HehewaytoAnvardbutofcourseheotwouldonlymeanrunningintothearmsofRabadash'stroopers。“WhatohamItodo?”saidShastatohimself。Butheremountedhishorseanduedalongtheroadhehadthefainthopeoffiagewherehemightaskforshelterandameal。Hehadthought，oingbacktoAravisandBreeandHwiage，buthe'tbeowhehadideaofthedire。
“Afterall，”saidShasta，“thisroadisbouosomewhere。”
Butthatalldependsonwhatyoumeaheroadkeptoosomewhereiitgottomorearees，alldarkanddripping，andtodcolderair。Andstrange，idskeptblowipasthimthoughtheyaway。Ifhehadbeeomountaintryhewouldhaverealizedthatthismeanthewasnhup—perhapsrightatthetopofthepass。ButShastakhingaboutmountains。
“Idothink，”saidShasta，“thatImustbethemostueverlivedinthewholewhtforeveryohoseNarnianlordsasafeawayfromTashbaabehind。AravisandBreeandHwinareallassnugasanythingwiththatoldHermit:ofcourseIwastheonewhowassenton。KingLuneahavegotsafelyileandshutthegateslongbeforeRabadasharrived，butIgetleftout。”
Andbeiiredandhavingnothinginsidehim，hefeltsosorryforhimselfthatthetearsrolleddownhischeeks。
toallthiswasasuddenfright。Shastadiscoveredthatsomeoneorsomebodywaswalkiitdhecouldseenothing。Ahing（orPerson）wasgoihecouldhardlyhearanyfootfalls。Whathecouldhearwasbreathing。HisinvisibleedtobreatheesdShastagottheimpressionthatitwasaverylargecreature。Andhehadetohisbreathingsograduallythathehadreallynoideahowlongithadbeewasahorribleshock。
Itdartedintohismindthathehadheardlongagothatthereweregiaherhislipinowthathereallyhadsomethingtocryabout，hest。
&hiersoonbesidehimsoveryquietlythatShastabegantohopehehadonlyimagijustashewasbeingquitesureofit，theresuddenlycameadeep，richsighoutofthedarknessbesidehim。That'tbeimagination!Athehotbreathofthatsighonhischillylefthand。
Ifthehorsehadbeenanygood—orifhehadknownhowtogetanygoodoutofthehorse—hewouldhaveriskedeverythingonabreakawayanda。Butheknewheakethathallop。Sohewentonataadtheunseenpanionwalkedahedbesidehim。Atlasthecouldbearitnolonger。
“Whoareyou?”hesaid，scarcelyaboveawhisper。
“Onewhohaswaitedlongforyoutospeak，”saidtheThing。Itsvoiotloud，butverylargeanddeep。
“Areyiaa。
“Youmightcallmeagiant，”saidtheLargeVoice。“ButIamhecreaturesyouts。”
“I'tseeyouatall，”saidShasta，afterstaringveryhard。Then（foraerribleideahadeintohishead）hesaid，almostinascream，“You'renot—hingdead，areyou?Ohplease—pleasedogoaway。WhatharmhaveIeverdoneyou?Oh，Iamtheupersoninthewholeworld!”
OthewarmbreathoftheThingonhishandahere，”itsaid，“thatishofaghost。Tellmeyoursorrows。”
Shastawasalittlereassuredbythebreath:sohetoldhowhehadneverknowherormotheraupsternlybythefishermaoldthestoryofhisesdhowtheywerechasedbylionsaoswimfortheirlives;andofalltheirdaashbaanandabouthisnightamoombsashowledathimoutofthedesert。AoldabouttheheatandthirstoftheirdesertjourneyandhowtheywerealmostattheirgoalwhenanotherliohemandwoundedAravis。Andalsitwassincehehadhadanythi。
“Idonotcallyouunfortunate，”saidtheLargeVoice。
“Don'tyouthinkitwasbadlueetsomanylions?”saidShasta。
“Therewasonlyonelion，”saidtheVoice。
“Whatohdoyoumean?I'vejusttoldyoutherewereatleasttwht，and—”
“Therewasohewasswiftoffoot。”
“Howdoyouknow?”
“Iwasthelion。”AndasShastagapedwithopenmouthandsaidnothing，theVoiued。“IwasthelionwhoforcedyoutojoinwithAravis。Iwasthefortedyouamongthehousesofthedead。Iwasthelionwhodrovethejayouwhileyouslept。IwasthelioheHorsesthehoffearforthelastmilesothatyoushLuime。AndIwasthelionyoudonotrememberwhopushedtheboatinwhichyoulay，aeardeath，sothatitcametoshorewhereamansat，wakefulatmidnight，toreceiveyou。”
&oundedAravis?”
“It>
“Butwhatfor?”
“Child，”saidtheVoice，“Iamtellingyouyourstory，ellorybuthisown。”
“Whoareyou?”askedShasta。
“Myself，”saidtheVoice，verydeepandlowsothattheearthshook:andagain“Myself”，loudanddgay:ahirdtime“Myself”，whisperedsosoftlyyoucouldhardlyhearit，aseemedtoallroundyouasiftheleavesrustledwithit。
ShastawasnolongerafraidthattheVoigedtosomethingthatwouldeathim，northatitwasthevoiceofaghost。Butanewa。Yethefeltgladtoo。
&wasturningfromblacktograyandfromgraytowhite。Thismusthavebeguimeago，butwhilehehadbeentalkihibeennotiythihewhitenessaroundhimbecameashiningwhiteness;hiseyesbegantoblink。Somewhereaheadhecouldhearbirdssihenightwasoveratlast。Hecouldseethemaneandearsandheadofhishorsequiteeasilynow。Agoldehemfromtheleft。Hethoughtitwasthesun。
&urnedandsaw，pagbesidehim，tallerthanthehorse，aLion。Thehorsedidobeafraidofitorelseotseeit。ItwasfromtheLioooneeversawanythierribleorbeautiful。
LuckilyShastahadlivedallhislifetoofarsouthiohaveheardthetalesthatwerewhisperedinTashbaanaboutadreadfulappearedintheformofalion。AndofcoursehekruestoriesaboutAslaLioheEmperor-over-the-sea，theKingaboveallHighKingsinNarnia。ButafteroheLion'sfaceheslippedoutofthesaddleasfeet。He'tsayanythingbutthenhedidn'twanttosayanything，andheksayanything。
TheHighKingaboveallkiowardhim。Itsmane，arangeandsolemhungaboutthemane，wasallroundhim。Ittouchedhisforeheadwithitstoedhisfadtheireyesmet。TheninstantlythepalebrighthemistaheLiohemselvestogetherintlatheredthemselvesupanddisappeared。Hewasalohehrassyhillsideunderabluesky。Andtherewerebirdssinging。