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or though they could reach the oasis by the end of their first days march； yet the springs there would be too little for the thirst of all those soldiers and their beasts。 but there is another way。”
shasta listened more attentively still。
〃he that would find that way；〃 said the raven； 〃must start from the tombs of the ancient kings and ride northwest so that the double peak of mount pire is always straight ahead of him。 and so； in a days riding or a little more； he shall e to the head of a stony valley； which is so narrow that a man might be within a furlong of it a thousand times and never know that it was there。 and looking down this valley he will see neither grass nor water nor anything else good。 but if he rides on down it he will e to a river and can ride by the water all the way into archenland。”
〃and do the calormenes know of this western way？〃 asked the queen。
〃friends； friends；〃 said edmund； 〃what is the use of all this discourse？ we are not asking whether narnia or calormen would win if war arose between them。 we are asking how to save the honour of the queen and our own lives out of this devilish city。 for though my brother； peter the high king； defeated the tisroc a dozen times over； yet long before that day our throats would be cut and the queens grace would be the wife； or more likely； the slave； of this prince。”
〃we have our weapons； king；〃 said the first dwarf。 〃and this is a reasonably defensible house。”
〃as to that；〃 said the king； 〃i do not doubt that every one of us would sell our lives dearly in the gate and they would not e at the queen but over our dead bodies。 yet we should be merely rats fighting in a trap when alls said。”
〃very true；〃 croaked the raven。 〃these last stands in a house make good stories； but nothing ever came of them。 after their first few repulses the enemy always set the house on fire。”
〃i am the cause of all this；〃 said susan； bursting into tears。 〃oh； if only i had never left cair paravel。 our last happy day was before those ambassadors came from calormen。
the moles were planting an orchard for us 。 。 。 oh 。 。 。 oh。”
and she buried her face in her hands and sobbed。
〃courage； su； courage；〃 said edmund。 〃remember…but what is the matter with you； master tumnus？〃 for the faun was holding both his horns with his hands as if he were
trying to keep his head on by them and writhing to and fro as if he had a pain in his inside。
〃dont speak to me； dont speak to me；〃 said tumnus。 〃im thinking。 im thinking so that i can hardly breathe。 wait； wait； do wait。”
there was a moments puzzled silence and then the faun looked up； drew a long breath； mopped its forehead and said： 〃the only difficulty is how to get down to our ship…with some stores； too… without being seen and stopped。”
〃yes；〃 said a dwarf dryly。 〃just as the beggars only difficulty about riding is that he has no horse。”
〃wait； wait；〃 said mr tumnus impatiently。 〃all we need is some pretext for going down to our ship today and taking stuff on board。”
〃yes；〃 said king edmund doubtfully。
〃well； then；〃 said the faun； 〃how would it be if your majesties bade the prince to a great banquet to be held on board our own galleon； the spendour hyaline； tomorrow night？
and let the message be worded as graciously as the queen can contrive without pledging her honour： so as to give the prince a hope that she is weakening。”
〃this is very good counsel； sire；〃 croaked the raven。
〃and then；〃 continued tumnus excitedly； 〃everyone will expect us to be going down to the ship all day； making preparations for our guests。 and let some of us go to the bazaars and spend every minim we have at the fruiterers and the sweetmeat sellers and the wine merchants； just as we would if we were really giving a feast。 and let us order magicians and jugglers and dancing girls and flute players； all to be on board tomorrow night。”
〃i see； i see；〃 said king edmund； rubbing his hands。
〃and then；〃 said tumnus； 〃well all be on board tonight。 and as soon as it is quite dark…”
〃up sails and out oars…！〃 said the king。
〃and so to sea；〃 cried tumnus； leaping up and beginning to dance。
〃and our nose northward；〃 said the first dwarf。
〃running for home！ hurrah for narnia and the north！〃 said the other。
〃and the prince waking next morning and finding his birds flown！〃 said peridan； clapping his hands。
〃oh master tumnus； dear master tumnus；〃 said the queen； catching his hands and swinging with him as he danced。 〃you have saved us all。”
〃the prince will chase us；〃 said another lord； whose name shasta had not heard。
〃thats the least of my fears；〃 said edmund。 〃i have seen all the shipping in the river and theres no tall ship of war nor swift galley there。 i wish he may chase us！ for the splendour hyaline could sink anything he has to send after her … if we were overtaken at all。”
〃sire；〃 said the raven。 〃you shall hear no better plot than the fauns though we sat in council for seven days。 and now； as we birds say； nests before eggs。 which is as much as to say； let us all take our food and then at once be about our business。”
everyone arose at this and the doors were opened and the lords and the creatures stood aside for the king and queen to go out first。 shasta wondered what he ought to do； but mr tumnus said； 〃lie there； your highness； and i will bring you up a little feast to yourself in a few moments。 there is no need for you to move until we are all ready to embark。”
shasta laid his head down again on the pillows and soon he was alone in the room。
〃this is perfectly dreadful；〃 thought shasta。 it never came into his head to tell these narnians the whole truth and ask for their help。 having been brought up by a hard； closefisted man like arsheesh； he had a fixed habit of never telling grown …ups anything if he could help it： he thought they would always spoil or stop whatever you were trying to do。 and he thought that even if the narnian king might be friendly to the two horses； because they were talking beasts of narnia； he would hate aravis； because she was a calormene； and either sell her for a slave or send her