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chater ix the adventure f eutace（第1页）

ATthatverymomenttheotherswerewashinghandsandfacesintheriverandgenerallygettingreadyfordinnerandarest．Thethreebestarchershadgoneupintothehillsnorthofthebayandreturnedladenwithapairofwildgoatswhichwerenowroastingoverafire．Caspianhadorderedacaskofwineashore，strongwineofArchenlandwhichhadtobemixedwithwaterbeforeyoudrankit，sotherewouldbeplentyforall．Theworkhadgonewellsofaranditwasamerrymeal．OnlyafterthesecondhelpingofgoatdidEdmundsay，“Where’sthatblighterEustace？”

MeanwhileEustacestaredroundtheunknownvalley．Itwassonarrowanddeep，andtheprecipiceswhichsurroundeditsosheer，thatitwaslikeahugepitortrench．Thefloorwasgrassythoughstrewnwithrocks，andhereandthereEustacesawblackburntpatcheslikethoseyouseeonthesidesofarailwayembankmentinadrysummer．Aboutfifteenyardsawayfromhimwasapoolofclear，smoothwater．Therewas，atfirst，nothing　elseatallinthevalley；notananimal，notabird，notaninsect．Thesunbeatdownandgrimpeaksandhornsofmountainspeeredoverthevalley’sedge．

Eustacerealizedofcoursethatinthefoghehadcomedownthewrongsideoftheridge，soheturnedatoncetoseeaboutgettingback．Butassoonashehadlookedheshuddered．Apparentlyhehadbyamazingluckfoundtheonlypossiblewaydown—alonggreenspitofland，horriblysteepandnarrow，withprecipicesoneitherside．Therewasnootherpossiblewayofgettingback．Butcouldhedoit，nowthathesawwhatitwasreallylike？Hisheadswamattheverythoughtofit．

Heturnedroundagain，thinkingthatatanyratehe’dbetterhaveagooddrinkfromthepoolfirst．Butassoonashehadturnedandbeforehehadtakenastepforwardintothevalleyheheardanoisebehindhim．Itwasonlyasmallnoisebutitsoundedloudinthatimmensesilence．Itfrozehimdead-stillwherehestoodforasecond．Thenheslewedroundhisneckandlooked．

Atthebottomofthecliffalittleonhislefthandwasalow，darkhole—theentrancetoacaveperhaps．Andoutofthistwothinwispsofsmokewerecoming．Andtheloosestonesjustbeneaththedarkhollowweremoving（thatwasthenoisehehadheard）justasifsomethingwerecrawlinginthedarkbehindthem．

Somethingwascrawling．Worsestill，somethingwascomingout．EdmundorLucyoryouwouldhaverecognizeditatonce，butEustacehadreadnoneoftherightbooks．Thethingthatcameoutofthecavewassomethinghehadneverevenimagined—along　lead-colouredsnout，dullredeyes，nofeathersorfur，alonglithebodythattrailedontheground，legswhoseelbowswentuphigherthanitsbacklikeaspider’scruelclaws，bat’swingsthatmadearaspingnoiseonthestones，yardsoftail．Andthelinesofsmokewerecomingfromitstwonostrils．HeneversaidthewordDragontohimself．Norwouldithavemadethingsanybetterifhehad．

Butperhapsifhehadknownsomethingaboutdragonshewouldhavebeenalittlesurprisedatthisdragon’sbehaviour．Itdidnotsitupandclapitswings，nordiditshootoutastreamofflamefromitsmouth．Thesmokefromitsnostrilswaslikethesmokeofafirethatwillnotlastmuchlonger．NordiditseemtohavenoticedEustace．Itmovedveryslowlytowardsthepool—slowlyandwithmanypauses．EveninhisfearEustacefeltthatitwasanold，sadcreature．Hewonderedifhedaredmakeadashfortheascent．Butitmightlookroundifhemadeanynoise．Itmightcomemoretolife．Perhapsitwasonlyshamming．Anyway，whatwastheuseoftryingtoescapebyclimbingfromacreaturethatcouldfly？

Itreachedthepoolandsliditshorriblescalychindownoverthegraveltodrink：butbeforeithaddrunktherecamefromitagreatcroakingorclangingcryandafterafewtwitchesandconvulsionsitrolledroundonitssideandlayperfectlystillwithoneclawintheair．Alittledarkbloodgushedfromitswide-openedmouth．Thesmokefromitsnostrilsturnedblackforamomentandthenfloatedaway．Nomorecame．

ForalongtimeEustacedidnotdaretomove．Perhapsthiswasthebrute’strick，thewayitluredtravellerstotheirdoom．Butonecouldn’twaitforever．Hetookastepnearer，thentwosteps，andhaltedagain．Thedragonremainedmotionless；henoticedtoothattheredfirehadgoneoutofitseyes．Atlasthecameuptoit．Hewasquitesurenowthatitwasdead．Withashudderhetouchedit；nothinghappened．

ThereliefwassogreatthatEustacealmostlaughedoutloud．Hebegantofeelasifhehadfoughtandkilledthedragoninsteadofmerelyseeingitdie．Hesteppedoveritandwenttothepoolforhisdrink，fortheheatwasgettingunbearable．Hewasnotsurprisedwhenheheardapealofthunder．Almostimmediatelyafterwardsthesundisappearedandbeforehehadfinishedhisdrinkbigdropsofrainwerefalling．

Theclimateofthisislandwasaveryunpleasantone．InlessthanaminuteEustacewaswettotheskinandhalfblindedwithsuchrainasoneneverseesinEurope．Therewasnousetryingtoclimboutofthevalleyaslongasthislasted．Heboltedfortheonlyshelterinsight—thedragon’scave．Therehelaydownandtriedtogethisbreath．

Mostofusknowwhatweshouldexpecttofindinadragon’slair，but，asIsaidbefore，Eustacehadreadonlythewrongbooks．Theyhadalottosayaboutexportsandimportsandgovernmentsanddrains，buttheywereweakondragons．Thatiswhyhewassopuzzledatthesurfaceonwhichhewaslying．Partsofitweretoopricklytobestonesandtoohardtobethorns，andthereseemedtobeagreatmanyround，flatthings，anditallclinkedwhenhe　moved．Therewaslightenoughatthecave’smouthtoexamineitby．AndofcourseEustacefoundittobewhatanyofuscouldhavetoldhiminadvance—treasure．Therewerecrowns（thosewerethepricklythings），coins，rings，bracelets，ingots，cups，platesandgems．

Eustace（unlikemostboys）hadneverthoughtmuchoftreasurebuthesawatoncetheuseitwouldbeinthisnewworldwhichhehadsofoolishlystumbledintothroughthepictureinLucy’sbedroomathome．“Theydon’thaveanytaxhere，”hesaid，“andyoudon’thavetogivetreasuretothegovernment．WithsomeofthisstuffIcouldhavequiteadecenttimehere—perhapsinCalormen．Itsoundstheleastphoneyofthesecountries．IwonderhowmuchIcancarry？Thatbraceletnow—thosethingsinitareprobablydiamonds—I’llslipthatonmyownwrist．Toobig，butnotifIpushitrightuphereabovemyelbow．Thenfillmypocketswithdiamonds—that’seasierthangold．Iwonderwhenthisinfernalrain’sgoingtoletup？”Hegotintoalessuncomfortablepartofthepile，whereitwasmostlycoins，andsettleddowntowait．Butabadfright，whenonceitisover，andespeciallyabadfrightfollowingamountainwalk，leavesyouverytired．Eustacefellasleep．

Bythetimehewassoundasleepandsnoringtheothershadfinisheddinnerandbecameseriouslyalarmedabouthim．Theyshouted，“Eustace！Eustace！Coo-ee！”tilltheywerehoarseandCaspianblewhishorn．

“He’snowherenearorhe’dhaveheardthat，”saidLucywithawhiteface．

“Confoundthefellow，”saidEdmund．“Whatonearthdidhewanttoslinkawaylikethisfor？”

“Butwemustdosomething，”saidLucy．“Hemayhavegotlost，orfallenintoahole，orbeencapturedbysavages．”

“Orkilledbywildbeasts，”saidDrinian．

“Andagoodriddanceifhehas，Isay，”mutteredRhince．

“MasterRhince，”saidReepicheep，“youneverspokeawordthatbecameyouless．ThecreatureisnofriendofminebutheisoftheQueen’sblood，andwhileheisoneofourfellowshipitconcernsourhonourtofindhimandtoavengehimifheisdead．”

“Ofcoursewe’vegottofindhim（ifwecan），”saidCaspianwearily．“That’sthenuisanceofit．Itmeansasearchpartyandendlesstrouble．BotherEustace．”

MeanwhileEustacesleptandslept—andslept．Whatwokehimwasapaininhisarm．Themoonwasshininginatthemouthofthecave，andthebedoftreasuresseemedtohavegrownmuchmorecomfortable：infacthecouldhardlyfeelitatall．Hewaspuzzledbythepaininhisarmatfirst，butpresentlyitoccurredtohimthatthebraceletwhichhehadshovedupabovehiselbowhadbecomestrangelytight．Hisarmmusthaveswollenwhilehewasasleep（itwashisleftarm）．

Hemovedhisrightarminordertofeelhisleft，butstoppedbeforehehadmoveditaninchandbithislipinterror．Forjustinfrontofhim，andalittleonhisright，wherethemoonlightfellclearonthefloorofthecave，hesawahideousshapemoving．

Heknewthatshape：itwasadragon’sclaw．Ithadmovedashemovedhishandandbecamestillwhenhestoppedmovinghishand．

“Oh，whatafoolI’vebeen，”thoughtEustace．“Ofcourse，thebrutehadamateandit’slyingbesideme．”

Forseveralminuteshedidnotdaretomoveamuscle．Hesawtwothincolumnsofsmokegoingupbeforehiseyes，blackagainstthemoonlight；justastherehadbeensmokecomingfromtheotherdragon’snosebeforeitdied．Thiswassoalarmingthatheheldhisbreath．Thetwocolumnsofsmokevanished．Whenhecouldholdhisbreathnolongerheletitoutstealthily；instantlytwojetsofsmokeappearedagain．Butevenyethehadnoideaofthetruth．

Presentlyhedecidedthathewouldedgeverycautiouslytohisleftandtrytocreepoutofthecave．Perhapsthecreaturewasasleep—andanywayitwashisonlychance．Butofcoursebeforeheedgedtothelefthelookedtotheleft．Ohhorror！Therewasadragon’sclawonthatsidetoo．

NoonewillblameEustaceifatthismomentheshedtears．Hewassurprisedatthesizeofhisowntearsashesawthemsplashingontothetreasureinfrontofhim．Theyalsoseemedstrangelyhot；steamwentupfromthem．