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CHAPTER SEVEN ARAVIS IN TASHBAAN（第2页）

&heyhadtalkedftime—anditwasallthelongerbecauseAravisfoundithardtokeepherfrielastLasaraleenclappedherhandsandsaid，“Oh，IhaveahereisonewayofgettingoutofthecitywithoutusiheTisroc'sgarden（mayheliveforever!）runsrightdoweratlewater-door。Onlyforthepalacepeopleofcourse—butthenyouknow，dear（hereshetitteredalittle）wealmostarepalacepeople。Isay，itisluckyforyouthatyoue。ThedearTisroc（mayheliveforever!）issokind。We'reaskedtothepalacealmosteverydayanditislikeasee。IloveallthedearprindprindIpositivelyadorePrinceRabadash。Imightrunihepalaceladiesatanyhourofthedayht。Whyshouldn'tIslipinwithyou，afterdark，abythewater-door?Therearealuntsandthisideit。Andeve—”

“Allwouldbelost，”saidAravis。

“，don'tgetsoexcited，”saidLasaraleen。“Iwasgoingtosay，eveeveryonewouldonlysayitwasoneofmymadjokes。I'mgettingquitewellknowheotherday—dolistehisisfrightfullyfunny—”

&，allwouldbelostforme，”saidAravisalittlesharply。

“Oh—ah—yes—Idoseewhatyoumean，darling。Well，youthinkofaerplan?”

Aravis't，andanswered，“No。We'llhavetoriskit。Whe?”

“Oh，nottonight，”saidLasaraleen。“Ofottonight。There'sagreatfeastontonight（Imuststartgettingmyhairdoies）andthewholeplacewillbeablazeoflights。Andsuchacrowdtoo!Itwouldhavetht。”

ThiswasbadnewsforAravis，butshehadtomakethebestofit。Theafternoonpassedveryslowlyanditwasareliefwheouttotheba，forAraviswasverytiredaalkaboutdressesandparties，weddisandsdals。Shewenttobedearlyandthatpartshedidenjoy:itwassoohavepillowsasagain。

Butthedaypassedveryslowly。LasaraleeogobathewhemeellingAravisthatNarniawasatryofperpetualsnowaedbydemonsandsordshewasmadtothinkofgoingthere。“Andeasantboy，too!”saidLasaraleen。“Darling，thinkofit!It'snotNice。”Aravishadthoughtofitagooddeal，butshewassotiredofLasaraleen'ssillinessbynowthat，forthefirsttime，shebegantothinkthattravellingwithShastawasreallyrathermorefunthanfashioashbaan。Sosheonlyreplied，“YetthatI'llbenobody，justlikehim，wheoNarnia。Andanyromised。”

“Andtothink，”saidLasaraleen，alm，“thatifonlyyouhadsenseyoucouldbethewifeofaGrandVizier!”Araviswentarivatewordwiththehorses。

“YoumustgowithagroomalittlebeforesuotheTombs，”shesaid。“hosepacks。You'llbesaddledandbridledagain。Butthere'llhavetobefoodinHwin'ssaddle-bagsandafullwater-skinbehindyours，Bree。Themayoubothhaveagoodlongdrinkatthefarsidee。”

“Andthen，Narniaah!”whisperedBree。“ButwhatifShastaisombs。”

“Waitforhimofcourse，”saidAravis。“Ihopeyou'vebeeable。”

&erstabledinmylife，”saidBree。“ButifthehusbandofthattitteringTarkheenafriendofyoursispayinghisheadgroomtogetthebestoats，thenIthinktheheadgroomisghim。”

AravisandLasaraleenhadsupperinthepillaredroom。

Abouttwohourslatertheywerereadytostart。Araviswasdressedtolooklikeasuperiirlihouseandworeaveiloverherface。TheyhadagreedthatifaionswereaskedLasaraleenwouldpretendthatAraviswasaslaveshewastakingasapreseheprincesses。

&wogirlswentoutonfoot。Averyfewmithemtothepalacegates。HeretherewereofcoursesuardbuttheoffiewLasaraleenquitewellandcalledhismeionaheypassedatoheHallofBlackMarble。Afairnumberofcourtiers，slavesandotherswerestillmovingaboutherebutthisowogirlslessspicuous。TheypassedonintotheHallofPillarsaheHallofStatuesanddowntheade，passiencopperdoorsofthethrowasallmagbeyoion;whattheycouldseeofitinthedimlightofthelamps。

&heycameoutintothegarden-courtwhichslopeddownhillierrathefarsideofthattheycametotheOldPalace。Ithadalreadygro>

quitedarkandtheynowfoundthemselvesinamazeofcorridorslitonlybyoaltorchesfixedihewalls。Lasaraleeaplacewhereyouhadtogoeitherleftht。

“Goon，dogoon，”whisperedAravis，whoseheartwasbeatingterriblyandwhostillfeltthatherfathermightruanyer。

“I'mjustw。。。”saidLasaraleen。“I'mnotabsolutelysureegofromhere。Ithinkit'stheleft。Yes，I'malmostsureit'stheleft。Whatfunthisis!”

&helefthandwayandfoundthemselvesinapassagethatwashardlylightedatallandwhibegangoingdownsteps。

“It'sallright，”saidLasaraleen。“I'msurewe&#hthesesteps。”Butatthatmomentamovinglightappearedahead。Asedlaterthereappearedfromroundadistahedarkshapesoftwomenwalkingbadgtalldles。Andofcourseitisoiesthatpeoplewalkbackwards。AravisfeltLasaraleehatsortofsuddengripindwhisthatthepersonwhyhtenedindeed。AravisthoughtitoddthatLasaraleenshouldbesoafraidoftheTisrocifhewerereallysudofhers，buttherewasogoonthinking。Lasaraleenwashurryiothetopofthesteps，ontiptoes，andgropingwildlyalongthe>

“Here'sadoor，”shewhispered。“Quick。”

&ihedoorverysoftlybehindthem，andfoundthemselvesinpitess。AraviscouldhearbyLasaraleen&#thatshewasterrified。

“Tashpreserveus!”whisperedLasaraleen。“Whatshallwedoifheesinhere。wehide?”

Therewasasoftdertheirfeet。Theygropedforwardintotheroomaoasofa。

&'sliedow，”whimperedLasaraleen。“Oh，Idowishwehadn'te。”

&roombetweenthesofaaainedwallawotdown。Lasaraleethebetterpositionandletelycovered。TheupperpartofAravis'sfacestuckoutbeyondthesofa，sothatifahatroomwithalightaolookiherightplacetheywouldseeher。Butofcourse，becauseshewaswearitheysawwouldnotatoncelooklikeaforeheadandapairofeyes。AravisshoveddesperatelytotrytomakeLasaraleelemoreroom。ButLasaraleen，nowquiteselfishinherpanic，foughtbachedherfeet。Theygaveitupandlaystill，pantingalittle。Theirowhsemeddreadfullynoisy，buttherewasnoothernoise。

“Isitsafe?”saidAravisatlastipossiblewhisper。

“I—I—thinkso，”begamypoorheerribleheycouldhaveheardatthatmoment:thehed。Andthe。AndbecauseAravis'tgetherheadanyfurtherihesofa，shesaweverything。

Firstcamethetwoslaves（deafanddumb，asAravisrightlyguessed，andthereforeusedatthemostsecils）walkingbadgthedles。Theytookuptheirstaeadofthesofa。Thiswasagoodthing，forofcourseitwasnowharderforaoseeAravisonceaslavewasinfrontofherandshewaslookiweehena，wearingacuriouspointedcapbywhichsheimmediatelykhewastheTisroc。TheleastofthejehichhewascoveredwasworthmorethahesandonsoftheNarnianlordsputtogether:buthewassofatandsuchamassoffrillsasatonsaalismansthatAravis'thelpthinkingtheNarnianfashions（atanyrateformen）lookederhimcameatallyoungmanwithafeatheredaurbanonhisheadandanivory-sheathedscimitarathisside。Heseemedveryexdhiseyesahflashedfierthedlelight。Lastofallcamealittlehump-backed，wizenedoldmaninwhhashudderthenewGrandVizierarothedhusband，AhoshtaTarkaanhimself。

Assoonasallthreehadeheroomandthedoorwasshut，theTisrocseatedhimselfonthedivanwithasighofent，theyoungmantookhispladingbeforehim，andtheGradownonhiskneesandelbowsandlaidhisfathecarpet。