CHAPTERTWOTHERASHHEKING
ABOUTthreeweekslaterthelastoftheKingsofNarniasatuoakwhichgrewbesidethedoorofhislittlehuntinglodge,whereheofteendaysorsoispriwasalow,thatchedbuildingnotfarfromtheEasternendofLaeandsomewayabovethemeetiworivers。Helovedtolivetheresimplyandatease,awayfromthestateandpompofCairParavel,theroyalcity。HisnamewasKingTiriaweewenty-fiveyearsold;hisshoulderswerealreadybroadandstrongandhislimbsfullofhardmuscle,buthisbeardwasstillsty。Hehadblueeyesandafearless,hoface。
TherewashhimthatspringmexcepthisdearestfrieheUni。Theylovedeachotherlikebrothersandeachhadsavedtheother'slifeihelordlybeaststoodclosebesidetheKing'schair,withitsroundpolishingitsbluehainstthecreamywhitesflank。
“Iyselftoanyworkorsporttoday,Jewel,”saidtheKing。“Ikofnothingbutthiswohinkyouweshallhearaoday?”
&hemostwoidingseverheardinourdaysorourfathersrandfathers'days,Sire,”saidJewel,“iftheyaretrue。”
“Howtheychoosebutbetrue?”saidtheKing。“Itismorethahatthefirstbirdsgoverussaying,Aslanishere,Aslaain。Awasthesquirrels。Theyhadnotseenhim,buttheysaiditwashewasiheag。Hesaidhehadseenhimwithhisowneyes,agreatwayoff,bymoonlight,ie。ThedarkMahemeren。TheehingforAslathemaasathingbeyonddoubt。AheBadgerlastoohadseenAslan。”
“Indeed,Sire,”answeredJewel,“Ibelieveitall。IfIseemnotto,itisonlythatmyjoyistoogreattoletmybeliefsettleitself。Itisalmosttoobeautifultobelieve。”
“Yes,”saidtheKingwithagreatsigh,almostashiver,ofdelight。“ItisbeyondallthatIeverhopedforinallmylife。”
“Listen!”saidJewel,puttinghisheadononesideandghisearsfor>
“Whatisit?”askedtheKing。
“Hoofs,Sire,”saidJeinghorse。Averyheavyhorse。Itmustbeoaurs。Andlook,thereheis。”
&,goldeaur,withman'ssweatonhisforeheadandhorse'ssweatoflaheKing,stopped,andbowedlow。“Hail,King,”itavoiceasdeepasabull's。
“Ho,there!”saidtheKing,lookingoverhisshouldertowardthedoorofthehuntinglodge。“Abowlofwiheaur。Wele,Roonwit。Whenyouhavefoundyourbreathyoushalltellusyourerrand。”
Apagecameoutofthehreatwoodenbowl,curiouslydhahetaur。Thetaurraisedthebowlandsaid,“IdrinkfirsttoAslanandtruth,Sire,aoyourMajesty。”
Hefihewine(enoughfmeaheemptybowlbacktothepage。
“Now,Roonwit,”saidtheKing。“Dusmorene>
Roonwitlrave,frowningalittle。
“Sire,”hesaid。“YouknowhowlongIhavelivedaars;forwetaurslivelohanyouMen,andevehanyourkind,UnieverinallmydayshaveIseehiheskiesastherehavebeennightlysihisyearbegaarssaynothingoftheingofAslan,norofpeaorofjoy。IknowbymyartthattherehavenotbeensuchdisastroussoftheplasforfivehuwasalreadyinmymindtoeandwarnyourMajestythatsomegreatevilhangsoverNarnia。ButlastnighttherumourreachedmethatAslanisabroadinNarbelievethistale。Itotbe。ThestarsMesdo。IfAslanwerereallyingtoNarniatheskywouldhaveforetoldit。Ifhewerereallye,allthemostgraciousstarswouldbeassembledinhishonour。Itisallalie。”
“Alie!”saidtheKicreatureinNarniaoralltheworldwoulddaretolieonsuchamatter?”And,withoutknowingit,helaidhishandonhisswordhilt。
“ThatIknown,”saidthetaur。“ButIknowthereareliarsoherearehestars。”
“Iwonder,”saidJewel,“whetherAslanmighthoughallthestarsforetoldotherwise。HeisnottheslaveofthestarsbuttheirMaker。IsitnotsaidioriesthatHeisnotatamelion。”
“Wellsaid,wellsaid,Jewel,”criedtheKiheverywords:anytales。”
RoonwithadjustraisedhishandandwasleaningforwardtosaysomethilytotheKihreeofthemturheirheadstolistentoawailingsoundthatwasquicklydrawihewoodwassothicktotheWestofthemthattheyotseethe。Buttheyhearthewords。
“oe!”calledthevoiybrothersandsisters!Woefortheholytrees!Thewoodsarelaidwaste。Theaxeisloosedagainstus。Wearebeitreesarefalling,falling,falling。”
Withthelast“falling”thespeakersight。Shewaslikeawomanbutsotallthatherheadwasohetaur'syetshewaslikeatreetoo。ItishardtoexplainifyouhaveneverseenaDryadbutquiteunmistakableonceyouhave—somethihecolor,thevoidthehair。KingTiriawoBeastskoshewasthenymphofabeechtree。
“Justice,L!”sheetoouraid。Protectyourpeople。Theyarefellingusie。Freattrunksofmybrothersandsistersarealreadyontheground。”
“What,Lady!Fellie?Murderialkingtrees?”criedtheKiohisfeetanddrawinghissword。“Howdarethey?Andwhodaresit?NowbytheManeofAslan—”
“A-a-a-h,”gaspedtheDryadshudderingasifinpaiimeaftertimeasifuedblows。Thenallatonceshefellsidewaysassuddenlyasifbothherfeethadbeenunderher。Forasedtheysawherlyihegrassandthenshevaheykhadhapperee,milesaway,hadbeen。
ForamomenttheKing'sgriefandathatheotspeak。Thenhesaid:“e,friegoupriverandfindthevillainswhohavedohis,eedwemay。Iwillleavehemalive。”