CHAPTER NINE
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THE GREAT MEETING ON STABLE HILL Fop, a long time they could not speak nor even shed a tear. Then the Uni stamped the ground with his hoof, and shook his mane, and spoke."Sire," he said, "there is now no need of sel. We see that the Apes plans were laid deeper than we dreamed of. Doubtless he has been long i traffic with The Tisrod as soon as he had found the lion-skin he sent him word to make ready his navy for the taking of Cair Paravel and all Narnia. Nothing now remains for us seven but to go back to Stable Hill, proclaim the truth, and take the advehat Aslan sends us. And if, by a great marvel, we defeat those thirty enes who are with the Ape, then tain and die in battle with the far greater host of them that will soon march from Cair Paravel.”
Tirian nodded. But he turo the children and said: "Now, friends, it is time for you to go heo your own world. Doubtless you have done all that you were sent to do.”
"B - but weve dohing," said Jill who was shivering, not with fear exactly but because everything was so horrible.
"Nay," said the King, "you loosed me from the tree: you glided before me like a snake last night in the wood and took Puzzle: and you, Eustace, killed your man. But you are too young to share in such a bloody end as we others must meet tonight or, it may be, three days hence. I e you - nay, I and you - to return to your own place. I should be put to shame if I let such young warriors fall in battle on my side.”
"No, no, no," said Jill (very white when she began speaking and then suddenly very red and then white again.) "We wont, I dont care what you say. Were going to stick to you whatever happens, arent we, Eustace?”
"Yes, but theres o get so worked up about it," said Eustace who had stuck his hands in his pockets (fetting how very odd that looks when you are wearing a mail shirt). "Because, you see, we havent any choice. Whats the good of talking about oing back! How? Weve got no magic for doing it!”
This was very good se, at the moment, Jill hated Eustace for saying it. He was fond of being dreadfully matter-of-fact when other people got excited.
When Tirian realized that the twers could not get home (unless Aslan suddenly whisked them away), he wahem to go across the Southern mountains into Arland where they might possibly be safe. But they didnt know their way and there was no oo send with them. Also, as Poggin said, ohe enes had Narnia they would certainly take Arland in the week or so: The Tisroc had always wao have these Northern tries for his own. In the ead Jill begged so hard that Tirian said they could e with him and take their ce - or, as he much more sensibly called it, "the advehat Aslan would send them".
The Kings first idea was that they should not go back to Stable Hill - they were sick of the very name of it by now till after dark. But the Dwarf told them that if they arrived there by daylight they would probably find the place deserted, except perhaps for a ery. The Beasts were far thtened by what the Ape (and Ginger) had told them about this new angry Aslan - or Tashlan - to go near it except when they were called together for these horrible midnight meetings. And enes are never good woodsmen. Poggin thought that even by dayl<samp>?</samp>ight they could easily get round to somewhere behind the stable without being seen. This would be much harder to do when the night had e and the Ape might be calling the Beasts together and all the enes were on duty. And when the meeting did begin they could leave Puzzle at the back of the stable, pletely out of sight, till the moment at which they wao produce him. This was obviously a good thing: for their only ce was to give the Narnians a sudden surprise.
Everyone agreed and the whole party set off on a new line - North-West - towards the hated Hill. The Eagle sometimes flew to and fro above them, sometimes he sat perched on Puzzles bao one - not even the King himself except in some great need - would dream of riding on a Uni.
This time Jill aace walked together. They had been feeling very brave when they were begging to be allowed to e with the others, but now they didnt feel brave at all.
"Pole," said Eusta a whisper. "I may as well tell you Ive got the wind up.”
"Oh youre all right, Scrubb," said Jill. "You fight. But I - Im just shaking, if you want to know the truth.”
"Oh shakings nothing," said Eustace. "Im feeling Im going to be sick.”
"Dont talk about that, foodness sake," said Jill.
They went on in silence for a minute or two.
"Pole," said Eustace presently.
"What?" said she.
"Whatll happen if we get killed here?”
"Well well be dead, I suppose.”
"But I mean, what will happen in our own world? Shall we wake up and find ourselves ba that train? Or shall we just vanish and never be heard of any more? Or shall we be dead in England?”
"Gosh. I hought of that.”
"Itll be rum for Peter and the others if they saw me waving out of the window and thehe train es in were o be found! Or if they found two - I mean, if were dead over there in England.”
"Ugh!" said Jill. "What a horrid idea.”
"It wouldnt be horrid for us," said Eustace. "We shouldhere.”
"I almost wish - no I dont, though," said Jill.
"What were you going to say?”
"I was going to say I wished wed never e. But I dont, I dont, I dont. Even if we are killed. Id rather be killed fighting for Narnia than grow old and stupid at home and perhaps go about in a bath-chair and then die in the end just the same.”
"Or be smashed up by British Railways!”
"Why dyou say that?”
"Well when that awful jerk came - the ohat seemed to throw us into Narnia - I thought it was the beginning of a railway act. So I was jolly glad to find ourselves here instead.”
While Jill aace were talking about this, the others were discussing their plans and being less miserable. That was because they were now thinking of what was to be dohis very night and the thought of what had happeo Narnia - the thought that all her glories and joys were over - ushed away into the back part of their minds. The moment they stopped talking it would e out and make them wretched again: but they kept on talking. Poggin was really quite cheerful about the nights work they had to do.
He was sure that the Boar and the Bear, and probably all the Dogs would e over to their side at once. And he couldnt believe that all the other Dwarfs would stick to Griffle.
And fighting by firelight and in and out among trees would be an advao the weaker side. And then, if they could win tonight, hey really throw their lives away by meeting the main ene army a few days later?
Why not hide in the woods, or even up in the Western Waste beyond the great waterfall and live like outlaws? And then they might gradually get stronger and stronger, for Talkis and Arlanders would be joining them every day. And at last theyd e out of hiding and sweep the enes (who would have got careless by then) out of the try and Narnia would be revived. After all, something very like that had happened iime of King Miraz!
And Tirian heard all this and thought "But what about Tash?" a in his bohat none of it was going to happen. But he didnt say so.
When they got o Stable Hill of course everyone became quiet. Then the real wood-work began. From the moment at which they first saw the Hill to the moment at which they all arrived at the back of the stable, it took them over two hours. Its the sort of thing one couldnt describe properly unless one wrote pages and pages about it. The journey from each bit of cover to the arate adventure, and there were very long waits iween, and several false alarms. If you are a good Scout or a good Guide you will know already what it must have been like. By about suhey were all safe in a clump of holly trees about fifteen yards behind the stable. They all munched some biscuit and lay down.
Then came the worst part, the waiting. Luckily for the children they slept for a couple of hours, but of course they woke up when the night grew cold, and what was worse, woke up very thirsty and with no ce of getting a drink. Puzzle just stood, shivering a little with nervousness, and said nothing. But Tirian, with his head against Jewels flank, slept as soundly as if he were in his royal bed at Cair Paravel, till the sound of a going awoke him a up and saw that there was firelight on the far side of the stable and khat the hour had e.
"Kiss me, Jewel," he said. "For certainly this is our last night oh. And if ever I offended against you in any matter great or small, five me now.”
"Dear King," said the Uni, "I could almost wish you had, so that I might five it.
Farewell. We have know joys together. If Aslan gave me my choice I would choose no other life than the life I have had and no other death than the one we go to.”
Then they woke up Farsight, who was asleep with his head under his wing (it made him look as if he had no head at all), and crept forward to the stable. They left Puzzle (not without a kind word, for no one was angry with him now) just behind it, telling him not to move till someone came to fetch him, and took up their position at one end of the stable.
The bonfire had not been lit for long and was just beginning to blaze up. It was only a few feet away from them, and the great crowd of Narniaures were on the other side of it, so that Tirian could not at first see them very well, though of course he saw dozens of eyes shining with the refle of the fire, as youve seen a rabbits or cats eyes in the
headlights of a car. And just as Tirian took his place, the gong stopped beating and from somewhere on his left three figures appeared. One was Rishda Tarkaan the ene Captain. The sed was the Ape. He was holding on to the Tarkaans hand with one paw a whimpering and muttering, "Not so fast, dont go so fast, Im not at all well. Oh my poor head! These midnight meetings are getting too mue. Apes are to be up at night: Its not as if I was a rat or a bat - oh my poor head." Oher side of the Ape, walking very soft and stately, with his tail straight up in the air, came Gi<mark></mark>he Cat. They were heading for the bonfire and were so close to Tirian that they would have seen him at once if they had looked in the right dire. Fortunately they did not. But Tirian heard Rishda say to Ginger in a low voice: "Now, Cat, to thy post. See thou play thy part well.”
"Miaow, miaow. t on me!" said Giheepped away beyond the bonfire and sat down in the front row of the assembled Beasts: in the audience, as you might say.
For really, as it happehe whole thing was rather like a theatre. The crowd of Narnians were like the people in the seats; the little grassy place just in front of the stable, where the bonfire burned and the Ape and the Captain stood to talk to the crowd, was like the stage; the stable itself was like the sery at the back of the stage; and Tirian and his friends were like people peering round<bdi></bdi> from behind the sery. It lendid position. If any of them stepped forward into the full firelight, all eyes would be fixed on him at once: oher hand, so long as they stood still in the shadow of the end-wall of the stable, it was a huo one against their being noticed.
Rishda Tarkaan dragged the Ape up close to the fire. The pair of them turo face the crowd, and this of course meant that their backs were towards Tirian and his friends.
"Now, Monkey," said Rishda Tarkaan in a low voice. "Say the words that wiser heads have put into thy mouth. And hold up thy head." As he spoke he gave the Ape a little prod or kick from behind with the point of his toe.
"Do leave me alone," muttered Shift. But he sat up straighter and began, in a louder voice - "Now listen, all of you. A terrible thing has happened. A wicked thing. The wickedest thing that ever was done in Narnia. And Aslan -”
"Tashlan, fool," whispered Rishda Tarkaan.
"Tashlan I mean, of course," said the Ape, "is very angry about it.”
There was a terrible silence while the Beasts waited to hear what rouble was in store for them. The lit<u></u>tle party by the end-wall of the stable also held their breath. What oh was ing now?
"Yes," said the Ape. "At this very moment, wheerrible One himself is among us - there iable just behind me - one wicked Beast has chosen to do what youd think
no one would dare to do even if He were a thousand miles away. It has dressed itself up in a lion-skin and is wandering about in these very woods pretending to be Aslan.”
Jill wondered for a moment if the Ape had gone mad. Was he going to tell the whole truth? A roar of horror and rage went up from the Beasts. "Grrr!" came the growls. "Who is he? Where is he? Just let me get my teeth into him!”
"It was seen last night," screamed the Ape, "but it got away. Its a Donkey! A iserable Ass! If any of you see that Ass -”
"Grrr!" growled the Beasts. "We will, we will. Hed better keep out of our way.”
Jill looked at the King: his mouth en and his face was full of horror. And then she uood the devilish ing of the enemies plan. By mixing a little truth with it they had made their lie far stronger.<bdo>9９ｌib.</bdo> What was the good, now, of telling the Beasts that an ass had been dressed up as a lion to deceive them? The Ape would only say, "Thats just what Ive said." What was the good of showing them Puzzle in his lion-skin? They would only tear him in pieces. "Thats taken the wind out of our sails," whispered Eustace. "The ground is taken from under our feet," said Tirian. "Cursed, cursed cleverness!" said Poggin. "Ill be sworn that this new lie is of Gingers making.”
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