《最後一戰》第43期:誰將入馬廄?(2)
The whole assembly became silent. Then, after nearly a minute, the Bear began in a slow, puzzled voice:
"I don't quite understand all this," it grumbled, "I thought you said -"
"You thought!" repeated the Ape. "As if anyone could call what goes on in your head thinking. Listen, you others. Anyone can see Tashlan. But he's not coming out. You have to go in and see him."
"Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you," said dozens of voices. "That's what we wanted! We can go in and see him face to face. And now he'll be kind and it will all be as it used to be." And the Birds chattered, and the Dogs barked excitedly. Then suddenly, there was a great stirring and a noise of creatures rising to their feet, and in a second the whole lot of them would have been rushing forward and trying to crowd into the stable door all together. But the Ape shouted:
"Get back! Quiet! Not so fast."
The Beasts stopped, many of them with one paw in the with tails wagging, and all of them with heads on one side.
"I thought you said," began the Bear, but Shift interrupted.
"Anyone can go in," he said. "But, one at a time. Who'll go first? He didn't say he was feeling very kind. He's been licking his lips a lot since he swallowed up the wicked King the other night. He's been growling a good deal this morning. I wouldn't much like to go into that stable myself tonight. But just as you please. Who'd like to go in first? Don't blame me if he swallows you whole or blasts you into a cinder with the mere terror of his eyes. That's your affair. Now then! Who's first? What about one of you Dwarfs?"
"Dilly, dilly, come and be killed!" sneered Griffle. "How do we know what you've got in there?"
"Ho-ho!" cried the Ape. "So you're beginning to think there's something there, eh? Well, all you Beasts were making noise enough a minute ago. What's struck you all dumb? Who's going in first?"
But the Beasts all stood looking at one another and began backing away from the stable. Very few tails were wagging now. The Ape waddled to and fro jeering at them. "Ho-ho-ho!" he chuckled. "I thought you were all so eager to see Tashlan face to face! Changed your mind, eh?"
全場默默無言。接着，大約一分鐘以後，熊用一種慢吞吞的惶惑的聲音開始說話。
"這一切我不十分明白，"它咕咕噥噥地說道，"我想你是說——"
"你想！"無尾猿故意重複對方的詞兒，"倒像是誰都可以把你頭腦里正在進行的活動稱之爲'想'哩。聽着，你們其他的人。任何人都能去見塔什蘭。但塔什蘭自己可不出來。你們得進去見他。"
"啊，謝謝你，謝謝你，謝謝你。"十幾個聲音說道，"我們能進去，面對面地見到他。那就是我們所要求的！現在他會是仁慈的，並且將像往常一樣，處處仁慈。鳥兒啁啾，狗兒興奮地吠叫。然後，突然之間，出現了一陣大騷動、一陣喧譁，野獸們都站起來了，轉瞬之間整羣野獸都往前衝去，大家都竭力要一齊擠進馬廄中去。但無尾猿大聲喊道：
"回去！安靜！且慢！"
野獸們停步了，好多野獸一隻爪子懸在空中，好多搖晃着尾巴，它們的腦袋都側向一邊。
"我想你是說——"熊開始說話，可詭譎把它的話打斷了。
"哪一個都能進去，"無尾猿說道，"可是，一次只進去一個。誰先進去，他可並不說他是十分仁慈的。自從他在大前天把那邪惡的國王吞下肚子以來，他一直在不斷地舔他的嘴脣。今天早晨他曾經大嚎大叫了一陣子。今兒個夜間我自己也不大想進到馬廄裏去。但，隨你們的便。誰願意第一個進去，如果他把你整個兒吞了下去，或者只是用它的火眼金睛把你燒成灰燼，可別怪我。那是你自己的事情。哦，進來吧！誰第一個進來？你們小矮人先進來一個吧？"
"呀，呀，進來被你殺死！"格里夫爾嘲笑道，"我們怎麼知道你在那馬廄裏擺下了什麼東西呢？"
"哈——哈！"無尾猿喊道，"那麼你們在開始想到裏邊有點兒東西了，是不是？哦，一分鐘以前你們野獸都吵鬧得夠響的了。是什麼把你們都打成了啞巴？誰第一個進去呀？"
但野獸們都站在那兒你看我我看你的，而且開始從馬廄後退。現在沒有幾條尾巴在搖晃了。無尾猿一邊大搖大擺地走來走去，一邊嘲笑野獸們。"哈―哈―哈！"它抿着嘴笑道，"我想你們大家都急於要面對面地見到塔什蘭！如今改變主意了，嗯？"
