15.05.2015 Views

The_Complete_Chronicles_of_Narnia_(volumes_1-7,_in_order_of_publication)

The_Complete_Chronicles_of_Narnia_(volumes_1-7,_in_order_of_publication)

The_Complete_Chronicles_of_Narnia_(volumes_1-7,_in_order_of_publication)

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.

About half an hour later the two Horses were summoned to the back <strong>of</strong> the house to eat<br />

someth<strong>in</strong>g nice that the Hermit had got ready for them and Aravis, still walk<strong>in</strong>g and<br />

th<strong>in</strong>k<strong>in</strong>g, was startled by the harsh sound <strong>of</strong> a trumpet outside the gate.<br />

"Who is there?" asked Aravis.<br />

"His Royal Highness Pr<strong>in</strong>ce Cor <strong>of</strong> Archenland," said a voice from outside.<br />

Aravis undid the door and opened it, draw<strong>in</strong>g back a little way to let the strangers <strong>in</strong>.<br />

Two soldiers with halberds came first and took their stand at each side <strong>of</strong> the entry. <strong>The</strong>n<br />

followed a herald, and the trumpeter.<br />

"His Royal Highness Pr<strong>in</strong>ce Cor <strong>of</strong> Archenland desires an audience <strong>of</strong> the Lady Aravis,"<br />

said the Herald. <strong>The</strong>n he and the trumpeter drew aside and bowed and the soldiers saluted<br />

and the Pr<strong>in</strong>ce himself came <strong>in</strong>. All his attendants withdrew and closed the gate beh<strong>in</strong>d<br />

them.<br />

<strong>The</strong> Pr<strong>in</strong>ce bowed, and a very clumsy bow for a Pr<strong>in</strong>ce it was. Aravis curtsied <strong>in</strong> the<br />

Calormene style (which is not at all like ours) and did it very well because, <strong>of</strong> course, she<br />

had been taught how. <strong>The</strong>n she looked up and saw what sort <strong>of</strong> person this Pr<strong>in</strong>ce was.<br />

She saw a mere boy. He was bare-headed and his fair hair was encircled with a very th<strong>in</strong><br />

band <strong>of</strong> gold, hardly thicker than a wire. His upper tunic was <strong>of</strong> white cambric, as f<strong>in</strong>e as<br />

a handkerchief, so that the bright red tunic beneath it showed through. His left hand,<br />

which rested on his enamelled sword hilt, was bandaged.<br />

Aravis looked twice at his face before she gasped and said, "Why! It's Shasta!"<br />

Shasta all at once turned very red and began speak<strong>in</strong>g very quickly. "Look here, Aravis,"<br />

he said, "I do hope you won't th<strong>in</strong>k I'm got up like this (and the trumpeter and all) to try<br />

to impress you or make out that I'm different or any rot <strong>of</strong> that sort. Because I'd far rather<br />

have come <strong>in</strong> my old clothes, but they're burnt now, and my father said -"<br />

"Your father?" said Aravis.<br />

"Apparently K<strong>in</strong>g Lune is my father," said Shasta. "I might really have guessed it. Cor<strong>in</strong><br />

be<strong>in</strong>g so like me. We were tw<strong>in</strong>s, you see. Oh, and my name isn't Shasta, it's Cor."<br />

"Cor is a nicer name than Shasta," said Aravis.<br />

"Brothers' names run like that <strong>in</strong> Archenland," said Shasta (or Pr<strong>in</strong>ce Cor as we must now<br />

call him). "Like Dar and Darr<strong>in</strong>, Cole and Col<strong>in</strong> and so on."

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!