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双语·黎明踏浪号 第四章 凯斯宾之举

所属教程:译林版·黎明踏浪号

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2022年04月23日

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CHAPTER FOUR:

WHAT CASPIAN DID THERE

NEXT morning the Lord Bern called his guests early, and after breakfast he asked Caspian to order every man he had into full armour.“And above all,” he added, “let everything be as trim and scoured as if it were the morning of the first battle in a great war between noble kings with all the world looking on.” This was done; and then in three boatloads Caspian and his people, and Bern with a few of his, put out for Narrowhaven. The King’s flag flew in the stern of his boat and his trumpeter was with him.

When they reached the jetty at Narrowhaven, Caspian found a considerable crowd assembled to meet them. “This is what I sent word about last night,” said Bern. “They are all friends of mine and honest people.” And as soon as Caspian stepped ashore the crowd broke out into hurrahs and shouts of, “Narnia! Narnia! Long live the King.” At the same moment—and this was also due to Bern’s messengers—bells began ringing from many parts of the town. Then Caspian caused his banner to be advanced and his trumpet to be blown and every man drew his sword and set his face into a joyful sternness, and they marched up the street so that the street shook, and their armour shone(for it was a sunny morning)so that one could hardly look at it steadily.

At first the only people who cheered were those who had been warned by Bern’s messenger and knew what was happening and wanted it to happen. But then all the children joined in because they liked a procession and had seen very few. And then all the schoolboys joined in because they also liked processions and felt that the more noise and disturbance there was the less likely they would be to have any school that morning. And then all the old women put their heads out of doors and windows and began chattering and cheering because it was a king, and what is a governor compared with that? And all the young women joined in for the same reason and also because Caspian and Drinian and the rest were so handsome. And then all the young men came to see what the young women were looking at, so that by the time Caspian reached the castle gates, nearly the whole town was shouting; and where Gumpas sat in the castle, muddling and messing about with accounts and forms and rules and regulations, he heard the noise.

At the castle gate Caspian’s trumpeter blew a blast and cried, “Open for the King of Narnia, come to visit his trusty and well-beloved servant the governor of the Lone Islands.” In those days everything in the islands was done in a slovenly, slouching manner. Only the little postern opened, and out came a tousled fellow with a dirty old hat on his head instead of a helmet, and a rusty old pike in his hand. He blinked at the flashing figures before him. “Carn—seez—fishansy,” he mumbled(which was his way of saying, “You can’t see His Sufficiency”). “No interviews without ’pointments ’cept ’tween nine ’n’ ten p.m. second Saturday every month.”

“Uncover before Narnia, you dog,” thundered the Lord Bern, and dealt him a rap with his gauntleted hand which sent his hat flying from his head.

“’Ere? Wot’s it all about?” began the doorkeeper, but no one took any notice of him. Two of Caspian’s men stepped through the postern and after some struggling with bars and bolts(for everything was rusty)flung both wings of the gate wide open. Then the King and his followers strode into the courtyard. Here a number of the governor’s guards were lounging about and several more(they were mostly wiping their mouths)came tumbling out of various doorways. Though their armour was in a disgraceful condition, these were fellows who might have fought if they had been led or had known what was happening; so this was the dangerous moment. Caspian gave them no time to think.

“Where is the captain?” he asked.

“I am, more or less, if you know what I mean,” said a languid and rather dandified young person without any armour at all.

“It is our wish,” said Caspian, “that our royal visitation to our realm of the Lone Islands should, if possible, be an occasion of joy and not of terror to our loyal subjects. If it were not for that, I should have something to say about the state of your men’s armour and weapons. As it is, you are pardoned. Command a cask of wine to be opened that your men may drink our health. But at noon tomorrow I wish to see them here in this courtyard looking like men-at-arms and not like vagabonds. See to it on pain of our extreme displeasure.”

The captain gaped but Bern immediately cried, “Three cheers for the King,” and the soldiers, who had understood about the cask of wine even if they understood nothing else, joined in. Caspian then ordered most of his own men to remain in the courtyard. He, with Bern and Drinian and four others, went into the hall.

Behind a table at the far end with various secretaries about him sat his Sufficiency, the Governor of the Lone Islands. Gumpas was a bilious looking man with hair that had once been red and was now mostly grey.He glanced up as the strangers entered and then looked down at his papers saying automatically, “No interviews without appointments except between nine and ten p.m. on second Saturdays.”

Caspian nodded to Bern and then stood aside. Bern and Drinian took a step forward and each seized one end of the table. They lifted it, and flung it on one side of the hall where it rolled over, scattering a cascade of letters, dossiers, ink-pots, pens, sealing-wax and documents. Then, not roughly but as firmly as if their hands were pincers of steel, they plucked Gumpas out of his chair and deposited him, facing it, about four feet away. Caspian at once sat down in the chair and laid his naked sword across his knees.

“My Lord,” said he, fixing his eyes on Gumpas, “you have not given us quite the welcome we expected. We are the King of Narnia.”

“Nothing about it in the correspondence,” said the governor. “Nothing in the minutes. We have not been notified of any such thing. All irregular. Happy to consider any applications—”

“And we are come to inquire into your Sufficiency’s conduct of your office,” continued Caspian. “There are two points especially on which I require an explanation. Firstly I find no record that the tribute due from these Islands to the crown of Narnia has been received for about a hundred and fifty years.”

“That would be a question to raise at the Council next month,” said Gumpas. “If anyone moves that a commission of inquiry be set up to report on the financial history of the islands at the first meeting next year, why then …”

“I also find it very clearly written in our laws,” Caspian went on,“that if the tribute is not delivered the whole debt has to be paid by the Governor of the Lone Islands out of his private purse.”

At this Gumpas began to pay real attention. “Oh, that’s quite out of the question,” he said. “It is an economic impossibility—er—your Majesty must be joking.”

Inside, he was wondering if there were any way of getting rid of these unwelcome visitors. Had he known that Caspian had only one ship and one ship’s company with him, he would have spoken soft words for the moment, and hoped to have them all surrounded and killed during the night. But he had seen a ship of war sail down the straits yesterday and seen it signalling, as he supposed, to its consorts. He had not then known it was the King’s ship for there was not wind enough to spread the flag out and make the golden lion visible, so he had waited further developments. Now he imagined that Caspian had a whole fleet at Bernstead. It would never have occurred to Gumpas that anyone would walk into Narrowhaven to take the islands with less than fifty men; it was certainly not at all the kind of thing he could imagine doing himself.

“Secondly,” said Caspian, “I want to know why you have permitted this abominable and unnatural traffic in slaves to grow up here, contrary to the ancient custom and usage of our dominions.”

“Necessary, unavoidable,” said his Sufficiency. “An essential part of the economic development of the islands, I assure you. Our present burst of prosperity depends on it.”

“What need have you of slaves?”

“For export, your Majesty. Sell ’em to Calormen mostly; and we have other markets. We are a great centre of the trade.”

“In other words,” said Caspian, “you don’t need them. Tell me what purpose they serve except to put money into the pockets of such as Pug?”

“Your Majesty’s tender years,” said Gumpas, with what was meant to be a fatherly smile, “hardly make it possible that you should understand the economic problem involved. I have statistics, I have graphs, I have—”

“Tender as my years may be,” said Caspian, “I believe I understand the slave trade from within quite as well as your Sufficiency. And I do not see that it brings into the islands meat or bread or beer or wine or timber or cabbages or books or instruments of music or horses or armour or anything else worth having. But whether it does or not, it must be stopped.”

“But that would be putting the clock back,” gasped the governor.“Have you no idea of progress, of development?”

“I have seen them both in an egg,” said Caspian. “We call it ‘Going Bad’ in Narnia. This trade must stop.”

“I can take no responsibility for any such measure,” said Gumpas.

“Very well, then,” answered Caspian, “we relieve you of your office. My Lord Bern, come here.” And before Gumpas quite realized what was happening, Bern was kneeling with his hands between the King’s hands and taking the oath to govern the Lone Islands in accordance with the old customs, rights, usages and laws of Narnia. And Caspian said, “I think we have had enough of governors,” and made Bern a Duke, the Duke of the Lone Islands.

“As for you, my Lord,” he said to Gumpas, “I forgive you your debt for the tribute. But before noon tomorrow you and yours must be out of the castle, which is now the Duke’s residence.”

“Look here, this is all very well,” said one of Gumpas’s secretaries,“but suppose all you gentlemen stop play-acting and we do a little business. The question before us really is—”

“The question is,” said the Duke, “whether you and the rest of the rabble will leave without a flogging or with one. You may choose which you prefer.”

When all this had been pleasantly settled, Caspian ordered horses, of which there were a few in the castle, though very ill-groomed, and he, with Bern and Drinian and a few others, rode out into the town and made for the slave market. It was a long low building near the harbour and the scene which they found going on inside was very much like any other auction; that is to say, there was a great crowd and Pug, on a platform, was roaring out in a raucous voice:

“Now, gentlemen, lot twenty-three. Fine Terebinthian agricultural labourer, suitable for the mines or the galleys. Under twenty-five years of age. Not a bad tooth in his head. Good, brawny fellow. Take off his shirt, Tacks, and let the gentlemen see. There’s muscle for you! Look at the chest on him. Ten crescents from the gentleman in the corner. You must be joking, sir. Fifteen! Eighteen! Eighteen is bidden for lot twenty-three. Any advance on eighteen? Twenty-one. Thank you, sir. Twenty-one is bidden—”

But Pug stopped and gaped when he saw the mail-clad figures who had clanked up to the platform.

“On your knees, every man of you, to the King of Narnia,” said the Duke. Everyone heard the horses jingling and stamping outside and many had heard some rumour of the landing and the events at the castle. Most obeyed. Those who did not were pulled down by their neighbours. Some cheered.

“Your life is forfeit, Pug, for laying hands on our royal person yesterday,” said Caspian. “But your ignorance is pardoned. The slave trade was forbidden in all our dominions quarter of an hour ago. I declare every slave in this market free.”

He held up his hand to check the cheering of the slaves and went on,“Where are my friends?”

“That dear little gel and the nice young gentleman?” said Pug with an ingratiating smile. “Why, they were snapped up at once—”

“We’re here, we’re here, Caspian,” cried Lucy and Edmund together and, “At your service, Sire,” piped Reepicheep from another corner. They had all been sold but the men who had bought them were staying to bid for other slaves and so they had not yet been taken away. The crowd parted to let the three of them out and there was great hand-clasping and greeting between them and Caspian. Two merchants of Calormen at once approached. The Calormen have dark faces and long beards. They wear flowing robes and orange-coloured turbans, and they are a wise, wealthy, courteous, cruel and ancient people. They bowed most politely to Caspian and paid him long compliments, all about the fountains of prosperity irrigating the gardens of prudence and virtue—and things like that—but of course what they wanted was the money they had paid.

“That is only fair, sirs,” said Caspian. “Every man who has bought a slave today must have his money back. Pug, bring out your takings to the last minim.”(A minim is the fortieth part of a crescent.)

“Does your good Majesty mean to beggar me?” whined Pug.

“You have lived on broken hearts all your life,” said Caspian, “and if you are beggared, it is better to be a beggar than a slave. But where is my other friend?”

“Oh him?” said Pug. “Oh take him and welcome. Glad to have him off my hands. I’ve never seen such a drug in the market in all my born days. Priced him at five crescents in the end and even so nobody’d have him. Threw him in free with other lots and still no one would have him. Wouldn’t touch him. Wouldn’t look at him. ‘Tacks, bring out Sulky.”

Thus Eustace was produced, and sulky he certainly looked; for though no one would want to be sold as a slave, it is perhaps even more galling to be a sort of utility slave whom no one will buy. He walked up to Caspian and said, “I see. As usual. Been enjoying yourself somewhere while the rest of us were prisoners. I suppose you haven’t even found out about the British Consul. Of course not.”

That night they had a great feast in the castle of Narrowhaven and then, “Tomorrow for the beginning of our real adventures!” said Reepicheep when he had made his bows to everyone and went to bed. But it could not really be tomorrow or anything like it. For now they were preparing to leave all known lands and seas behind them and the fullest preparations had to be made. The Dawn Treader was emptied and drawn on land by eight horses over rollers and every bit of her was gone over by the most skilled shipwrights. Then she was launched again and victualled and watered as full as she could hold—that is to say for twenty-eight days. Even this, as Edmund noticed with disappointment, only gave them a fortnight’s eastward sailing before they had to abandon their quest.

While all this was being done Caspian missed no chance of questioning all the oldest sea captains whom he could find in Narrowhaven to learn if they had any knowledge or even any rumours of land further to the east. He poured out many a flagon of the castle ale to weather-beaten men with short grey beards and clear blue eyes, and many a tall yarn he heard in return. But those who seemed the most truthful could tell of no lands beyond the Lone Islands, and many thought that if you sailed too far east you would come into the surges of a sea without lands that swirled perpetually round the rim of the world—“And that, I reckon, is where your Majesty’s friends went to the bottom.” The rest had only wild stories of islands inhabited by headless men, floating islands, waterspouts, and a fire that burned along the water. Only one, to Reepicheep’s delight, said,“And beyond that, Aslan’s country. But that’s beyond the end of the world and you can’t get there.” But when they questioned him he could only say that he’d heard it from his father.

Bern could only tell them that he had seen his six companions sail away eastward and that nothing had, ever been heard of them again. He said this when he and Caspian were standing on the highest point of Avra looking down on the eastern ocean. “I’ve often been up here of a morning,” said the Duke, “and seen the sun come up out of the sea, and sometimes it looked as if it were only a couple of miles away. And I’ve wondered about my friends and wondered what there really is behind that horizon. Nothing, most likely, yet I am always half ashamed that I stayed behind. But I wish your Majesty wouldn’t go. We may need your help here. This closing the slave market might make a new world; war with Calormen is what I foresee. My liege, think again.”

“I have an oath, my lord Duke,” said Caspian. “And anyway, what could I say to Reepicheep?”

第四章 凯斯宾之举

第二天早晨,伯恩勋爵一早就来拜访他的客人了。用完早餐,他要求凯斯宾命令每个人都全副武装。“最重要的是,”他又补充说,“每样东西都要整整齐齐,擦得干干净净,就像是,今天早晨尊贵的国王之间要在天下人面前进行大战的第一场战役。”这些都按照要求办妥后,凯斯宾和他的手下以及伯恩和他的几个手下就分作三船,向狭港出发了。国王的旗帜在船尾飘扬,他的号兵都同他在一起。

他们到达狭港的码头时,凯斯宾看见一大群人聚集在一起来迎接他们。“我昨晚捎来口信就是为了这个,”伯恩说,“他们都是我的朋友,都是诚实的人。”凯斯宾一踏上海岸,人群就开始欢呼呐喊:“纳尼亚!纳尼亚!国王万岁!”同时——也是按照伯恩的信使的意思——城里的很多地方都响起了钟声。接着凯斯宾让人举旗开道,吹响小号,每个人都拔出了剑,脸上挂着欣喜又威风凛凛的神情。他们沿着街道向前行进,街面都在震动。他们的盔甲闪闪发亮(那天早上天气晴朗),晃得人不敢直视。

一开始,只有那些被伯恩的信使通知过的人在喝彩欢呼,那些人知道将要发生的事,并且迫不及待地期盼事情的发生。但是接着孩子们都欢呼着加入进来,因为他们喜欢行进的队列,却没怎么见过。然后,上学的孩子们也都欢呼着加入进来,因为他们也喜欢行进的队列,而且他们觉得,越是吵闹和骚乱,他们这个早晨就越有可能不用去上学了。接着,老妇人们都把她们的头探出了门窗,开始唠唠叨叨、欢呼雀跃,因为她们看到了国王,总督跟他比起来算什么?出于同样的原因,那些年轻的女人也都凑了过来,而且她们觉得凯斯宾和德里宁还有其他的人都太英俊了。于是,那些年轻的男人又都加入进来,看看年轻的女人都在看什么。所以,等到凯斯宾到达城堡大门时,几乎整个城里的人都在呐喊。冈帕斯正坐在城堡里,为一堆账目、表格和规章制度焦头烂额,他听到了外面的吵闹声。

凯斯宾的号兵在城堡门口吹响号角,大喊一声:“为纳尼亚的国王打开城门,国王来见他信赖而心爱的臣仆,孤独群岛的总督。”那时候,岛上的什么事都做得马马虎虎、懒懒散散。只有一扇边门被打开了,从里面出来了一个头发乱蓬蓬的人,他头上没戴头盔,而是戴着一顶旧旧的帽子,手里握着一支生锈的旧矛。他惊愕地看着这些身上亮闪闪的人,只是咕哝了一句:“布棱……见……大任。”(他的意思是——“你们不能见大人。”)“没有预约不见,只有每月的第二个星期六的晚上九点到十点之间才能见。”

“你这走狗,在纳尼亚的国王面前还不快脱帽!”伯恩勋爵雷霆大怒,用戴着金属护手的手敲了他一下,把他的帽子都打飞了。

“这是干吗?”那个守门人问,但是没有人理他。凯斯宾的两个手下穿过了边门,摆弄了好一阵门闩才终于打开了大门(因为所有东西都是生锈的)。接着,国王和他的手下大步走进了中庭。总督的几个护卫正在那里闲荡,还有一些人从各个门廊冲了出来(大多数人还擦着嘴)。尽管他们的盔甲丢人现眼,但是如果有人带领他们,或者他们明白了眼前的状况,可能就会掀起一场大战了,所以情势很危急。凯斯宾不给他们任何考虑的时间。

“你们的队长在哪儿?”他问。

“要是你听得懂我的意思,那我就算是这里的队长吧。”有一个年轻人懒洋洋地说。他打扮得很华丽,身上也没穿盔甲。

“我们希望,”凯斯宾说,“如果可能的话,本王这次亲自访问我国领土孤独群岛,对我的臣民来说是一件欢天喜地的事,而不是一件充满恐惧的事。要不是这样,我倒想批评批评你们的盔甲和武器的状况。但实际上,我原谅你们这一点了。去开一桶酒,让大家为我们祝酒。但是明天中午,我希望在这里看到他们拿出士兵的样子来,不要像流浪汉一样。违者一律以触犯王上论罪。”

那个队长瞠目结舌,但是伯恩立即大喊:“为我们的国王欢呼!”那些士兵一头雾水,唯独听懂了要喝酒,就一起欢呼起来。接着,凯斯宾命令他手下的大部分人留在中庭。他和伯恩、德里宁还有另外四个人一起进入了大厅。

孤独群岛的总督远远地坐在桌子一端,身边是他的各种秘书。冈帕斯看起来就是个暴脾气,他的头发以前是红色的,现在多半都变成了灰色。发现有陌生人进来,他抬起头看了一眼,又马上低下头去看文件,不假思索地说:“没有预约不见,只有每月的第二个星期六的晚上九点到十点之间才能接见。”

凯斯宾对伯恩点了点头,就站到了一边。伯恩和德里宁向前一步,一人抓住桌子的一端。他们举起桌子就把它扔向了大厅的一旁,桌子翻倒了,信件、卷宗、墨水瓶、钢笔、封蜡和文件撒了一地。接着,他们的手像钢钳似的牢牢地把冈帕斯从椅子上揪了起来,虽然动作不算粗鲁,但还是一下把他扯到了椅子前四英尺开外的地方。凯斯宾坐在椅子上,把他出鞘的剑放在了膝上。

“大人,”他盯着冈帕斯说,“你可不像我们想象中的那样欢迎我们啊。我是纳尼亚的国王。”

“信里面没提到这件事啊,”总督说,“记录里也没有。我们没收到关于这件事的通知。完全不合规矩。要是你们有什么请求,我倒是很乐意考虑——”

“我们来这里是为了视察阁下您的工作的,”凯斯宾继续说,“有两件事情我特别要求你解释。第一点,根据记录,我发现这些岛屿已经大约有一百五十年没有向纳尼亚的国王进贡了。”

“这件事情我们会在下个月的参议会上提出来讨论,”冈帕斯说,“如果有人提议成立一个调查委员会,在明年的第一次大会上汇报这些岛屿的财政历史,说明当时为什么……”

“我还发现,我国的法律里面写得清清楚楚,”凯斯宾继续说,“如果没有按时进贡,那么这笔账就要算到孤独群岛的总督头上,从总督的私人腰包里掏。”

听到这里,冈帕斯立马上心了。“哎呀,那实在是不可能,”他说,“我付不起这么多钱……呃……陛下您一定是在开玩笑。”

他其实暗自在想,有什么办法能摆脱这些不请自来的客人。如果他知道凯斯宾只有一条船,而且只有这一条船的随从,他一定会当面说些好听话,暗地里则希望在晚上把他们包围起来统统杀掉。但是他昨天看见一条战舰沿着海峡驶来,还看见它打了信号,他心想应该是打给同伙的。那会儿他还不知道这是国王的船,因为风不够大,旗帜没展开,看不见金色的狮像,所以他就等着看事情的发展。现在他想象着凯斯宾在伯恩斯丹有一整支舰队。冈帕斯怎么也不会想到,有人竟然会带着五十人不到的队伍进入狭港,拿下这些岛屿。因为这绝对不是他自己的作风。

“第二点,”凯斯宾说,“我想知道为什么你会允许这种毫无人性的奴隶贸易在这里滋长,这完全与我们的古老传统背道而驰。”

“这是必要的,无法避免,”总督说,“我向您保证,这是这些岛屿经济发展不可或缺的部分,我们现在的繁荣昌盛都是靠它。”

“你们要奴隶有什么用?”

“陛下,出口啊,大部分都卖到了卡罗门。我们还有其他的市场。我们是这种贸易的重要中心。”

“也就是说,”凯斯宾说,“你不需要他们。告诉我,除了把钱赚到普格这种人口袋里,他们还有其他的用处吗?”

“陛下您还年轻,”冈帕斯露出一种父亲般的微笑说,“您理解不了其中包含的经济问题。我有数据,我有图表,我还有——”

“虽然我年轻,”凯斯宾说,“但是我相信我像阁下您一样了解奴隶贸易的本质。我没看见它给这些岛带来了肉、面包、啤酒、葡萄酒、木材、卷心菜、书、乐器、马匹、盔甲或者其他任何值得拥有的东西。不论是不是如此,奴隶贸易必须停止。”

“但是,这就是倒退了,”冈帕斯倒吸了一口凉气,“您不懂进步吗?不懂发展吗?”

“我看到过进步和发展的萌芽状态,”凯斯宾说,“在纳尼亚,我们管这叫‘走歪’,这买卖必须停止。”

“我没法负责实施任何这类措施。”冈帕斯说。

“很好,那么,”凯斯宾说,“我们这就罢了你的职。伯恩勋爵,过来。”冈帕斯还没反应过来,伯恩就已经跪下了,把双手放在国王的双手间,宣誓根据纳尼亚的古老传统、公理、惯例和法律统治孤独群岛。凯斯宾又说:“我想我们不再需要总督了。”于是他封伯恩为公爵——孤独群岛的公爵。

“至于你,我的大人,”他对冈帕斯说,“我原谅你拖欠进贡。但是明天中午之前,你和你的家人必须搬出城堡,这里现在是公爵的住所了。”

“听着,这样也好,”冈帕斯的一位秘书说,“但是如果你们不再演戏,我们就来做点儿小交易。我们面前的问题是——”

“问题是,”公爵说,“你们这群乌合之众想要毫发无伤地离开,还是想挨顿揍再走。你们自己选。”

等到这件事情圆满解决之后,凯斯宾下令备马。马倒是有几匹,虽然喂养得不好,但凯斯宾和伯恩、德里宁,还有其他几个人骑上马就往城里赶,直奔奴隶市场。奴隶市场在一个长长的矮房子里,离港口很近。他们走进去一看,那里就像一个拍卖场。那里有一大群人,普格站在台上,扯着他的粗嗓门大喊:

“先生们,这是二十三号。身体健康的泰瑞宾西亚庄稼人,适合当矿工或者桨手,不到二十五岁,一颗坏牙也没有。好家伙,这肌肉真结实。塔克斯,把他的衣服脱了,好让诸位先生看看。这肌肉!看看他的胸脯。角落里那位先生出十个月牙。先生您一定是在开玩笑。十五!十八!有人为二十三号出价十八个月牙。还有更高的吗?二十一。谢谢您,先生。有人出价二十一——”

然而,普格一看到一群穿着盔甲的人铮铮作响地走上平台,立马就打住了,吓得瞠目结舌。

“所有人,向纳尼亚的国王下跪。”公爵说。所有人都听到了外面叮叮当当的马铃声和马蹄声。许多人听说了他们登陆的传闻和城堡里发生的事。大多数人都服从了命令,那些没下跪的人也被身旁的人拉了下来。还有一些人欢呼起来。

“普格,因为你昨天攻击了王室成员,你得为此偿命,”凯斯宾说,“不过我原谅你的愚昧无知。一刻钟以前,我们国土上的奴隶贸易已经被全部禁止。我宣布,这个市场上的所有奴隶都自由了。”

他举起手,止住了奴隶们的欢呼,然后说:“我的朋友们在哪里?”

“那个可爱的小女孩和漂亮的男孩子吗?”普格谄媚地笑着说,“哎呀,他们一下子就被买走了……”

“凯斯宾,我们在这儿,我们在这儿。”露西和艾德蒙一起大喊。“陛下,谨候差遣。”雷佩契普从另一个角落尖声叫道。他们都已经被买走了,但是他们的买主还留在这里想买其他奴隶,所以他们还没有被带走。人群自动散开,好让他们三个人出来,他们与凯斯宾热烈地握手问候。两个卡罗门的商人立马走上前来。卡罗门人面色黝黑,留着长胡子。他们穿着飘逸的长袍,戴着橙色的头巾。他们是聪明智慧、腰缠万贯、礼貌谦恭又残酷无情的古老民族。他们毕恭毕敬地向凯斯宾鞠了个躬,对他大加赞美,都是些繁荣的源泉灌溉了贤德的花园之类的话,不过他们的意图当然是把付出去的钱再要回来。

“先生们,这样才公平,”凯斯宾说,“今天买了奴隶的人务必把钱拿回去。普格,把你收的钱都拿出来,一小滴都不能剩。”(一小滴等于四十分之一个月牙。)

“好心的陛下,你真的想把我变成穷光蛋吗?”普格哭诉道。

“你这一生都在把自己的幸福建立在别人的痛苦之上,”凯斯宾说,“就算你变成了穷光蛋,那也比做奴隶强。不过,我的另一个朋友在哪里?”

“哦,他呀?”普格说,“欢迎你把他带走。他终于要脱手了,真高兴。我有生之年从来没在市场上看到过这么销不出去的人。最后我给他定价五个月牙,这样都没人要。把他当作买其他奴隶的赠品,还是没有人要。人家碰都不愿意碰他,看都不看他一眼。塔克斯,把那个绷着脸的带出来。”

于是尤斯塔斯就被带了出来,他确实绷着个脸,因为虽然没有人想被当作奴隶卖掉,但被当成没人想买的粗使奴隶也许更让人恼火。他走向凯斯宾,说:“我知道了,又是这样。我们在这儿当俘虏,你倒自个儿快活去了。我想,你还没找到英国领事馆。当然没找到。”

那天晚上,他们在狭港的城堡里举行了盛宴。接着,雷佩契普向大家鞠了一躬,说:“明天我们就要开始真正的冒险了!”说完,他就去睡觉了。但是第二天根本没走成。因为他们将要离开所有的已知的陆地和海域,必须做好万全的准备。黎明踏浪号里的东西被清空了,搁在滚轴上,由八匹马拖着往岸上运,每一寸船身都由最好的造船工匠进行检修。接着,“她”再下水,尽可能多地装了食物和水——也就是二十八天的量。就算是这样,艾德蒙也沮丧地发现,他们最多只能往东航行两个星期就得放弃寻找了。

这期间,凯斯宾又不失时机地把凡是找得到的狭港最老的船长都找来,问他们关于东边陆地的信息,甚至是听来的传闻。他把城堡里的麦芽酒拿出来,一壶壶倒给那些饱经风霜,长着短短的灰白胡须、澄澈蓝眼睛的老人,从他们那里听来了不少夸张的奇谈。但是那些看起来最诚实的人却说不出孤独群岛以东还有什么陆地。还有很多人认为,如果你向东航行得太远了,就会撞进一个茫茫不见陆地的大海,卷进海浪,永远困在世界的尽头的漩涡里——“我猜想,这就是陛下您的朋友掉到海底的地方。”其他人则只有一些不着边际的故事,比如住着无头人的岛屿、漂浮的岛、海上龙卷风、沿着水面燃烧的火焰之类的。只有一个人说了让雷佩契普喜出望外的话:“再过去,就是阿斯兰的国度了。不过那儿比世界的尽头还要远,你们到不了那儿。”但是大家再问他问题的时候,他又说这不过是从他父亲那儿听来的。

伯恩只能告诉他们,他看见他的六位同伴开船往东去了,之后他们就杳无音信了。他与凯斯宾一起站在阿芙拉岛的制高点向东俯瞰大海的时候说了一番话。“我早晨经常来这里,”公爵说,“看着太阳从海面升起,有时候太阳看起来只有几英里远。我也想知道我的朋友们怎么样了,想知道地平线后面到底是什么。最大的可能是什么也没有,但是我总是羞愧于我留在了这里。可是我希望陛下您不要去。我们这里需要您的帮助。关闭奴隶市场可能会创造一个新的世界,我预料我们和卡罗门之间将有一场大战。我的王,请您三思。”

“公爵大人,我发过誓,”凯斯宾说,“再说了,我要怎么跟雷佩契普交代?”

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