The Horse and His Boy-第6章

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em。　i　therefore　went　to　the　chief　of　the　messengers　in　the　house　of　imperial　posts　in　azim　　balda　and　said；　‘o　dispatcher　of　messages；　here　is　a　letter　from　my　uncle　ahoshta　　tarkaan　to　kidrash　tarkaan　lord　of　calavar。　take　now　these　five　crescents　and　cause　it　　to　be　sent　to　him。　and　the　chief　of　the　messengers　said；　‘to　hear　is　to　obey。　　〃this　letter　was　feigned　to　be　written　by　ahoshta　and　this　was　the　　signification　of　the　writing：　‘ahoshta　tarkaan　to　kidrash　tarkaan；　salutation　and　peace。　in　the　　name　of　tash　the　irresistible；　the　inexorable。　be　it　known　to　you　that　as　i　made　my　　journey　towards　your　house　to　perform　the　contract　of　marriage　between　me　and　your　daughter　　aravis　tarkheena；　it　pleased　fortune　and　the　gods　that　i　fell　in　with　her　in　the　　forest　when　she　had　ended　the　rites　and　sacrifices　of　zardeenah　according　to　the　custom　of　　maidens。　and　when　i　learned　who　she　was；　being　delighted　with　her　beauty　and　discretion；　　i　became　inflamed　with　love　and　it　appeared　to　me　that　the　sun　would　be　dark　to　me　　if　i　did　not　marry　her　at　once。　accordingly　i　prepared　the　necessary　sacrifices　and　　married　your　daughter　the　same　hour　that　i　met　her　and　have　returned　with　her　to　my　own　　house。　and　we　both　pray　and　charge　you　to　e　hither　as　speedily　as　you　may　that　we　　may　be　delighted　with　your　face　and　speech；　and　also　that　you　may　bring　with　you　　the　dowry　of　my　wife；　which；　by　reason　of　my　great　charges　and　expenses；　i　require　　without　delay。

and　because　thou　and　i　are　brothers　i　assure　myself　that　you　will　not　be　　angered　by　the　haste　of　my　marriage　which　is　wholly　occasioned　by　the　great　love　i　bear　　your　daughter。

and　i　mit　you　to　the　care　of　all　the　gods。　　〃as　soon　as　i　had　done　this　i　rode　on　in　all　haste　from　azim　balda；　fearing　　no　pursuit　and　expecting　that　my　father；　having　received　such　a　letter；　would　send　　messages　to　ahoshta　or　go　to　him　himself；　and　that　before　the　matter　was　discovered　i　should　be　　beyond　tashbaan。　and　that　is　the　pith　of　my　story　until　this　very　night　when　i　was　　chased　by　lions　and　met　you　at　the　swimming　of　the　salt　water。”

〃and　what　happened　to　the　girl　…　the　one　you　drugged？〃　asked　shasta。

〃doubtless　she　was　beaten　for　sleeping　late；〃　said　aravis　coolly。　〃but　she　　was　a　tool　and　spy　of　my　stepmothers。　i　am　very　glad　they　should　beat　her。”

〃i　say；　that　was　hardly　fair；〃　said　shasta。

〃i　did　not　do　any　of　these　things　for　the　sake　of　pleasing　you；〃　said　　aravis。

〃and　theres　another　thing　i　dont　understand　about　that　story；〃　said　　shasta。　〃youre　not　grown　up；　i　dont　believe　youre　any　older　than　i　am。　i　dont　believe　　youre　as　old。　how　could　you　be　getting　married　at　your　age？”

aravis　said　nothing；　but　bree　at　once　said；　〃shasta；　dont　display　your　　ignorance。　theyre　always　married　at　that　age　in　the　great　tarkaan　families。”

shasta　turned　very　red　（though　it　was　hardly　light　enough　for　the　others　to　　see　this）　and　felt　snubbed。　aravis　asked　bree　for　his　story。　bree　told　it；　and　shasta　　thought　that　he　put　in　a　great　deal　more　than　he　needed　about　the　falls　and　the　bad　riding。　　bree　obviously　thought　it　very　funny；　but　aravis　did　not　laugh。　when　bree　had　finished　　they　all　went　to　sleep。

next　day　all　four　of　them；　two　horses　and　two　humans；　continued　their　　journey　together。

shasta　thought　it　had　been　much　pleasanter　when　he　and　bree　were　on　their　　own。　for　now　it　was　bree　and　aravis　who　did　nearly　all　the　talking。　bree　had　lived　a　　long　time　in　calormen　and　had　always　been　among　tarkaans　and　tarkaans　horses；　and　so　of　　course　he　knew　a　great　many　of　the　same　people　and　places　that　aravis　knew。　she　　would　always　be　saying　things　like；　〃but　if　you　were　at　the　fight　of　zulindreh　you　would　　have　seen　my　cousin　alimash；〃　and　bree　would　answer；　〃oh；　yes；　alimash；　he　was　only　　captain　of　the　chariots；　you　know。　i　dont　quite　hold　with　chariots　or　the　kind　of　horses　　who　draw　chariots。　thats　not　real　cavalry。　but　he　is　a　worthy　nobleman。　he　filled　　my　nosebag　with　sugar　after　the　taking　of　teebeth。〃　or　else　bree　would　say；　〃i　was　down　at　　the　lake　of　mezreel　that　summer；〃　and　aravis　would　say；　〃oh；　mezreel！　i　had　a　friend　　there；　lasaraleen　tarkheena。　what　a　delightful　place　it　is。　those　gardens；　and　the　　valley　of　the　thousand　perfumes！〃　bree　was　not　in　the　least　trying　to　leave　shasta　out　of　　things；　though　shasta　sometimes　nearly　thought　he　was。　people　who　know　a　lot　of　the　　same　things　can　hardly　help　talking　about　them；　and　if　youre　there　you　can　　hardly　help　feeling　that　youre　out　of　it。

hwin　the　mare　was　rather　shy　before　a　great　war…horse　like　bree　and　said　　very　little。　and　aravis　never　spoke　to　shasta　at　all　if　she　could　help　it。

soon；　however；　they　had　more　important　things　to　think　of。　they　were　　getting　near　tashbaan。　there　were　more；　and　larger；　villages；　and　more　people　on　the　　roads。　they　now　did　nearly　all　their　travelling　by　night　and　hid　as　best　they　could　　during　the　day。　and　　

at　every　halt　they　argued　and　argued　about　what　they　were　to　do　when　they　　reached　tashbaan。　everyone　had　been　putting　off　this　difficulty；　but　now　it　could　　be　put　off　no　longer。　during　these　discussions　aravis　became　a　little；　a　very　little；　　less　unfriendly　to　shasta；　one　usually　gets　on　better　with　people　when　one　is　making　plans　　than　when　one　is　talking　about　nothing　in　particular。

bree　said　the　first　thing　now　to　do　was　to　fix　a　place　where　they　would　all　　promise　to　meet　on　the　far　side　of　tashbaan　even　if；　by　any　ill　luck；　they　got　　separated　in　passing　the　city。　he　said　the　best　place　would　be　the　tombs　of　the　ancient　kings　on　the　　very　edge　of　the　desert。　〃things　like　great　stone　bee…hives；〃　he　said；　〃you　cant　　possibly　miss　them。

and　the　best　of　it　is　that　none　of　the　calormenes　will　go　near　them　because　　they　think　the　place　is　haunted　by　ghouls　and　are　afraid　of　it。〃　aravis　asked　if　it　wasnt　　really　haunted　by　ghouls。　but　bree　said　he　was　a　free　narnian　horse　and　didnt　believe　in　　these　calormene　tales。　and　then　shasta　said　he　wasnt　a　calormene　either　and　didnt　care　a　　straw　about　these　old　stories　of　ghouls。　this　wasnt　quite　true。　but　it　rather　　impressed　aravis　（though　at　the　moment　it　annoyed　her　too）　and　of　course　she　said　she　didnt　mind　　any　number　of　ghouls　either。　so　it　was　settled　that　the　tombs　should　be　their　assembly　　place　on　the　other　side　of　tashbaan；　and　everyone　felt　they　were　getting　on　very　well　　till　hwin　humbly　pointed　out　that　the　real　problem　was　not　where　they　should　go　when　　they　had　got　through　tashbaan　but　how　they　were　to　get　through　it。

〃well　settle　that　tomorrow；　maam；〃　said　bree。　〃time　for　a　little　sleep　　now。”

but　it　wasnt　easy　to　settle。　araviss　first　suggestion　was　that　they　　should　swim　across　the　river　below　the　city　during　the　night　and　not　go　into　tashbaan　at　all。　but　　bree　had　two　reasons　against　this。　one　was　that　the　river…mouth　was　very　wide　and　it　　would　be　far　too　long　a　swim　for　hwin　to　do；　especially　with　a　rider　on　her　back。　（he　　thought　it　would　be　too　long　for　himself　too；　but　he　said　much　less　about　that）。　the　other　was　　that　it　would　be　full　of　shipping　and　of　course　anyone　on　the　deck　of　a　ship　who　saw　two　　horses　swimming　past　would　be　almost　certain　to　be　inquisitive。

shasta　thought　they　should　go　up　the　river　above　tashbaan　and　cross　it　　where　it　was　narrower。　but　bree　explained　that　there　were　gardens　and　pleasure　houses　on　　both　banks　of　the　river　for　miles　and　that　there　would　be　tarkaans　and　tarkheenas　　living　in　them　and　riding　about　the　roads　and　having　water　parties　on　the　river。　in　fact　it　　would　be　the　most　likely　place　in　the　world　for　meeting　someone　who　would　recognize　aravis　or　　even　himself。

〃well　have　to　have　a　disguise；〃　said　shasta。

hwin　said　it　looked　to　her　as　if　the　safest　thing　was　to　go　right　through　　the　city　itself　from　gate　to　gate　because　one　was　less　likely　to　be　noticed　in　the　crowd。　but　　she　approved　of　the　idea　of　disguise　as　well。　she　said；　〃both　the　human　will　have　to　dress　　in　rags　and　look　like　peasants　or　slaves　and　all　araviss　armour　and　our　saddles　and　things　　must　be　made　into　bundles　and　put　on　our　backs；　and　the　children　must　pretend　to　drive　　us　and　people　will　think　were　on　pack…horses。”

〃my　dear　hwin！〃　said　aravis　rather　scornfully。　〃as　anyone　could　mistake　　bree　for　anything　but　a　war…hors　however　you　disguised　him！”

〃i　should　think　not；　indeed；〃　said　bree；　snorting　an　letting　his　ears　go　　ever　so　little　back。

〃i　know　its　not　a　very　good　plan；〃　said　hwin。　〃but　i　think　its　our　only　　chance。　and　we　havent　been　groomed　for　ages　and　were　not　looking　quite　ourselves　（at　　least；　im　sure　im　not）。　i　do　think　if　we　get　well　plastered　with　mud　and　go　along　with　　our　heads　down　as　if　were　tired　and　lazy　…and　dont　lift　our　hooves　hardly　at　all　…　we　　might　not　be　noticed。

and　our　tails　ought　to　be　cut　shorter：　not　neatly；　you　know；　but　all　　ragged。”

〃my　dear　madam；〃　said　bree。　〃have　you　pictured　to　yourself　how　very　　disagreeable　it　would　be　to　arrive　in　narnia　in　that　condition？”

〃well；〃　said　hwin　humbly　（she　was　a　very　sensible　mare）；　〃the　main　thing　is　　to　get　there。”

though　nobody　much　liked　it；　it　was　hwins　plan　which　had　to　be　adopted　in　　the　end。　it　was　a　troublesome　one　and　involved　a　certain　amount　of　what　shasta　called　　s