《最後一戰》第30期:關於小矮人(5)

"What devilish policy!" said Tirian. "This Ginger, then, is close in the Ape's counsels."

"It's more a question by now, Sire, if the Ape is in his counsels," replied the Dwarf. "The Ape has taken to drinking, you see. My belief is that the plot is now mostly carried on by Ginger or Rishda - that's the Calormene captain. And I think some words that Ginger has scattered among the Dwarfs are chiefly to blame for the scurvy return they made you. And I'll tell you why. One of those dreadful midnight meetings had just broken up the night before last and I'd gone a bit of the way home when I found I'd left my pipe behind. It was a real good 'un, an old favourite, so I went back to look for it. But before I got to the place where I'd been sitting (it was black as pitch there) I heard a cat's voice say Mew and a Calormene voice say 'here . . . speak softly,' so I just stood as still as if I was frozen. And these two were Ginger and Rishda Tarkaan as they call him. 'Noble Tarkaan,' said the Cat in that silky voice of his, 'I just wanted to know exactly what we both meant today about Aslan meaning no more than Tash.' 'Doubtless, most sagacious of cats,' says the other, 'you have perceived my meaning.' 'You mean,' says Ginger, 'that there's no such person as either." "All who are enlightened know that,' said the Tarkaan. 'Then we can understand one another,' purrs the Cat. 'Do you, like me, grow a little weary of the Ape?' 'A stupid, greedy brute,' says the other, 'but we must use him for the present. Thou and I must provide for all things in secret and make the Ape do our will.' 'And it would be better, wouldn't it,' said Ginger, 'to let some of the more enlightened Narnians into our counsels: one by one as we find them apt. For the Beasts who really believe in Aslan may turn at any moment: and will, if the Ape's folly betrays his secret. But those who care neither for Tash nor Aslan but have only an eye to their own profit and such reward as The Tisroc may give them when Narnia is a Calormene province, will be firm.' 'Excellent Cat,' said the Captain. 'But choose which ones carefully.'"

While the Dwarf had been speaking the day seemed to have changed. It had been sunny when they sat down. Now Puzzle shivered. Jewel shifted his head uneasily. Jill looked up.

"It's clouding over," she said.

"And it's so cold," said Puzzle.

"Cold enough, by the Lion!" said Tirian, blowing on his hands. "And faugh! What foul smell is this?"

"Phew!" gasped Eustace. "It's like something dead. Is there a dead bird somewhere about? And why didn't we notice it before?"

With a great upheaval Jewel scrambled to his feet and pointed with his horn.

"Look!" he cried. "Look at it! Look, look!"

Then all six of them saw; and over all their faces there came an expression of uttermost dismay.

"多麼陰險兇惡的政策!"蒂蓮說道，"這樣看來，這個金格是參與無尾猿的機密的啊。"

"陛下，現在問題是倒過來了：究竟無尾猿是否參與金格的機密。"小矮人答道，"你要明白，無尾猿如今沉湎於斟酒。我深信不疑，現在陰謀詭計大部分是由金格或利什達——那就是卡樂門隊長——執行的。我認爲金格在小矮人中散佈的流言，主要應歸罪於他們把你的脫身逃回說得太不光彩了。我要把其中的所以然告訴你。前天夜間，一個可怕的深更半夜的會議剛散，我在回家的路上才走了一小段路，發覺我把菸斗丟在那兒了。這是隻確實極好的菸斗，是我多年心愛之物，所以我就回去找菸斗。但，我還沒有走到我曾經坐過的地方，就聽到喵的一聲貓叫，聽到一個卡樂門人的口音說道，'這兒說話要低聲。'我就一動也不動地站着，彷彿我被凍僵了似的。這兩個傢伙，就是金格和'泰坎'利什達——他們都管他叫'泰坎'，高貴的'泰坎'，貓兒金格用它那奉承討好的聲音說道，'今兒個關於阿斯蘭並不超過塔什的說法，我正想確切地知道，咱倆心裏的意思是什麼?'毫無疑問，衆貓中最聰明的貓啊，另一個說道，你已經看明白了我的意思。''你的意思是說，'金格道，'兩者之中，哪一個都是不存在的。''凡是有學問的人，大家都明白。'泰坎'說。'那麼，我們是能夠彼此瞭解的了。'貓兒道。'你可像我一樣，逐漸有點兒厭惡那頭無尾猿了?'，'一頭愚蠢而貪婪的野獸，'另一個說，'但，眼前我們必須利用它。你和我必須暗中祕密準備好一切，叫無尾猿去完成我們的願望。"讓某些比較有學問的納尼亞國民參與我們的機密，我們覺得恰當，便依次逐個吸收——這就會把事情搞得更好，難道不會嗎?'金格道，'因爲，真正信仰阿斯蘭的野獸，隨時都可能轉變的，而且，如果無尾猿暴露了它的祕密，它們就會自願轉變的。但，那些既不關心塔什神又不關心阿斯蘭、眼睛只盯着它們自己的利益的，而納尼亞成爲卡樂門的一個省時，"蒂斯羅克"又會給以重賞的傢伙，它們必將是堅定不移的。"高明的貓兒，"隊長說，"但選擇哪一個可要小心謹慎啊。"

小矮人一直在講下去時，天色似乎變了。他們坐下來時曾經陽光燦爛。現在迷惑發抖了。珍寶不安地擺動着腦袋。吉爾擡頭看天。

"滿天都是雲霾哩。"她說。

"天那麼冷。"迷惑說。

"獅王在上，天氣夠冷的!"蒂蓮一邊向雙手呵氣，一邊說道，"哇!這是一股什麼臭味?"

"唉!"尤斯塔斯喘着氣說道，"這像是某種死掉的禽獸呀。附近什麼地方可有一隻死鳥嗎?以前我們爲什麼沒有注意到呢?"

珍寶四腳着地爬行，獨角突出在前面探索，大大地忙亂了一陣。

"瞧!"它嚷道，"瞧瞧它!瞧，瞧!"

於是他們六個都看見了。他們的臉上都露出非常驚愕沮喪的表情。