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THE VOYAGE OF THE DAWN TREADER-第43章

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 one position。 drinian and edmund were beside her。

〃look;〃 she said。

they both looked; but almost at once drinian said in a low voice:  〃turn round at once; your majesties … thats right; with our backs to the  sea。 and dont look as if we were talking about anything important。”

〃why; whats the matter?〃 said lucy as she obeyed。

〃itll never do for the sailors to see all that;〃 said drinian。 〃well have  men falling in love with a seawoman; or falling in love with the under…sea country itself; and  jumping overboard。 ive heard of that kind of thing happening before in strange  seas。 its always unlucky to see these people。”

〃but we used to know them;〃 said lucy。 〃in the old days at cair paravel  when my brother peter was high king。 they came to the surface and sang at our  coronation。”

〃i think that must have been a different kind; lu;〃 said edmund。 〃they  could live in the air as well as under water。 i rather think these cant。 by the look of them  theyd have surfaced and started attacking us long ago if they could。 they seem very  fierce。”

〃at any rate;〃 said drinian; but at that moment two sounds were heard。 one  was a plop。

the other was a voice from the fighting top shouting; 〃man overboard!〃 then  everyone was busy。 some of the sailors hurried aloft to take in the sail: others  hurried below to get to the oars; and rhince; who was on duty on the poop; began to put the helm  hard over so as to e round and back to the man who had gone overboard。 but by now  everyone knew that it wasnt strictly a man。 it was reepicheep。

〃drat that mouse!〃 said drinian。 〃its more trouble than all the rest of  the ships pany put together。 if there is any scrape to be got into; in it will get! it  ought to be put in irons … keel…hauled … marooned … have its whiskers cut off。 can anyone see the  little blighter?”

all this didnt mean that drinian really disliked reepicheep。 on the  contrary he liked him very much and was therefore frightened about him; and being frightened put  him in a bad temper … just as your mother is much angrier with you for running out into  the road in front of a car than a stranger would be。 no one; of course; was afraid of  reepicheeps drowning; for he was an excellent swimmer; but the three who knew what was  going on below the water were afraid of those long; cruel spears in the hands of the  sea people。

in a few minutes the dawn treader had e round and everyone could see the  black blob in the water which was reepicheep。 he was chattering with the greatest  excitement but as his mouth kept on getting filled with water nobody could understand  what he was saying。

〃hell blurt the whole thing out if we dont shut him up;〃 cried drinian。  to prevent this he rushed to the side and lowered a rope himself; shouting to the sailors;  〃all right; all right。

back to your places。 i hope i can heave a mouse up without help。〃 and as  reepicheep began climbing up the rope not very nimbly because his wet fur made him  heavy … drinian leaned over and whispered to him;  〃dont tell。 not a word。”

but when the dripping mouse had reached the deck it turned out not to be at  all interested in the sea people。

〃sweet!〃 he cheeped。 〃sweet; sweet!”

〃what are you talking about?〃 asked drinian crossly。 〃and you neednt shake  yourself all over me; either。”

〃i tell you the waters sweet;〃 said the mouse。 〃sweet; fresh。 it isnt  salt。”

for a moment no one quite took in the importance of this。 but then  reepicheep once more repeated the old prophecy:  〃where the waves grow sweet; doubt not; reepicheep; there is the utter  east。”

then at last everyone understood。

〃let me have a bucket; rynelf;〃 said drinian。

it was handed him and he lowered it and up it came again。 the water shone  in it like glass。

〃perhaps your majesty would like to taste it first;〃 said drinian to  caspian。

the king took the bucket in both hands; raised it to his lips; sipped; then  drank deeply and raised his head。 his face was changed。 not only his eyes but everything  about him seemed to be brighter。

〃yes;〃 he said; 〃it is sweet。 thats real water; that。 im not sure that it  isnt going to kill me。 but it is the death i would have chosen … if id known about it till  now。”

〃what do you mean?〃 asked edmund。

〃it … its like light more than anything else;〃 said caspian。

〃that is what it is;〃 said reepicheep。 〃drinkable light。 we must be very  near the end of the world now。”

there was a moments silence and then lucy knelt down on the deck and drank  from the bucket。

〃its the loveliest thing i have ever tasted;〃 she said with a kind of  gasp。 〃but oh … its strong。 we shant need to eat anything now。”

and one by one everybody on board drank。 and for a long time they were all  silent。 they felt almost too well and strong to bear it; and presently they began to  notice another result。 as i have said before; there had been too much light ever since  they left the island of ramandu … the sun too large (though not too hot); the sea too bright;  the air too shining。 now; the light grew no less … if anything; it increased … but they  could bear it。

they could look straight up at the sun without blinking。 they could see  more light than they had ever seen before。 and the deck and the sail and their own faces  and bodies became brighter and brighter and every rope shone。 and next morning; when  the sun rose; now five or six times its old size; they stared hard into it and  could see the very feathers of the birds that came flying from it。

hardly a word was spoken on board all that day; till about dinner…time (no  one wanted any dinner; the water was enough for them) drinian said:  〃i cant understand this。 there is not a breath of wind。 the sail hangs  dead。 the sea is as flat as a pond。 and yet we drive on as fast as if there were a gale behind  us。”

〃ive been thinking that; too;〃 said caspian。 〃we must be caught in some  strong current。”

〃hm;〃 said edmund。 〃thats not so nice if the world really has an edge and  were getting near it。”

〃you mean;〃 said caspian; 〃that we might be just well; poured over it?”

〃yes; yes;〃 cried reepicheep; clapping his paws together。 〃thats how ive  alwa
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