhispawstogether(“Terriblepaws,”thoughtLucy,“ifhedidn’tknowhowtovelvetthem!”)andsaid,
“Meanwhile,letthefeastbeprepared.Ladies,taketheseDaughtersofEvetothepavilionandministertothem.”
WhenthegirlshadgoneAslanlaidhispaw-andthoughitwasvelveteditwasveryheavy-onPeter’sshoulderandsaid,“Come,SonofAdam,andIwillshowyouafar-offsightofthecastlewhereyouaretobeKing.”
AndPeterwithhisswordstilldrawninhishandwentwiththeLiontotheeasternedgeofthehilltop.Thereabeautifulsightmettheireyes.Thesunwassettingbehindtheirbacks.Thatmeantthatthewholecountrybelowthemlayintheeveninglight-forestandhillsandvalleysand,windingawaylikeasilversnake,thelowerpartofthegreatriver.Andbeyondallthis,milesaway,wasthesea,andbeyondtheseathesky,fullofcloudswhichwerejustturningrosecolourwiththereflectionofthesunset.ButjustwherethelandofNarniametthesea-infact,atthemouthofthegreatriver-therewassomethingonalittlehill,shining.ItwasshiningbecauseitwasacastleandofcoursethesunlightwasreflectedfromallthewindowswhichlookedtowardsPeterandthesunset;buttoPeteritlookedlikeagreatstarrestingontheseashore.
“That,OMan,”saidAslan,“isCairParavelofthefourthrones,inoneofwhichyoumustsitasKing.Ishowittoyoubecauseyouarethefirst-bornandyouwillbeHighKingoveralltherest.”
AndoncemorePetersaidnothing,foratthatmomentastrangenoisewokethesilencesuddenly.Itwaslikeabugle,butricher.
“Itisyoursister’shorn,”saidAslantoPeterinalowvoice;solowastobealmostapurr,ifitisnotdisrespectfultothinkofaLionpurring.
ForamomentPeterdidnotunderstand.Then,whenhesawalltheothercreaturesstartforwardandheardAslansaywithawaveofhispaw,“Back!LetthePrincewinhisspurs,”hedidunderstand,andsetoffrunningashardashecouldtothepavilion。Andtherehesawadreadfulsight.
TheNaiadsandDryadswerescatteringineverydirection。Lucywasrunningtowardshimasfastashershortlegswouldcarryherandherfacewasaswhiteaspaper.ThenhesawSusanmakeadashforatree,andswingherselfup,followedbyahugegreybeast.AtfirstPeterthoughtitwasabear.ThenhesawthatitlookedlikeanAlsatian,thoughitwasfartoobigtobeadog.Thenherealizedthatitwasawolf-awolfstandingonitshindlegs,withitsfrontpawsagainstthetree-trunk,snappingandsnarling.Allthehaironitsbackstooduponend.Susanhadnotbeenabletogethigherthanthesecondbigbranch.Oneofherlegshungdownsothatherfootwasonlyaninchortwoabovethesnappingteeth.Peterwonderedwhyshedidnotgethigheroratleasttakeabettergrip;thenherealizedthatshewasjustgoingtofaintandthatifshefaintedshewouldfalloff.
Peterdidnotfeelverybrave;indeed,hefelthewasgoingtobesick.Butthatmadenodifferencetowhathehadtodo.Herushedstraightuptothemonsterandaimedaslashofhisswordatitsside.ThatstrokeneverreachedtheWolf.Quickaslightningitturnedround,itseyesflaming,anditsmouthwideopeninahowlofanger.Ifithadnotbeensoangrythatitsimplyhadtohowlitwouldhavegothimbythethroatatonce.Asitwas-thoughallthishappenedtooquicklyforPetertothinkatall-hehadjusttimetoduckdownandplungehissword,ashardashecould,betweenthebrute’sforelegsintoitsheart.Thencameahorrible,confusedmomentlikesomethinginanightmare.HewastuggingandpullingandtheWolfseemedneitheralivenordead,anditsbaredteethknockedagainsthisforehead,andeverythingwasbloodandheatandhair.Amomentlaterhefoundthatthemonsterlaydeadandhehaddrawnhisswordoutofitandwasstraighteninghisbackandrubbingthesweatoffhisfaceandoutofhiseyes.Hefelttiredallover.
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