CHAPTER SEVEN
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ARAVIS IN TASHBAAN WHAT had really happened was this. When Aravis saw Shasta hurried away by the Narnians and found herself aloh two horses who (very wisely) wouldnt say a word, she never lost her head even for a moment. She grabbed Brees halter and stood still, holding both the horses; and though her heart was beating as hard as a hammer, she did nothing to show it. As soon as the Narnian lords had passed she tried to move on again.But before she could take a step, another crier ("Bother all these people" thought Aravis)
was heard shouting out, "Way, way, way! Way for the Tarkheena Lasaraleen!" and immediately, following the crier, came four armed slaves and then four bearers carrying a litter which was all a-flutter with silken curtains and all a-jih silver bells and which sted the whole street with perfumes and flowers. After the litter, female slaves iiful clothes, and then a few grooms, runners, pages, and the like. And now Aravis made her first mistake.
She knew Lasaraleen quite well - almost as if they had been at school together - because they had often stayed in the same houses ao the same parties. And Aravis couldnt help looking up to see what Lasaraleen looked like now that she was married and a very great person indeed.
It was fatal. The eyes of the two girls met. And immediately Lasaraleen sat up iter and burst out at the top of her voice.
"Aravis! What oh are you doing here? Your father-”
There was not a moment to lose. Without a seds delay Aravis let go the Horses, caught the edge of the litter, swung herself up beside Lasaraleen and whispered furiously in her ear.
"Shut up! Do you hear! Shut up. You must hide me. Tell your people-”
"But darling-" began Lasaraleen in the same loud voice. (She didnt in the least mind making people stare; in fact she rather liked it.)
"Do what I tell you or Ill never speak to you again," hissed Aravis. "Please, please be quick, Las. Its frightfully important. Tell your people t those two horses along.
Pull all the curtains of the litter a away somewhere where I t be found. And do hurry.”
"All right, darling," said Lasaraleen in her lazy voice. "Here. Two of you take the Tarkheenas horses." (This was to the slaves.) "And now home. I say, darling, do you think we really want the curtains drawn on a day like this? I mean to say-”
But Aravis had already drawn the curtains, enclosing Lasaraleen and herself in a rid sted, but rather stuffy, kind of tent.
"I mustnt be seen," "she said. "My father doesnt know Im here. Im running away.”
"My dear, how perfectly thrilling," said Lasaraleen. "Im dying to hear all about it.
Darling, youre sitting on my dress. Do you mind? Thats better. It is a new one. Do you like it? I got it at-”
"Oh, Las, do be serious," said Aravis. "Where is my father?”
"Didnt you know?" said Lasaraleen. "Hes here, of course. He came to towerday and is asking about you everywhere. And to think of you and me being here together and his not knowing anything about it! Its the fuhing I ever heard." And she went off into giggles. She always had been a terrible giggler, as Aravis now remembered.
"It isnt funny at all," she said. "Its dreadfully serious. Where you hide me?”
"No difficulty at all, my dear girl," said Lasaraleen. "Ill take you home. My husbands away and no one will see you. Phew! Its not much fun with the curtains drawn. I want to see people. Theres no point in having a new dress on if oo go about shut up like this.”
"I hope no one heard you when you shouted out to me like that," said Aravis.
"No, no, of course, darling," said Lasaraleen absentmindedly. "But you havent even told me yet what you think of the dress.”
"Ahing," said Aravis. "You must tell your people to treat those two horses very respectfully. Thats part of the secret. Theyre really Talking Horses from Narnia.”
"Fancy!" said Lasaraleen. "How exg! And oh, darling, have you seen the barbarian queen from Narnia? Shes staying in Tashbaan at present. They say Prince Rabadash is madly in love with her. There have been the most wonderful parties and hunts and things all this last fht. I t see that shes so very pretty myself. But some of the Narnian men are lovely. I was taken out on a river party the day before yesterday, and I was wearing my-”
"How shall we prevent your people telling everyohat youve got a visitor - dressed like a beggars brat - in your house? It might so easily get round to my father.”
"Now dont keep on fussing, theres a dear," said Lasaraleen. "Well get you some proper clothes in a moment. And here we are!”
The bearers had stopped and the litter was being lowered. When the curtains had been drawn Aravis found that she was in a courtyard-garden very like the ohat Shasta had been taken into a few minutes earlier in another part of the city. Lasaraleen would have gone indoors at o Aravis remip://.９９lｉｂ.d her in a frantic whisper to say something to the slaves about not telling anyone of their mistresss strange visitor.
"Sorry, darling, it had ght out of my head," said Lasareleen. "Here. All of you.
And you, doorkeeper. No one is to be let out of the house today. And anyone I catch talking about this young lady will be first beaten to death and then burned alive and after that be kept on bread and water for six weeks. There.”
Although Lasaraleen had said she was dying to hear Araviss story, she showed no sign of really wanting to hear it at all. She was, in fact, much better at talking than at listening.
She insisted on Aravis having a long and luxurious bath (ehs are famous)
and then dressing her up in the fi clothes before she would let her explain anything.
The fuss she made about choosing the dresses nearly drove Aravis mad. She remembered now that Lasaraleen had always been like that, ied in clothes and parties and gossip. Aravis had always been more ied in bows and arrows and horses and dogs and swimming. You will guess that each thought the other silly. But when at last they were both seated after a meal (it was chiefly of the whipped cream and jelly and fruit and ice sort) in a beautiful pillared room (which Aravis would have liked better if Lasaraleens spoiled pet monkey hadnt been climbing about it all the time) Lasaraleen at last asked her why she was running away from home.
When Aravis had fielliory, Lasaraleen said, "But, darling, why dont you marry Ahoshta Tarkaan? Everyones crazy about him. My husband says he is beginning to be one of the greatest men in en. He has just been made Grand Vizier now old Axartha has died. Didnt you know?”
"I dont care. I t stand the sight of him," said Aravis.
"But, darling, only think! Three palaces, and one of them that beautiful one down on the lake at Ilkeen. Positively ropes of pearls, Im told. Baths of asses milk. And youd see such a lot of me.”
"He keep his pearls and palaces as far as Im ed," said Aravis.
"You always were a queer girl, Aravis," said Lasaraleen. "What more do you want?”
In the end, however, Aravis mao make her friend believe that she was in ear and even to discuss plans. There would be no difficulty now about getting the two horses out of the Nate and then on to the Tombs. No one would stop or question a groom in fine clothes leading a war horse and a ladys saddle horse down to the river, and Lasaraleen had plenty of grooms to send. It wasnt so easy to decide what to do about Aravis herself. She suggested that she could be carried out iter with the curtains drawn. But Lasaraleen told her that litters were only used iy and the sight of one going out through the gate would be certain to lead to questions.
When they had talked for a long time - and it was all the longer because Aravis found it hard to keep her friend to the point-at last Lasaraleen clapped her hands and said, "Oh, I have ahere is one way of getting out of the city without using the gates. The Tisrocs garden (may he live for ever!) runs right down to the water and there is a little water-door. Only for the palace people of course - but then you know, dear (here she tittered a little) we almost are palace people. I say, it is lucky for you that you came to me. The dear Tisroc (may he live for ever!) is so kind. Were asked to the palace almost every day and it is like a sed home. I love all the dear princes and princesses and I positively adore Prince Rabadash. I might run in and see any of the palace ladies at any hour of the day ht. Why shouldnt I slip in withyou, after dark, and let you out by the water-door? There are always a few punts and things tied up outside it. And even if we were caught-”
"All would be lost," s<bdo></bdo>aid Aravis.
"Oh darling, do so excited," said Lasaraleen. "I was going to say, even if we were caught everyone would only say it was one of my mad jokes. Im getting quite well known for them. Only the other day- do listen, dear, this is f?9９lｉｂ?rightfully funny-”
"I meant, all would be lost for me," said Aravis a little sharply.
"Oh - ah - yes - I do see what you mean, darling. Well, you think of aer plan?”
Aravis couldnt, and answered, "No. Well have to risk it. When we start?”
"Oh, not tonight," said Lasaraleen. "Of course not tonight. Theres a great feast on tonight (I must start getting my hair done for it in a few minutes) and the whole place will be a blaze of lights. And such a crowd too! It would have to be tomorrow night.”
This was bad news for Aravis, but she had to make the best of it. The afternoon passed very slowly and it was a relief when Lasaralee out to the ba, for Aravis was very tired of her giggling aalk about dresses and parties, weddings and es and sdals. She went to bed early and that part she did enjoy: it was so o have pillows and sheets again.
But the day passed very slowly. Lasaraleen wao go ba the whole arra a on telling Aravis that Narnia was a try of perpetual snow and ihabited by demons and sorcerers, and she was mad to think of going there. "And with a peasant boy, too!" said Lasaraleen. "Darling, think of it! Its not Nice." Aravis had thought of it a good deal, but she was so tired of Lasaraleens silliness by now that, for the first time, she began to think that travelling with Shasta was really rather more fun than fashionable life in Tashbaan. So she only replied, "You fet that Ill be nobody, just like him, whe to Narnia. And anyway, I promised.”
"And to think," said Lasaraleen, almost g, "that if only you had sense you could be the wife of a Grand Vizier!" Aravis went away to have a private word with the horses.
"You must go with a groom a little before su down to the Tombs," she said. "No more of those packs. Youll be saddled and bridled again. But therell have to be food in Hwins saddle-bags and a full water-skin behind yours, Bree. The man has orders to let you both have a good long drink at the far side of the bridge.”
"And then, Narnia and the North!" whispered Bree. "But what if Shasta is not at the Tombs.”
"Wait for him of course," said Aravis. "I hope youve been quite fortable.”
"Never better stabled in my life," said Bree. "But if the husband of that tittering Tarkheena friend of yours is paying his head groom to get the best oats, then I think the head groom is cheating him.”
Aravis and Lasaraleen had supper in the pillared room.
About two hours later they were ready to start. Aravis was dressed to look like a superior slave-girl in a great house and wore a veil over her face. They had agreed that if any questions were asked Lasaraleen would pretend that Aravis was a slave she was taking as a present to one of the princesses.
The two girls went out on foot. A very few minutes brought them to the palace gates.
Here there were of course soldiers on guard but the officer knew Lasaraleen quite well and called his men to attention and saluted. They passed at oo the Hall of Black Marble. A fair number of courtiers, slaves and others were still moving about here but this only made the two girls less spicuous. They passed on into the Hall of Pillars and then into the Hall of Statues and down the nade, passing the great beatencopper
doors of the throne room. It was all magnifit beyond description; what they could see of it in the dim light of the lamps.
Presently they came out into the garden-court which sloped downhill in a number of terraces. On the far side of that they came to the Old Palace. It had already grown almost quite dark and they now found themselves in a maze of corridors lit only by occasional torches fixed in brackets to the walls. Lasaraleen halted at a place where you had to go either left ht.
"Go on, do go on," whispered Aravis, whose heart was beating terribly and who still felt that her father might run into them at any er.
"Im just w..." said Lasaraleen. "Im not absolutely sure which way we go from here. I think its the left. Yes, Im almost sure its the left. What fun this is!”
They took the left hand way and found themselves in a passage that was hardly lighted at all and which soon began going down steps.
"Its all right," said Lasaraleen. "Im sure were right now. I remember these steps." But at that moment a moving light appeared ahead. A sed later there appeared from round a distant er, the dark shapes of two men walking backwards and carrying tall dles.
And of course it is only before royalties that people walk backwards. Aravis felt Lasaraleen grip her arm - that sort of sudden grip which is almost a pinch and which means that the person who is gripping you is very frightened indeed. Aravis thought it odd that Lasaraleen should be so afraid of the Tisroc if he were really such a friend of hers, but there was no time to go on thinking. Lasaraleen was hurrying her back to the top of the steps, on tiptoes, and groping wildly along the wall.
"Heres a door," she whispered. "Quick.”
They went in, drew the door very softly behind them, and found themselves in pitch darkness. Aravis could hear by Lasaraleens breathing that she was terrified.
"Tash preserve us!" whispered Lasaraleen. "What shall we do if he es in here. we hide?”
There was a soft carpet uheir feet. They groped forward into the room and blundered on to a sofa.
"Lets lie down behind it," whimpered Lasaraleen. "Oh, I do wish we hadnt e.”
There was just room between the sofa and the curtained wall and the two girls got down.
Lasaraleen mao get the better position and was pletely covered. The upper part of Araviss face stuck out beyond the sofa, so that if anyone came into that room with a light and happeo look ily the right place they would see her. But of course, because she was wearing a veil, what they saw would not at once look like a forehead and
a pair of eyes. Aravis shoved desperately to try to make Lasaraleen give her a little more room. But Lasaraleen, now quite selfish in her panic, fought bad pinched her feet.
They gave it up and lay still, panting a little. Their owh semed dreadfully noisy, but there was no other noise.
"Is it safe?" said Aravis at last ii possible whisper.
"I - I - think so," began Lasaraleen. "But my poor nerves -" and then came the most terrible hey could have heard at that moment: the noise of the door opening. And then came light. And because Aravis could her head any further in behind the sofa, she saw everything.
First came the two slaves (deaf and dumb, as Aravis rightly guessed, and therefore used at the most secret cils) walking backwards and carrying the dles. They took up their stand o ead of the sofa. This was a good thing, for of course it was now harder for ao see Aravis once a slave was in front of her and she was lookiween his heels. Then came an old man, very fat, wearing a curious pointed cap by which she immediately khat he was the Tisroc. The least of the jewels with which he was covered was worth more than all the clothes and ons of the Narnian lords put together: but he was so fat and such a mass of frills and pleats and bobbles and buttons and tassels and talismans that Aravis couldhinking the Narnian fashions (at any rate for men) looked nicer. After him came a tall young man with a feathered and jewelled turban on his head and an ivory-sheathed scimitar at his side. He seemed very excited and his eyes ah flashed fiercely in the dlelight. Last of all came a little hump-backed, wizened old man in whom she reized with a shudder the new Grand Vizier and her owhed husband, Ahoshta Tarkaan himself.
As soon as all three had ehe room and the door was shut, the Tisroc seated himself on the divan with a sigh of te, the young man took his place, standing before him, and the Grand Vizier got down on his knees and elbows and laid his face flat on the carpet.
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