芷江最后一战 《最后一战》第10期:无尾猿煊赫一时(3)

《最后一战》第10期:无尾猿煊赫一时(3)  

"We'll see about those o later
" said the Ape
spitting out a shell in the directionof the o prisoners. "I got some other business first. They can wait. Now listen to me
everyone. The first thing I want to say is about nuts. Where's that Head Squirrel got to?"
"Here
Sir
" said a red squirrel
ing forward and making a nervous little bow.
"Oh you are
are you?" said the Ape with a nasty look. "Now attend to me. I want - Imean
Aslan wants - some more nuts. These you've brought aren't anything like enough. Youmust bring some more
do you hear? Twice as many. And they've got to be here by sunsettomorrow
and there mustn't be any bad ones or any small ones among them."
A murmur of dismay ran through the other squirrels
and the Head Squirrel plucked upcourage to say:
"Please
would Aslan himself speak to us about it? If we might be allowed to see him -"
"Well you won't
" said the Ape. "He may be very kind (though it's a lot more than mostof you deserve) and e out for a few minutes tonight. Then you can all have a look at he will not have you all crowding round him and pestering him with questions. Anythingyou want to say to him will be passed on through me: if I think it's worth bothering himabout. In the meantime all you squirrels had better go and see about the nuts. And make surethey are here by tomorrow evening or
my word! you'll catch it."
The poor squirrels all scampered away as if a dog were after them. This new order wasterrible news for them. The nuts they had carefully hoarded for the winter had nearly allbeen eaten by now; and of the few that were left they had already given the Ape far morethan they could spare.
Then a deep voice - it belonged to a great tusked and shaggy Boar - spoke from anotherpart of the crowd.
"But why can't we see Aslan properly and talk to him?" it said. "When he used to appearin Narnia in the old days everyone could talk to him face to face."
"Don't you believe it
" said the Ape. "And even if it was true
times have n says he's been far too soft with you before
do you see? Well
he isn't going to besoft any more. He's going to lick you into shape this time. He'll teach you to think he's atame lion!"
A low moaning and whimpering was heard among the Beasts; and
after that
a dead silencewhich was more miserable still.
"And now there's another thing you got to learn
" said the Ape. "I hear some of you aresaying I'm an Ape. Well
I'm not. I'm a Man. If I look like an Ape
that's because I'm sovery old: hundreds and hundreds of years old. And it's because I'm so old that I'm so it's because I'm so wise that I'm the only one Aslan is ever going to speak to. He can'tbe bothered talking to a lot of stupid animals. He'll tell me what you've got to do
andI'll tell the rest of you. And take my advice
and see you do it in double quick time
forhe doesn't mean to stand any nonsense."
There was a dead silence except for the noise of a very young badger crying and itsmother trying to make it keep quiet.