CHAPTER SEVEN ARAVIS IN TASHBAAN

WHAT had really happened was this. When Aravis saw Shasta hurried away by the Narnians and found herself alone with two horses who (very wisely) wouldn' t say a word, she never lost her head even for a moment. She grabbed Bree' s halter and stood still, holding both the horses;and though her heart was beating as hard as a hammer, she did nothing to show it. As soon as the Narnian lords had passed she tried to move on again. But before she could take a step, another crier ("Bother all these people"thought Aravis) was heard shouting out,"Way, way, way ! Way for the Tarkheena Lasaraleen !"and immediately, following the crier, came four armed slaves and then four bearers carrying a litter which was all a-flutter with silken curtains and all a-jingle with silver bells and which scented the whole street with perfumes and flowers. After the litter, female slaves in beautiful clothes, and then a few grooms, runners, pages, and the like. And now Aravis made her first mistake. She knew Lasaraleen quite well-almost as if they had been at school together-because they had often stayed in the same houses and been to the same parties. And Aravis couldn' t help looking up to see what Lasaraleen looked like now that she was married and a very great person indeed.

It was fatal. The eyes of the two girls met. And immediately Lasaraleen sat up in the litter and burst out at the top of her voice.

"Aravis ! What on earth are you doing here ? Your father—" There was not a moment to lose.Without a second' s delay Aravis let go the Horses,caught the edge of the litter, swung herself up beside Lasaraleen and whispered furiously in her ear.

"Shut up !Do you hear !Shut up.You must hide me. Tell your people—"

"But darling—"began Lasaraleen in the same loud voice. (She didn' t in the least mind making people stare;in fact she rather liked it.)

"Do what I tell you or I'll never speak to you again," hissed Aravis. "Please, please be quick, Las. It's frightfully important. Tell your people to bring those two horses along. Pull all the curtains of the litter and get away somewhere where I can' t be found.And do hurry."

"All right,darling," said Lasaraleen in her lazy voice. "Here.Two of you take the Tarkheena's horses. " (This was to the slaves.) "And now home.I say,darling,do you think we really want the curtains drawn on a day like this ?I mean to say—" But Aravis had already drawn the curtains, enclosing Lasaraleen and herself in a rich and scented, but rather stuffy, kind of tent.

"I mustn't be seen, "she said. "My father doesn't know I'm here.I' m running away."

"My dear, how perfectly thrilling, "said Lasaraleen. "I'm dying to hear all about it. Darling, you' re sitting on my dress. Do you mind ? That' s better.It is a new one. Do you like it ? I got it at—"

"Oh,Las,do be serious,"said Aravis..Where is my father ?"

"Didn' t you know?"said Lasaraleen..He' s here,of course. He came to town yesterday and is asking about you everywhere. And to think of you and me being here together and his not knowing anything about it ! It' s the funniest thing I ever heard."And she went off into giggles.She always had been a terrible giggler,as Aravis now remembered.

"It isn' t funny at all,"she said..It' s dreadfully serious. Where can you hide me ?"

"No difficulty at all, my dear girl,"said Lasaraleen..I'll take you home. My husband' s away and no one will see you. Phew!It' s not much fun with the curtains drawn.I want to see people.There' s no point in having a new dress on if one' s to go about shut up like this."

"I hope no one heard you when you shouted out to me like that,"said Aravis.

"No,no,of course,darling,"said Lasaraleen absentmindedly..But you haven' teven told me yet what you think of the dress."

"Another thing,"said Aravis..You must tell your people to treat those two horses very respectfully. That' s part of the secret. They' re really Talking Horses from Narnia."

"Fancy !"said Lasaraleen..How exciting !And oh,darling,have you seen the barbarian queen from Narnia ? She' s staying in Tashbaan at present.They say Prince Rabadash is madly in love with her. There have been the most wonderful parties and hunts and things all this last fortnight. I can' t see that she' s so very pretty myself.But some of the Narnian men are lovely. I was taken out on a river party the day before yesterday, and I was wearing my—"

How shall we prevent your people telling everyone that you' ve got a visitor-dressed like a beggar' s brat-in your house ? It might so easily get round to my father."

"Now don' t keep on fussing, there' s a dear,"said Lasaraleen..We' ll get you some proper clothes in a moment. And here we are !"

The bearers had stopped and the litter was being lowered. When the curtains had been drawn Aravis found that she was in a courtyard-garden very like the one that Shasta had been taken into a few minutes earlier in another part of the city. Lasaraleen would have gone indoors at once but Aravis reminded her in a frantic whisper to say something to the slaves about not telling anyone of their mistress' s strange visitor.