prince caspian_c·s·刘易斯-第12部分

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〃those　who　run　first　do　not　always　run　last；〃　said　the　centaur。　〃and　why　　should　we　let　the　enemy　choose　our　position　instead　of　choosing　it　ourselves？　let　us　find　　a　strong　place。鈥�

〃thats　wise；　your　majesty；　thats　wise；〃　said　trufflehunter。

〃but　where　are　we　to　go？〃　asked　several　voices。

〃your　majesty；〃　said　doctor　cornelius；　〃and　all　you　variety　of　creatures；　i　　think　we　must　fly　east　and　down　the　river　to　the　great　woods。　the　telmarines　hate　that　　region。　they　have　always　been　afraid　of　the　sea　and　of　something　that　may　e　over　the　　sea。　that　is　why　they　have　let　the　great　woods　grow　up。　if　traditions　speak　true；　the　　ancient　cair　paravel　was　at　the　river…mouth。　all　that　part　is　friendly　to　us　and　hateful　　to　our　enemies。

we　must　go　to　aslans　how。鈥�

〃aslans　how？〃　said　several　voices。　〃we　do　not　know　what　it　is。鈥�

〃it　lies　within　the　skirts　of　the　great　woods　and　it　is　a　huge　mound　which　　narnians　raised　in　very　ancient　times　over　a　very　magical　place；　where　there　stood　…　and　　perhaps　still　stands　…　a　very　magical　stone。　the　mound　is　all　hollowed　out　within　into　　galleries　and　caves；　and　the　stone　is　in　the　central　cave　of　all。　there　is　room　in　the　　mound　for　all　our　stores；　and　those　of　us　who　have　most　need　of　cover　and　are　most　accustomed　　to　underground　life　can　be　lodged　in　the　caves。　the　rest　of　us　can　lie　in　the　　wood。　at　a　pinch　all　of　us　（except　this　worthy　giant）　could　retreat　into　the　mound　itself；　　and　there　we　should　be　beyond　the　reach　of　every　danger　except　famine。鈥�

〃it　is　a　good　thing　we　have　a　learned　man　among　us；〃　said　trufflehunter；　　but　trumpkin　muttered　under　his　breath；　〃soup　and　celery！　i　wish　our　leaders　would　think　　less　about　these　old　wives　tales　and　more　about　victuals　and　arms。〃　but　all　approved　　of　corneliuss　proposal　and　that　very　night；　half　an　hour　later；　they　were　on　the　march。　　before　sunrise　they　arrived　at　aslans　how。

it　was　certainly　an　awesome　place；　a　round　green　hill　on　top　of　another　　hill；　long　since　grown　over　with　trees；　and　one　little；　low　doorway　leading　into　it。　the　　tunnels　inside　were　a　perfect　maze　till　you　got　to　know　them；　and　they　were　lined　and　　roofed　with　smooth　stones；　and　on　the　stones；　peering　in　the　twilight；　caspian　saw　　strange　characters　and　snaky　patterns；　and　pictures　in　which　the　form　of　a　lion　was　repeated　　again　and　　

again。　it　all　seemed　to　belong　to　an　even　older　narnia　than　the　narnia　of　　which　his　nurse　had　told　him。

it　was　after　they　had　taken　up　their　quarters　in　and　around　the　how　that　　fortune　began　to　turn　against　them。　king　mirazs　scouts　soon　found　their　new　lair；　and　he　　and　his　army　arrived　on　the　edge　of　the　woods。　and　as　so　often　happens；　the　enemy　turned　　out　stronger　than　they　had　reckoned。　caspians　heart　sank　as　he　saw　pany　after　　pany　arriving。

and　though　mirazs　men　may　have　been　afraid　of　going　into　the　wood；　they　　were　even　more　afraid　of　miraz；　and　with　him　in　mand　they　carried　battle　deeply　　into　it　and　sometimes　almost　to　the　how　itself。　caspian　and　other　captains　of　course　　made　many　sorties　into　the　open　country。　thus　there　was　fighting　on　most　days　and　　sometimes　by　night　as　well；　but　caspians　party　had　on　the　whole　the　worst　of　it。

at　last　there　came　a　night　when　everything　had　gone　as　badly　as　possible；　　and　the　rain　which　had　been　falling　heavily　all　day　had　ceased　at　nightfall　only　to　give　　place　to　raw　cold。　that　morning　caspian　had　arranged　what　was　his　biggest　battle　yet；　　and　all　had　hung　their　hopes　on　it。　he；　with　most　of　the　dwarfs；　was　to　have　fallen　on　　the　kings　right　wing　at　daybreak；　and　then；　when　they　were　heavily　engaged；　giant　wimbleweather；　with　the　centaurs　and　some　of　the　fiercest　beasts；　was　to　　have　broken　out　from　another　place　and　endeavoured　to　cut　the　kings　right　off　from　the　　rest　of　the　army。　but　it　had　all　failed。　no　one　had　warned　caspian　（because　no　one　in　　these　later　days　of　　narnia　remembered）　that　giants　are　not　at　all　clever。　poor　wimbleweather；　　though　as　brave　as　a　lion；　was　a　true　giant　in　that　respect。　he　had　broken　out　at　the　　wrong　time　and　from　the　wrong　place；　and　both　his　party　and　caspians　had　suffered　badly　　and　done　the　enemy　little　harm。　the　best　of　the　bears　had　been　hurt；　a　centaur　terribly　　wounded；　and　there　were　few　in　caspians　party　who　had　not　lost　blood。　it　was　a　gloomy　　pany　that　huddled　under　the　dripping　trees　to　eat　their　scanty　supper。

the　gloomiest　of　all　was　giant　wimbleweather。　he　knew　it　was　all　his　fault。　　he　sat　in　silence　shedding　big　tears　which　collected　on　the　end　of　his　nose　and　then　　fell　off　with　a　huge　splash　on　the　whole　bivouac　of　the　mice；　who　had　just　been　beginning　　to　get　warm　and　drowsy。　they　all　jumped　up；　shaking　the　water　out　of　their　ears　and　　wringing　their　little　blankets；　and　asked　the　giant　in　shrill　but　forcible　voices　whether　　he　thought　they　werent　wet　enough　without　this　sort　of　thing。　and　then　other　people　woke　　up　and　told　the　mice　they　had　been　enrolled　as　scouts　and　not　as　a　concert　party；　and　asked　　why　they　couldnt　keep　quiet。　and　wimbleweather　tiptoed　away　to　find　some　place　　where　he　could　be　miserable　in　peace　and　stepped　on　somebodys　tail　and　somebody　（they　　said　afterwards　it　was　a　fox）　bit　him。　and　so　everyone　was　out　of　temper。

but　in　the　secret　and　magical　chamber　at　the　heart　of　the　how；　king　　caspian；　with　cornelius　and　the　badger　and　nikabrik　and　trumpkin；　were　at　council。　thick　　pillars　of　ancient　workmanship　supported　the　roof。　in　the　centre　was　the　stone　itself　　…　a　stone　table；　split　right　down　the　centre；　and　covered　with　what　had　once　been　writing　of　　some　kind：　but　ages　of　wind　and　rain　and　snow　had　almost　worn　them　away　in　old　times　　when　the　　

stone　table　had　stood　on　the　hilltop；　and　the　mound　had　not　yet　been　built　　above　it。　they　were　not　using　the　table　nor　sitting　round　it：　it　was　too　magic　a　thing　for　　any　mon　use。　they　sat　on　logs　a　little　way　from　it；　and　between　them　was　a　rough　　wooden　table；　on　which　stood　a　rude　clay　lamp　lighting　up　their　pale　faces　and　throwing　　big　shadows　on　the　walls。

〃if　your　majesty　is　ever　to　use　the　horn；〃　said　trufflehunter；　〃i　think　the　　time　has　now　e。〃　caspian　had　of　course　told　them　of　his　treasure　several　days　ago。

〃we　are　certainly　in　great　need；〃　answered　caspian。　〃but　it　is　hard　to　be　　sure　we　are　at　our　greatest。　supposing　there　came　an　even　worse　need　and　we　had　already　　used　it？鈥�

〃by　that　argument；〃　said　nikabrik；　〃your　majesty　will　never　use　it　until　it　　is　too　late。鈥�

〃i　agree　with　that；〃　said　doctor　cornelius。

〃and　what　do　you　think；　trumpkin？〃　asked　caspian。

〃oh；　as　for　me；〃　said　the　red　dwarf；　who　had　been　listening　with　plete　　indifference；　〃your　majesty　knows　i　think　the　horn　…　and　that　bit　of　broken　stone　over　　there　and　your　great　king　peter　…　and　your　lion　aslan　…　are　all　eggs　in　moonshine。　its　　all　one　to　me　when　your　majesty　blows　the　horn。　all　i　insist　on　is　that　the　army　is　told　　nothing　about　it。　theres　no　good　raising　hopes　of　magical　help　which　（as　i　think）　are　　sure　to　be　disappointed。鈥�

〃then　in　the　name　of　aslan　we　will　wind　queen　susans　horn；〃　said　caspian。

〃there　is　one　thing；　sire；〃　said　doctor　cornelius；　〃that　should　perhaps　be　　done　first。　we　do　not　know　what　f