《能言馬與男孩》第57期:南征隱士(4)

They were in a wide and perfectly circular enclosure, protected by a high wall of green turf. A pool of perfectly still water, so full that the water was almost exactly level with the ground, lay before him. At one end of the pool, completely overshadowing it with its branches, there grew the hugest and most beautiful tree that Shasta had ever seen. Beyond the pool was a little low house of stone roofed with deep and ancient thatch. There was a sound of bleating and over at the far side of the enclosure there were some goats. The level ground was completely covered with the finest grass.

"Are - are - are you," panted Shasta. "Are you King Lune of Archenland?"

The old man shook his head. "No," he replied in a quiet voice, "I am the Hermit of the Southern March. And now, my son, waste no time on questions, but obey. This damsel is wounded. Your horses are spent. Rabadash is at this moment finding a ford over the Winding Arrow. If you run now, without a moment's rest, you will still be in time to warn King Lune."

Shasta's heart fainted at these words for he felt he had no strength left. And he writhed inside at what seemed the cruelty and unfairness of the demand. He had not yet learned that if you do one good deed your reward usually is to be set to do another and harder and better one. But all he said out loud was:

"Where is the King?"

The Hermit turned and pointed with his staff. "Look," he said. "There is another gate, right opposite to the one you entered by. Open it and go straight ahead: always straight ahead, over level or steep, over smooth or rough, over dry or wet. I know by my art that you will find King Lune straight ahead. But run, run: always run."

Shasta nodded his head, ran to the northern gate and disappeared beyond it. Then the Hermit took Aravis, whom he had all this time been supporting with his left arm, and half led, half carried her into the house. After a long time he came out again.

"Now, cousins," he said to the Horses. "It is your turn."

Without waiting for an answer - and indeed they were too exhausted to speak - he took the bridles and saddles off both of them. Then he rubbed them both down, so well that a groom in a King's stable could not have done it better.

"There, cousins," he said, "dismiss it all from your minds and be comforted. Here is water and there is grass. You shall have a hot mash when I have milked my other cousins, the goats."

"Sir," said Hwin, finding her voice at last, "will the Tarkheena live? Has the lion killed her?"

"I who know many present things by my art," replied the Hermit with a smile, "have yet little knowledge of things future. Therefore I do not know whether any man or woman or beast in the whole world will be alive when the sun sets tonight. But be of good hope. The damsel is likely to live as long as any of her age."

他們是在一個寬大的圓形圍場裏，四周有一道草皮疊成的綠色高牆保護。他們的面前是一濁十分平靜的池水，水面幾乎同地面齊平。池水的另一頭，生長着沙斯塔從未見過的、最大最美麗的樹木，枝繁葉茂，遮蔽着池水。池塘後面是一間低矮的小石頭房子，茅草屋頂又厚又陳舊。還傳來咩咩的羊鳴聲，有些山羊在圍場遠遠的一邊。平坦的地面上鋪滿了鮮美的青草。

“你是——”沙斯塔氣喘吁吁地問道，”你是阿欽蘭的倫恩國王嗎？”

老人搖搖頭。”不，”他答道，聲音輕輕的，”我是南征隱士。聽着，我的兒子，別浪費時間打聽了，照我的話辦吧。這位小姐受傷了。你們的馬筋疲力盡了。拉巴達什此刻在旋箭河上已經找到了可以涉水而過的地點。如果你現在就飛跑而去，一刻也不休息，你將仍舊來得及向倫恩國王報警。”

沙斯塔聽到這話心涼了半截，因爲他覺得他的力氣已經用盡了，一點也不剩了。他內心苦惱，覺得對他的要求似乎太冷酷、太不公平了。他還沒有懂得如果你做了一樁好事情，給你的報酬往往是叫你去幹另一樁更艱難更高尚的事情。但沙斯塔只是大聲問道:+

“國王在哪兒？”

隱士轉過身去，用他的手杖一指。”瞧，”他說，”還有一個門，正對着你們進來的這個大門。打開那個門，筆直往前走去。始終筆直往前走去，經過平坦的或是陡峭的地方，經過乾燥或潮溼的地方。我憑我的法術推算得出你筆直往前走去，就會找到倫恩國王。可是你要飛跑，飛跑，始終飛跑。”

沙斯塔點點頭，向北邊的那個門跑去，在門外消失了。隱士一直用左臂支撐着阿拉維斯，這時他就半攙半拉地把她送進了石屋。好久以後，他又從石屋裏出來了。

“哦，夥計們，”他對馬兒說道，”現在輪到你們了。”

也不等它們回答——事實上它們已疲乏得話都說不出來了——他就從它們身上卸下馬勒和馬鞍，用力按摩兩匹馬兒的全身，即使是國王御廄裏的侍從也不會按摩得那麼好。

“聽着，夥計們，”他說，”把這一切都忘了吧，寬寬心吧。這兒是水，那兒是青草。等我給我其他的夥計們——山羊們——擠過奶，你們就有熱飼料可吃了。”

“先生，”赫溫說道，它終於緩過氣來了，”泰克希娜生命不危險吧？獅子殺了她嗎？“

“我憑我的法術知道許多當前的事情，”隱士微微一笑，答道，”對於未來的事情，我還無從知道。今夜太陽落山時整個世界上任何男子、婦女或牲口是否會活下去，我可不知道。但是，你要抱有希望。小姐可能壽很長，可以終其天年。”