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eader。 rishda tarkaans voice cried out： 〃thirty of you keep watch on those fools by the white rock。 the rest； after me； that we may teach these sons of earth a lesson。”
tirian and his friends； still panting from their fight and thankful for a few minutes rest； stood and looked on while the tarkaan led his men against the dwarfs。 it was a strange scene by now。 the fire had sunk lower： the light it gave was now less and of a darker red。
as far as one could see； the whole place of assembly was now empty except for the dwarf and the calormenes。 in that light one couldnt make out much of what was happening。 it sounded as if the dwarfs were putting up a good fight。 tirian could hear griffle using dreadful language； and every now and then the tarkaan calling； 〃take all you can alive！ take them alive！”
whatever that fight may have been like； it did not last long。 the noise of it died away。
then jill saw the tarkaan ing back to the stable： eleven men followed him； dragging eleven bound dwarfs。 （whether the others had all been killed； or whether some of them had got away； was never known。）
〃throw them into the shrine of tash；〃 said rishda tarkaan。
and when the eleven dwarfs； one after the other； had been flung or kicked into that dark doorway and the door had been shut again； he bowed low to the stable and said： 〃these also are for thy burnt offering； lord tash。”
and all the calormenes banged the flats of their swords on their shields and shouted； 〃tash！ tash！ the great god tash！ inexorable tash！〃 （there was no nonsense about 〃tashlan〃 now。）
the little party by the white rock watched these doings and whispered to one another。
they had found a trickle of water ing down the rock and all had drunk eagerly … jill and poggin and the king in their hands； while the four…footed ones lapped from the little pool which it had made at the foot of the stone。 such was their thirst that it seemed the most delicious drink they had ever had in their lives； and while they were drinking they were perfectly happy and could not think of anything else。
〃i feel in my bones；〃 said poggin； 〃that we shall all； one by one； pass through that dark door before morning。 i can think of a hundred deaths i would rather have died。”
〃it is indeed a grim door；〃 said tirian。 〃it is more like a mouth。”
〃oh； cant we do anything to stop it？〃 said jill in a shaken voice。
〃nay； fair friend；〃 said jewel； nosing her gently。 〃it may be for us the door to aslans country and we shall sup at his table tonight。”
rishda tarkaan turned his back on the stable and walked slowly to a place in front of the white rock。
〃hearken；〃 he said。 〃if the boar and the dogs and the unicorn will e over to me and put themselves in my mercy； their lives shall be spared。 the boar shall go to a cage in the tisrocs garden； the dogs to the tisrocs kennels； and the unicorn； when i have sawn his horn off； shall draw a cart。 but the eagle； the children； and he who was the king shall be offered to tash this night。”
the only answer was growls。
〃get on； warriors；〃 said the tarkaan。 〃kill the beasts； but take the two… legged ones alive。”
and then the last battle of the last king of narnia began。
what made it hopeless； even apart from the numbers of the enemy； was the spears。 the calormenes who had been with the ape almost from the beginning had had no spears： that was because they had e into narnia by ones and twos； pretending to be peaceful merchants； and of course they had carried no spears for a spear is not a thing you can hide。 the new ones must have e in later； after the ape was already strong and they could march openly。 the spears made all the difference。 with a long spear you can kill a boar before you are in reach of his tusks and a unicorn before you are in reach of his horn； if you are very quick and keep your head。 and now the levelled spears were closing in on tirian and his last friends。 next minute they were all fighting for their lives。
in a way it wasnt quite so bad as you might think。
when you are using every muscle to the full … ducking under a spear…point here； leaping over it there； lunging forward； drawing back； wheeling round … you havent much time to feel either frightened or sad。 tirian knew he could do nothing for the others now； they were all doomed together。 he vaguely saw the boar go down on one side of him； and jewel fighting furiously on the other。 out of the corner of one eye he saw； but only just saw； a big calormene pulling jill away somewhere by her hair。 but he hardly thought about any of these things。 his only thought now was to sell his life as dearly as he could。
the worst of it was that he couldnt keep to the position in which he had started； under the white rock。 a man who is fighting a dozen enemies at once must take his chances wherever he can； must dart in wherever he sees an enemys breast or neck unguarded。 in a very few strokes this may get you quite a distance from the spot where you began。 tirian soon found that he was getting further and further to the right； nearer to the stable。 he had a vague idea in his mind that there was some good reason for keeping away from it。 but he couldnt now remember what the reason was。 and anyway； he couldnt help it。
all at once everything came quite clear。 he found he was fighting the tarkaan himself。
the bonfire （what was left of it） was straight in front。 he was in fact fighting in the very doorway of the stable； for it had been opened and two calormenes were holding the door； ready to slam it shut the moment he was inside。 he remembered everything now； and he realized that the enemy had been edging him to the stable on purpose ever since the fight began。 and while he was thinking this he was still fighting the tarkaan as hard as he could。
a new idea came into tirians head。 he dropped his sword； darted forward； in under the sweep of the tarkaans scimitar； seized his enemy by the belt with both hands； and jumped back into the stable； shouting： 〃e in and meet tash yourself！”
there was a deafening noise。 as when the ape had been flung in； the earth shook and there was a blinding light。