英文
Chapter VIII IN THE HOUSE OF THE TISROC
“Oh-my-father-and-oh-the-delight-of-my-eyes,” began the young man, muttering the words very quickly and sulkily and not at all as if the Tisroc were the delight of his eyes. “May you live forever, but you have utterly destroyed me. If you had given me the swiftest of the galleys at sunrise when I first saw that the ship of the accursed barbarians was gone from her place I would perhaps have overtaken them. But you persuaded me to send first and see if they had not merely moved round the point into better anchorage. And now the whole day has been wasted. And they are gone—gone—out of my reach! The false jade, the—” and here he added a great many descriptions of Queen Susan which would not look at all nice in print. For of course this young man was Prince Rabadash and of course the false jade was Susan of Narnia.
“Compose yourself, O my son,” said the Tisroc. “For the departure of guests makes a wound that is easily healed in the heart of a judicious host.”
“But I want her,” cried the Prince. “I must have her. I shall die if I do not get her—false, proud, black-hearted daughter of a dog that she is! I cannot sleep and my food has no savour and my eyes are darkened because of her beauty. I must have the barbarian queen.”
“How well it was said by a gifted poet,” observed the Vizier, raising his face (in a somewhat dusty condition) from the carpet, “that deep draughts from the fountain of reason are desirable in order to extinguish the fire of youthful love.”
This seemed to exasperate the Prince. “Dog,” he shouted, directing a series of well-aimed kicks at the hindquarters of the Vizier, “do not dare to quote the poets to me. I have had maxims and verses flung at me all day and I can endure them no more.” I am afraid Aravis did not feel at all sorry for the Vizier.
The Tisroc was apparently sunk in thought, but when, after a long pause, he noticed what was happening, he said tranquilly:
“My son, by all means desist from kicking the venerable and enlightened Vizier: for as a costly jewel retains its value even if hidden in a dung-hill, so old age and discretion are to be respected even in the vile persons of our subjects. Desist therefore, and tell us what you desire and propose.”
“I desire and propose, O my father,” said Rabadash, “that you immediately call out your invincible armies and invade the thrice-accursed land of Narnia and waste it with fire and sword and add it to your illimitable empire, killing their High King and all of his blood except the Queen Susan. For I must have her as my wife, though she shall learn a sharp lesson first.”
“Understand, O my son,” said the Tisroc, “that no words you can speak will move me to an open war against Narnia.”
“If you were not my father, O ever-living Tisroc,” said the Prince, grinding his teeth. “I should say that was the word of a coward.”
“And if you were not my son, O most inflammable Rabadash,” replied his father, “your life would be short and your death slow when you had said it.” (The cool, placid voice in which he spoke these words made Aravis's blood run cold.)
“But why, O my father,” said the Prince—this time in a much more respectful voice, “why should we think twice about punishing Narnia any more than about hanging an idle slave or sending a worn-out horse to be made into dog's-meat? It is not the fourth size of one of your least provinces. A thousand spears could conquer it in five weeks. It is an unseemly blot on the skirts of your empire.”
“Most undoubtedly,” said the Tisroc. “These little barbarian countries that call themselves free (which is as much as to say, idle, disordered, and unprofitable) are hateful to the gods and to all persons of discernment.”
“Then why have we suffered such a land as Narnia to remain thus long unsubdued?”
“Know, O enlightened Prince,” said the Grand Vizier, “that until the year in which your exalted father began his salutary and unending reign, the land of Narnia was covered with ice and snow and was moreover ruled by a most powerful enchantress.”
“This I know very well, O loquacious Vizier,” answered the Prince. “But I know also that the enchantress is dead. And the ice and snow have vanished, so that Narnia is now wholesome, fruitful, and delicious.”
“And this change, O most learned Prince, has doubtless been brought to pass by the powerful incantations of those wicked persons who now call themselves kings and queens of Narnia.”
“I am rather of the opinion,” said Rabadash, “that it has come about by the alteration of the stars and the operation of natural causes.”
“All this,” said the Tisroc, “is a question for the disputations of learned men. I will never believe that so great an alteration, and the killing of the old enchantress, were effected without the aid of strong magic. And such things are to be expected in that land, which is chiefly inhabited by demons in the shape of beasts that talk like men, and monsters that are half man and half beast. It is commonly reported that the High King of Narnia (whom may the gods utterly reject) is supported by a demon of hideous aspect and irresistible maleficence who appears in the shape of a Lion. Therefore the attacking of Narnia is a dark and doubtful enterprise, and I am determined not to put my hand out farther than I can draw it back.”
“How blessed is Calormen,” said the Vizier, popping up his face again, “on whose ruler the gods have been pleased to bestow prudence and circumspection! Yet as the irrefutable and sapient Tisroc has said it is very grievous to be constrained to keep our hands off such a dainty dish as Narnia. Gifted was that poet who said—” but at this point Ahoshta noticed an impatient movement of the Prince's toe and became suddenly silent.
“It is very grievous,” said the Tisroc in his deep, quiet voice. “Every morning the sun is darkened in my eyes, and every night my sleep is the less refreshing, because I remember that Narnia is still free.”
“O my father,” said Rabadash. “How if I show you a way by which you can stretch out your arm to take Narnia and yet draw it back unharmed if the attempt prove unfortunate?”
“If you can show me that, O Rabadash,” said the Tisroc, “you will be the best of sons.”
“Hear then, O father. This very night and in this hour I will take but two hundred horse and ride across the desert. And it shall seem to all men that you know nothing of my going. On the second morning I shall be at the gates of King Lune's castle of Anvard in Archenland. They are at peace with us and unprepared and I shall take Anvard before they have bestirred themselves. Then I will ride through the pass above Anvard and down through Narnia to Cair Paravel. The High King will not be there; when I left them he was already preparing a raid against the giants on his northern border. I shall find Cair Paravel, most likely, with open gates and ride in. I shall exercise prudence and courtesy and spill as little Narnian blood as I can. And what then remains but to sit there till the Splendour Hyaline puts in, with Queen Susan on board, catch my strayed bird as she sets foot ashore, swing her into the saddle, and then ride, ride, ride back to Anvard?”
“But is it not probable, O my son,” said the Tisroc, “that at the taking of the woman either King Edmund or you will lose his life?”
“They will be a small company,” said Rabadash, “and I will order ten of my men to disarm and bind him: restraining my vehement desire for his blood so that there shall be no deadly cause of war between you and the High King.”
“And how if the Splendour Hyaline is at Cair Paravel before you?”
“I do not look for that with these winds, O my father.”
“And lastly, O my resourceful son,” said the Tisroc, “you have made clear how all this might give you the barbarian woman, but not how it helps me to the overthrowing of Narnia.”
“O my father, can it have escaped you that though I and my horsemen will come and go through Narnia like an arrow from a bow, yet we shall have Anvard for ever? And when you hold Anvard you sit in the very gate of Narnia, and your garrison in Anvard can be increased by little and little till it is a great host.”
“It is spoken with understanding and foresight. But how do I draw back my arm if all this miscarries?”
“You shall say that I did it without your knowledge and against your will, and without your blessing, being constrained by the violence of my love and the impetuosity of youth.”
“And how if the High King then demands that we send back the barbarian woman, his sister?”
“O my father, be assured that he will not. For though the fancy of a woman has rejected this marriage, the High King Peter is a man of prudence and understanding who will in no way wish to lose the high honour and advantage of being allied to our House and seeing his nephew and grand nephew on the throne of Calormen.”
“He will not see that if I live forever as is no doubt your wish,” said the Tisroc in an even drier voice than usual.
“And also, O my father and O the delight of my eyes,” said the Prince, after a moment of awkward silence, “we shall write letters as if from the Queen to say that she loves me and has no desire to return to Narnia. For it is well known that women are as changeable as weather-cocks. And even if they do not wholly believe the letters, they will not dare to come to Tashbaan in arms to fetch her.”
“O enlightened Vizier,” said the Tisroc, “bestow your wisdom upon us concerning this strange proposal.”
“O eternal Tisroc,” answered Ahoshta, “the strength of paternal affection is not unknown to me and I have often heard that sons are in the eyes of their fathers more precious than carbuncles. How then shall I dare freely to unfold to you my mind in a matter which may imperil the life of this exalted Prince?”
“Undoubtedly you will dare,” replied the Tisroc. “Because you will find that the dangers of not doing so are at least equally great.”
“To hear is to obey,” moaned the wretched man. “Know then, O most reasonable Tisroc, in the first place, that the danger of the Prince is not altogether so great as might appear. For the gods have withheld from the barbarians the light of discretion, as that their poetry is not, like ours, full of choice apophthegms and useful maxims, but is all of love and war. Therefore nothing will appear to them more noble and admirable than such a mad enterprise as this of—ow!” For the Prince, at the word “mad”, had kicked him again.
“Desist, O my son,” said the Tisroc. “And you, estimable Vizier, whether he desists or not, by no means allow the flow of your eloquence to be interrupted. For nothing is more suitable to persons of gravity and decorum than to endure minor inconveniences with constancy.”
“To hear is to obey,” said the Vizier, wriggling himself round a little so as to get his hinder parts further away from Rabadash's toe. “Nothing, I say, will seem as pardonable, if not estimable, in their eyes as this—er—hazardous attempt, especially because it is undertaken for the love of a woman. Therefore, if the Prince by misfortune fell into their hands, they would assuredly not kill him. Nay, it may even be, that though he failed to carry off the queen, yet the sight of his great valour and of the extremity of his passion might incline her heart to him.”
“That is a good point, old babbler,” said Rabadash. “Very good, however it came into your ugly head.”
“The praise of my masters is the light of my eyes,” said Ahoshta. “And secondly, O Tisroc, whose reign must and shall be interminable, I think that with the aid of the gods it is very likely that Anvard will fall into the Prince's hands. And if so, we have Narnia by the throat.”
There was a long pause and the room became so silent that the two girls hardly dared to breathe. At last the Tisroc spoke.
“Go, my son,” he said. “And do as you have said. But expect no help nor countenance from me. I will not avenge you if you are killed and I will not deliver you if the barbarians cast you into prison. And if, either in success or failure, you shed a drop more than you need of Narnian noble blood and open war arises from it, my favour shall never fall upon you again and your next brother shall have your place in Calormen. Now go. Be swift, secret, and fortunate. May the strength of Tash the inexorable, the irresistible be in your sword and lance.”
“To hear is to obey,” cried Rabadash, and after kneeling for a moment to kiss his father's hands he rushed from the room. Greatly to the disappointment of Aravis, who was now horribly cramped, the Tisroc and the Vizier remained.
“O Vizier,” said the Tisroc, “is it certain that no living soul knows of this council we three have held here tonight?”
“O my master,” said Ahoshta, “it is not possible that any should know. For that very reason I proposed, and you in your infallible wisdom agreed, that we should meet here in the Old Palace where no council is ever held and none of the household has any occasion to come.”
“It is well,” said the Tisroc. “If any man knew, I would see to it that he died before an hour had passed. And do you also, O prudent Vizier, forget it. I sponge away from my own heart and from yours all knowledge of the Prince's plans. He is gone without my knowledge or my consent, I know not whither, because of his violence and the rash and disobedient disposition of youth. No man will be more astonished than you and I to hear that Anvard is in his hands.”
“To hear is to obey,” said Ahoshta.
“That is why you will never think even in your secret heart that I am the hardest hearted of fathers who thus send my first-born son on an errand so likely to be his death; pleasing as it must be to you who do not love the Prince. For I see into the bottom of your mind.”
“O impeccable Tisroc,” said the Vizier. “In comparison with you I love neither the Prince nor my own life nor bread nor water nor the light of the sun.”
“Your sentiments,” said the Tisroc, “are elevated and correct. I also love none of these things in comparison with the glory and strength of my throne. If the Prince succeeds, we have Archenland, and perhaps hereafter Narnia. If he fails—I have eighteen other sons and Rabadash, after the manner of the eldest sons of kings, was beginning to be dangerous. More than five Tisrocs in Tashbaan have died before their time because their eldest sons, enlightened princes, grew tired of waiting for their throne. He had better cool his blood abroad than boil it in inaction here. And now, O excellent Vizier, the excess of my paternal anxiety inclines me to sleep. Command the musicians to my chamber. But before you lie down, call back the pardon we wrote for the third cook. I feel within me the manifest prognostics of indigestion.”
“To hear is to obey,” said the Grand Vizier. He crawled backwards on all fours to the door, rose, bowed, and went out. Even then the Tisroc remained seated in silence on the divan till Aravas almost began to be afraid that he had dropped asleep. But at last with a great creaking and sighing he heaved up his enormous body, signed to the slaves to precede him with the lights and went out. The door closed behind him, the room was once more totally dark, and the two girls could breathe freely again.
中文
第八章 在蒂斯罗克的密室里
“哦——我的——父亲啊，哦——我的——心之所乐啊。”年轻人开口说道，他紧绷着脸，嘀嘀咕咕说得极快，压根儿就听不出蒂斯罗克是他的心之所乐。“愿您万寿无疆，可您彻彻底底地毁了我的计划。要是日出时，在我刚看到那些该死的外邦人出航时，您就派给我一艘最快的大帆船，说不定我都已经追上他们了。可您非得劝我先给他们送送行，看看他们是不是只是想绕着海岬找个更合适的抛锚地。这下，一整天都白白浪费了。他们跑得都没影了——我怎么追得上！那个虚情假意的女人，她——”说到这儿，他又添油加醋地对苏珊女王出言不逊起来，都是些登不得大雅之堂的话。当然，这个年轻人就是拉巴达什王子，而那个虚情假意的女人就是苏珊女王了。
“我的儿子啊，冷静点儿，”蒂斯罗克说道，“在一个明智的主人心中，由于客人离去而带来的创伤，是很容易愈合的。”
“但我就是想得到她，”王子大声嚷嚷道，“我必须要将她据为己有。要是得不到她，我会死的——哪怕她虚伪、高傲、心肠狠毒，还是小人之女！得不到她，我便夜不能眠，食之无味。她的美貌让我的眼睛黯淡无光。我势必要得到这个外邦女王。”
“一位天才诗人说得好，”首相说道，从地毯上抬起头来（脸上灰扑扑的），“畅饮理性之泉，以浇灭青春年少的爱情之火。”
这话似乎激怒了王子。“狗奴才，”他嚷嚷道，对准首相的屁股，狠狠踹了几脚，“别在我面前卖弄什么诗人的名言。成天都要受这些格言警句的狂轰滥炸，我真是受够了。”我想，只怕阿拉维斯一点儿都不同情首相呢。
蒂斯罗克显然陷入了沉思，但过了好一会儿，当他反应过来发生了什么时，便平静地说道：
“我的儿子，不管怎样，别再踹我们德高望重、见多识广的首相了。纵使明珠蒙尘，依旧价值连城，因此，要尊重老人和行事谨慎之人，即便他们不过是我们子民中的无名小卒。所以，别再踹人了。告诉我们你有什么想法和建议吧。”
“我的父亲啊，我的想法和建议就是，”拉巴达什说道，“请您即刻派遣无敌舰队，入侵该死的纳尼亚，以熊熊烈火和刀枪剑戟踏平那片土地，将其并入您不断扩张的帝国版图中，杀死他们的至高王及其王族血脉，只留苏珊女王一个活口。因为，我必须娶她做我的妻子，不过她得先领教一下这血淋淋的教训。”
“我的儿子啊，你要明白，”蒂斯罗克说道，“不管你说什么，都没法儿撺掇我向纳尼亚宣战。”
“万寿无疆的蒂斯罗克啊，要是您不是我的父亲，”王子咬牙切齿地说道，“我会说这话根本就是出自懦夫之口。”
“狂躁易怒的拉巴达什啊，要是你不是我的儿子，”他的父亲回道，“当你说出这话的时候，你就没多久好活了，等着受死吧。”（说这话时，他冷若冰霜，波澜不惊，阿拉维斯听来只觉得不寒而栗。）
“我的父亲啊，可这是为什么呢，”王子说道——这次的声音要恭敬许多，“我们为什么要在惩罚纳尼亚的这件事情上再三斟酌呢？这就和绞死一个游手好闲的奴隶或者将一匹垂垂老矣的马送去做狗粮一样，没什么好考虑的。纳尼亚还没您最小省份的四分之一大呢。只要千支长矛，就能在五周之内攻下它。它就是您帝国边境上一颗不合时宜的棋子。”
“毋庸置疑，”蒂斯罗克说道，“这些外邦小国自称自己是自由民主的（倒不如说是吊儿郎当、毫无秩序又无利可图），对神明和一切明事理的人都深恶痛绝。”
“那我们为什么要容忍像纳尼亚这样的国家继续存在，而一直不去征服它们呢？”
“见多识广的王子啊，您要知道，”首相说道，“在您尊贵的父亲开始他恩泽而长久统治的那一年，纳尼亚国土被冰雪覆盖，并由一个法力超强的女巫统治。”
“这我清楚得很，多嘴多舌的首相啊，”王子回嘴道，“可我还知道，那女巫已经死了，冰雪也都融化了，现在的纳尼亚空气清新，果实累累，珍馐美馔遍地。”
“博学多才的王子啊，这种改变，毫无疑问就是那些恶人施的强大咒语，他们现在自称是纳尼亚的国王和女王呢。”
“我可不这么认为，”拉巴达什说道，“这是由星宿运转和自然运行变化造成的。”
“这一切，”蒂斯罗克说道，“都是智者才讨论的问题。我反正不会相信，这么大的改变，诸如杀死老女巫之类，要是没有强大魔法的助力，是不可能会实现的。在那片土地上，有魔法没什么好奇怪的，长得像野兽却说着人话的魔鬼在那儿安家落户，那儿还有半人半兽的妖怪呢。众口皆传，纳尼亚的至高王（愿众神都将他抛弃）背后有恶魔撑腰，那恶魔相貌丑陋，罪行滔天，以狮子的模样出现在世人面前。因此，进攻纳尼亚这桩事前景堪忧，疑虑重重。我坚决不会把手伸向我无法收回的地方。”
“真是神佑卡乐门啊，”首相重新抬起头来，说道，“神明都乐意将慎重与周全之德施予它的统治者！然而，博学广闻的蒂斯罗克所言是无可辩驳的，被迫不去碰像纳尼亚这样的美味佳肴，着实令人痛惜。一位天才诗人说过——”但说到这儿，阿霍什塔注意到王子的脚趾正不耐烦地扭来扭去，突然就不吱声了。
“这实在太令人痛惜了，”蒂斯罗克说道，声音低沉而平静，“清晨的太阳在我眼中都失了光辉，夜晚我越发难以养精蓄锐，只因我念念不忘纳尼亚仍是自由之地。”
“我的父亲啊，”拉巴达什说道，“不如我为您出个主意怎么样，依着我的法子，您大可以伸手夺取纳尼亚，万一失败了，还能全身而退。”
“拉巴达什啊，要是你能替我想出这法子来，”蒂斯罗克道，“你就是我最优秀的一个儿子了。”
“父亲啊，那么请您听好了。就在今晚，就在这个时辰，我带着二百名骑兵穿过沙漠。这样，在别人看来，就会觉得您对我的行动是一无所知的。第二天一早，我就会抵达阿钦兰国的安瓦德，来到伦恩国王城堡的大门前。他们正同我们交好，一定毫无防备，我便能趁他们还没动作，攻占安瓦德。接着，我会策马穿过安瓦德的关口，直奔纳尼亚，抵达凯尔帕拉维尔。至高王不会守在那里，因为之前我离开的时候，他就已经在准备突袭北方边境上的巨人了。凯尔帕拉维尔极有可能城门大开，我便能纵马而入。我会慎重行事，以礼相待，尽量让纳尼亚人少流点血。接下来要做的就是，静静地坐等载着苏珊女王的‘华丽水晶’号进港，待她一下船，我就会抓住我那飞走的鸟儿，将她甩上马鞍，然后便一路策马奔腾，返回安瓦德。”
“我的儿子啊，但是很有可能，”蒂斯罗克说道，“在抢这女人时，不是爱德蒙国王就是你，很可能会丢了性命。”
“他们就只有几个人，”拉巴达什说道，“而我会吩咐我的十名手下，缴了他的械，再把他绑起来。我会克制住要教他血偿的强烈欲望，这样，您和至高王之间也不至于会有什么非战不可的理由。”
“要是‘华丽水晶’号在你去之前抵达了凯尔帕拉维尔，又该怎么办？”
“我的父亲啊，依这风力，这事儿是不会发生的。”
“我足智多谋的儿子啊，还有最后一点，”蒂斯罗克说道，“要怎么将这外邦女人弄到手，你已经讲得很明白了，但你究竟要怎么帮我攻下纳尼亚呢。”
“我的父亲啊，果然什么都瞒不过您。尽管我和我的人马如离弦之箭般在纳尼亚境内飞快穿梭，但我们却能永远地占据安瓦德。占据了安瓦德，您就是稳坐在了纳尼亚的家门口，接着您可以逐渐壮大卫戍部队，占据天时地利。”
“这话说得有道理，很有远见，但要是行动失败了，我又该如何全身而退呢？”
“您可以推脱说，这一切是我擅作主张，您毫不知情，这次行动非您所愿，也并没有得到您的准许，是狂热的爱情和年轻气盛的血性让我铸成大错。”
“要是到时候至高王要求我们将他的妹妹，那个外邦女人交还回去，又该怎么办？”
“我的父亲啊，我敢保证他不会这么做的。虽然女人出于幻想而拒绝了这桩婚事，但至高王是个审慎且明理的人，与我们这样的王室联姻，将带来至上的荣耀和利益，他是绝不会放弃的。况且，他还指望看着自己的侄子、侄孙登上卡乐门的王位呢。”
“毫无疑问，要是如你所愿，我真的万寿无疆的话，他是绝对看不到这局面了。”蒂斯罗克说道，比平时的语气还要干巴巴。
“我的父亲啊，我的心之所乐啊，还有呀。”经过片刻尴尬的沉默之后，王子说道，“我们可以冒充女王写信，说她是爱我的，不想再回到纳尼亚了。因为众所周知，女人就像风向标一样变化无常。而且，就算他们并不完全相信这些话，他们也不敢武装进攻塔什班城，将她夺回。”
“才高识远的首相啊，”蒂斯罗克说道，“对于这个新奇的建议，还请你不吝赐教。”
“蒂斯罗克万岁，”阿霍什塔答道，“我虽然不能切身体会父爱的伟大，但也常常听人说，在父亲眼中，儿子比红宝石更珍贵。那么，在这件可能危及我们尊贵王子性命的事上，我又怎么敢随心所欲地向您吐露我的拙见呢？”
“毫无疑问，你会敢说的，”蒂斯罗克回道，“因为，你会发现，不管你说不说，结果都一样危险。”
“奉命唯谨，”这个可怜虫支支吾吾地应道，“最最通情达理的蒂斯罗克啊，首先，您要知道，王子的危险并不像看起来的那么大。神祇没有将谨慎之光赐予这些外邦人，他们的诗歌不像我们的诗歌那样，满是精选的格言和有用的谚语，反倒全是对爱情与战争的歌颂。因此，在他们看来，没有什么比疯狂的冒险更高贵、更令人钦佩的了，噢唷！”因为，王子听到“疯狂”这两个字，又踹了他一脚。
“住手，我的儿子啊，”蒂斯罗克说道，“还有你，尊敬的首相，不管他踹没踹你，无论如何，你都不该中断滔滔不绝的雄辩。一个威仪庄重、温文尔雅的人，就应当坚忍不拔地忍受些微小的不便。”
“奉命唯谨，”首相说着，微微扭了扭身子，让自己的下半身离拉巴达什的脚指头远一点，“依我的拙见，在他们看来，这种冒险的举动就算不至于令人尊敬，貌似也是可以被原谅的，尤其当他之所以这么做还是出于对一个女子的爱慕时。因此，就算王子不幸落入他们手中，他们肯定也不会杀了王子的。不但如此，甚至还有可能，即便王子没能成功带走女王，但女王在目睹王子的英勇豪迈和一片丹心后，没准儿还会倾心于王子呢。”
“这话说到点子上了，你这个啰里啰唆的老头子，”拉巴达什说道，“说得好，你这蠢脑袋倒还有些高见嘛。”
“王子，您的称赞真是我的心之所乐啊，”阿霍什塔说道，“其次，蒂斯罗克啊，您的统治必定是千秋万代。我想，在神祇的庇佑下，安瓦德极有可能会落入王子手中，若真如此，我们就扼住了纳尼亚的咽喉之地。”
谈话停顿了许久，房间一下子变得很安静，两个女孩几乎都不敢呼吸。终于，蒂斯罗克说话了。
“行动吧，我的儿子，”他说道，“就照你说的去做吧。但你不要指望我会帮助你或支持你。如果你被杀了，我不会为你报仇；如果外邦人将你关进监狱，我也不会派兵救你。还有，无论成败与否，要是你过犹不及地让纳尼亚王族多流一滴血，从而引发两国的全面战争，我就永远不会再宠爱你，你的弟弟将会取代你在卡乐门的地位。现在，出发吧。动作要迅速，要隐秘，要顺利。愿不屈不挠、不可抗拒的塔什神，赐你的利刃长矛以力量吧。”
“奉命唯谨，”拉巴达什大声说道，他跪了一会儿，吻了吻父亲的双手，之后便冲出了房间。可蒂斯罗克和首相还待着不走，这让阿拉维斯大失所望，当下抖抖索索地缩成一团。
“首相啊，”蒂斯罗克说道，“你能确定没有一个活人会知晓我们三人今晚在这里的密谈吗？”
“我的陛下啊，”阿霍什塔答道，“这事谁也不会知道的。正是出于保密，我才建议您，且陛下英明，恩准了我的提议，我们应该在旧王宫的这个房间会面，这里从未召开过会议，王室里也没有人会有机会来到这儿。”
“那就好，”蒂斯罗克说道，“要是有什么人知道了，我会教他活不过一个钟头的。还有你，谨慎的首相啊，也要忘掉这件事。对于我们所知的王子的全盘计划，我要把它从我的脑子里和你的脑子里统统抹去。他的行动，我毫不知情，也未经允许，我不知道他去了哪里，这全赖于他脾气暴躁、鲁莽轻率、桀骜不驯而又年轻气盛。得知安瓦德竟已落入他的手里，没有人比你我更大吃一惊的了。”
“奉命唯谨。”阿霍什塔说道。
“这就是为什么，即便是在你隐秘的内心深处，你也永远不会想到，我是这样铁石心肠的父亲，竟然会派自己的长子去办一桩无异于送死的差事。这对你来说，倒是乐见其成，因为我看得出来，在你内心深处并不爱王子。”
“完美无瑕的蒂斯罗克啊，”首相说道，“同对于您的爱戴相比，我既谈不上爱王子，也谈不上爱我自己的性命，更谈不上爱面包、水和阳光了。”
“你的见解崇高且正确，”蒂斯罗克说道，“同宝座的荣耀和威武比起来，我也谈不上爱这些东西。要是王子成功了，我们便能坐拥阿钦兰，没准日后还能占据纳尼亚。万一他失败了——我还有其他十八个儿子。至于拉巴达什呢，依着惯例来看，国王的长子这时都会变得摇摇欲坠起来。在塔什班城，不止五位蒂斯罗克未能颐养天年，就是因为他们的长子，英明的王子殿下，对于继承王位已经等得不耐烦了。他最好待到国外去，让自己静下心来，而不是在国内碌碌无为而弄得怒火中烧。好了，杰出的首相啊，作为父亲，过度的思虑使我昏昏欲睡。命乐师到我的寝宫中去。但在你睡下前，追回我们写给第三位厨师的赦免书。我明显觉得有些消化不良。”
“奉命唯谨。”首相说道。他趴在地上，跪着倒退爬到门口，站起身来，鞠了一躬，退了出去。但这时，蒂斯罗克仍旧安安静静地坐在长沙发上，阿拉维斯开始担心他没准儿已经酣然入梦了。但终于，随着一声响亮的吱嘎声和叹息声，他用力直起庞大的身躯，示意奴隶们秉烛走在他前面，走了出去。房门在他背后砰地关上，房间又一次陷入沉沉黑暗，而两个女孩又可以自由呼吸了。
