ThenRabadashrolledhiseyesahismouthintoahorrible,lrinlikeashark,andwaggedhisearsupanddown(anyoodothisiftheytakethetrouble)。Hehadalwaysfouiveihebravesthadtrembledwhehesefadordinarypeoplehadfallentothefloor,aivepeoplehadoftewhatRabadashhadn'trealizedisthatitisveryeasythtenpeoplewhoknowyouhavethemboiledalivethemomentyougivethewrima'tlookatallalarminginArd;indeedLulythoughtRabadashwasgoingtobesick。
“Demon!Demon!DemohePrinowyou。YouarethefoulfiendofNarnia。Youaretheehegods。LearnwhoIam,horriblephantasm。IamdesTash,theiheirresistible。thecurseofTashisuponyou。LightningintheshapeofssshallberainedoainsofNarniashallbegroundintodust。The—”
“Haveacare,Rabadash,”saidAslahedoomisisatthedoor:ithasliftedthelatch。”
&heskiesfall,”shriekedRabadash。“Lettheearthgape!Letbloodaeratetheworld!ButbesureIwillillIhavedraggedtomypalacebyherhairthebarbariahedaughterofdogs,the—”
“Thehourhasstruck,”saidAslan:andRabadashsaw,tohissupremehorror,thateveryoolaugh。
They'thelpit。RabadashhadbeenwaggihetimeandassoonasAslansaid,“Thehourhasstruck!”theearsbegantoge。Theygreointedandsoonwerecrayhair。Andwhileeveryonewaswwheretheyhadseenearslikethatbefore,Rabadash'sfatogeter,ahetereyed,andthenosesankbatotheface(orelsethefaceswelledoutandbeose)andtherewashairalloverit。Andhisarmsgrewlongerandinfrontofhimtillhishaingontheground:onlytheyweren'thands,now,theywerehoofs。Aandingonallfours,andhisclothesdisappeared,andeveryonelaughedlouderandlouder(becausethey'thelpit)fornowwhathadbeenRabadashlyandunmistakably,adoerriblethingwasthathishumaedjustamomehanhishumawhehegethatwas,hescreamedout:
“Oh,notaDonkey!Mercy!Ifitwereevenahorse—e'en—ahor—eeh—auh,eeh-auh。”Andsothewordsdiedawayintoadonkey'sbray。
“Nowhearme,Rabadash,”saidAslan。“Justiceshallbemixedwithmercy。YoushallnotalwaysbeanAss。”
AtthisofcoursetheDocheditsearsforwardandthatalsowassofunnythateverybodylaughedallthemore。Theytriednotto,buttheytriedinvain。
“YouhaveappealedtoTash,”saidAslan。“AempleofTashyoushallbehealed。YoumuststaarofTashinTashbaaAutumhisyearahesightofallTashbaan,yourass'sshapewillfallfromyouandallmenwillknowyouforPrinceRabadash。Butaslongasyoulive,ifeveryougomorethantenmilesawayfromthegreattempleinTashbaanyoushallinstantlybeeagainasyounoware。Andfromthatsegetherewillbeurn。”
Therewasashortsileheirredaoheywerewakingfromsleep。Aslaherewasabrightheairandonthegrass,andajoyis,whichassuredthemthathehadbeennodream:andahedonkeyinfrontofthem。
Kihekiedofmenandonseeihisregrettablehefotallhisanger。
“Yhness,”hesaid。“Iammosttrulysorrythatthiothisextremity。Yhnesswillbearwititwasn。AndofcourseweshallbedelightedtoprhhshippingbacktoTashbaamentrescribed。Youshallhaveeveryfortwhichyhness'ssituationallows:thebestofthecattleboats—thefreshestdthistles—”
ButadeafeningbrayfromtheDonkeyandawell-aimedkieoftheguardsmadeitclearthatthesekindlyratefullyreceived。
Ahimoutoftheway,I'dbetterfinishoffthestoryofRabadash。He(orit)wasdulysentbackbyboattoTashbaanandbroughtiashatthegreatAutumival,andthenhebeagain。Butofcoursefourorfivethousandpeoplehadseeransformationandtheaffairotpossiblybehushedup。AheoldTisroc'sdeathwhenRabadashbecameTisrohisplaedoutthemostpeaceableTisroenhadeverknown。Thiswasbeomorethaashbaan,heevergoonawarhimself:andhedidn'twanthisTarkaanstowiheehatisthewayTisrocsgetoverthrown。Butthoughhisreasomadethingsmufortableforallthesmallertriesrounden。Hisownpeotthathehadbeenadhisreign,andtohisface,hewascalledRabadashthePeacemaker,butafterhisdeathandbehindhisbackhewascalledRabadashtheRididifyoulookhimupinagoodHistoryofen(trythelocallibrary)youwillfindhimuothisdayineneschools,ifyoudoanythingunusuallystupid,youareverylikelytobecalled“asedRabadash”。
MeaAnvardeveryohathehadbeendisposedofbeforetherealfunbegan,whichwasagraheldthateveningonthelawle,withdozensoflaohelpthemoonlight。AndthewialesweretoldandjokeswerecradthensilencewasmadeandtheKing'spoetwithtwofiddlerssteppedoutintothemiddleofthecircle。Aravisahemselvestobebored,fortheoheykheenekind,andyouknohatthatwaslike。Butattheveryfirstscrapeofthefiddlesarocketseemedtogoupiheirheads,ahegreatoldlayofFairOlvinaheGiaurostohatistheinofMouwasatwo-headedGiant)andwontheLadyLilnforhisbride;awasovertheywisheditwasgoingtobeginagain。AndthoughBree'tsihestoryofthefightatZalindreh。AndLucytoldagain(theyhadall,exceptAravisamaheyallwaagaialeoftheWardrobeandhowsheandKingEdmundandQueenSusaheHighKinghadfirsteintoNarnia。
Aly,aspeer,KingLunesaidifwastimefpeopletobeiomorrow,Cor,”headded,“shalteoverallthecastlewithmearesandmarkallitsstrengthandweakness:foritwillbethioguardwhenI'mgone。”
“ButwillbetheKiher,”saidCor。
“Nay,lad,”saidKihouartmyheir。Theestothee。”
“ButIdon'twantit,”saidCor。“I'dfarrather—”
“'Tisionwhatthouwa,orIeither。'Tisinthecourseoflaw。”
“Butifwe'retwibethesameage。”
“Nay,”saidtheKingwithalaugh。“Oefirst。Art'selderbyfulltwentyminutes。Aoo,let'shope,thoughthat'sery。”Andhelookedatwithatwinkleinhiseyes。
“But,Father,'tyoumakewhicheveryouliketobetheKing?”
“No。Theking'suhelaw,forit'sthelawmakeshimaking。Hastostartawayfromthyaryfromhispost。”
“Ohdear,”saidCor。“Idon'twanttoatall。Andmostdreadfullysorry。Iurningupwasgoingtochiselyououtdom。”
“Hurrah!Hurrah!”said。“Ishan'thavetobeKing。Ishan'thavetobeKing。I'llalri'sprihefun。”
“Andthat'struerthanthybrotherknows,Cor,”saidKihisiswhatitmeanstobeakiieattadlastieretreat,ahere'shuheland(asmustbenowandtheniowearfihesandlaughlouderoverastiermealthananymaninyourland。”
&wupstairstainaskedothingcouldbedo。Andsaid:
“Ifyousayanotherwordaboutit,I'll—I'llknockyoudown。”
Itwouldbeorybysayingthatafterthatthetwobrothersneverdisagreedaboutanythingagain,butIamafraiditwouldrue。Iheyquarreledandfoughtjustaboutasoftenasawoboyswould,aseheydidn'tbegin)withgkno。Fh,whehgrownupandbeen,CorwasthemerousmaniherhenoraheNorthtriescouldeverequalasaboxer。Thatwashowhegothisnameofder-Fist;andhowheperfreatexploitagainsttheLapsedBearofStormness,whichwasreallyaTalkihadgooWildBearhabits。beduptoitslairontheNarormerdaywhenthesnowwasonthehillsahoutatime-keeperforthirty-threerounds。A'tseeoutofitseyesandbecameareformedcharacter。
Aravisalsohadmanyquarrels(and,I'mafraid,evenfights)withCor,buttheyalagain:sothatyearslater,whentheyweregrownup,theyweresousedtandmakingitupagaimarriedsoastogoondoingitmoretly。AndafterKingLune'sdeaththeymadeagoodKingandQueenofArdahemostfamousofallthekingsofArd,wastheirson。BreeandHwinlivedhappilyteinNarniaandbothgotmarriedbuther。Andthereweren'tmanymonthsinwhieorbothofthemdidn'tetrottihepasstovisittheirfriendsatAnvard。