CHAPTERSIXTEENTHEHEALINGOFHARMS
WHENJillwokemandfoundherselfihoughtforonehorridmomentthatshewasbatheUnderworld。Butwheicedthatshewaslyiherwithafurrymantleoverher,andsawacheeryfireg(asif)ohand,farthersunlightinginthroughtheouth,sherememberedallthehappytruth。Theyhadhadadelightfulsupper,alltothatspiteofbeingsosleepybeforeiterlyover。ShehadavagueimpressionofDwarfsgrouhfrying-pansratherbiggerthanthemselves,andthehissing,anddeliellofsausages,andmore,andmore,andmes。Achedsausageshalffullofbreadaher,butrealmeaty,spies,fatandpipinghotandburstandjustthetiburnt。Amugsoffrothychodroastpotatoesandroastuts,andbakedappleswithraisinsstuwherethecoreshadbeen,andtheofreshenyouupafterallthehotthings。
Jillsatupandlookedaround。Puddleglumaacewerelyingnotfaraway,bothfastasleep。
“Hi,youtwo!”shoutedJillinaloudvoi'tytogetup?”
“Shoo,shoo!”saidasleepyvoiewhereaboveher。“Timetobesettlingdown。Haveagoodsnooze,do,do。Don'tmakeato-do。Tu-whoo!”
“Why,Idobelieve,”saidJill,glangupatawhitebundleoffluffyfeathersertopofagrandfatherohecave,“Idobelieveit'sGlimfeather!”
&rue,”whirredtheOwl,liftifrandopeningoneeye。“IcameupwithamessageforthePritwo。Thesquirrelsbroughtusthegoodnews。MessageforthePrince。He'sgone。You'retofollowtoo。Good-day—”andtheheaddisappearedagain。
AsthereseemednofurtherhopeofgettinganyinformationfromtheOwl,Jillgotupandbeganlookingroundforanyceofawashandsomebreakfast。ButalmostatoleFauingihasharpclick-clackofhisgoatyhoofsoonefloor。
“Ah!You'vewokenupatlast,DaughterofEve,”hesaid。“Perhapsyou'dbetterwaketheSonofAdam。You'vegottobeoffiesaaurshaveverykioletyourideontheirbatoCairParavel。”Headdedinalowervoice。“Ofcourse,yourealizeitisamostspedunheard-ofhonourtobeallowedtorideataur。Idon'tknowthatIeverheardofabefore。Itwouldn'tdotokeepthemwaiting。”
“Where'sthePrihefirstquestioadPuddleglumassoonastheyhadbeen>
“He'sgoomeettheKing,hisfather,atCairParavel,”aheFaun,whosenamewasOrruns。“HisMajesty'sshipisexpeharbouraseemsthattheKiAslan—Idon'tkwasinavisiooface—beforehehadsailedfar,andAslanturnedhimbahewouldfindhislong-lostsonawaitinghimwhenhereaia。”
&aowupandheahelpingetthebreakfast。PuddleglumwastoldtostayiaurcalledCloudbirth,afamoushealer,or(asOrru)a'leech',wasiohisburntfoot。
“Ah!”saidPuddleglumiofent,“he'llwahelegoffattheknee,Ishouldn'twonder。Youseeifhedoesn't。”Buthewasquitegladtostayinbed。
&wasscrambledeggsandtoastaackleditjustasifhehadnothadaverylargesupperinthemiddleofthenight。
“Isay,SonofAdam,”saidtheFaun,lookingwithaaweatEustaouthfuls。“There'sohurryquitesodreadfullyasthat。Idon'tthiaurshavequitefiheirbreakfastsyet。”
&heymusthavegotupverylate,”saidEustace。“Ibetit'safterteno'clock。”
“Ohno,”saidOrruupbeforeitwaslight。”
&heymusthavewaitedthedieforbreakfast,”saidEustace。
“No,theydidn't,”saidOrruns。“Theybegahemiheyawoke。”
“Golly!”saidEustace。“Dotheyeataverybigbreakfast?”
“Why,SonofAdam,don'tyouuaaurhasaman-stomadahorse-stomadofcoursebothwa。Sofirstofallhehaspeandpavendersandkidneysandbaeletteandandtoastandmarmaladeanddbeer。Aheattendstothehorsepartofhimselfbygrazingforanhourorsoandfinishingupwithahotmash,someoats,andabagofsugar。That'swhyit'ssuchaseriousthingtoaskataurtostayfortheweek-end。Averyseriousthingindeed。”
Atthatmomenttherewasasoundofhorse-hoofstappingonroouthofthedthelookedup。Thetwotaurs,ohablaewithagbarechests,stoodwaitingforthem,bendingtheirheadsalittlesoastolookihenthebecameverypoliteaheirbreakfastveryquioohiaurfun。Theyaresolemicpeople,fullofawisdomwhichtheylearars,noteasilymadeeithermerryry;buttheiraerribleasatidalwavewhenites。
“Good-bye,dearPuddleglum,”saidJill,goiheMarsh-wiggle'sbed。“I'msorrywecalledyoua>
“So'mI,”saidEustace。“You'vebeefriendintheworld。”
“AndIdohopewe'llmeetagain,”addedJill。
“Notmuceofthat,Ishouldsay,”repliedPuddleglum。“1don'treverylikelytoseemyoldwigwamagaihatPrince—he'sadoyouthinkhe?stitutiohlivingunderground,Ishouldn'twonder。Looksthesortthatmightgooffanyday。”
“Puddleglum!”saidJill。“Yularoldhumbug。YousoundasdolefulasafuneralandIbelieveyou'reperfectlyhappy。Andyoutalkasifyouwereafraid,whenyou'rereallyasbraveas-asalion。”
“Now,speakingoffunerals,”begaJill,whoheardthetaurstappingwiththeirhoofsbehindher,surprisedhimverymugingherarmsroundhisthinnedkissinghismuddy-lookingface,whileEustaghishaheybothrushedawaytothetaurs,andtheMarsh-wiggle,sinkingbahisbed,remarkedtohimself,“Well,Iwouldn'thavedreamtthat。EventhoughIamagood-lookingchap。”
Torideoauris,nodoubt,agreathonour(aJillahereisprobablynooheworldtodaywhohashadit)butitisveryunfortable。Fornoonewhovaluedhislifewouldsuggestputtingasaddleoaur,andridingbare-baofun;especiallyif,likeEustace,youhaveorideatall。Thetaurswereverypoliteinagrave,gracious,grown-upkindofway,aeredthroughtheNarnianwoodstheyspoke,withtheirheads,tellingtheaboutthepropertiesofherbsandroots,theiheplaheninenamesofAslanwiththeirmeanings,andthingsofthatsort。Buthoweversoreawohumaheywouldhijourneyaihosegladesandslwithlastnight'ssbyrabbitsandsquirrelsandbirdsthatwishedyoug,taintheairofNarhevoicesoftheNarniantrees。
Theytotheriver,flhtaersunshihelastbridge(whichisatthesnug,red-roofedlittletownofBeruna)andwereferriedaaflatbargebytheferrymaheferry-wiggle,foritisMarsh-wiggleswhodomostofthewateryandfishykindsofworkinNarnia。AheyhadcrossedtheyrodealohbankoftheriveralycametoCairParavelitself。Andattheverymomentoftheirarrivaltheysawthatsamebrightshipwhichtheyhadseesetflidinguptheriverlikeahugebird。AllthecourtwereonbledoweeleaoweleKingeagain。Rilian,whohadgedhisblackdwasnowdressedicloakoversilvermail,stoodclosetothewater'sedge,bare-headed,toreceivehisfather;arumpkinsatbesidehiminhislittledonkey-chair。ThesawtherewouldbenocethePrihroughallthatd,anyway,theyhershy。Sotheyaskedthetaursiftheymightgoonsittingontheirbacksalittlelohusseeeverythiheheadsofthecourtiers。Aaurssaidtheymight。
Aflourishofsilvertrumpetscameoverthewaterfromtheship'sdeck:thesailorsthree;rats(TalkingRats,ofdMarsh-wigglesmadeitfastashore;andtheshipedin。Musis,hiddehecrolaysolemn,triumphalmusidsoontheKing'sgalleonwasaloheRatsranthegangwayonboardher。
JillexpectedtoseetheoldKi。Butthereappearedtobesomehitch。ALordalefacecameashoreahePrirumpkihreeweretalkingwiththeirheadsclosetogetherforafewminoonecouldhearwhattheysaid。Themusicplayedon,butyoucouldfeelthateveryonewasbeihenfhts,gsomethingandgoingverysloearedondetheystartedtoedownthegangwayyoucouldseewhattheywereg:itwastheoldKingonabed,verypaleandstill。Theysethimdown。ThePribesidehimaheycouldseeKingraisinghishandtoblesshisson。Andeveryowasahalf-heartedcheer,fortheyallfeltthatsomethingwasg。TheheKing'sheadfellbahispillows,themusisstoppedandtherewasadeadsilehePriheKing'sbed,laiddoonita。
Therewerewhisperingsandgoingstoandfro。ThenJillallwhoworehats,bos,orhthemoff—Eustacluded。Thensheheardarustlingandflappingnoiseupabovethecastle;whenshelookedshesawthatthegreatbahegoldenLiononitwasbeingbroughtdowntohalf-mast。A,slowly,mercilessly,withwailingstringsanddissolateblowingofhorns,themusiagain:thistime,atuobreakyourheart。