&heyhadtalkedftime—anditwasallthelongerbecauseAravisfoundithardtokeepherfrielastLasaraleenclappedherhandsandsaid，“Oh，IhaveahereisonewayofgettingoutofthecitywithoutusiheTisroc'sgarden（mayheliveforever!）runsrightdoweratlewater-door。Onlyforthepalacepeopleofcourse—butthenyouknow，dear（hereshetitteredalittle）wealmostarepalacepeople。Isay，itisluckyforyouthatyoue。ThedearTisroc（mayheliveforever!）issokind。We'reaskedtothepalacealmosteverydayanditislikeasee。IloveallthedearprindprindIpositivelyadorePrinceRabadash。Imightrunihepalaceladiesatanyhourofthedayht。Whyshouldn'tIslipinwithyou，afterdark，abythewater-door?Therearealuntsandthisideit。Andeve—”
“Allwouldbelost，”saidAravis。
“，don'tgetsoexcited，”saidLasaraleen。“Iwasgoingtosay，eveeveryonewouldonlysayitwasoneofmymadjokes。I'mgettingquitewellknowheotherday—dolistehisisfrightfullyfunny—”
&，allwouldbelostforme，”saidAravisalittlesharply。
“Oh—ah—yes—Idoseewhatyoumean，darling。Well，youthinkofaerplan?”
Aravis't，andanswered，“No。We'llhavetoriskit。Whe?”
“Oh，nottonight，”saidLasaraleen。“Ofottonight。There'sagreatfeastontonight（Imuststartgettingmyhairdoies）andthewholeplacewillbeablazeoflights。Andsuchacrowdtoo!Itwouldhavetht。”
ThiswasbadnewsforAravis，butshehadtomakethebestofit。Theafternoonpassedveryslowlyanditwasareliefwheouttotheba，forAraviswasverytiredaalkaboutdressesandparties，weddisandsdals。Shewenttobedearlyandthatpartshedidenjoy:itwassoohavepillowsasagain。
Butthedaypassedveryslowly。LasaraleeogobathewhemeellingAravisthatNarniawasatryofperpetualsnowaedbydemonsandsordshewasmadtothinkofgoingthere。“Andeasantboy，too!”saidLasaraleen。“Darling，thinkofit!It'snotNice。”Aravishadthoughtofitagooddeal，butshewassotiredofLasaraleen'ssillinessbynowthat，forthefirsttime，shebegantothinkthattravellingwithShastawasreallyrathermorefunthanfashioashbaan。Sosheonlyreplied，“YetthatI'llbenobody，justlikehim，wheoNarnia。Andanyromised。”
“Andtothink，”saidLasaraleen，alm，“thatifonlyyouhadsenseyoucouldbethewifeofaGrandVizier!”Araviswentarivatewordwiththehorses。
“YoumustgowithagroomalittlebeforesuotheTombs，”shesaid。“hosepacks。You'llbesaddledandbridledagain。Butthere'llhavetobefoodinHwin'ssaddle-bagsandafullwater-skinbehindyours，Bree。Themayoubothhaveagoodlongdrinkatthefarsidee。”
“Andthen，Narniaah!”whisperedBree。“ButwhatifShastaisombs。”
“Waitforhimofcourse，”saidAravis。“Ihopeyou'vebeeable。”
&erstabledinmylife，”saidBree。“ButifthehusbandofthattitteringTarkheenafriendofyoursispayinghisheadgroomtogetthebestoats，thenIthinktheheadgroomisghim。”
AravisandLasaraleenhadsupperinthepillaredroom。
Abouttwohourslatertheywerereadytostart。Araviswasdressedtolooklikeasuperiirlihouseandworeaveiloverherface。TheyhadagreedthatifaionswereaskedLasaraleenwouldpretendthatAraviswasaslaveshewastakingasapreseheprincesses。
&wogirlswentoutonfoot。Averyfewmithemtothepalacegates。HeretherewereofcoursesuardbuttheoffiewLasaraleenquitewellandcalledhismeionaheypassedatoheHallofBlackMarble。Afairnumberofcourtiers，slavesandotherswerestillmovingaboutherebutthisowogirlslessspicuous。TheypassedonintotheHallofPillarsaheHallofStatuesanddowntheade，passiencopperdoorsofthethrowasallmagbeyoion;whattheycouldseeofitinthedimlightofthelamps。
&heycameoutintothegarden-courtwhichslopeddownhillierrathefarsideofthattheycametotheOldPalace。Ithadalreadygro>
quitedarkandtheynowfoundthemselvesinamazeofcorridorslitonlybyoaltorchesfixedihewalls。Lasaraleeaplacewhereyouhadtogoeitherleftht。
“Goon，dogoon，”whisperedAravis，whoseheartwasbeatingterriblyandwhostillfeltthatherfathermightruanyer。
“I'mjustw。。。”saidLasaraleen。“I'mnotabsolutelysureegofromhere。Ithinkit'stheleft。Yes，I'malmostsureit'stheleft。Whatfunthisis!”
&helefthandwayandfoundthemselvesinapassagethatwashardlylightedatallandwhibegangoingdownsteps。
“It'sallright，”saidLasaraleen。“I'msurewe&#hthesesteps。”Butatthatmomentamovinglightappearedahead。Asedlaterthereappearedfromroundadistahedarkshapesoftwomenwalkingbadgtalldles。Andofcourseitisoiesthatpeoplewalkbackwards。AravisfeltLasaraleehatsortofsuddengripindwhisthatthepersonwhyhtenedindeed。AravisthoughtitoddthatLasaraleenshouldbesoafraidoftheTisrocifhewerereallysudofhers，buttherewasogoonthinking。Lasaraleenwashurryiothetopofthesteps，ontiptoes，andgropingwildlyalongthe>
“Here'sadoor，”shewhispered。“Quick。”
&ihedoorverysoftlybehindthem，andfoundthemselvesinpitess。AraviscouldhearbyLasaraleen&#thatshewasterrified。
“Tashpreserveus!”whisperedLasaraleen。“Whatshallwedoifheesinhere。wehide?”
Therewasasoftdertheirfeet。Theygropedforwardintotheroomaoasofa。
&'sliedow，”whimperedLasaraleen。“Oh，Idowishwehadn'te。”
&roombetweenthesofaaainedwallawotdown。Lasaraleethebetterpositionandletelycovered。TheupperpartofAravis'sfacestuckoutbeyondthesofa，sothatifahatroomwithalightaolookiherightplacetheywouldseeher。Butofcourse，becauseshewaswearitheysawwouldnotatoncelooklikeaforeheadandapairofeyes。AravisshoveddesperatelytotrytomakeLasaraleelemoreroom。ButLasaraleen，nowquiteselfishinherpanic，foughtbachedherfeet。Theygaveitupandlaystill，pantingalittle。Theirowhsemeddreadfullynoisy，buttherewasnoothernoise。
“Isitsafe?”saidAravisatlastipossiblewhisper。
“I—I—thinkso，”begamypoorheerribleheycouldhaveheardatthatmoment:thehed。Andthe。AndbecauseAravis'tgetherheadanyfurtherihesofa，shesaweverything。
Firstcamethetwoslaves（deafanddumb，asAravisrightlyguessed，andthereforeusedatthemostsecils）walkingbadgthedles。Theytookuptheirstaeadofthesofa。Thiswasagoodthing，forofcourseitwasnowharderforaoseeAravisonceaslavewasinfrontofherandshewaslookiweehena，wearingacuriouspointedcapbywhichsheimmediatelykhewastheTisroc。TheleastofthejehichhewascoveredwasworthmorethahesandonsoftheNarnianlordsputtogether:buthewassofatandsuchamassoffrillsasatonsaalismansthatAravis'thelpthinkingtheNarnianfashions（atanyrateformen）lookederhimcameatallyoungmanwithafeatheredaurbanonhisheadandanivory-sheathedscimitarathisside。Heseemedveryexdhiseyesahflashedfierthedlelight。Lastofallcamealittlehump-backed，wizenedoldmaninwhhashudderthenewGrandVizierarothedhusband，AhoshtaTarkaanhimself。
Assoonasallthreehadeheroomandthedoorwasshut，theTisrocseatedhimselfonthedivanwithasighofent，theyoungmantookhispladingbeforehim，andtheGradownonhiskneesandelbowsandlaidhisfathecarpet。