669小说网

chater ne the ind f the vice（第2页）

“Iwonder，”saidReepicheep，“dotheybecomevisiblewhenyoudriveaswordintothem？”

“Itlooksasifweshallfindout，”saidCaspian．“Butlet’sgetoutofthisgateway．There’soneofthesegentryatthatpumplisteningtoallwesay．”

Theycameoutandwentbackontothepathwherethetreesmightpossiblymakethemlessconspicuous．“Notthatit’sanygoodreally，”saidEustace，“tryingtohidefrompeopleyoucan’tsee．Theymaybeallroundus．”

“Now，Drinian，”saidCaspian．“Howwoulditbeifwegaveuptheboatforlost，wentdowntoanotherpartofthebay，andsignalledtotheDawnTreadertostandinandtakeusaboard？”

“Notdepthforher，Sire，”saidDrinian．

“Wecouldswim，”saidLucy．

“YourMajestiesall，”saidReepicheep，“hearme．Itisfollytothinkofavoidinganinvisibleenemybyanyamountofcreepingandskulking．Ifthesecreaturesmeantobringustobattle，besuretheywillsucceed．AndwhatevercomesofitI’dsoonermeetthem

facetofacethanbecaughtbythetail．”

“IreallythinkReepisintherightthistime，”saidEdmund．

“Surely，”saidLucy，“ifRhinceandtheothersontheDawnTreaderseeusfightingontheshorethey’llbeabletodosomething．”

“Buttheywon’tseeusfightingiftheycan’tseeanyenemy，”saidEustacemiserably．“They’llthinkwe’rejustswingingourswordsintheairforfun．”

Therewasanuncomfortablepause．

“Well，”saidCaspianatlast，“let’sgetonwithit．Wemustgoandfacethem．Shakehandsallround—arrowonthestring，Lucy—swordsout，everyoneelse—andnowforit．Perhapsthey’llparley．”

Itwasstrangetoseethelawnsandthegreattreeslookingsopeacefulastheymarchedbacktothebeach．Andwhentheyarrivedthere，andsawtheboatlyingwheretheyhadlefther，andthesmoothsandwithnoonetobeseenonit，morethanonedoubtedwhetherLucyhadnotmerelyimaginedallshehadtoldthem．Butbeforetheyreachedthesand，avoicespokeoutoftheair．

“Nofurther，masters，nofurthernow，”itsaid．“We’vegottotalkwithyoufirst．There’sfiftyofusandmoreherewithweaponsinourfists．”

“Hearhim，hearhim，”camethechorus．“That’sourChief．Youcandependonwhathesays．He’stellingyouthetruth，heis．”

“Idonotseethesefiftywarriors，”observedReepicheep．

“That’sright，that’sright，”saidtheChiefVoice．“Youdon’tseeus．Andwhynot？Becausewe’reinvisible．”

“Keepitup，Chief，keepitup，”saidtheOtherVoices．“You’retalkinglikeabook．Theycouldn’taskforabetteranswerthanthat．”

“Bequiet，Reep，”saidCaspian，andthenaddedinaloudervoice，“Youinvisiblepeople，whatdoyouwantwithus？Andwhathavewedonetoearnyourenmity？”

“Wewantsomethingthatlittlegirlcandoforus，”saidtheChiefVoice．（Theothersexplainedthatthiswasjustwhattheywouldhavesaidthemselves．）

“Littlegirl！”saidReepicheep．“Theladyisaqueen．”

“Wedon’tknowaboutqueens，”saidtheChiefVoice．

（“Nomorewedo，nomorewedo，”chimedintheothers．）“Butwewantsomethingshecando．”

“Whatisit？”saidLucy．

“AndifitisanythingagainstherMajesty’shonourorsafety，”addedReepicheep，“youwillwondertoseehowmanywecankillbeforewedie．”

“Well，”saidtheChiefVoice．“It’salongstory．Supposeweallsitdown？”，

TheproposalwaswarmlyapprovedbytheothervoicesbuttheNarniansremainedstanding．