“Wellnow,” saidTrufflehunter, “youdon'tsayso!”
“Eh?” saidTrumpkin.“What'sthat? Whathaveyoubeendoing, Human, tofallfoulofMirazatyourage?”
“He'smyuncle,” beganCaspian, whenNikabrikjumpedupwithhishandonhisdagger.
“Thereyouare!” hecried.“?” HewouldhavestabbedCaspianthenandthere, iftheBadgerandTrumpkinhadnotgotinthewayandforcedhimbacktohisseatandheldhimdown.
“Now, onceandforall, Nikabrik,” saidTrumpkin.“Willyoucontainyourself, ormustTrufflehunterandIsitonyourhead?”
Nikabriksulkilypromisedtobehave, 'ssilence.
“ThisisthequeerestthingIeverheard,” saidTrumpkin.
“Idon'tlikeit,” saidNikabrik.“Ididn', ''sallmixedupwiththatTutor: ' '—nogoodwillcomeofit.
“Don'tyougotalkingaboutthingsyoudon'tunderstand, Nikabrik,” saidTrufflehunter.“YouDwarfsareasforgetfulandchangeableastheHumansthemselves.I'mabeast, Iam, andaBadgerwhat'''vegothere: atrueKing, , evenifDwarfsforget, thatNarniawasneverrightexceptwhenasonofAdamwasKing.”
“Whistlesandwhirligigs! Trufflehunter,” saidTrumpkin.“Youdon'tmeanyouwanttogivethecountrytoHumans?”
“Isaidnothingaboutthat,” answeredtheBadger.“It'snotMen'scountry (whoshouldknowthatbetterthanme? ) butit', blessusall, wasn'ttheHighKingPeteraMan?”
“Doyoubelieveallthoseoldstories?” askedTrumpkin.
“Itellyou, wedon'tchange, webeasts,” saidTrufflehunter.“Wedon', asfirmlyasIbelieveinAslanhimself.”
“Asfirmlyasthat, Idaresay,” saidTrumpkin.“ButwhobelievesinAslannowadays?”
“Ido,” saidCaspian.“AndifIhadn'tbelievedinhimbefore, : .”
“That'sright,” saidTrufflehunter.“You'reright, , .”
“Youmakemesick, Badger,” growledNikabrik.“TheHighKingPeterandtherestmayhavebeenMen, 'tyou, now?” headded, roundingsuddenlyonCaspian.
“Well, totellyouthetruth, Ihave,” saidCaspian.“Buttheyweren'tTalkingBeasts.”
“It'sallthesamething,” saidNikabrik.
“No, no, no,” saidTrufflehunter.“Youknowitisn', witlesscreaturesyou'''refarmoredifferentfromusthanthehalf-Dwarfsarefromyou.”
Therewasagreatdealmoretalk, butitallendedwiththeagreementthatCaspianshouldstayandeventhepromisethat, assoonashewasabletogoout, heshouldbetakentoseewhatTrumpkincalled “theOthers”; forapparentlyinthesewildpartsallsortsofcreaturesfromtheOldDaysofNarniastilllivedoninhiding.
