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chater ix hata ang the tb（第1页）

SHASTAranlightlyalongtheroofontiptoes.Itfelthottohisbarefeet.Hewasonlyafewsecondsscramblingupthewallatthefarendandwhenhegottothecornerhefoundhimselflookingdownintoanarrow，smellystreet，andtherewasarubbishheapagainsttheoutsideofthewalljustasCorinhadtoldhim.Beforejumpingdownhetookarapidglanceroundhimtogethisbearings.Apparentlyhehadnowcomeoverthecrownoftheisland-hillonwhichTashbaanisbuilt.Everythingslopedawaybeforehim，flatroofsbelowflatroofs，downtothetowersandbattlementsofthecity'sNorthernwall.Beyondthatwastheriverandbeyondtheriverashortslopecoveredwithgardens.Butbeyondthatagaintherewassomethinghehadneverseenthelikeof—agreatyellowish—greything，flatasacalmsea，andstretchingformiles.Onthefarsideofitwerehugebluethings，lumpybutwithjaggededges，andsomeofthemwithwhitetops."

Thedesert!themountains!"

thoughtShasta.

Hejumpeddownontotherubbishandbegantrottingalongdownhillasfastashecouldinthenarrowlane，whichsoonbroughthimintoawiderstreetwherethereweremorepeople.Noonebotheredtolookatalittleraggedboyrunningalongonbarefeet.Still，hewasanxiousanduneasytillheturnedacornerandtheresawthecitygateinfrontofhim.Herehewaspressedandjostledabit，foragoodmanyotherpeoplewerealsogoingout;andonthebridgebeyondthegatethecrowdbecamequiteaslowprocession，morelikeaqueuethanacrowd.Outthere，withclearrunningwateroneachside，itwasdeliciouslyfreshafterthesmellandheatandnoiseofTashbaan.

WhenonceShastahadreachedthefarendofthebridgehefoundthecrowdmeltingaway;everyoneseemedtobegoingeithertotheleftorrightalongtheriverbank.Hewentstraightaheaduparoadthatdidnotappeartobemuchused，betweengardens.Inafewpaceshewasalone，andafewmorebroughthimtothetopoftheslope.Therehestoodandstared.Itwaslikecomingtotheendoftheworldforallthegrassstoppedquitesuddenlyafewfeetbeforehimandthesandbegan:endlesslevelsandlikeonaseashorebutabitrougherbecauseitwasneverwet.Themountains，whichnowlookedfurtheroffthanbefore，loomedahead.Greatlytohisreliefhesaw，aboutfiveminutes'walkawayonhisleft，whatmustcertainlybetheTombs，justasBreehaddescribedthem;greatmassesofmoulderingstoneshapedlikegiganticbee-hive，butalittlenarrower.Theylookedveryblackandgrim，forthesunwasnowsettingrightbehindthem.

HeturnedhisfaceWestandtrottedtowardstheTombs.Hecouldnothelplookingoutveryhardforanysignofhisfriends，thoughthesettingsunshoneinhisfacesothathecouldseehardlyanything."

Andanyway，"

hethought，"

ofcoursethey'llberoundonthefarsideofthefarthestTomb，notthissidewhereanyonemightseethemfromthecity."

TherewereabouttwelveTombs，eachwithalowarcheddoorwaythatopenedintoabsoluteblackness.Theyweredottedaboutinnokindoforder，sothatittookalongtime，goingroundthisoneandgoingroundthatone，beforeyoucouldbesurethatyouhadlookedroundeverysideofeverytomb.ThiswaswhatShastahadtodo.Therewasnobodythere.

Itwasveryquiethereoutontheedgeofthedesert;andnowthesunhadreallyset.

Suddenlyfromsomewherebehindhimtherecameaterriblesound.Shasta'sheartgaveagreatjumpandhehadtobitehistonguetokeephimselffromscreaming.Nextmomentherealizedwhatitwas:thehornsofTashbaanblowingfortheclosingofthegates."

Don'tbeasillylittlecoward，"

saidShastatohimself.

"

Why，it'sonlythesamenoiseyouheardthismorning."

Butthereisagreatdifferencebetweenanoiseheardlettingyouinwithyourfriendsinthemorning，andanoiseheardaloneatnightfall，shuttingyouout.Andnowthatthegateswereshutheknewtherewasnochanceoftheothersjoininghimthatevening."

Eitherthey'reshutupinTashbaanforthenight，"

thoughtShasta，"

orelsethey'vegoneonwithoutme.It'sjustthesortofthingthat

Araviswoulddo.ButBreewouldn't.Oh，hewouldn't.—now，wouldhe?"

InthisideaaboutAravisShastawasoncemorequitewrong.Shewasproudandcouldbehardenoughbutshewasastrueassteelandwouldneverhavedesertedacompanion，whethershelikedhimornot.

NowthatShastaknewhewouldhavetospendthenightalone（itwasgettingdarkereveryminute），hebegantolikethelookoftheplacelessandless.Therewassomethingveryuncomfortableaboutthosegreat，silentshapesofstone.Hehadbeentryinghishardestforalongtimenottothinkofghouls:buthecouldn'tkeepitupanylonger.

"

Ow!Ow!Help!"

heshoutedsuddenly，foratthatverymomenthefeltsomethingtouchhisleg.Idon'tthinkanyonecanbeblamedforshoutingifsomethingcomesupfrombehindandtoucheshim;notinsuchaplaceandatsuchatime，whenheisfrightenedalready.Shastaatanyratewastoofrightenedtorun.AnythingwouldbebetterthanbeingchasedroundandroundtheburialplacesoftheAncientKingswithsomethinghedarednotlookatbehindhim.Instead，hedidwhatwasreallythemostsensiblethinghecoulddo.Helookedround，andhisheartalmostburstwithrelief.Whathadtouchedhimwasonlyacat.

ThelightwastoobadnowforShastatoseemuchofthecatexceptthatitwasbigandverysolemn.Itlookedasifitmighthavelivedforlong，longyearsamongtheTombs，alone.Itseyesmadeyouthinkitknewsecretsitwouldnottell."

Puss，puss，"

saidShasta."

Isupposeyou'renotatalkingcat."

Thecatstaredathimharderthanever.Thenitstartedwalkingaway，andofcourseShastafollowedit.Itledhimrightthroughthetombsandoutonthedesertsideofthem.ThereitsatdownboltuprightwithitstailcurledrounditsfeetanditsfacesettowardsthedesertandtowardsNarniaandtheNorth，asstillasifitwerewatchingforsomeenemy.ShastalaydownbesideitwithhisbackagainstthecatandhisfacetowardstheTombs，becauseifoneisnervousthere'snothinglikehavingyourfacetowardsthedangerandhavingsomethingwarmandsolidatyourback.Thesandwouldn'thaveseemedverycomfortabletoyou，butShastahadbeensleepingonthegroundforweeksandhardlynoticedit.Verysoonhefellasleep，thougheveninhisdreamshewentonwonderingwhathadhappenedtoBreeandAravisandHwin.

Hewaswakenedsuddenlybyanoisehehadneverheardbefore."

Perhapsitwasonlyanightmare，"