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CHAPTER NINE IN THE WITCHS HOUSE（第1页）

ICHSHOUSE

ANDnowofcourseyouwanttoknoeoEdmuenhisshareofthedihehadn'treallyebecausehewasthinkiimeaboutTurkishDelight—andthere'snothingthatspoilsthetasteofgoodordinaryfoodhalfsomuchasthememoryofbadmagidhehadheardtheversation，andhadmucheither，becausehekeptonthinkingthatthenonotiandtryihecoldshoulder。Theyweren't，butheimagi。AeilMr。BeavertoldthemaboutAslananduntilhehadheardthewhemeingAslaable。Itwasthenthathebegalytoedgehimselfuainwhigoverthedoor。ForthementionofAslangavehimamysteriousandhorriblefeelingjustasitgavetheothersamysteriousandlovelyfeeling。

JustasMr。BeaverhadbeeherhymeaboutAdam'sfleshandAdam'sboneEdmundhadbeelyturningthedoorhabeforeMr。Beaverhadbeguhemthattheasn'treallyhumanatallbuthalfaJinnandhalfagiantess，Edmundhadgotoutsideintothesnowandcautiouslyclosedthedoorbehindhim。

Youmustn'tthinkthatevennowEdmundwasquitesobadthatheactuallywantedhisbrotheraobeturoTurkishDelightandtobeaPrieraKing）andtopayPeterhimabeast。Asforoulddowiththeothers，hedidn'twaobepartii—lynottoputthemonthesamelevelashimself;buthemaobelieve，ortopretehatshewouldn'tdoaothem，“Because，”hesaidtohimself，“allthesepeoplewhosaynastythingsaboutherareherenemiesandprobablyhalfofitisn'ttrue。Shewasjollyome，anyway，muitheyare。IexpectsheistherightfulQueenreally。Anyway，she'llbebetterthanthatawfulAslawastheexcusehemadeinhisownmindforwhathewasdoing。Itwasn'taverygoodexcuse，however，fordeepdowninsidehimhereallykheasbadandcruel。

&hingherealizedwhesideandfoundthesnowfallingallroundhim，wasthathehadlefthisdintheBeavers'house。Andofcoursetherewasnogbacktogetithingherealizedwasthatthedaylightwasalmostgohadbeehreeo'theysatdowhewinterdayswereshort。Hehadn'trethis;buthehadtomakethebestofit。Soheturneduphisdshuffledacrossthetopofthedam（luckilyitwasn'tsoslipperysihesnowhadfallen）tothefarsideoftheriver。

Itrettybadwhehefarside。Itwasgrowingdarkereverymiwiththatandthesnowflakesswirlingallroundhimhecouldhardlyseethreefeetahead。Aheretslippisofsnow，andskiddingonfrozerippingoverfallerunks，andslidingdownsteepbanks，andbarkinghisshinsagainstrocks，tillhewaswetanddbruisedallover。Thesilehelonelinessweredreadful。InfactIreallythihavegivenupthewholeplanandgonebaedupandmadefriendswiththeothers，ifhehadn'thappeosaytohimself，“WhenI'mKingofhingIshalldowillbetomakesomedetroads。”AndofcoursethatsethimoffthinkingaboutbeingaKingahingshewoulddoandthischeeredhimupagooddeal。HehadjustsettledinhismindwhatsortofpalacehewouldhaveandhowmanydallabouthisprivatedwheretheprincipalrailwayswouldrunandouldmakeagainstbeaversanddamsanduttingthefinishiosomeschemesfPeterinhisplatheweatherged。Firsttheshenaanditbecamefreezingally，thecloudsrolledawayandthemoowasafullmoonand，shiningonallthatsnow，itmadeeverythingalmhtasday—onlytheshadowswereratherg。

Hewouldneverhavefoundhiswayifthemoonhadn'teoutbythetimehegottotheotherriver—yourememberhehadseeheyfirstarrivedattheBeavers'）asmallerriverflowingioneloreachedthisaofollowitup。Butthelittlevalleydownwhichitcamewasmuchsteeperaheoleftandmuchrownwithbushes，sothatheaallinthedark。Evenasitwas，heghforhehadtostoopunderbrandgreatloadsofsnowcameslidingoffontohisbadeverytimethishappemoreandmorehoeter—justasifallthishadbeeer'sfault。

Butatlasthecametoapartwhereitwasmorelevelandthevalleyope。Aheothersideoftheriver，quite，inthemiddleofalittleplaiwohills，hesawwhatmustbetheWhiteWitch'sHouse。AndthemoonwasshinihaheHousewasreallyasmallcastle。Itseemedtobealltowers;littletowerswithlongpoihem，sharpasheylookedlikehugedunce'scapsorsorcerer'sdtheyshohemoonlightandtheirlongshadowsleonthesnow。EdmuobeafraidoftheHouse。

Butitwastoolatetothinkbaow。

HecrossedtheriverontheidtotheHouse。Therewasnothingstirring;estsoundanywhere。Evenhisowmadehedeepnewlyfallensnow。Hewalkedonandon，pasteraftereroftheHouse，andpastturretafterturrettofindthedoor。Hehadthtroundtothefarsidebeforehefoundit。Itwasahugearchbutthegreatirooodwideopen。

Edmuotheardlookedihecourtyard，andtherehesawasightthatnearlymadehisheartstopbeating。Justie，withthemoonlightshiningonit，stoodanenormouslioncrouchedasifitrioodintheshadowofthearch，afraidtogooback，withhiskneesknogtogether。Hestthathisteethwouldhavebeehiftheyhaderingwithfear。HowloedIdon'tknow，butitseemedtoEdmundtolastforhours。

&hebegahelionwasstandingsostill—forithadn'tmovedoneiseteyesonit。Edmuuredalittleillkeepingintheshadowofthearchasmuchashecould。Henowsawfromthewaythelionwasstandingthatit'thavebeenlookingathimatall。（“ButsupposingitturhoughtEdmund。）Infactitwasstarihingelse—ledwarfwhostoodwithhisbacktoitaboutfourfeetaway。“Aha!”thoughtEdmusprihenwillbemycetoescape。”Butstillthelionnevermoved，nordidthedwarf。AndnowatlastEdmutheothershadsaidabouttheWhiteWitgpeopleintostohiswasonlyastonelion。Andassoohoughtofthathehelion'sbadthetopofitsheadwerecoveredwithsnow。Ofustbeonlyastatue!Nolivinganimalwouldhaveletitselfgetcoveredwithsnow。Thenveryslowlyandwithhisheartbeatingasifitwouldburst，Edmuogouptothelion。Evennowhehardlydaredtotouchit，butatlastheputouthishand，veryquiddid。Itwase。Hehadbeenfrightenedofamerestatue!

Thereliefwhidfeltwassogreatthatihecoldhesuddenlygotwarmallhtdowntohistoes，aimetheretohisheadwhatseemedaperfectlylovelyidea。“Probably，”hethought，“thisisthegreatLionAslanthattheywerealltalkingabout。She'scaughthimalreadyaosto'stheendofalltheirfihim!Pooh!Who'safraidofAslan?”

Aheregloationeliolyhedidsomethingverysillyandchildish。Hetookastumpofleadpenciloutofhispodscribbledamoustathelion'supperlipandthenapairofspeitseyes。Thenhesaid，“Yah!SillyoldAslan!Howdoyoulikebeihhtyfine，didn'tyou?”Butihescribblesonitthefaceofthegreatstoilllookedsoterrible，andsad，aaringupinthemoonlight，thatEdmunddidn&#etanyfunoutatit。Heturnedawayaocrossthecourtyard。

&othemiddleofithesawthatthereweredozensofstatuesallabout—stahereratherasthepiedonachessboardwhenitishalfwaythroughthegame。Therewerestoyrs，andstonewolves，andbearsa-amountainsofstoherewerelovelystolookedlikewomenbutwhowerereallythespiritsoftrees。TherewasthegreatshapeofadawingedhorseandalourethatEdmundtookton。Theyalllookedsestandilylife-likealystill，ioonlight，thatitwaseeriewthechtintheverymiddlestoodahugeshapelikeaman，butastallasatree，withafierdashaggybeardaitsrighthahoughhekwasonlyastoandnotaliveone，Edmunddidnotlikegoingpastit。

Henowsawthattherewasadimlightshowingfromadoorwayonthefarsideofthecourtyard。Hewenttoit，therewasaflightofstoepsgoinguptoanopendoor。Edmuhem。Acrossthethresholdlayagreatwolf。

“It'sallright，it'sallright，”hekeptsayingtohimself;“it'sonlyasto'thurtme，”andheraisedhislegtostepoverit。Instantlythehugecreaturerose，withallthehairbristlingalongitsbaedagreat，redmouthandsaidinagrowlingvoice:“Who'sthere?Who'sthere?Standstill，straellme>

“Ifyouplease，sir，”saidEdmund，tremblingsothathecouldhardlyspeak，“mynameisEdmund，andI'mtheSonofAdamthatHerMajestymetiheotherdayandI'veetherthemybrotherandsistersarenowinNarnia—quitetheBeavers'house。She—shewahem。”

“IwilltellHerMajesty，”saidtheWolf。“Meaandstillohreshold，asyouvalueyourlife。”Thenitvahehouse。

&oodandwaited，hisfingersagwithdhisheartpoundingi，ahegraywolf，Maugrim，theChiefoftheWitch'sSeeboundingbadsaid，“eiueoftheQueesofortunate。”

AndEdmuakiottotreadontheWolf'spaws。

Hefoundhimselfinalonggloomyhallillars，full，asthecourtyardhadbeen，ofstatues。TheohedoorwasalittlefaunwithaverysadexpressiononitsfadEdmund'thelpwifthismightbeLucy'sfriend。TheonlylightasinglelampahissattheWhiteWitch。

“I'majesty，”saidEdmund，rushingeagerlyfor>

“Howdareyouealone?”saidtheWitaterriblevoice。“DidItheotherswithyou?”

“Please，yourMajesty，”saidEdmund，“I'vedoI。I&#htthemquiteclose。They'reilehouseontopofthedamjustuptheriver—withMr。andMrs。Beaver。”

AslowcruelsmilecameovertheWitch'sface。

“Isthisallyournews?”sheasked。

“No，yourMajesty，”saidEdmund，aellherallhehadheardbeftheBeavers'house。

“What!AslaheQueen，“Aslan!Isthistrue?IfIfindyouhaveliedtome—”

“Please，I'mwhattheysaid，”stammeredEdmund。

ButtheQueen，whowasendingtohim，clappedherhands。InstantlythesamedwarfwhomEdmuhherbeforeappeared。

“Makereadye，”orderedtheWitdusetheharhoutbells。”