669小说网

chater fur what caian did there（第1页）

NextmorningtheLordBerncalledhisguestsearly，andafterbreakfastheaskedCaspiantoordereverymanhehadintofullarmour．“Andaboveall，”headded，“leteverythingbeastrimandscouredasifitwerethemorningofthefirstbattleinagreatwarbetweennoblekingswithalltheworldlookingon．”Thiswasdone；andtheninthreeboatloadsCaspianandhispeople，andBernwithafewofhis，putoutforNarrowhaven．TheKing’sflagflewinthesternofhisboatandhistrumpeterwaswithhim．

WhentheyreachedthejettyatNarrowhaven，Caspianfoundaconsiderablecrowdassembledtomeetthem．“ThisiswhatIsentwordaboutlastnight，”saidBern．“Theyareallfriendsofmineandhonestpeople．”AndassoonasCaspiansteppedashorethecrowdbrokeoutintohurrahsandshoutsof，“Narnia！Narnia！LonglivetheKing．”Atthesamemoment—andthiswasalsoduetoBern’smessengers—bellsbeganringingfrommanypartsofthetown．ThenCaspiancausedhisbannertobeadvancedandhis　trumpettobeblownandeverymandrewhisswordandsethisfaceintoajoyfulsternness，andtheymarchedupthestreetsothatthestreetshook，andtheirarmourshone（foritwasasunnymorning）sothatonecouldhardlylookatitsteadily．

AtfirsttheonlypeoplewhocheeredwerethosewhohadbeenwarnedbyBern’smessengerandknewwhatwashappeningandwantedittohappen．Butthenallthechildrenjoinedinbecausetheylikedaprocessionandhadseenveryfew．Andthenalltheschoolboysjoinedinbecausetheyalsolikedprocessionsandfeltthatthemorenoiseanddisturbancetherewasthelesslikelytheywouldbetohaveanyschoolthatmorning．Andthenalltheoldwomenputtheirheadsoutofdoorsandwindowsandbeganchatteringandcheeringbecauseitwasaking，andwhatisagovernorcomparedwiththat？AndalltheyoungwomenjoinedinforthesamereasonandalsobecauseCaspianandDrinianandtherestweresohandsome．Andthenalltheyoungmencametoseewhattheyoungwomenwerelookingat，sothatbythetimeCaspianreachedthecastlegates，nearlythewholetownwasshouting；andwhereGumpassatinthecastle，muddlingandmessingaboutwithaccountsandformsandrulesandregulations，heheardthenoise．

AtthecastlegateCaspian’strumpeterblewablastandcried，“OpenfortheKingofNarnia，cometovisithistrustyandwell—belovedservantthegovernoroftheLoneIslands．”Inthosedayseverythingintheislandswasdoneinaslovenly，slouchingmanner．Onlythelittleposternopened，andoutcameatousledfellowwith　adirtyoldhatonhisheadinsteadofahelmet，andarustyoldpikeinhishand．Heblinkedattheflashingfiguresbeforehim．“Carn—seez—fishansy，”hemumbled（whichwashiswayofsaying，“Youcan’tseeHisSufficiency”）．“Nointerviewswithout‘pointments’cept‘tweennine’n’tenp。m。secondSaturdayeverymonth．”

“UncoverbeforeNarnia，youdog，”thunderedtheLordBern，anddealthimarapwithhisgauntletedhandwhichsenthishatflyingfromhishead．

“Ere？Wot’sitallabout？”beganthedoorkeeper，butnoonetookanynoticeofhim．TwoofCaspian’smensteppedthroughtheposternandaftersomestrugglingwithbarsandbolts（foreverythingwasrusty）flungbothwingsofthegatewideopen．ThentheKingandhisfollowersstrodeintothecourtyard．Hereanumberofthegovernor’sguardswereloungingaboutandseveralmore（theyweremostlywipingtheirmouths）cametumblingoutofvariousdoorways。Thoughtheirarmourwasinadisgracefulcondition，thesewerefellowswhomighthavefoughtiftheyhadbeenledorhadknownwhatwashappening；sothiswasthedangerousmoment．Caspiangavethemnotimetothink．

“Whereisthecaptain？”heasked．

“Iam，moreorless，ifyouknowwhatImean，”saidalanguidandratherdandifiedyoungpersonwithoutanyarmouratall．

“Itisourwish，”saidCaspian，“thatourroyalvisitationtoourrealmoftheLoneIslandsshould，ifpossible，beanoccasionofjoyandnotofterrortoourloyalsubjects．Ifitwerenotforthat，Ishouldhavesomethingtosayaboutthestateofyourmen’sarmourandweapons．Asitis，youarepardoned．Commandacaskofwinetobeopenedthatyourmenmaydrinkourhealth．ButatnoontomorrowIwishtoseethemhereinthiscourtyardlookinglikemen-at-armsandnotlikevagabonds．Seetoitonpainofourextremedispleasure．”

ThecaptaingapedbutBernimmediatelycried，“Three．cheersfortheKing，”andthesoldiers，whohadunderstoodaboutthecaskofwineeveniftheyunderstoodnothingelse，joinedin．Caspianthenorderedmostofhisownmentoremaininthecourtyard．He，withBernandDrinianandfourothers，wentintothehall．

BehindatableatthefarendwithvarioussecretariesabouthimsathisSufficiency，theGovernoroftheLoneIslands．Gumpaswasabilious-lookingmanwithhairthathadoncebeenredandwasnowmostlygrey．Heglancedupasthestrangersenteredandthenlookeddownathispaperssayingautomatically，“Nointerviewswithoutappointmentsexceptbetweennineandtenp。m。onsecondSaturdays．”

CaspiannoddedtoBernandthenstoodaside．BernandDriniantookastepforwardandeachseizedoneendofthetable．Theyliftedit，andflungitononesideofthehallwhereitrolledover，scatteringacascadeofletters，dossiers，ink-pots，pens，sealing-waxanddocuments．Then，notroughlybutasfirmlyasiftheirhandswerepincersofsteel，theypluckedGumpasoutofhischairanddepositedhim，facingit，aboutfourfeetaway．Caspianatoncesatdowninthechairandlaidhisnakedswordacrosshisknees．

“MyLord，”saidhe，fixinghiseyesonGumpas，“youhavenotgivenusquitethewelcomeweexpected．WearetheKingofNarnia．”

“Nothingaboutitinthecorrespondence，”saidthegovernor．“Nothingintheminutes．Wehavenotbeennotifiedofanysuchthing．Allirregular．Happytoconsideranyapplications—”

“AndwearecometoenquireintoyourSufficiency’sconductofyouroffice，”continuedCaspian．“TherearetwopointsespeciallyonwhichIrequireanexplanation．FirstlyIfindnorecordthatthetributeduefromtheseIslandstothecrownofNarniahasbeenreceivedforaboutahundredandfiftyyears．”

“ThatwouldbeaquestiontoraiseattheCouncilnextmonth，”saidGumpas．“Ifanyonemovesthatacommissionofenquirybesetuptoreportonthefinancialhistoryoftheislandsatthefirstmeetingnextyear，whythen。。。”

“Ialsofinditveryclearlywritteninourlaws，”Caspianwenton，“thatifthetributeisnotdeliveredthewholedebthastobepaidbytheGovernoroftheLoneIslandsoutofhisprivatepurse．”

AtthisGumpasbegantopayrealattention．“Oh，that’squiteoutofthequestion，”hesaid．“Itisaneconomicimpossibility—er—yourMajestymustbejoking．”

Inside，hewaswonderingiftherewereanywayofgettingridoftheseunwelcomevisitors．HadheknownthatCaspianhadonlyoneshipandoneship’scompanywithhim，hewouldhavespokensoftwordsforthemoment，andhopedtohavethemallsurroundedandkilledduringthenight．Buthehadseenashipofwarsaildownthestraitsyesterdayandseenitsignalling，ashesupposed，toitsconsorts．HehadnotthenknownitwastheKing’sshipfortherewasnotwindenoughtospreadtheflagoutandmakethegoldenlionvisible，sohehadwaitedfurtherdevelopments．NowheimaginedthatCaspianhadawholefleetatBernstead．ItwouldneverhaveoccurredtoGumpasthatanyonewouldwalkintoNarrowhaventotaketheislandswithlessthanfiftymen；itwascertainlynotatallthekindofthinghecouldimaginedoinghimself．

“Secondly，”saidCaspian，“Iwanttoknowwhyyouhavepermittedthisabominableandunnaturaltrafficinslavestogrowuphere，contrarytotheancientcustomandusageofourdominions．”

“Necessary，unavoidable，”saidhisSufficiency．“Anessentialpartoftheeconomicdevelopmentoftheislands，Iassureyou．Ourpresentburstofprosperitydependsonit．”

“Whatneedhaveyouofslaves？”

“Forexport，yourMajesty．Sell’emtoCalormenmostly；andwehaveothermarkets．Weareagreatcenterofthetrade．”

“Inotherwords，”saidCaspian，“youdon’tneedthem．TellmewhatpurposetheyserveexcepttoputmoneyintothepocketsofsuchasPug？”

“YourMajesty’stenderyears，”saidGumpas，withwhatwasmeanttobeafatherlysmile，“hardlymakeitpossiblethatyoushouldunderstandtheeconomicprobleminvolved．Ihavestatistics，Ihavegraphs，Ihave—”

“Tenderasmyyearsmaybe，”saidCaspian，“IbelieveIunderstandtheslavetradefromwithinquiteaswellasyour　Sufficiency．AndIdonotseethatitbringsintotheislandsmeatorbreadorbeerorwineortimberorcabbagesorbooksorinstrumentsofmusicorhorsesorarmouroranythingelseworthhaving．Butwhetheritdoesornot，itmustbestopped．”

“Butthatwouldbeputtingtheclockback，”gaspedthegovernor．“Haveyounoideaofprogress，ofdevelopment？”

“Ihaveseenthembothinanegg，”saidCaspian．“Wecallit‘GoingBad’inNarnia．Thistrademuststop．”

“Icantakenoresponsibilityforanysuchmeasure，”saidGumpas．

“Verywell，then，”answeredCaspian，“werelieveyouofyouroffice．MyLordBern，comehere．”AndbeforeGumpasquiterealizedwhatwashappening，BernwaskneelingwithhishandsbetweentheKing’shandsandtakingtheoathtogoverntheLoneIslandsinaccordancewiththeoldcustoms，rights，usagesandlawsofNarnia．AndCaspiansaid，“Ithinkwehavehadenoughofgovernors，”andmadeBernaDuke，theDukeoftheLoneIslands．

“Asforyou，myLord，”hesaidtoGumpas，“Iforgiveyouyourdebtforthetribute．Butbeforenoontomorrowyouandyoursmustbeoutofthecastle，whichisnowtheDuke’sresidence．”