CHAPTER FOURTEEN

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    THE TRIUMPH OF THE WITCH  As soon as the Witch had gone Aslan said, "We must move from this place at  o will be wanted for other purposes. We shall encamp tonight at the Fords of  Beruna.

    Of course everyone was dying to ask him how he had arranged matters with  the witch; 藏书网but his face was stern and everyones ears were still ringing with the  sound of his roar and so nobody dared.

    After a meal, which was taken in the open air on the hill-top (for the sun  had got strong by now and dried the grass), they were busy for a while taking the pavilion  down and

    pag things up. Before two oclock they were on the mard set off in  a northeasterly dire, walking at an easy pace for they had not far to  go.

    During the first part of the journey Aslan explaio Peter his plan of  campaign. "As soon as she has finished her business in these parts," he said, "the Witch  and her crew will almost certainly fall back to her House and prepare for a siege. You  may or may not be able to cut her off and prevent her from reag it."  He the on  to outliwo plans of battle - one fhting the Witd her people in the wood and  another for assaulting her castle. And all the time he was advisier how to  duct the operations, saying things like, "You must put your taurs in sud  such a place" or "You must post scouts to see that she doesnt do so-and-so," till at last  Peter said,  "But you will be t?here yourself, Aslan.”

    "I  give you no promise of that," answered the Lion. And he tinued  givier his instrus.

    For the last part of the jour was Susan and Lucy who saw most of him.  He did not talk very mud seemed to them to be sad.

    It was still afternoohey came down to a place where the river  valley had widened out and the river was broad and shallow. This was the Fords of Beruna and  Aslan gave orders to halt on this side of the water. But Peter said,  "Wouldnt it be better to camp on the far side - for fear she should try a  night attack or anything?”

    Aslan, who seemed to have been thinking about something else, roused  himself with a shake of his magnifit mane and said, "Eh? Whats that?" Peter said it  all ain.

    "No," said Aslan in a dull voice, as if it didnt matter. "No. She will not  make an attack to-night." And then he sighed deeply. But presently he added, "All the same  it was well thought of. That is how a soldier ought to think. But it doesnt really  matter." So they proceeded to pitch their camp.

    Aslans mood affected everyohat evening. Peter was feeling  unfortable too at the idea of fighting the battle on his own; the hat Aslan might not be  there had e as a great sho. Supper that evening was a quiet meal. Everyo  how different it had been last night or even that m. It was as if the good times,  having just begun, were already drawing to their end.

    This feeling affected Susan so much that she couldo sleep when she  went to bed.

    And after she had lain ting sheep and turning over and over she heard  Lucy give a long sigh and turn over just beside her in the darkness.

    "t you get to sleep either?" said Susan.

    "No," said Lucy. "I thought you were asleep. I say, Susan!”

    "What?”

    "Ive a most Horrible feeling - as if something were hanging over us.”

    "Have you? Because, as a matter of fact, so have I.”

    "Something about Aslan," said Lucy. "Either some dreadful thing is going to  happen to him, or something dreadful that hes going to do.”

    "Theres been something wrong with him all afternoon," said Susan. "Lucy!  What was that he said about not being with us at the battle? You dont think he  could be stealing away and leaving us tonight, do you?”

    "Where is he now?" said Lucy. "Is he here in the pavilion?”

    "I dont think so.”

    "Susas go outside and have a look round. We might see him.”

    "All right. Lets," said Susan; "we might just as well be doing that as  lying awake here.”

    Very quietly the twroped their way among the other sleepers and  crept out of the tent. The mo.onlight was bright and everything was quite still except for  the noise of the river chattering over the stohen Susan suddenly caught Lucys arm and  said, "Look!" On the far side of the camping ground, just where the trees began,  they saw the Lion slowly walking away from them into the wood. Without a word they both  followed him.

    He led them up the steep slope out of the river valley and then slightly to  the right - apparently by the very same route which they had used that afternoon in  ing from the Hill of the Stoable. On and on he led them, into dark shadows and out  into pale moonlight, getting their feet wet with the heavy dew. He looked somehow  different from the Aslan they knew. His tail and his head hung low and he walked slowly as  if he were very, very tired. Then, when they were crossing a wide open place where  there where no shadows for them to hide iopped and looked round. It was no good  trying to run away so they came towards him. When they were closer he said,  "Oh, children, children, why are you following me?”

    "We couldnt sleep," said Lucy - and the sure that she need say no  more and that Aslan knew all they had been thinking.

    "Please, may we e with you - wherever yoing?" asked Susan.

    "Well -" said Aslan, and seemed to be thinking. Then he said, "I should be  glad of pany tonight. Yes, you may e, if you will promise to stop when I tell  you, and after that leave me to go on alone.”

    "Oh, thank you, thank you. And we will," said the two girls.

    Forward they went again and one of the girls walked on each side of the  Lion. But how slowly he walked! And his great, royal head drooped so that his nose nearly  touched the grass. Presently he stumbled and gave a low moan.

    "Aslan! Dear Aslan!" said Lucy, "what is wrong? t you tell us?”

    "Are you ill, dear Aslan?" asked Susan.

    "No," said Aslan. "I am sad and lonely. Lay your hands on my mane so that I   feel you are there a us walk like that.”

    And so the girls did what they would never have dared to do without his  permission, but what they had loo do ever sihey first saw him buried their cold  hands in the beautiful sea of fur and stroked it and, so doing, walked with him. And  presently they saw that they were going with him up the slope of the hill on which the  Stoable stood. They went up at the side where the trees came furthest up, and when  they got to the last tree (it was ohat had some bushes about it) Aslan stopped and  said,  "Oh, children, children. Here you must stop. And whatever happens, do not  let yourselves be seen. Farewell.”

    And both the girls cried bitterly (though they hardly knew why) and g  to the Lion and kissed his mane and his nose and his paws and his great, sad eyes. Theurned from them and walked out on to the top of the hill. And Lud Susan,  croug in the bushes, looked after him, and this is what they saw.

    A great crowd of people were standing all round the Stoable and though  the moon was shining many of them carried torches which burned with evil-looking red  flames and black smoke. But such people! Ogres with monstrous teeth, and wolves, and  bull-headed men; spirits of evil trees and poisonous plants; and other creatures whom I  wont describe because if I did the grownups would probably not let you read this book -  Cruels and Hags and Incubuses, Wraiths, Horrors, Efreets, Sprites, Orknies, Wooses,  ains. In fact here were all those who were ochs side and whom the Wolf had  summo her and. And right in the middle, standing by the Table, was the  Witch herself.

    A howl and a gibber of dismay went up from the creatures when they first  saw the great Lion pag towards them, and for a moment evech seemed to be  struck with fear. Then she recovered herself and gave a wild fierce laugh.

    "The fool!" she cried. "The fool has e. Bind him fast.”

    Lud Susaheir breaths waiting for Aslans roar and his spring  upon his enemies. But it never came. Fs, grinning and leering, yet also (at  first) hanging bad half afraid of what they had to do, had approached him. "Bind him,  I say!”

    repeated the White Witch. The Hags made a dart at him and shrieked with  triumph when they found that he made a all. Then others - evil dwarfs and  apes - rushed in to help them, aweehey rolled the huge Lion over on his  bad tied all his four paws together, shouting and cheering as if they had done something  brave, though, had the Lion chosen, one of those paws could have been the death of  them all.

    But he made no noise, evehe enemies, straining and tugging, pulled  the cords so tight that they cut into his flesh. Then they began t him towards the  Stoable.

    "Stop!" said the Witch. "Let him first be shaved.”

    Another roar of mean laughter went up from her followers as an ogre with a  pair of shears came forward and squatted down by Aslans head. Snip-snip-snip went  the shears and masses of curling gold began to fall to the ground. Then the ogre stood  bad the children, watg from their hiding-place, could see the face of Aslan  looking all small and different without its mahe enemies also saw the difference.

    "Why, hes only a great cat after all!" cried one.

    "Is that what we were afraid of?" said another.

    And they surged round Aslan, jeering at him, saying things like "Puss,  Puss! Poor 99lｉｂ.Pussy,”

    and "How many mice have you caught today, Cat?" and "Would you like a  sauilk, Pussums?”

    "Oh, how  they?" said Lucy, tears streaming down her cheeks. "The  brutes, the brutes!" for now that the first shock was over the shorn face of Aslan  looked to her braver, and more beautiful, and more patient than ever.

    "Muzzle him!" said the Witch. And even now, as they worked about his face  putting on the muzzle, oe from his jaws would have cost two or three of them  their hands. But he never moved. And this seemed te all that rabble. Everyone was at  him now.

    Those who had been afraid to e near him even after he was bound began to  find their ce, and for a few mihe two girls could not even see him - so  thickly was he surrounded by the whole crowd of creatures kig him, hitting him,  spitting on him, jeering at him.

    At last the rabble had had enough of this. They began t the bound and  muzzled Lion to the Stoable, some pulling and some pushing. He was so huge that  evehey got him there it took all their efforts to hoist him on to the surface  of it. Then there was more tying and tightening of cords.

    "The cowards! The cowards!" sobbed Susan. "Are they still afraid of him,  even now?”

    When once Aslan had been tied (and tied so that he was really a mass of  cords) on the flat stone, a hush fell on the crowd. Fs, holding four torches, stood at  the ers of the Table. The Witch bared her arms as she had bared them the previous  night when it had been Edmund instead of Aslan. Then she began to whet her k  looked to the children, when the gleam of the torchlight fell on it, as if the knife were  made of stone, not of steel, and it was of a strange and evil shape.

    As last she drew near. She stood by Aslans head. Her face was w and  twitg with passion, but his looked up at the sky, still quiet, her angry nor  afraid, but a little sad. Then, just before she gave the blow, she stooped down and said in a  quivering voice,  "And now, who has won? Fool, did you think that by all this you would save  the human traitor? Now I will kill you instead of him as our pact was and so the Deep  Magic will be appeased. But when you are dead what will prevent me from killing him as  well? And who will take him out of my hand then? Uand that you have given me  Narnia forever, you have lost your own life and you have not saved his. In that  knowledge, despair and die.”

    The children did not see the actual moment of the killing. They couldnt  bear to look and had covered their eyes.

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