“Idonotlookforthatwiththesewinds,Omyfather。”
“Andlastly,Omyresour,”saidtheTisroadeclearhowallthismightgiveyouthebarbarianwoman,butnothowithelpsmetofNarnia。”
“Omyfather,ithaveescapedyouthatthoughIandmyhorsemenwilleandghNarnialikeanarrowfromabow,yetweshallhaveAnvardforever?AndwhenyouholdAnvardyousitieofNarnia,andyarrisoninAnvardcreasedbylittleaisagreathost。”
“Itisspokenwithuandinga。ButhowdoIdrawbackmyarmifallthismiscarries?”
“YoushallsaythatI,diditwitheandagainstyourwill,andwith,beingedbytheviolenyloveauosityofyouth。”
“AndhowiftheHighKihatwesendbackthebarbarianwoman,hissister?”
“Omyfather,beassuredthathewillnhthefanahismarriage,theHighKierisamanofprudenderstandingwhowillinnowaywishtolosethehighhonourandadvantageofbeioourHouseandseeinghisnephehewohroneofen。”
&seethatifIliveforeverasisnodoubtyourwish,”saidtheTisroevehanusual。
“Andalso,Omyfatheraofmyeyes,”saidthePrieramomentofawkwardsilence,“weshallwritelettersasiffromtheQueentosaythatshelovesmeandhasurntoNarnia。Foritisomenareasgeableasweatherdevewhollybelievetheletters,theywilloetoTashbaaninarmstofetchher。”
&enedVizier,”saidtheTisroc,“bestowyourwisdomupohisstrangeproposal。”
&isrosweredAhosta,“thestrengthofpaterionisnotunknowntomeaesoheeyesoftheirfathersmoreprecles。HowthenshallIdarefreelytounfoldtoyoumymindinamattererilthelifeofthisexaltedPrince?”
“UndoubtedlyyouliedtheTisroc。
“Becauseyouwillfindthatthedadoiequallygreat。”
“Tohearistoobey,”moa。“Kreasoisrothefirstplace,thatthedahePrialtreatasmightappear。Fodshavewithheldfromthebarbariaofdis,asthattheirpoetryisnot,likeours,fullofsandusefulmaxims,butisallofloveandwar。Therefeartothemmorenobleandadmirablethansuchamadehisofow!”ForthePriheword“mad“,hadkickedhimagain。
&,Omyson,”saidtheTisroableVizier,whetherhedesistsornot,bynomeansallowtheflowofyoureloqueerrupted。Fismoresuitabletravityahantoendureminorihcy。”
“Tohearistoobey,”saidtheVizier,wrigglinghimselfroundalittlesoastogethishisfurtherawayfromRabadash'stoe。“Nothing,Isay,willseemaspardoestimable,ihis—er—hazardousattempt,especiallybecauseitisuheloveofawoman。Therefore,ifthePrincebymisfortuheirhands,theywouldassuredlynotkillhim。Nay,itmayevehoughhefailedtocarryoffthequeeofhisgreatvalourayofhispassionmightiohim。”
“Thatisagoodpoint,oldbabbler,”saidRabadash。“Verygood,howeverittlyhead。”
“Thepraiseofmymastersisthelightofmyeyes,”saidAhoshta。“Andsedly,OTisroc,whnmustandshallbeintermihinkthatwiththeaidofthegodsitisverylikelythatAnvardwillfallintothePrince'shands。Andifso,wehaveNar。”
Thereauseandtheroombecamesosilentthatthetwogirlshardlydaredtobreathe。AtlasttheTisrocspoke。
“Go,myson,”hesaid。“Anddoasyouhavesaid。Butexpeohelpnore。IwillnotavengeyouifyouarekilledandIwillnotdeliveryouifthebarbarianscastyouintoprison。Aherinsuccessorfailure,youshedadropmorethanyouneedofNarniannoblebloodandopenwararisesfromit,myfavourshallneverfalluponyouagainahershallhaveyourplaen。,sedfortuhestrengthofTashtheiheirresistiblebeinyourswordandlance。”
“Tohearistoobey,”criedRabadash,andafterkneelingforamomenttokisshisfather'shandsherushedfrreatlytothedisappoiofAravis,horriblycramped,theTisrodVizierremained。
“OVizier,”saidtheTisroc,“isitthatnolivingsoulknowsofthiscilwethreehaveheldheretonight?”
“Omymaster,”saidAhoshta,“itisnotpossiblethatanyshouldknow。ForthatveryreasonIproposed,andyouinyourwisdomagreed,thatweshouldmeethereintheOldPalaociliseverheldahehouseholdhasanyoe。”
“Itiswell,”saidtheTisroymanknew,Iwouldseetoitthathediedbeforeanhourhadpassed。Anddoyoualso,Oprudeit。IspongeawayfrommyowandfromyoursallkhePrince'splans。Heisgomyknowledgeormyt,Iknownotwhither,becauseofhisvioleherashadispositionofyouth。NomaohanyouaAnvardisinhishands。”
“Tohearistoobey,”saidAhoshta。
“ThatiswhyyouwillhinkeveniheartthatIamthehardestheartedoffatherswhothussendmyfirst-bornsononanerraobehisdeath;pleasingasitmustbetoyouwhodohePrince。For1seeiomofyourmind。”
“OimpeccableTisroc,”saidtheVizier。“InparisonwithyouIlovehePrinyownlifenorbreadhelightofthesun。”
“Yourses,”saidtheTisroc,“areelevateda。IalsolovehesethingsinparisonwiththegloryahofmythrohePrincesucceeds,wehaveArd,andperhapshereafterNarnia。Ifhefails—IhaveeighteenothersonsandRabadash,afterthemaheeldestsonsofkings,wasbeginningtobedangerous。MorethaisroTashbaanhavediedbeforetheirtimebecausetheireldestsoeiredofwaitihroercoolhisbloodabroadthanboilitininahere。AndVizier,theexypateryiosleep。andthemusiber。Butbeforeyouliedown,callbackthepardohethirdcook。Ifeelwithiprognostidigestion。”
“Tohearistoobey,”saidtheGrandVizier。Hecrawledbaallfourstothedoor,rose,bowed,a。EveisroedseatedihedivantillAravisalmostbegahathehaddroppedasleep。Butatlastwithagreatgandsighingheheaveduphisenormousbody,sigoprecedehimwiththelights,ahedoorclosedbehindhim,theroomwasoallydark,awogirlscouldbreathefreelyagain。