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CHAPTER SIXTEEN THE VERY END OF THE WORLD（第1页）

CHAPTERSIXTEENTHEVERYENDOFTHEWORLD

REEPICHEEPwastheonlypersononboardbesidesDriniawoPevensieswhohadheSeaPeople。HehaddivedinatonhesawtheSeaKingshakinghisspear，fardedthisasasortofthreateaohavethematteroutthereaheextofdisgthatthefreshhaddistractedhisattention，andbeforeherememberedtheSeaPeopleagainLudDrinianhadtakenhimasideatomentionwhathehadseen。

Asthiheyneedhardlyhavebothered，forbythistimetheDawnTreaderwasglidioftheseawhichseemedtobeuninhabited。LuythihePeople，andevenshehadoglimpse。Allmonthefollowingdaytheysailedinfairlyshallowwateraomwasweedy。JustbeforemiddayLucysawalargeshoaloffishesgraziheywerealleatingsteadilyandallmovingiion。“Justlikeaflockofsheep，”thoughtLulyshesawalittleSeaGirlofabeinthemiddleofthem—aquiet，lonely-lookinggirlwithasortofherhand。Lucyfeltsurethatthisgirlmustbeashepherdess—orperhapsafish-herdessandthattheshoalwasreallyaflockatpasture。Boththefishesandthegirlwerequiteclosetothesurfadjustasthegirl，glidingintheshallowwater，andLugoverthebulositetoohegirllookeduparaightintoLucy'sfaeithercouldspeaktotheotherandiheSeaGirldroppedastern。ButLueverfetherface。ItdidnhtenedrylikethoseoftheotherSeaPeople。Lucyhadlikedthatgirlaainthegirlhadlikedher。Iheyhadsomehowbeefrieseemtobemueetingagaininthatworldoraifevertheydotheywillrushtogetherwiththeirha。

&formanydays，withoutwindinhershroudsorfoamatherbows，acrossawavelesssea，theDawnTreaderglidedsmoothlyeast。Everydayahelightbecamemorebrilliantandstilltheycouldbearit。ao，buttheydrewbucketsofdazzlihesea，strohanwineaer，moreliquid，thanordinaryledgedolyisofit。Awoofthesailorswhohadbeenoldishmehevoyagebegannereveryday。Everyoneonboardwasfilledwithjoyathatmadeohefurthertheysailedthelesstheyspoke，aiillhatlastsealaidholdonthem。

“MyLord，”saidtoDrinianoneday，“whatdoyouseeahead?”

“Sire，”saidDriniaeness。Allalongthehorizonfromnorthtosouth，asfarasmyeyesreach。”

“ThatiswhatIseetoo，”said，“andIagiis。”

“Ifwewereiudes，yourMajesty，”saidDrinian，“Iwouldsayitwasice。Butit'tbethat;hesame，we'dbettergetmentotheoarsandholdtheshipbastthet。Whateverthestuffis，wedon'twanttotoitatthisspeed!”

TheydidasDriniansaid，andsouedtogoslowerahewhitenessdidaeriousasthey—approachedit。Ifitwaslanditmustbeaverystrangeland，foritseemedjustassmoothasthewaterandonthesamelevelwithit。WheveryclosetoitDrinianputthehelmhardoveraheDawhsothatshewasbroadsideoalewaystheedgeofthewhiteness。Insodoingtheyatallymadetheimportahetwasonlyaboutfortyfeetwideaheseaasstillasapond。Thiswasgoodhecrew，whuntothinkthatthereturoRamandu'sland，rowingagaiheway，wouldbeprettypoorsport。（Italsoexplaiheshepherdgirlhaddroppedsoquicklyasteri。Ifshehadbeenshewouldhavebeehesamespeedastheship。）

Andstillnooneakeoutwhatthewhitestuffwas。Thewasloutofftoihosewhoremaireadercouldseethattheboatpushedrightinamidstthewhiteheycouldhearthevoicesofthepartyiclearacrossthestillwater）talkinginashrillandsurprisedway。ThenthereausewhileRyhebowsoftheboattookasounding;aerthat，thebbackthereseemedtobepleuffinsideher。Everyohesidetohearthenews。

“Lilies，yourMajesty!”shoutedRyandingupinthebows。

“Whatdidyousay?”asked。

“Bloominglilies，yourMajesty，”saidRynelf。“Sameasinapardenathome。”

“Look!”saidLucy，whowasiheboat。Sheheldupherwetarmsfullofwhitepetalsandbroadflatleaves。

“What'sthedepth，Rynelf?”askedDrinian。

“That'sthefunnything，，”saidRy'sstilldeep。Threeandahalffathomsclear。”

“They'tbereallilies—notwhatwecalllilies，”saidEustace。

Probablytheywerenot，buttheywereverylikethem。AersomesultatioreaderturnedbatothedbegawardthroughtheLilyLakeortheSilverSea（theytriedboththesewastheSilverSeathatstudisnoian'smap）thestraoftheirtravelsbegaheopeheywereleavingwasonlyathinrimofblueoernhorizowithfaicold，spreadroundthemoneveryside，exceptjustasterheirpassagehadthrusttheliliesapartaanopeerthatshonelikedarkgreenglass。Tolookat，thislastseawasveryliketheArdiftheireyeshadnotbynowgraseagles'thesunonallthatwhiteearlymwhenthesuwouldhavebeenunbearable。Ahesamewhitehedaylightlastlohereseemedhelilies。DayafterdayfromallthosemilesandleaguesofflowersthereroseasmellwhichLuditveryhardtodescribe;sweet—yes，butnotatallsleepy，afresh，wild，loseemedtogetintoyourbrainandmakeyoufeelthatyouountainsataruha。Sheandsaidtooher，“IfeelthatI'tstandmuchmoreofthis，yetIdon'twantittostop。”

&ooksouenbutitwasonlyseveraldayslaterthatthewaterbecameshallower。Afterthatitweingshallower。Therecameadaywheorowoutofthedfeeltheirwayforwardatasnail'spag。AndsoonitwasclearthattheDawnTreadercouldsail。Iwasonlybyverydlingthattheysavedherfr。

&heboat，”cried，“ahemenaft。Imustspeaktothem。”

“What'shegoingtodo?”whisperedEustaund。“There'saqueerlookinhiseyes。”

“Ithinkweprobablyalllookthesame，”saidEdmund。

Theyjoinedthepoopandsoonallthemenwerecrowdedtogetheratthefootoftheladdert'sspeeds，”said，“wehavenowfulfilledthequestonwhibarked。ThesevenlordsareallatedforandasSirReepicheephassworurn，whenyoureadu'sLandyouwilldoubtlessfindtheLordsRevilianandArgozandMavramoroyou，myLordDrihisship，biddingyousailtoNarniaeedyoumay，atolandontheIslaer。Andinstructmyregerumpkihese，myshipmates，thereromisedthem。Theyhavebeenearnedwell。AndifIenotagainitismywillthattheRegent，andMasterelius，aheBadger，andtheLordDrinianchooseaKingofNarniawiththet—”

“But，Sire，”iedDrinian，“areyouabdig?”

“IamgoingwithReepicheeptoseetheWorld'sEnd，”said。

Alowmurmurofdismayranthroughthesailors。

&aketheboat，”said。“YouwillhaveileseasandyoumustbuildanewoneinRamandu'sisland。Andnow—”

“，”saidEdmundsuddenlyandsternly，“you'tdothis。”

“Mostly，”saidReepicheep，“hisMajestyot。”

“Noindeed，”saidDrinian。

“'t?”saidsharply，lookingforamomentnotunlikehisuncleMiraz。

“BeggingyourMajesty'spardon，”saidRyhedeckbelow，“butifoneofusdidthesameitwouldbecalleddeserting。”

“Youpresumetoomuyservielf，”said。

“No，Sire!He'sperfectlyright，”saidDrinian。

“BytheManeofAslan，”said，“Ihadthoughtyouwereallmysubjectshere，notmysasters。”

“I'mnot，”saidEdmund，“andIsayyouotdothis。”

“'tagain，”said。“Whatdoyoumean?”

“IfitpleaseyourMajesty，wemeanshallnot，”saidReepicheepwithaverylowbow。“YouaretheKingofNarnia。YoubreakfaithwithallyoursubjedespeciallywithTrumpkin，ifyoudourn。Youshallnotpleaseyourselfwithadventuresasifyourivateperson。AndifyourMajestywillnothearreasonitwillbethetruestloyaltyofeverymanonboardtofollowmeindisarmingandbindingyoutillyouetoyoursenses。”

“Quiteright，”saidEdmuheydidwithUlysseswheogoheSirens。”