CHAPTER SEVEN ARAVIS IN TASHBAAN（第2/4页）

"Sorry, darling, it had gone right out of my head,"saidLasareleen. "Here. All of you. And you, doorkeeper. No one is to be let out of the house today. And anyone I catch talking about this young lady will be first beaten to death and then burned alive and after that be kept on bread and water for six weeks.There."

Although Lasaraleen had said she was dying to hear Aravis' s story,she showed no sign of really wanting to hear it at all. She was,in fact,much better at talking than at listening. She insisted on Aravis having a long and luxurious bath (Calormene baths are famous) and then dressing her up in the finest clothes before she would let her explain anything.The fuss she made about choosing the dresses nearly drove Aravis mad. She remembered now that Lasaraleen had always been like that, interested in clothes and parties and gossip. Aravis had always been more interested in bows and arrows and horses and dogs and swimming.You will guess that each thought the other silly. But when at last they were both seated after a meal (it was chiefly of the whipped cream and jelly and fruit and ice sort) in a beautiful pillared room (which Aravis would have liked better if Lasaraleen' s spoiled pet monkey hadn' t been climbing about it all the time), Lasaraleen at last asked her why she was running away from home.

When Aravis had finished telling her story, Lasaraleen said, "But,darling, why don't you marry Ahoshta Tarkaan ? Everyone' s crazy about him.My husband says he is beginning to be one of the greatest men in Calormen.He has just been made Grand Vizier now old Axartha has died.Didn't you know ?"

"I don't care.I can't stand the sight of him," said Aravis.

"But, darling, only think ! Three palaces, and one of them that beautiful one down on the lake at Ilkeen. Positively ropes of pearls, I' m told. Baths of asses' milk. And you' d see such a lot of me."

"He can keep his pearls and palaces as far as I'm concerned," said Aravis.

"You always were a queer girl,Aravis," said Lasaraleen. "What more do you want ?"

In the end, however, Aravis managed to make her friend believe that she was in earnest and even to discuss plans. There would be no difficulty now about getting the two horses out of the North gate and then on to the Tombs. No one would stop or question a groom in fine clothes leading a war horse and a lady' s saddle horse down to the river, and Lasaraleen had plenty of grooms to send. It wasn' t so easy to decide what to do about Aravis herself. She suggested that she could be carried out in the litter with the curtains drawn. But Lasaraleen told her that litters were only used in the city and the sight of one going out through the gate would be certain to lead to questions.

When they had talked for a long time-and it was all the longer because Aravis found it hard to keep her friend to the point-at last Lasaraleen clapped her hands and said,"Oh, I have an idea. There is one way of getting out of the city without using the gates. The Tisroc' s garden (may he live for ever !) runs right down to the water and there is a little water-door. Only for the palace people of course-but then you know, dear. "(here she tittered a little) "We almost are palace people. I say, it is lucky for you that you came to me. The dear Tisroc (may he live for ever !) is so kind. We' re asked to the palace almost every day and it is like a second home. I love all the dear princes and princesses and I positively adore Prince Rabadash. I might run in and see any of the palace ladies at any hour of the day or night. Why shouldn' t I slip in with you, after dark, and let you out by the water-door ? There are always a few punts and things tied up outside it. And even if we were caught—"

"All would be lost,"said Aravis.

"Oh darling, don' t get so excited,"said Lasaraleen.. I was going to say, even if we were caught everyone would only say it was one of my mad jokes. I'm getting quite well known for them. Only the other day-do listen, dear, this is frightfully funny—"

"I meant, all would be lost for me,"said Aravis a little sharply.

"Oh-ah-yes-I do see what you mean, darling. Well, can you think of any better plan ?"

Aravis couldn' t, and answered,.No. We' ll have to risk it. When can we start ?"

"Oh, not tonight,"said Lasaraleen..Of course not tonight. There' s a great feast on tonight (I must start getting my hair done for it in a few minutes) and the whole place will be a blaze of lights. And such a crowd too !It would have to be tomorrow night."

This was bad news for Aravis,but she had to make the best of it. The afternoon passed very slowly and it was a relief when Lasaraleen went out to the banquet, for Aravis was very tired of her giggling and her talk about dresses and parties, weddings and engagements and scandals. She went to bed early and that part she did enjoy: it was so nice to have pillows and sheets again.

But the next day passed very slowly.Lasaraleen wanted to go back on the whole arrangement and kept on telling Aravis that Narnia was a country of perpetual snow and ice inhabited by demons and sorcerers,and she was mad to think of going there. .And with a peasant boy,too !"said Lasaraleen..Darling, think of it ! It' s not Nice."Aravis had thought of it a good deal, but she was so tired of Lasaraleen' s silliness by now that,for the first time,she began to think that travelling with Shasta was really rather more fun than fashionable life in Tashbaan.So she only replied,.You forget that I' ll be nobody, just like him, when we get to Narnia.And anyway, I promised."