《最後一戰》第22期:成功的夜襲(2)
For a time they could go straight towards the Spear-Head but presently they came to a dense thicket so that they had to go out of their course to get round it. And after that -for they were still overshadowed by branches - it was hard to pick up their bearings. It was Jill who set them right again: she had been an excellent Guide in England. And of course she knew her Narnian stars perfectly, having travelled so much in the wild Northern Lands, and could work out the direction from other stars even when the Spear-Head was hidden. As soon as Tirian saw that she was the best pathfinder of the three of them he put her in front. And then he was astonished to find how silently and almost invisibly she glided on before them.
"By the Mane!" he whispered to Eustace. "This girl is a wondrous wood-maid. If she had Dryad's blood in her she could scarce do it better."
"She's so small, that's what helps," whispered Eustace. But Jill from in front said: "S-s-s-h, less noise."
All round them the wood was very quiet. Indeed it was far too quiet. On an ordinary Narnia night there ought to have been noises - an occasional cheery "Goodnight" from a Hedgehog, the cry of an Owl overhead, perhaps a flute in the distance to tell of Fauns dancing, or some throbbing, hammering noises from Dwarfs underground. All that was silenced: gloom and fear reigned over Narnia.
After a time they began to go steeply uphill and the trees grew further apArt. Tirian could dimly make out the wellknown hill-top and the stable. Jill was now going with more and more caution: she kept on making signs to the others with her hand to do the same. Then she stopped dead still and Tirian saw her gradually sink down into the grass and disappear without a sound. A moment later she rose again, put her mouth close to Tirian's ear, and said in the lowest possible whisper, "Get down. Thee better." She said thee for see not because she had a lisp but because she knew the hissing letter S is the part of a whisper most likely to be overheard. Tirian at once lay down, almost as silently as Jill, but not quite, for he was heavier and older. And once they were down, he saw how from that position you could see the edge of the hill sharp against the star-strewn sky. Two black shapes rose against it: one was the stable, and the other, a few feet in front of it, was a Calormene sentry. He was keeping very illwatch: not walking or even standing but sitting with his spear over his shoulder and his chin on his chest. "Well done," said Tirian to Jill. She had shown him exactly what he needed to know.
They got up and Tirian now took the lead. Very slowly, hardly daring to breathe, they made their way up to a little clump of trees which was not more than forty feet away from the sentinel.
"Wait here till I come again," he whispered to the other two. "If I miscarry, fly." Then he sauntered out boldly in full view of the enemy. The man started when he saw him and was just going to jump to his feet: he was afraid Tirian might be one of his own officers and that he would get into trouble for sitting down. But before he could get up Tirian had dropped on one knee beside him, saying:
"Art thou a warrior of the Tisroc's, may he live for ever? It cheers my heart to meet thee among all these beasts and devils of Narnians. Give me thy hand, friend."
Before he well knew what was happening the Calormene sentry found his right hand seized in a mighty grip. Next instant someone was kneeling on his legs and a dagger was pressed against his neck.
"One noise and thou art dead," said Tirian in his ear. "Tell me where the Unicorn is and thou shalt live."
"B - behind the stable, O My Master," stammered the unfortunate man.
"Good. Rise up and lead me to him."
"天哪！"他對尤斯塔斯低聲說道，"這個女孩是個神奇的森林姑娘。如果她身上有樹精的血統，也不可能幹得更高明哩。"
"她個兒小，這也助她一臂之力。"尤斯塔斯低聲道。但吉爾在前邊兒說"噓，噓，聲音輕點兒。"
周圍的樹木是十分寂靜的。確實是太靜了，靜得過分了。尋常的納尼亞之夜，是應該有點兒聲音的——一隻刺獵偶然發出的愉快的"晚安"，頭頂上一隻貓頭鷹的號叫，或是表明半人半羊的怪物正在跳舞的遙遠笛聲，或是從地底下小矮人們那兒傳來的震動和錘打的聲音，這一切聲音都消失了；幽暗和恐懼籠罩着納尼亞。
過了一段時間，他們開始走上陡坡，樹木和樹木之間的距離拉開了。蒂蓮能朦朧地望見那著名的山頂和馬廄。吉爾現在走得越來越小心翼翼：她不斷地向其他的人做手勢，叫他們也要小心。接着，她站定了，一動也不動，蒂蓮看見她逐漸沉到青草裏，毫無聲息地消失了。片刻以後她又站了起來，把她的嘴巴湊近蒂蓮的耳朵，以儘可能最低的聲音說道"趴下。看得更清。"她說得極簡短，沒有說"看得更清楚"，因爲說多了，容易被對方聽到。蒂蓮立刻趴下，幾乎跟吉爾一樣悄沒聲兒，但多少有點兒聲音，因爲他年紀比較大，身體也比較重。他們一旦趴下了，從這個地位就可以看到小山的邊緣鮮明地映襯在繁星滿天的夜空裏。山上冒出兩個黑影，一個是馬廄，另一個在馬廄前幾英尺的地方，是個卡樂門哨兵。他的守衛工作做得很差：既不走動，又不站崗，肩上扛着長矛坐在那兒，下巴額兒靠在胸膛上。
"你幹得真好。"蒂蓮對吉爾說。她已使他看到了恰好是他所需要看到的事物。"
"你叫喊就沒有命，"蒂蓮在他的耳邊說道，"告訴我獨角獸在哪兒，我就饒你一命。"
"我的主啊，在——在馬廄背後。"這不幸的人結結巴巴地說道。
"好吧。站起來，領我上它那兒去。"
