CaspianfeltsurethathewouldhatethenewTutor,buywhenthenewTutorarrivedaboutaweeklaterheturnsouttobethesortofpersonitisalmostimpossiblenottolike.Hewasthesmallest,andalsothefattest,manCaspianhadeverseen.Hehadalong,silvery,pointedbeardwhichcamedowntohiswaist,andhisface,whichwasbrownandcoveredwithwrinkles,lookedverywise,veryugly,andverykind.Hisvoicewasgraveandhiseyesweremerrysothat,untilyougottoknowhimreallywell,itwashardtoknowwhenhewasjokingandwhenhewasserious.HisnamewasDoctorCornelius.
OfallhislessonswithDoctorCorneliustheonethatCaspianlikedbestwasHistory.Uptillnow,exceptforNurse’sstories,hehadknownnothingabouttheHistoryofNarnia,andhewasverysurprisedtolearnthattheroyalfamilywerenewcomersinthecountry。
“ItwasyourHighness’sancestor,CaspiantheFirst,”saidDoctorCornelius,“whofirstconqueredNarniaandmadeithiskingdom.Itwashewhobroughtallyournationintothecountry.YouarenotnativeNarniansatall.YouareallTelmarines—thatis,youallcamefromtheLandofTelmar,farbeyondtheWesternMountains.ThatiswhyCaspiantheFirstiscalledCaspiantheConqueror.”
“Please,Doctor,”askedCaspianoneday,“wholivedinNarniabeforeweallcamehereoutofTelmar?”
“Nomen—orveryfew—livedinNarniabeforetheTelmarinestookit,”saidDoctorCornelius.
“Thenwhodidmygreat-great-grandcestersconquer?”
“Whom,notwho,yourHighness,”saidDoctorCornelius.“PerhapsitistimetoturnfromHistorytoGrammar.”
“Ohplease,notyet!”saidCaspian.
“Imean,wasn’tthereabattle?WhyishecalledCaspiantheConqueroriftherewasnobodytofightwithhim?”
“IsaidtherewereveryfewmeninNarnia,”saidtheDoctor,lookingatthelittleboyverystrangelythroughhisgreatspectacles.
ForamomentCaspianwaspuzzledandthensuddenlyhisheartgavealeap.“Doyoumean,”hegasped,“thattherewereotherthings?Doyoumeanitwaslikeinthestories?Werethere-?”
“Hush!”saidDoctorCornelius,layinghisheadveryclosetoCaspian’s.“Notawordmore.Don’tyouknowyourNursewassentawayfortellingyouaboutOldNarnia?TheKingdoesn’tlikeit.Ifhefoundmetellingyousecrets,you’dbewhippedandIshouldhavemyheadcutoff.”
“Butwhy?”askedCaspian.
“1tishightimeweturnedtoGrammarnow,”saidDoctorCorneliusinaloudvoice.“WillyourRoyalHighnessbepleasedtoopenPulverulentusSiccusatthefourthpageofhisGrammaticalgardenortheArbourofAccidencepleasantlieopen’dtoTenderWits?”
Afterthatitwasallnounsandverbstilllunchtime,butIdon’tthinkCaspianlearnedmuch.Hewastooexcited.HefeltsurethatDoctorCorneliuswouldnothavesaidsomuchunlesshemeanttotellhimmoresoonerorlater.
Inthishewasnotdisappointed.AfewdayslaterhisTutorsaid,“TonightIamgoingtogiveyoualessoninAstronomy.Atdeadofnighttwonobleplanets,TarvaandAlambil,willpasswithinonedegreeofeachother.Suchaconjunctionhasnotoccurredfortwohundredyears,andyourHighnesswillnotlivetoseeitagain.Itwillbebestifyougotobedalittleearlierthanusual.Whenthetimeoftheconjunctiondrawsnear,Iwillcomeandwakeyou.”
Thisdidn’tseemtohaveanythingtodowithOldNarnia,whichwaswhatCaspianreallywantedtohearabout,butgettingupinthemiddleofthenightisalwaysinterestingandhewasmoderatelypleased.Whenhewenttobedthatnight,hethoughtatfirstthathewouldnotbeabletosleep;buthesoondroppedoffanditseemedonlyafewminutesbeforehefeltsomeonegentlyshakinghim.
Hesatupinbedandsawthattheroomwasfullofmoonlight.
DoctorCornelius,muffledinahoodedrobeandholdingasmalllampinhishand,stoodbythebedside.
Caspianrememberedatoncewhattheyweregoingtodo.Hegotupandputonsomeclothes.AthoughitwasasummernighthefeltcolderthanhehadexpectedandwasquitegladwhentheDoctorwrappedhiminarobelikehisownandgavehimapairofwarm,softbuskinsforhisfeet.Amomentlater,bothmuffledsothattheycouldhardlybeseeninthedarkcorridors,andbothshodsothattheymadealmostnonoise,masterandpupillefttheroom.
CaspianfollowedtheDoctorthroughmanypassagesandupseveralstaircases,andatlast,throughalittledoorinaturret,theycameoutupontheleads.Ononesidewerethebattlements,ontheotherasteeproof;belowthem,allshadowyandshimmery,thecastlegardens;abovethem,starsandmoon.Presentlytheycametoanotherdoor,whichledintothegreatcentraltowerofthewholecastle:DoctorCorneliusunlockeditandtheybegantoclimbthedarkwindingstairofthetower.Caspianwasbecomingexcited;hehadneverbeenallowedupthisstairbefore.
Itwaslongandsteep,butwhentheycameoutontheroofofthetowerandCaspianhadgothisbreath,hefeltthatithadbeenwellworthit.Awayonhisrighthecouldsee,ratherindistinctly,theWesternMountains.OnhisleftwasthegleamoftheGreatRiver,andeverythingwassoquietthathecouldhearthesoundofthewaterfallatBeaversdam,amileaway.Therewasnodifficultyinpickingoutthetwostarstheyhadcometosee.Theyhungratherlowinthesouthernsky,almostasbrightastwolittlemoonsandveryclosetogether.
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