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there came a low word of mand 〃halt！〃 then a moment of horsey noises … nostrils blowing； hoofs pawing； bits being champed； necks being patted。 then a voice spoke。
〃attend； all of you；〃 it said。 〃we are now within a furlong of the castle。 remember your orders。 once we are in narnia； as we should be by sunrise； you are to kill as little as possible。 on this venture you are to regard every drop of narnian blood as more precious than a gallon of your own。 on this venture； i say。 the gods will send us a happier hour and then you must leave nothing alive between cair paravel and the western waste。 but we are not yet in narnia。 here in archenland it is another thing。 in the assault on this castle of king lunes； nothing matters but speed。 show your mettle。 it must be mine
within an hour。 and if it is； i give it all to you。 i reserve no booty for myself。 kill me every barbarian male within its walls； down to the child that was born yesterday； and everything else is yours to divide as you please … the women； the gold； the jewels； the weapons； and the wine。 the man that i see hanging back when we e to the gates shall be burned alive。 in the name of tash the irresistible； the inexorable forward！鈥�
with a great cloppitty…clop the column began to move； and shasta breathed again。 they had taken the other road。
shasta thought they took a long time going past； for though he had been talking and thinking about 〃two hundred horse〃 all day； he had not realized how many they really were。 but at last the sound died away and once more he was alone amid the drip…drip from the trees。
he now knew the way to anvard but of course he could not now go there： that would only mean running into the arms of rshs troopers。 〃what on earth am i to do？〃 said shasta to himself。 but he remounted his horse and continued along the road he had chosen； in the faint hope of finding some cottage where he might ask for shelter and a meal。 he had thought； of course； of going back to aravis and bree and hwin at the hermitage； but he couldnt because by now he had not the least idea of the direction。
〃after all；〃 said shasta； 〃this road is bound to get to somewhere。鈥�
but that all depends on what you mean by somewhere。 the road kept on getting to somewhere in the sense that it got to more and more trees； all dark and dripping； and to colder and colder air。 and strange； icy winds kept blowing the mist past him though they never blew it away。 if he had been used to mountain country he would have realized that this meant he was now very high up … perhaps right at the top of the pass。 but shasta knew nothing about mountains。
〃i do think；〃 said shasta； 〃that i must be the most unfortunate boy that ever lived in the whole world。 everything goes right for everyone except me。 those narnian lords and ladies got safe away from tashbaan； i was left behind。 aravis and bree and hwin are all as snug as anything with that old hermit： of course i was the one who was sent on。 king lune and his people must have got safely into the castle and shut the gates long before rsh arrived； but i get left out。鈥�
and being very tired and having nothing inside him； he felt so sorry for himself that the tears rolled down his cheeks。
what put a stop to all this was a sudden fright。 shasta discovered that someone or somebody was walking beside him。 it was pitch dark and he could see nothing。 and the thing （or person） was going so quietly that he could hardly hear any footfalls。 what he could hear was breathing。 his invisible panion seemed to breathe on a very large scale； and shasta got the impression that it was a very large creature。 and he had e to
notice this breathing so gradually that he had really no idea how long it had been there。 it was a horrible shock。
it darted into his mind that he had heard long ago that there were giants in these northern countries。 he bit his lip in terror。 but now that he really had something to cry about； he stopped crying。
the thing （unless it was a person） went on beside him so very quietly that shasta began to hope he had only imagined it。 but just as he was being quite sure of it； there suddenly came a deep； rich sigh out of the darkness beside him。 that couldnt be imagination！ anyway； he had felt the hot breath of that sigh on his chilly left hand。
if the horse had been any good … or if he had known how to get any good out of the horse … he would have risked everything on a breakaway and a wild gallop。 but he knew he couldnt make that horse gallop。 so he went on at a walking pace and the unseen panion walked and breathed beside him。 at last he could bear it no longer。
〃who are you？〃 he said； scarcely above a whisper。
〃one who has waited long for you to speak；〃 said the thing。 its voice was not loud； but very large and deep。
〃are you… are you a giant？〃 asked shasta。
〃you might call me a giant；〃 said the large voice。 〃but i am not like the creatures you call giants。鈥�
〃i cant see you at all；〃 said shasta； after staring very hard。 then （for an even more terrible idea had e into his head） he said； almost in a scream； 〃youre not … not something dead； are you？ oh please … please do go away。 what harm have i ever done you？ oh； i am the unluckiest person in the whole world！鈥�
once more he felt the warm breath of the thing on his hand and face。 〃there；〃 it said； 〃that is not the breath of a ghost。 tell me your sorrows。鈥�
shasta was a little reassured by the breath： so he told how he had never known his real father or mother and had been brought up sternly by the fisherman。 and then he told the story of his escape and how they were chased by lions and forced to swim for their lives； and of all their dangers in tashbaan and about his night among the tombs and how the beasts howled at him out of the desert。 and he told about the heat and thirst of their desert journey and how they were almost at their goal when another lion chased them and wounded aravis。 and also； how very long it was since he had had anything to eat。
〃i do not call you unfortunate；〃 said the large voice。
〃dont you think it was bad luck to meet so many lions？〃 said shasta。
〃there was only one lion；〃 said the voice。
〃what on earth do you mean？ ive just told you there were at least two the first night； and…鈥�
〃there was only one： but he was swift of foot。鈥�
〃how do you know？鈥�
〃i was the lion。〃 and as shasta gaped with open mouth and said nothing； the voice continued。 〃i was the lion who forced you to join with aravis。 i was the cat who forted you among the houses of the dead。 i was the lion who drove the jackals from you while you slept。 i was the lion who gave the horses the new strength of fear for the last mile so that you should reach king lune in time。 and i was the lion you do not remember who pushed the boat in which you lay； a child near death； so that it came to shore where a man sat； wakeful at midnight； to receive you。鈥�
〃then it was you who wounded aravis？鈥�
〃it was i鈥�
〃but what for？鈥�
〃child；〃 said the voice； 〃i am telling you your story； not hers。 i tell no one any story but his own。鈥�
〃who are you？〃 asked shasta。