“Idon'tcareifitis，”saidoheMoles。“I'ddoitagain。”
Buttheotherssaid，“Ohhush，”and“Dobecareful，”aheyallsaid，“We'res，butwemustgobaow。Itwouldneverdoforustobecaughthere。”
&os，”saidTirian。“Iwouldnotfanyofyouintodanger。”
“Goodnight，goodnight，”saidtheBeasts，rubbingtheirhisknees。“Wewilleback—ifwetheyallpatteredawayandthewoodseemeddarkeranddlohadbeeheycame。
&arscameoutaslowlyon—imaginehohilethatlastKingofNarniastoodstiffandsoreanduprightagaireeinhisbonds。Butatlastsomethinghappened。
Farawaythereappearedaredlight。Thenitdisappearedforamomentandcameba，biggerahenhecouldseedarkshapesgoingtoandfroonthissideofthelightandgbuhrowingthemdown。Hekneaslookingat。Itwasabo，ahrowingbundlesofbrushwoodontoit。PresentlyitblazedupandTiriawasoopofthehill。Hecouldseequiteclearlythestablebehindit，alllitupintheredglow，acrowdofBeastsahefireandhimself。Asmallfigure，hunchedupbesidethefire，mustbetheApe。Itwassayiothecrowd，butheothearwhat。Theaimestothegroundinfrontofthedoorofthestable。Thenitgotupahedoor。Ahings—somethingthatwalkedratherstiffly—cameoutofthestableandstoodfagthecrowd。
&wailingwentup，soloudthatTiriancouldhearsomeofthewords。
“Aslan!Aslan!AslaheBeasts。“Speaktous。fortus。Beangrywithusnomore。”
FromwhereTirianwasheakeoutveryclearlywhatthethingwas;buthecouldseethatitwasyellowandhairy。HehadheGreatLion。Hehadneverseenaonlion。He'tbesurethatwhathesawwasnottherealAslaexpetolooklikethatstiffthingwhichstoodandsaidnothing。Buthowebesure?Foramomenthorriblethoughtswentthroughhismind:theheashandAslahesameahewholethi。
&hisheadcloseuptotheyellowthing'sheadasifhewerelistenieringtohim。Theurnedahedthecrowdwailedagaiheyellowthingturnedclumsilyroundandwalked—youmightalmostsay，waddled—batothestableahedoorbehindit。Afterthatthefiremusthavebeenputhtvaesuddenly，andTirianwasoncemorealohedthedarkness。
&swhohadlivedanddiedinNarniaiseemedtohimthathemhadeverbeensounluckyashimself。Hethoughtrandfather&#randfatherKingRilianwhohadbeenstolenahenherihiddehedarkeaththelahernGiants。Butthenithadalle;rightiwomysterioushadsuddenlyappearedfromthelaheworld'sendandhadrescuedhimsothatheetoNarniaandhadalongandprn。“It'shme，”saidTiriaheherbad:thoughtaboutRilian'sfather，theSeafarer，whosewigMirazhadtriedtomurderhimandhoianhadfledawayintothewoodsaheDwarfs。Butthatstorytoohadallerightintheend:foralsohadbeenhelpedby—onlytherewerefourofthemthattime—whoewherebeyondtheworldandfoughtagreatbattleahimonhisfather'sthrowasalllongago，”saidTiriasortofthihappennow。”Andthenheremembered（forhehadalwaysbeengoodathistorywhenhewasaboy）howthosesamefouredhadbeeninhousandyearsbefore;anditwasthenthattheyhaddoremarkablethingofall。ForthentheyhaddefeatedtheterribleWhiteWitdedtheHundredYearsofWinter，aheyhadreigned（allfourofthemtogether）atCairParavel，tilltheywerenolongerbutgreatKingsandlovelyQueens，andtheirreighegoldenageofNarnia。AndAslahatstoryalot。Hehadeintoalltheotherstoriestoo，asTiriannowremembered。“Aslan—andfromanotherworld，”thoughtTirian。“Theyhavealwayseihiheirworst。Oh，ifonlytheyow。”
Andhecalledout“Aslan!Aslan!Aslan!eandhelpusnow。”
Butthedarkhedthequietonjustthesame。
&mebekilled，”criedtheKing。“Iasknothingformyself。ButeandsaveallNarnia。”
Andstilltherewashenightorthewood，buttherebegantobeakindofsideTirian。Withoutknowiofeelafainthope。Aser。“OhAslan，Aslan，”hewhispered。“Ifyouwillnoteyourself，atleastsehehelpersfrombeyondtheworld。Orletmecallthem。Letmyvoicecarrybeyondtheworld。”Then，hardlyknowingthathewasdoingit，hesuddeivoice:“!!FriendsofNarnia!Quie。AcrosstheworldsIcallyofNarnia，LordofCairParavel，aheLoneIslands!”
Aelyheluoadream（ifitwasadream）morevividthananyhehadhadinhislife。
&obestandinginalightedroomwhereseveroulookedasiftheyhadjustfiheirmeal。Twoofthosepeoplewereveryold，anoldmanwithawhitebeardandanoldise，merry，twinklingeyes。Hewhosatattherighthandoftheoldmanwashardlyfullgrowaiiriahisfacehadalreadythelookofakingandawarrior。Andyouostsaythesameoftheotheryouthwhosatattherighthandoftheoldwoman。FagTirianacrossthetablesatafair-hairedgirlyouhahese，ahersideofheraboyandgirlwherstill。Theywerealldressediiriakindofclothes。
Buthehadhinkaboutdetailslikethat，forinstantlytheyoungerboyandboththegirlsstartedtotheirfeet，ahemgavealittlescream。Theoldwomanstartedanddrewihsharply。Theoldmanmusthavemadesomesuddeooforthewineglasswhichstoodathisrighthahetable:Tiriainklibrokeonthefloor。
&iriahesepeoplecouldseehim;theywerestaringathimasiftheysawaghost。Butheheking-likeoattheoldman&#hthoughheturthathechedhisha。Thenhesaid:“Speak，ifyou'renotaphantomoradream。YouhaveaNarnianlookaboutyouahesevenfriendsofNarnia。”
Tirianwaslongingtospeak，aocryoutaloudthathewasTirianreathefound（asIhavesometimesfouoo）thathisvoioall。
Theoneokentohimrosetohisfeet。“Shadoworspiritorwhateveryouare，”hesaid，fixinghiseyesfulluponTirian。“IfyouarefromNarnia，IchargeyouinthenameofAslaome。IamPetertheHighKing。”
TheroombegantoswimbeforeTirian'seyes。Heheardthevoicesofthosesevenpeopleallspeakingatondallgettingfaintereverysedtheyweresayingthingslike，“Look!It'sfading。”“It'smeltingaway。”“It'svanishiheake，stilltiedtothetree，dstifferthahewoodwasfullofthepale，drearylightthatesbeforesunrise，andhewassoakihdew;itwasnearlym。
Thatwakingwasabouttheworstmomenthehadeverhadinhislife。