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chater eleven the ace icken（第1页）

QUICKaslightning，RishdaTarkaanleapedbackoutofreachoftheKing’ssword.Hewasnocoward，andwouldhavefoughtsingle-handedagainstTirianandtheDwarfifneedwere.ButhecouldnottakeontheEagleandtheUnicornaswell.HeknewhowEaglescanflyintoyourfaceandpeckatyoureyesandblindyouwiththeirwings.Andhehadheardfromhisfather（whohadmetNarniansinbattle）thatnoman，exceptwitharrows，oralongspear，canmatchaUnicorn，foritrearsonitshindlegsasitfallsuponyouandthenyouhaveitshoofsanditshornanditsteethtodealwithallatonce.Soherushedintothecrowdandstoodcallingout：

“Tome，tome，warriorsofTheTisroc，may-he-liveforever.Tome，allloyalNarnians，lestthewrathofTashlanfalluponyou!”

Whilethiswashappeningtwootherthingshappenedaswell.TheApehadnotrealizedhisdangerasquicklyastheTarkaan.

Forasecondorsoheremainedsquattingbesidethefirestaringatthenewcomers.ThenTirianrusheduponthewretchedcreature，pickeditupbythescruffoftheneck，anddashedbacktothestableshouting，“Openthedoor!”Pogginopenedit.“Goanddrinkyourownmedicine，Shift!”saidTirianandhurledtheApethroughintothedarkness.ButastheDwarfbangedthedoorshutagain，ablindinggreenish-bluelightshoneoutfromtheinsideofthestable，theearthshook，andtherewasastrangenoise-acluckingandscreamingasifitwasthehoarsevoiceofsomemonstrousbird.TheBeastsmoanedandhowledandcalledout“Tashlan!Hideusfromhim!”andmanyfelldown，andmanyhidtheirfacesintheirwingsorpaws.NooneexceptFarsighttheEagle，whohasthebesteyesofalllivingthings，noticedthefaceofRishdaTarkaanatthatmoment.AndfromwhatFarsightsawthereheknewatoncethatRishdawasjustassurprised，andnearlyfrightened，aseveryoneelse.“Theregoesone，”thoughtFarsight，“whohascalledongodshedoesnotbelievein.Howwillitbewithhimiftheyhavereallycome？”

Thethirdthing-whichalsohappenedatthesamemoment-wastheonlyreallybeautifulthingthatnight.EverysingleTalkingDoginthewholemeeting（therewerefifteenofthem）cameboundingandbarkingjoyouslytotheKing’sside.Theyweremostlygreatbigdogswiththickshouldersandheavyjaws.Theircomingwaslikethebreakingofagreatwaveontheseabeach：itnearlyknockedyoudown.ForthoughtheywereTalkingDogstheywerejustasdoggyastheycouldbe：andtheyallstoodupandputtheirfrontpawsontheshouldersofthehumansandlickedtheirfaces，allsayingatonce：“Welcome!Welcome!We’llhelp，we’llhelp，help，help.Showushowtohelp，showushow，how.How-how-how？”

Itwassolovelythatitmadeyouwanttocry.This，atlast，wasthesortofthingtheyhadbeenhopingfor.Andwhen，amomentlater，severallittleanimals（miceandmolesandasquirrelorso）camepatteringup，squealingwithjoy，andsaying“See，see.We’rehere，”andwhen，afterthat，theBearandtheBoarcametoo，Eustacebegantofeelthatperhaps，afterall，everythingmightbegoingtocomeright.ButTiriangazedroundandsawhowveryfewoftheanimalshadmoved．

“Tome!tome!”hecalled.“HaveyouallturnedcowardssinceIwasyourKing？”

“Wedaren’t，”whimpereddozensofvoices.“Tashlanwouldbeangry.ShieldusfromTashlan.”

“WherearealltheTalkingHorses？”askedTirian．

“We’veseen，we’veseen，”squealedtheMice.“TheApehasmadethemwork.They’realltied-downatthebottomofthehill.”

“Thenallyoulittleones，”saidTirian，“younibblersandgnawersandnutcrackers，awaywithyouasfastasyoucanscamperandseeiftheHorsesareonourside.Andiftheyare，getyourteethintotheropesandgnawtilltheHorsesarefreeandbringthemhither.”

“Withagoodwill，Sire，”camethesmallvoices，andwithawhiskoftailsthosesharp-eyedandsharp-toothedfolkwereoff.Tiriansmiledformereloveashesawthemgo.Butitwasalreadytimetobethinkingofotherthings.RishdaTarkaanwasgivinghisorders．

“Forward，”hesaid.“Takeallofthemaliveifyoucanandhurlthemintothestableordrivethemintoit.WhentheyareallinwewillputfiretoitandmakethemanofferingtothegreatgodTash.”

“Ha!”saidFarsighttohimself.“SothatishowhehopestowinTash’spardonforhisunbelief.”

Theenemyline-abouthalfofRishda’sforce-wasnowmovingforward，andTirianhadbarelytimetogivehisorders．

“Outontheleft，Jill，andtrytoshootallyoumaybeforetheyreachus.BoarandBearnexttoher.Pogginonmyleft，Eustaceonmyright.Holdtherightwing，Jewel.Standbyhim，Puzzle，anduseyourhoofs.Hoverandstrike，Farsight.YouDogs，justbehindus.Goinamongthemafterthesword-playhasbegun.Aslantoouraid!”

Eustacestoodwithhisheartbeatingterribly，hopingandhopingthathewouldbebrave.Hehadneverseenanything（thoughhehadseenbothadragonandaseaserpent）thatmadehisbloodrunsocoldasthatlineofdark-facedbright-eyedmen.TherewerefifteenCalormenes，aTalkingBullofNarnia，SlinkeytheFox，andWraggletheSatyr.Thenheheardtwang-and-zipponhisleftandoneCalormenefell：thentwang-andzippagainandtheSatyrwasdown.“Oh，welldone，daughter!”cameTirian’svoice;andthentheenemywereuponthem．

Eustacecouldneverrememberwhathappenedinthenexttwominutes.Itwasalllikeadream（thesortyouhavewhenyourtemperatureisover100）untilheheardRishdaTarkaan’svoicecallingoutfromthedistance：

“Retire.Backhitherandre-for”

ThenEustacecametohissensesandsawtheCalormenesscamperingbacktotheirfriends.ButnotalloftheTwolaydead，piercedbyJewel’shorn，onebyTirian’ssword.TheFoxlaydeadathisownfeet，andhewonderedifitwashewhohadkilledit.TheBullalsowasdown，shotthroughtheeyebyanarrowfromJillandgashedinhissidebytheBoar’stusk.Butoursidehaditslossestoo.Threedogswerekilledandafourthwashobblingbehindthelineonthreelegsandwhimpering.TheBearlayontheground，movingfeebly.Thenitmumbledinitsthroatyvoice，bewilderedtothelast，“I-Idon’tunderstand，”laiditsbigheaddownonthegrassasquietlyasachildgoingtosleep，andnevermovedagain．

Infact，thefirstattackhadfailed.Eustacedidn’tseemabletobegladaboutit：hewassoterriblythirstyandhisarmachedso．

AsthedefeatedCalormeneswentbacktotheircommander，theDwarfsbeganjeeringatthem．

“Hadenough，Darkies？”theyyelled.“Don’tyoulikeit？Whydoesn’tyourgreatTarkaangoandfighthimselfinsteadofsendingyoutobekilled？PoorDarkies!”

“Dwarfs，”criedTirian.“Comehereanduseyourswords，notyourtongues.Thereisstilltime.DwarfsofNarnia!Youcanfightwell，Iknow.Comebacktoyourallegiance.”

“Yah!”sneeredtheDwarfs.“Notlikely.You’rejustasbighumbugsastheotherlot.Wedon’twantanyKings.TheDwarfsarefortheDwarfs.Boo!”

ThentheDrumbegan：notaDwarfdrumthistime，butabigbull’shideCalormenedruThechildrenfromtheveryfirsthatedthesound.Boom-boom-ba-ba-boomitwent.Buttheywouldhavehateditfarworseiftheyhadknownwhatitmeant.Tiriandid.ItmeantthattherewereotherCalormenetroopssomewherenearandthatRishdaTarkaanwascallingthemtohisaid.TirianandJewellookedatoneanothersadly.Theyhadjustbeguntohopethattheymightwinthatnight：butitwouldbealloverwiththemifnewenemiesappeared．

Tiriangazeddespairinglyround.SeveralNarnianswerestandingwiththeCalormenes，whetherthroughtreacheryorinhonestfearof“Tashlan”.Othersweresittingstill，staring，notlikelytojoineitherside.Buttherewerefeweranimalsnow：thecrowdwasmuchsmaller.Clearly，severalofthemhadjustcreptquietlyawayduringthefighting．

Boom-boom-ba-ba-boomwentthehorribledruThenanothersoundbegantomixwithit.“Listen!”saidJewel：andthen“Look!”saidFarsight.Amomentlatertherewasnodoubtwhatitwas.Withathunderofhoofs，withtossingheads，widenednostrils，andwavingmanes，overascoreofTalkingHorsesofNarniacamechargingupthehill.Thegnawersandnibblershaddonetheirwork．

PoggintheDwarfandthechildrenopenedtheirmouthstocheerbutthatcheernevercame.Suddenlytheairwasfullofthesoundoftwangingbow-stringsandhissingarrows.ItwastheDwarfswhowereshootingand-foramomentJillcouldhardlybelievehereyes-theywereshootingtheHorses.Dwarfsaredeadlyarchers.HorseafterHorserolledover.NotoneofthosenobleBeastseverreachedtheKing．

“LittleSwine，”shriekedEustace，dancinginhisrage.“Dirty，filthy，treacherouslittlebrutes.”EvenJewelsaid，“ShallIrunafterthoseDwarfs，Sire，andspittenofthemonmyhornateachplunge？”ButTirianwithhisfaceassternasstone，said，“Standfast，Jewel.Ifyoumustweep，sweetheart（thiswastoJill），turnyourfaceasideandseeyouwetnotyourbow-string.Andpeace，Eustace.Donotscold，likeakitchen-girl.Nowarriorscolds.Courteouswordsorelsehardknocksarehisonlylanguage.”

ButtheDwarfsjeeredbackatEustace.“Thatwasasurpriseforyou，littleboy，eh？Thoughtwewereonyourside，didyou？Nofear.Wedon’twantanyTalkingHorses.Wedon’twantyoutowinanymorethantheothergang.Youcan’ttakeusin.TheDwarfsarefortheDwarfs.”

RishdaTarkaanwasstilltalkingtohismen，doubtlessmakingarrangementsforthenextattackandprobablywishinghehadsenthiswholeforceintothefirst.Thedrumboomedon.Then，totheirhorror，Tirianandhisfriendsheard，farfainterasiffromalongwayoff，anansweringdruAnotherbodyofCalormeneshadheardRishda’ssignalandwerecomingtosupporthiYouwouldnothaveknownfromTirian’sfacethathehadnowgivenupallhope．

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