《最後一戰》第47期:誰將入馬廄?(6)

Then, just as Ginger had done, Emeth came walking forward into the open strip of grass between the bonfire and the stable. His eyes were shining, his face very solemn, his hand was on his sword-hilt, and he carried his head high. Jill felt like crying when she looked at his face. And Jewel whispered in the King's ear, "By the Lion's Mane, I almost love this young warrior, Calormene though he be. He is worthy of a better god than Tash."

"I do wish we knew what is really inside there," said Eustace.

Emeth opened the door and went in, into the black mouth of the stable. He closed the door behind him. Only a few moments passed - but it seemed longer before the door opened again. A figure in Calormene armour reeled out, fell on its back, and lay still: the door closed behind it. The Captain leaped towards it and bent down to stare at its face. He gave a start of surprise. Then he recovered himself and turned to the crowd, crying out:

"The rash boy has had his will. He has looked on Tash and is dead. Take warning, all of you."

"We will, we will," said the poor Beasts. But Tirian and his friends stared at the dead Calormene and then at one another. For they, being so close, could see what the crowd, being further off and beyond the fire, could not see: this dead man was not Emeth. He was quite different: an older man, thicker and not so tall, with a big beard.

"Ho-ho-ho," chuckled the Ape. "Any more? Anyone else want to go in? Well, as you're all shy, I'll choose the next. You, you Boar! On you come. Drive him up, Calormenes. He shall see Tashlan face to face."

"O-o-mph," grunted the Boar, rising heavily to his feet. "Come on, then. Try my tusks."

When Tirian saw that brave Beast getting ready to fight for its life - and Calormene soldiers beginning to close in on it with their drawn scimitars - and no one going to its help - something seemed to burst inside him. He no longer cared if this was the best moment to interfere or not.

"Swords out," he whispered to the others. "Arrow on string. Follow."

Next moment the astonished Narnians saw seven figures leap forth in front of the stable, four of them in shining mail. The King's sword flashed in the firelight as he waved it above his head and cried in a great voice:

"Here stand I, Tirian of Narnia, in Aslan's name, to prove with my body that Tash is a foul fiend, the Ape a manifold traitor, and these Calormenes worthy of death. To my side, all true Narnians. Would you wait till your new masters have killed you all one by one?"

接着，就像金格一樣，伊梅思走上前來，進入簧火與馬廄之間的那片開闊的草地。他的眼睛閃閃發光，他的臉色莊重，他的手按在劍柄上，他的頭昂得高高的。吉爾望着他的臉時，覺得自己快要哭了。珍寶在國王的耳邊低語道："獅王的旅毛啊，我幾乎愛上這年輕的戰士了，雖然他是個卡樂門士兵。比塔什更好的神才值得他尊敬哩。"

"我但願我們能知道馬廄裏確實設置了什麼東西。"尤斯塔斯說道。

伊梅思打開門走進去，進入了馬廄漆黑的嘴巴。他關上他背後的門。只過了片刻——但感覺上彷彿時間更長——門又重新打開了。一個穿卡樂門鎖子甲的人影兒搖搖晃晃地退出門來，仰面倒在地上，躺在那兒一動也不動了。馬廄的門重新關上。隊長向那人跳將過去，俯下身來仔細打量他的臉。他嚇了一跳。然後他恢復鎮靜，轉臉面向大夥兒，大聲喊道：

"這個魯莽的孩子達到了他的願望啦。他看到了塔什神，死了。你們大家都要引爲鑑戒。"

"我們要，我們要引爲鑑戒的。"可憐的野獸們說道。但，蒂蓮和他的朋友們，先盯住死掉的卡樂門士兵仔細打量一番，然後彼此又互相看了一眼。因爲他們離屍體很近，能看到大夥兒（離得遠，又在簧火的背後）沒法兒看到的景象：死人並不是伊梅思。死人截然不同，是個年紀較大的人，身材比較粗大，可不及伊梅思高，還長着一把大鬍子。

"嗬—嗬—嗬，"無尾猿吃吃笑道，"還有什麼人嗎，還有什麼人要進來，得了，既然你們大家都不好意思，我就來挑選下一個。野豬，你過來。卡樂門士兵，把他押過來。它得面對面地見見塔什神。"

"奧—奧—姆比，"野豬咕咕噥噥地說道，它沉重地站起身來，"那就來吧。試試我的撩牙吧。"

當蒂蓮看到勇敢的野豬準備爲它的生命而拼搏——卡樂門士兵開始拔出彎刀逼攏來——沒有哪一個跑出來支援野豬——他內心裏有個東西突然發作了。他不再關心這究竟是干預或不干預的最佳時刻了。

"拔出劍來，"他對其他的人低聲說道，"箭搭在弦上。跟着我上。"

緊接着的剎那之間，吃驚的納尼亞野獸看到七個黑影在馬廄前面跳了出來，四個人穿着發光的鎖子甲。國王的劍在火光中閃耀，那時他正在頭頂上空揮舞着劍，用大嗓門喊道：

"我，納尼亞的國王蒂蓮，站在這兒，以阿斯蘭的名義，用我的身體來證明：塔什是個邪惡的魔王，無尾猿是個詭計多端的賣國賊，這些卡樂門人都是該死的東西。一切真正的納尼亞子民們，站在我這一邊來吧。難道你們要等到你們新的主子把你們一個又一個地統統殺光嗎？"