669小说网

chater eight what haened after dner（第2页）

“That’sright，SonofAdam，”saidMr。Beaver，bringinghispawdownonthetablewithacrashthatmadeallthecupsandsaucersrattle．Andsoyoushall．Wordhasbeensentthatyouaretomeethim，tomorrowifyoucan，attheStoneTable．

“Where’sthat？”saidLucy．

“I’llshowyou，”saidMr。Beaver．“It’sdowntheriver，agoodstepfromhere．I’lltakeyoutoit！”

“ButmeanwhilewhataboutpoorMr。Tumnus？”saidLucy．

“ThequickestwayyoucanhelphimisbygoingtomeetAslan，”saidMr。Beaver，oncehe’swithus，thenwecanbegindoingthings．Notthatwedon’tneedyoutoo．Forthat’sanotheroftheoldrhymes：

WhenAdam’sfleshandAdam’sbone

SitsatCairParavelinthrone，

Theeviltimewillbeoveranddone．

Sothingsmustbedrawingneartheirendnowhe’scomeandyou’vecome．We’veheardofAslancomingintothesepartsbefore-longago，nobodycansaywhen．Butthere’sneverbeenanyofyourraceherebefore．

“That’swhatIdon’tunderstand，Mr。Beaver，”saidPeter，“Imeanisn’ttheWitchherselfhuman？”

“She’dlikeustobelieveit，”saidMr。Beaver，“andit’sonthatthatshebasesherclaimtobeQueen．Butshe’snoDaughterofEve．ShecomesofyourfatherAdam’s”-（hereMr。Beaverbowed）“yourfatherAdam’sfirstwife，hertheycalledLilith．AndshewasoneoftheJinn．That’swhatshecomesfromononeside．Andontheothershecomesofthegiants．No，no，thereisn’tadropofrealhumanbloodintheWitch．”

“That’swhyshe’sbadallthrough，Mr。Beaver，”saidMrs。Beaver．

“Trueenough，Mrs。Beaver，”repliedhe，“theremaybetwoviewsabouthumans（meaningnooffencetothepresentcompany）．Butthere’snotwoviewsaboutthingsthatlooklikehumansandaren’t．”

“I’veknowngoodDwarfs，”saidMrs。Beaver．

“So’veI，nowyoucometospeakofit，”saidherhusband，“butpreciousfew，andtheyweretheonesleastlikemen．Butingeneral，takemyadvice，whenyoumeetanythingthat’sgoingtobehumanandisn’tyet，orusedtobehumanonceandisn’tnow，oroughttobehumanandisn’t，youkeepyoureyesonitandfeelforyourhatchet．Andthat’swhytheWitchisalwaysonthelookoutforanyhumansinNarnia．She’sbeenwatchingforyouthismanyayear，andifsheknewtherewerefourofyoushe’dbemoredangerousstill．”

“What’sthattodowithit？”askedPeter．

“Becauseofanotherprophecy，”saidMr。Beaver．“DownatCairParavel-that’sthecastleontheseacoastdownatthemouthofthisriverwhichoughttobethecapitalofthewholecountryifallwasasitshouldbe-downatCairParaveltherearefourthronesandit’sasayinginNarniatimeoutofmindthatwhentwoSonsofAdamandtwoDaughtersofEvesitinthosefourthrones，thenitwillbetheendnotonlyoftheWhiteWitch’sreignbutofherlife，andthatiswhywehadtobesocautiousaswecamealong，forifsheknewaboutyoufour，yourliveswouldn’tbeworthashakeofmywhiskers！”

AllthechildrenhadbeenattendingsohardtowhatMr。Beaverwastellingthemthattheyhadnoticednothingelseforalongtime．Thenduringthemomentofsilencethatfollowedhislastremark，Lucysuddenlysaid：

“Isay-where’sEdmund？”

Therewasadreadfulpause，andtheneveryonebeganasking“Whosawhimlast？Howlonghashebeenmissing？Isheoutside？andthenallrushedtothedoorandlookedout．Thesnowwasfallingthicklyandsteadily，thegreeniceofthepoolhadvanishedunderathickwhiteblanket，andfromwherethelittlehousestoodinthecentreofthedamyoucouldhardlyseeeitherbank．Outtheywent，plungingwellovertheiranklesintothesoftnewsnow，andwentroundthehouseineverydirection．“Edmund！Edmund！”theycalledtilltheywerehoarse．Butthesilentlyfallingsnowseemedtomuffletheirvoicesandtherewasnotevenanechoinanswer．

“Howperfectlydreadful！”saidSusanastheyatlastcamebackindespair．“Oh，howIwishwe’dnevercome．”

“Whatoneartharewetodo，Mr。Beaver？”saidPeter．

“Do？”saidMr。Beaver，whowasalreadyputtingonhissnow-boots，“do？Wemustbeoffatonce．Wehaven’tamomenttospare！”

“We’dbetterdivideintofoursearchparties，”saidPeter，“andallgoindifferentdirections．Whoeverfindshimmustcomebackhereatonceand-”

“Searchparties，SonofAdam？”saidMr。Beaver；“whatfor？”

“Why，tolookforEdmund，ofcourse！”

“There’snopointinlookingforhim，”saidMr。Beaver．

“Whatdoyoumean？”saidSusan．“Hecan’tbefarawayyet。Andwe’vegottofindhim．Whatdoyoumeanwhenyousaythere’snouselookingforhim？”

“Thereasonthere’snouselooking，”saidMr。Beaver，“isthatweknowalreadywherehe’sgone！”Everyonestaredinamazement。“Don’tyouunderstand？”saidMr。Beaver．“He’sgonetoher，totheWhiteWitch．Hehasbetrayedusall．”

“Oh，surely-oh，really！”saidSusan，“hecan’thavedonethat．”

“Can’the？”saidMr。Beaver，lookingveryhardatthethreechildren，andeverythingtheywantedtosaydiedontheirlips，foreachfeltsuddenlyquitecertaininsidethatthiswasexactlywhatEdmundhaddone．

“Butwillheknowtheway？”saidPeter．

“Hashebeeninthiscountrybefore？”askedMr。Beaver．“Hasheeverbeenherealone？”