CHAPTERTHREEATTHEGATESOFTASHBAAN
“Mr。name,”saidthegirlatonce,“isAravisTarkheenaandIamtheonlydaughterofKidrashTarkaan,thesonofRishtiTarkaan,thesonofKidrashTarkaan,thesonofIlsombrehTisroofArdeebTisrocwhowasdesarightlihegodTash。MyfatheristhelordoftheprovinceofdisonewhohastherightofstandingoinhisshoesbeforethefaceofTisrochimself(mayheliveforever)。Mymother(ohepeaceofthegods)isdeadandmyfatherhasmarriedanotherwife。Oneofmybrothershasfallenitherebelsiaherisaetopassthatmyfather'swife,mystep-mother,hatedme,andthesunappeareddarkinhereyesaslongasIlivedinmyfather'shouse。AndsoshepersuadedmyfathertopromisemeioAhoshtaTarkaan。NowthisAhoshtaisofbasebirth,thoughieryearshehaswonthefavouroftheTisroc(mayheliveforever)byflatteryandevilsels,andisarkaanandthelordofmanydislikelytobeastheGrahepresentGrandVizierdies。Moreoverheisatleastsixtyyearsoldandhasahumponhisbadhisfaceresemblesthatofahelessmyfather,becauseoftheowerofthisAhoshta,andbeingpersuadedbyhiswife,sentmessengersmeiheofferwasfavourablyadAhoshtasentwordthathewouldmarrymethisveryyearatthetimeofhighsummer。
&hisnewswasbroughttomethesunappeareddarkinmyeyesandIlaidmyselfonmybedaforaday。ButontheseddayIroseupandwashedmyfadcausedmymareHwintobesaddledandtookdaggerwhichmybrotherhadthewesternwarsaalone。Aher'shousewasoutofsightandIwasetoagreenopenplaawoodwheretherewerenodwellingsofmen,IdismountedfromHwiookoutthedagger。TheheswhereIthoughtthereadiestwaylaytomyheartaoallthegodsthatassoonasIwasdeadImightfihmybrother。AfterthatIshutmyeyesahaodrivethedaggeribeforeIhaddohismarespokewiththevoieofthedaughtersofmenandsaid,“Omymistress,donotbyaroyyourself,forifyouliveyoumayyethavegoodfortuallthedeadaredeadalike。”
“Ididn'tsayithalfsowellasthat,”mutteredthemare。
“Hush,Ma'am,hush,”saidBree,whhlyenjoyiory。“She'stellingitinthegrandannerandnostory-tellerinaTisroc'scourtcoulddoitbetter。Praygoon,Tarkheena。”
“Whehelanguageofmenutteredbymymare,”uedAravis,“Isaidtomyself,thefearofdeathhasdisorderedmyreasonaodelusions。AndIbecamefullofshamefornoneofmyliofeardeathmorethaingofagnat。ThereforeIaddressedmyselfaseetothestabbing,butHwiomeandputherheadiweehedaggeranddisostextreasonsandrebukedmeasamotherrebukesherdaughter。AndnoassogreatthatIfotaboutkillingmyselfandaboutAhoshtaandsaid,'Omymare,howhaveyoulearospeaklikeoersofmen?'AndHwiisknowntoallthispany,thatinNarniatherearebeaststhattalk,andhowsheherselfwasstolenfromthenshewasalittlefoal。ShetoldmealsoofthewoodsandwatersofNarniaalesaships,tillIsaid,‘IashandAzarothandZardeenahLadyoftheNight,IhaveagreatwishtobeinthattryofNarnia。'‘Omymistress,'ahemare,‘ifyouwereinNarniayouwouldbehappy,forinthatlandnomaideainstherwill。'
“AalkedtreattimehopereturomeahatIhadnotkilledmyself。MoreoveritwasagreedbetweenHwiweshouldstealourselvesawaytogetherandweplahisfashioomyfather'shouseandIputohesandsanganddanyfatheraobedelightedwiththemarriagewhichhehadpreparedforme。AlsoIsaidtohim,‘Omyfatheraofmyeyes,givemeyourlidpermissiontogowithoneofmymaidehreedaysiodosecretsacrificestoZardeenah,LadyoftheNightandofMaidens,asisproperandaryfordamselswhebidfarewelltotheserviceofZardeenahahemselvesfe。'Andheanswered,‘Omydaughteraofmyeyes,soshallitbe。'
“ButwhefromthepresenyfatherIweotheoldestofhisslaves,hissecretary,whohaddandledmeonhiskneeswhenIwasababyandlovedmemorethantheaira。Aobesedbeggedhimtowritealetterforme。Aaogemyresolutionbutintheeohearistoobey,'anddidallmywill。Aterandhiditinmybosom。”
“Butwhatwasier?”askedShasta。
&,youngster,”saidBree。“You'respoiliory。She'lltellusallabouttheletteripla,Tarkheena。”
“ThehemaidwhowastogowithmetotheerformtheritesofZardeenahaowakemeveryearlyinthem。AndIbecamemerrywithheraodrink;butIhadmixedsugsihatIksleepfhtandaday。AssoonasthehouseholdofmyfatherhadittedthemselvestosleepIaroseandputonanarmorofmybrother'stinmyhismemory。IputintomygirdleallthemoneyIhadaainchoicejerovidedmyselfalsowithfood,ahemarewithmyownhandsandrodeawayichofthenight。IdirectedmyottothewoodswheremyfathersupposedthatIwouldgobutnorthaashbaan。
“Nowforthreedaysahatmyfatherwouldnotseekme,beihewordsIhadsaidtohim。AhdaywearrivedattheBalda。NowAzimBaldastaingofmanyroadsandfromitthepostsoftheTisroc(mayheliveforever)rideonswifthorsestoeverypartoftheempire:anditisosahegreaterTarkaanstosehem。IthereforewenttotheesseheHouseofImperialPostsinAzimBaldaandsaid,‘Odispatessages,hereisaletterfrommyuaTarkaantoKidrashTarkaanlordofCalavar。Takenowthesefivetsaobesenttohim。'Andtheessengerssaid,‘Tohearistoobey。'
“ThisletterwasfeigenbyAhoshtaandthiswasthesignifi:‘AhoshtaTarkaantoKidrashTarkaan,salutatioheashtheirresistible,theiknowntoyouthatasImademyjourowardyourhousetoperformthearriagebetweenmeandyhterAravisTarkheeuhatIfelliheforestwhenshehadeesandsacrificesofZardeenahagtotheaidens。AndwhenIlearnedwhoshewas,beiedwithherbeautyaion,IbeflamedwithloveaomethatthesuomeifIdidnotmarryheratonce。AglyIpreparedthenecessarysacrifidmarriedyhterthesamehourthatImetheraurhhertomyownhouse。Ahprayaoehitherasspeedilyasyoumaythatwemaybedelightedwithyourfadspeedalsothatywithyouthedowryofmywife,which,byreasonesandexpehoutdelay。AhouahersIassuremyselfthatyouwillnotbeahehasteewhichiswhollyoedbythegreatloveIbearyhter。AndIityoutothecareofallthegods。'
“AssoonasIhaddohisIrodeoninallhastefromAzimBalda,fearingnopursuitahatmyfather,havingreceivedsuchaletter,wouldseoAhotohimhimself,ahematterwasdiscoveredIshouldbebeyondTashbaan。AndthatisthepithofmystoryuntilthisverynightwhenIwaschasedbyliotheswimmier。”
“Andeheed?”askedShasta。
“Doubtlessshewasbeatee,”saidAraviscoolly。“Butshewasatoolandspyofmystepmother's。Iamverygladtheyshouldbeather。”
“Isay,thatwashardlyfair,”saidShasta。
“Ididnotdoahingsforthesakeofpleasingyou,”saidAravis。
“Andthere'sahingIdon'tuandaboutthatstory,”saidShasta。“Yrownup,Idon'tbelieveyou'reahanIam。Idon'tbelieveyou'reasold。Howcouldyoubegettiye?”
Aravissaidnothing,butBreeatoncesaid,“Shasta,don'tdisplayyhey'realwaysmarriedatthatageiarkaanfamilies。”
Shastaturhoughitwashardlylightenoughfortheotherstoseethis)asnubbed。AravisaskedBreeforhisstory。Breetoldit,andShastathoughtthatheputidealmorethahefallsandthebadriding。Breeobviouslythoughtitveryfunny,butAravisdidnotlaugh。WhenBreehadfiheyallwenttosleep。