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CHAPTER TWELVE THROUGH THE STABLE DOOR（第2页）

Whenyeverymuscletothefull—duderaspear-pointhere，leapihere，lungingfback，wheelinground—youhaven'tmuchtimetofeeleitherfrightenedorsad。Tirianknewheothihersnow;theywerealldoomedtuelysawtheBodownononesideofhim，aingfuriouslyooftheerofoonlyjustsaw，abigenepullingJillawaysomewherebyherhair。Buthehardlythoughtaboutahings。Hisonlythoughtnowwastosellhislifeasdearlyashecould。Theworstofitwasthathe'tkeeptothepositioniarted，uerowhoisfightingadozeoakehisceswhereverhe;mustdartinwhereverheseesanenemy'sbreastuarded。Irokesthismaygetyouquiteadistahespan。Tiriansoonfouingfurtheraheright，hestable。Hehadavagueideainhismindthattherewassomegoodreasawayfromit。Buthe'tthereasonwas。Andanyway，he'thelpit。

Allatcamequiteclear。Hefoundhewasfightiarkaahebowasleftofit）wasstraightinfront。Hewasinfagintheverydoorwayofthestable，forithadbeewoeneswereholdingthedoor，readytoslamitshutthemomenthewasinside。Herememberedeverythingnow，ahattheenemyhadbeenedginghimtothestableonpurposeeversibegan。Ahinkiillfightiarkaanashardashecould。

AnewideatoTirian'shead。Hedroppedhissword，dartedforward，ihesweepoftheTarkaan'sscimitar，seizedhisehebeltwithbothhands，andjumpedbatothestable，shouting:“eiashyourself!”

Therewasadeafeningnoise。Asehadbeenfluhshookandtherewasablindinglight。

Theesidescreamed。“Tash，Tash!”ahedoor。IfTashwaheirotain，Tashmusthavehim。They，atawaash。

ForamomentortwoTiriandidnotknoasoreveheeadiedhimself，blinked，andlookedaround。Itwasnotdarkiable，ashehadexpected。Hewasinstronglight:thatasblinking。

&olookatRishdaTarkaan，butRishdawasnotlookingathim。Rishdagaveagreatoihishandsbeforehisfadfellflat，fawards，ontheground。TiriahedirewheretheTarkaanhadpoiheood。

Aterriblefigurewas。Itwasfarsmallerthaheyhadseehoughstillmuchbiggerthanaman，anditwasthesame。Ithadavulture'sheadandfourarms。Itsbeakenanditseyesblazed。Agvoiceitsbeak。

“ThouhastcalledmeintoNarnia，RishdaTarkaan。HereIam。Whathastthoutosay?”

ButtheTarkaaedhisfathegroundnorsaidaword。Hewasshakinglikeaman。HewasbraveenoughihalfhiscehadlefthimearlierthatnightwhebegaheremightbearealTash。Therestofithadlefthimnow。

Withasuddenjerk-likeahenstoopingtopi—TashpouhemiserableRishdaandtuckedhimuheupperofhistwhtarms。ThenTashturnedhisheadsidewisetofixTiriaerribleeyes:forofcourse，havingabird'shead，he'tlookatyht。

Butimmediately，frombehindTash，strongandcalmasthesummersea，avoicesaid:“BegoakeyourlawfulpreytoyourowhenameofAslanandAslan'sgreatFathertheEmperor-over-the-Sea。”

ThehideouscreaturevaheTarkaanstillusarm。AndTiriaoseeoken。

Ahehisheartbeatingasithadeninanyfight。

SevenKingsaoodbeforehim，allwiththeirheadsandallihes，buttheKingsworefinemailaswellandhadtheirswordsdrawnintheirhands。TiriaeouslyandwasabouttospeakwheoftheQueearedhardatherfadthehamazement，forhekwasJill:butnotJillashehadlastseehherfacealldirtandtearsandanolddrilldresshalfslippingoffoneshoulder。Nowshelookeddfresh，asfreshasifshehadjustbathing。Andatfirsthethoughtshelookedolder，butthendidn't，andheevermakeuphismindonthatpoint。AtheyouheKiace:buthealsowasgedasJill>

Tiriaawkwardaboutongthesepeoplewiththebloodanddustaofabattlestilloherealizedthathewasnotinthatstateatall。HewasfreshanddddressedinsuchclothesashewouldhavewreatfeastatCairParavel。（ButinNarniayoodclotheswereneveryourunfortableoheykomakethingsthatfeltbeautifulaswellaslookiifulinNarnia:andtherewasnosugasstarobefoundfromohetrytotheother。）

“Sire，”saidJillingforwardandmakiifulcurtsey，“letmemakeyoukheHighKingsinNarnia。”

TirianhadoaskwhichwastheHighKing，forherememberedhisface（thoughhereitwasfarnobler）fromhisdream。Hesteppedforward，sankononekneeaer'shand。

“HighKing，”hesaid。“Youarewele。”

AndtheHighKingraisedhimandkissedhimonbothcheeksasaHighKingshould。TheotheeldestoftheQueens—buteveold，andtherewerenograyhairsonherheadandnowrinklesonherdsaid，“Sir，thisisthatLadyPollywhotoNarDay，whenAslareesgrowaalk。”Hebroughthimoamanwhosegoldenbeardflowedoverhisbreastandwhosefacewasfullofwisdom。“Andthis，”hesaid，“istheLoryithheronthatday。AndthisismybrEdmund:andthismysister，theQueenLucy。”

“Sir，”saidTirian，whenhehadgreetedallthese。“IfIhavereadtheiclearight，thereshouldbeanother。HasnotyourMajestytwosisters?WhereisQueenSusan?”

“MysisterSusaershravely，“isnolongerafriendofNarnia。”

“Yes，”saidEustadwheneveryou&#ethertoeandtalkaboutNarniaordoanythingaboutNarnia，shesays，'Whatwonderfulmemoriesyouhave!Fancyyourstillthinkingaboutallthosefunnygamesweusedtoplayere。'”

“OhSusan!”saidJill。“She'sihingnylonsandlipstivitations。Shealwayswasajollysighttookeenonbeinggrown-up。”

“Grown-up，indeed，”saidtheLadyPolly。“Iup。Shewastedallhersewantiheagesheisnow，andshe'llwastealltherestofherlifetryingtostaythatage。Herwholeideaistoratothesilliesttimeofone'slifeasquickasshedthenstasshe。”

“Well，don'tlet'stalkaboutthatnoeter。“Look!Herearelovelyfruit-trees。Letustastethem。”

Ahefirsttime，Tiriahimandrealizedhowveryqueerthisadventure