CHAPTER FOUR WHAT CASPIAN DID THERE
Next morning the Lord Bern called his guests early, and after breakfast he asked Caspian to order every man he had into full armor. “And above all,” he added, “let everything be as trim and scoured as if it were the morning of the first battle in a great war between noble kings with all the world looking on.” This was done; and then in three boatloads Caspian and his people, and Bern with a few of his, put out for Narrowhaven. The King’s flag flew in the stern of his boat and his trumpeter was with him.
When they reached the jetty at Narrowhaven, Caspian found a considerable crowd assembled to meet them. “This is what I sent word about last night,” said Bern. “They are all friends of mine and honest people.” And as soon as Caspian stepped ashore the crowd broke out into hurrahs and shouts of, “Narnia！Narnia！Long live the King.” At the same moment—and this was also due to Bern’s messengers—bells began ringing from many parts of the town. Then Caspian caused his banner to be advanced and his trumpet to be blown and every man drew his sword and set his face into a joyful sternness, and they marched up the street so that the street shook, and their armor shone（for it was a sunny morning）so that one could hardly look at it steadily.
At first the only people who cheered were those who had been warned by Bern’s messenger and knew what was happening and wanted it to happen. But then all the children joined in because they liked a procession and had seen very few. And then all the schoolboys joined in because they also liked processions and felt that the more noise and disturbance there was the less likely they would be to have any school that morning. And then all the old women put their heads out of doors and windows and began chattering and cheering because it was a king, and what is a governor compared with that? And all the young women joined in for the same reason and also because Caspian and Drinian and the rest were so handsome. And then all the young men came to see what the young women were looking at, so that by the time Caspian reached the castle gates, nearly the whole town was shouting; and where Gumpas sat in the castle, muddling and messing about with accounts and forms and rules and regulations, he heard the noise.
At the castle gate Caspian’s trumpeter blew a blast and cried, “Open for the King of Narnia, come to visit his trusty and well-beloved servant the governor of the Lone Islands.” In those days everything in the islands was done in a slovenly, slouching manner. Only the little postern opened, and out came a tousled fellow with a dirty old hat on his head instead of a helmet, and a rusty old pike in his hand. He blinked at the flashing figures before him. “ Carn—seez—fishansy,” he mumbled（which was his way of saying, “You can’t see His Sufficiency”）. “No interviews without ’pointments ’cept ’tween nine ’n’ ten p.m. second Saturday every month.”
“Uncover before Narnia, you dog,” thundered the Lord Bern, and dealt him a rap with his gauntleted hand which sent his hat flying from his head.
“’Ere? Wot’s it all about?” began the doorkeeper, but no one took any notice of him. Two of Caspian’s men stepped through the postern and after some struggling with bars and bolts（for everything was rusty）flung both wings of the gate wide open. Then the King and his followers strode into the courtyard. Here a number of the governor’s guards were lounging about and several more（they were mostly wiping their mouths）came tumbling out of various doorways. Though their armor was in a disgraceful condition, these were fellows who might have fought if they had been led or had known what was happening; so this was the dangerous moment. Caspian gave them no time to think.
“Where is the captain?” he asked.
“I am, more or less, if you know what I mean,” said a languid and rather dandified young person without any armor at all.
“It is our wish,” said Caspian, “that our royal visitation to our realm of the Lone Islands should, if possible, be an occasion of joy and not of terror to our loyal subjects. If it were not for that, I should have something to say about the state of your men’s armor and weapons. As it is, you are pardoned. Command a cask of wine to be opened that your men may drink our health. But at noon tomorrow I wish to see them here in this courtyard looking like men-at-arms and not like vagabonds. See to it on pain of our extreme displeasure.”
The captain gaped but Bern immediately cried, “Three cheers for the King,” and the soldiers, who had understood about the cask of wine even if they understood nothing else, joined in. Caspian then ordered most of his own men to remain in the courtyard. He, with Bern and Drinian and four others, went into the hall.
Behind a table at the far end with various secretaries about him sat His Sufficiency, the Governor of the Lone Islands. Gumpas was a bilious-looking man with hair that had once been red and was now mostly gray. He glanced up as the strangers entered and then looked down at his papers saying automatically, “No interviews without appointments except between nine and ten p. m. on second Saturdays.”
Caspian nodded to Bern and then stood aside. Bern and Drinian took a step forward and each seized one end of the table. They lifted it, and flung it on one side of the hall where it rolled over, scattering a cascade of letters, dossiers, ink-pots, pens, sealing-wax and documents. Then, not roughly but as firmly as if their hands were pincers of steel, they plucked Gumpas out of his chair and deposited him, facing it, about four feet away. Caspian at once sat down in the chair and laid his naked sword across his knees.
“My Lord,” said he, fixing his eyes on Gumpas, “you have not given us quite the welcome we expected. I am the King of Narnia.”
“Nothing about it in the correspondence,” said the governor. “Nothing in the minutes. We have not been notified of any such thing. All irregular. Happy to consider any applications—”
“And we are come to inquire into your Sufficiency’s conduct of your office,” continued Caspian. “There are two points especially on which I require an explanation. Firstly I find no record that the tribute due from these Islands to the crown of Narnia has been received for about a hundred and fifty years.”
“That would be a question to raise at the Council next month,” said Gumpas. “If anyone moves that a commission of enquiry be set up to report on the financial history of the islands at the first meeting next year, why then...”
“I also find it very clearly written in our laws,” Caspian went on, “that if the tribute is not delivered the whole debt has to be paid by the Governor of the Lone Islands out of his private purse.”
At this Gumpas began to pay real attention. “Oh, that’s quite out of the question,” he said. “ It is an economic impossibility—er—your Majesty must be joking.”
Inside, he was wondering if there were any way of getting rid of these unwelcome visitors. Had he known that Caspian had only one ship and one ship’s company with him, he would have spoken soft words for the moment, and hoped to have them all surrounded and killed during the night. But he had seen a ship of war sail down the straits yesterday and seen it signalling, as he supposed, to its consorts. He had not then known it was the King’s ship for there was not wind enough to spread the flag out and make the golden lion visible, so he had waited further developments. Now he imagined that Caspian had a whole fleet at Bernstead. It would never have occurred to Gumpas that anyone would walk into Narrowhaven to take the islands with less than fifty men; it was certainly not at all the kind of thing he could imagine doing himself.
“Secondly,” said Caspian, “I want to know why you have permitted this abominable and unnatural traffic in slaves to grow up here, contrary to the ancient custom and usage of our dominions.”
“Necessary, unavoidable,” said His Sufficiency. “An essential part of the economic development of the islands, I assure you. Our present burst of prosperity depends on it.”
“What need have you of slaves?”
“For export, your Majesty. Sell’em to Calormen mostly; and we have other markets. We are a great center of the trade.”
“In other words,” said Caspian, “you don’t need them. Tell me what purpose they serve except to put money into the pockets of such as Pug?”
“Your Majesty’s tender years,” said Gumpas, with what was meant to be a fatherly smile, “ hardly make it possible that you should understand the economic problem involved. I have statistics, I have graphs, I have—”
“Tender as my years may be,” said Caspian, “I believe I understand the slave trade from within quite as well as your Sufficiency. And I do not see that it brings into the islands meat or bread or beer or wine or timber or cabbages or books or instruments of music or horses or armor or anything else worth having. But whether it does or not, it must be stopped.”
“But that would be putting the clock back,” gasped the governor. “Have you no idea of progress, of development?”
“I have seen them both in an egg,” said Caspian. “We call it ‘Going Bad’ in Narnia. This trade must stop.”
“I can take no responsibility for any such measure,” said Gumpas.
“Very well, then,” answered Caspian, “we relieve you of your office. My Lord Bern, come here.” And before Gumpas quite realized what was happening, Bern was kneeling with his hands between the King’s hands and taking the oath to govern the Lone Islands in accorda-nce with the old customs, rights, usages and laws of Narnia. And Caspian said, “I think we have had enough of governors,” and made Bern a Duke, the Duke of the Lone Islands.
“As for you, my Lord,” he said to Gumpas, “I forgive you your debt for the tribute. But before noon tomorrow you and yours must be out of the castle, which is now the Duke’s residence.”
“Look here, this is all very well,” said one of Gumpas’s secretaries, “but suppose all you gentlemen stop play-acting and we do a little business. The question before us really is—”
“The question is,” said the Duke, “whether you and the rest of the rabble will leave without a flogging or with one. You may choose which you prefer.”
When all this had been pleasantly settled, Caspian ordered horses, of which there were a few in the castle, though very ill-groomed, and he, with Bern and Drinian and a few others, rode out into the town and made for the slave market. It was a long low building near the harbor and the scene which they found going on inside was very much like any other auction; that is to say, there was a great crowd and Pug, on a platform, was roaring out in a raucous voice：
“Now, gentlemen, lot twenty-three. Fine Terebinthian agricultural laborer, suitable for the mines or the galleys. Under twenty-five years of age. Not a bad tooth in his head. Good, brawny fellow. Take off his shirt, Tacks, and let the gentlemen see. There’s muscle for you！Look at the chest on him. Ten crescents from the gentleman in the corner. You must be joking, sir. Fifteen！Eighteen！Eighteen is bidden for lot twenty-three. Any advance on eighteen? Twenty-one. Thank you, sir. Twenty-one is bidden—”
But Pug stopped and gaped when he saw the mail-clad figures who had clanked up to the platform.
“On your knees, every man of you, to the King of Narnia,” said the Duke. Everyone heard the horses jingling and stamping outside and many had heard some rumor of the landing and the events at the castle. Most obeyed. Those who did not were pulled down by their neighbors. Some cheered.
“Your life is forfeit, Pug, for laying hands on our royal person yesterday,” said Caspian. “But your ignorance is pardoned. The slave trade was forbidden in all our dominions quarter of an hour ago. I declare every slave in this market free.”
He held up his hand to check the cheering of the slaves and went on, “Where are my friends?”
“That dear little girl and the nice young gentleman?” said Pug with an ingratiating smile. “ Why, they were snapped up at once—”
“We’re here, we’re here, Caspian,” cried Lucy and Edmund together and, “At your service, Sire,” piped Reepicheep from another corner. They had all been sold but the men who had bought them were staying to bid for other slaves and so they had not yet been taken away. The crowd parted to let the three of them out and there was great hand-clasping and greeting between them and Caspian. Two merchants of Calormen at once approached. The Calormen have dark faces and long beards. They wear flowing robes and orange-colored turbans, and they are a wise, wealthy, courteous, cruel and ancient people. They bowed most politely to Caspian and paid him long compliments, all about the fountains of prosperity irrigating the gardens of prudence and virtue—and things like that—but of course what they wanted was the money they had paid.
“That is only fair, sirs,” said Caspian. “Every man who has bought a slave today must have his money back. Pug, bring out your takings to the last minim.”（A minim is the fortieth part of a crescent.）
“Does your good Majesty mean to beggar me?” whined Pug.
“You have lived on broken hearts all your life,” said Caspian, “and if you are beggared, it is better to be a beggar than a slave. But where is my other friend?”
“Oh him?” said Pug. “Oh take him and welcome. Glad to have him off my hands. I’ve never seen such a drug in the market in all my born days. Priced him at five crescents in the end and even so nobody’d have him. Threw him in free with other lots and still no one would have him. Wouldn’t touch him. Wouldn’t look at him. Tacks, bring out Sulky.”
Thus Eustace was produced, and sulky he certainly looked; for though no one would want to be sold as a slave, it is perhaps even more galling to be a sort of utility slave whom no one will buy. He walked up to Caspian and said, “I see. As usual. Been enjoying yourself somewhere while the rest of us were prisoners. I suppose you haven’t even found out about the British Consul. Of course not.”
That night they had a great feast in the castle of Narrowhaven and then, “Tomorrow for the beginning of our real adventures！” said Reepicheep when he had made his bows to every-one and went to bed. But it could not really be tomorrow or anything like it. For now they were preparing to leave all known lands and seas behind them and the fullest preparations had to be made. The Dawn Treader was emptied and drawn on land by eight horses over rollers and every bit of her was gone over by the most skilled shipwrights. Then she was launched again and victualed and watered as full as she could hold—that is to say for twenty-eight days. Even this, as Edmund noticed with disappointment, only gave them a fortnight’s eastward sailing before they had to abandon their quest.
While all this was being done Caspian missed no chance of questioning all the oldest sea captains whom he could find in Narrowhaven to learn if they had any knowledge or even any rumors of land further to the east. He poured out many a flagon of the castle ale to weather-beaten men with short gray beards and clear blue eyes, and many a tall yarn he heard in return. But those who seemed the most truthful could tell of no lands beyond the Lone Islands, and many thought that if you sailed too far east you would come into the surges of a sea without lands that swirled perpetually round the rim of the world—“And that, I reckon, is where your Majesty’s friends went to the bottom.” The rest had only wild stories of islands inhabited by headless men, floating islands, waterspouts, and a fire that burned along the water. Only one, to Reepicheep’s delight, said, “And beyond that, Aslan country. But that’s beyond the end of the world and you can’t get there.” But when they questioned him he could only say that he’d heard it from his father.
Bern could only tell them that he had seen his six companions sail away eastward and that nothing had ever been heard of them again. He said this when he and Caspian were standing on the highest point of Avra looking down on the eastern ocean. “I’ve often been up here of a morning,” said the Duke, “and seen the sun come up out of the sea, and sometimes it looked as if it were only a couple of miles away. And I’ve wondered about my friends and wondered what there really is behind that horizon. Nothing, most likely, yet I am always half ashamed that I stayed behind. But I wish your Majesty wouldn’t go. We may need your help here. This closing the slave market might make a new world; war with Calormen is what I foresee. My liege, think again.”
“I have an oath, my lord Duke,” said Caspian. “And anyway, what could I say to Reepicheep?”
第四章 了不起的凯斯宾
第二天一大早，伯恩勋爵便叫醒了他的客人们。早餐过后，他请凯斯宾下令让所有人都全副武装。“最重要的是，”他补充道，“所有的铠甲武器都得擦得锃亮，就好像今天早晨的这场战争是打响两位尊贵的君王之间战争的第一炮，而且全世界都在屏息注目着这一战事。”一切都准备完毕后，三艘船载着凯斯宾和他的部下，以及伯恩和他的几个手下，驶向了奈洛港。国王的旗帜在船尾飘扬着，他的号兵也一同前往。
当他们抵达奈洛港的码头时，凯斯宾看见那儿聚集了许多人，等着迎接他们。“这就是我昨晚派人来传话安排的，”伯恩告诉他，“他们都是我的朋友，忠实可靠。”凯斯宾一踏上岸，人群里便爆发出了阵阵欢呼声，人们高声喊着“纳尼亚！纳尼亚！国王万岁！”同时——当然这也是伯恩的信使安排的——小镇上各处都响起钟声来。随后，凯斯宾命人举起他的旗帜，吹响号角，接着所有人都拔出剑，一脸肃容又透着喜悦，他们在街上大步走着，震得整条街都在颤动；他们的盔甲熠熠生辉（因为这天早晨恰好阳光明媚），旁人几乎很难直视。
起初欢呼的只有伯恩的信使通知过的知情人，他们知道即将发生什么，也希望事情按计划进展。不过随后，孩子们也加入了进来，因为他们很喜欢看行军列队，在岛上也很少有机会看到；接着所有的男学生也加入了他们，因为他们也喜欢列队，而且觉得外头越是吵吵闹闹的，他们今天早晨就越有可能不用上学了；再接着，所有的老妇人也都从门里、窗户里探出头来，絮絮叨叨地说着话、欢呼喝彩着，因为这可是国王驾到了，哪里是区区一个统治官可以相提并论的呢？所有的年轻姑娘出于同样的原因也跟着一起欢呼起来，更何况凯斯宾、德里宁还有其他几人实在是太英俊了，让她们转不开眼；而所有的年轻小伙子也忍不住出来瞧瞧姑娘们都在看什么。所以当凯斯宾终于走到了城堡大门口时，几乎整座小镇都充斥着欢呼声和呐喊声。而在城堡里，冈帕斯正在为一堆账本、表格、规章制度忙得不可开交，这时，他也听到了外面的喧闹声。
在城堡大门口，凯斯宾的号兵吹了一下手中的号角，大声叫道：“为纳尼亚的国王打开城门吧，他远道而来，拜访他那忠诚而受爱戴的仆人，孤独岛的统治官。”一直以来，岛上的一切事务都是懒懒散散的，所以当时只有一道边门打开了，走出来一个模样乱糟糟的老头儿，戴着一顶脏兮兮的帽子，连头盔也没有，手里握着一根生了锈的旧长矛。眼前来人的铠甲闪得他直眨眼睛。“甭能见同志官人。”他嘟囔着只有自己才能听懂的话（说的是“你们不能见统治官大人”）。“没有提前‘逾约’（预约）不得会见，每月的第二个周六晚上九点到十点‘出外’（除外）。”
“纳尼亚国王来了，还不快躲开，你这个老家伙！”伯恩勋爵大喝一声，抬起他那戴着护甲的手便在看门人的头上锤了一下，把他的帽子都打飞了。
“哎呀？这都是咋回事儿啊？”看门人嚷嚷着，不过没人再去搭理他了，凯斯宾的两个部下径直穿过了边门，稍稍摆弄了一会儿栅栏和门闩之后（因为都早已生锈了），便轻轻松松地将城堡大门打开了。随后国王和侍从们昂首阔步地走进了庭院，那儿有几个守卫在闲逛着，还有几个（都在抹着嘴）踉踉跄跄地从几个走道里晃出来。尽管他们的铠甲散乱不整，但这些人如果有长官带领或者事先知道会发生事变，还是可以作战的，所以不容小觑。因此眼下便是一个危险的紧要关头，而凯斯宾没有给他们思考的时间。
“你们的首领在哪儿？”他肃声问道。
“我就是，算是吧，你知道我的意思吧。”一个没穿盔甲、打扮得花里胡哨的年轻人懒懒散散地说。
“我们希望，”凯斯宾严肃地说，“此番王室出访孤独岛应当是愉快的；如果可能的话，我们不希望给忠诚的臣民带来恐惧。若非看在这一点的分上，我一定要数落一下你们属下身穿铠甲和佩带武器的面貌状态。不过既然如此，我便赦免你们一回。开一桶葡萄酒，大家一起为我们的健康喝一杯吧。不过明天中午我希望看到每一个守卫都在庭院集合，士兵就要有士兵的样子，不要像个流浪汉似的。务必要做到，如有违反，我们会非常不高兴的。”
那首领吃惊地张大了嘴，还未等他说些什么，伯恩便立刻高声道：“将士们饮三杯酒，恭迎国王的到来！”那些士兵纵使对其他一窍不通，但是对喝酒还是很在行的，于是便纷纷斟酒干杯。随后凯斯宾命令自己的大队人马留在庭院里待命，自己连同伯恩、德里宁以及另外四个部下一齐步入了宫殿大堂。
大堂那一头的一张桌子后面，坐着的便是孤独岛的统治官，身边还围着许多分管不同部门的书记大臣。冈帕斯一脸凶相，看着似乎脾气很暴躁，头发原本是红色的，如今已大多灰白。他抬头瞥了一眼进来的陌生人，随后便又低下头看文件了，口中习惯性地说道：“没有提前预约不得会见，每月的第二个周六晚上九点到十点除外。”
凯斯宾朝伯恩点点头，随后站到了一边。伯恩和德里宁上前一步，分别抓住了桌子的一端，用力抬起来往大堂一边扔去，桌子被掀翻了，信纸、卷宗、墨水瓶、钢笔、封蜡还有文件都如落雨般纷飞散落一地。随后，他们的双手如同钢钳一般，虽不粗暴但也是牢牢地抓住冈帕斯，将他拽出了座椅，把他放在了面朝椅子大约四英尺远的地方。凯斯宾则立刻坐到了座椅上，将出鞘的剑横放在膝上。
“这位大人，”他紧盯着冈帕斯说道，“我们可没想到您就是用这种方式欢迎我们的。我是纳尼亚的国王。”
“来信从没提过有这等事。”统治官说，“纪要中也未有提及。我们从没接到过这样的通知。太不寻常了。若事先有过申请，我们自当欣然——”
“我们来这里是想检查一下你的工作进展。”凯斯宾继续说道，“其中有两点，我尤其想听你好好解释一下。首先，我发现孤独岛向纳尼亚王国进行的进贡，已经有约一百五十年没有记载过了。”
“这个问题应当在下个月的理事会上提出来，”冈帕斯一副公事公办的模样，“如果有人在明年第一次会议上提出，要成立调查委员会来汇报孤独岛过往的财政明细，那么何不……”
“我还发现，我们的法律中白纸黑字地写着，”凯斯宾继续说道，“倘若未能及时进贡，所有欠款必须得由孤独岛的统治官自掏腰包偿付。”
听到这里冈帕斯才开始认真起来。“噢，那怎么可能呢！”他说，“我绝无这样的经济能力啊——呃，陛下您一定是在说笑吧。”
可他心里却在想有没有什么办法能够摆脱这些不速之客。要是知道凯斯宾只有一艘舰船和一艘船的人马，他眼下就会先好声好气地哄着他们，然后夜里便将他们包围起来暗杀掉。不过昨天他见到了一艘战舰驶过海峡，还看见船上发出了信号，他猜想那应当是发给同伴的。当时他还不知道那就是国王的船，因为那时候风不够大，船上旗帜没有飘扬起来，他看不见上面的金狮标志，于是他决定静候其变。现在他揣测凯斯宾的整个舰队都已停靠在伯恩庄，等候他发号施令了。冈帕斯压根儿不会想到，会有人只带着不足五十名人手，便敢大摇大摆地走进奈落港想要拿下孤独岛；这样的事他自己是连想也不敢想的。
“其次，”凯斯宾又说，“我还想知道，你为什么会允许如此恶劣而又毫无人性的奴隶走私活动在此猖狂盛行？这与我们王国一直以来所奉行的古老传统与习俗严重相悖。”
“因为的确有这个必要，不可避免。”统治官答道，“那是岛上经济发展的命脉，我向您保证。我们如今的繁荣全依赖奴隶走私。”
“你需要奴隶来做什么呢？”
“为了出口啊，陛下。大多是卖给卡乐门了，当然我们还有其他市场。我们这儿可是贸易的中心。”
“换句话说，”凯斯宾道，“你并不需要奴隶。你告诉我，奴隶们除了能够给像帕格这样的走私犯带来生财之路，源源不断地将钱送进他们的口袋以外，还有什么用处呢？”
“陛下您还涉世未深，”冈帕斯挂着一脸慈父般的笑容说道，“很难理解这其中牵涉的经济问题。我有统计数据，也有图表，我还有——”
“我年纪虽轻，”凯斯宾不客气地反驳道，“却也很了解奴隶贸易，相信不比大人您差半分。但我并不认为奴隶贸易会给孤独岛带来肉、面包、啤酒、葡萄酒、木材、卷心菜、书、乐器、马匹、盔甲，或是任何有价值的东西。但是无论能否获益，我们都必须立刻停止奴隶贸易。”
“但是这样做会使岛上经济倒退的！”统治官倒吸一口气道，“您是否考虑过进步？考虑过发展？”
“这两样我在鸡蛋上倒是见过，”凯斯宾道，“在纳尼亚我们称之为‘变臭’。总之奴隶贸易必须马上停止。”
“这么做我可担不起责任。”冈帕斯道。
“很好，那么，”凯斯宾接话道，“我们便要罢免你统治官一职。伯恩勋爵，请到这儿来。”冈帕斯还没意识到发生了什么事，伯恩就已经跪下，将双手交与国王手中，并起誓，将秉承纳尼亚的古老传统、权利、习俗与法律，尽心尽力治理孤独岛。接着，凯斯宾说：“我认为我们的统治官已经够多了。”于是他赐予伯恩公爵之衔，让伯恩成了孤独岛的公爵。
“至于你，大人，”他又对冈帕斯说，“我赦免你的贡礼之债，不过明日午时之前，你和你的人必须离开城堡，这里如今已是公爵大人的府邸了。”
“您看，这一切都很不错，”冈帕斯的一位大臣说道，“不过各位大人不如别再口是心非了，我们来做一笔小小的交易如何？现在真正摆在我们面前的问题是——”
“问题是，”新封任的公爵打断他道，“你和你的那帮乌合之众是想就这么爽快地走，还是想讨一顿打再走。随你们的便。”
当一切都妥善处理好后，凯斯宾便命人备马。城堡中虽有几匹马，不过无人好好看管喂养，马儿都是病恹恹的。凯斯宾和伯恩、德里宁以及其他几名部下一同策马奔出了小镇，赶往奴隶市场。那是一座低矮狭长的临港建筑，里面的景象与其他一般的拍卖会无异；换句话说，里面乌泱泱挤满了人，而帕格则站在台子上粗声粗气地吼着：
“好了先生们，二十三号。上乘的泰瑞宾西亚农民，适合在矿场或者船上工作。不足二十五岁，一口的好牙。很不错的壮小伙儿。把他的衣服脱了，塔克斯，让各位先生瞧瞧。瞧这一身肌肉！看看他的胸口。角落里的那位先生出价十新月币，先生您一定是在开玩笑吧。十五！十八！二十三号现在的拍卖价是十八。还有人出更高的价吗？二十一！谢谢您，先生。现在拍卖价是二十一——”
帕格戛然而止，瞠目结舌地看着一群披盔戴甲的人丁零当啷地走上了高台。
“全体下跪，拜见纳尼亚国王。”公爵说道。人人都听到了门外马鞍叮当声与马蹄跺地声，很多人也都听说了早晨有舰船靠岸、城堡里发生了“逼宫”这些事件。于是大多数人都乖乖照做了，那些没有下跪的也被身边的人拉着跪下了。有几个人还发出了欢呼声。
“帕格，你犯了死罪，昨日竟敢对我们的王族成员下手！”凯斯宾说道，“不过不知者无罪。就在一刻钟前，我们纳尼亚领土上的一切奴隶贸易都被严令禁止了。我宣布，现在市场上的每一个奴隶都自由了！”
奴隶们爆发出了一阵欢呼声，凯斯宾抬手向他们致意，随后继续说道：“我的朋友们在哪儿？”
“您是说那位可爱的小姑娘和那位俊秀的年轻人吗？”帕格谄媚地赔着笑说，“哎呀，他们一出来就被抢着拍走啦——”
“我们在这儿！我们在这儿，凯斯宾！”露西和爱德蒙齐声呼喊道。“随时愿为陛下效命！”另一个角落里雷佩契普也尖声叫道。虽然他们都被买下来了，不过买下他们的人仍待在这儿想要继续竞拍其他奴隶，所以他们还没有被带走。人群中自发地让出一条路来，容他们三人通过，他们来到凯斯宾面前，互相好一阵击掌拥抱，十分激动。两名卡乐门商人旋即也跟了上来。卡乐门人都肤色黝黑，蓄着长长的胡须，身穿飘逸长袍，头戴橘色无檐帽，卡乐门民族十分古老，向来以智慧、富有、彬彬有礼而又心狠手辣著称。他们毕恭毕敬地向凯斯宾鞠躬，长篇累牍地赞美了他一番，称赞纳尼亚繁荣昌盛的源泉灌溉着谨慎与美德——当然了，他们无非是想要回自己已经付了的钱。
“那是自然了，先生们。”凯斯宾说道，“今天所有买了奴隶的人都必须拿回自己的钱。帕格，你得把自己赚来的不义之财统统交出来，连一米尼姆也不许剩！”（一米尼姆币相当于一新月币的四十分之一。）
“我的好陛下，您这是要让我倾家荡产，去讨饭吗？”帕格哀号着抱怨道。
“你这一辈子干的营生不知祸害了多少人，”凯斯宾唾弃道，“就算你沦为乞丐，那也比当奴隶强吧。不过话又说回来，我的另一个朋友去哪儿了？”
“哦，你说他？”帕格露出一脸厌恶，“行行好，把他带走吧，我巴不得他走呢。我这辈子还从没在市场上见过这样卖不出去的货呢。最后我出价五新月币，就连这样都没人要买他。把他作为附赠品和其他奴隶一起卖吧，还是没人愿意买。别人连碰都不愿意碰他一下，看都不愿意看他一眼。塔克斯，你把那个‘哭丧脸’带出来吧。”
于是尤斯塔斯终于又露面了，他看上去的确哭丧着一张脸——尽管没人愿意当奴隶被卖来卖去，但当个连卖都卖不出去的奴隶或许更叫人难堪吧。他走上前对凯斯宾没好气地说：“我就知道，你准是自己上哪儿逍遥快活去了，完全不管我们还在这儿当阶下囚。我猜你压根儿没去打听英国大使馆的下落，肯定没去，问都不用问。”
这天晚上，他们在奈洛港的城堡中好好享用了一顿宴席，之后雷佩契普说了句：“明天，我们真正的冒险就开始啦！”说完，它向大家鞠了一躬便回屋睡觉了。不过冒险也不会真的从明天就开始，这只是因为他们从现在起就要离开所有已知的陆地和海域了，所以必须做好万全的准备。船员将“黎明踏浪”号全部清空，并垫了滚筒，由八匹马将船拉上了岸，船上的角角落落都经由手艺最好的造船匠人细心检查过。随后“黎明踏浪”号又下了水，里头满满当当地贮藏了食物和水——足够船员在海上生活二十八天。不过爱德蒙有些失望地发现，即便如此，算上来回，他们最多只能再向东航行两周，之后便不得不放弃探索了。
准备事宜正在紧锣密鼓地进行中，凯斯宾抓紧机会找来了奈洛港所有年迈的船长，询问他们是否知道或是听说过东边尽头的大陆。他拿出了城堡中的许多麦芽啤酒，款待这些饱经风霜的老人，他们蓄着灰色短胡须，长着清澈的蓝色眼睛。作为回报，他听到了许多稀奇古怪的故事。不过那些看上去最为真诚老实的船长，却对孤独岛以外的陆地一无所知，有不少还相信，要是往东边航行太远，就会被卷进世界边缘那永不停歇地打着旋儿的海浪里去。“我想，那儿便是陛下您的朋友们沉海罹难的地方。”其他人只知道些古怪荒诞的故事，比如无头人岛、漂浮岛、喷水岛与水边燃烧的火焰。让雷佩契普感到欣慰的是，其中一人说道：“再过去就是阿斯兰的国度了，不过那儿比世界尽头更远，你们到不了的。”可是当他们继续追问下去时，他只说这是从他父亲那里听来的。
伯恩也只能告诉他们，自己当时看见六个同伴往东航行了，此后便没了他们的下落。说这些时，他和凯斯宾正站在艾维拉岛的最高处，俯瞰着东边的海洋。“早晨我经常到这儿来，”公爵说道，“看着太阳从海上升起。有时候太阳好像就在几英里之外。我会想到我的朋友们，不知他们现在如何，也不知海平线的后面究竟是什么，很可能什么都没有。但我总是有些惭愧自己留在了这里，没有和他们一起继续航行。不过我希望陛下您别去，我们这里也许需要您的帮助。这次您禁闭了奴隶市场，很有可能会改变世界局势：我能预见，我们和卡乐门之间的战争不可避免。我的陛下，请三思啊。”
“我曾立过誓言，公爵大人，”凯斯宾说道，“而且退一步说，我又该如何向雷佩契普交代呢？”
