ShastawouldhavedartedunderBree'sbodyaomakehimselfsthecrowdifhehadhadtheleastce;butthefair-hairedmenwereallroundhimbynowandhewasheldfirm。
OfcoursehisfirstimpulsewastosaythatheoorArsheeshthefisherman'ssonandthatthefnlordmusthavemistakenhimforsomeohehiodointhatcrowdedplacelaininghathewasdoiedonthat，hewouldsoonbeaskedwherehehadgothishorsefrom，andwhoAraviswas—andtheoaingthroughTashbaaimpulsewastolookatBreeforhelp。ButBreehadioingalltheowthathecouldtalk，andstoodlookingjustasstupidasahorse。AsforAravis，Shastadidolookatherforfearattention。Aimetothink，fortheleaderoftheNarnianssaidatonce:
“Takeoneofhislittlelordship'shands，Peridan，ofyourcourtesy，andI'lltaketheother。Andnow，on。Ourroyalsister'smilyeasedwhensheseesscapegra。”
Aheywerehalf-waythroughTashbaan，alltheirplanswereruined，andwithouteveosaygood-byetotheothersShastafoundhimselfbeingmarersaoguesswhatmightbegoingtohappeheNarnianKing—forShastabegahewaytherestspoketohimthathemustbeakionaskiions;wherehehadbeeout，whathehaddohhisclothes，anddidn'theknowthathehadbeey。Onlytheki“naught”insteadofnaughty。
AndShastasaidnothinginanswer，becausehe'tthinkofanythingtosaythatwouldnotbedangerous。
“What!Allmum?”askedtheking。“Imustplainlytellyou，prihishangdogsilenesoneofyourbloodevehescapeitself。Torunaassforaboy'sfroliespiritinit。Buttheking'ssonofArdshouldavouchhisdeed;nothanghisheadlikeaeneslave。”
Thiswasveryu，forShastafeltallthetimethatthisyoungkingwastheverykindofgrown-upandwouldhavelikedtomakeagoodimpressiononhim。
&rangersledhim-heldtightlybybothhands-alonganarrowstreetanddownaflightofshallowstairsahertoahiteotall，darkcypresstrees，oneoneachsideofit。hthearch，Shastafoundhimselfinacourtyardwhichwasalsoagarden。Amarblebasieriertuallyrippliaietreesgrewrounditoutofsmoothgrass，andthefourhidedthelawnwerecoveredwithgroses。Theandgofthestreetsseemedsuddenlyfadaidlyacrossthegardeoadarkdoorway。Thecrierremaiside。Afterthattheytookhimalongacorridor，wherethestonefloorfeltbeautifullycooltohishotfeet，aairs。Amomentlaterhefoundhimselfblinkiofabig，airyroomwithwideopenwindows，alllookingNorthsothatnosuhereetonthefloormorewonderfullycoloredthananythinghehadeverseenasankdownintoitasifheweretreadinginthickmoss。Allrouhereithrisoheroomseemedtobefullofpeople;veryqueerpeoplesomeofthem，thoughtShasta。Buthehadhinkofthatbeforethemostbeautifulladyhehadeverseenrosefromherpladthrewherarmsroundhimandkissedhim，saying:
“Oh，，howcouldyou?AndthouandIsuchclosefriehymotherdied。AndwhatshouldIhavesaidtothyroyalfatherifIewithoutthee?WouldhavebeeofwarbetweenArdandNarniawhicharefrieofmind。Itlaymate，verynaughtoftheetouseusso。”
“Apparently，”thoughtShastatohimself，“I'mbeingmistakenforaprinceofArd，whereverthatis。AbetheNarnians。Iwoherealis?”Butthesethoughtsdidnothelphimsayanythingoutloud。
&been，?”saidthelady，herhandsstillonShasta'sshoulders。
“I—Idon'tknow，”stammeredShasta。
&is，Susan，”saidtheKing。“Icouldgetofhim，trueorfalse。”
“YourMajesties!QueenSusan!KingEdmund!”saidavoidwhenShastaturolookatthespeakerhenearlyjumpedoutofhisskinwithsurprise。Forthiswasohesequeerpeoplewhomhehadoftheerofhiseyewhe。HewasaboutthesameheightasShastahimself。Fromtheaslikeaman，buthislegswerehairylikeagoat's，andshapedlikeagoat'sa'shoovesandatail。Hisskinwasratherredandhehadcurlyhairandashortpoiwolittlehorns。Hewasinfa，whichisacreatureShastahadureoforevenheardof。Andifyou'vereadabookcalledTheLiodtheWardrobeyoumayliketoknowthatthiswastheverysameFaun，Tumnusbyname，whomQueenSusan'ssisterLucyhadmetodaywhenshefouoNarnia。ButhewasagooddealoldernowforbythistimePeterandSusanandEdmundandLucyhadbeenKingsandQueensofNarniaforseveralyears。
“YourMajesties，”hewassaying，“HislittleHighnesshashadatouchofthesun。Lookathim!Heisdazed。Hedoesnotknowwhereheis。”
ThenofcourseeveryooppedsgShastaandaskiionsandhewasmademudlaidonasofaandswereputunderhisheadandhewasgiveiodrinkandtoldtokeepveryquiet。
NothihishadeverhappeoShastainhislifebefore。Hehadneverevenimaginedlyingonanythingsofortableasthatsanythingsodeliciousasthatsherbet。HewasstillwehersandhowohhewasgoingtoesdmeetthemattheTombs，andwhateherealedupagain。Butheseworriesseemedsnowthathewasfortable。Andperhaps，lateron，therewouldbeoeat!
&hepeopleinthatcoolairyroomwereveryiiheFauwoDwarfs（akiurehehadneverseenbefore）andaverylargeRaven。
&wereallhumans;grown-ups，butyoung，andallofthem，bothmenandwomen，hadnicerfadvoimostenes。AndsoonShastafouakiheversation。“Now，Madam，”theKingwassayingtoQueenSusan（theladywhohadkissedShasta）。“Whatthinkyou?Wehavebeeninthiscityfullythreeweeks。Haveyouyetsettledinyourmiheryouwillmarrythisdark-facedloverofyours，thisPrinceRabadash，orno?”
Theladyshookherhead。“No，brother，”shesaid，“notforallthejewelsinTashbaan。”（“Hullo!”thoughtShasta。“Althoughthey&#ahey'rebrotheramarriedtooher。“）
“Truly，sister，”saidtheKing，“Ishouldhavelovedyouthelessifyouhadtakenhim。AhatatthefirstiisrobassadorsintoNarhismarriage，ahePrincewasuestatCairParavel，itwasawoeveryouditioshowhimsomuchfavour。”
“Thatwasmyfolly，Edmund，”saidQueenSusan，“ofwhichIercy。YetithusinNarnia，trulythisPrinselfinanotherfashionthanhedoesnowinTashbaan。ForItakeyoualltowitmarvellousfeatshedidiourandhastiludewhichourbrhKingmadeforhim，andhowmeeklyandcourteouslyhesortedwithusthespaceofsevendays。Buthere，inhisowncity，hehasshownanotherface。”
“Ah!”croakedtheRaven。“Itisanoldsayihebearinhisowndenbeforeyoujudgeofhiss。”
“That'sverytrue，Sallowpad，”saidoheDwarfs。“Andanotheris，e，livewithmeandyou'llknowme。”
“Yes，”saidtheKing。“Wehavenowseenhimforwhatheis:thatis，amostproud，bloody，luxurious，dselfpleasingtryant。”
&henameofAslan，”saidSusausleaveTashbaanthisveryday。”
“There'stherub，sister，”saidEdmund。“FornowImustopentoyouallthathasbeengrowinginmymiwodaysandmore。Peridan，ofyourcourtesylooktothedoorahereisnospyuponus。Allwell?So。Forbesecret。”
Everyoolookveryserious。QueenSusanjumpedupandraher。“Oh，Edmund，”shecried。“Whatisit?Thereissomethingdreadfulinyourface。”