按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
me to at all。
at that moment aslan and the signs rushed back into her mind。 she had forgotten all about them for the last half…hour。
〃scrubb！〃 she whispered； grabbing his arm。 〃scrubb； quick！ do you see anyone you know？”
〃so youve turned up again； have you？〃 said scrubb disagreeably （for which he had some reason）。 〃well； keep quiet； cant you？ i want to listen。”
〃dont be a fool；〃 said jill。 〃there isnt a moment to lose。 dont you see some old friend here？ because youve got to go and speak to him at once。”
〃what are you talking about？〃 said scrubb。
〃its aslan … the lion … says youve got to；〃 said jill despairingly。 〃ive seen him。”
〃oh； you have； have you？ what did he say？”
〃he said the very first person you saw in narnia would be an old friend； and youd got to speak to him at once。”
〃well； theres nobody here ive ever seen in my life before； and anyway； i dont know whether this is narnia。”
〃thought you said youd been here before；〃 said jill。
〃well； you thought wrong then。”
〃well； i like that！ you told me …”
〃for heavens sake dry up and lets hear what theyre saying。”
the king was speaking to the dwarf； but jill couldnt hear what he said。 and； as far as she could make out； the dwarf made no answer； though he nodded and wagged his head a great deal。 then the king raised his voice and addressed the whole court： but his voice was so old and cracked that she could understand very little of his speech … especially since it was all about people and places she had never heard of。 when the speech was over； the king stooped down and kissed the dwarf on both cheeks； straightened himself； raised his right hand as if in blessing； and went； slowly and with feeble steps； up the gangway and on board the ship。 the courtiers appeared to be greatly moved by his departure。 handkerchiefs were got out； sounds of sobbing were heard in every direction。
the gangway was cast off； trumpets sounded from the poop； and the ship moved away from the quay。 （it was being towed by a rowing…boat； but jill didnt see that。）
〃now …〃 said scrubb； but he didnt get any farther； because at that moment a large white object … jill thought for a second that it was a kite … came gliding through the air and alighted at his feet。 it was a white owl； but so big that it stood as high as a good…sized dwarf。
it blinked and peered as if it were short…sighted； and put its head a little on one side； and said in a soft； hooting kind of voice： 〃tu…whoo； tu…whoo！ who are you two？”
〃my names scrubb； and this is pole；〃 said eustace。 〃would you mind telling us where we are？”
〃in the land of narnia； at the kings castle of cair paravel。”
〃is that the king whos just taken ship？”
〃too true； too true；〃 said the owl sadly； shaking its big head。 〃but who are you？ theres something magic about you two。 i saw you arrive： you flew。 everyone else was so busy seeing the king off that nobody knew。 except me。 i happened to notice you； you flew。”
〃we were sent here by aslan；〃 said eustace in a low voice。
〃tu…whoo； tu…whoo！〃 said the owl； ruffling out its feathers。 〃this is almost too much for me； so early in the evening。 im not quite myself till the suns down。”
〃and weve been sent to find the lost prince；〃 said jill； who had been anxiously waiting to get into the conversation。
〃its the first ive heard about it；〃 said eustace。 〃what prince？”
〃you had better e and speak to the lord regent at once；〃 it said。 〃thats him； over there in the donkey carriage； trumpkin the dwarf。〃 the bird turned and began leading the way； muttering to itself； 〃whoo！ tu…whoo！ what a to…do！ i cant think clearly yet。 its too early。”
〃what is the kings name？〃 asked eustace。
〃caspian the tenth；〃 said the owl。 and jill wondered why scrubb had suddenly pulled up short in his walk and turned an extraordinary colour。 she thought she had never seen him look so sick about anything。 but before she had time to ask any questions they had reached the dwarf； who was just gathering up the reins of his donkey and preparing to drive back to the castle。 the crowd of courtiers had broken up and were going in the same direction； by ones and twos and little knots； like people ing away from watching a game or a race。
〃tu…whoo！ ahem！ lord regent；〃 said the owl； stooping down a little and holding its beak near the dwarfs ear。
〃heh？ whats that？〃 said the dwarf。
〃two strangers； my lord；〃 said the owl。
〃rangers！ what dye mean？〃 said the dwarf。 〃i see two unmonly grubby man…cubs。
what do they want？”
〃my names jill；〃 said jill； pressing forward。 she was very eager to explain the important business on which they had e。
〃the girls called jill；〃 said the owl； as loud as it could。
〃whats that？〃 said the dwarf。 〃the girls are all killed！ i dont believe a word of it。 what girls？ who killed em？”
〃only one girl； my lord；〃 said the owl。 〃her name is jill。”
〃speak up； speak up；〃 said the dwarf。 〃dont stand there buzzing and twittering in my ear。 whos been killed？”
〃nobodys been killed；〃 hooted the owl。
〃who？”
〃nobody。”
〃all right； all right。 you neednt shout。 im not so deaf as all that。 what do you mean by ing here to tell me that nobodys been killed？ why should anyone have been killed？”
〃better tell him im eustace；〃 said scrubb。
〃the boys eustace； my lord；〃 hooted the owl as loud as it could。
〃useless？〃 said the dwarf irritably。 〃i dare say he is。 is that any reason for bringing him to court？ hey？”
〃not useless；〃 said the owl。 〃eustace。”
〃used to it； is he？ i dont know what youre talking about； im sure。 i tell you what it is； master glimfeather； when i was a young dwarf there used to be talking beasts and birds in this country who really could talk。 there wasnt all this mumbling and muttering and whispering。 it wouldnt have been tolerated for a moment。 not for a moment； sir。 urnus； my trumpet please …”
a little faun who had been standing quietly beside the dwarfs elbow all this time now handed him a silver eartrumpet。 it was made like the musical instrument called a serpent； so that the tube curled right round the dwarfs neck。 while he was getting it