《能言馬與男孩》第27期:科林王子(3)

"Courage, Su, courage," said Edmund. "Remember-but what is the matter with you, Master Tumnus?" For the Faun was holding both his horns with his hands as if he were trying to keep his head on by them and writhing to and fro as if he had a pain in his inside.

"Don't speak to me, don't speak to me," said Tumnus. "I'm thinking. I'm thinking so that I can hardly breathe. Wait, wait, do wait."

There was a moment's puzzled silence and then the Faun looked up, drew a long breath, mopped its forehead and said:

"The only difficulty is how to get down to our ship-with some stores, too-without being seen and stopped."

"Yes," said a Dwarf dryly. "Just as the beggar's only difficulty about riding is that he has no horse."

"Wait, wait," said Mr Tumnus impatiently. "All we need is some pretext for going down to our ship today and taking stuff on board."

"Yes," said King Edmund doubtfully.

"Well, then," said the Faun, "how would it be if your majesties bade the Prince to a great banquet to be held on board our own galleon, the Spendour Hyaline, tomorrow night? And let the message be worded as graciously as the Queen can contrive without pledging her honour: so as to give the Prince a hope that she is weakening."

"This is very good counsel, Sire," croaked the Raven.

"And then," continued Tumnus excitedly, "everyone will expect us to be going down to the ship all day, making preparations for our guests. And let some of us go to the bazaars and spend every minim we have at the fruiterers and the sweetmeat sellers and the wine merchants, just as we would if we were really giving a feast. And let us order magicians and jugglers and dancing girls and flute players, all to be on board tomorrow night."

"I see, I see," said King Edmund, rubbing his hands.

"And then," said Tumnus, "we'll all be on board tonight. And as soon as it is quite dark-"

"Up sails and out oars-!" said the King.

"And so to sea," cried Tumnus, leaping up and beginning to dance.

"And our nose Northward," said the first Dwarf.

"Running for home! Hurrah for Narnia and the North!" said the other.

"And the Prince waking next morning and finding his birds flown!" said Peridan, clapping his hands.

"Oh Master Tumnus, dear Master Tumnus," said the Queen, catching his hands and swinging with him as he danced. "You have saved us all."

"The Prince will chase us," said another lord, whose name Shasta had not heard.

"That's the least of my fears," said Edmund. "I have seen all the shipping in the river and there's no tall ship of war nor swift galley there. I wish he may chase us! For the Splendour Hyaline could sink anything he has to send after her - if we were overtaken at all."

“勇氣，蘇，要有勇氣，”愛德蒙說，”記住囉——可是圖姆納斯師傅，你怎麼啦?”因爲那羊怪正用雙手握住他的兩隻角，彷彿要藉此保住他的腦袋，而且左右扭動着身體，彷彿他五臟六腑在疼痛哩。

“別跟我說話，別跟我說話，”圖姆納斯說道，”我正在思索。我思索得氣也透不過來了。等一下，等一下，請等一下。”

令人迷惑不解的緘默持續了一會兒，接着，那羊怪擡起頭來，長長地吸了口氣，抹抹前額，說道

“惟一的困難是要到我們的船上——還帶些備用的東西——不被人看見，也不被人阻止。”

“是啊，”一個小矮人乾巴巴地說道，”就像乞丐要騎馬，惟一的困難是沒有馬兒。”

“等一下，等一下，”圖姆納斯先生不耐煩地說道，”我們所需要的只是找個藉口今天就上船去，並且帶些東西到船上去。”

“哦，哦。”國王愛德蒙懷疑地說道。

“啊，行了，”羊怪說，”不知這樣好不好，陛下盼咐王子明天夜間出席我們的大帆船‘燦爛晶瑩'號上的盛大籃席，而且這信息要傳達得合情合理，以便給王子一個希望:女王的態度正在軟化，而她也不必壓上自己的榮譽就可以把事情對付過去了。”

“隆下，這是個很好的主意。”渡鴉嚷道。

“於是，”圖姆納斯興奮地繼續說道，”大家就會希望我們整天都呆在船上，準備迎接我們的客人。讓我們派些人到市場上去，傾盡所有，買水果，買糖果，買酒，彷彿我們真的要開筵請客一樣。讓我們去約請魔術師、雜耍演員、跳舞姑娘和吹長笛的樂師，請他們明天夜間都到船上來。”

“我明白了，我明白了。”愛德蒙搓着雙手，說道。

“接下來，”圖姆納斯說，”咱們大家今兒個夜裏就上船。天色剛黑，就——”

“就扯起篷帆，划起槳來——”國王說。

“於是就到了海上。”圖姆納斯大聲說道，蹦蹦跳跳的，開始跳起舞來了。

“我們的鼻子面向北方。”第一個小矮人說。

“奔往家園l萬歲，奔往納尼亞，奔往北方！”另一個小矮人說道。

“那王子第二天早晨醒來，卻發現他的鳥兒全飛了。”珀裏丹拍着雙手說道。

“圖姆納斯師傅啊，親愛的圖姆納斯師傅啊，”女王說道，攙住他的手，搖晃着身體，同他一起跳舞，”你救了我們大家了。”

“王子會追我們的。”另一個王爺說道，他的名字沙斯塔還沒有聽說過。

“那倒是我最不擔心的事了，”愛德蒙說，”我觀察過河上所有的船隻，既沒有一艘高大的戰艦，也沒有一條快速的大帆船。我但願他追趕我們！因爲‘燦爛晶瑩'號有能力擊沉追上來的船隻——萬一我們被追上的話。”