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the horse and his boy_c·s·刘易斯-第12部分

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portant。 tell your people to bring those two  horses along。

pull all the curtains of the litter and get away somewhere where i cant be  found。 and do hurry。鈥

〃all right; darling;〃 said lasaraleen in her lazy voice。 〃here。 two of you  take the tarkheenas horses。〃 (this was to the slaves。) 〃and now home。 i say;  darling; do you think we really want the curtains drawn on a day like this? i mean to say…鈥

but aravis had already drawn the curtains; enclosing lasaraleen and herself  in a rich and scented; but rather stuffy; kind of tent。

〃i mustnt be seen;〃 〃she said。 〃my father doesnt know im here。 im  running away。鈥

〃my dear; how perfectly thrilling;〃 said lasaraleen。 〃im dying to hear all  about it。

darling; youre sitting on my dress。 do you mind? thats better。 it is a  new one。 do you like it? i got it at…鈥

〃oh; las; do be serious;〃 said aravis。 〃where is my father?鈥

〃didnt you know?〃 said lasaraleen。 〃hes here; of course。 he came to town  yesterday and is asking about you everywhere。 and to think of you and me being here  together and his not knowing anything about it! its the funniest thing i ever heard。〃  and she went off into giggles。 she always had been a terrible giggler; as aravis now  remembered。

〃it isnt funny at all;〃 she said。 〃its dreadfully serious。 where can you  hide me?鈥

〃no difficulty at all; my dear girl;〃 said lasaraleen。 〃ill take you home。  my husbands away and no one will see you。 phew! its not much fun with the curtains  drawn。 i want to see people。 theres no point in having a new dress on if ones to go about  shut up like this。鈥

〃i hope no one heard you when you shouted out to me like that;〃 said  aravis。

〃no; no; of course; darling;〃 said lasaraleen absentmindedly。 〃but you  havent even told me yet what you think of the dress。鈥

〃another thing;〃 said aravis。 〃you must tell your people to treat those two  horses very respectfully。 thats part of the secret。 theyre really talking horses from  narnia。鈥

〃fancy!〃 said lasaraleen。 〃how exciting! and oh; darling; have you seen the  barbarian queen from narnia? shes staying in tashbaan at present。 they say prince  rsh is madly in love with her。 there have been the most wonderful parties and  hunts and things all this last fortnight。 i cant see that shes so very pretty myself。 but  some of the narnian men are lovely。 i was taken out on a river party the day before yesterday;  and i was wearing my…鈥

〃how shall we prevent your people telling everyone that youve got a  visitor … dressed like a beggars brat … in your house? it might so easily get round to my  father。鈥

〃now dont keep on fussing; theres a dear;〃 said lasaraleen。 〃well get  you some proper clothes in a moment。 and here we are!鈥

the bearers had stopped and the litter was being lowered。 when the curtains  had been drawn aravis found that she was in a courtyard…garden very like the one  that shasta had been taken into a few minutes earlier in another part of the city。  lasaraleen would have gone indoors at once but aravis reminded her in a frantic whisper to say  something to the slaves about not telling anyone of their mistresss strange visitor。

〃sorry; darling; it had gone right out of my head;〃 said lasareleen。 〃here。  all of you。

and you; doorkeeper。 no one is to be let out of the house today。 and anyone  i catch talking about this young lady will be first beaten to death and then burned  alive and after that be kept on bread and water for six weeks。 there。鈥

although lasaraleen had said she was dying to hear araviss story; she  showed no sign of really wanting to hear it at all。 she was; in fact; much better at talking  than at listening。

she insisted on aravis having a long and luxurious bath (calormene baths  are famous)

and then dressing her up in the finest clothes before she would let her  explain anything。

the fuss she made about choosing the dresses nearly drove aravis mad。 she  remembered now that lasaraleen had always been like that; interested in clothes and  parties and gossip。 aravis had always been more interested in bows and arrows and  horses and dogs and swimming。 you will guess that each thought the other silly。 but when at  last they were both seated after a meal (it was chiefly of the whipped cream and  jelly and fruit and ice sort) in a beautiful pillared room (which aravis would have liked  better if lasaraleens spoiled pet monkey hadnt been climbing about it all the time)  lasaraleen at last asked her why she was running away from home。

when aravis had finished telling her story; lasaraleen said; 〃but; darling;  why dont you marry ahoshta tarkaan? everyones crazy about him。 my husband says he is  beginning to be one of the greatest men in calormen。 he has just been made grand  vizier now old axartha has died。 didnt you know?鈥

〃i dont care。 i cant stand the sight of him;〃 said aravis。

〃but; darling; only think! three palaces; and one of them that beautiful  one down on the lake at ilkeen。 positively ropes of pearls; im told。 baths of asses milk。  and youd see such a lot of me。鈥

〃he can keep his pearls and palaces as far as im concerned;〃 said aravis。

〃you always were a queer girl; aravis;〃 said lasaraleen。 〃what more do you  want?鈥

in the end; however; aravis managed to make her friend believe that she was  in earnest and even to discuss plans。 there would be no difficulty now about getting  the two horses out of the north gate and then on to the tombs。 no one would stop or  question a groom in fine clothes leading a war horse and a ladys saddle horse down to the  river; and lasaraleen had plenty of grooms to send。 it wasnt so easy to decide what  to do about aravis herself。 she suggested that she could be carried out in the litter  with the curtains drawn。 but lasaraleen told her that litters were only used in the city and  the sight of one going out through the gate would be certain to lead to questions。

when they had talked for a long time … and it was all the longer because  aravis found it hard to keep her friend to the point…at last lasaraleen clapped her hands  and said; 〃oh; i have an idea。 there is one way of getting out of the city without using the  gates。 the tisrocs garden (may he live for ever!) runs right down to the water and  there is a little water…door。 only for the palace people of course … but then you know; dear  (here she tittered a little) we almost are palace people。 i say; it is lucky for you  that you came to me。 the dear tisroc (may he live for ever!) is so kind。 were asked to the  palace almost every day and it is like a second home。 i love all the dear princes and  princesses and i positively adore prince rsh。 i might run in and see any of the palace  ladies at any hour of the day or night。 why shouldnt i slip in withyou; after dark; and  let you out by the water…door? there are always a few punts and things tied up outside it。  and even if we were caught…鈥

〃all would be lost;〃 said aravis。

〃oh darling; dont get so excited;〃 said lasaraleen。 〃i was going to say;  even if we were caught everyone would only say it was one of my mad jokes。 im getting  quite well known for them。 only the other day… do listen; dear; this is frightfully  funny…鈥

〃i meant; all would be lost for me;〃 said aravis a little sharply。

〃oh … ah … yes … i do see what you mean; darling。 well; can you think of  any better plan?鈥

aravis couldnt; and answered; 〃no。 well have to risk it。 when can we  start?鈥

〃oh; not tonight;〃 said lasaraleen。 〃of course not tonight。 theres a great  feast on tonight (i must start getting my hair done for it in a few minutes) and the whole  place will be a blaze of lights。 and such a crowd too! it would have to be tomorrow night。鈥

this was bad news for aravis; but she had to make the best of it。 the  afternoon passed very slowly and it was a relief when lasaraleen went out to the banquet;  for aravis was very tired of her giggling and her talk about dresses and parties; weddings  and engagements and scandals。 she went to bed early and that part she did  enjoy: it was so nice to have pillows and sheets again。

but the next day passed very slowly。 lasaraleen wanted to go back on the  whole arrangement and kept on telling aravis that narnia was a country of  perpetual snow and ice inhabited by demons and sorcerers; and she was mad to think of going  there。 〃and with a peasant boy; too!〃 said lasaraleen。 〃darling; think of it! its not  nice。〃 aravis had thought of it a good deal; but she was so tired of lasaraleens silliness  by now that; for the first time; she began to think that travelling with shasta was really  rather more fun than fashionable life in tashbaan。 so she only replied; 〃you forget that  ill be nobody; just like him; when we get to narnia。 and anyway; i promised。鈥

〃and to think;〃 said lasaraleen; almost crying; 〃that if only you had sense  you could be the wife of a grand vizier!〃 aravis went away to have a private word with  the horses。

〃you must go with a groom a little before sunset down to the tombs;〃 she  said。 〃no more of those packs。 youll be saddled and bridled again。 but therell have  to be food in hwins saddle…bags and a full water…skin behind yours; bree。 the man has  orders to let you both have a good long drink at the far side of the bridge。鈥

〃and then; narnia and the north!〃 whispered bree。 〃but what if shasta is  not at the tombs。鈥

〃wait for him of course;〃 said aravis。 〃i hope youve been quite  fortable。鈥

〃never better stabled in my life;〃 said bree。 〃but if the husband of that  tittering tarkheena friend of yours is paying his head groom to get the best oats;  then i think the head groom is cheating him。鈥

aravis and lasaraleen had supper in the pillared room。

about two hours later they were ready to start。 aravis was dressed to look  like a superior slave…girl in a great house and wore a veil over her face。 they had agreed  that if any questions were asked lasaraleen would pretend that aravis was a slave she  was taking as a present to one of the princesses。

the two girls went out on foot。 a very few minutes brought them to the  palace gates。

here there were of course soldiers on guard but the officer knew lasaraleen  quite well and called his men to attent
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