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chater ixteen the very end f the wrld（第1页）

REEPICHEEPwastheonlypersononboardbesidesDrinianandthetwoPevensieswhohadnoticedtheSeaPeople．HehaddivedinatoncewhenhesawtheSeaKingshakinghisspear，forheregardedthisasasortofthreatorchallengeandwantedtohavethematteroutthereandthen．Theexcitementofdiscoveringthatthewaterwasnowfreshhaddistractedhisattention，andbeforeherememberedtheSeaPeopleagainLucyandDrinianhadtakenhimasideandwarnedhimnottomentionwhathehadseen．

Asthingsturnedouttheyneedhardlyhavebothered，forbythistimetheDawnTreaderwasglidingoverapartoftheseawhichseemedtobeuninhabited．NooneexceptLucysawanythingmoreofthePeople，andevenshehadonlyoneshortglimpse．Allmorningonthefollowingdaytheysailedinfairlyshallowwaterandthebottomwasweedy．JustbeforemiddayLucysawalargeshoaloffishesgrazingontheweed．Theywerealleatingsteadilyandallmovinginthesamedirection．“Justlikeaflockofsheep，”thoughtLucy．SuddenlyshesawalittleSeaGirlofaboutherownageinthemiddleofthem—aquiet，lonely-lookinggirlwithasortofcrookinherhand．Lucyfeltsurethatthisgirlmustbeashepherdess—orperhapsafish-herdess—andthattheshoalwasreallyaflockatpasture．Boththefishesandthegirlwerequiteclosetothesurface．Andjustasthegirl，glidingintheshallowwater，andLucy，leaningoverthebulwark，cameoppositetooneanother，thegirllookedupandstaredstraightintoLucy’sface．NeithercouldspeaktotheotherandinamomenttheSeaGirldroppedastern．ButLucywillneverforgetherface．ItdidnotlookfrightenedorangrylikethoseoftheotherSeaPeople．Lucyhadlikedthatgirlandshefeltcertainthegirlhadlikedher．Inthatonemomenttheyhadsomehowbecomefriends．Theredoesnotseemtobemuchchanceoftheirmeetingagaininthatworldoranyother．Butifevertheydotheywillrushtogetherwiththeirhandsheldout．

Afterthatformanydays，withoutwindinhershroudsorfoamatherbows，acrossawavelesssea，theDawnTreaderglidedsmoothlyeast．Everydayandeveryhourthelightbecamemorebrilliantandstilltheycouldbearit．Nooneateorsleptandnoonewantedto，buttheydrewbucketsofdazzlingwaterfromthesea，strongerthanwineandsomehowwetter，moreliquid，thanordinarywater，andpledgedoneanothersilentlyindeepdraughtsofit．Andoneortwoofthesailorswhohadbeenoldishmenwhenthevoyagebegannowgrewyoungereveryday．Everyoneonboardwasfilledwithjoyandexcitement，butnotanexcitementthatmadeonetalk．Thefurthertheysailedthelesstheyspoke，andthenalmostinawhisper．Thestillnessofthatlastsealaidholdonthem．

“MyLord，”saidCaspiantoDrinianoneday，“whatdoyouseeahead？”

“Sire，”saidDrinian，“Iseewhiteness．Allalongthehorizonfromnorthtosouth，asfarasmyeyescanreach．”

“ThatiswhatIseetoo，”saidCaspian，“andIcannotimaginewhatitis．”

“Ifwewereinhigherlatitudes，yourMajesty，”saidDrinian，“Iwouldsayitwasice．Butitcan’tbethat；nothere．Allthesame，we’dbettergetmentotheoarsandholdtheshipbackagainstthecurrent．Whateverthestuffis，wedon’twanttocrashintoitatthisspeed！”

TheydidasDriniansaid，andsocontinuedtogoslowerandslower．Thewhitenessdidnotgetanylessmysteriousastheyapproachedit．Ifitwaslanditmustbeaverystrangeland，foritseemedjustassmoothasthewaterandonthesamelevelwithit．WhentheygotveryclosetoitDrinianputthehelmhardoverandturnedtheDawnTreadersouthsothatshewasbroadsideontothecurrentandrowedalittlewaysouthwardalongtheedgeofthewhiteness．Insodoingtheyaccidentallymadetheimportantdiscoverythatthecurrentwasonlyaboutfortyfeetwideandtherestoftheseaasstillasapond．Thiswasgoodnewsforthecrew，whohadalreadybeguntothinkthatthereturnjourneytoRamandu’sland，rowingagainststreamalltheway，wouldbeprettypoorsport．（Italsoexplainedwhytheshepherdgirlhaddroppedsoquicklyastern．Shewasnotinthecurrent．Ifshehadbeenshewouldhavebeenmovingeastatthesamespeedastheship．）

Andstillnoonecouldmakeoutwhatthewhitestuffwas．Thentheboatwasloweredanditputofftoinvestigate．ThosewhoremainedontheDawnTreadercouldseethattheboatpushedrightinamidstthewhiteness．Thentheycouldhearthevoicesofthepartyintheboat（clearacrossthestillwater）talkinginashrillandsurprisedway．ThentherewasapausewhileRynelfinthebowsoftheboattookasounding；andwhen，afterthat，theboatcamerowingbackthereseemedtobeplentyofthewhitestuffinsideher．Everyonecrowdedtothesidetohearthenews．

“Lilies，yourMajesty！”shoutedRynelf，standingupinthebows。

“Whatdidyousay？”askedCaspian．

“Bloominglilies，yourMajesty，”saidRynelf．“Sameasinapoolorinagardenathome．”

“Look！”saidLucy，whowasinthesternoftheboat．Sheheldupherwetarmsfullofwhitepetalsandbroadflatleaves．

“What’sthedepth，Rynelf？”askedDrinian．

“That’sthefunnything，Captain，”saidRynelf．“It’sstilldeep．Threeandahalffathomsclear．”

“Theycan’tbereallilies—notwhatwecalllilies，”saidEustace．

Probablytheywerenot，buttheywereverylikethem．Andwhen，aftersomeconsultation，theDawnTreaderturnedbackintothecurrentandbegantoglideeastwardthroughtheLilyLakeortheSilverSea（theytriedboththesenamesbutitwastheSilverSeathatstuckandisnowonCaspian’smap）thestrangestpartoftheirtravelsbegan．Verysoontheopenseawhichtheywereleavingwasonlyathinrimofblueonthewesternhorizon．Whiteness，shotwithfaintestcolourofgold，spreadroundthemoneveryside，exceptjustasternwheretheirpassagehadthrusttheliliesapartandleftanopenlaneofwaterthatshonelikedarkgreenglass．Tolookat，thislastseawasveryliketheArctic；andiftheireyeshadnotbynowgrownasstrongaseagles’thesunonallthatwhiteness—especiallyatearlymorningwhenthesunwashugest—wouldhavebeenunbearable．Andeveryeveningthesamewhitenessmadethedaylightlastlonger．Thereseemednoendtothelilies．DayafterdayfromallthosemilesandleaguesofflowersthereroseasmellwhichLucyfounditveryhardtodescribe；sweet—yes，butnotatallsleepyoroverpowering，afresh，wild，lonelysmellthatseemedtogetintoyourbrainandmakeyoufeelthatyoucouldgoupmountainsatarunorwrestlewithanelephant．SheandCaspiansaidtooneanother，“IfeelthatIcan’tstandmuchmoreofthis，yetIdon’twantittostop．”

Theytooksoundingsveryoftenbutitwasonlyseveraldayslaterthatthewaterbecameshallower．Afterthatitwentongettingshallower．Therecameadaywhentheyhadtorowoutofthecurrentandfeeltheirwayforwardatasnail’space，rowing．AndsoonitwasclearthattheDawnTreadercouldsailnofurthereast．Indeeditwasonlybyverycleverhandlingthattheysavedherfromgrounding．

“Lowertheboat，”criedCaspian，“andthencallthemenaft．Imustspeaktothem．”

“What’shegoingtodo？”whisperedEustacetoEdmund．“There’saqueerlookinhiseyes．”

“Ithinkweprobablyalllookthesame，”saidEdmund．

TheyjoinedCaspianonthepoopandsoonallthemenwerecrowdedtogetheratthefootoftheladdertoheartheKing’sspeech．

“Friends，”saidCaspian，“wehavenowfulfilledthequestonwhichyouembarked．ThesevenlordsareallaccountedforandasSirReepicheephasswornnevertoreturn，whenyoureachRamandu’sLandyouwilldoubtlessfindtheLordsRevilianandArgozandMavramornawake．Toyou，myLordDrinian，Ientrustthisship，biddingyousailtoNarniawithallthespeedyoumay，andaboveallnottolandontheIslandofDeathwater．Andinstructmyregent，theDwarfTrumpkin，togivetoallthese，myshipmates，therewardsIpromisedthem．Theyhavebeenearnedwell．AndifIcomenotagainitismywillthattheRegent，andMasterCornelius，andTrufflehuntertheBadger，andtheLordDrinianchooseaKingofNarniawiththeconsent—”

“But，Sire，”interruptedDrinian，“areyouabdicating？”

“IamgoingwithReepicheeptoseetheWorld’sEnd，”saidCaspian。

Alowmurmurofdismayranthroughthesailors．

“Wewilltaketheboat，”saidCaspian．“YouwillhavenoneedofitinthesegentleseasandyoumustbuildanewoneonRamandu’sisland．Andnow—”

“Caspian，”saidEdmundsuddenlyandsternly，“youcan’tdothis．”

“Mostcertainly，”saidReepicheep，“hisMajestycannot．”

“Noindeed，”saidDrinian．

“Can’t？”saidCaspiansharply，lookingforamomentnotunlikehisuncleMiraz．

“BeggingyourMajesty’spardon，”saidRynelffromthedeckbelow，“butifoneofusdidthesameitwouldbecalleddeserting．”

“Youpresumetoomuchonyourlongservice，Rynelf，”saidCaspian。

“No，Sire！He’sperfectlyright，”saidDrinian．

“BytheManeofAslan，”saidCaspian，“Ihadthoughtyouwereallmysubjectshere，notmyschoolmasters．”

“I’mnot，”saidEdmund，“andIsayyoucannotdothis．”

“Can’tagain，”saidCaspian．“Whatdoyoumean？”

“IfitpleaseyourMajesty，wemeanshallnot，”saidReepicheepwithaverylowbow．“YouaretheKingofNarnia．Youbreakfaithwithallyoursubjects，andespeciallywithTrumpkin，ifyoudonotreturn．Youshallnotpleaseyourselfwithadventuresasifyouwereaprivateperson．AndifyourMajestywillnothearreasonitwillbethetruestloyaltyofeverymanonboardtofollowmeindisarmingandbindingyoutillyoucometoyoursenses．”

“Quiteright，”saidEdmund．“LiketheydidwithUlysseswhenhewantedtogoneartheSirens．”

Caspian’shandhadgonetohisswordhilt，whenLucysaid，“Andyou’vealmostpromisedRamandu’sdaughtertogoback．”