csl.thelionthewitchandthewardrobe-第12部分

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　　〃It　seems　to　me；　my　dears；〃　said　Mrs　Beaver；　〃that　it　is　very　important　to　know　just　when　he　slipped　away。　How　much　he　can　tell　her　depends　on　how　much　he　heard。　For　instance；　had　we　started　talking　of　Aslan　before　he　left？　If　not；　then　we　may　do　very　well；　for　she　won't　know　that　Aslan　has　e　to　Narnia；　or　that　we　are　meeting　him；　and　will　be　quite　off　her　guard　as　far　as　that　is　concerned。〃
　　
　　〃I　don't　remember　his　being　here　when　we　were　talking　about　Aslan…〃　began　Peter；　but　Lucy　interrupted　him。
　　
　　〃Oh　yes；　he　was；〃　she　said　miserably；　〃don't　you　remember；　it　was　he　who　asked　whether　the　Witch　couldn't　turn　Aslan　into　stone　too？〃
　　
　　〃So　he　did；　by　Jove；〃　said　Peter；　〃just　the　sort　of　thing　he　would　say；　too！〃
　　
　　〃Worse　and　worse；〃　said　Mr　Beaver；　〃and　the　next　thing　is　this。　Was　he　still　here　when　I　told　you　that　the　place　for　meeting　Aslan　was　the　Stone　Table？〃
　　
　　And　of　course　no　one　knew　the　answer　to　this　question。
　　
　　〃Because；　if　he　was；〃　continued　Mr　Beaver；　〃then　she'll　simply　sledge　down　in　that　direction　and　get　between　us　and　the　Stone　Table　and　catch　us　on　our　way　down。　In　fact　we　shall　be　cut　off　from　Aslan。　〃
　　
　　〃But　that　isn't　what　she'll　do　first；〃　said　Mrs　Beaver；　〃not　if　I　know　her。　The　moment　that　Edmund　tells　her　that　we're　all　here　she'll　set　out　to　catch　us　this　very　night；　and　if　he's　been　gone　about　half　an　hour；　she'll　be　here　in　about　another　twenty　minutes。〃
　　
　　〃You're　right；　Mrs　Beaver；〃　said　her　husband；　〃we　must　all　get　away　from　here。　There's　not　a　moment　to　lose。〃
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　　CHAPTER　NINE
　　
　　IN　THE　WITCH'S　HOUSE
　　
　　AND　now　of　course　you　want　to　know　what　had　happened　to　Edmund。　He　had　eaten　his　share　of　the　dinner；　but　he　hadn't　really　enjoyed　it　because　he　was　thinking　all　the　time　about　Turkish　Delight…and　there's　nothing　that　spoils　the　taste　of　good　ordinary　food　half　so　much　as　the　memory　of　bad　magic　food。　And　he　had　heard　the　conversation；　and　hadn't　enjoyed　it　much　either；　because　he　kept　on　thinking　that　the　others　were　taking　no　notice　of　him　and　trying　to　give　him　the　cold　shoulder。　They　weren't；　but　he　imagined　it。　And　then　he　had　listened　until　Mr　Beaver　told　them　about　Aslan　and　until　he　had　heard　the　whole　arrangement　for　meeting　Aslan　at　the　Stone　Table。　It　was　then　that　he　began　very　quietly　to　edge　himself　under　the　curtain　which　hung　over　the　door。　For　the　mention　of　Aslan　gave　him　a　mysterious　and　horrible　feeling　just　as　it　gave　the　others　a　mysterious　and　lovely　feeling。
　　
　　Just　as　Mr　Beaver　had　been　repeating　the　rhyme　about　Adam's　flesh　and　Adam's　bone　Edmund　had　been　very　quietly　turning　the　doorhandle；　and　just　before　Mr　Beaver　had　begun　telling　them　that　the　White　Witch　wasn't　really　human　at　all　but　half　a　Jinn　and　half　a　giantess；　Edmund　had　got　outside　into　the　snow　and　cautiously　closed　the　door　behind　him。
　　
　　You　mustn't　think　that　even　now　Edmund　was　quite　so　bad　that　he　actually　wanted　his　brother　and　sisters　to　be　turned　into　stone。　He　did　want　Turkish　Delight　and　to　be　a　Prince　（and　later　a　King）　and　to　pay　Peter　out　for　calling　him　a　beast。　As　for　what　the　Witch　would　do　with　the　others；　he　didn't　want　her　to　be　particularly　nice　to　them…certainly　not　to　put　them　on　the　same　level　as　himself；　but　he　managed　to　believe；　or　to　pretend　he　believed；　that　she　wouldn't　do　anything　very　bad　to　them；　〃Because；〃　he　said　to　himself；　〃all　these　people　who　say　nasty　things　about　her　are　her　enemies　and　probably　half　of　it　isn't　true。　She　was　jolly　nice　to　me；　anyway；　much　nicer　than　they　are。　I　expect　she　is　the　rightful　Queen　really。　Anyway；　she'll　be　better　than　that　awful　Aslan！〃　At　least；　that　was　the　excuse　he　made　in　his　own　mind　for　what　he　was　doing。　It　wasn't　a　very　good　excuse；　however；　for　deep　down　inside　him　he　really　knew　that　the　White　Witch　was　bad　and　cruel。
　　
　　The　first　thing　he　realized　when　he　got　outside　and　found　the　snow　falling　all　round　him；　was　that　he　had　left　his　coat　behind　in　the　Beavers'　house。　And　of　course　there　was　no　chance　of　going　back　to　get　it　now。　The　next　thing　he　realized　was　that　the　daylight　was　almost　gone；　for　it　had　been　nearly　three　o'clock　when　they　sat　down　to　dinner　and　the　winter　days　were　short。　He　hadn't　reckoned　on　this；　but　he　had　to　make　the　best　of　it。　So　he　turned　up　his　collar　and　shuffled　across　the　top　of　the　dam　（luckily　it　wasn't　so　slippery　since　the　snow　had　fallen）　to　the　far　side　of　the　river。
　　
　　It　was　pretty　bad　when　he　reached　the　far　side。　It　was　growing　darker　every　minute　and　what　with　that　and　the　snowflakes　swirling　all　round　him　he　could　hardly　see　three　feet　ahead。　And　then　too　there　was　no　road。　He　kept　slipping　into　deep　drifts　of　snow；　and　skidding　on　frozen　puddles；　and　tripping　over　fallen　tree…trunks；　and　sliding　down　steep　banks；　and　barking　his　shins　against　rocks；　till　he　was　wet　and　cold　and　bruised　all　over。　The　silence　and　the　loneliness　were　dreadful。　In　fact　I　really　think　he　might　have　given　up　the　whole　plan　and　gone　back　and　owned　up　and　made　friends　with　the　others；　if　he　hadn't　happened　to　say　to　himself；　〃When　I'm　King　of　Narnia　the　first　thing　I　shall　do　will　be　to　make　some　decent　roads。〃　And　of　course　that　set　him　off　thinking　about　being　a　King　and　all　the　other　things　he　would　do　and　this　cheered　him　up　a　good　deal。　He　had　just　settled　in　his　mind　what　sort　of　palace　he　would　have　and　how　many　cars　and　all　about　his　private　cinema　and　where　the　principal　railways　would　run　and　what　laws　he　would　make　against　beavers　and　dams　and　was　putting　the　finishing　touches　to　some　schemes　for　keeping　Peter　in　his　place；　when　the　weather　changed。　First　the　snow　stopped。　Then　a　wind　sprang　up　and　it　became　freezing　cold。　Finally；　the　clouds　rolled　away　and　the　moon　came　out。　It　was　a　full　moon　and；　shining　on　all　that　snow；　it　made　everything　almost　as　bright　as　day…only　the　shadows　were　rather　confusing。
　　
　　He　would　never　have　found　his　way　if　the　moon　hadn't　e　out　by　the　time　he　got　to　the　other　river　you　remember　he　had　seen　（when　they　first　arrived　at　the　Beavers'）　a　smaller　river　flowing　into　the　great　one　lower　down。　He　now　reached　this　and　turned　to　follow　it　up。　But　the　little　valley　down　which　it　came　was　much　steeper　and　rockier　than　the　one　he　had　just　left　and　much　overgrown　with　bushes；　so　that　he　could　not　have　managed　it　at　all　in　the　dark。　Even　as　it　was；　he　got　wet　through　for　he　had　to　stoop　under　branches　and　great　loads　of　snow　came　sliding　off　on　to　his　back。　And　every　time　this　happened　he　thought　more　and　more　how　he　hated　Peter…just　as　if　all　this　had　been　Peter's　fault。
　　
　　But　at　last　he　came　to　a　part　where　it　was　more　level　and　the　valley　opened　out。　And　there；　on　the　other　side　of　the　river；　quite　close　to　him；　in　the　middle　of　a　little　plain　between　two　hills；　he　saw　what　must　be　the　White　Witch's　House。　And　the　moon　was　shining　brighter　than　ever。　The　House　was　really　a　small　castle。　It　seemed　to　be　all　towers；　little　towers　with　long　pointed　spires　on　them；　sharp　as　needles。　They　looked　like　huge　dunce's　caps　or　sorcerer's　caps。　And　they　shone　in　the　moonlight　and　their　long　shadows　looked　strange　on　the　snow。　Edmund　began　to　be　afraid　of　the　House。
　　
　　But　it　was　too　late　to　think　of　turning　back　now。
　　
　　He　crossed　the　river　on　the　ice　and　walked　up　to　the　House。　There　was　nothing　stirring；　not　the　slightest　sound　anywhere。　Even　his　own　feet　made　no　noise　on　the　deep　newly　fallen　snow。　He　walked　on　and　on；　past　corner　after　corner　of　the　House；　and　past　turret　after　turret　to　find　the　door。　He　had　to　go　right　round　to　the　far　side　before　he　found　it。　It　was　a　huge　arch　but　the　great　iron　gates　stood　wide　open。
　　
　　Edmund　crept　up　to　the　arch　and　looked　inside　into　the　courtyard；　and　there　he　saw　a　sight　that　nearly　made　his　heart　stop　beating。　Just　inside　the　gate；　with　the　moonlight　shining　on　it；　stood　an　enormous　lion　crouched　as　if　it　was　ready　to　spring。　And　Edmund　stood　in　the　shadow　of　the　arch；　afraid　to　go　on　and　afraid　to　go　back；　with　his　knees　knocking　together。　He　stood　there　so　long　that　his　teeth　would　have　been　chattering　with　cold　even　if　they　had　not　been　chattering