波波小说

波波小说>纳尼亚传奇3黎明踏浪号 > chater fur what caian did there(第1页)

chater fur what caian did there(第1页)

NextmorningtheLordBerncalledhisguestsearly,andafterbreakfastheaskedCaspiantoordereverymanhehadintofullarmour.“Andaboveall,”headded,“leteverythingbeastrimandscouredasifitwerethemorningofthefirstbattleinagreatwarbetweennoblekingswithalltheworldlookingon.”Thiswasdone;andtheninthreeboatloadsCaspianandhispeople,andBernwithafewofhis,putoutforNarrowhaven.TheKing’sflagflewinthesternofhisboatandhistrumpeterwaswithhim.

WhentheyreachedthejettyatNarrowhaven,Caspianfoundaconsiderablecrowdassembledtomeetthem.“ThisiswhatIsentwordaboutlastnight,”saidBern.“Theyareallfriendsofmineandhonestpeople.”AndassoonasCaspiansteppedashorethecrowdbrokeoutintohurrahsandshoutsof,“Narnia!Narnia!LonglivetheKing.”Atthesamemoment—andthiswasalsoduetoBern’smessengers—bellsbeganringingfrommanypartsofthetown.ThenCaspiancausedhisbannertobeadvancedandhis trumpettobeblownandeverymandrewhisswordandsethisfaceintoajoyfulsternness,andtheymarchedupthestreetsothatthestreetshook,andtheirarmourshone(foritwasasunnymorning)sothatonecouldhardlylookatitsteadily.

AtfirsttheonlypeoplewhocheeredwerethosewhohadbeenwarnedbyBern’smessengerandknewwhatwashappeningandwantedittohappen.Butthenallthechildrenjoinedinbecausetheylikedaprocessionandhadseenveryfew.Andthenalltheschoolboysjoinedinbecausetheyalsolikedprocessionsandfeltthatthemorenoiseanddisturbancetherewasthelesslikelytheywouldbetohaveanyschoolthatmorning.Andthenalltheoldwomenputtheirheadsoutofdoorsandwindowsandbeganchatteringandcheeringbecauseitwasaking,andwhatisagovernorcomparedwiththat?AndalltheyoungwomenjoinedinforthesamereasonandalsobecauseCaspianandDrinianandtherestweresohandsome.Andthenalltheyoungmencametoseewhattheyoungwomenwerelookingat,sothatbythetimeCaspianreachedthecastlegates,nearlythewholetownwasshouting;andwhereGumpassatinthecastle,muddlingandmessingaboutwithaccountsandformsandrulesandregulations,heheardthenoise.

AtthecastlegateCaspian’strumpeterblewablastandcried,“OpenfortheKingofNarnia,cometovisithistrustyandwell—belovedservantthegovernoroftheLoneIslands.”Inthosedayseverythingintheislandswasdoneinaslovenly,slouchingmanner.Onlythelittleposternopened,andoutcameatousledfellowwith adirtyoldhatonhisheadinsteadofahelmet,andarustyoldpikeinhishand.Heblinkedattheflashingfiguresbeforehim.“Carn—seez—fishansy,”hemumbled(whichwashiswayofsaying,“Youcan’tseeHisSufficiency”).“Nointerviewswithout‘pointments’cept‘tweennine’n’tenp。m。secondSaturdayeverymonth.”

“UncoverbeforeNarnia,youdog,”thunderedtheLordBern,anddealthimarapwithhisgauntletedhandwhichsenthishatflyingfromhishead.

“Ere?Wot’sitallabout?”beganthedoorkeeper,butnoonetookanynoticeofhim.TwoofCaspian’smensteppedthroughtheposternandaftersomestrugglingwithbarsandbolts(foreverythingwasrusty)flungbothwingsofthegatewideopen.ThentheKingandhisfollowersstrodeintothecourtyard.Hereanumberofthegovernor’sguardswereloungingaboutandseveralmore(theyweremostlywipingtheirmouths)cametumblingoutofvariousdoorways。Thoughtheirarmourwasinadisgracefulcondition,thesewerefellowswhomighthavefoughtiftheyhadbeenledorhadknownwhatwashappening;sothiswasthedangerousmoment.Caspiangavethemnotimetothink.

“Whereisthecaptain?”heasked.

“Iam,moreorless,ifyouknowwhatImean,”saidalanguidandratherdandifiedyoungpersonwithoutanyarmouratall.

“Itisourwish,”saidCaspian,“thatourroyalvisitationtoourrealmoftheLoneIslandsshould,ifpossible,beanoccasionofjoyandnotofterrortoourloyalsubjects.Ifitwerenotforthat,Ishouldhavesomethingtosayaboutthestateofyourmen’sarmourandweapons.Asitis,youarepardoned.Commandacaskofwinetobeopenedthatyourmenmaydrinkourhealth.ButatnoontomorrowIwishtoseethemhereinthiscourtyardlookinglikemen-at-armsandnotlikevagabonds.Seetoitonpainofourextremedispleasure.”

ThecaptaingapedbutBernimmediatelycried,“Three.cheersfortheKing,”andthesoldiers,whohadunderstoodaboutthecaskofwineeveniftheyunderstoodnothingelse,joinedin.Caspianthenorderedmostofhisownmentoremaininthecourtyard.He,withBernandDrinianandfourothers,wentintothehall.

BehindatableatthefarendwithvarioussecretariesabouthimsathisSufficiency,theGovernoroftheLoneIslands.Gumpaswasabilious-lookingmanwithhairthathadoncebeenredandwasnowmostlygrey.Heglancedupasthestrangersenteredandthenlookeddownathispaperssayingautomatically,“Nointerviewswithoutappointmentsexceptbetweennineandtenp。m。onsecondSaturdays.”

CaspiannoddedtoBernandthenstoodaside.BernandDriniantookastepforwardandeachseizedoneendofthetable.Theyliftedit,andflungitononesideofthehallwhereitrolledover,scatteringacascadeofletters,dossiers,ink-pots,pens,sealing-waxanddocuments.Then,notroughlybutasfirmlyasiftheirhandswerepincersofsteel,theypluckedGumpasoutofhischairanddepositedhim,facingit,aboutfourfeetaway.Caspianatoncesatdowninthechairandlaidhisnakedswordacrosshisknees.

“MyLord,”saidhe,fixinghiseyesonGumpas,“youhavenotgivenusquitethewelcomeweexpected.WearetheKingofNarnia.”

“Nothingaboutitinthecorrespondence,”saidthegovernor.“Nothingintheminutes.Wehavenotbeennotifiedofanysuchthing.Allirregular.Happytoconsideranyapplications—”

“AndwearecometoenquireintoyourSufficiency’sconductofyouroffice,”continuedCaspian.“TherearetwopointsespeciallyonwhichIrequireanexplanation.FirstlyIfindnorecordthatthetributeduefromtheseIslandstothecrownofNarniahasbeenreceivedforaboutahundredandfiftyyears.”

“ThatwouldbeaquestiontoraiseattheCouncilnextmonth,”saidGumpas.“Ifanyonemovesthatacommissionofenquirybesetuptoreportonthefinancialhistoryoftheislandsatthefirstmeetingnextyear,whythen。。。”

“Ialsofinditveryclearlywritteninourlaws,”Caspianwenton,“thatifthetributeisnotdeliveredthewholedebthastobepaidbytheGovernoroftheLoneIslandsoutofhisprivatepurse.”

AtthisGumpasbegantopayrealattention.“Oh,that’squiteoutofthequestion,”hesaid.“Itisaneconomicimpossibility—er—yourMajestymustbejoking.”

Inside,hewaswonderingiftherewereanywayofgettingridoftheseunwelcomevisitors.HadheknownthatCaspianhadonlyoneshipandoneship’scompanywithhim,hewouldhavespokensoftwordsforthemoment,andhopedtohavethemallsurroundedandkilledduringthenight.Buthehadseenashipofwarsaildownthestraitsyesterdayandseenitsignalling,ashesupposed,toitsconsorts.HehadnotthenknownitwastheKing’sshipfortherewasnotwindenoughtospreadtheflagoutandmakethegoldenlionvisible,sohehadwaitedfurtherdevelopments.NowheimaginedthatCaspianhadawholefleetatBernstead.ItwouldneverhaveoccurredtoGumpasthatanyonewouldwalkintoNarrowhaventotaketheislandswithlessthanfiftymen;itwascertainlynotatallthekindofthinghecouldimaginedoinghimself.

“Secondly,”saidCaspian,“Iwanttoknowwhyyouhavepermittedthisabominableandunnaturaltrafficinslavestogrowuphere,contrarytotheancientcustomandusageofourdominions.”

“Necessary,unavoidable,”saidhisSufficiency.“Anessentialpartoftheeconomicdevelopmentoftheislands,Iassureyou.Ourpresentburstofprosperitydependsonit.”

“Whatneedhaveyouofslaves?”

“Forexport,yourMajesty.Sell’emtoCalormenmostly;andwehaveothermarkets.Weareagreatcenterofthetrade.”

“Inotherwords,”saidCaspian,“youdon’tneedthem.TellmewhatpurposetheyserveexcepttoputmoneyintothepocketsofsuchasPug?”

“YourMajesty’stenderyears,”saidGumpas,withwhatwasmeanttobeafatherlysmile,“hardlymakeitpossiblethatyoushouldunderstandtheeconomicprobleminvolved.Ihavestatistics,Ihavegraphs,Ihave—”

“Tenderasmyyearsmaybe,”saidCaspian,“IbelieveIunderstandtheslavetradefromwithinquiteaswellasyour Sufficiency.AndIdonotseethatitbringsintotheislandsmeatorbreadorbeerorwineortimberorcabbagesorbooksorinstrumentsofmusicorhorsesorarmouroranythingelseworthhaving.Butwhetheritdoesornot,itmustbestopped.”

“Butthatwouldbeputtingtheclockback,”gaspedthegovernor.“Haveyounoideaofprogress,ofdevelopment?”

“Ihaveseenthembothinanegg,”saidCaspian.“Wecallit‘GoingBad’inNarnia.Thistrademuststop.”

“Icantakenoresponsibilityforanysuchmeasure,”saidGumpas.

“Verywell,then,”answeredCaspian,“werelieveyouofyouroffice.MyLordBern,comehere.”AndbeforeGumpasquiterealizedwhatwashappening,BernwaskneelingwithhishandsbetweentheKing’shandsandtakingtheoathtogoverntheLoneIslandsinaccordancewiththeoldcustoms,rights,usagesandlawsofNarnia.AndCaspiansaid,“Ithinkwehavehadenoughofgovernors,”andmadeBernaDuke,theDukeoftheLoneIslands.

“Asforyou,myLord,”hesaidtoGumpas,“Iforgiveyouyourdebtforthetribute.Butbeforenoontomorrowyouandyoursmustbeoutofthecastle,whichisnowtheDuke’sresidence.”

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