“AND so,” said Trumpkin (for, as you have realised, it was he who had been telling all this story to the four children, sitting on the grass in the ruined hall of Cair Paravel)— “and so I put a crust or two in my pocket, left behind all weapons but my dagger, and took to the woods in the grey of the morning. I'd been plugging away for many hours when there came a sound that I'd never heard the like of in my born days. Eh, I won't forget that. The whole air was full of it, loud as thunder but far longer, cool and sweet as music over water, but strong enough to shake the woods. And I said to myself, ‘If that's not the Horn, call me a rabbit.’ And a moment later I wondered why he hadn't blown it sooner—”
“What time was it?” asked Edmund.
“Between nine and ten of the clock,” said Trumpkin.
“Just when we were at the railway station!” said all the children, and looked at one another with shining eyes.
“Please go on,” said Lucy to the Dwarf.
“Well, as I was saying, I wondered, but I went on as hard as I could pelt. I kept on all night—and then, when it was half light this morning, as if I'd no more sense than a Giant, I risked a short cut across open country to cut off a big loop of the river, and was caught. Not by the army, but by a pompous old fool who has charge of a little castle which is Miraz's last stronghold towards the coast. I needn't tell you they got no true tale out of me, but I was a Dwarf and that was enough. But, lobsters and lollipops! it is a good thing the seneschal was a pompous fool. Anyone else would have run me through there and then. But nothing would do for him short of a grand execution: sending me down ‘to the ghosts’ in the full ceremonial way. And then this young lady” (he nodded at Susan) “does her bit of archery—and it was pretty shooting, let me tell you—and here we are. And without my armour, for of course they took that.” He knocked out and refilled his pipe.
“Great Scott!” said Peter. “So it was the horn—your own horn, Su— that dragged us all off that seat on the platform yesterday morning! I can hardly believe it; yet it all fits in.”
“I don't know why you shouldn't believe it,” said Lucy, “if you believe in magic at all. Aren't there lots of stories about magic forcing people out of one place—out of one world—into another? I mean, when a magician in The Arabian Nights calls up a Jinn, it has to come. We had to come, just like that.”
“Yes,” said Peter, “I suppose what makes it feel so queer is that in the stories it's always someone in our world who does the calling. One doesn't really think about where the Jinn's coming from.”
“And now we know what it feels like for the Jinn,” said Edmund with a chuckle. “Golly! It's a bit uncomfortable to know that we can be whistled for like that. It's worse than what Father says about living at the mercy of the telephone.”
“But we want to be here, don't we,” said Lucy, “if Aslan wants us?”
“Meanwhile,” said the Dwarf, “what are we to do? I suppose I'd better go back to King Caspian and tell him no help has come.”
“No help?” said Susan. “But it has worked. And here we are.”
“Um—um—yes, to be sure. I see that,” said the Dwarf, whose pipe seemed to be blocked (at any rate he made himself very busy cleaning it). “But—well—I mean——”
“But don't you yet see who we are?” shouted Lucy. “You are stupid.”
“I suppose you are the four children out of the old stories,” said Trumpkin. “And I'm very glad to meet you of course. And it's very interesting, no doubt. But—no offence?”—and he hesitated again.
“Do get on and say whatever you're going to say,” said Edmund.
“Well, then—no offence,” said Trumpkin. “But, you know, the King and Trufflehunter and Doctor Cornelius were expecting—well, if you see what I mean, help. To put it in another way, I think they'd been imagining you as great warriors. As it is—we're awfully fond of children and all that, but just at the moment, in the middle of a war—but I'm sure you understand.”
“You mean you think we're no good,” said Edmund, getting red in the face.
“Now pray don't be offended,” interrupted the Dwarf. “I assure you, my dear little friends—”
“Little from you is really a bit too much,” said Edmund, jumping up. “I suppose you don't believe we won the Battle of Beruna? Well, you can say what you like about me because I know—”
“There's no good losing our tempers,” said Peter. “Let's fit him out with fresh armour and fit ourselves out from the treasure chamber, and have a talk after that.”
“I don't quite see the point—” began Edmund, but Lucy whispered in his ear, “Hadn't we better do what Peter says? He is the High King, you know. And I think he has an idea.” So Edmund agreed and by the aid of his torch they all, including Trumpkin, went down the steps again into the dark coldness and dusty splendour of the treasure house.
The Dwarf's eyes glistened as he saw the wealth that lay on the shelves (though it had to stand on tiptoes to do so) and he muttered to himself, “It would never do to let Nikabrik see this; never.” They found easily enough a mail shirt for him, a sword, a helmet, a shield, a bow and quiverful of arrows, all of dwarfish size. The helmet was of copper, set with rubies, and there was gold on the hilt of the sword: Trumpkin had never seen, much less carried, so much wealth in all his life. The children also put on mail shirts and helmets; a sword and shield were found for Edmund and a bow for Lucy—Peter and Susan were of course already carrying their gifts. As they came back up the stairway, jingling in their mail, and already looking and feeling more like Narnians and less like schoolchildren, the two boys were behind, apparently making some plan. Lucy heard Edmund say, “No, let me do it. It will be more of a sucks for him if I win, and less of a let-down for us all if I fail.”
“All right, Ed,” said Peter.
When they came out into the daylight Edmund turned to the Dwarf very politely and said, “I've got something to ask you. Kids like us don't often have the chance of meeting a great warrior like you. Would you have a little fencing match with me? It would be frightfully decent.”
“But, lad,” said Trumpkin, “these swords are sharps.”
“I know,” said Edmund. “But I'll never get anywhere near you and you'll be quite clever enough to disarm me without doing me any damage.”
“It's a dangerous game,” said Trumpkin. “But since you make such a point of it, I'll try a pass or two.”
Both swords were out in a moment and the three others jumped off the dais and stood watching. It was well worth it. It was not like the silly fighting you see with broad swords on the stage. It was not even like the rapier fighting which you sometimes see rather better done. This was real broad-sword fighting. The great thing is to slash at your enemy's legs and feet because they are the part that have no armour. And when he slashes at yours you jump with both feet off the ground so that his blow goes under them. This gave the Dwarf an advantage because Edmund, being much taller, had to be always stooping. I don't think Edmund would have had a chance if he had fought Trumpkin twenty-four hours earlier. But the air of Narnia had been working upon him ever since they arrived on the island, and all his old battles came back to him, and his arms and fingers remembered their old skill. He was King Edmund once more. Round and round the two combatants circled, stroke after stroke they gave, and Susan (who never could learn to like this sort of thing) shouted out, “Oh, do be careful.” And then, so quickly that no one (unless they knew, as Peter did) could quite see how it happened, Edmund flashed his sword round with a peculiar twist, the Dwarf's sword flew out of his grip, and Trumpkin was wringing his empty hand as you do after a “sting” from a cricket-bat.
“Not hurt, I hope, my dear little friend?” said Edmund, panting a little and returning his own sword to its sheath.
“I see the point,” said Trumpkin drily. “You know a trick I never learned.”
“That's quite true,” put in Peter. “The best swordsman in the world may be disarmed by a trick that's new to him. I think it's only fair to give Trumpkin a chance at something else. Will you have a shooting match with my sister? There are no tricks in archery, you know.”
“Ah, you're jokers, you are,” said the Dwarf. “I begin to see. As if I didn't know how she can shoot, after what happened this morning. All the same, I'll have a try.” He spoke gruffly, but his eyes brightened, for he was a famous bowman among his own people.
All five of them came out into the courtyard.
“What's to be the target?” asked Peter.
“I think that apple hanging over the wall on the branch there would do,” said Susan.
“That'll do nicely, lass,” said Trumpkin. “You mean the yellow one near the middle of the arch?”
“No, not that,” said Susan. “The red one up above—over the battlement.”
The Dwarf's face fell. “Looks more like a cherry than an apple,” he muttered, but he said nothing out loud.
They tossed up for first shot (greatly to the interest of Trumpkin, who had never seen a coin tossed before) and Susan lost. They were to shoot from the top of the steps that led from the hall into the courtyard. Everyone could see from the way the Dwarf took his position and handled the bow that he knew what he was about.
Twang went the string. It was an excellent shot. The tiny apple shook as the arrow passed, and a leaf came fluttering down. Then Susan went to the top of the steps and strung her bow. She was not enjoying her match half so much as Edmund had enjoyed his; not because she had any doubt about hitting the apple but because Susan was so tender-hearted that she almost hated to beat someone who had been beaten already. The Dwarf watched her keenly as she drew the shaft to her ear. A moment later, with a little soft thump which they could all hear in that quiet place, the apple fell to the grass with Susan's arrow in it.
“Oh, well done, Su,” shouted the other children.
“It wasn't really any better than yours,” said Susan to the Dwarf. “I think there was a tiny breath of wind as you shot.”
“No there wasn't,” said Trumpkin. “Don't tell me. I know when I am fairly beaten. I won't even say that the scar of my last wound catches me a bit when I get my arm well back—”
“Oh, are you wounded?” asked Lucy. “Do let me look.”
“It's not a sight for little girls,” began Trumpkin, but then he suddenly checked himself. “There I go talking like a fool again,” he said. “I suppose you're as likely to be a great surgeon as your brother was to be a great swordsman or your sister to be a great archer.” He sat down on the steps and took off his hauberk and slipped down his little shirt, showing an arm hairy and muscular (in proportion) as a sailor's though not much bigger than a child's. There was a clumsy bandage on the shoulder which Lucy proceeded to unroll. Underneath, the cut looked very nasty and there was a good deal of swelling. “Oh, poor Trumpkin,” said Lucy. “How horrid.” Then she carefully dripped onto it one single drop of the cordial from her flask.
“Hullo. Eh? What have you done?” said Trumpkin. But however he turned his head and squinted and whisked his beard to and fro, he couldn't quite see his own shoulder. Then he felt it as well as he could, getting his arms and fingers into very difficult positions as you do when you're trying to scratch a place that is just out of reach. Then he swung his arm and raised it and tried the muscles, and finally jumped to his feet crying, “Giants and junipers! It's cured! It's as good as new.” After that he burst into a great laugh and said, “Well, I've made as big a fool of myself as ever a Dwarf did. No offence, I hope? My humble duty to your Majesties all—humble duty. And thanks for my life, my cure, my breakfast—and my lesson.”
The children all said it was quite all right and not to mention it.
“And now,” said Peter, “if you've really decided to believe in us—”
“I have,” said the Dwarf.
“It's quite clear what we have to do. We must join King Caspian at once.”
“The sooner the better,” said Trumpkin. “My being such a fool has already wasted about an hour.”
“It's about two days' journey, the way you came,” said Peter. “For us, I mean. We can't walk all day and night like you Dwarfs.” Then he turned to the others. “What Trumpkin calls Aslan's How is obviously the Stone Table itself. You remember it was about half a day's march, or a little less, from there down to the Fords of Beruna—”
“Beruna's Bridge, we call it,” said Trumpkin.
“There was no bridge in our time,” said Peter. “And then from Beruna down to here was another day and a bit. We used to get home about teatime on the second day, going easily. Going hard, we could do the whole thing in a day and a half perhaps.”
“But remember it's all woods now,” said Trumpkin, “and there are enemies to dodge.”
“Look here,” said Edmund, “need we go by the same way that Our Dear Little Friend came?”
“No more of that, your Majesty, if you love me,” said the Dwarf.
“Very well,” said Edmund. “May I say our D.L.F.?”
“Oh, Edmund,” said Susan. “Don't keep on at him like that.”
“That's all right, lass—I mean your Majesty,” said Trumpkin with a chuckle. “A jibe won't raise a blister.” (And after that they often called him the D.L.F. till they'd almost forgotten what it meant.)
“As I was saying,” continued Edmund, “we needn't go that way. Why shouldn't we row a little south till we come to Glasswater Creek and row up it? That brings us up behind the Hill of the Stone Table, and we'll be safe while we're at sea. If we start at once, we can be at the head of Glasswater before dark, get a few hours' sleep, and be with Caspian pretty early tomorrow.”
“What a thing it is to know the coast,” said Trumpkin. “None of us know anything about Glasswater.”
“What about food?” asked Susan.
“Oh, we'll have to do with apples,” said Lucy. “Do let's get on. We've done nothing yet, and we've been here nearly two days.”
“And anyway, no one's going to have my hat for a fish-basket again,” said Edmund.
They used one of the raincoats as a kind of bag and put a good many apples in it. Then they all had a good long drink at the well (for they would meet no more fresh water till they landed at the head of the Creek) and went down to the boat. The children were sorry to leave Cair Paravel, which, even in ruins, had begun to feel like home again.
“The D.L.F. had better steer,” said Peter, “and Ed and I will take an oar each. Half a moment, though. We'd better take off our mail: we're going to be pretty warm before we're done. The girls had better be in the bows and shout directions to the D.L.F. because he doesn't know the way. You'd better get us a fair way out to sea till we've passed the island.”
And soon the green, wooded coast of the island was falling away behind them, and its little bays and headlands were beginning to look flatter, and the boat was rising and falling in the gentle swell. The sea began to grow bigger around them and, in the distance, bluer, but close round the boat it was green and bubbly. Everything smelled salt and there was no noise except the swishing of water and the clop-clop of water against the sides and the splash of the oars and the jolting noise of the rowlocks. The sun grew hot.
It was delightful for Lucy and Susan in the bows, bending over the edge and trying to get their hands in the sea which they could never quite reach. The bottom, mostly pure, pale sand but with occasional patches of purple seaweed, could be seen beneath them.
“It's like old times,” said Lucy. “Do you remember our voyage to Terebinthia—and Galma—and Seven Isles—and the Lone Islands?”
“Yes,” said Susan, “and our great ship the Splendour Hyaline, with the swan's head at her prow and the carved swan's wings coming back almost to her waist?”
“And the silken sails, and the great stern lanterns?”
“And the feasts on the poop and the musicians.”
“Do you remember when we had the musicians up in the rigging playing flutes so that it sounded like music out of the sky?”
Presently Susan took over Edmund's oar and he came forward to join Lucy. They had passed the island now and stood closer in to the shore—all wooded and deserted. They would have thought it very pretty if they had not remembered the time when it was open and breezy and full of merry friends.
“Phew! This is pretty gruelling work,” said Peter.
“Can't I row for a bit?” said Lucy.
“The oars are too big for you,” said Peter shortly, not because he was cross but because he had no strength to spare for talking.
“因此,”特魯普金說(正如你剛意識到的,剛才就是特魯普金在給那四個(gè)孩子講故事,此時(shí)他們正坐在凱爾帕拉維爾已荒廢的大廳的草地上),“因此我在口袋里塞了一兩塊面包皮,武器都留下了,只拿了把匕首,在天蒙蒙亮的時(shí)候,進(jìn)了樹林。我埋頭走了好幾個(gè)鐘頭,突然聽到一聲響,那是我有生以來第一次聽到。嗯,我永遠(yuǎn)都忘不了那響聲??諝饫锘厥幹@聲音,像雷聲一樣響亮,但比雷聲持久多了,清涼甜美就像是音樂拂過水面,但又強(qiáng)烈得整片樹林都震顫起來。我跟自己說:‘如果那不是號角聲,就叫我兔子好了?!诌^了一會兒,我尋思為什么他不早點(diǎn)兒吹響號角呢——”
“那是什么時(shí)候?”埃德蒙問。
“在九點(diǎn)和十點(diǎn)之間。”特魯普金說。
“正好是我們在火車站的時(shí)候!”孩子們都異口同聲地說,互相看了看,眼睛閃亮著。
“請繼續(xù)講?!甭段鲗Π苏f。
“嗯,就像我剛才講的,我尋思著,但同時(shí)奮力飛奔。我一整晚都沒停歇,然后,今天清晨半明半亮?xí)r,我犯了錯(cuò),蠢得跟巨人一樣,因?yàn)椴幌胙睾永@一大圈,我橫穿一片開闊地,冒險(xiǎn)走了捷徑,結(jié)果被逮住了。逮住我的不是軍隊(duì),而是一個(gè)自負(fù)的老傻瓜,那家伙掌管著一座小城堡,那是米亞茲通往海岸方向的最后一個(gè)據(jù)點(diǎn)。我沒向他們招供,這是不用說的,可我是一個(gè)矮人,這就足以構(gòu)成罪名了。但是,謝天謝地!(1)幸虧那管事的是個(gè)自負(fù)的傻瓜。換作其他人肯定會當(dāng)場把我處死??伤遣唤o我一個(gè)壯麗的死法,就無法心滿意足:他要以最隆重的形式把我交給鬼魂。然后,這位年輕的女士(他朝蘇珊點(diǎn)了點(diǎn)頭)小小地顯示了下箭術(shù)——老實(shí)說,射得不錯(cuò)——結(jié)果就是現(xiàn)在這樣了。當(dāng)然,我的盔甲沒了,他們奪了去了?!彼褵熁仪玫?,又續(xù)上煙草。
“天??!”彼得說,“是那號角……你的號角,蘇……昨天把我們從車站月臺的椅子上給拽到這里來!我簡直不敢相信,但全對上了。”
“我不明白你為什么不肯信,”露西說,“假如你的確是相信魔法的。不是有很多故事講述魔法強(qiáng)行把人帶離某個(gè)地方——某個(gè)世界——進(jìn)入另一個(gè)地方或另一個(gè)世界?我是說,就像《一千零一夜》里的魔法師一召喚某個(gè)神靈,它就得出現(xiàn)。與此同理,我們不得不來?!?/p>
“好吧,”彼得說,“我覺得怪異的是,在故事中,召喚總是來自我們世界的某人。沒人真的想過那神靈來自何方?!?/p>
“現(xiàn)如今我們知道被招來的神靈是何感受了,”埃德蒙輕笑一聲,“天啊!想到我們就這樣被人招之即來,有點(diǎn)兒讓人不舒服。這要比父親說的活在電話的擺布之下還糟糕?!?/p>
“可我們愿意到這里,不是嗎,”露西說,“也許阿斯蘭需要我們?”
“眼下,”矮人說,“我們要怎么辦呢?我想我最好回到凱斯賓國王那里,跟他說沒有任何援助到來。”
“沒援助?”蘇珊說,“可號角靈驗(yàn)了。瞧,我們來了?!?/p>
“嗯……嗯……好吧,無可否認(rèn)。我明白,”矮人說,他的煙斗好像給堵了(不管怎樣,他做出忙于清理的樣子),“可是……嗯……我是說……”
“可你還沒弄清楚我們是誰吧?”露西嚷道,“你真笨?!?/p>
“我猜你們是古老傳說中的那四個(gè)孩子,”特魯普金說,“我當(dāng)然很高興見到你們。很有趣,真的??伞粫@什么罪吧?”他又遲疑起來。
“說下去,想說什么就直說?!卑5旅烧f。
“好吧,那么……無意冒犯,”特魯普金說,“可是,你們懂的,國王、特魯弗亨特和科涅利爾斯博士正盼著……嗯,要是你們明白我的意思,援助。換句話說,我想他們一直把你們想象成偉大的勇士。照現(xiàn)狀看……雖然我們很喜歡小孩子,可眼下,正打著仗……我確信你們理解的?!?/p>
“你的意思是,你覺得我們根本指望不上。”埃德蒙氣得臉都紅了。
“好啦,請別生氣,”矮人打斷了他的話,“我向你們保證,我親愛的小朋友們……”
“你說我們小真是有點(diǎn)兒過分了,”埃德蒙跳起來,“我猜想你不相信我們打贏了貝魯納戰(zhàn)役?好吧,你愛怎么說我都行,因?yàn)槲抑馈?/p>
“發(fā)脾氣是沒用的,”彼得說,“先去藏寶室給他找套合適的新盔甲,把我們也武裝起來,之后我們再談。”
“我不明白這有什么意義……”埃德蒙剛開口,但露西悄悄跟他說:“我們是不是最好聽彼得的?他是至尊王,你懂的。我想他有主意了?!庇谑前5旅赏饬耍柚氖蛛?,他們所有人,包括特魯普金,走下階梯,進(jìn)入黑暗、冰冷、光華蒙塵的藏寶室。
見到擺放在架子上的財(cái)寶(他踮起腳尖才能看到),矮人的眼睛都亮了,他自言自語:“要是讓尼克布里克見到這些,那絕無好事,絕無。”他們很輕松地就給他找來一件鎖子甲、一把寶劍、一頂頭盔、一面盾牌、一把弓和滿滿一箭筒的箭,這些都是按矮人的尺碼打造的。那頂頭盔是銅制的,還鑲嵌有紅寶石,劍柄是黃金鑄的:這么多財(cái)富,特魯普金這輩子還從未見過,更別提拿過了。孩子們也穿上了鎖子甲,戴上頭盔;埃德蒙拿了劍和盾牌,露西拿了一張弓——當(dāng)然,彼得和蘇珊已經(jīng)拿上他們各自的禮物了。他們上樓梯時(shí),身上的盔甲叮當(dāng)作響,看起來、感覺上更像是納尼亞人,而不像是學(xué)童了,那兩個(gè)男孩走在后面,顯然正計(jì)劃著什么。露西聽到埃德蒙說:“不,讓我上。要是我贏了,那會讓他更難堪,而要是我輸了的話,也不會讓我們太沮喪?!?/p>
“好吧,埃德?!北说谜f。
等他們來到外面的光亮處,埃德蒙很禮貌地轉(zhuǎn)身對矮人說:“我有事拜托你。像我們這樣的小孩不常有機(jī)會遇到像你這樣了不起的武士。你是否愿意跟我比試一下劍法?我將會非常榮幸?!?/p>
“可是,小伙子,”特魯普金說,“這些劍很鋒利的。”
“我知道,”埃德蒙說,“可我沒法近你身,而你又夠機(jī)智,足以讓我毫發(fā)無傷地繳械?!?/p>
“這是危險(xiǎn)的游戲,”特魯普金說,“可既然你堅(jiān)持,我就試上一兩招吧?!?/p>
很快,兩劍出鞘,其他三人跳下臺子,站在一邊觀戰(zhàn)。很值得一看。這不像你在舞臺上見到的那種看起來很蠢的闊劍比試。甚至也不像你偶爾見到的那種打得相當(dāng)精彩的長劍比試。這是場真刀真槍的闊劍比試。而精彩之處就是去砍對手的腿腳,因?yàn)槟切┑胤經(jīng)]有鎧甲保護(hù)。當(dāng)對手砍來,你兩腳躍起,對方的劍就落了空。這方面矮人有優(yōu)勢,因?yàn)樯砀咭叩枚?,揮劍時(shí)埃德蒙不得不彎下腰。如果是二十四小時(shí)以前他跟特魯普金對抗,我不認(rèn)為埃德蒙會有勝算。但自從踏上這個(gè)島,納尼亞的氣息一直作用于他,所有往昔的征戰(zhàn)又回到了他的腦海中,他的胳膊和手指恢復(fù)了以前的技藝。他再次成為埃德蒙國王。兩名斗士打了一圈又一圈,一劍又一劍地對攻,這時(shí)蘇珊(她怎么也喜歡不上這種運(yùn)動)大叫一聲:“啊,當(dāng)心?!鞭D(zhuǎn)眼之間,快得沒人(除非他們像彼得一樣內(nèi)行)看清是怎么回事,埃德蒙一抖腕挽了一個(gè)劍花,矮人的劍脫手飛出,特魯普金絞擰著自己的空手,就像是給板球棒“蟄”了一下。
“沒傷著吧,我希望,我親愛的小朋友?”埃德蒙略有些氣喘,收劍回鞘。
“我了解你的意圖了,”特魯普金抑制住內(nèi)心的喜悅說,“在技巧上你勝我一籌?!?/p>
“確實(shí)如此,”彼得補(bǔ)充道,“哪怕是世界上最頂尖的劍客也有可能被一記新招給繳了械。我想在其他方面再給特魯普金一次比試機(jī)會,那樣會公平些。你愿意和我妹妹比試射箭嗎?你知道的,在射箭上無花招可玩?!?/p>
“啊,你是個(gè)愛開玩笑的人,你確實(shí)是,”矮人說,“我看出來了。經(jīng)過今天早上的事,好像我還不了解她擅長射箭似的。盡管如此,我愿意試一下?!彼麤]好氣地說著,可還是眼睛一亮,因?yàn)樵诎死锼彩且粋€(gè)著名的弓箭手。
他們五個(gè)人來到外面的院子里。
“靶子是什么?”彼得問道。
“我覺得墻頭掛在樹枝上的蘋果不錯(cuò)。”蘇珊說。
“很不錯(cuò),小姑娘,”特魯普金說,“你是指靠近門拱中間的那個(gè)黃蘋果嗎?”
“不,不是那個(gè),”蘇珊說,“是上方高處的那個(gè)紅蘋果,在城垛上?!?/p>
小矮人的表情一下子垮了下來。“那看起來更像是一顆櫻桃,哪里是蘋果?!彼緡佒蓻]大聲說出來。
他們拋硬幣決定誰先射(特魯普金覺得很有趣,他從沒見過拋硬幣),蘇珊沒猜對。他們要站在大廳通向院子的臺階最高處射。從矮人站位和拉弓的樣子就能看出他是個(gè)行家里手。
嘣的一聲弦響。箭射得好極了。但還是射偏了,小蘋果晃動了一下,一片樹葉飄落。接下來,蘇珊來到臺階頂端,把弦拉開。她沒有像埃德蒙享受比賽那樣享受她的這場比試,一半他那樣的興奮都沒有;不是因?yàn)樗龑ψ约耗芊裆渲心莻€(gè)蘋果有任何疑問,而是因?yàn)樘K珊心腸很軟,她甚至討厭擊敗剛被擊敗的人。她把箭拉到耳邊時(shí),小矮人熱切地盯著她。轉(zhuǎn)瞬間,伴隨著砰的一聲輕響,在那個(gè)寂靜的地方,他們聽得很清晰,蘋果落在草地,蘇珊的箭扎在上面。
“噢,棒極了,蘇?!逼渌⒆佣即蠼衅饋?。
“并非真的比你射得好,”蘇珊對矮人說,“你剛才射箭的時(shí)候,我覺得起了點(diǎn)兒微風(fēng)?!?/p>
“不,沒起風(fēng),”特魯普金說,“別這么說。我有自知之明,知道自己完敗。我甚至不會找借口說當(dāng)我手臂奮力往后拉弦時(shí)上次受傷留下的傷疤牽疼了我……”
“哦,你受傷了?”露西問,“快讓我看?!?/p>
“這可不適合小女孩看,”特魯普金開口,但隨即他忽然忍住了話頭,“瞧,我又像個(gè)傻瓜似的說話?!彼f,“我猜你很可能是一個(gè)出色的外科醫(yī)生,就像你的哥哥是出色的劍客,或者就像你的姐姐是出色的射手?!彼谂_階上,脫下他的鎖子甲,迅速地脫下小襯衣,露出一條毛茸茸、肌肉發(fā)達(dá)(就比例而言)的手臂,跟水手胳膊似的,雖然比小孩的胳膊大不了多少。肩膀上的繃帶纏得亂七八糟,露西動手解下繃帶??噹?,刀傷看起來很糟糕,腫得厲害?!鞍?,可憐的特魯普金,”露西說,“真糟糕?!苯又?,她小心翼翼地從她的瓶子里倒出一滴藥水滴在傷口上。
“嘿。嗯?你做了什么?”特魯普金問道??刹还芩绾无D(zhuǎn)頭,斜著眼看,把胡須拂來拂去,他都無法看清楚自己的肩膀。然后他盡可能地去摸,把胳膊和手指伸到很難夠著的地方,就像你想要撓癢,但又夠不著那地方。然后他擺動手臂,舉起手臂,又試著肌肉用力,最后終于跳了起來,大叫道:“天啊!(2)痊愈了!好得跟新的一樣?!敝笏蝗槐l(fā)出一陣哈哈大笑,說道:“唉,我出盡了矮人的洋相。我希望沒冒犯各位吧?向各位陛下致以我卑微的敬意——卑微的敬意。感謝你們救了我的命,治好了我的傷,請我吃了早飯——還給了我教訓(xùn)?!?/p>
孩子們都說沒關(guān)系,不用謝。
“好了,”彼得說,“要是你真的決定相信我們……”
“我已經(jīng)決定了。”矮人說。
“我們接下來要做的事情很明確。我們必須立即跟凱斯賓國王會合?!?/p>
“越快越好,”特魯普金說,“我的傻瓜行為已經(jīng)浪費(fèi)了一個(gè)鐘頭的時(shí)間?!?/p>
“大約兩天的路程,如果照你來的路徑走,”彼得說,“我的意思是就我們而言。我們無法像你們矮人那樣沒日沒夜地走一整天。”他轉(zhuǎn)身面對大家。“特魯普金說的阿斯蘭堡壘顯然是石桌那里。你們都記得的,從那里往下,去到貝魯納淺灘,大約要走上半天,或者不用半天?!?/p>
“我們稱之為貝魯納橋。”特魯普金說。
“我們那個(gè)時(shí)候還沒有橋,”彼得說,“然后從貝魯納到這里要花一天多一點(diǎn)兒的時(shí)間。我們以前通常在第二天下午茶的時(shí)候回到家,如果走得慢的話。要是走得快,約一天半的時(shí)間我們就能到?!?/p>
“但是別忘了,現(xiàn)在到處是森林,”特魯普金說,“還要避開敵軍?!?/p>
“聽我說,”埃德蒙說,“我們一定要按照我們親愛的小朋友來的路線走嗎?”
“別再那樣叫我,陛下,要是你愛我的話。”矮人說。
“好吧,”埃德蒙說,“我可以叫你我們的D.L.F.(3)嗎?”
“噢,埃德蒙,”蘇珊說,“別老這么逗弄他?!?/p>
“沒關(guān)系,小姑娘——我是說陛下,”特魯普金笑著說,“開個(gè)玩笑無傷大雅?!保且院笏麄兘?jīng)常叫他D.L.F.,以至于后來他們幾乎都忘記了它的含義。)
“如我剛才所說,”埃德蒙繼續(xù)道,“我們不需要走那條路。為什么我們不劃船南下,抵達(dá)清水灣,然后逆流而上?那會將我們帶到石桌所在山嶺的背面,我們走水路會安全些。要是馬上動身出發(fā),我們可以在天黑前趕到清水灣,然后睡上幾個(gè)鐘頭,第二天一大早就能見到凱斯賓?!?/p>
“了解海岸很重要,”特魯普金說,“我們對清水灣一無所知?!?/p>
“食物怎么辦呢?”蘇珊說。
“哎呀,我們只好吃蘋果將就,”露西說,“快點(diǎn)兒上路吧。到現(xiàn)在,我們還什么都沒干呢,而我們在這里都待了差不多兩天了?!?/p>
“不管怎樣,不能再把我的帽子當(dāng)魚簍用。”埃德蒙說。
他們把其中一件雨衣當(dāng)袋子使,包了很多蘋果在里面。然后他們在水井那里好好地喝了個(gè)夠(因?yàn)橐叩角逅疄巢拍茉俸鹊降又鴣淼酱?。離開凱爾帕拉維爾,孩子們很難過,雖然那里已經(jīng)淪為廢墟,但又開始給他們家的感覺。
“最好讓D.L.F.來掌舵,”彼得說,“埃德和我各劃一支槳。不過,稍等。我們最好把鎖子甲脫下來:還沒等到岸,我們就會感覺很熱。女孩們最好坐在船首,給D.L.F.喊方向,因?yàn)樗徽J(rèn)路。你們要好好指路,讓我們駛向大海,離開這個(gè)島。”
很快他們離海島那長滿樹木、郁郁蔥蔥的海岸越來越遠(yuǎn),小島的海灣和海岬看起來越來越扁平,小船隨著輕柔的海浪上下起伏著。他們周邊的大海變得越來越寬廣,遠(yuǎn)處的海水顯得更藍(lán),而緊靠小船的海水卻是綠色的,還帶著泡沫??諝饫锒际呛{}的味道,四周寂靜,只聽到海水涌動的嘩嘩聲,海水拍擊船身的啪嗒聲,船槳劃動產(chǎn)生的濺水聲,以及槳架震動的聲響。太陽慢慢熱起來了。
露絲和蘇珊坐在船首感覺很愜意,她們彎下腰,試著把手伸進(jìn)海里,可總夠不著。她們可看見船下的海底,海底的沙基本上是純凈潔白的,偶爾見到一塊塊紫色的海藻。
“真像回到了過去,”露西說,“你還記得我們的海上旅行嗎,去了特里賓西爾——還有加爾馬——還有七小島——還有孤獨(dú)島?”
“記得,”蘇珊說,“還記得我們那條巍峨的大船‘華光號’嗎?船頭雕成天鵝頭那樣,那雕刻的天鵝翅膀向后伸展至船腰?!?/p>
“還記得那絲綢般的風(fēng)帆,那些掛在船尾的巨大燈籠嗎?”
“還有船尾樓上的盛宴,還有樂手。”
“還記得我們讓樂手在帆纜上吹奏長笛,這樣樂聲聽起來就像是來自天上?”
過了一會兒,蘇珊接手埃德蒙的槳,他則來到船首跟露西坐在一起。他們已經(jīng)離開了那座島,離對岸更近了——那里被森林覆蓋,看起來很荒涼。要不是想起了過去那開放、怡人、到處是快活伙伴的日子,他們準(zhǔn)會覺得眼前的景色很美。
“??!劃船真是件讓人精疲力竭的苦差事。”彼得說。
“讓我來劃一陣吧?”露西說。
“對你來說船槳太大了。”彼得不耐煩地說,不是因?yàn)樗鈮模且驗(yàn)樗鄣貌幌胭M(fèi)力說話。
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(1) Lobsters and lollipops:直譯為“龍蝦和棒棒糖”,這兩個(gè)英文單詞押頭韻,不作字面義解,用作感嘆詞或語氣詞。
(2) Giants and junipers:直譯為“巨人和刺柏”,這兩個(gè)英文單詞押頭韻,不作字面義解,用作感嘆詞或語氣詞。
(3) D.L.F.:dear little friend的英文首字母縮寫。
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