669小说网

chater ixteen the very end f the wrld（第2页）

Caspianpaused．“Well，yes．Thereisthat，”hesaid．Hestoodirresoluteforamomentandthenshoutedouttotheshipingeneral．

“Well，haveyourway．Thequestisended．Weallreturn．Gettheboatupagain．”

“Sire，”saidReepicheep，“wedonotallreturn．I，asIexplainedbefore—”

“Silence！”thunderedCaspian．“I’vebeenlessonedbutI’llnotbebaited．WillnoonesilencethatMouse？”

“YourMajestypromised，”saidReepicheep，“tobegoodlordtotheTalkingBeastsofNarnia．”

“Talkingbeasts，yes，”saidCaspian．“Isaidnothingaboutbeaststhatneverstoptalking．”Andheflungdowntheladderinatemperandwentintothecabin，slammingthedoor．

Butwhentheothersrejoinedhimalittlelatertheyfoundhimchanged；hewaswhiteandthereweretearsinhiseyes．

“It’snogood，”hesaid．“ImightaswellhavebehaveddecentlyforallthegoodIdidwithmytemperandswagger．Aslanhasspokentome．No—Idon’tmeanhewasactuallyhere．Hewouldn’tfitintothecabin，foronething．Butthatgoldlion’sheadonthewallcametolifeandspoketome．Itwasterrible—hiseyes．Notthathewasatallroughwithme—onlyabitsternatfirst．Butitwasterribleallthesame．Andhesaid—hesaid—oh，Ican’tbearit．Theworstthinghecouldhavesaid．You’retogoon—ReepandEdmund，andLucy，andEustace；andI’mtogoback．Alone．Andatonce．Andwhatisthegoodofanything？”

“Caspian，dear，”saidLucy．“Youknewwe’dhavetogobacktoourownworldsoonerorlater．”

“Yes，”saidCaspianwithasob，“butthisissooner．”

“You’llfeelbetterwhenyougetbacktoRamandu’sIsland，”saidLucy．

Hecheeredupalittlelateron，butitwasagrievouspartingonbothsidesandIwillnotdwellonit．Abouttwoo’clockintheafternoon，wellvictualledandwatered（thoughtheythoughttheywouldneedneitherfoodnordrink）andwithReepicheep’scoracleonboard，theboatpulledawayfromtheDawnTreadertorowthroughtheendlesscarpetoflilies．TheDawnTreaderflewallherflagsandhungouthershieldstohonourtheirdeparture．Tallandbigandhomelikeshelookedfromtheirlowpositionwiththeliliesallroundthem．Andevenbeforeshewasoutofsighttheysawherturnandbeginrowingslowlywestward．YetthoughLucyshedafewtears，shecouldnotfeelitasmuchasyoumighthaveexpected．Thelight，thesilence，thetinglingsmelloftheSilverSea，even（insomeoddway）thelonelinessitself，weretooexciting．

Therewasnoneedtorow，forthecurrentdriftedthemsteadilytotheeast．Noneofthemsleptorate．Allthatnightandallnextdaytheyglidedeastward，andwhenthethirddaydawned—withabrightnessyouorIcouldnotbearevenifwehaddarkglasseson—theysawawonderahead．Itwasasifawallstoodupbetweenthemandthesky，agreenish-grey，trembling，shimmeringwall．Thenupcamethesun，andatitsfirstrisingtheysawitthroughthewallanditturnedintowonderfulrainbowcolours．Thentheyknewthatthewallwasreallyalong，tallwave—awaveendlesslyfixedinoneplaceasyoumayoftenseeattheedgeofawaterfall．Itseemedtobeaboutthirtyfeethigh，andthecurrentwasglidingthemswiftlytowardsit．Youmighthavesupposedtheywouldhavethoughtoftheirdanger．Theydidn’t．Idon’tthinkanyonecouldhaveintheirposition．Fornowtheysawsomethingnotonlybehindthewavebutbehindthesun．TheycouldnothaveseeneventhesuniftheireyeshadnotbeenstrengthenedbythewateroftheLastSea．Butnowtheycouldlookattherisingsunandseeitclearlyandseethingsbeyondit．Whattheysaw—eastward，beyondthesun—wasarangeofmountains．Itwassohighthateithertheyneversawthetopofitortheyforgotit．Noneofthemremembersseeinganyskyinthatdirection．Andthemountainsmustreallyhavebeenoutsidetheworld．Foranymountainsevenaquarterofatwentiethofthatheightoughttohavehadiceandsnowonthem．Butthesewerewarmandgreenandfull，offorestsandwaterfallshoweverhighyoulooked．Andsuddenlytherecameabreezefromtheeast，tossingthetopofthewaveintofoamyshapesandrufflingthesmoothwaterallroundthem．Itlastedonlyasecondorsobutwhatitbroughttheminthatsecondnoneofthosethreechildrenwilleverforget．Itbroughtbothasmellandasound，amusicalsoundEdmundandEustacewouldnevertalkaboutitafterwards．Lucycouldonlysay，“Itwouldbreakyourheart．”“Why，”saidI，“wasitsosad？”“Sad！！No，”saidLucy．

NooneinthatboatdoubtedchattheywereseeingbeyondtheEndoftheWorldintoAslan’scountry．

Atthatmoment，withacrunch，theboatranaground．Thewaterwastooshallownowforit．“This，”saidReepicheep，“iswhereIgoonalone．”

Theydidnoteventrytostophim，foreverythingnowfeltasifithadbeenfatedorhadhappenedbefore．Theyhelpedhimtolowerhislittlecoracle．Thenhetookoffhissword（“Ishallneeditnomore，”hesaid）andflungitfarawayacrosstheliliedsea．Whereitfellitstooduprightwiththehiltabovethesurface．Thenhebadethemgood-bye，tryingtobesadfortheirsakes；buthewasquiveringwithhappiness．Lucy，forthefirstandlasttime，didwhatshehadalwayswantedtodo，takinghiminherarmsandcaressinghim．Thenhastilyhegotintohiscoracleandtookhispaddle，andthecurrentcaughtitandawayhewent，veryblackagainstthelilies．Butnoliliesgrewonthewave；itwasasmoothgreenslope．Thecoraclewentmoreandmorequickly，andbeautifullyitrushedupthewave’sside．ForonesplitsecondtheysawitsshapeandReepicheep’sontheverytop．Thenitvanished，andsincethatmomentnoonecantrulyclaimtohaveseenReepicheeptheMouse．ButmybeliefisthathecamesafetoAslan’scountryandisalivetheretothisday．

Asthesunrosethesightofthosemountainsoutsidetheworldfadedaway．Thewaveremainedbuttherewasonlyblueskybehindit．

Thechildrengotoutoftheboatandwaded—nottowardsthewavebutsouthwardwiththewallofwaterontheirleft．Theycouldnothavetoldyouwhytheydidthis；itwastheirfate．Andthoughtheyhadfelt—andbeen—verygrown-upontheDawnTreader，theynowfeltjusttheoppositeandheldhandsastheywadedthroughthelilies．Theyneverfelttired．Thewaterwaswarmandallthetimeitgotshallower．Atlasttheywereondrysand，andthenongrass—ahugeplainofveryfineshortgrass，almostlevelwiththeSilverSeaandspreadingineverydirectionwithoutsomuchasamolehill．

Andofcourse，asitalwaysdoesinaperfectlyflatplacewithouttrees，itlookedasiftheskycamedowntomeetthegrassinfrontofthem．Butastheywentontheygotthestrangestimpressionthathereatlasttheskydidreallycomedownandjointheearth—abluewall，verybright，butrealandsolid：morelikeglassthananythingelse．Andsoontheywerequitesureofit．Itwasverynearnow．

Butbetweenthemandthefootoftheskytherewassomethingsowhiteonthegreengrassthatevenwiththeireagles’eyestheycouldhardlylookatit．TheycameonandsawthatitwasaLamb．

“Comeandhavebreakfast，”saidtheLambinitssweetmilkyvoice．

Thentheynoticedforthefirsttimethattherewasafirelitonthegrassandfishroastingonit．Theysatdownandatethefish，hungrynowforthefirsttimeformanydays．Anditwasthemostdeliciousfoodtheyhadevertasted．

“Please，Lamb，”saidLucy，“isthisthewaytoAslan’scountry？”

“Notforyou，”saidtheLamb．“ForyouthedoorintoAslan’scountryisfromyourownworld．”

“What！”saidEdmund．“IsthereawayintoAslan’scountryfromourworldtoo？”

“Thereisawayintomycountryfromalltheworlds，”saidtheLamb；butashespokehissnowywhiteflushedintotawnygoldandhissizechangedandhewasAslanhimself，toweringabovethemandscatteringlightfromhismane．

“Oh，Aslan，”saidLucy．“Willyoutellushowtogetintoyourcountryfromourworld？”

“Ishallbetellingyouallthetime，”saidAslan．“ButIwillnottellyouhowlongorshortthewaywillbe；onlythatitliesacrossariver．Butdonotfearthat，forIamthegreatBridgeBuilder．Andnowcome；Iwillopenthedoorintheskyandsendyoutoyourownland．”

“Please，Aslan，”saidLucy．“Beforewego，willyoutelluswhenwecancomebacktoNarniaagain？Please．Andoh，do，do，domakeitsoon．”

“Dearest，”saidAslanverygently，“youandyourbrotherwillnevercomebalktoNarnia．”

“Oh，Aslan！！”saidEdmundandLucybothtogetherindespairingvoices．

“Youaretooold，children，”saidAslan，“andyoumustbegintocomeclosetoyourownworldnow．”

“Itisn’tNarnia，youknow，”sobbedLucy．“It’syou．Weshan’tmeetyouthere．Andhowcanwelive，nevermeetingyou？”

“Butyoushallmeetme，dearone，”saidAslan．

“Are—areyoutheretoo，Sir？”saidEdmund．

“Iam，”saidAslan．“ButthereIhaveanothername．Youmustlearntoknowmebythatname．ThiswastheveryreasonwhyyouwerebroughttoNarnia，thatbyknowingmehereforalittle，youmayknowmebetterthere．”

“AndisEustacenevertocomebackhereeither？”saidLucy．

“Child，”saidAslan，“doyoureallyneedtoknowthat？Come，Iamopeningthedoorinthesky．”Thenallinonemomenttherewasarendingofthebluewall（likeacurtainbeingtorn）andaterriblewhitelightfrombeyondthesky，andthefeelofAslan’smaneandaLion’skissontheirforeheadsandthen—thebarkbedroominAuntAlberta’shomeinCambridge．

Onlytwomorethingsneedtobetold．OneisthatCaspianandhismenallcamesafelybacktoRamandu’sIsland．Andthethreelordswokefromtheirsleep．CaspianmarriedRamandu’sdaughterandtheyallreachedNarniaintheend，andshebecameagreatqueenandthemotherandgrandmotherofgreatkings．TheotheristhatbackinourownworldeveryonesoonstartedsayinghowEustacehadimproved，andhow“You’dneverknowhimforthesameboy”：everyoneexceptAuntAlberta，whosaidhehadbecomeverycommonplaceandtiresomeanditmusthavebeentheinfluenceofthosePevensiechildren．