The next morning, Lord Bourne woke his guests early.After breakfast, he ordered Caspian to order every man to be fully armed."
And above all," he added, "to put all the things in order and scrubbed clean, as if a great war was to be fought this morning between the noble kings in the presence of all the people of the world." ”When this was done, the next three ships were to carry Caspian and his men, as well as Byrne and several of his men, towards the narrow harbor.The king's flag fluttered in the stern of his ship, and his trumpeter accompanied him.When they arrived at the docks of the Narrow Harbor, Caspian found a large crowd gathered there to welcome him."
That's what I told me when I was arraigned last night," Byrne said, "they're all my friends, very loyal and reliable people." ”As soon as Caspian stepped onto the shore, the crowd erupted in enthusiastic cheers and shouts: "Long live Your Majesty King Narnia." ”At the same time, the bells of the various districts of the town arranged by Bourne's messenger rang in unison.Caspian then ordered the standard-bearer to clear the way, the trumpeter blew his horn, and every man drew his sword, and every man had a pleasant and serious look on his face.They marched all the way down the street, the whole street shook with it, their armor gleaming because it was a sunny morning, so it was impossible to look at it directly.The first to cheer were only those who had been informed by Bourne's messenger, and they all knew what was going on and were looking forward to it.But then all the kids joined in, because they all loved to march in line, but they rarely had the opportunity to see it for themselves.Next, the boys who were in school joined in, as they also liked to march in line, and they all thought that the more noise and distractions there was that morning, the less likely it would be that school would be in session.Then all the old women poked their heads out of the doorway or the window, and began to chatter and cheer, for it was the king of a country, and all the young women who could be compared to a governor joined the ranks for the same reason, and of course, because Caspian and Drining seemed so handsome and imposing.Immediately afterward, all the young men ran over to see what the young women were looking at.So, when Casbin arrived at the castle gates, almost the whole town was shouting.Gompas sat in the middle of the castle, busy with the pile of accounts, forms, regulations, and rules in front of him, when he heard the commotion outside.At the gates of the castle, Casbyan's trumpeter blew his horn and cried out, "Open the gates for the king of Narnia, and the king has come to visit his loyal and beloved servant, the Governor of the Lonely Isles." ”In those days, everything on the island was sloppy and lethargic.Only one side door opened, and a man with tousled hair who wore a dirty, old hat as a helmet poked his head out, holding an old rusty spear in his hand, and the men in shiny armor shook him in front of him.He muttered something in his mouth that he had to listen carefully to guess, probably saying "adults are gone" in a tone."
I don't see anyone who doesn't have an appointment, and I only see him on the second Saturday of every month between 9 and 10 p.m."
He grunted."
You dog, you don't take off your hat in front of King Narnia," Lord Byrne shouted angrily.Immediately, he raised his gloved hand and slapped it, knocking the hat off the man's head."
Well, what the hell is going on," the janitor began, but no one paid any attention to him.Two of Casper's men stepped through the side door, and after working on the latch for a while, everything rusted, and opened both doors.Then the king and his men strode into the courtyard.There were many of the Governor's guards hanging out, and some of them stumbling through the doorways almost with their mouths wiped.While their armor may look humiliating, if someone leads them, or understands what is happening in front of them, there is a good chance that a battle will take place.So, this is a critical moment.Caspian didn't give them any time to think at all."
Where's your captain," he asked."
More or less, I'm one, if you know what I mean," replied a lazy and very flamboyant young man, who was not wearing armor at all."
We hope," said Casbyan, "that the presence of our royal family to inspect our territory, the Lonely Isles, should be, if possible, a spectacle of joy and not an occasion of terror."
If it weren't for that purpose, I'd be going to make a comment on the armor and weapons of your people.In that case, forgive your dereliction of duty.Order you to open a barrel of wine, and you and your people can toast to the health of the royal family.But by noon to-morrow, I hope that all of you in this courtyard will look like men in full armor, not like vagabonds.If the order is violated, then it will be punished. ”The captain stood there with his mouth wide open.Byrne immediately shouted, "Cheers three times for His Majesty" The warriors, as if they knew nothing else, understood a barrel of wine, and began to cheer.Caspian then ordered most of his own men to take control of the courtyard, and he entered the hall with Bourne and Drininin, along with four other men.Behind a desk at the other end of the hall, surrounded by various secretaries, sat none other than Gompas, the governor of the Lonely Isles.Gompas's hair, which used to be red, is now almost all gray, and he looks like a grumpy man.When the strangers came in, he glanced up, then looked down again at his papers, and said casually without thinking: "Nothing is seen without an appointment, only on the second Saturday of every month between nine and ten o'clock in the evening." ”Caspian nodded at Byrne, then stepped aside.Byrne and Drinin each took a step forward, grabbing each side of the table.They lifted the table and threw it hard at the other end of the hall.Where the desk rolled, piles of letters, files, cartridges, pens, wax seals, and papers were scattered all over the floor.Next, their hands, though not rude, pulled Gompas out of his chair as firmly as steel drills, and pressed him there, about four feet from it.Caspian then sat down in the chair and laid his unsheathed sword across his knees."
Your Excellency," he said coldly, staring intently at Gompas, "you have not welcomed us with such grandeur as we had hoped.And I, the dignified King of Narnia," "never received any correspondence in this regard," said the Governor, "and there is no record of it in the minutes of the meeting.We have never received a similar notification.This is simply not in accordance with the law.I would be glad to consider whatever you may request," "We have come to investigate your position," interrupted Caspian and continued, "and here I would like to emphasize two points.The first point is that I looked through all the records and found that the Kingdom of Narnia had not received tribute from the islands for a hundred and fifty years. ”"We will discuss this issue in parliament next month.""
If there is a proposal to set up a commission of inquiry to report on the financial history of the Islands at the first meeting of the next year, and explain why," Gompas hastened, "it is clearly written in our laws," continued Caspian, "and if the tribute is not served, all the losses will be borne by the Governor of the Lonely Isles personally." ”It wasn't until he heard this that Gompas really noticed, "Oh, it's completely impossible," he said, "it's impossible to afford it financially, well, Your Majesty must be joking with me." ”In his heart, he was thinking about how to get rid of these unwelcome visitors, and if he knew that Caspian had only one ship, and only one boatload of people, he would say something nice and soft to let them down, and then try to kill them all in the night.But yesterday he saw a warship coming along the strait, and he saw it send a signal.He speculated that it was sent to its own subordinates.At that time he did not know that it was the king's ship, because the wind was not strong enough for the flag to fly and he did not see the symbol of the golden lion.So he just sat back and waited for the situation to develop further.Now, he imagined in his mind that Caspian had an entire fleet at Burnsdade, because it was impossible for him to enter the Narrow Harbor on foot with less than fifty men and occupy the islands, and he would never have imagined that he would do such a thing."
Second," said Casbian, "I would like to know why you have allowed such an abominable and perverse evil of the slave trade to flourish here, in utter opposition to the customs and ancient customs of our realm. ”"This is what the situation needs, and it must not be abolished."
The Governor hastened to argue, "You must believe that this is a necessary factor for the economic development of the islands.We owe it to it that we are thriving now. ”"What do you need slaves for," Caspian asked."
Your Majesty, it's for export.Mainly sell to Calman, we have other markets, we are the trading center of this industry. ”The Governor explained."
In other words," Casbin said, "you don't need them.Tell me, is there any point in this deal other than to let a large sum of money fall into the hands of someone like Pugh" "Your Majesty is still young," said Gompas, smiling with a kind face, "It is simply impossible to make you understand the problems of economic development.I've got statistics, I've got charts, I've got "I'm young," said Casbyan, "but I'm sure I know as much about the nature of the slave trade as the Governor."
And I don't see the industry bringing fresh meat or bread, beer, liquor, wood, cabbage, books, musical instruments, horses, armor, and anything of value to the archipelago.However, whether it is conducive to economic development or not, it must be repealed. ”"But that's going to set the economy backwards," Gompas said breathlessly, "don't you have any idea of progress and development?"
"I've seen both in the bud," Caspian said, "and in Narnia we call it deterioration, and this trade must be abolished" "I will not be held responsible for any such measures." ”Gompas said."
Very well, then," replied Casbyan, "we will remove you from your duties at once."
Lord Byrne, come over here. ”Before Gompas could figure out what was happening, Byrne knelt down and placed his hands between the king's, swearing that he would rule the Lonely Isles in accordance with Narnia's traditions, powers, customs, and laws.Next, Caspian said, "I think we have enough governors. ”He then appointed Byrne as Duke of the Lonely Isles."
As for you, sir," he said to Gompas, "I can forgive you for your guilt for the tribute, but you and your family must leave the castle by noon to-morrow, for it is now the Duke's residence. ”"Listen to me, it's all very good," said one of Gompas' secretaries, "but gentlemen ought to stop acting, let's go about a little business, and the question before us is really" "The question is," interrupted the duke, "whether you and your rabble want to be whipped before leaving, or whether you and your rabble are going to be left at once, you can choose from them." ”When all this was happily settled, Caspian ordered the horses to be prepared.There were a few horses in the castle, but some were sick.Caspian led Bourne, Drininning, and a few of his men into the town and headed straight for the slave market.The slave market was a long line of low-rise buildings near the port.When they entered, they found that the interior of the building looked similar to that of the other auction houses.That is to say, it was crowded inside, and Pugh stood on the platform and roared in a rough and shrill voice: "The next auction is the twenty-third."
Excellent Tribincian peasants, suitable for mining or hard labor.Not under twenty-five years old.Full of good teeth.The guy is in good health and has strong muscles.Tuckers, take off his shirt and show it to the gentlemen.The gentleman in the corner bids for ten crescent coins.You must be joking with me, sir.Fifteen eighteen eighteen Eighteen Crescent coins to buy the twenty-three.Does anyone bid more than Eighteen Crescent Coins twenty-one?
Thank you, sir.Bid twenty-one" Pugh saw the man in bright armor leap onto the platform, and he suddenly stopped, stammering, stunned."
Everyone, the king of Narnia is here, and he still kneels," the Duke roared.Everyone heard the jingling of horses' bells and the sound of horses' hooves plowing the ground, and many heard some rumors about the landings and the castle incident.Most of them knelt down in obedience, and those who did not obey were dragged to their knees by those around them, and some cheered."
Pugh, you committed a capital crime, and yesterday you actually put your hand on our royal personnel."
Caspian said, "But read to forgive you for your ignorance.The total prohibition of the slave trade on our territory came into force a quarter of an hour ago.I declare that all the slaves in this market are free" He raised his hand to stop the cheering of the slaves, and then went on to ask, "Where are my friends?"
"That lovely little girl and that lovely young gentleman" Pugh had a flattering smile on his face, "Oops, they were snapped up right away. ”"Caspian, we're here, we're here," Edmund and Lucy cried out.At the same time, a shrill voice sounded: "Your Majesty, I am willing to serve you." ”Repecip shouted from another corner.They had all been sold, but their buyers were planning to wait for a few more slaves, so they hadn't been taken away yet.The crowd made way for the three of them to get out.Several people's hands were clasped tightly, and everyone greeted each other.Two merchants from Calmen immediately came over.The Calmen were dark-skinned, with long beards, robes and orange-colored turbans, and they were a wise, wealthy, courteous and cruel ancient people.They bowed respectfully to Caspian and praised him at length, saying polite things like the source of prosperity irrigating the garden of virtue, but they did so only to get back the money they had paid."
Gentlemen, this is fair," said Casper, "and today every man who has bought a slave must return his money.Pugh, take out all the money you got, and you can't have a single drop left. ”Crescent coins can be exchanged for forty drops."
Good Majesty, do you want me to become a beggar?"
wailed Pugh."
You've been doing evil things all your life," said Caspian, "and if you're a pauper, it's better to be a pauper than a slave."
Where's that other friend of mine?"
"Oh, he," Pugh said with a quick sigh of relief, "and you're welcome to take him away."
I'm glad I can get him off my hands.I have never seen such a dead stock in the market in my life.In the end, he was priced at five crescent coins, and even then, no one bought them.When the buyer bought a lot of goods, he took him out and gave it away for free, and no one wanted it.Won't touch him, won't look at him, Tax, bring that depressed ghost out. ”Eustace was brought in, and he looked dejected.It's no wonder that no one wants to be sold into slavery, but what is even more embarrassing is that he has become a slave that no one wants to buy.He walked over to Caspian and said, "I see, as always, that you yourself are happy somewhere, and you have left us in prison to suffer.I guess you still can't find the British consulate, of course you can't. ”On that day, a grand banquet was held in the castle of the narrow port.Then Repecip said, "Our real adventure will start tomorrow," and with that, he bowed to those present, and went to sleep.But tomorrow it is impossible to actually leave, or not to mention it at all.Because now that they are about to leave all the known seas and lands behind them, they will have to be fully prepared for the unknown journey ahead.The Dawn Tread was emptied, placed on rollers, and dragged to land by eight horses, with every tiny link being overhauled by the most skilled shipbuilders.It then went down to the water again, filling it with a reserve of food and fresh water as much as it could, that is, enough for twenty-eight days.Despite this, Edmund noted that they had only been given fourteen days to sail east, and that if they could not find anyone before then, they would have to abandon their search plans, much to his dismay.When all was ready, Caspian wasted no time in finding all the veteran seafaring captains he had found in Narrow Harbor, and asked them if anyone knew or heard, whether there was still land on his voyage to the east.He poured out many barrels of barley wine from the castle and used them to entertain the weather-beaten men with short gray-white beards and bright blue eyes.In return, he heard a lot of anecdotes.But even the most honest-looking people can't say if there is still land in the Lonely Isles any further on.Many people believe that if you sail too far to the east, there will be no land, and there will be rough seas everywhere, circling around the edge of the world."
And there, I reckon, is most likely the burial place of His Majesty's friends."
Others are just stories that don't matter, such as islands inhabited by headless people, floating islands, fires burning on the surface of the sea, and the like.There was only one statement that made Repecip happy: "Beyond the island, is the land of Aslan, but it is far away, and you cannot reach it." ”But when they asked, he could only reply that he had heard it from his father.The Duke of Byrne could only tell him that he had seen the six companions sail eastward with his own eyes, and had never returned since, or even heard of them again.As he said this, he and Caspian were standing on the highest point of Afra overlooking the East China Sea."
I often watch here in the morning," said the duke, "as the sun rises over the sea, and sometimes it seems as if it is only a few miles away."
I was constantly worried about my friends, and I was always wondering what was beyond the horizon.Most likely, it will be nothing.I have always been ashamed that I was left behind, but I still hope that Your Majesty will not rush to go.Your Majesty's help may be needed here.By abolishing the slave trade, I foresee a high probability of a new war between us and Calmen.My monarch, think again. ”"Your Excellency, I have an oath with me," Caspian shook his head, "and besides, how am I going to explain it to Ray Pechip" t1706231537: