AboutthreeweekslaterthelastoftheKingsofNarniasatunderthegreatoakwhichgrewbesidethedoorofhislittlehuntinglodge,whereheoftenstayedfortendaysorsointhepleasantspringweather。Itwasalow,thatchedbuildingnotfarfromtheEasternendofLanternWasteandsomewayabovethemeetingofthetworivers。Helovedtolivetheresimplyandatease,awayfromthestateandpompofCairParavel,theroyalcity。HisnamewasKingTirian,andhewasbetweentwentyandtwenty-fiveyearsold;hisshoulderswerealreadybroadandstrongandhislimbsfullofhardmuscle,buthisbeardwasstillscanty。Hehadblueeyesandafearless,honestface.
Therewasnoonewithhimthatspringmorningexcepthisdearestfriend,JeweltheUnicorn。Theylovedeachotherlikebrothersandeachhadsavedtheother’slifeinthewars。ThelordlybeaststoodclosebesidetheKing’schair,withitsneckbentroundpolishingitsbluehornagainstthecreamywhitenessofitsflank.
“Icannotsetmyselftoanyworkorsporttoday,Jewel,”saidtheKing。“Icanthinkofnothingbutthiswonderfulnews。Thinkyouweshallhearanymoreofittoday?”
“Theyarethemostwonderfultidingseverheardinourdaysorourfathers’orourgrandfathers’days,Sire,”saidJewel,“iftheyaretrue。”
“Howcantheychoosebutbetrue?”saidtheKing。“Itismorethanaweekagothatthefirstbirdscameflyingoverussaying,Aslanishere,AslanhascometoNarniaagain。Andafterthatitwasthesquirrels。Theyhadnotseenhim,buttheysaiditwascertainhewasinthewoods。ThencametheStag。Hesaidhehadseenhimwithhisowneyes,agreatwayoff,bymoonlight,inLanternWaste。ThencamethatdarkManwiththebeard,themerchantfromCalormen。TheCalormenescarenothingforAslanaswedo;butthemanspokeofitasathingbeyonddoubt。AndtherewastheBadgerlastnight;hetoohadseenAslan。”
“Indeed,Sire,”answeredJewel,“Ibelieveitall。IfIseemnotto,itisonlythatmyjoyistoogreattoletmybeliefsettleitself。Itisalmosttoobeautifultobelieve。”
“Yes,”saidtheKingwithagreatsigh,almostashiver,ofdelight。“ItisbeyondallthatIeverhopedforinallmylife。”
“Listen!”saidJewel,puttinghisheadononesideandcockinghisearsforward.
“Whatisit?”askedtheKing.
“Hoofs,Sire,”saidJewel。“Agallopinghorse。Averyheavyhorse。ItmustbeoneoftheCentaurs。Andlook,thereheis。”
Agreat,goldenbeardedCentaur,withman’ssweatonhisforeheadandhorse’ssweatonhischestnutflanks,dasheduptotheKing,stopped,andbowedlow。“Hail,King,”itcriedinavoiceasdeepasabull’s.
“Ho,there!”saidtheKing,lookingoverhisshouldertowardsthedoorofthehuntinglodge。“AbowlofwineforthenobleCentaur。Welcome,Roonwit。Whenyouhavefoundyourbreathyoushalltellusyourerrand。”
Apagecameoutofthehousecarryingagreatwoodenbowl,curiouslycarved,andhandedittotheCentaur。TheCentaurraisedthebowlandsaid,
“IdrinkfirsttoAslanandtruth,Sire,andsecondlytoyourMajesty。”
Hefinishedthewine(enoughforsixstrongmen)atonedraughtandhandedtheemptybowlbacktothepage.
“Now,Roonwit,”saidtheKing。“DoyoubringusmorenewsofAslan?”
Roonwitlookedverygrave,frowningalittle.
“Sire,”hesaid。“YouknowhowlongIhavelivedandstudiedthestars;forweCentaurslivelongerthanyouMen,andevenlongerthanyourkind,Unicorn。NeverinallmydayshaveIseensuchterriblethingswrittenintheskiesastherehavebeennightlysincethisyearbegan。ThestarssaynothingofthecomingofAslan,norofpeace,norofjoy。Iknowbymyartthattherehavenotbeensuchdisastrousconjunctionsoftheplanetsforfivehundredyears。ItwasalreadyinmymindtocomeandwarnyourMajestythatsomegreatevilhangsoverNarnia。ButlastnighttherumourreachedmethatAslanisabroadinNarnia。Sire,donotbelievethistale。Itcannotbe。Thestarsneverlie,butMenandBeastsdo。IfAslanwerereallycomingtoNarniatheskywouldhaveforetoldit。Ifhewerereallycome,allthemostgraciousstarswouldbeassembledinhishonour。Itisallalie。”
“Alie!”saidtheKingfiercely。“WhatcreatureinNarniaoralltheworldwoulddaretolieonsuchamatter?”And,withoutknowingit,helaidhishandonhisswordhilt.
“ThatIknownot,LordKing,”saidtheCentaur。“ButIknowthereareliarsonearth;therearenoneamongthestars。”
“Iwonder,”saidJewel,“whetherAslanmightnotcomethoughallthestarsforetoldotherwise。HeisnottheslaveofthestarsbuttheirMaker。IsitnotsaidinalltheoldstoriesthatHeisnotatamelion。”
“Wellsaid,wellsaid,Jewel,”criedtheKing。“Thosearetheverywords:notatamelion。Itcomesinmanytales。”
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