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CHAPTER ELEVEN THE UNWELCOME FELLOW TRAVELLER（第2页）

HehewaytoAnvardbutofcourseheotwouldonlymeanrunningintothearmsofRabadash'stroopers。“WhatohamItodo?”saidShastatohimself。Butheremountedhishorseanduedalongtheroadhehadthefainthopeoffiagewherehemightaskforshelterandameal。Hehadthought，oingbacktoAravisandBreeandHwiage，buthe'tbeowhehadideaofthedire。

“Afterall，”saidShasta，“thisroadisbouosomewhere。”

Butthatalldependsonwhatyoumeaheroadkeptoosomewhereiitgottomorearees，alldarkanddripping，andtodcolderair。Andstrange，idskeptblowipasthimthoughtheyaway。Ifhehadbeeomountaintryhewouldhaverealizedthatthismeanthewasnhup—perhapsrightatthetopofthepass。ButShastakhingaboutmountains。

“Idothink，”saidShasta，“thatImustbethemostueverlivedinthewholewhtforeveryohoseNarnianlordsasafeawayfromTashbaabehind。AravisandBreeandHwinareallassnugasanythingwiththatoldHermit:ofcourseIwastheonewhowassenton。KingLuneahavegotsafelyileandshutthegateslongbeforeRabadasharrived，butIgetleftout。”

Andbeiiredandhavingnothinginsidehim，hefeltsosorryforhimselfthatthetearsrolleddownhischeeks。

toallthiswasasuddenfright。Shastadiscoveredthatsomeoneorsomebodywaswalkiitdhecouldseenothing。Ahing（orPerson）wasgoihecouldhardlyhearanyfootfalls。Whathecouldhearwasbreathing。HisinvisibleedtobreatheesdShastagottheimpressionthatitwasaverylargecreature。Andhehadetohisbreathingsograduallythathehadreallynoideahowlongithadbeewasahorribleshock。

Itdartedintohismindthathehadheardlongagothatthereweregiaherhislipinowthathereallyhadsomethingtocryabout，hest。

&hiersoonbesidehimsoveryquietlythatShastabegantohopehehadonlyimagijustashewasbeingquitesureofit，theresuddenlycameadeep，richsighoutofthedarknessbesidehim。That'tbeimagination!Athehotbreathofthatsighonhischillylefthand。

Ifthehorsehadbeenanygood—orifhehadknownhowtogetanygoodoutofthehorse—hewouldhaveriskedeverythingonabreakawayanda。Butheknewheakethathallop。Sohewentonataadtheunseenpanionwalkedahedbesidehim。Atlasthecouldbearitnolonger。

“Whoareyou?”hesaid，scarcelyaboveawhisper。

“Onewhohaswaitedlongforyoutospeak，”saidtheThing。Itsvoiotloud，butverylargeanddeep。

“Areyiaa。

“Youmightcallmeagiant，”saidtheLargeVoice。“ButIamhecreaturesyouts。”

“I'tseeyouatall，”saidShasta，afterstaringveryhard。Then（foraerribleideahadeintohishead）hesaid，almostinascream，“You'renot—hingdead，areyou?Ohplease—pleasedogoaway。WhatharmhaveIeverdoneyou?Oh，Iamtheupersoninthewholeworld!”

OthewarmbreathoftheThingonhishandahere，”itsaid，“thatishofaghost。Tellmeyoursorrows。”

Shastawasalittlereassuredbythebreath:sohetoldhowhehadneverknowherormotheraupsternlybythefishermaoldthestoryofhisesdhowtheywerechasedbylionsaoswimfortheirlives;andofalltheirdaashbaanandabouthisnightamoombsashowledathimoutofthedesert。AoldabouttheheatandthirstoftheirdesertjourneyandhowtheywerealmostattheirgoalwhenanotherliohemandwoundedAravis。Andalsitwassincehehadhadanythi。

“Idonotcallyouunfortunate，”saidtheLargeVoice。

“Don'tyouthinkitwasbadlueetsomanylions?”saidShasta。

“Therewasonlyonelion，”saidtheVoice。

“Whatohdoyoumean?I'vejusttoldyoutherewereatleasttwht，and—”

“Therewasohewasswiftoffoot。”

“Howdoyouknow?”

“Iwasthelion。”AndasShastagapedwithopenmouthandsaidnothing，theVoiued。“IwasthelionwhoforcedyoutojoinwithAravis。Iwasthefortedyouamongthehousesofthedead。Iwasthelionwhodrovethejayouwhileyouslept。IwasthelioheHorsesthehoffearforthelastmilesothatyoushLuime。AndIwasthelionyoudonotrememberwhopushedtheboatinwhichyoulay，aeardeath，sothatitcametoshorewhereamansat，wakefulatmidnight，toreceiveyou。”

&oundedAravis?”

“It>

“Butwhatfor?”

“Child，”saidtheVoice，“Iamtellingyouyourstory，ellorybuthisown。”

“Whoareyou?”askedShasta。

“Myself，”saidtheVoice，verydeepandlowsothattheearthshook:andagain“Myself”，loudanddgay:ahirdtime“Myself”，whisperedsosoftlyyoucouldhardlyhearit，aseemedtoallroundyouasiftheleavesrustledwithit。

ShastawasnolongerafraidthattheVoigedtosomethingthatwouldeathim，northatitwasthevoiceofaghost。Butanewa。Yethefeltgladtoo。

&wasturningfromblacktograyandfromgraytowhite。Thismusthavebeguimeago，butwhilehehadbeentalkihibeennotiythihewhitenessaroundhimbecameashiningwhiteness;hiseyesbegantoblink。Somewhereaheadhecouldhearbirdssihenightwasoveratlast。Hecouldseethemaneandearsandheadofhishorsequiteeasilynow。Agoldehemfromtheleft。Hethoughtitwasthesun。

&urnedandsaw，pagbesidehim，tallerthanthehorse，aLion。Thehorsedidobeafraidofitorelseotseeit。ItwasfromtheLioooneeversawanythierribleorbeautiful。

LuckilyShastahadlivedallhislifetoofarsouthiohaveheardthetalesthatwerewhisperedinTashbaanaboutadreadfulappearedintheformofalion。AndofcoursehekruestoriesaboutAslaLioheEmperor-over-the-sea，theKingaboveallHighKingsinNarnia。ButafteroheLion'sfaceheslippedoutofthesaddleasfeet。He'tsayanythingbutthenhedidn'twanttosayanything，andheksayanything。

TheHighKingaboveallkiowardhim。Itsmane，arangeandsolemhungaboutthemane，wasallroundhim。Ittouchedhisforeheadwithitstoedhisfadtheireyesmet。TheninstantlythepalebrighthemistaheLiohemselvestogetherintlatheredthemselvesupanddisappeared。Hewasalohehrassyhillsideunderabluesky。Andtherewerebirdssinging。