《最後一戰》第10期:無尾猿煊赫一時(3)
"We'll see about those two later," said the Ape, spitting out a shell in the directionof the two prisoners. "I got some other business first. They can wait. Now listen to me,everyone. The first thing I want to say is about nuts. Where's that Head Squirrel got to?"
"Here, Sir," said a red squirrel, coming forward and making a nervous little bow.
"Oh you are, are you?" said the Ape with a nasty look. "Now attend to me. I want - Imean, Aslan wants - some more nuts. These you've brought aren't anything like enough. Youmust bring some more, do you hear? Twice as many. And they've got to be here by sunsettomorrow, and there mustn't be any bad ones or any small ones among them."
A murmur of dismay ran through the other squirrels, and the Head Squirrel plucked upcourage to say:
"Please, would Aslan himself speak to us about it? If we might be allowed to see him -"
"Well you won't," said the Ape. "He may be very kind (though it's a lot more than mostof you deserve) and come out for a few minutes tonight. Then you can all have a look at he will not have you all crowding round him and pestering him with questions. Anythingyou want to say to him will be passed on through me: if I think it's worth bothering himabout. In the meantime all you squirrels had better go and see about the nuts. And make surethey are here by tomorrow evening or, my word! you'll catch it."
The poor squirrels all scampered away as if a dog were after them. This new order wasterrible news for them. The nuts they had carefully hoarded for the winter had nearly allbeen eaten by now; and of the few that were left they had already given the Ape far morethan they could spare.
Then a deep voice - it belonged to a great tusked and shaggy Boar - spoke from anotherpart of the crowd.
"But why can't we see Aslan properly and talk to him?" it said. "When he used to appearin Narnia in the old days everyone could talk to him face to face."
"Don't you believe it," said the Ape. "And even if it was true, times have n says he's been far too soft with you before, do you see? Well, he isn't going to besoft any more. He's going to lick you into shape this time. He'll teach you to think he's atame lion!"
A low moaning and whimpering was heard among the Beasts; and, after that, a dead silencewhich was more miserable still.
"And now there's another thing you got to learn," said the Ape. "I hear some of you aresaying I'm an Ape. Well, I'm not. I'm a Man. If I look like an Ape, that's because I'm sovery old: hundreds and hundreds of years old. And it's because I'm so old that I'm so it's because I'm so wise that I'm the only one Aslan is ever going to speak to. He can'tbe bothered talking to a lot of stupid animals. He'll tell me what you've got to do, andI'll tell the rest of you. And take my advice, and see you do it in double quick time, forhe doesn't mean to stand any nonsense."
There was a dead silence except for the noise of a very young badger crying and itsmother trying to make it keep quiet.
“在這兒，大人。”一頭紅松鼠說道，它上前一步，忐忑不安地鞠了一個躬。
“啊，你是，是你嗎？”無尾猿說道，神情令人作嘔，“現在注意聽我的吩咐。我要——載的意思是阿斯蘭要——阿斯蘭還要些堅果。你們已經送來的那些堅果是十分不夠的。數量要翻一番。明天太陽落山時必須送到這兒。其中不許有一顆壞的或一顆小的。”
“其他的松鼠連聲發出一陣驚惶的咕咕噥噥的聲音，松鼠頭兒鼓起勇氣說道”
“對不起，阿斯蘭可以親自對我們說說這件事嗎？如果允許我們見到獅王——”
“你們不行，”無尾猿說道，“也許獅王十分仁慈(儘管你們大多數不配消受)，今兒個夜裏會出來幾分鐘。那時你們大家可以看上一眼。但獅王可不願讓你們大家擠在他的周圍，用各種問題跟他糾纏不清。你們要說給獅王聽的不論什麼話，都得通過我向獅王彙報，如果我覺得那事情是值得麻煩獅王的話。同時，你們所有的松鼠們，最好還是去張羅堅果吧。要保證明兒晚上把堅果送到這兒，不然的話，你們就會吃苦頭的。告訴你們，我可說一是，說二是二的！”
可憐的松鼠便統統驚惶地跑開了，彷彿有一條狗兒在追它們似的。這個新的命令對它們是個可怕的訊息。它們小心翼翼地藏起來過冬的堅果，如今差不多都被吃掉了，從留下來的那麼一點兒裏邊，它們已經拿出來交給無尾猿的數量，也遠遠超過了它們所能節省下來的了。
然後是一個深沉的聲音——屬於渾身粗毛、長着撩牙的巨大野豬的聲音——從另一部分羣衆中發出來了。“爲什麼我們不能堂堂正正地見到阿斯蘭，同阿斯蘭說話呢？"它說，"在以往的日子裏，阿斯蘭經常在納尼亞出現，大家都可以面對面地同他談話。”
“你們別相信這話，”無尾猿說道，“即使這話是真的，時代也已經變化了。阿斯蘭說，以前他對待你們太溫和了，你們明白嗎？哦，他再也不會溫和了。這一回，他要把你們整頓得像個樣子。你們以爲他是好說話的獅子，他就要狠狠地教訓你們。”
但聽得野獸之間發出一陣低低的呻吟嗚咽的聲音；這之後是死一般的寂靜，那可更悲慘了。
