CHAPTERFOURSHASTAFALLSINWITHTHENARNIANS
ATfirstShastacouldseenothinginthevalleybelowhimbutaseaofmistwithafeinnagfromit;butasthelightihemistclearedawayhesawmoreandmore。AbroadriverdivideditselfintotwostreamsandontheislaoodthecityofTashbaahewoheworld。Roundtheveryedgeoftheisland,sothattheedagaihwallsstrehsomahesooryingto。Iheislandroseinahillaofthathill,uptotheTisroc'spaladthegreattempleofTashatthetop,letelycoveredwithbuildings—terraceaboveterrace,streetabzagreflightsofstepsborderedwithetreesarees,roofgardens,balies,deeparchillaredades,spires,battlements,mis,pinnadwhenatlastthesuheseaasilver-plateddomeofthetempleflashedbackitslight,hewasalmostdazzled。
&on,Shasta,”Breekeptsaying。
Theriverbanksoneachsideofthevalleyweresuchamassofgardensthattheylookedatfirstlikeforest,untilyougotdsaallsofinnumerablehousespeepingoutfromberees。Soo,Shastanoticedadeliellofflowersandfruit。Aboutfifteeheyweredownamongthem,ploddingonalevelroadallsoneadtreesbehe>
“Isay,”saidShastainanawedvoice。“Thisisawonderfulplace!”
“Idaresay,”saidBree。“ButIeresafelythroughitandoutattheotherside。Narniaah!”
Atthatmomentalnoisebeganwhichgraduallyswelledlouderahewholevalleyseemedtobeswayingwithit。Itwasamusioise,butsaobealittlefrightening。
“That'sthehornsblowiestobeopen,”saidBree。“Weshallbethereinaminute。Now,Aravis,dodroopyourshouldersabitandstepheavierandtrytolooklesslikeaprioimagineyou'vebeenkiddamesallyourlife。”
“Ifitestothat,”saidAravis,“whatabyourheadabitmyourlessandtryingtolooklesslikeawarhorse?”
“Hush,”saidBree。“Here>
Aheyhadetotheriver'sedgeandtheroadaheadamany-archedbridge。Thewaterdalyintheearlysunlight;awayththeriver'smouth,theycaughtaglimpseships'masts。Severalothertravellerswerebeforetheme,mostlypeasantsdrivingladendonkeysandmulesbasketsoheandhorsesjoihecrowd。
“Isanythingwrong?”whisperedShastatoAravis,whohadanoddlookonherface。
“Ohit'sallverywellforyou,”whisperedAravisrathersavagely。“WhatwouldyoucareaboutTashbaan?ButIoughttinohsoldiersbeforemeandslavesbehind,andperhapsgoiheTisroc'spalace(mayheliveforever)—notsneaki'sdifferentforyou。”
Shastathoughtallthisverysilly。
Atthefarehewallsofthecitythabovethemandthebrazeoodopeeasreallywidebutlookedwassh。Halfadozensoldiers,leaningontheirspears,stoodoneachside。Aravis'thelpthinking,“They'dalljumptoattentionaheykerIam。”Buttheotherswereonlythinkingofhowthey'dgetthroughandhopingthesoldierswouldnotaskaions。Fortu。Butohempickedacarrotoutofapeasant'sbasketaShastawitharoughlaugh,saying:
“Hey!Horse-boy!You'llcatchitifyourmasterfindsyou'vebeenusinghissaddle-horseforpackwork。”
ThisfrightenedhimbadlyforofcourseitshowedthatnoohingabouthorseswouldmistakeBreefbutacharger。
“It'smymaster'sorders,sothere!”saidShasta。Butitwouldhavebeeerifhehadheldhistohesavehimaboxonthesideofhisfaearlyknockedhimdownandsaid,“Takethat,youyoungfilth,toteachyouhowtotalktofreemen。”Buttheyallslunkihoutbeialyaverylittle;hewasusedtohardknocks。
Iashbaandidnotatfirstseemsosplendidasithadlookedfromadistareetwasnarrowandtherewerehardlyanywindowsinthewallsoneachside。ItwasmuchmorecrowdedthanShastahadexpected:crowdedpartlybythepeasants(oomarket)whohadeialsowithwatersellers,sweetmeatsellers,porters,sars,ragged,hens,straydogs,aedslaves。Whatyouwouldchieflyhavenoticedifyouhadbeehesmells,whichunle,unwasheddogs,st,garlis,andthepilesofrefusewhichlayeverywhere。
ShastaretendiwasreallyBree,ayaguidinghimbylittlehhisurandbegangoingupasteephill。Itwasmuchfresheraer,fortheroadwasborderedbytreesandtherewerehousesoside;oheylookedoutovertheroofsofhousesiownandcouldseesometheriver。Theroundahairpiheirrightanduedrising。TheytotheterofTashbaan。Sooofistatuesofthegodsandheroesofelyimpressiveratherthaolookat—roseonshials。Palmtreesandpillaredarcadescastshadowsovertheburs。AndthroughthearchedgatealaceShastacaughtsightofgreenbranches,tains,andsmoothlawns。Itmustbeniside,hethought。
&urnShastahopedtheyweregettingoutofthecrowd,buttheyhismadetheirprogressveryslow,andeverynowaheyhadtostopaltogether。Thisusuallyhappenedbecausealoudvoiceshoutedout“ay,fortheTarkaan”,or“fortheTarkheena”,or“forthefifteenthVizier”,“orfortheAmbassador”,andeveryohecrowdwouldcrushbastthewalls;aheirheadsShastawouldsometimesseethegreatlordorladyforwhomallthefusswasbeingmade,lollinguponalitterwhichfourorevensixgiganticslavestheirbareshoulders。ForinTashbaanthereisorafficregulation,whichisthateveryonewhoislessimportanthastogetoutofthewayforeveryonewhoismoreimportant;unlessyouwantaawhiporpunthebuttendofaspear。
Itleveryhecity(theTisroc'spalacewastheonlythithemostdisastrousofthesestoppagesoccurred。
“ay!”camethevoice。“WayfortheWhiteBarbarianKioftheTisroc(mayheliveforever)!WayfortheNarnianlords。”
Shastatriedtogetoutofthewayandtobaohorse,alkingHorsefromNarnia,backseasily。Andawomanwithaveryedgybasketinherhands,whowasjustbehindShasta,pushedthebaskethardagainsthisshoulders,andsaid,“Nowthen!Whoareyoushoving!”AndthensomeoledhimfromthesideandintheofthemomeholdofBree。Ahewholecrowdbehindhimbecamesostiffenedahatheoveatall。Sohefouentionally,irowandhadafiofthepartythatwasingdow。
Itwasquiteuherpartytheyhadseenthatday。Thecrierwhoweing“astheonlye。Andtherewasnolitter;everyonewasonfoot。TherewereabouthalfadozenmenandShastahadneverseehembefore。Foroheywereallasfair-skinnedashimself,andmostofthemhadfairhair。Adressedlikemenofostofthemhadlegsbaretothekunicswereoffi,hardycolors—wayyellow,orfreshblue。Iurbaeelorsilvereofthemsetwithjewels,atlewingsoneachsideofit。Afewwerebare-headed。Theswordsattheirsideswerelongandstraight,notcurvedlikeears。Andinsteadofbeieriouslikemosteheyiheirarmsandshouldersfree,anddlaughed。Onewaswhistling。Youcouldseethattheywerereadytobefriendswithanyonewhowasfriendlyanddidn'tgiveafigforanyonewhowasn't。Shastathoughthehadhingsolovelyinhislife。
Buttherewasoenjoyitforatonceareallydreadfulthiheleaderofthefair-headedmeedatShasta,criedout,“Thereheis!There'sourrunaway!”andseizedhimbytheshoulder。hegaveShastaasmaotaakeyoucrybutasharpoyouknradadded,shaking:
“Shameonyou,mylord!Fieforshame!QueenSusan'seyesareredwithweepingbecauseofyou。What!Truantforawholenight!Wherehaveyoubeen?”