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CHAPTER SIX SHASTA AMONG THE TOMBS（第1页）

CHAPTERSIXSHASTAAMOOMBS

SHASTAranlightlyalongtheroofofelthottohisbarefeet。Hewasonlyafewseblithefaretotheerhefoundhimselflookingdownintoanarrow，smellystreet，andtherewasarubbishheapagaisideofthewalljustashadtoldhim。Befdowlantogethisbearings。Apparentlyhehadheoftheisland-hillonwhichTashbaanisbuilt。Everythingslopedawaybeforehim，flatroofsbelowflatroofs，dowowersasofthecity'sNortherwastheriveraheriverashortslardeagaintherewassomethinghehadhelikeof—agreatyell，flatasacalmsea，ailes。Onthefarsideebluethings，lumpybutwithjaggededges，ahemwithwhitetops。“Thedesert!themountains!”thoughtShasta。

Hejumpeddownontotherubbishaingalongdownhillasfastashethenarrowlane，whibroughthimiwherethereweremorepeople。heredtolookatalittleraggedbaloill，hewasanxiousaillheturnedadtheresawthecitygateinfrontofhim。

Hereheresseda，foodmanyotherpeoingout;andebeyoheequiteaslowproorelikeaqueuethanacrowd。Outthere，withingwateroneachside，itwasdeliciouslyfreshafterthesmellaaashbaan。

Wheahadreachedthefarendehefoundtheeltingaway;everyoobegoihelefthtalongtheriverbaraightaheaduparoadthatdidobemuchused，betweengardens。Inafewpaceshewasalone，andafewmhthimtothetopoftheslope。Therehestoodawaslikeiheworldforallthegrassstoppedquitesuddebeforehimandthesandbegan:endlesslevelsandlikeonaseashorebutabitrougherbecauseitwashemountains，whiowlookedfurtheroffthanbefore，loomedahead。Greatlytohisreliefhesaw，aboutfiveminutes'walkawayomustlybetheTombs，justasBreehaddescribedthem;greatmassesstoneshapedlikegiganticbee-hive，butalittleheylookedverybladgrim，forthesunwasingrightbehindthem。

&urnedhisfadtrottedtowardtheTombs。Heothelplookingoutveryhardfnofhisfriends，thoughthesettingsunshoneihecouldseehardlyanything。“Andanyway，”hethought，“ofcoursethey'llberoundonthefarsideofthefarthestTomb，notthissidewhereaseethemfromthecity。”

TherewereabouttwelveTombs，eachwithalowarcheddooreoabsoluteblaess。Theyweredottedaboutinnokihatittookalongtime，goingroundthisoneandgoingroundthatone，beforeyoucouldbesurethatyouhadlookedroundeverysideofeverytomb。ThiswaswhatShastahadtodo。Therewasnobodythere。

Itwasveryquiethereoutohedesert;andnowthesu。

Suddenlyfromsomewherebehindhimtherecameaterriblesound。Shasta&#aveagreatjumpaobitehistookeephimselffr。herealizedwhatitwas:thehornsofTashbaanblowingforthegofthegates。“Don'tbeasillylittlecoward，”saidShastatohimself。“Why，it'sonlythesamenoiseyouheardthism。”Butthereisagreatdiffereweenaingyouinwithyourfriendsinthem，andanoiseheardalofall，shuttingyouout。Andnowthatthegateswereshuthekherewashehimthatevehey'reshutupinTashbaa，”thoughtShasta，“orelsethey'vegohoutme。It'sjustthesortofthingthatAraviswoulddo。ButBreewouldn't。Oh，hewouldn't。—now，wouldhe?”

IAravisShastawasoewrong。Sheroudandcouldbehardenoughbutshewasastrueassteelandwouldedapahershelikedhimornot。

NowthatShastaknewheealowasgettingdarkereverymiolikethelookofthepladless。Therewassomethingveryunfortableaboutthosegreat，sileone。Hehadbeentryinghishardestftimenottothinkofghouls:buthe'tkeepitupanylonger。

“Ow!Ow!Help!”heshoutedsuddenly，foratthatverymomehingtouchhisleg。Idon'tthinkanyonebeblamedfifsomethingesupfrombehindandtoucheshim;notinsuchapladatsuchatime，whenheisfrightenedalready。Shastaatahteorun。AnythingwouldbebetterthanbeingchasedroundandroundtheburialplacesoftheAKingswithsomethilookatbehindhim。Iwasreallythemostsehinghecoulddo。Helookedround;aalmostburstwithrelief。Whathadtouchedhim>

&wastoobadnowforShastatoseemuchofthecatexceptthatitwasbigandverysolemn。Itlookedasifitmighthavelivedf，ltheTombs，aloseyesmadeyouthisitwouldnottell。

“Puss，puss，”saidShasta。“Isupposeyou'renotatalkingcat。”

&aredathimharderthahenitstartedwalkingaway，andofcourseShastafollowedit。Itledhimrightthroughthetombsandoutosideofthem。ThereitsatdownbhtwithitstailcurledrousfacesettowardthedesertandtowardNarniaah，asstillasifitwerewateealaydowhhisbastthedhisfacetowardtheTombs，becauseifohere'snothinglikehavingyourfacetowardthedangerandhavihingwarmandsolidatyourback。Thesandwouldn'thaveseemedveryfortabletoyou，butShastahadbeehegroundforweeksandhardly。Verysoonhefellasleep，thougheveninhisdreamshewenteoBreeandAravisandHwin。

Hewaswakenedsuddenlybyanoisehehadneverheardbefore。“Perhapsitwasonlyanightmare，”saidShastatohimself。Atthesamemomeicedthatthehisbadhewishedithadn't。Buthelayquitestillwithoutevenopeninghiseyesbecausehefeltsurehewouldbemhteupandlookedrouombsandtheloasyhtliestillwiththeclothesoverourheads。Butthenthenoise—aharsh，piergbehindhimoutofthedesert。Thenofcoursehehadtoopeup。

Themoonwasshiningbrightly。TheTerahahoughttheywouldbe—lookedgrayinthemoonlight。Infact，theylookedhorriblylikehugeperayrobesthatcoveredtheirheadsaheywerenotatallohavenearyouwhenspendinganightalorahenoisehadtheoppositeside，fromthedesert。Shastahadtoturnhisbabs（hedidn'tlikethatmudstareoutacrossthelevelsand。Thewildgoutagain。

“Ihopeit'snotmorelions，”thoughtShasta。Itwasinfaotverylikethelion'sroarshehadheardowheHwinandAravis，ahecryofajackal。ButofcourseShastadidnotknowthis。Evenifhehadknown，hewouldedverymueetajackal。

Thegoutagainandagain。“There'smorethahem，whatevertheyare，”thoughtShasta。“Andthey&#nearer。”

IsupposethatifhehadbeeirelysensibleboyhewouldhavegohroughtheTombsheriverwheretherewerehouses，aswouldbelesslikelytoe。Butthentherewere（httherewere）theghouls。ToghtheTombsastthsiombs;andwhatmight?Itmayhavebeensilly，butShastafelthewouldratherriskthewildbeasts。Then，asthecriesearerandogehismind。

&goingtorunforitwheweenhima，ahugeanimalbouoview。Asthemoo，itlookedquitebladShastadidnotknoas，exceptthatithadaverybig，shaggyheadas。Itdidohavea，foritsuddeurowardthedesertaaroarwhichre-echhtheTombsaoshakethesaa'sfeet。Thecriesoftheothercreaturessuddenlystoppdahecouldhearfeetsgaway。Theturoexamia。

“It'salion，Iknowit'salion，”thoughtShasta。“I'mdone。Iwohurtmuch。Iwishitwasover。Iwohiopeopleafterthey'redead。O-o-oh!Hereites!”Ahiseyesa。

Butieethandclawsheohingwarmlyingdownathisfeet。Andwhenheopenedhiseyeshesaid，“Why，it'snasIthought!It'sonlyhalfthesize。No，itiserthesize。Idodeclareit'so!!Imusthavedreamedallthataboutitsbeingasbigasahorse。”

Aherhereallyhadbeendreamingornot，lyingathisfeet，andstaringhimoutofcewithitsbig，green，unwihecat;thoughlyocatshehadeverseen。

“Oh，Puss，”gaspedShasta。“Iamsogladtoseeyouagain。I'vebeenhavingsuchhorribledreams。”Aoncelaydownagain，backtobackwiththecatastheyhadbeenatthebeginnihewarmthfromitspreadalloverhim。

“I'llhingnastytoaaslongasIlive，”saidShasta，halftothedhalftohimself。“Ididonow。Ithrewstoahalf-starvedmangyoldstray。Hey!Stopthat。”Forthecathadturnedroundandgivenhimaso，”saidShasta。“Itisn'tasifyouderstandwhatI'msaying。”Thenhedozedoff。

&mwhewasgohesun，a。Shasta，verythirsty，satupandrubbedhiseyes。Thedesertwasblindihoughtherewasamurmurofhedhim，wherehesateverythilystill。Wheleleftahatthesunwasnotinhiseyes，hecouldseethemountainsonthefarsideofthedesert，sosharpaheylookedonlyastohroartiotieblueheightthatdividedihetopamustbeMou'sourdire，judgingbywhattheRavensaid，”hethought，“soI'lljustmakesureofit，soasnottowasteaheothersturnup。”Sohemadeagood，deepstraightfurrowwithhisfootpoioMountPire。

&job，clearly，wastogetsomethianddrink。ShastatrottedbackthroughtheTombs—theylookedquiteordinarynowandhewonderedhowhecouldeverhavebeenafraidofthem—anddowedlandbytheriver'sside。Thereleaboutbutnotverymany，forthecitygateshadbeenopenseveralhoursandtheearlymcrowdshadalreadygonein。Sohehadnodiffdoingalittle“raiding”（asBreecalledit）。Itinvolvedaclimbardenwallaswerethreees，amelon，afigortomegra，hewentdowntotheriverbank，buthebridge，andhadadrierwassohetookoffhishot，dirtydhadadip;forofcourseShasta，haviheshoreallhislife，hadlearoswimalmostassoonashehadlearowalk。WhehelayonthegrasslookingacrossthewateratTashbaan—allthesplendourahandgloryofit。Butthatmadehimrememberthedatoo。HesuddehatthehthavereachedtheTombswhilehewasbathing（“ahoutme，aslikelyasnot”），sohedressedinafrightasuchaspeedthathewasallhotandthirstywhenhearrivedandsothegoodofhisbathewasgone。

&dayswhenyouarealoingforsomethingthisdayseemedaboutahundredh。Hehadplentytothinkof，ofcourse，butsittihinkiyslow。HethoughtagooddealabouttheNarniansandespeciallyabout。Hewohadhappeheydiscoveredthattheboywhohadbeenlyingonthesofaandheariplanswasn'treallyatall。Itwasveryuothinkofallthoseniagininghimatraitor。

Butasthesunslowly，slowlyclimbeduptothetopoftheskyandthenslowly，slowlybegangoingdownwardstotheWest，andnoohingatallhappeogetmoreandmoreanxious。AndofcoursehehatwhentheyarraforoheTombsnoonehadsaidanythingaboutHowLong。He'twaitherefortherestofhislife!Andsoonitwouldbedarkagain，andhewouldhaveajustlikelastnight。Adozeplahroughhishead，allwretes，andatlasthefixedoplanofall。HedecidedtowaittillitwasdarkandthengobacktotheriverandstealasmanymelonsashecoulddsetoutforMourustingforhisdiretothelinehehaddrawnthatmiwasacrazyideaandifhehadreadasmanybooksasyouhaveaboutjourshewouldneverhavedreamedofit。ButShastahadreadnobooksatall。

&hesuhingdidhappen。Shastawassittingintheshadowofoombswhenhelookedupandsawtwohorses。Thegaveagreatleap，fhemasBreeandHwimomedownintohistoesagain。TherewasnosignofAravis。TheHledbyastrangeman，anarmedmayhandsomelydressedlikeanupperslaveifamily。BreeandHwinwereuplikepack-horses，butsaddledandbridled。Andwhatcoulditallmean?“It'satrap，”thoughtShasta。“SomebodyhascaughtAravisahey'vetorturedherandshe'sgivehingaway。TheywaojumpoutandrunupaoBreeandthenI'llbecaughttoo!AifIdon't，Imaybelosingmyotheothers。OhIdowishIkhadhappened。”Andheskulkedbehiomb，lookingouteveryfewminutes，andwwhichwastheleastdahingtodo。