CHAPTERFIFTEENRABADASHTHERIDICULOUS
&urnhtthemthetreesandthere,acrossgreenlaweredfromthenorthwindbythehighweatitsback,theysawthecastleofAnvard。Itwasveryoldandbuiltofawarm,reddish-brownstone。
&heyhadreachedthegateKitomeetthem,notlookingatalllikeAravis'sideaofakiheoldestofoldclothes;forhehadjustakingaroundofthekehhisHuntsmanandhadonlystoppedforamomenttowashhisdoggyhands。ButthebohichhegreetedAravisashetookherhandwouldhavebeenstatelyenoughforanEmperor。
“Littlelady,”hesaid,“webidyouveryheartilywelydearwifewerestillaliveweakeyoubettercheerbutotdoitwithabetterwill。AndIamsorrythatyouhavehadmisfortunesandbeendrivenfromyourfather'shouse,whiotbutbeagrieftoyou。Mysoneaboutyouradveherandallyourvalour。”
“Itwashewhodidallthat,Sir,”saidAravis。“Why,herushedataliontosaveme。”
&'sthat?”saidKingLune,hisfacebrightening。“Ihaven'theardthatpartofthestory。”
ThenAravistoldit。AndCor,whohadverymutedthestorytobeknown,thoughhefelthe'ttellithimself,didsomuchashehadexpediherfoolish。ButhisfathereverymudeedandinthecourseoftheoldittosomaCorwishedithadneverhappened。
&heKioHwinandBreeandolitetothemastoAravis,ahemalotofquestionsabouttheirfamiliesaheyhadlivedinheyhadbeeheHorseswererathertoheyweren'tyetusedtobeioasequalsbyHumansgrown-upHumans,thatis。Theydidn'tmindAravisandCor。
&lyQueenLuthedjoihemandKioAravis,“Mydear,hereisalovingfriendofourhouse,andshehasbeeyourapartmehtsforyoubetterthanIcouldhavedo。”
“You'dliketoeahem,wouldn'tyou?”saidLugAravis。TheylikedeachotheratondsooogethertotalkaboutAravis'sbedroomandAravis'sboudoirandaboutgettingclothesforher,aofthingsgirlsdotalkaboutonsuo。
Afterlunch,whichtheyhadowascoldbirdsandepieandwineandbreadandcheese),KingLuneruffleduphisbrowandheavedasighandsaid,“Heigh-ho!WehavestillthatsorrycreatureRabadashonourhands,myfriends,andmustneedsresolvewhattodowithhim。”
LucywassittingontheKinghtandAraviso。KiatohetableandtheLordDarritheother。DarandPeridananddwereonthesamesideastheKing。
“YourMajestyerfectrighttostrikeoffhishead,”saidPeridan。“Suassaultashemadeputshimohassassins。”
“Itisverytrue,”saidEdmuraitormaymend。Ihavekdid。”Andhelhtful。
“TokillthisRabadashwouldgowarwiththeTisroc,”saidDarrin。
“AfigfortheTisroc,”saidKirengthisinnumbersandnumberswillhedesert。ButIhavenostmeors)incoldblood。Tohavecuthisthroatilewouldhaveeasedmyheartmightily,butthisisadifferentthing。”
“Bymysel,”saidLuajestyshallgivehimarial。Lethimgofreeonstraitpromiseiure。Itmaybethathewillkeephisword。”
“MaybeApeswillgrowhoer,”saidEdmund。“But,bytheLion,ifhebreaksitagain,mayitbeinsudplayofuscouldsoffhisheadile。”
“Itshallbetried,”saidtheKing:aooeheprisoner,friend。”
Rabadashwasbroughtbeforethemins。Tolookathimanyoneosedthathehadpassedthenightinanoisomeduhoutfoodorwater;butiyhehadbeenshutupinquiteafortableroomahasupper。Butashewassulkingfartoofuriouslytotouchthesupperahewholenightstampingandrandg,henaturallydidnotnowlookhisbest。
“Yhobetold,”saidKibythelawofnationsaswellasbyallreasonsofprudentpolicy,wehaveasghttoyourheadaseveroalmanhadagaiheless,iionofyouryouthaure,devoidofallgentilesseandcourtesy,whichyouhavedoubtlesshadinthelandofslavesandtyrants,osedtosetyoufree,uheses:first,that—”
“Curseyouforabarbariandog!”splutteredRabadash。“DoyouthinkIwillevenhearyours?Faugh!YoutalkverylargelyofnurtureandIknownotwhat。It'seasy,toamanins,ha!Takeoffthesevilebonds,givemeasword,aanyofyouwhodaresthehme。”
Nearlyalltheltotheirfeet,andshouted:
“Father!?Please。”
“Peaajesties!MyLords!”saidKingLune。“Haveweyamongusthantobesochafedbythetauntofapajock?Sitdown,,orshaftleavethetable。Iaskyhnessagain,tohearours。”
“Ihearnobarbariansandsorcerers,”saidRabadash。“Notoneofyoudaretouchahairofmyhead。EveryinsultyouhaveheapedonmeshallbepaidwithoarnianandArdishblood。Terribleshalltheveisronow。Butkillme,andtheburningsandtsihernlandsshallbeeatalethtentheworldathousandyearshence。Beare!TheboltofTashfallsfromabove!”
&evergetahookhalf-way?”asked。
“Shame,,”saidtheKiamansavewherohanyou:then,asyouplease。”
“OhyoufoolishRabadash,”sighedLucy。
&deredwhyeveryoablehadrisenanderfectlystill。Ofcoursehedidthesamehimself。Ahereason。Aslanwasamohoughnoonehadseenhiming。RabadashstartedastheimmeheLiolyiweenhimandhisaccusers。
“Rabadash,”saidAslan。“Takeheed。Yourdoomisveryyoumaystillavoidit。Fetyourpride(whathaveyoutobeproudof?)andyer(whohasd?)ahemercyofthesegoodkings。”