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双语·凯斯宾王子 第七章 危难中的老纳尼亚

所属教程:译林版·凯斯宾王子

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2022年04月26日

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CHAPTER 7 OLD NARNIA IN DANGER

THE place where they had met the Fauns was, of course, Dancing Lawn itself, and here Caspian and his friends remained till the night of the great Council. To sleep under the stars, to drink nothing but well water and to live chiefly on nuts and wild fruit, was a strange experience for Caspian after his bed with silken sheets in a tapestried chamber at the castle, with meals laid out on gold and silver dishes in the anteroom, and attendants ready at his call. But he had never enjoyed himself more. Never had sleep been more refreshing nor food tasted more savoury, and he began already to harden and his face wore a kinglier look.

When the great night came, and his various strange subjects came stealing into the lawn by ones and twos and threes or by sixes and sevens—the moon then shining almost at her full—his heart swelled as he saw their numbers and heard their greetings. All whom he had met were there: Bulgy Bears and Red Dwarfs and Black Dwarfs, Moles and Badgers, Hares and Hedgehogs, and others whom he had not yet seen— five Satyrs as red as foxes, the whole contingent of Talking Mice, armed to the teeth and following a shrill trumpet, some Owls, the Old Raven of Ravenscaur. Last of all (and this took Caspian's breath away), with the Centaurs came a small but genuine Giant, Wimbleweather of Deadman's Hill, carrying on his back a basketful of rather sea-sick Dwarfs who had accepted his offer of a lift and were now wishing they had walked instead.

The Bulgy Bears were very anxious to have the feast first and leave the council till afterwards: perhaps till tomorrow. Reepicheep and his Mice said that councils and feasts could both wait, and proposed storming Miraz in his own castle that very night. Pattertwig and the other Squirrels said they could talk and eat at the same time, so why not have the council and feast all at once? The Moles proposed throwing up entrenchments round the Lawn before they did anything else. The Fauns thought it would be better to begin with a solemn dance. The Old Raven, while agreeing with the Bears that it would take too long to have a full council before supper, begged to be allowed to give a brief address to the whole company. But Caspian and the Centaurs and the Dwarfs over-ruled all these suggestions and insisted on holding a real council of war at once.

When all the other creatures had been persuaded to sit down quietly in a great circle, and when (with more difficulty) they had got Pattertwig to stop running to and fro and saying “Silence! Silence, everyone, for the King's speech,” Caspian, feeling a little nervous, got up. “Narnians!” he began, but he never got any further, for at that very moment Camillo the Hare said, “Hush! There's a Man somewhere near.”

They were all creatures of the wild, accustomed to being hunted, and they all became still as statues. The beasts all turned their noses in the direction which Camillo had indicated.

“Smells like Man and yet not quite like Man,” whispered Trufflehunter.

“It's getting steadily nearer,” said Camillo.

“Two badgers and you three Dwarfs, with your bow at the ready, go softly off to meet it,” said Caspian.

“We'll settle 'un,” said a Black Dwarf grimly, fitting a shaft to his bowstring.

“Don't shoot if it is alone,” said Caspian. “Catch it.”

“Why?” asked the Dwarf.

“Do as you're told,” said Glenstorm the Centaur.

Everyone waited in silence while the three Dwarfs and two Badgers trotted stealthily across to the trees on the north-west side of the Lawn. Then came a sharp dwarfish cry, “Stop! Who goes there?” and a sudden spring. A moment later a voice, which Caspian knew well, could be heard saying, “All right, all right, I'm unarmed. Take my wrists if you like, worthy Badgers, but don't bite right through them. I want to speak to the King.”

“Doctor Cornelius!” cried Caspian with joy, and rushed forward to greet his old master. Everyone else crowded round.

“Pah!” said Nikabrik. “A renegade Dwarf. A half-and-halfer! Shall I pass my sword through its throat?”

“Be quiet, Nikabrik,” said Trumpkin. “The creature can't help its ancestry.”

“This is my greatest friend and the saviour of my life,” said Caspian. “And anyone who doesn't like his company may leave my army: at once. Dearest Doctor, I am glad to see you again. How ever did you find us out?”

“By a little use of simple magic, your Majesty,” said the Doctor, who was still puffing and blowing from having walked so fast. “But there's no time to go into that now. We must all fly from this place at once. You are already betrayed and Miraz is on the move. Before mid-day tomorrow you will be surrounded.”

“Betrayed!” said Caspian. “And by whom?”

“Another renegade Dwarf, no doubt,” said Nikabrik.

“By your horse Destrier,” said Doctor Cornelius. “The poor brute knew no better. When you were knocked off, of course, he went dawdling back to his stable in the castle. Then the secret of your flight was known. I made myself scarce, having no wish to be questioned about it in Miraz's torture chamber. I had a pretty good guess from my crystal as to where I should find you. But all day—that was the day before yesterday—I saw Miraz's tracking parties out in the woods. Yesterday I learned that his army is out. I don't think some of your—um—pure-blooded Dwarfs have as much woodcraft as might be expected. You've left tracks all over the place. Great carelessness. At any rate something has warned Miraz that Old Narnia is not so dead as he had hoped, and he is on the move.”

“Hurrah!” said a very shrill and small voice from somewhere at the Doctor's feet. “Let them come! All I ask is that the King will put me and my people in the front.”

“What on earth?” said Doctor Cornelius. “Has your Majesty got grasshoppers—or mosquitoes—in your army?” Then after stooping down and peering carefully through his spectacles, he broke into a laugh.

“By the Lion,” he swore, “it's a mouse. Signior Mouse, I desire your better acquaintance. I am honoured by meeting so valiant a beast.”

“My friendship you shall have, learned Man,” piped Reepicheep. “And any Dwarf—or Giant—in the army who does not give you good language shall have my sword to reckon with.”

“Is there time for this foolery?” asked Nikabrik. “What are our plans? Battle or flight?”

“Battle if need be,” said Trumpkin. “But we are hardly ready for it yet, and this is no very defensible place.”

“I don't like the idea of running away,” said Caspian.

“Hear him! Hear him!” said the Bulgy Bears. “Whatever we do, don't let's have any running. Especially not before supper; and not too soon after it neither.”

“Those who run first do not always run last,” said the Centaur. “And should we let the enemy choose our position instead of choosing it ourselves? Let us find a strong place.”

“That's wise, your Majesty, that's 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 come 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 Aslan's How.”

“Aslan's How?” said several voices. “We do not know what it is.”

“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.”

“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 Cornelius's proposal and that very night, half an hour later, they were on the march. Before sunrise they arrived at Aslan's 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 Miraz's 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. Caspian's heart sank as he saw company after company arriving. And though Miraz's men may have been afraid of going into the wood, they were even more afraid of Miraz, and with him in command 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 Caspian's 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 King's 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 King's 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 Caspian's 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 Caspian's party who had not lost blood. It was a gloomy company 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 weren't 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 couldn't keep quiet. And Wimbleweather tiptoed away to find some place where he could be miserable in peace and stepped on somebody's 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 common 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 come.” Caspian had of course told them of this 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?”

“By that argument,” said Nikabrik, “your Majesty will never use it until it is too late.”

“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 complete 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. It's all one to me when your Majesty blows the Horn. All I insist is that the army is told nothing about it. There's no good raising hopes of magical help which (as I think) are sure to be disappointed.”

“Then in the name of Aslan we will wind Queen Susan's Horn,” said Caspian.

“There is one thing, Sire,” said Doctor Cornelius, “that should perhaps be done first. We do not know what form the help will take. It might call Aslan himself from oversea. But I think it is more likely to call Peter the High King and his mighty consorts down from the high past. But in either case, I do not think we can be sure that the help will come to this very spot—”

“You never said a truer word,” put in Trumpkin.

“I think,” went on the learned man, “that they—or he—will come back to one or other of the Ancient Places of Narnia. This, where we now sit, is the most ancient and most deeply magical of all, and here, I think, the answer is likeliest to come. But there are two others. One is Lantern Waste, up-river, west of Beaversdam, where the Royal Children first appeared in Narnia, as the records tell. The other is down at the river-mouth, where their castle of Cair Paravel once stood. And if Aslan himself comes, that would be the best place for meeting him too, for every story says that he is the son of the great Emperor-over-Sea, and over the sea he will pass. I should like very much to send messengers to both places, to Lantern Waste and the river-mouth, to receive them—or him—or it.”

“Just as I thought,” muttered Trumpkin. “The first result of all this foolery is not to bring us help but to lose us two fighters.”

“Who would you think of sending, Doctor Cornelius?” asked Caspian.

“Squirrels are best for getting through enemy country without being caught,” said Trufflehunter.

“All our squirrels (and we haven't many),” said Nikabrik, “are rather flighty. The only one I'd trust on a job like that would be Pattertwig.”

“Let it be Pattertwig, then,” said King Caspian. “And who for our other messenger? I know you'd go, Trufflehunter, but you haven't the speed. Nor you, Doctor Cornelius.”

“I won't go,” said Nikabrik. “With all these Humans and beasts about, there must be a Dwarf here to see that the Dwarfs are fairly treated.”

“Thimbles and thunderstorms!” cried Trumpkin in a rage. “Is that how you speak to the King? Send me, Sire, I'll go.”

“But I thought you didn't believe in the Horn, Trumpkin,” said Caspian.

“No more I do, your Majesty. But what's that got to do with it? I might as well die on a wild goose chase as die here. You are my King. I know the difference between giving advice and taking orders. You've had my advice, and now it's the time for orders.”

“I will never forget this, Trumpkin,” said Caspian. “Send for Pattertwig, one of you. And when shall I blow the Horn?”

“I would wait for sunrise, your Majesty,” said Doctor Cornelius. “That sometimes has an effect in operations of White Magic.”

A few minutes later Pattertwig arrived and had his task explained to him. As he was, like many squirrels, full of courage and dash and energy and excitement and mischief (not to say conceit), he no sooner heard it than he was eager to be off. It was arranged that he should run for Lantern Waste while Trumpkin made the shorter journey to the river-mouth. After a hasty meal they both set off with the fervent thanks and good wishes of the King, the Badger, and Cornelius.

第七章 危难中的老纳尼亚

他们昨晚遇到羊人的地方就是那片跳舞草坪,凯斯宾和他的朋友们一直待在那里,等待开会那晚的到来。在星空下露宿,仅靠井水解渴,主要以坚果和野果为食,这对凯斯宾来说是一种从未有过的经历,他以前住的是绣帷装饰的城堡房间,睡的是铺着丝绸床单的床,吃的是摆在前厅、盛在金银食器里的美食,有侍从随时待命。可他从未像现在这般开心。如今的睡眠让他有一种从未有过的精神焕发,食物也更美味,他变得坚强起来,脸上带有更多的王者之气。

那重要的夜晚来临时,他的各色古怪朋友或独来独往,或三三两两或成群结伙地溜进了草坪,月色皎洁,时近满月。见到来了那么多人,听到他们的招呼,他的心激动起来。他见过的都到场了——胖熊、红矮人、黑矮人、鼹鼠、獾、野兔、刺猬,还有他没见过的——五个红得跟红毛狐狸一样的羊怪,那一窝会说话的老鼠,全副武装,踏着刺耳的喇叭的拍子行进。还有几只猫头鹰,来自乌鸦断崖的老乌鸦,最后进场的(让凯斯宾叹为观止)是跟在马人身后如假包换的巨人,他是住在死人山的威伯维德,背上背着一筐晕头转向的矮人,巨人请他们搭顺风车,他们接受了邀请,可现在宁愿自己走着来。

三只胖熊急迫地要求先吃饭后开会,要么饭后开要么明天再开。里皮契普和他的鼠军则提议开会和吃饭可以缓一缓,建议当晚突袭城堡,攻打米亚兹。帕特维格及其松鼠伙伴们则建议吃饭开会两不误,干吗不同时进行?鼹鼠们主张首要任务是在草坪周围挖壕沟。羊人认为跳场庄严的舞蹈作为开场会更好。老乌鸦虽然同意胖熊的意见,认为饭前开会花费的时间太长,可又恳求大家让他先给大家做个小小的致辞。凯斯宾、马人,以及矮人们都否决了这些建议,坚持要马上开战争动员会。

他们好不容易说服大家安静,围成一大圈坐下,并费了很大的劲制止帕特维跑来跑去地嚷嚷。“安静!安静!大家听国王演讲。”凯斯宾站起身来,略有点儿紧张。“纳尼亚人!”他刚开口,还没来得及继续,这时野兔卡米洛开口道:“嘘!附近有人。”

他们都是野生的生物,习惯了被追捕,因此都像雕像一样一动不动。野兽们转身嗅着卡米洛所指的方向。

“闻起来像是人的气味,但又不太像。”特鲁弗亨特低语。

“他越来越近了。”卡米洛说。

“两只獾,还有你们三个矮人,把你们的弓箭准备好,轻轻地上前打探。”凯斯宾下令。

“我们干掉他。”一个黑矮人冷酷地说,箭搭上了弓弦。

“如果是单独一个,别射箭,”凯斯宾指示,“抓活的。”

“为什么?”矮人问。

“照命令做。”马人格兰斯托姆说。

大家静静地等着,那三个矮人和那两只獾蹑手蹑脚地走过草坪,来到西北方的树丛中。接着传来一声矮人的尖叫。“不许动!谁在那儿?”然后是猛地一跃。过了一会儿,传来一个凯斯宾很熟悉的声音:“好了,好了,我没带武器。尊敬的獾们,要是愿意的话,抓着我的手腕,但可别咬穿了我的手。我有话要跟国王说。”

“科涅利尔斯博士!”凯斯宾高兴地叫道,冲上前去迎接他的老导师。其余人都围了上来。

“呸!”尼克布里克说,“一个变节的矮人。一个杂种!要不要用剑刺穿他的喉咙?”

“少安毋躁,尼克布里克,”特鲁普金说,“这家伙没法选择自己的出身。”

“他是我最亲密的朋友和救命恩人,”凯斯宾说,“不愿与他相处的人可以离开我的队伍:马上走。最亲爱的博士,很高兴能再次见面。你是如何找到我们的?”

“用了一点儿简单的魔法,陛下。”博士说,因为刚才行走匆忙,现在还气喘吁吁的,“现在没时间细谈了。我们必须马上离开这里。你的行踪被出卖了,米亚兹正在采取行动。明天中午前你们就会被包围。”

“出卖!”凯斯宾说道,“谁干的?”

“准是另一个变节的矮人,毫无疑问。”尼克布里克说。

“你的马,德斯契尔泄的密,”科涅利尔斯博士说,“那可怜的畜生没脑子。你晕倒后,很自然地,它逛回了城堡的马厩。就这样,你逃走的秘密被人知晓了。我赶紧溜走,可不想被关在米亚兹的刑讯室里受审问。至于上哪儿去找你,我从我的水晶球里能大致猜到。那一整天——那是前天了——我在森林里见到米亚兹的搜索部队。昨天我听说他派出了军队。我觉得你们有些矮人,嗯,所谓的纯种矮人,没有多少森林生存技巧,没有预料中的那么好。你们到处留下踪迹。太大意了。不管怎么说,某些东西警示了米亚兹,老纳尼亚没有像他所希望的那样消失,他追来了。”

“好哇!”博士脚下某处传来一个尖细的嗓音,“他们尽管来!我坚决要求国王把我和我的伙伴们派往前线。”

“到底是什么?”科涅利尔斯博士说,“难道陛下把蚱蜢或是蚊子也收进了部队?”他弯下腰去,透过眼镜仔细查看,忽然笑了起来。

“以狮子的名义起誓,”他说道,“原来是只老鼠。老鼠先生,幸会。能见到如此勇敢的野兽,我感到很荣幸。”

“我们将成为朋友,博学的人,”里皮契普尖声说,“要是队伍里有任何矮人或是巨人对你言语不敬,我会用剑对付他们。”

“还有时间说这些蠢话吗?”尼克布里克发问,“我们的计划是什么?是战,是逃?”

“战吧,如果情势需要,”特鲁普金说,“可我们几乎还没做好应战准备,而且这里根本不适合防守。”

“我不愿意逃跑。”凯斯宾说。

“听他的!听他的!”胖熊说,“不管要做什么,我们都不要跑。特别是不要在晚饭前跑,饭后也不要急着跑。”

“那些最能跑的不见得总要拖到最后才逃跑,”马人说,“再说,我们为什么要让敌人为我们选择阵地,而自己却不主动选择呢?让我们找一个更有利的地形。”

“明智的提议,陛下,这提议明智。”特鲁弗亨特说。

“可我们要转移到哪儿去呢?”几个声音问道。

“陛下,”科涅利尔斯博士说,“还有你们这些各色各样的家伙,我觉得我们必须赶紧往东走,沿着河流去大森林。台尔马人讨厌那个区域。他们一直害怕大海,害怕从海上来的某种东西。这就是为什么他们任由丛林蔓延。要是传言不假,那座古老的凯尔帕拉维尔城堡就坐落在河口。那一带对我们友善,又憎恨我们的敌人。我们必须去阿斯兰堡垒。”

“阿斯兰堡垒?”几个声音同时说道,“我们对此一无所知。”

“它坐落在大森林边上,那是一个巨大的土丘,纳尼亚人在古代于一个神奇的地方建造了它,那里有一块非常神奇的石头,也许如今还在。土丘是中空的,里面有很多走廊和洞穴,那块石头就在正中的一个洞穴里。土丘有足够的空间存放我们的储备,我们当中那些最需要隐藏的,还有那些习惯地下生存的,都可以住在洞穴里。其余的待在树林里。必要时,我们所有人(除了这位可敬的巨人)可以全部撤入土丘,在那里我们可以避过除饥荒外的诸多危险。”

“我们当中有一个博学的人真是好事。”特鲁弗亨特说;但特鲁普金低声嘟囔:“无稽之谈!(1)我希望我们的头领不要对这些鬼话感兴趣,还是多考虑食物和武器的问题。”但大家都同意科涅利尔斯的提议。那天晚上,半个小时后,他们开始行军。天没亮他们就抵达了阿斯兰堡垒。

果然是一个很棒的地方,一座绿色的圆形山丘坐落在另一座山丘之上,那里早已被树林覆盖,有一个低矮的小出入口通向里面。对于不熟悉其中的人,里面的通道像迷宫一样错综复杂,墙上和天花板垒着光滑的石头,借着晨光,凯斯宾在石头上发现了奇怪的人物和弯弯曲曲的图案,以及很多狮形图画。这一切似乎属于更古老的纳尼亚,比他的保姆给他讲述的那个纳尼亚还要久远。

等他们在堡垒里面或周边安顿好,命运开始与他们作对了。米亚兹国王的侦察兵很快就发现了他们的新巢穴。国王与他的大军来到了森林边缘。敌人比预想的还要强大,这种情形并不少见。当看到敌军一个连队接着一个连队地拥来,凯斯宾的心沉重起来。虽然米亚兹的士兵害怕进入树林,可他们更害怕米亚兹,在他的指挥下,他们深入树林作战,有时几乎挨近了堡垒。凯斯宾和其他队长也多次出击,一直打到开阔地。他们多在白天打仗,有时夜里也打;总的来说,凯斯宾这一方损失更惨重。

最后,到了那天夜里,形势糟得不能再糟了,下了一整天的暴雨,到了傍晚总算停了,但冷得刺骨。那天早晨凯斯宾部署了他们迄今为止最大的战役,大家都对此寄予希望。他率领大多数的矮人要在黎明时分攻击国王的右翼,在他们激烈作战时,巨人威伯维德、马人和一些最凶猛的野兽要从另一处杀出来,奋力切断国王的右翼与大部队的联系。但计划失败了。没人提醒凯斯宾(在现如今的纳尼亚没人记得这回事),巨人的脑子不灵活。可怜的威伯维德,尽管跟狮子一样勇敢,却有一个不折不扣的巨人脑袋。他在错误的时间错误的地点出击,导致他和凯斯宾的队伍损失惨重,可敌人却没什么损失。最勇猛的一头熊受了伤,有个马人也受伤严重,凯斯宾的队伍里只有少数几个没有流血负伤。一帮沮丧的人挤在滴雨的树下,吃着那少得可怜的晚餐。

最伤心的要数巨人威伯维德了。他知道这都是他的错。他默默地坐着,流下大滴大滴的眼泪,泪水凝聚在他的鼻端,落下时溅在那窝露营刚开始觉得暖和,正昏昏入睡的老鼠身上。这下他们都跳了起来,抖落耳朵里的水,拧着小毯子,用尖细有力的嗓音质问巨人,他是否还嫌他们不够湿,非得再添点儿水。接着,其他人也被吵醒,跟老鼠们说招他们来是当侦察员,不是来开演唱会的,质问他们干吗吵吵嚷嚷。威伯维德只好踮着脚离开,想找个能让他静静地伤心的角落,却踩到了某个家伙的尾巴(后来说是一只狐狸),那个家伙咬了他一口。这下人人都开始大发脾气了。

在堡垒正中那个秘密而神奇的房间里,凯斯宾国王正跟科涅利尔斯、獾、尼克布里克和特鲁普金开会。古代工艺造的粗柱子支撑着屋顶。洞穴的中间就是那块石头——那是一个石桌,石头当中开裂,上面原刻有某些文字。但岁月的风霜雨雪几乎侵蚀掉了那些文字,侵蚀发生在古代,那时的石桌就在山顶上,还没有在其上建起堡垒。他们没有用这张石桌,也没有坐在石桌旁:这石头太神奇,不适合当平常物件使用。他们坐在离石桌不远的木头上,面前是一张粗糙的木桌,桌上摆着一盏简陋的泥灯,灯光照亮了他们苍白的脸,把长长的影子投在墙上。

“如果陛下想用那个号角的话,”特鲁弗亨特说,“我想现在是时候了。”当然,凯斯宾几天前跟他们提过他的宝物。

“我们的确处于危难中,”凯斯宾回答,“但很难确定我们真到了最危难的时候。想想看,要是到了更危急的时刻,而我们又已经用了它了?”

“照这么说,”尼克布里克说,“陛下现在不肯用,等用的时候就太晚了。”

“我同意你的说法。”科涅利尔斯博士说。

“你怎么想,特鲁普金?”凯斯宾问道。

“唉,就我而言,”红矮人说,他刚才一直漠不关心地听着,“陛下知道的,我觉得那个号角——那边那块断裂的石头——你们伟大的彼得王——还有你们说的狮子阿斯兰——都是空想。陛下吹不吹响号角,对我都没分别。有一点我很坚持,就是不要让军队听到这些话。勾起他们对神奇援助的希望,而希望又肯定会落空,这绝不是什么好事。”

“好吧,以阿斯兰之名,我们将会吹响苏珊女王的号角。”凯斯宾说。

“还有一件事,陛下,”科涅利尔斯博士说,“也许应该先办好。我们不知道这个援助将以何种形式到来。可能会召唤阿斯兰亲自从海上来。可我觉得它更可能会召唤至尊王彼得以及他强大的伙伴们从远古来。不管哪种情形,我想我们无法确定那援助会降临到眼下这块地方——”

“你总算说了句大实话。”特鲁普金插嘴。

“我认为,”那个博学的人继续道,“他们或他会回到纳尼亚某个古老的地方。这里,我们所坐之处,是所有地方中最古老、最神奇的地方,所以,我认为,这里是最有可能得到回应的地方。但还有其他两处地方。一处是蓝登荒原,在河流上游,河狸坝以西,据记载,那里是当初那些高贵的孩子头一次在纳尼亚露面的地方。另一处在河口下游,他们的城堡凯尔帕拉维尔原来就坐落在那里。假如阿斯兰亲自来临,那里也是迎接他的最好地点,因为所有的传说都说他是伟大的海王之子,他会从海上来。我想派两个信使去这两个地点,即蓝登荒原和河口,去迎接他们——或他——或它。”

“我刚才就想,”特鲁普金小声咕哝着,“这些蠢事的第一个效果不是给我们带来援手,而是让我们两个士兵丧命。”

“你想派谁去,科涅利尔斯博士?”凯斯宾问。

“松鼠是最好人选,他们能够穿越敌方地盘,又不会被逮住。”特鲁弗亨特建议。

“我们的松鼠(我们并没有多少只),”尼克布里克说,“都是很不负责任的。我唯一信任、能胜任这个工作的就是帕特维格。”

“好吧,那就派遣帕特维格,”凯斯宾国王说,“谁当另一个信使?我知道你想去,特鲁弗亨特,可你速度不快。你也不行,科涅利尔斯博士。”

“我不愿意离开,”尼克布里克说,“这里周围都是人类和野兽,必须有个矮人在场以确保矮人们得到公正的对待。”

“胡言乱语!(2)”特鲁普金愤怒地嚷道,“你就这么和国王说话吗?派我去,陛下,我愿意去。”

“可我以为你不相信号角的魔力,特鲁普金。”凯斯宾说。

“现在也不信,陛下。可这有什么关系呢?死于徒劳的寻找和死在这里,有什么分别呢。你是我的国王。提建议和听从命令是两码事。我已经给出了我的建议,而现在是时候服从命令了。”

“我永远不会忘记这点的,特鲁普金,”凯斯宾说,“你们中的哪个去把帕特维格找来。我将在什么时候吹响号角?”

“我认为等到太阳升起的时刻,陛下,”科涅利尔斯博士说,“那样有时能让善意的法术更灵验。”

几分钟后,帕特维格来了,向他交代了任务。事实上,跟很多松鼠一样,他斗志昂扬,精神抖擞,充满激情,也很淘气(更不用说自大了),他听令后就急切地要出发。他被派往蓝登荒原,而特鲁普金则赶去近一些的河口。匆忙吃了饭后,两人带上国王、獾和科涅利尔斯的热烈感谢和祝福出发了。

————————————————————

(1) Soup and celery:直译为“汤和芹菜”,这两个英文单词押头韵,不作字面义解,用作感叹词或语气词。

(2) Thimbles and thunderstorms:直译为“顶针和雷雨”,这两个英文单词押头韵,不作字面义解,用作感叹词或语气词。

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