At first, Shasta couldn't see the valley below, except for a misty ocean and a few domes and minarets rising from it, but as the light gradually increased and the haze cleared, he saw more and more of it.A wide river divides into two tributaries, and an island is located in the middle of the two tributaries, and the city of Tashban stands in it, one of the most famous wonders in the world.Surrounding the edge of the island, the river is constantly lapping against Stone Town.The walls are exceptionally tall and sturdy, with many castle towers lining them.There were so many towers that after a while, Shasta stopped counting them.Inside the city walls, a hill rises over the island, and every inch of the hill, from the foot of the hill to the royal palace of Tisrock and the temple of the god Tash, which is located on the top of the hill, has been completely covered with buildings, terraces on top of terraces, streets on top of streets, both winding roads and huge steps, lined with orange and lemon trees, roof gardens, balconies, deep arcades, colonnades, spires, battlements, monastic minarets, spires of Gothic architecture.Finally, when the sun rose from the sea, the huge silver-plated cupola of the temple reflected the light back, and he was dazzled by the intense light."
Hurry on, Shasta."
Brie kept urging.The banks of the valley were dotted with gardens, and at first glance they felt like a forest, until they approached and saw the snow-white walls of countless houses looming out from under the trees.It wasn't long before Shasta could smell the scent of flowers and fruits.Fifteen minutes later they came to the middle of the garden, and they walked heavily along a flat path, on either side of which were snow-white walls, and the branches of some trees peeking out of them in bends."
I say," said Shasta, in a voice of awe, "this is a wonderful place," "I expected that," said Brie, "but I hope we can pass through the city safely, and get out of the gates on the other side, straight to Narnia and the north." ”At this moment, a low, shocking sound rang out, which became louder and louder, until it seemed that the whole valley was shaken by it.It's a musical sound, but it's powerful, even a little frightening."
This is the sound of the trumpet that opens the gates."
Brie said, "We'll be there in a moment."
Look, Araves, lower your shoulders a little more, step heavier, and try not to look like a princess.Try to imagine that your entire life has been spent being kicked in, slapped and slapped. ”"If you have to talk about that," said Alaves, "then how about you put your head down a little bit more and arch your neck a little less so that you don't look like a war horse as much as possible?"
"Well, be quiet," Brie reminded, "and we're here." ”They did arrive, and they came to the river, where the road ahead of them stretched along a porous bridge.The clear water of the river sparkles and jumps happily in the early morning sun.In the distance, near the mouth of the river on the right-hand side, they caught a glimpse of the masts of some sailing ships, and a few other travelers on the bridge in front of them, mostly donkeys and mules carrying goods, or peasants with baskets on their heads.The children and horses crowded into such a crowd and walked forward."
Is there anything wrong?"
Shasta whispered to Araves, her face looking very strange."
Yes, it seems to you that everything is fine," said Alaves in a rather crude whisper, "what do you have to complain about the city of Tashban, but I should sit comfortably in the palanquin, with the mercenaries in front of me and the hordes of servants behind, and perhaps I will go to the palace where Tisrok wishes him a long life, instead of sneaking into the city as I do now."
But for you, it's not quite different. ”Shasta thinks that everything is very stupid.At the other end of the bridge, the walls rise into the sky, and the brass gates in the passage of the city gate are wide open, and the passage of the city gate is indeed very wide, but because it is so high, it appears very narrow.Six soldiers with spears stood on either side of the passage.Alaves couldn't help but think, "If they knew whose daughter I was, they would immediately jump up and salute me." ”However, the rest of the men were just thinking about how they would get through the gates, and hoped that the soldiers would not question them any questions.Fortunately, they didn't cross-examine them.But one of the soldiers picked up a carrot from the peasant's basket and, laughing rudely, threw it at Shasta, saying, "Hey, little horseman, if your master finds out that you are carrying goods on his horse, then you should be careful of being beaten." ”This happened to make him really frightened.Of course, as soon as anyone who knows a little bit about horses sees it, they will never think that it is not a war horse, but something else, "It is exactly what my master told me to do, and that's it," Shasta said with a sense of confidence.It would have been much better if he had kept his mouth shut and stopped babbling, for the soldier threw a punch in the face that nearly knocked him off his horse."
Taste the fists, you filthy little imp, let me teach you how to speak to the freedmen" However, they were not hindered in any way, and all entered the city without any problems.Shasta had only been crying for a short time, and beatings were already a routine for him.Once inside the city gates, the city of Tashban did not look as splendid as it had been when it was first seen from afar.The first street is very narrow, and there are few windows on the walls on either side.The streets were far more crowded than Shasta had imagined, partly because they were crowded with peasants who had gone with them to the city to go to the market, and partly because they were full of water sellers, sweets sellers, porters, soldiers, beggars, ragged children, hens, stray dogs, barefoot slaves.If you've been to that street, you'll know that the first thing that catches your eye is that bad, unpleasant smell from unbathed people, unbathed dogs, all sorts of stinks, garlic, onions, and piles of garbage everywhere.Shasta pretends to lead the way, but in fact it is Brie who really knows the way, and Brie keeps moving his nose slightly to guide him.Soon after, they made a left turn and began walking up a steep hill.The air here is fresh and the scenery is vibrant, because there are many lush trees on both sides of the road, and the houses are built on the right; On the other side, they looked beyond the rooftops of the town below to see the river upstream.Then they went to the right, made a big turn, and continued up the hill.They were zigzag their way up to the heart of Tashban.Soon they were on paved streets.The colossal statues of the gods and the heroes of Calemon stand on ornate pedestals and look impressive, but they don't create much of a pleasant feeling.The shadows of palm trees and column-vaulted verandahs cast on the hot sidewalks.Along the way, passing through the arched gates of many palaces, Shasta saw verdant branches, cool fountains, and smooth lawns.It was absolutely wonderful, he thought to himself.Every time they turned a corner, Shasta hoped they would squeeze out of the crowd, but they never succeeded.This makes them walk very slowly, and they have to stop all of them from time to time.This usually happens when someone shouts "Give way, give way, give way, give way to Lord Taikhan", or "Give way to Tekshina", or "Give way to the Fifteenth Minister", or "Give way to the Envoy", and everyone in the crowd is pushed back until they stand against the wall.Looking over the heads of the group, Shasta sometimes saw the Grand Lord or Lady sitting lazily in a palanquin, swaggering by four or even six stout slaves on their bare shoulders.Because there is only one rule of the road in Tasban, and that is that everyone who is not as noble as the other must give way to the other person, unless you want the whip to leave a few scars on your body, or you want the handle of the spear to poke a few times on your body.The only thing beyond a bustling street very close to the top of the hill was the royal palace in Tisrock, and the most catastrophic thing happened when they stopped."
Give way, give way," a shout was heard, "to the white-skinned foreign king, Tisrock, who wishes his long-lived guests, to the nobles of Narnia." ”Shasta wanted to give way, so he quickly pulled Brie back.But no horse, not even a talking horse from Narnia, would not be easy to retreat.A woman with a spiked basket in her hand stood right behind Shasta, pushing the basket hard against Shasta's shoulder, and kept shouting, "Hey, who are you pushing?"
In the midst of the chaos, he took Brie's hand and was squeezed loose.Immediately after, the entire crowd behind him was huddled together, so indestructible that he couldn't move a single step.It was only at last that he realized that he had been pushed to the front row by someone for some reason, and he could clearly see the group of people walking down the street.The group was nothing like the other horses they had seen that day.Shouting "Give way, give way" at the front was the only Calmen in the group.There are no palanquins, everyone is walking.There were about six of them in total, and Shasta had never seen anyone like them before.One of the reasons for this is that they are all snow-white like him, and most of them are blonde.They also dress differently from the Calmen.Most of them are bare below the knee.Their tunics are fine, shiny, and durable, ranging from grass green, to bright yellow, to fresh blue.They did not have turbans around their heads, but they wore steel or silver caps, some of which were inlaid with jewels, and one hat was decorated with small wings on either side.Only a few people did not wear hats on their heads.The swords they wore were long and straight, not curved like the short scimitars of Calmen.Unlike most of the Calmen who put on a serious look and pretended to be mysterious, they swayed freely as they walked, their hands, legs, and shoulders spread wide, and they walked with ease, talking and laughing along the way.One guy was whistling all the time.You can tell that they seem to be ready to be friends with anyone who is friendly, and of course, they don't care about anyone who is not friendly at all.Shasta felt like he had never seen such a light-hearted scene in his life.But he didn't have time to revel at all, and immediately a rather terrible thing happened.The blonde man in the lead suddenly pointed at Shasta and shouted, "He is there, the one who fled is there" and grabbed him by the shoulder.Then he slapped him in the face, not the kind of cruel slap that made you cry, but the kind of slap that loudly made you know that you were ashamed, and at the same time the man kept shaking him, saying, "Oh my God, I'm so ashamed of you, you should be ashamed of Queen Susan, because your eyes are red from crying."
Amazing, where did you run away after wandering outside all night" If there was even the slightest chance, Shasta would have wanted to get under Brie's stomach and squeeze into the crowd and sneak away, but now the blonde men surrounded him, and he was firmly grasped and unable to move.Of course, he had the urge to reveal himself to them at once, and he wanted to say that he was no more than the son of a poor fisherman, Ashish, and that the foreign monarch must have confused him with someone else.However, in this crowded place, he was absolutely unwilling to explain in front of the public who he was and what he did.If he does, it won't be long before people ask him where he got the horse, and who Alaves is, so that he will have to say goodbye to any opportunity to pass through the city of Tashban.His second impulse was to look at Brie and ask for help.But Brie didn't want everyone present to know that it was a talking horse, so he pretended to be a stupid horse, standing still.As for Aravis, Shasta didn't even dare to look at her, for fear of attracting the attention of others.There was no time to think too much about it at this time, and the leader of the Narnians immediately said: "Peridan, you take one of the little prince's hands, be polite, and I will hold the other."
Now, go ahead.When our sister Wang saw the young troublemaker with us safely and soundly, her nerves, which had been tense, were greatly relaxed. ”In this way, before the road through the city of Tashban was halfway through, all their plans were aborted, and they did not even have a chance to say goodbye to the others.Shasta found himself in the middle of the strangers, but he had no way of predicting what would happen next.King Shasta of Narnia concluded from the way the others around him spoke to him that he must have been a king who asked him many questions in a row: where he had gone, how he had run out, what was going on with his clothes, and whether he realized that he was too naughty, but the king did not say that he was naughty, but only "skin".Shasta didn't dare to answer a word, for he couldn't think of an answer that would not put him in danger."
Why, will you remain silent forever," asked the king, "I must tell you frankly and plainly, Prince, that this groveling silence is even more disproportionate to a man of your stature and position, than to your mischief."
Slipping away for no reason can be seen as a child playing around idlely, but the son of King Achinlan should be bold in what he does, and not hang his head listlessly like a slave of the Calemon nation. ”It sounded very unpleasant, and for Shasta he had always felt that the young king was the kindest of the adults, and he wanted to make a good impression.The stranger led him down a narrow street with his hands tightly in his hands, down a staircase, and up another staircase to a snow-white wall.The gate is very wide, with a tall, black cypress tree on the left and right sides.Stepping through the archway, Shasta found himself in the courtyard of a garden.In the center is a marble pool of clear water, into which the babbling spring water flows uninterruptedly.The pool is surrounded by a flat and smooth lawn with orange trees.The snow-white walls surrounding the lawn are covered with roses.The noise, dust, and crowds of people in the streets seemed to have suddenly disappeared.He was swiftly led through the garden and into a dimly lit passageway.Leaving the summoner outside the door to wait, they led him down a hallway, stepping on the stone floor in the hallway and giving his hot feet a wonderful coolness.Go up a staircase.It didn't take long for him to find himself in a large, airy room, blinking in the bright light.The windows in the room were open, all facing north, so no sunlight was shining in.There was a carpet on the floor, with a gorgeous color he had never seen before, and his feet sank into the soft carpet as if they were stepping on thick moss.The walls were surrounded by low couches with cushions, and the room seemed to be full of people, and Shasta thought it was strange to have a few people inside.But he didn't have time to dwell on it, and immediately a lady he had never seen in the world, the most beautiful woman in the world, got up from her seat, stretched out her arms and hugged him tightly, and kissed him, and she said, "Ah, Colin, Colin, how can you be like this, since your mother died, you and I have been so close friends.If I hadn't taken you with me when I went back, how would I have explained to your father Achinlan and Narnia, two neighboring countries that have been friendly since ancient times, would they go to war because of this, you are so naughty, you have treated us like this too much. ”"Obviously," Shasta thought to himself, "whatever country Achinlan is, I have been mistaken for a prince of Achinlan."
These people must be Narnians.How could I possibly know where the real Colin was?"
but he didn't have the guts to say these thoughts out loud."
Where the hell have you gone," said the Queen, her hands still resting on his shoulders."
I don't know."
Shasta stammered."
That's it, Susan," said the king, "whether it's true or false, I can't say a word from his mouth." ”"Your Majesty Queen Susan, King Edmund," a voice rang out, and when Shasta turned to see the man who spoke, he was so surprised that he almost jumped up.This man was one of the monsters he had caught a glimpse of out of the corner of his eye when he first entered the room.He was as tall as Shasta, and looked like a human from his waist upwards, but his legs were hairy like a sheep, and his body looked like a sheep, and he had hooves and tails.He was quite red-skinned, with a full head of curly hair, a short, pointed mustache, and two horns.In fact, he was a goat, and Shasta had never seen a portrait of such a creature before, and had not even heard of it.If you've ever read a story called The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, you'll know that he's the goat-monster named Tumnath.Queen Susan's sister, Lucy, was the one she met on her first day when she entered the kingdom of Narnia through her own path.But now, he looks a lot older.You know, at this time, Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy had been kings and queens of Narnia for many years."
Your Majesty," said the goat, "His Royal Highness looks as if he is suffering from heat stroke, and you see, he looks dazed, as if he doesn't even know where he is. ”When he said this, they stopped scolding him or questioning him, but treated him with caution, and let him lie down on the sofa, put a pillow under his head, and put sherbet in a golden cup for him to drink, and told him to recuperate quietly.Nothing like this had ever happened in Shasta's previous life.He never even imagined that he would lie on such a comfortable couch, nor would he ever imagine that he would be able to drink such delicious sherbet.He was still worried about what would happen to the other horses, and how he would be able to escape and meet them at the agreed cemetery.Also, what happens if the real Colin shows up.But now he was lying comfortably, and none of these troubles seemed to make him feel too urgent.Perhaps, it won't be long before a delicious meal is available.The people who stayed with him in that cool, spacious room were very interesting.Beside the goat, there were two dwarfs, a figure he had never seen before, and a large raven.The rest were people, and they were already adults, but they looked very young.All of them, male and female, had more beautiful faces and more beautiful voices than most of the Calmen.It wasn't long before Shasta was drawn to their conversation."
So, noble lady," said the king to Queen Susan, the lady who kissed Shasta, "what are you thinking, that we have been in this city for three weeks.Haven't you made up your mind whether or not to marry the black-faced suitor, Prince Rabadash?"
the queen shook her head."
No, brother," she said, "even if I were to give me all the treasures of the city of Tashban, I would never marry him." ”"Oh," Shasta pondered, "they are king and queen, sister and brother, not husband and wife. ”"Yes, sister," said the king, "if you had chosen him, I would not have loved you so much."
To tell you the truth, it was very troublesome for me to see the affection you have for him from the first time the ambassador of Tisrock came to Narnia to discuss this family matter, including when the prince came to visit us later in Kelpalaville. ”"That is my utter foolishness, Edmund," said Queen Susan, "and I beg your pardon.However, the prince's behavior as a guest in Narnia in the past is fundamentally different from the way he behaves in Tashban today.Please all of you here testify for me.How incredible he was in the horseback and spear contests that our brother, the Supreme King, had held for him, and how meek and humble he had been with us during the seven days we had been there.But here, in his own city, his other face is exposed. ”"Wow," cried the raven, "it's like the old proverb: see the bear in your nest before you judge its quality." ”"That's right, Salopad," said one of the dwarfs, "and there is a proverb that says: Come, live with me, and you will know me." ”"Exactly," said the king, "now we know what kind of man he was, a conceited, bloody, extravagant, cruel, and utterly narcissistic tyrant." ”"Then, in Aslan's name," said Susan, "let us leave the city of Tashban at once to-day." ”"Sister, that's where our difficulties lie.""
Now, I have to tell you all the things I've considered in the last two days or so.Perridan, I beg you to keep an eye on the portal and not let any agents break in.Everything is normal, well, from now on we must keep this secret. ”Everyone looked very serious.Queen Susan jumped up and ran towards her brother."
Oh, Edmund," she cried out, "what the hell is going on with a very horrible look on your face. ”t1706231537: