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the lion, the witch and the war_c·s·刘易斯-第15部分

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〃now!〃 she said; 〃we have no table … let me see。 we had better put it  against the trunk of a tree。鈥

edmund found himself being roughly forced to his feet。 then the dwarf set  him with his back against a tree and bound him fast。 he saw the witch take off her outer  mantle。 her arms were bare underneath it and terribly white。 because they were so very  white he could see them; but he could not see much else; it was so dark in this  valley under the dark trees。

〃prepare the victim;〃; said the witch。 and the dwarf undid edmunds collar  and folded back his shirt at the neck。 then he took edmunds hair and pulled his head  back so that he had to raise his chin。 after that edmund heard a strange noise … whizz  whizz … whizz。 for a moment he couldnt think what it was。 then he realized。 it was the sound  of a knife being sharpened。

at that very moment he heard loud shouts from every direction … a drumming  of hoofs and a beating of wings … a scream from the witch … confusion all round him。  and then he found he was being untied。 strong arms were round him and he heard big;  kind voices saying things like …  〃let him lie down … give him some wine … drink this … steady now … youll  be all right in a minute。鈥

then he heard the voices of people who were not talking to him but to one  another。 and they were saying things like 〃whos got the witch?〃 〃i thought you had  her。〃 〃i didnt see her after i knocked the knife out of her hand … i was after the dwarf … do  you mean to say shes escaped?〃 〃… a chap cant mind everything at once … whats that? oh;  sorry; its only an old stump!〃 but just at this point edmund went off in a dead faint。

presently the centaurs and unicorns and deer and birds (they were of course  the rescue party which aslan had sent in the last chapter) all set off to go back to  the stone table; carrying edmund with them。 but if they could have seen what happened in  that valley after they had gone; i think they might have been surprised。

it was perfectly still and presently the moon grew bright; if you had been  there you would have seen the moonlight shining on an old tree…stump and on a fairsized  boulder。 but if you had gone on looking you would gradually have begun to think there was  something odd about both the stump and the boulder。 and next you would have thought  that the stump did look really remarkably like a little fat man crouching on the  ground。 and if you had watched long enough you would have seen the stump walk across to  the boulder and the boulder sit up and begin talking to the stump; for in reality the  stump and the boulder were simply the witch and the dwarf。 for it was part of her magic  that she could make things look like what they arent; and she had the presence of mind to  do so at the very moment when the knife was knocked out of her hand。 she had kept hold  of her wand; so it had been kept safe; too。

when the other children woke up next morning (they had been sleeping on  piles of cushions in the pavilion) the first thing they heard …from mrs beaver … was  that their brother had been rescued and brought into camp late last night; and was at  that moment with aslan。 as soon as they had breakfasted4 they all went out; and there  they saw aslan and edmund walking together in the dewy grass; apart from the rest of the  court。 there is no need to tell you (and no one ever heard) what aslan was saying; but it  was a conversation which edmund never forgot。 as the others drew nearer aslan  turned to meet them; bringing edmund with him。

〃here is your brother;〃 he said; 〃and … there is no need to talk to him  about what is past。鈥

edmund shook hands with each of the others and said to each of them in  turn; 〃im sorry;〃 and everyone said; 〃thats all right。〃 and then everyone wanted  very hard to say something which would make it quite clear that they were all friends with  him again …something ordinary and natural …and of course no one could think of  anything in the world to say。 but before they had time to feel really awkward one of the  leopards approached aslan and said;  〃sire; there is a messenger from the enemy who craves audience。鈥

〃let him approach;〃 said aslan。

the leopard went away and soon returned leading the witchs dwarf。

〃what is your message; son of earth?〃 asked aslan。

〃the queen of narnia and empress of the lone islands desires a safe conduct  to e and speak with you;〃 said the dwarf; 〃on a matter which is as much to your  advantage as to hers。鈥

〃queen of narnia; indeed!〃 said mr beaver。 〃of all the cheek …鈥

〃peace; beaver;〃 said aslan。 〃all names will soon be restored to their  proper owners。 in the meantime we will not dispute about them。 tell your mistress; son of  earth; that i grant her safe conduct on condition that she leaves her wand behind her at  that great oak。鈥

this was agreed to and two leopards went back with the dwarf to see that  the conditions were properly carried out。 〃but supposing she turns the two leopards into  stone?鈥

whispered lucy to peter。 i think the same idea had occurred to the leopards  themselves; at any rate; as they walked off their fur was all standing up on their  backs and their tails were bristling … like a cats when it sees a strange dog。

〃itll be all right;〃 whispered peter in reply。 〃he wouldnt send them if  it werent。鈥

a few minutes later the witch herself walked out on to the top of the hill  and came straight across and stood before aslan。 the three children who had not seen  her before  

felt shudders running down their backs at the sight of her face; and there  were low growls among all the animals present。 though it was bright sunshine everyone felt  suddenly cold。 the only two people present who seemed to be quite at their ease were  aslan and the witch herself。 it was the oddest thing to see those two faces … the  golden face and the dead…white face so close together。 not that the witch looked aslan exactly  in his eyes; mrs beaver particularly noticed this。

〃you have a traitor there; aslan;〃 said the witch。 of course everyone  present knew that she meant edmund。 but edmund had got past thinking about himself after all  hed been through and after the talk hed had that morning。 he just went on looking  at aslan。 it didnt seem to matter what the witch said。

〃well;〃 said aslan。 〃his offence was not against you。鈥

〃have you forgotten the deep magic?〃 asked the witch。

〃let us say i have forgotten it;〃 answered aslan gravely。 〃tell us of this  deep magic。鈥

〃tell you?〃 said the witch; her voice growing suddenly shriller。 〃tell you  what is written on that very table of stone which stands beside us? tell you what is  written in letters deep as a spear is long on the firestones on the secret hill? tell you what  is engraved on the sceptre of the emperor…beyond…the…sea? you at least know the magic  which the emperor put into narnia at the very beginning。 you know that every traitor  belongs to me as my lawful prey and that for every treachery i have a right to a kill。鈥

〃oh;〃 said mr beaver。 〃so thats how you came to imagine yourself a queen …  because you were the emperors hangman。 i see。鈥

〃peace; beaver;〃 said aslan; with a very low growl。 〃and so;〃 continued the  witch; 〃that human creature is mine。 his life is forfeit to me。 his blood is my  property。鈥

〃e and take it then;〃 said the bull with the mans head in a great  bellowing voice。

〃fool;〃 said the witch with a savage smile that was almost a snarl; 〃do you  really think your master can rob me of my rights by mere force? he knows the deep magic  better than that。 he knows that unless i have blood as the law says all narnia  will be overturned and perish in fire and water。鈥

〃it is very true;〃 said aslan; 〃i do not deny it。鈥

〃oh; aslan!〃 whispered susan in the lions ear; 〃cant we … i mean; you  wont; will you?

cant we do something about the deep magic? isnt there something you can  work against it?鈥

〃work against the emperors magic?〃 said aslan; turning to her with  something like a frown on his face。 and nobody ever made that suggestion to him again。

edmund was on the other side of aslan; looking all the time at aslans  face。 he felt a choking feeling and wondered if he ought to say something; but a moment  later he felt that he was not expected to do anything except to wait; and do what he was  told。

〃fall back; all of you;〃 said aslan; 〃and i will talk to the witch alone。鈥

they all obeyed。 it was a terrible time this … waiting and wondering while  the lion and the witch talked earnestly together in low voices。 lucy said; 〃oh; edmund!〃  and began to cry。 peter stood with his back to the others looking out at the distant  sea。 the beavers stood holding each others paws with their heads bowed。 the centaurs  stamped uneasily with their hoofs。 but everyone became perfectly still in the end; so that  you noticed even small sounds like a bumble…bee flying past; or the birds in the forest down  below them; or the wind rustling the leaves。 and still the talk between aslan and the  white witch went on。

at last they heard aslans voice; 〃you can all e back;〃 he said。 〃i have  settled the matter。 she has renounced the claim on your brothers blood。〃 and all over  the hill there was a noise as if everyone had been holding their breath and had now begun  breathing again; and then a murmur of talk。

the witch was just turning away with a look of fierce joy on her face when  she stopped and said;  〃but how do i know this promise will be kept?鈥

〃haa…a…arrh!〃 roared aslan; half rising from his throne; and his great  mouth opened wider and wider and the roar grew louder and louder; and the witch; after staring  for a moment with her lips wide apart; picked up her skirts and fairly ran for her life。

銆ww銆w銆。銆xia銆oshu銆otxt銆m



CHAPTER FOURTEEN

锝炲皬  璇磘  xt 澶诲爞
the triumph of the witch  as soon as the witch had gone aslan said; 〃we must move from this place at  once; it will be wanted for other purposes。 we shall encamp tonight at the fords of  beruna。

of course everyone was dying to ask him how he had arranged matters with  the witch; but his face was stern and everyones ears were still ringing with the  sound of his roar and so nobody dared。

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