“Tashhimself？”
whisperedTirian.“There’snoknowing.Butcourage，child：weareallbetweenthepawsofthetrueAslan.”
Thenamostsurprisingthinghappened.GingertheCatsaidinacool，clearvoice，notatallasifhewasexcited，“I’llgoin，ifyoulike.”
EverycreatureturnedandfixeditseyesontheCat.“Marktheirsubtleties，Sire，”
saidPoggintotheKing.“Thiscursedcatisintheplot，intheverycentreofit.Whateverisinthestablewillnothurthim，I’llbebound.ThenGingerwillcomeoutagainandsaythathehasseensomewonder.”
ButTirianhadnotimetoanswerhiTheApewascallingtheCattocomeforward.“Ho-ho!”
saidtheApe.“Soyou，apertPuss，wouldlookuponhimfacetoface.Comeon，then!I’llopenthedoorforyou.Don’tblamemeifhescaresthewhiskersoffyourface.That’syouraffair.”
AndtheCatgotupandcameoutofitsplaceinthecrowd，walkingprimlyanddaintily，withitstailintheair，notonehaironitssleekcoatoutofplace.ItcameontillithadpassedthefireandwassoclosethatTirian，fromwherehestoodwithhisshoulderagainsttheend-wallofthestable，couldlookrightintoitsface.Itsbiggreeneyesneverblinked.（“Coolasacucumber，”
mutteredEustace.“Itknowsithasnothingtofear.”
）TheApe，chucklingandmakingfaces，shuttledacrossbesidetheCat：putuphispaw：drewtheboltandopenedthedoor.TirianthoughthecouldheartheCatpurringasitwalkedintothedarkdoorway．
“Aii-aii-aouwee!-”
Themosthorriblecaterwaulyoueverheardmadeeveryonejump.Youhavebeenwakenedyourselfbycatsquarrellingormakingloveontheroofinthemiddleofthenight：youknowthesound．
Thiswasworse.TheApewasknockedheadoverheelsbyGingercomingbackoutofthestableattopspeed.Ifyouhadnotknownhewasacat，youmighthavethoughthewasaginger-colouredstreakoflightning.Heshotacrosstheopengrass，backintothecrowd.Noonewantstomeetacatinthatstate.Youcouldseeanimalsgettingoutofhiswaytoleftandright.Hedashedupatree，whiskedaround，andhungheaddownwards.Histailwasbristledouttillitwasnearlyasthickashiswholebody：hiseyeswerelikesaucersofgreenfire：alonghisbackeverysinglehairstoodonend．
“I’dgivemybeard，”
whisperedPoggin，“toknowwhetherthatbruteisonlyactingorwhetherithasreallyfoundsomethingintherethatfrightenedit!”
“Peace，friend，”
saidTirian，fortheCaptainandtheApewerealsowhisperingandhewantedtohearwhattheysaid.Hedidnotsucceed，exceptthatheheardtheApeoncemorewhimpering“Myhead，myhead，”
buthegottheideathatthosetwowerealmostaspuzzledbythecat’sbehaviourashimself．
“Now，Ginger，”
saidtheCaptain.“Enoughofthatnoise.Tellthemwhatthouhastseen.”
“Aii-Aii-Aaow-Awah，”
screamedtheCat．
“ArtthounotcalledaTalkingBeast？”
saidtheCaptain.“Thenholdthydevilishnoiseandtalk.”
Whatfollowedwasratherhorrible.Tirianfeltquitecertain（andsodidtheothers）thattheCatwastryingtosaysomething：butnothingcameoutofhismouthexcepttheordinary，uglycat-noisesyoumighthearfromanyangryorfrightenedoldTominabackyardinEngland.AndthelongerhecaterwauledthelesslikeaTalkingBeasthelooked.UneasywhimperingsandlittlesharpsquealsbrokeoutfromamongtheotherAnimals．
“Look，look!”
saidthevoiceoftheBear.“Itcan’ttalk.Ithasforgottenhowtotalk!Ithasgonebacktobeingadumbbeast.Lookatitsface.”
Everyonesawthatitwastrue.AndthenthegreatestterrorofallfelluponthoseNarnians.Foreveryoneofthemhadbeentaught-whenonlyachickorapuppyoracub-howAslanatthebeginningoftheworldhadturnedthebeastsofNarniaintoTalkingBeastsandwarnedthemthatiftheyweren’tgoodtheymightonedaybeturnedbackagainandbelikethepoorwitlessanimalsonemeetsinothercountries.“Andnowitiscominguponus，”
theymoaned．
“Mercy!Mercy!”
wailedtheBeasts.“Spareus，LordShift，standbetweenusandAslan，youmustalwaysgoinandspeaktohimforus.Wedaren’t，wedaren’t.”
Gingerdisappearedfurtherupintothetree.Nooneeversawhimagain．
Tirianstoodwithhishandonhissword-hiltandhisheadbowed.Hewasdazedwiththehorrorsofthatnight.SometimeshethoughtitwouldbebesttodrawhisswordatonceandrushupontheCalormenes：thennextmomenthethoughtitwouldbebettertowaitandseewhatnewturnaffairsmighttake.Andnowanewturncame．
“MyFather，”
cameaclear，ringingvoicefromtheleftofthecrowd.TirianknewatoncethatitwasoneoftheCalormenesspeaking，forinTheTisroc’sarmythecommonsoldierscalltheofficers“MyMaster”
buttheofficerscalltheirseniorofficers“MyFather”
.JillandEustacedidn’tknowthisbut，afterlookingthiswayandthat，theysawthespeaker，forofcoursepeopleatthesidesofthecrowdwereeasiertoseethanpeopleinthemiddlewheretheglareofthefiremadeallbeyonditlookratherblack.Hewasyoungandtallandslender，andevenratherbeautifulinthedark，haughty，Calormeneway．
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