CHAPTER NINE ACROSS THE DESERT

"HOVE dreadful ! How perfectly dreadful !"whimpered Lasaraleen."Oh darling, I am so frightened. I' m shaking all over.Feel me."

"Come on,"said Aravis, who was trembling herself. "They' ve gone back to the new palace.Once we' re out of this room we' re safe enough. But it' s wasted a terrible time.Get me down to that water-gate as quick as you can."

"Darling, how can you ?"squeaked Lasaraleen."I can' t do anything-not now. My poor nerves ! No: we must just lie still a bit and then go back."

"Why back ?" asked Aravis.

"Oh, you don' t understand. You' re so unsympathetic,"said Lasaraleen, beginning to cry. Aravis decided it was no occasion for mercy.

."Look here !"she said, catching Lasaraleen and giving her a good shake..If you say another word about going back, and if you don' t start taking me to that water-gate at once-do you know what I' ll do ? I' ll rush out into that passage and scream. Then we' ll both be caught."

"But we shall both be k-k-killed !" said Lasaraleen. "Didn't you hear what the Tisroc (may he live for ever) said ?"

"Yes,and I'd sooner be killed than married to Ahoshta. So come on. "

"Oh you are unkind," said Lasaraleen. "And I in such a state !"

But in the end she had to give in to Aravis. She led the way down the steps they had already descended, and along another corridor and so finally out into the open air. They were now in the palace garden which sloped down in terraces to the city wall. The moon shone brightly. One of the drawbacks about adventures is that when you come to the most beautiful places you are often too anxious and hurried to appreciate them;so that Aravis (though she remembered them years later) had only a vague impression of grey lawns, quietly bubbling fountains, and the long black shadows of cypress trees.

When they reached the very bottom and the wall rose frowning above them, Lasaraleen was shaking so that she could not unbolt the gate. Aravis did it. There, at last, was the river, full of reflected moonlight, and a little landing stage and a few pleasure boats.

"Good-bye," said Aravis,"and thank you. I'm sorry if I' ve been a pig.But think what I' m flying from !"

"Oh Aravis darling," said Lasaraleen."Won't you change your mind ? Now that you' ve seen what a very great man Ahoshta is!"

"Great man !" said Aravis."A hideous grovelling slave who flatters when he' s kicked but treasures it all up and hopes to get his own back by egging on that horrible Tisroc to plot his son' s death. Faugh ! I' d sooner marry my father' s scullion than a creature like that."

"Oh Aravis, Aravis ! How can you say such dreadful things;and about the Tisroc (may he live for ever) too. It must be right if he' s going to do it !"

"Good-bye," said Aravis, "and I thought your dresses lovely. And I think your house is lovely too. I' m sure you' ll have a lovely life-though it wouldn' t suit me. Close the door softly behind me."

She tore herself away from her friend' s affectionate embraces, stepped into a punt, cast off, and a moment later was out in midstream with a huge real moon overhead and a huge reflected moon down, deep down, in the river. The air was fresh and cool and as she drew near the farther bank she heard the hooting of an owl."Ah ! That's better !"thought Aravis. She had always lived in the country and had hated every minute of her time in Tashbaan.

When she stepped ashore she found herself in darkness for the rise of the ground, and the trees, cut off the moonlight. But she managed to find the same road that Shasta had found, and came just as he had done to the end of the grass and the beginning of the sand, and looked (like him) to her left and saw the big, black Tombs. And now at last, brave girl though she was, her heart quailed. Supposing the others weren't there!Supposing the ghouls were ! But she stuck out her chin (and a little bit of her tongue too) and went straight towards them.

But before she had reached them she saw Bree and Hwin and the groom.

"You can go back to your mistress now," said Aravis (quite forgetting that he couldn' t, until the city gates opened next morning)."Here is money for your pains. "

"To hear is to obey,"said the groom, and at once set off at a remarkable speed in the direction of the city. There was no need to tell him to make haste: he also had been thinking a good deal about ghouls.

For the next few seconds Aravis was busy kissing the noses and patting the necks of Hwin and Bree just as if they were quite ordinary horses.

"And here comes Shasta !Thanks be to the Lion !" said Bree.

Aravis looked round, and there, right enough, was Shasta who had come out of hiding the moment he saw the groom going away.

"And now, " said Aravis. "There's not a moment to lose." And in hasty words she told them about Rabadash' s expedition.

"Treacherous hounds !" said Bree,shaking his mane and stamping with his hoof."An attack in time of peace, without defiance sent ! But we' ll grease his oats for him. We' ll be there before he is."