“TellthattaleyourownwayforallIcare,” answeredNikabrik.“ButwhetheritwasthattheHornwasblowntoolate, orwhethertherewasnomagicinit, , yougreatclerk, youmastermagician, youknow-all; areyoustillaskingustohangourhopesonAslanandKingPeterandalltherestofit?”
“Imustconfess—Icannotdenyit—thatIamdeeplydisappointedintheresultoftheoperation,” cametheanswer.(“That'llbeDoctorCornelius,” saidTrumpkin.)
“Tospeakplainly,” saidNikabrik, “yourwallet'sempty, youreggsaddled, yourfishuncaught, —”
“Thehelpwillcome,” saidTrufflehunter.“, .”
“Pah!” snarledNikabrik.“'; welosemorethanwecanaffordateveryencounter; ourfollowersareslippingaway.”
“Andwhy?” askedTrufflehunter.“I' (andwent, mostlikely, tohisdeath) were, ‘IfyoumustblowtheHorn, donotletthearmyknowwhyyoublowitorwhatyouhopefromit.' Butthatsameeveningeveryoneseemedtoknow.”
“You'dbetterhaveshovedyourgraysnoutinahornets' nest, Badger, thansuggestthatIamtheblab,” saidNikabrik.“Takeitback, or—”
“Oh, stopit, bothofyou,” saidKingCaspian.“, Iwanttoknowwhothosetwostrangersarewhomhehasbroughtintoourcouncilandwhostandtherewiththeirearsopenandtheirmouthsshut.”
“Theyarefriendsofmine,” saidNikabrik.“AndwhatbetterrighthaveyouyourselftobeherethanthatyouareafriendofTrumpkin'sandtheBadger's? Andwhatrighthasthatolddotardintheblackgowntobehereexceptthatheisyourfriend? WhyamItobetheonlyonewhocan'tbringinhisfriends?”
“HisMajestyistheKingtowhomyouhaveswornallegiance,” saidTrufflehuntersternly.
