《能言馬與男孩》第30期:科林王子(6)

"Yes, if you're any good at climbing," said Corin. "But why are you in such a hurry? I say: we ought to be able to get some fun out of this being mistaken for one another."

"No, no," said Shasta. "We must change places at once. It'll be simply frightful if Mr Tumnus comes back and finds us both here. I've had to pretend to be you. And you're starting tonight - secretly. And where were you all this time?"

"A boy in the street made a beastly joke about Queen Susan," said Prince Corin, "so I knocked him down. He ran howling into a house and his big brother came out. So I knocked the big brother down. Then they all followed me until we ran into three old men with spears who are called the Watch. So I fought the Watch and they knocked me down. It was getting dark by now. Then the Watch took me along to lock me up somewhere. So I asked them if they'd like a stoup of wine and they said they didn't mind if they did. Then I took them to a wine shop and got them some and they all sat down and drank till they feel asleep. I thought it was time for me to be off so I came out quietly and then I found the first boy - the one who had started all the trouble - still hanging about. So I knocked him down again. After that I climbed up a pipe on to the roof of a house and lay quiet till it began to get light this morning. Ever since that I've been finding my way back. I say, is there anything to drink?"

"No, I drank it," said Shasta. "And now, show me how you got in. There's not a minute to lose. You'd better lie down on the sofa and pretend-but I forgot. It'll be no good with all those bruises and black eye. You'll just have to tell them the truth, once I'm safely away."

"What else did you think I'd be telling them?" asked the Prince with a rather angry look. "And who are you?"

"There's no time," said Shasta in a frantic whisper. "I'm a Narnian, I believe; something Northern anyway. But I've been brought up all my life in Calormen. And I'm escaping: across the desert; with a talking Horse called Bree. And now, quick! How do I get away?"

"Look," said Corin. "Drop from this window on to the roof of the verandah. But you must do it lightly, on your toes, or someone will hear you. Then along to your left and you can get up to the top of that wall if you're any good at all as a climber. Then along the wall to the corner. Drop onto the rubbish heap you will find outside, and there you are."

"Thanks," said Shasta, who was already sitting on the sill. The two boys were looking into each other's faces and suddenly found that they were friends.

"Good-bye," said Corin. "And good luck. I do hope you get safe away."

"Good-bye," said Shasta. "I say, you have been having some adventures."

"Nothing to yours," said the Prince. "Now drop; lightlyI say," he added as Shasta dropped. "I hope we meet in Archenland. Go to my father King Lune and tell him you're a friend of mine. Look out! I hear someone coming."

“行，如果你會攀登的話，”科林說，”可你爲什麼那麼急急忙忙的呢?你聽我說，我們應該就人家把我們誤認開點兒玩笑啊。”

“不，不，”沙斯塔說，”我們必須立刻調個位置。如果圖姆納斯回來，發現我們倆在這兒，那就簡直叫人害怕了。我曾被迫假裝是你。你今天夜裏就得出發——祕密地。這段時間你上哪兒去了?”

“街上有個孩子拿女王蘇珊開了個粗野的玩笑，”王子科林說道，”所以我就把他打倒在地。他號啕大哭着跑進了一幢房子，他的哥哥從房子裏趕出來。我就把那哥哥也打倒在地。接着他們全來追我，直至我們撞見了三個叫做警衛的持矛老漢。我就和警衛搏鬥，警衛把我打倒在地。這時天色暗了。警衛把我帶走，要把我關在什麼地方。所以我就問他們喝上一壺酒怎麼樣?他們說，喝喝也不妨。於是我帶他們上了一家酒館，給他們要了些酒，他們便都坐下來喝酒，一直唱到都睡熟了。我想，此時不走，更待何時?我悄悄地走出酒館，我發現那第一個孩子——引起這場麻煩的小傢伙——竟然仍在附近閒蕩，所以我就再把他打倒在地。這之後，我攀着一個水管爬到了一幢房子的屋頂上，我在屋頂上靜靜地躺着，一直躺到今兒早晨天明的時候，早晨起我一直在找路回家。哦，可有什麼喝的？”

“沒酒，我把酒喝了。”沙斯塔說，”現在你告訴我，你是怎麼進來的。一分鐘也不能耽誤了。你最好還是躺在沙發上，假裝——可是我忘了，你臉上青一塊紫一塊的，眼眶都發黑了，假裝是毫無用處的了。我安全離開以後，你就得把真相統統告訴他們。”

“你認爲我會告訴他們別的什麼嗎?”王子帶着相當憤怒的神色問道，”你究竟是什麼人啊?“

“來不及講了，”沙斯塔用激動得要發瘋的低語說道，”我相信，我是個納尼亞人，無論如何是在北方出生的。但我是在卡樂門長大的。我正在逃跑，要穿過大沙漠，跟一匹叫做布里的說人話的馬兒一起走。呀，快！我怎樣出去？”

“你瞧，”科林說，”從窗口下去，到遊廊的屋頂上。但你必須輕輕地走，陸起腳尖走，要不別人就會聽見的。然後一路向左走去，你就可以爬到牆頭上去，如果你是個爬牆能手的話。然後沿着牆頭走到角落裏。你會看到牆外有堆垃圾，你就跳下去，這就成了。”'

“謝謝。”沙斯塔說。他已經坐在窗臺上了。這兩個孩子互相凝視着對方的臉，突然發覺他們成爲好朋友了。

“再見了，”科林說，”祝你好運，我真希望你安全地走出去。”

“再見了，”沙斯塔說，”嗨，你已經歷過危險，但危險還沒有過去哩！”

“跟你的危險比起來，那就算不了什麼。”王子說道，”現在往下跳吧，輕輕地跳——喂，”沙斯塔跳下去時，王子補充道，”我希望我們在阿欽蘭見面。你去見我的父王倫恩，告訴他你是我的朋友。小心啊！我聽到有人來了。”