669小说网

chater even hw the adventure ended（第1页）

“LOOKatwhat？”saidEdmund．

“Lookatthedeviceonthegold，”saidCaspian．

“Alittlehammerwithadiamondaboveitlikeastar，”saidDrinian．“Why，I’veseenthatbefore．”

“Seenit！”saidCaspian．“Why，ofcourseyouhave．ItisthesignofagreatNarnianhouse．ThisistheLordOctesian’sarm-ring．”

“Villain，”saidReepicheeptothedragon，“haveyoudevouredaNarnianlord？”Butthedragonshookhisheadviolently．

“Orperhaps，”saidLucy，“thisistheLordOctesian，turnedintoadragon—underanenchantment，youknow．”

“Itneedn’tbeeither，”saidEdmund．“Alldragonscollectgold。ButIthinkit’sasafeguessthatOctesiangotnofurtherthanthisisland．”

“AreyoutheLordOctesian？”saidLucytothedragon，andthen，whenitsadlyshookitshead，“Areyousomeoneenchanted—someonehuman，Imean？”

Itnoddedviolently．

Andthensomeonesaid—peopledisputedafterwardswhetherLucyorEdmundsaiditfirst—“You’renot—notEustacebyanychance？”

AndEustacenoddedhisterribledragonheadandthumpedhistailintheseaandeveryoneskippedback（someofthesailorswithejaculationsIwillnotputdowninwriting）toavoidtheenormousandboilingtearswhichflowedfromhiseyes．

Lucytriedhardtoconsolehimandevenscreweduphercouragetokissthescalyface，andnearlyeveryonesaid“Hardluck”andseveralassuredEustacethattheywouldallstandbyhimandmanysaidtherewassuretobesomewayofdisenchantinghimandthey’dhavehimasrightasraininadayortwo．Andofcoursetheywereallveryanxioustohearhisstory，buthecouldn’tspeak．Morethanonceinthedaysthatfollowedheattemptedtowriteitforthemonthesand．Butthisneversucceeded．InthefirstplaceEustace（neverhavingreadtherightbooks）hadnoideahowtotellastorystraight．Andforanotherthing，themusclesandnervesofthedragon-clawsthathehadtousehadneverlearnedtowriteandwerenotbuiltforwritinganyway．Asaresulthenevergotnearlytotheendbeforethetidecameinandwashedawayallthewritingexceptthebitshehadalreadytroddenonoraccidentallyswishedoutwithhistail．Andallthatanyonehadseenwouldbesomethinglikethis—thedotsareforthebitshehadsmudgedout—

IWNETTOSLEE。。。RGOSAGRONSIMEANDRANGONSCAVECAUSEIT—WASDEADANDAWINGSOHAR。。。WOKEUPANDCOU。。。GETOFFFMIARMOHBOTHER。。。

Itwas，however，cleartoeveryonethatEustace’scharacterhadbeenratherimprovedbybecomingadragon．Hewasanxioustohelp．Heflewoverthewholeislandandfoundthatitwasallmountainousandinhabitedonlybywildgoatsanddrovesofwildswine．Ofthesehebroughtbackmanycarcassesasprovisionsfortheship．Hewasaveryhumanekillertoo，forhecoulddispatchabeastwithoneblowofhistailsothatitdidn’tknow（andpresumablystilldoesn’tknow）ithadbeenkilled．Heateafewhimself，ofcourse，butalwaysalone，fornowthathewasadragonhelikedhisfoodrawbuthecouldneverbeartoletothersseehimathismessymeals．Andoneday，flyingslowlyandwearilybutingreattriumph，heborebacktocampagreattallpinetreewhichhehadtornupbytherootsinadistantvalleyandwhichcouldbemadeintoacapitalmast．Andintheeveningifitturnedchilly，asitsometimesdidaftertheheavyrains，hewasacomforttoeveryone，forthewholepartywouldcomeandsitwiththeirbacksagainsthishotsidesandgetwellwarmedanddried；andonepuffofhisfierybreathwouldlightthemostobstinatefire．Sometimeshewouldtakeaselectpartyforaflyonhisback，sothattheycouldseewheelingbelowthemthegreenslopes，therockyheights，thenarrowpit-likevalleysandfaroutovertheseatotheeastwardaspotofdarkerblueonthebluehorizonwhichmightbeland．

Thepleasure（quitenewtohim）ofbeinglikedand，stillmore，oflikingotherpeople，waswhatkeptEustacefromdespair．Foritwasverydrearybeingadragon．Heshudderedwheneverhecaughtsightofhisownreflectionasheflewoveramountainlake．Hehatedthehugebat—likewings，thesaw-edgedridgeonhisback，andthecruel，curvedclaws．Hewasalmostafraidtobealonewithhimselfandyethewasashamedtobewiththeothers．Ontheeveningswhenhewasnotbeingusedasahot-waterbottlehewouldslinkawayfromthecampandliecurleduplikeasnakebetweenthewoodandthewater．Onsuchoccasions，greatlytohissurprise，Reepicheepwashismostconstantcomforter．ThenobleMousewouldcreepawayfromthemerrycircleatthecampfireandsitdownbythedragon’shead，welltothewindwardtobeoutofthewayofhissmokybreath．TherehewouldexplainthatwhathadhappenedtoEustacewasastrikingillustrationoftheturnofFortune’swheel，andthatifhehadEustaceathisownhouseinNarnia（itwasreallyaholenotahouseandthedragon’shead，letalonehisbody，wouldnothavefittedin）hecouldshowhimmorethanahundredexamplesofemperors，kings，dukes，knights，poets，lovers，astronomers，philosophers，andmagicians，whohadfallenfromprosperityintothemostdistressingcircumstances，andofwhommanyhadrecoveredandlivedhappilyeverafterwards．Itdidnot，perhaps，seemsoverycomfortingatthetime，butitwaskindlymeantandEustaceneverforgotit．

Butofcoursewhathungovereveryonelikeacloudwastheproblemofwhattodowiththeirdragonwhentheywerereadytosail．Theytriednottotalkofitwhenhewasthere，buthecouldn’thelpoverhearingthingslike，“Wouldhefitallalongonesideofthedeck？Andwe’dhavetoshiftallthestorestotheothersidedownbelowsoastobalance，”or，“Wouldtowinghimbeanygood？”or“Wouldhebeabletokeepupbyflying？”and（mostoftenofall），“Buthowarewetofeedhim？”AndpoorEustacerealizedmoreandmorethatsincethefirstdayhecameonboardhehadbeenanunmitigatednuisanceandthathewasnowagreaternuisancestill．Andthisateintohismind，justasthatbraceletateintohisforeleg．Heknewthatitonlymadeitworsetotearatitwithhisgreatteeth，buthecouldn’thelptearingnowandthen，especiallyonhotnights．

AboutsixdaysaftertheyhadlandedonDragonIsland，Edmundhappenedtowakeupveryearlyonemorning．Itwasjustgettinggreysothatyoucouldseethetree-trunksiftheywerebetweenyouandthebaybutnotintheotherdirection．Ashewokehethoughtheheardsomethingmoving，soheraisedhimselfononeelbowandlookedabouthim：andpresentlyhethoughthesawadarkfiguremovingontheseawardsideofthewood．Theideathatatonceoccurredtohismindwas，“Arewesosuretherearenonativesonthisislandafterall？”ThenhethoughtitwasCaspian—itwasabouttherightsize—butheknewthatCaspianhadbeensleepingnexttohimandcouldseethathehadn’tmoved．Edmundmadesurethathisswordwasinitsplaceandthenrosetoinvestigate．

Hecamedownsoftlytotheedgeofthewoodandthedarkfigurewasstillthere．HesawnowthatitwastoosmallforCaspianandtoobigforLucy．Itdidnotrunaway．Edmunddrewhisswordandwasabouttochallengethestrangerwhenthestranger

saidinalowvoice，“Isthatyou，Edmund？”

“Yes．Whoareyou？”saidhe．

“Don’tyouknowme？”saidtheother．“It’sme—Eustace．”

“Byjove，”saidEdmund，“soitis．Mydearchap—”

“Hush，”saidEustaceandlurchedasifheweregoingtofall．

“Hello！”saidEdmund，steadyinghim．“What’sup？Areyouill？”

EustacewassilentforsolongthatEdmundthoughthewasfainting；butatlasthesaid，“It’sbeenghastly．Youdon’tknow。。。butit’sallrightnow．Couldwegoandtalksomewhere？Idon’twanttomeettheothersjustyet．”

“Yes，rather，anywhereyoulike，”saidEdmund．“Wecangoandsitontherocksoverthere．Isay，Iamgladtoseeyou—er—lookingyourselfagain．Youmusthavehadaprettybeastlytime．”

Theywenttotherocksandsatdownlookingoutacrossthebaywhiletheskygotpalerandpalerandthestarsdisappearedexceptforoneverybrightonelowdownandnearthehorizon．

“Iwon’ttellyouhowIbecamea—adragontillIcantelltheothersandgetitallover，”saidEustace．“Bytheway，Ididn’tevenknowitwasadragontillIheardyouallusingthewordwhenIturnedupheretheothermorning．IwanttotellyouhowIstoppedbeingone．”

“Fireahead，”saidEdmund．

“Well，lastnightIwasmoremiserablethanever．Andthatbeastlyarm-ringwashurtinglikeanything—”

“Isthatallrightnow？”

Eustacelaughed—adifferentlaughfromanyEdmundhadheardhimgivebefore—andslippedthebraceleteasilyoffhisarm．“Thereitis，”hesaid，“andanyonewholikescanhaveitasfarasI’mconcerned．Well，asIsay，Iwaslyingawakeandwonderingwhatonearthwouldbecomeofme．Andthen—but，mindyou，itmayhavebeenalladream．Idon’tknow．”

“Goon，”saidEdmund，withconsiderablepatience．

“Well，anyway，IlookedupandsawtheverylastthingIexpected：ahugelioncomingslowlytowardsme．Andonequeerthingwasthattherewasnomoonlastnight，buttherewasmoonlightwherethelionwas．Soitcamenearerandnearer．Iwasterriblyafraidofit．Youmaythinkthat，beingadragon，Icouldhaveknockedanylionouteasilyenough．Butitwasn’tthatkindoffear．Iwasn’tafraidofiteatingme，Iwasjustafraidofit-ifyoucanunderstand．Well，itcamecloseuptomeandlookedstraightintomyeyes．AndIshutmyeyestight．Butthatwasn’tanygoodbecauseittoldmetofollowit．”

“Youmeanitspoke？”

“Idon’tknow．Nowthatyoumentionit，Idon’tthinkitdid．Butittoldmeallthesame．AndIknewI’dhavetodowhatittoldme，soIgotupandfollowedit．Anditledmealongwayintothemountains．Andtherewasalwaysthismoonlightoverandroundthelionwhereverwewent．SoatlastwecametothetopofamountainI’dneverseenbeforeandonthetopofthismountaintherewasagarden—treesandfruitandeverything．Inthemiddleofittherewasawell．