hardest2狗和骨头同hardest 2

CHAPTER FOURTEEN THE BEGINNING OF THE END OF THE WORLD

Slowly the door opened again and out there came a figure as tall and straight as the girl’s but not so slender. It carried no light but light seemed to come from it. As it came nearer, Lucy saw that it was like an old man. His silver beard came down to his bare feet in front and his silver hair hung down to his heels behind and his robe appeared to be made from the fleece of silver sheep. He looked so mild and grave that once more all the travelers rose to their feet and stood in silence.

But the old man came on without speaking to the travelers and stood on the other side of the table opposite to his daughter. Then both of them held up their arms before them and turned to face the east. In that position they began to sing. I wish I could write down the song, but no one who was present could remember it. Lucy said afterward that it was high, almost shrill, but very beautiful, cold kind of song, an early morning kind of song. And they sang, the gray clouds lifted from the eastern sky and the white patches grew bigger and bigger till it was white, and the sea began to shine like silver. And long afterward（but those two sang all the time）the east began to turn red and at last, unclouded, the sun came up out the sea and its long level ray shot down the length of the table on the gold and silver sand on the Stone Knife.

Once or twice before, the Narnians had wondered whether the sun at its rising did not look bigger in these seas than it had looked at home. This time they we certain. There was no mistaking it. And the brightness its ray on the dew and on the table was far beyond any morning brightness they had ever seen. And as Edmund said afterward, “Though lots of things happened on that trip which sound more exciting, that moment was really the most exciting.” For now they knew that they had truly come to the beginning of the End of the World.

Then something seemed to be flying at them out of the very center of the rising sun：but of course one couldn’t look steadily in that direction to make sure. But presently the air became full of voices—voices which took up same song that the Lady and her Father were singing, but in far wilder tones and in a language which no one knew. And soon after that the owners of these voices could be seen. They were birds, large and white, and they came by hundreds and thousands and alighted on everything; on the grass, and the pavement, on the table, on your shoulders, your hands, and your head, till it looked as if heavy snow had fallen. For, like snow, they not only make everything white but blurred and blunted all shapes. But Lucy, looking out from between the wings of the birds that covered her, saw one bird fly to the Old Man with something in its beak that looked like a little fruit, unless it was a little live coal, which it might have been, for it was too bright to look at. And the bird laid it in the Old Man’s mouth.

Then the birds stopped their singing and appeared to be very busy about the table. When they rose from it again everything on the table that could be eaten or drunk had disappeared. These birds rose from their meal in their thousands and hundreds and carried away all the things that could not be eaten or drunk, such as bones, rinds, and shells, and took their flight back to the rising sun. But now, because they were not singing, the whir of their wings seemed to set the whole air a-tremble. And there was the table pecked clean and empty, and the three old Lords of Narnia still fast asleep.

Now at last the Old Man turned to the travelers and bade them welcome.

“Sir,” said Caspian, “will you tell us how to undo the enchantment which holds these three Narnian Lords asleep.”

“I will gladly tell you that, my son,” said the Old Man. “To break this enchantment you must sail to the World’s End, or as near as you can come to it, and you must come back having left at least one of your company behind.”

“And what must happen to that one?” asked Reepicheep.

“He must go on into the utter east and never return into the world.”

“That is my heart’s desire,” said Reepicheep.

“And are we near the World’s End now, Sir?” asked Caspian. “Have you any knowledge of the seas and lands further east than this?”

“I saw them long ago,” said the Old Man, “but it was from a great height. I cannot tell you such things as sailors need to know.”

“Do you mean you were flying in the air?” Eustace blurted out.

“I was a long way above the air, my son,” replied the Old Man. “I am Ramandu. But I see that you stare at one another and have not heard this name. And no wonder, for the days when I was a star had ceased long before any of you knew this world, and all the constellations have changed.”

“Golly,” said Edmund under his breath. “He’s a retired star.”

“Aren’t you a star any longer?” asked Lucy.

“I am a star at rest, my daughter,” answered Ramandu. “When I set for the last time, decrepit and old beyond all that you can reckon, I was carried to this island. I am not so old now as I was then. Every morning a bird brings me a fire-berry from the valleys in the Sun, and each fire-berry takes away a little of my age. And when I have become as young as the child that was born yesterday, then I shall take my rising again（for we are at earth’s eastern rim）and once more tread the great dance.”

“In our world,” said Eustace, “a star is a huge ball of flaming gas.”

“Even in your world, my son, that is not what a star is but only what it is made of. And in this world you have already met a star, for I think you have been with Coriakin.”

“Is he a retired star, too?” said Lucy.

“Well, not quite the same,” said Ramandu. “It was not quite as a rest than he was set to govern the Duffers. You might call it a punishment. He might have shone for thousands of years more in the southern winter sky if all had gone well.”

“What did he do, Sir?” asked Caspian.

“My son,” said Ramandu, “it is not for you, a son of Adam, to know what faults a star can commit. But come, we waste time in such talk. Are you yet resolved? Will you sail further east and come again, leaving one to return no more, and so break the enchantment? Or will you sail westward?”

“Surely, Sire,” said Reepicheep, “there is no question about that? It is very plainly part of our quest to rescue these three lords from enchantment.”

“I think the same, Reepicheep,” replied Caspian. “And even if it were not so, it would break my heart not to go as near the World’s End as the Dawn Treader will take us. But I am thinking of the crew. They signed on to seek the seven lords, not to reach the rim of the Earth. If we sail east from here we sail to find the edge, the utter east. And not one knows how far it is. They’re brave fellows, but I set signs that some of them are weary of the voyage and long to have our prow pointing to Narnia again. I don’t think I should take them further without their knowledge and consent. And then there’s the poor Lord Rhoop. He’s broken man.”

“My son,” said the star, “it would be no use, even though you wished it, to sail for the World’s End with men unwilling or men deceived. That is not how great unenchantments are achieved. They must know where they go and why. But who is this broken man you speak of?”

Caspian told Ramandu the story of Rhoop.

“I can give him what he needs most,” said Ramandu. “In this island there is sleep without stint or measure, and sleep in which no faintest footfall of a dream was ever heard. Let him sit beside these other three and drink oblivion till you return.”

“Oh, do let’s do that, Caspian,” said Lucy. “I’m sure its just what he would love.”

At that moment they were interrupted by the sound of many feet and voices：Drinian and the rest of the ship company were approaching. They halted in surprise when they saw Ramandu and his daughter; and then, because these were obviously great people, every man uncovered his head. Some sailors eyed the empty dishes and flagons on the table filled with regret.

“My lord,” said the King to Drinian, “pray send two men back to the Dawn Treader with a message to the Lord Rhoop. Tell him that the last of his old shipmates are here asleep—a sleep without dreams—and that he can share it.”

When this had been done, Caspian told the rest to sit down and laid the whole situation before them. When he had finished there was a long silence and some whispering until presently the Master Bowman got to his feet, and said：

“What some of us have been wanting to ask for a long time, your Majesty, is how we’re ever to get home when we do turn, whether we turn here or somewhere else. It’s been west and northwest winds all the way, barring an occasional calm. And if that doesn’t change, I’d like to know what hopes we have of seeing Narnia again. There’s not much chance of supplies lasting while we row all that way.”

“That’s landsman’s talk,” said Drinian. “There’s always a prevailing west wind in these seas all through the late summer, and it always changes after the New Year. We’ll have plenty of wind for sailing westward; more than we shall like from all accounts.”

“That’s true, Master,” said an old sailor who was a Galmian by birth. “You get some ugly weather rolling up from the east in January and February. And by your leave, Sire, if I was in command of this ship I’d say to winter here and begin the voyage home in March.”

“What’d you eat while you were wintering here?” asked Eustace.

“This table,” said Ramandu, “will be filled with a king’s feast every day at sunset.”

“Now you’re talking！” said several sailors.

“Your Majesties and gentlemen and ladies all,” said Rynelf, “there’s just one thing I want to say. There’s not one of us chaps as was pressed on this journey. We’re volunteers. And there’s some here that are looking very hard at that table and thinking about king’s feasts who were talking very loud about adventures on the day we sailed from Cair Paravel, and swearing they wouldn’t come home till we’d found the end of the world. And there were some standing on the quay who would have given all they had to come with us. It was thought a finer thing then to have a cabin-boy’s berth on the Dawn Treader than to wear a knight’s belt. I don’t know if you get the hang of what I’m saying. But what I mean is that I think chaps who set out like us will look as silly as—as those Dufflepuds—if we come home and say we got to the beginning of the world’s end and hadn’t the heart to go further.”

Some of the sailors cheered at this but some said that that was all very well.

“This isn’t going to be much fun,” whispered Edmund to Caspian. “What are we to do if half those fellows hang back?”

“Wait,” Caspian whispered back. “I’ve still a card to play.”

“Aren’t you going to say anything, Reep?” whispered Lucy.

“No. Why should your Majesty expect it?” answered Reepicheep in a voice that most people heard. “My own plans are made. While I can, I sail east in the Dawn Treader. When she fails me, I paddle east in my coracle. When she sinks, I shall swim east with my four paws. And when I can swim no longer, if I have not reached Aslan’s country, or shot over the edge of the world in some vast cataract, I shall sink with my nose to the sunrise and Peepiceek will be head of the talking mice in Narnia.”

“Hear, hear,” said a sailor, “I’ll say the same, barring the bit about the coracle, which wouldn’t bear me.” He added in a lower voice, “I’m not going to be outdone by a mouse.”

At this point Caspian jumped to his feet. “Friends,” he said, “I think you have not quite understood our purpose. You talk as if we had come to you with our hat in our hand, begging for shipmates. It isn’t like that at all. We and our royal brother and sister and their kinsman and Sir Reepicheep, the good knight, and the Lord Drinian have an errand to the world’s edge. It is our pleasure to choose from among such of you as are willing those whom we deem worthy of so high an enterprise. We have not said that any can come for the asking. That is why we shall now command the Lord Drinian and Master Rhince to consider carefully what men among you are the hardest in battle, the most skilled seamen, the purest in blood, the most loyal to our person, and the cleanest of life and manners; and to give their names to us in a schedule.” He paused and went on in a quicker voice, “Aslan’s mane！” he exclaimed. “Do you think that the privilege of seeing the last things is to be bought for a song? Why, every man that comes with us shall bequeath the title of Dawn Treader to all his descendants, and when we land at Cair Paravel on the homeward voyage he shall have either gold or land enough to make him rich all his life. Now—scatter over the island, all of you. In half an hour’s time I shall receive the names that Lord Drinian brings me.”

There was rather a sheepish silence and then the crew made their bows and moved away, one in this direction and one in that, but mostly in little knots or bunches, talking.

“And now for the Lord Rhoop,” said Caspian.

But turning to the head of the table he saw that Rhoop was already there. He had arrived, silent and unnoticed, while the discussion was going on, and was seated beside the Lord Argoz. The daughter of Ramandu stood beside him as if she had just helped him into his chair; Ramandu stood behind him and laid both his hands on Rhoop’s gray head. Even in daylight a faint silver light came from the hands of the star. There was a smile on Rhoop’s haggard face. He held out one of his hands to Lucy and the other to Caspian. For a moment it looked as if he were going to say something. Then his smile brightened as if he were feeling some delicious sensation, a long sigh of contentment came from his lips, his head fell forward, and he slept.

“Poor Rhoop,” said Lucy. “I am glad. He must have had terrible times.”

“Don’t let’s even think of it,” said Eustace.

Meanwhile Caspian’s speech, helped perhaps by some magic of the island, was having just the effect he intended. A good many who had been anxious enough to get out of the voyage felt quite differently about being left out of it. And of course whenever any one sailor announced that he had made up his mind to ask for permission to sail, the ones who hadn’t said this felt that they were getting fewer and more uncomfortable. So that before the half-hour was nearly over several people were positively “sucking up” to Drinian and Rhince（at least that was what they called it at my school）to get a good report. And soon there were only three left who didn’t want to go, and those three were trying very hard to persuade others to stay with them. And very shortly after that there was only one left.

And in the end he began to be afraid of being left behind all on his own and changed his mind.

At the end of the half-hour they all came trooping back to Aslan’s Table and stood at one end while Drinian and Rhince went and sat down with Caspian and made their report; and Caspian accepted all the man but that one who’d had changed his mind at the last moment. His name was Pittencream and he stayed on the Island of the Star all the time the others were away looking for the World’s End, and he very much wished he had gone with them. He wasn’t the sort of man who could enjoy talking to Ramandu and Ramandu’s daughter（nor they to him）, and it rained a good deal, and though there was a wonderful feast on the Table every night, he didn’t very much enjoy it. He said it gave him the creeps sitting there alone（and in the rain as likely as not）with those four Lords asleep at the end of the Table. And when the others returned he felt so out of things that he deserted on the voyage home at the Lone Islands, and went and lived in Calormen, where he told wonderful stories about his adventures at the End of the World, until at last he came to believe them himself. So you may say, in a sense, that he lived happily ever after. But he could never bear mice.

That night they all ate and drank together at the great table between the pillars where the feast was magically renewed, and next morning the Dawn Treader set sail once more just when the great birds had come and gone again.

“Lady,” said Caspian, “I hope to speak with you again when I have broken the enchantments.” And Ramandu’s daughter looked at him and smiled.

第十四章 世界尽头的开端

那扇门缓缓打开了，走出了一个人来，身形与这个少女一般高挑挺直，不过没有她那么苗条。那人没有举烛火，可是光芒似乎从他周身散发出来。那人走近时，露西发现那是一位老者。他蓄着银色胡须，那胡须一直垂到了他赤裸的双足上；一头银色的长发披散下来垂到了后脚跟；而他身上的长袍看起来就像是由银色绵羊身上的绒毛编织而成。他看上去那么温和而又肃穆，于是所有来客再一次起身，静静站着。

不过老人一言未发，没有和来客们说话，而是走到了桌子另一边，和他女儿面对面站着。随后两人都抬起了手臂举到身前，脸齐齐地面向东方，然后保持着这样的姿势，开始唱起歌来。我真希望我能把这首歌也写下来，不过在场没有一个人记得歌词。露西后来回忆说，那是一首调子高得近乎刺耳，却又十分优美缥缈的歌谣，十分适合清晨天蒙蒙亮时歌唱。他们唱着歌时，东边天际灰色的云层慢慢拨散开去，耀眼的白色区域越变越大，直到整片天空都泛了白，大海如同银盘，闪烁着璀璨光芒。又过了很久（不过那父女俩还一直在唱歌），东方开始变为红色，最后天空澄净无云，朝阳从海面上升起来，射出万丈光芒，落在长条形餐桌的金盘银碟上，落在石之刃上。

曾经有那么一两次，这些纳尼亚人还在思考，在这片海域见到的旭日是不是比在家乡见到的更大。这一次他们能够确定了。在东部海域见到的朝阳确实比在纳尼亚见到的更大。阳光照射在晨露和餐桌上，反射并闪耀着明艳的光芒，比他们生平所见的所有晨光都要耀眼夺目。正如事后爱德蒙所说的那样：“尽管在那次旅途中发生了很多听起来刺激惊险的事情，可是那次的日出真的是最为惊心动魄的时刻了。”因此，此刻他们知道自己真正抵达了“世界尽头”的开端。

随后，似乎有什么东西从冉冉升起的太阳中心朝他们飞来，不过他们自然无法直视那个方向去仔细辨认。这时候，天空中突然充满了歌声，那些声音哼唱着那个少女和她父亲吟唱歌谣的旋律，不过调子更为凌乱随意，语言也叫人听不懂。很快，他们便看见了歌声的来源。那是一群鸟，体型庞大，羽翼洁白，有成百上千只，它们飞落在各个角落：草地上、石板上、餐桌上，还有人们的肩膀上、手上、脑袋上，最后看上去就好像下了一场大雪似的。而且就像雪一样，这些白鸟不仅将一切变成了白色，还模糊了一切的形状和棱角。不过，露西透过停在身上白鸟的羽翼缝隙向外看去，发现一只鸟的喙中衔着一个小水果似的东西，朝老人飞去——除非那是块燃烧着的煤炭，那也不是没有可能，因为那东西看上去亮得叫人无法直视。这只鸟把那样东西放进了老人的口中。

接着鸟儿们停止了歌唱，开始在餐桌上忙活起来。当鸟儿们从杯盘狼藉的餐桌上再一次飞起来时，桌上的一切食物和饮料都消失了。成百上千只鸟还带走了所有不能吃也不能喝的东西，比如骨头、果皮还有瓜壳，原路朝着太阳的方向飞回去了。不过，因为这时候它们没有在唱歌，“嗡嗡”的振翅声便显得异常响亮，震得空气都在颤抖。此时的餐桌上已被鸟儿收拾得干干净净，空无一物，那三位来自纳尼亚的勋爵依然在沉沉睡着。

此时老人终于转过身来面朝着来客们，欢迎他们的到来。

“先生，”凯斯宾说道，“您能否告诉我们，应当如何解除让这三位纳尼亚勋爵长睡不起的魔法呢？”

“我很乐意告诉你，我的孩子。”老人说道，“要想解除魔法，你们必须航行到‘世界尽头’，或者到你们所能到达的最遥远处，而且你们当中至少有一个人得留在那儿，不能和其他人一起回来。”

“那么留下来的那个人会怎么样呢？”雷佩契普问道。

“他必须待在远东尽头，再也不能回到原来的世界。”

“这正合我的心意。”雷佩契普说道。

“先生，请问我们现在接近‘世界尽头’了吗？”凯斯宾问道，“您是否了解比这里再往东去的大海和陆地是怎样一副光景呢？”

“很久以前我见过那里，”老人说道，“不过是从很远的地方看过去的。我恐怕没办法告诉你们水手们需要知道的事情了。”

“您是说，那时候您在空中飞吗？”尤斯塔斯脱口而出。

“我那会儿所在的地方可远比空中还要往上呢，孩子。”老人回答道，“我是拉曼度。不过我看到你们面面相觑，看来是没听说过这个名字。也难怪，我很久以前起就不再是天上的一颗星星了，那时候你们都还没有出生呢。如今所有的星座都变了。”

“我的天哪！”爱德蒙低声喃喃道，“他是一颗退休了的星星！”

“您已经不再是一颗星星了吗？”露西问道。

“我还是一颗星星，只是在休息罢了，我的小姑娘。”拉曼度回答道，“我最后一次完成使命之后，我的衰老年迈之态你们完全无法想象，于是我被带到了这座岛上来。我现在已经不像过去那样衰老了。每天早晨鸟儿都会从太阳谷中替我衔来一颗火莓，而每吃下一颗火莓，我的岁数就会减少一些。等到我变得如同初生婴儿一般年轻时，我就又要变成一颗星星升到天上去了（因为我们现在正处于地球的东部边沿位置），然后再一次跳起很棒的舞蹈来。”

“在我们的世界，”尤斯塔斯说道，“星星就是一团巨大的燃烧着的气体球。”

“即便是在你的世界，我的孩子，那也不是星星本身，而仅仅是星星的构成。在这里的世界，你们已经见过某颗星星了，因为我想你们应该都见过柯瑞金了吧。”

“他也是一颗退休了的星星吗？”露西问道。

“哦，并非如此。”拉曼度说道，“与其说他是在休假，不如说他是被发配去看管蠢人的。你们可以管这叫作惩罚。如果当初一切顺利、没出乱子的话，他本可以继续在南部的冬季天空中做一颗星星，再发光发热几千年。”

“他做了什么呢，先生？”凯斯宾问道。

“我的孩子，”拉曼度说道，“你是人类之子，不应当知道星星能够犯什么错。好了，我们说这些不过是在浪费时间。你们决定好了吗？是继续向东航行，留下一个人待在那里，然后其他人再回到小岛上来，如此解除魔法呢？还是你们就此西行返航？”

“陛下，”雷佩契普开口道，“这还有什么问题吗？很显然，替这三位勋爵解除魔法是我们此番出海的任务之一。”

“我也是这么想的，雷佩契普。”凯斯宾回答道，“即便不是为了解救勋爵，如果不能乘着‘黎明踏浪’号驶向‘世界尽头’，我自己也会感到十分遗憾的。不过我在想的是船员们，他们当初只是答应一同出海寻找七位勋爵，而不是前往地球的边缘。如果我们从这里出发继续向东，我们就要寻找世界的边缘，也就是东方的尽头。没人知道那儿有多远。他们都是勇敢的人，可我也能看得出来，其中有些人已经对航行感到十分疲惫了，心里渴望着船头能够朝向纳尼亚返航。我觉得要是没征得他们的同意，就不应该继续带着他们再往东去了。而且还有那个可怜的鲁珀勋爵。他的身心都已经经受过很大的摧残了。”

“我的孩子，”星星拉曼度说，“即便你希望如此，带着一群不情不愿或者被蒙在鼓里的人去‘世界尽头’，也是徒劳。这么做是没有办法解除魔法、完成伟大使命的。他们必须知道自己要去往何处以及为什么去。不过你所说的那个饱受摧残的人又是谁呢？”

凯斯宾将鲁珀的故事告诉了拉曼度。

“我可以为他提供他最需要的东西。”拉曼度说道，“在这座岛上，有着无休无止的沉睡，在沉睡中可以一夜无梦。就让他坐在这三人旁边，喝得不省人事，沉睡无梦，直至你们回来。”

“噢，就这么办吧，凯斯宾。”露西说，“我敢肯定这正是他想要的。”

就在这时，一阵嘈杂的脚步声和说话声打断了他们，原来是德里宁和船上的其他人走过来了。他们看到拉曼度和他女儿时，惊讶地停住了脚步，由于两人一看上去便不是普通人，他们纷纷摘下帽子表示敬意。有几个水手颇有些懊恼地看着桌子上的空盘子和空酒壶。

“船长，”国王对德里宁说，“请派两个人回到‘黎明踏浪’号上去给鲁珀勋爵带个信儿，告诉他剩下的三位勋爵在这里睡着了——他们睡觉时一个梦都不会做——而他可以过来一起好好睡上一觉。

这件事交代完毕后，凯斯宾便让其他人都坐下，将整件事一五一十地告诉了他们。他说完后有一阵长长的沉默，有几人在窃窃私语，最后水手长站起来，说道：

“陛下，我们几个一直有个问题，就是等我们准备返航的时候，无论是从这里还是从别的地方返航，我们应该如何回到纳尼亚。一路上除了偶尔风平浪静，其余时候吹的都是西风和西北风，如果风向不变的话，我想知道我们有多大的希望能再次见到纳尼亚。如果我们一路划桨前进，那么粮食储备肯定也会不够的。”

“你这一听就是新手说的话，”德里宁说道，“夏天的时候这些海域总有西风盛行，这是很正常的，而过了新年以后情况就变了，会有许多东风，适合我们向西航行，据很多人所说，到时候东风多得我们都不想要了。”

“是这样的，水手长。”一个出生在盖尔马的老水手说道，“一月和二月的时候，东边的天气总是不太好。请勿见怪，陛下，如果这船是由我来指挥的话，我会让大家在这里过冬，等到三月再返航。”

“你们在这里过冬的话都吃些什么呢？”尤斯塔斯问道。

“这张餐桌，”拉曼度开口道，“每天日落时分都会摆满国宴一般丰盛的美食。”

“这才对嘛！”几个水手说道。

“各位陛下、先生们、女士们，”莱纳尔夫说道，“我只想说一件事。大家没有一个人是被迫踏上这趟旅程的。我们都是自愿而来。我知道现在有些人正盯着餐桌看，心里想着国宴，而这些人在我们离开凯尔帕拉维尔的那一天也曾高声阔谈冒险，发誓不找到世界尽头就不回家。那时候还有好些人站在码头上，愿意倾尽所有和我们一起上路。我们都想着，即便是在‘黎明踏浪’号上睡在随船侍者的舱房里，也比留在家乡当一个骑士好。我不知道各位是否明白我在说什么。但我的意思是，我觉得像我们这样出海探险的人，如果回到家乡说我们去到了世界尽头的开端，却没有勇气继续往前，到时候恐怕会显得我们很愚蠢，就像——像那些单腿蠢人一样愚蠢。”

听到这话，一些水手激动地欢呼起来，不过有一些则说这样也无妨。

“看样子可不太妙，”爱德蒙悄声对凯斯宾说，“要是有一半人畏缩不前，我们该怎么办呢？”

“别着急，”凯斯宾悄声回答道，“我还有一招。”

“你不打算说点什么吗，雷佩契普？”露西悄声问道。

“不，陛下您为什么这么问呢？”雷佩契普回答的声音很大，大多数人都能听见，“我自己已经想好了计划。如果‘黎明踏浪’号还可继续航行，我便乘船向东；等到船崩坏了散架了，我就划着我的小圆舟继续向东；如果我的小圆舟也沉了，我就用四只爪子游到东边去；等到我游也游不动了，如果那时候我还没有到达阿斯兰的国度，或者随着大瀑布流到世界的边缘，那么那时候我将面朝日出的方向沉入海底，皮普西克将成为纳尼亚能言鼠的首领。”

“听听，听听，”一个水手说，“我也想这么说，除了划小圆舟那部分，因为我坐不进去。”随后他又压低了声音补充道，“我可不要被一只老鼠给比下去。”

这时凯斯宾突然站了起来。“朋友们，”他说，“我想你们可能没有完全理解我们的意思。你们说的好像我们是在低声下气乞求同行的船伴。可事实并非如此。我和我们皇室的兄弟姐妹以及他们的亲人、英勇的骑士雷佩契普，还有德里宁勋爵，我们几人现在将要踏上前往世界最边缘的旅程，我们很高兴能够从你们愿意去的人当中，挑选我们认为能够胜任这项伟大事业的人。我们可没有说任何人都可以来。因此我们现在将委派德里宁勋爵和莱恩斯船员来好好决定你们当中，谁是战场上最勇敢的战士，谁是技术最娴熟的水手，谁是血统最纯正、对国王最忠诚的臣民，谁是品行最端正、行为最清白的高尚之士。你们谨慎定夺，将名单列出来。”他顿了顿，接着又以更快的语速说，“以阿斯兰之鬣起誓！”他高喊道，“你们难道以为人人都能随便享有特权、见证‘世界尽头’吗？每个随我们前去的人，他的子孙将世世代代继承‘黎明踏浪’号的光荣头衔；我们回到凯尔帕拉维尔之后，他将得到金银珠宝或是连城封地，一辈子享受荣华富贵。好了，现在你们都散了吧。半小时之后，德里宁勋爵会把名单交给我。”

人们颇有些赫然，沉默着，随后船员们鞠了一躬，各自四散开去，不过大多三三两两地聚在一起讨论着。

“现在该轮到鲁珀勋爵了。”凯斯宾说。

不过他转身看向桌头时，却发现鲁珀已经坐在那里了。他们还在讨论时，他就已经到了，安静低调地坐在阿尔戈兹勋爵旁边。拉曼度的女儿站在他身侧，就好像刚刚才带他坐到座位上一样，而拉曼度则站在他的身后，双手放在鲁珀灰白的脑袋上。即便是在明亮的白昼，人们还是可以看见从星星拉曼度的手中发出了淡淡的银光。鲁珀憔悴的脸上浮现出了笑容，他一只手朝露西伸去，另一只手朝凯斯宾伸去。有那么一会儿，他好像想说些什么，接着他的笑容绽得更欢了，就好像他浑身感到很舒服，唇间溢出一声满足的长叹，他的脑袋朝前倾去，接着便沉沉地睡去了。

“可怜的鲁珀，”露西说道，“真高兴他现在可以好好睡一觉了。他之前一定吃了不少苦头。”

“我们还是别去想了。”尤斯塔斯哀叹一声。

与此同时，兴许是这座岛上的魔法在冥冥之中助他一臂之力，凯斯宾的一番讲话起到了他正想要的效果。许多原本急着想退出的人，此刻又不太想就这么被排除在外。而且每当有一个人宣布自己决定报名参加，没有发言的人就觉得自己一方的人越来越少，越来越坐立难安了。所以半小时还没到，已经有几个人开始围着德里宁和莱恩斯“拍马屁”了（至少在我的学校人们是这么形容的），想要留下个好印象。很快，不想去的就只剩下三个人了，而这三个人正努力说服其他人和他们待在一起。没过一会儿就只剩下一个人了。

最后剩下的那个人害怕自己被抛下，一个人留在这里，于是也改变了主意。

半小时到了以后，他们都回到了阿斯兰之桌，站到一头，而德里宁和莱恩斯则走到凯斯宾身旁坐下，开始汇报情况。凯斯宾接受了所有人的报名，唯独拒绝了那个在最后一刻改变主意的人。那人名叫皮顿克利姆，其他人出海寻找“世界尽头”期间，他一直待在这座拉曼度星岛上，心里却很希望自己能和他们一起去。他不太愿意和拉曼度父女俩聊天（拉曼度父女俩也不怎么和他说话），而且这里经常下雨，尽管每晚餐桌上都有丰盛无比的美味佳肴，他却胃口不佳，无心享用。他说一个人坐在那儿，看着那四个沉睡着的勋爵坐在桌头，心里总有些发毛（晴天雨天都是如此）。待其他人都回来时，他感觉自己与众人格格不入，以至于“黎明踏浪”号航行到孤独岛时，他没有继续跟着大家一起回去，而是留在了卡乐门，逢人便说自己在“世界尽头”遇到的冒险经历，说到最后连自己都开始相信了。所以在某种意义上，你也可以说他从此以后过上了幸福的生活。不过只有一点，他见了老鼠总是受不了。

踏上寻找“世界尽头”旅程的那天晚上，他们都坐在石柱间的大餐桌边上，一同享用了由魔法变出来的盛宴。到了第二天清早，当那些神奇的鸟儿飞来又飞走时，“黎明踏浪”号也再一次起航了。

“女士，”凯斯宾说道，“待我解除了魔法回到这里时，希望还能有幸见到您。”拉曼度的女儿看着他微微一笑。