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a great wailing or howling went up； so loud that tirian could hear some of the words。
〃aslan！ aslan！ aslan！〃 cried the beasts。 〃speak to us。 fort us。 be angry with us no more。”
from where tirian was he could not make out very clearly what the thing was； but he could see that it was yellow and hairy。 he had never seen the great lion。 he had never seen a mon lion。 he couldnt be sure that what he saw was not the real aslan。 he had not expected aslan to look like that stiff thing which stood and said nothing。 but how could one be sure？ for a moment horrible thoughts went through his mind： then he remembered the nonsense about tash and aslan being the same and knew that the whole thing must be a cheat。
the ape put his head close up to the yellow things head as if he were listening to something it was whispering to him。 then he turned and spoke to the crowd； and the crowd wailed again。 then the yellow thing turned clumsily round and walked … you might almost say； waddled … back into the stable and the ape shut the door behind it。 after that the fire must have been put out for the light vanished quite suddenly； and tirian was once more alone with the cold and the darkness。
he thought of other kings who had lived and died in narnia in old times and it seemed to him that none of them had ever been so unlucky as himself。 he thought of his great…grandfathers great…grandfather king rilian who had been stolen away by a witch when he was only a young prince and kept hidden for years in the dark caves beneath the land of the northern giants。 but then it had all e； right in the end； for two mysterious
children had suddenly appeared from the land beyond the worlds end and had rescued him so that he came home to narnia and had a long and prosperous reign。 〃its not like that with me；〃 said tirian to himself。 then he went further back and： thought about rilians father； caspian the seafarer； whose wicked uncle king miraz had tried to murder him and how caspian had fled away into the woods and lived among the dwarfs。 but that story too had all e right in the end： for caspian also had been helped by children … only there were four of them that time … who came from somewhere beyond the world and fought a great battle and set him on his fathers throne。 〃but it was all long ago；〃 said tirian to himself。 〃that sort of thing doesnt happen now。〃 and then he remembered （for he had always been good at history when he was a boy） how those same four children who had helped caspian had been in narnia over a thousand years before； and it was then that they had done the most remarkable thing of all。 for then they had defeated the terrible white witch and ended the hundred years of winter； and after that they had reigned （all four of them together） at cair paravel； till they were no longer children but great kings and lovely queens； and their reign had been the golden age of narnia。 and aslan had e into that story a lot。 he had e into all the other stories too； as tirian now remembered。 〃aslan … and children from another world；〃 thought tirian。 〃they have always e in when things were at their worst。 oh； if only they could now。”
and he called out 〃aslan！ aslan！ aslan！ e and help us now。”
but the darkness and the cold and the quietness went on just the same。
〃let me be killed；〃 cried the king。 〃i ask nothing for myself。 but e and save all narnia。”
and still there was no change in the night or the wood； but there began to be a kind of change inside tirian。 without knowing why； he began to feel a faint hope。 and he felt somehow stronger。 〃oh aslan； aslan；〃 he whispered。 〃if you will not e yourself； at least send me the helpers from beyond the world。 or let me call them。 let my voice carry beyond the world。〃 then； hardly knowing that he was doing it； he suddenly cried out in a great voice： 〃children！ children！ friends of narnia！ quick。 e to me。 across the worlds i call you； i tirian； king of narnia； lord of cair paravel； and emperor of the lone islands！”
and immediately he was plunged into a dream （if it was a dream） more vivid than any he had had in his life。
he seemed to be standing in a lighted room where seven people sat round a table。 it looked as if they had just finished their meal。 two of those people were very old； an old man with a white beard and an old woman with wise； merry； twinkling eyes。 he who sat at the right hand of the old man was hardly full grown； certainly younger than tirian himself； but his face had already the look of a king and a warrior。 and you could almost say the same of the other youth who sat at the right hand of the old woman。 facing tirian across the table sat a fair…haired girl younger than either of these； and on either side of her
a boy and girl who were younger still。 they were all dressed in what seemed to tirian the oddest kind of clothes。
but he had no time to think about details like that； for instantly the younger boy and both the girls started to their feet； and one of them gave a little scream。 the old woman started and drew in her breath sharply。 the old man must have made some sudden movement too for the wine glass which stood at his right hand was swept off the table： tirian could hear the tinkling noise as it broke on the floor。
then tirian realized that these people could see him； they were staring at him as if they saw a ghost。 but he noticed that the king…like one who sat at the old mans right never moved （though he turned pale） except that he clenched his hand very tight。 then he said： 〃speak； if youre not a phantom or a dream。 you have a narnian look about you and we are the seven friends of narnia。”
tirian was longing to speak； and he tried to cry out aloud that he was tirian of narnia； in great need of help。 but he found （as i have sometimes found in dreams too） that his voice made no noise at all。
the one who had already spoken to him rose to his feet。 〃shadow or spirit or whatever you are；〃 he said； fixing his eyes full upon tirian。 〃if you are from narnia； i charge you in the name of aslan； speak to me。 i am peter the high king。”
the room began to swim before tirians eyes。 he heard