CHAPTERTHREETHESAILINGOFTHEKING
WHATmadeScrubblooksodingy(andJilltoo,ifshelyhaveseehesplendouroftheirsurroundings。Ihadbetterdescribethematonce。
ThroughathosemountainswhichJillhadseenfarinlandassheapproachedthelalightoveralevellawn。Onthefarsideofthelawher-vahelight,roseamany-toweredandmale;themostbeautifulcastleJillhadeverseen。Onthenearsidewasaquayofwhitemarbleahis,theship:atallshipwithhighforedhighpoop,gildedand,withagreatflagatthemast-head,andmanybannerswavingfromthededarowofshields,brightassilver,alongthebulwarks。Thegang-plankwaslaidtoher,aofit,justreadytogoonboard,stoodanold,oldman。Heworearitleofscarletwhiedinfronttoshowhissilvermailshirt。Therewasathiofgoldonhishead。Hisbeard,whiteaswool,fellohiswaist。Hesthtenough,leaningonehandontheshoulderofarichlydressedlordwhoseemedyouhayoucouldseehewasveryoldandfrail。Helookedasifapuffofwindaway,andhiseyes>
&elyinfrontoftheKing—whohadturospeaktohispeonboardtheship—therewasalittlewheels,aoit,alittledomuchbiggerthariever。Inthischairsatafatlittledwarf。HewasasrichlydressedastheKing,butbecauseofhisfatnessandbecausehewassittinghunchedupamongs,theeffectwasquitedifferent:itmadehimlooklikeashapelesslittlebundleoffurandsilka。HewasasoldastheKing,butmorehaleahverykeeneyes。Hisbarehead,whichwasbaldaremelylarge,shoicbilliardballilight。
Fartherbaahalf-circle,stoodwhatJillatohecourtiers。Theyorthlookingatfortheirdarmoralone。Asfarasthatwent,theylookedmorelikeaflower-bedthanacrowd。ButwhatreallymadeJillopenhereyesandmouthaswideastheywouldgo,eoplethemselves。If“people”wastherightword。Foronlyaboutoneineveryfivewashumahingsyouneverseeinourworld。Fauns,satyrs,taurs:Jillcouldgiveahese,forshehadseehem。Dwarfstoo。Andtherewerealotofanimalssheknewaswell;bears,badgers,moles,leopards,midvariousbirds。ButthentheyweresoverydifferentfromtheanimalswhiecalledbythesamenamesinEnglahemweremuchbigger—themistaoodsawofeethigh。Butquiteapartfromthat,theyalllookeddifferent。Youcouldseebytheexpressionintheirfacesthattheycouldtalkandthinkjustaswellasyoucould。
“Golly!”thoughtJill。“Soit'strueafterall。”Butsheadded,“Iwoheyfriendly?”Forshehadjustheoutskirtsoftheeiantsandsomepeoplewhomshe'tgiveaall。
AtthatmomentAslanandthesignsrushedbaind。Shehadfottenallaboutthemforthelasthalf-hour。
“Scrubb!”shewhispered,grabbinghisarm。“Scrubb,quick!Doyouseeanyoneyouknow?”
“Soyouain,haveyou?”saidScrubbdisagreeably(forwhichhehadsomereason)。“Well,keepquiet,'tyou?Iwanttolisten。”
“Don'tbeafool,”saidJill。“Thereisn'tamomenttolose。Don'tyouseesomeoldfriendhere?Becauseyou'vegottogoaohimatonce。”
“Whatareyoutalkingabout?”saidScrubb。
“It'sAslan—theLion—saysyou'vegotto,”saidJilldespairingly。“I'veseenhim。”
“Oh,youhave,haveyou?Whatdidhesay?”
&heveryfirstpersonyousawinNarniawouldbeanoldfriend,andyou'dgottospeaktohimatonce。”
&here'snobodyhereI'veeverseeninmylifebefore;andanyway,Idon'tkhisisNarnia。”
“Thoughtyousaidyou'dbeenherebefore,”saidJill。
&hthen。”
“Well,Ilikethat!Youtoldme—”
“Forheaven'ssakedryupa'shearwhatthey。”
TheKiotheDwarf,butJill'thearwhathesaid。And,asfarassheakeout,theDwarfmadehoughhenoddedandwaggedhisheadagreatdeal。ThentheKingraisedhisvoidaddressedthewholecourt:buthisvoicewassooldashederstaleofhisspeech—especeitleandplacesshehadneverheardof。Whenthespeechwasover,theKingstoopeddownaheDwarforaightenedhimself,raisedhisrighthandasifinblessi,slowlyaeps,upthegangwayandonboardtheship。Thecourtiersappearedtobegreatlymovedbyhisdeparture。Handkerchiefsweregotout,soundsofsobbingwereheardiion。Thegangwaywaspetssouhepoop,andtheshipmovedawayfromthequay。(Itwasbeingtowedbyarowing-boat,butJilldidn'tseethat。)
“Now—”saidScrubb,buthedidn'tgetanyfarther,becauseatthatmomeeobject—Jillthoughtforasedthatitwasakite—cameglidingthroughtheairahisfeet。Itl,butsobigthatitstoodashighasagood-sizedd>
Itblinkedandpeeredasifitwereshhted,andputitsheadalittleononeside,andsaidinasoft,hootingkindofvoice:
“Tu-hoareyoutwo?”
“Myname'sSdthisisPole,”saidEustaindtellingus>
“InthelandofNarnia,attheKing'scastleofCairParavel。”
“IsthattheKingwho'sjusttakenship?”
“Tootrue,tootrue,”saidtheOwlsadly,shakingitsbighead。“Butwhoareyou?There'ssomethingmagicaboutyoutwo。Isawyouarrive:youflew。EveryoneelsewassobusyseeingtheKingoffthatme。Ihappeiceyou,youflew。”
“WeweresentherebyAslan,”saidEustaalowvoice。
“Tu-whoo,tu-whoo!”saidtheoutitsfeathers。“Thisisalmosttoomue,soearlyintheevening。I'millthesun'sdown。”