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CHAPTER TWO THE RASHNESS OF THE KING（第2页）

&hagoodwill，”saidJewel。

ButRoonwitsaid，“Sire，bewaryinyourjustwrath。Therearestrangedoingsonfoot。Ifthereshouldberebelsinarmsfurtherupthevalley，wethreearetoofewtomeetthem。Ifitwouldpleaseyoutowaitwhile—”

“Iwillnotwaitthetenthpartofased，”saidtheKing。“ButwhileJewelandIgoforward，doyougallopashardasyoumaytoCairParavel。Hereismyringfetmeasen-at-arms，allwellmounted，aalkingDogs，andtenDwarfs（letthemallbefellardaLeopardorso，aheGiant。Brierusasquicklyasmaybe。”

“Withagoodwill，Sire，”saidRoonwit。Aurnedawarddo>

&rodeopautteringtohimselfaimesghisfists。Jewelwalkedbesidehim，sayingnothing;sotherewasnosouhembutthefaintjingleoldthathungroundtheUni'shewofeetandfourhoofs。

TheysooheRiverawheretherewasagrassyroad:theyhadthewateroheforestht。Sooheycametotheplacewherethegrherandthiedower'sedge。Theroad，whattherewasofit，nowrahernbaofordtheRivertoreachit。IttoTirian'sarm-pits，butJewel（whsaeadier）kepthtsoastobreaktheforceofthet，andTirianputhisstrongarmroundtheUni&#heybothgotsafelyover。TheKingwasstillsoangrythathehardlyhecoldofthewater。Butofcoursehedriedhisswordverycarefullyontheshoulderofhiscloak，whichwastheonlydrypartofhim，assoooshore。

TheyestwardwiththeRiverhtaestraightaheadofthem。Theyhadhaheybothstoppedandbothspokeatthesamemoment。TheKingsaid“Whathavewehere?”andJewelsaid“Look!”

“Itisaraft，”saidKingTirian。

Andsoitwas。Halfadozeree-trunks，allandnewlyloppedoftheirbranches，hadbeehertomakearaft，andwereglidingswiftlydowhefroherewasawaterratoletosteerit。

&er-Rat!Whatareyouabout?”criedtheKing。

“Takinglogsdowheenes，Sire，”saidtheRat，toughisearashemighthavetouchedhiscapifhehadhadone。

“ehuirian。“Whatdoyoumean?Whogaveorderforthesetreestobefelled?”

TheRiverflowssoswiftlyatthattimeoftheyearthattherafthadalreadyglidedpasttheKitheWater-RatlookedbackoveritsshoulderaheLion'sorders，Sire。Aslanhimself。”Headdedsomethihey'thearit。

TheKingandtheUnistaredatohlhteheyhadeverbeeninanybattle。

“Aslan，”saidtheKingatlast，inaverylowvoi。Coulditbetrue?CouldhebefellireesaheDryads?”

&heDryadshavealldohingdreadfullywrong—”murmuredJewel。

“Butsellioenes!”saidtheKing。“Isitpossible?”

“Idon'tknow，”saidJewelmiserably。“He'snotatamelion。”

“Well，”saidtheKingatlast，“wemustgooheadveestous。”

“Itistheonlythiforustodo，Sire，”saidtheUseeatthemomenthowfoolishitwasfortwoofthemtogoonalone;nordidtheKiooangrytothimuchevilcameoftheirrashheend。

&heKingleanedhardonhisfriend'snedbowedhishead。

“Jewel，”hesaid，“whatliesbeforeus?Horriblethoughtsarisei。Ifwehaddiedbeforetodayweshouldhavebeenhappy。”

“Yes，”saidJewel。“Wehavelivedtoolohingintheooodlikethatforamiwoaon。

Beftheycouldhearthehack-hack-hackofaxesfallinghtheycouldseebecausetherewasariseofthegroundinfroheyhadreachedthetopofittheychtieitself。AndtheKing'sfaedwhite>

Rightthroughthemiddleofthata—thatforestwherethetreesofgoldandofsilverhadonandwhereaourlareeofProte—abroadlanehadalreadybeewasahideouslanelikearawgashintheland，fullofmuddyrutswherefelledtreeshadbeeotheriver。Therewasagreatcrowdofpeopleatwork，andagofwhips，auggingandstrainingastheydraggedatthelogs。ThefirstthingthatstrugandtheUniwasthatabouthalfthepeopleinthecrowdwerenotTalkiMehingwasthatthesemehefair-hairedmenofNarnia:theyweredark，beardedmenfromen，thatgreatarythatliesbeyondArdacrossthedeserttothesouth。Therewasnoreason，ofcourse，whyoneshouldaewoinNaroranambassador—forthereeaNarniaahosedays。ButTirianotuandwhythereweresomanyofthem:norwhytheyweregdownaNar。Hegraspedhisswhterandrolledhisdhisleftarm。Theycamequiongthemen。

Twoenesweredrivingahorsewhichwasharoalog。JustastheKiheloghadgotstuabadmuddyplace。

&on，sonofsloth!Pull，youlazypig!”criedtheenes，gtheirwhips。Thehorsewasalreadystraininghimselfashardashecould;hiseyeswereredandhewascovered>

“Work，lazybrute，”shoutedoheenes:andashespokehestruckthehelyasthenthatthereallydreadfulthinghappened。

UptillnowTiriafrahehorseswhichtheenesweredriviheirownhorses;dumb，witlessanimalslikethehorsesofourownworld。Andthoughhehatedtoseeevenadumbhorseoverdriven，hewasofcoursethihemurderoftheTrees。IthadnevercrossedhismindthatanyonewoulddaretoharhefreeTalkingHorsesofNarnia，muchlesstouseawhiponit。Butasthatsavageblowfellthehorserearedupandsaid，halfsg:“Foolandtyrant!DoyounotseeIamdoingallI?”

&iriaheHorsewasoneofhisownNarnians，thereandoverJewelsucharagethattheydidnotknowwhattheyweredoing。TheKing'sswordwentup，theUni'shordown。Theyrushedfether。heeheoirian'sswordaherghtheheartbyJewel'shorn。