The_Complete_Chronicles_of_Narnia_(volumes_1-7,_in_order_of_publication)

headlights of a car. And just as Tirian took his place, the gong stopped beating and from
somewhere on his left three figures appeared. One was Rishda Tarkaan the Calormene
Captain. The second was the Ape. He was holding on to the Tarkaan's hand with one paw
and kept whimpering and muttering, "Not so fast, don't go so fast, I'm not at all well. Oh
my poor head! These midnight meetings are getting too much for me. Apes aren't meant
to be up at night: It's not as if I was a rat or a bat - oh my poor head." On the other side of
the Ape, walking very soft and stately, with his tail straight up in the air, came Ginger the
Cat. They were heading for the bonfire and were so close to Tirian that they would have
seen him at once if they had looked in the right direction. Fortunately they did not. But
Tirian heard Rishda say to Ginger in a low voice:
"Now, Cat, to thy post. See thou play thy part well."
"Miaow, miaow. Count on me!" said Ginger. Then he stepped away beyond the bonfire
and sat down in the front row of the assembled Beasts: in the audience, as you might say.
For really, as it happened, the whole thing was rather like a theatre. The crowd of
Narnians were like the people in the seats; the little grassy place just in front of the stable,
where the bonfire burned and the Ape and the Captain stood to talk to the crowd, was like
the stage; the stable itself was like the scenery at the back of the stage; and Tirian and his
friends were like people peering round from behind the scenery. It was a splendid
position. If any of them stepped forward into the full firelight, all eyes would be fixed on
him at once: on the other hand, so long as they stood still in the shadow of the end-wall of
the stable, it was a hundred to one against their being noticed.
Rishda Tarkaan dragged the Ape up close to the fire. The pair of them turned to face the
crowd, and this of course meant that their backs were towards Tirian and his friends.
"Now, Monkey," said Rishda Tarkaan in a low voice. "Say the words that wiser heads
have put into thy mouth. And hold up thy head." As he spoke he gave the Ape a little
prod or kick from behind with the point of his toe.
"Do leave me alone," muttered Shift. But he sat up straighter and began, in a louder voice
- "Now listen, all of you. A terrible thing has happened. A wicked thing. The wickedest
thing that ever was done in Narnia. And Aslan -"
"Tashlan, fool," whispered Rishda Tarkaan.
"Tashlan I mean, of course," said the Ape, "is very angry about it."
There was a terrible silence while the Beasts waited to hear what new trouble was in store
for them. The little party by the end-wall of the stable also held their breath. What on
earth was coming now?
"Yes," said the Ape. "At this very moment, when the Terrible One himself is among us -
there in the stable just behind me - one wicked Beast has chosen to do what you'd think