TheApeputhisheadcloseuptotheyellowthing', —youmightalmostsay, waddled—, andTirianwasoncemorealonewiththecoldandthedarkness.
-grandfather'; rightintheend, fortwomysteriouschildrenhadsuddenlyappearedfromthelandbeyondtheworld'sendandhadrescuedhimsothathecamehometoNarniaandhadalongandprosperousreign.“It'snotlikethatwithme, ” : thoughtaboutRilian'sfather, CaspiantheSeafarer, : forCaspianalsohadbeenhelpedbychildren—onlytherewerefourofthemthattime—whocamefromsomewherebeyondtheworldandfoughtagreatbattleandsethimonhisfather'sthrone.“Butitwasalllongago, ”saidTiriantohimself.“Thatsortofthingdoesn'thappennow.” Andthenheremembered (forhehadalwaysbeengoodathistorywhenhewasaboy) howthosesamefourchildrenwhohadhelpedCaspianhadbeeninNarniaoverathousandyearsbefore; , andafterthattheyhadreigned (allfourofthemtogether) atCairParavel, tilltheywerenolongerchildrenbutgreatKingsandlovelyQueens, , asTiriannowremembered.“Aslan—andchildrenfromanotherworld, ” thoughtTirian.“, ifonlytheycouldnow.”
Andhecalledout “Aslan! Aslan! Aslan! Comeandhelpusnow.”
Butthedarknessandthecoldandthequietnesswentonjustthesame.
“Letmebekilled, ” criedtheKing.“.”
Andstilltherewasnochangeinthenightorthewood, , .“OhAslan, Aslan, ” hewhispered.“Ifyouwillnotcomeyourself, .” Then, hardlyknowingthathewasdoingit, hesuddenlycriedoutinagreatvoice: “Children! Children! FriendsofNarnia! ; ITirian, KingofNarnia, LordofCairParavel, andEmperoroftheLoneIslands! ”
Andimmediatelyhewasplungedintoadream (ifitwasadream) morevividthananyhehadhadinhislife.
, anoldmanwithawhitebeardandanoldwomanwithwise, merry, , certainlyyoungerthanTirianhimself, -hairedgirlyoungerthaneitherofthese, .
Buthehadnotimetothinkaboutdetailslikethat, forinstantlytheyoungerboyandboththegirlsstartedtotheirfeet, : Tiriancouldhearthetinklingnoiseasitbrokeonthefloor.
ThenTirianrealizedthatthesepeoplecouldseehim; -likeonewhosatattheoldman'srightnevermoved (thoughheturnedpale) : “Speak, ifyou'.”
Tirianwaslongingtospeak, andhetriedtocryoutaloudthathewasTirianofNarnia, (asIhavesometimesfoundindreamstoo) thathisvoicemadenonoiseatall.
Theonewhohadalreadyspokentohimrosetohisfeet.“Shadoworspiritorwhateveryouare, ” hesaid, fixinghiseyesfulluponTirian.“IfyouarefromNarnia, IchargeyouinthenameofAslan, .”
TheroombegantoswimbeforeTirian', andallgettingfaintereverysecond, andtheyweresayingthingslike, “Look! It'sfading.” “It'smeltingaway.” “It'svanishing.” Nextmomenthewaswideawake, stilltiedtothetree, , drearylightthatcomesbeforesunrise, andhewassoakingwetwithdew; itwasnearlymorning.
Thatwakingwasabouttheworstmomenthehadeverhadinhislife.
