THE VOYAGE OF THE DAWN TREADER-第23章

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〃but　what　manner　of　use　would　it　be　ploughing　through　that　blackness？〃　　asked　drinian。

〃use？〃　replied　reepicheep。　〃use；　captain？　if　by　use　you　mean　filling　our　　bellies　or　our　purses；　i　confess　it　will　be　no　use　at　all。　so　far　as　i　know　we　did　not　set　　sail　to　look　for　things　useful　but　to　seek　honour　and　adventure。　and　here　is　as　great　an　　adventure　as　ever　i　heard　of；　and　here；　if　we　turn　back；　no　tittle　impeachment　of　all　our　　honours。”

several　of　the　sailors　said　things　under　their　breath　that　sounded　like　　〃honour　be　blowed〃；　but　caspian　said：　　　

〃oh；　bother　you；　reepicheep。　i　almost　wish　wed　left　you　at　home。　all　　right！　if　you　put　it　that　way；　i　suppose　we　shall　have　to　go　on。　unless　lucy　would　rather　not？”

lucy　felt　that　she　would　very　much　rather　not；　but　what　she　said　out　loud　　was；　〃im　game。”

〃your　majesty　will　at　least　order　lights？〃　said　drinian。

〃by　all　means；〃　said　caspian。　〃see　to　it；　captain。”

so　the　three　lanterns；　at　the　stern；　and　the　prow　and　the　masthead；　were　　all　lit；　and　drinian　ordered　two　torches　amidships。　pale　and　feeble　they　looked　in　the　　sunshine。　then　all　the　men　except　some　who　were　left　below　at　the　oars　were　ordered　on　　deck　and　fully　armed　and　posted　in　their　battle　stations　with　swords　drawn。　lucy　and　two　　archers　were　posted　on　the　fighting　top　with　bows　bent　and　arrows　on　the　string。　rynelf　　was　in　the　bows　with　his　line　ready　to　take　soundings。　reepicheep；　edmund；　eustace　and　　caspian；　glittering　in　mail；　were　with　him。　drinian　took　the　tiller。

〃and　now；　in　aslans　name；　forward！〃　cried　caspian。　〃a　slow；　steady　stroke。　　and　let　every　man　be　silent　and　keep　his　ears　open　for　orders。”

with　a　creak　and　a　groan　the　dawn　treader　started　to　creep　forward　as　the　　men　began　to　row。　lucy；　up　in　the　fighting　top；　had　a　wonderful　view　of　the　exact　moment　　at　which　they　entered　the　darkness。　the　bows　had　already　disappeared　before　the　　sunlight　had　left　the　stern。　she　saw　it　go。　at　one　minute　the　gilded　stern；　the　blue　sea；　and　　the　sky；　were　all　in　broad　daylight：　next　minute　the　sea　and　sky　had　vanished；　the　stern　　lantern　…　which　had　been　hardly　noticeable　before　…　was　the　only　thing　to　show　where　the　ship　　ended。　in　front　of　the　lantern　she　could　see　the　black　shape　of　drinian　crouching　at　the　　tiller。　down　below　her　the　two　torches　made　visible　two　small　patches　of　deck　and　　gleamed　on　swords　and　helmets；　and　forward　there　was　another　island　of　light　on　the　　forecastle。　apart　from　that；　the　fighting　top；　lit　by　the　masthead　light　which　was　only　just　above　　her；　seemed　to　be　a　little　lighted　world　of　its　own　floating　in　lonely　darkness。　and　the　　lights　themselves；　as　always　happens　with　lights　when　you　have　to　have　them　at　the　wrong　time　　of　day；　looked　lurid　and　unnatural。　she　also　noticed　that　she　was　very　cold。

how　long　this　voyage　into　the　darkness　lasted；　nobody　knew。　except　for　the　　creak　of　the　rowlocks　and　the　splash　of　the　oars　there　was　nothing　to　show　that　they　　were　moving　at　all。　edmund；　peering　from　the　bows；　could　see　nothing　except　the　reflection　　of　the　lantern　in　the　water　before　him。　it　looked　a　greasy　sort　of　reflection；　and　the　　ripple　made　by　their　advancing　prow　appeared　to　be　heavy；　small；　and　lifeless。　as　time　went　on　　everyone　except　the　rowers　began　to　shiver　with　cold。

suddenly；　from　somewhere　…　no　ones　sense　of　direction　was　very　clear　by　　now　…　there　came　a　cry；　either　of　some　inhuman　voice　or　else　a　voice　of　one　in　such　　extremity　of　terror　that　he　had　almost　lost　his　humanity。

caspian　was　still　trying　to　speak　…　his　mouth　was　too　dry　…　when　the　shrill　　voice　of　reepicheep；　which　sounded　louder　than　usual　in　that　silence；　was　heard。

〃who　calls？〃　it　piped。　〃if　you　are　a　foe　we　do　not　fear　you；　and　if　you　are　　a　friend　your　enemies　shall　be　taught　the　fear　of　us。”

〃mercy！〃　cried　the　voice。　〃mercy！　even　if　you　are　only　one　more　dream；　have　　merry。

take　me　on　board。　take　me；　even　if　you　strike　me　dead。　but　in　the　name　of　　all　mercies　do　not　fade　away　and　leave　me　in　this　horrible　land。”

〃where　are　you？〃　shouted　caspian。　〃e　aboard　and　wele。”

there　came　another　cry；　whether　of　joy　or　terror；　and　then　they　knew　that　　someone　was　swimming　towards　them。

〃stand　by　to　heave　him　up；　men；〃　said　caspian。

〃aye；　aye；　your　majesty；〃　said　the　sailors。　several　crowded　to　the　port　　bulwark　with　ropes　and　one；　leaning　far　out　over　the　side；　held　the　torch。　a　wild；　white　　face　appeared　in　the　blackness　of　the　water；　and　then；　after　some　scrambling　and　pulling；　　a　dozen　friendly　hands　had　heaved　the　stranger　on　board。

edmund　thought　he　had　never　seen　a　wilder…looking　man。　though　he　did　not　　otherwise　look　very　old；　his　hair　was　an　untidy　mop　of　white；　his　face　was　thin　and　　drawn；　and；　for　clothing；　only　a　few　wet　rags　hung　about　him。　but　what　one　mainly　noticed　　were　his　eyes；　which　were　so　widely　opened　that　he　seemed　to　have　no　eyelids　at　all；　　and　stared　as　if　in　an　agony　of　pure　fear。　the　moment　his　feet　reached　the　deck　he　said：　　〃fly！　fly！　about　with　your　ship　and　fly！　row；　row；　row　for　your　lives　away　　from　this　accursed　shore。”

〃pose　yourself；〃　said　reepicheep；　〃and　tell　us　what　the　danger　is。　we　　are　not　used　to　flying。”

the　stranger　started　horribly　at　the　voice　of　the　mouse；　which　he　had　not　　noticed　before。

〃nevertheless　you　will　fly　from　here；〃　he　gasped。　〃this　is　the　island　where　　dreams　e　true。”

〃thats　the　island　ive　been　looking　for　this　long　time；〃　said　one　of　the　　sailors。　〃i　reckoned　id　find　i　was　married　to　nancy　if　we　landed　here。”

〃and　id　find　tom　alive　again；〃　said　another。

〃fools！〃　said　the　man；　stamping　his　foot　with　rage。　〃that　is　the　sort　of　　talk　that　brought　me　here；　and　id　better　have　been　drowned　or　never　born。　do　you　hear　what　i　　say？　this　is　　

where　dreams　…dreams；　do　you　understand；　e　to　life；　e　real。　not　　daydreams：　dreams。”

there　was　about　half　a　minutes　silence　and　then；　with　a　great　clatter　of　　armour；　the　whole　crew　were　tumbling　down　the　main　hatch　as　quick　as　they　could　and　flinging　　themselves　on　the　oars　to　row　as　they　had　never　rowed　before；　and　drinian　was　swinging　　round　the　tiller；　and　the　boatswain　was　giving　out　the　quickest　stroke　that　had　ever　　been　heard　at　sea。　for　it　had　taken　everyone　just　that　halfminute　to　remember　certain　　dreams　they　had　had　…　dreams　that　make　you　afraid　of　going　to　sleep　again　…　and　to　realize　　what　it　would　mean　to　land　on　a　country　where　dreams　e　true。

only　reepicheep　remained　unmoved。

〃your　majesty；　your　majesty；〃　he　said；　〃are　you　going　to　tolerate　this　　mutiny；　this　poltroonery？　this　is　a　panic；　this　is　a　rout。”

〃row；　row；〃　bellowed　caspian。　〃pull　for　all　our　lives。　is　her　head　right；　　drinian？　you　can　say　what　you　like；　reepicheep。　there　are　some　things　no　man　can　face。”

〃it　is；　then；　my　good　fortune　not　to　be　a　man；〃　replied　reepicheep　with　a　　very　stiff　bow。

lucy　from　up　aloft　had　heard　it　all。　in　an　instant　that　one　of　her　own　　dreams　which　she　had　tried　hardest　to　forget　came　back　to　her　as　vividly　as　if　she　had　only　　just　woken　from　it。　so　that　was　what　was　behind　them；　on　the　island；　in　the　darkness！　for　a　　second　she　wanted　to　go　down　to　the　deck　and　be　with　edmund　and　caspian。　but　what　was　　the　use？

if　dreams　began　ing　true；　edmund　and　caspian　themselves　might　turn　into　　something　horrible　just　as　she　reached　them。　she　gripped　the　rail　of　the　fighting　top　　and　tried　to　steady　herself。　they　were　rowing　back　to　the　light　as　hard　as　they　could：　　it　would　be　all　right　in　a　few　seconds。　but　oh；　if　only　it　could　be　all　right　now！

though　the　rowing　made　a　good　deal　of　noise　it　did　not　quite　conceal　the　　total　silence　which　surrounded　the　ship。

everyone　knew　it　would　be　better　not　to　listen；　not　to　strain　his　ears　for　　any　sound　from　the　darkness。　but　no　one　could　help　listening。　and　soon　everyone　was　　hearing　things。

each　one　heard　something　different。

〃do　you　hear　a　noise　like　。　。　。　like　a　huge　pair　of　scissors　opening　and　　shutting　。。　。　over　there？〃　eustace　asked　rynelf。

〃hush！〃　said　rynelf。　〃i　can　hear　them　crawling　up　the　sides　of　the　ship。”

〃its　just　going　to　settle　on　the　mast；〃　said　caspian。

〃ugh！〃　said　a　sailor。　〃there　are　the　gongs　beginning。　i　knew　they　would。”

caspian；　trying　not　to　look　at　anything　（especially　not　to　keep　looking　　behind　him）；　went　aft　to　drinian。

〃drinian；〃　he　said　in　a　very　low　voice。　〃how　long　did　we　take　rowing　in？　…　　i　mean　rowing　to　where　we　picked　up　。　the　stranger。”

〃five　minutes；　perhaps；〃　whispered　drinian。　〃why？”

〃because　weve　been　more　than　that　already　trying　to　get　out。”

drinians　hand　shook　on　the　tiller　and　a　line　of　cold　sweat　ran　down　his　　face。　the　same　idea　was　occurring　to　everyone　on　board。　〃we　shall　never　get　out；　never　　get　out；”

moaned　the　rowers。　〃hes　steering　us　wrong。　were　going　round　and　round　in　　circles。　we　shall　never　get　out。〃　the　stranger；　who　had　been　lying　in　a　huddled　heap　on　　the　deck；　sat　up　and　burst　out　into　a　horrible　screaming　laugh。

〃never　get　out！〃　he　yelled。　〃thats　it。　of　course。　we　shall　never　get　out。　　what　a　fool　i　was　to　have　thought　they　would　let　me　go　as　easily　as　that。　no；　no；　we　　shall　never　get　out。”

lucy　leant　her　head　on　the　edge　of　the　fighting　top　and　whispered；