ew out a long mail shirt of a curious pattern and flashed it before the childrens eyes。
〃thats funny…looking mail； sire；〃 said eustace。
〃aye； lad；〃 said tirian。 〃no narnian dwarf smithied that。 tis mail of calormen； outlandish gear。 i have ever kept a few suits of it in readiness； for i never knew when i or
my friends might have reason to walk unseen in the tisrocs land。 and look on this stone bottle。 in this there is a juice which； when we have rubbed it on our hands and faces； will make us brown as calormenes。鈥�
〃oh hurrah！〃 said jill。 〃disguise！ i love disguises。鈥�
tirian showed them how to pour out a little of the juice into the palms of their hands and then rub it well over their faces and necks； right down to the shoulders； and then on their hands； right up to the elbows。 he did the same himself。
〃after this has hardened on us；〃 he said； 〃we may wash in water and it will not change。
nothing but oil and ashes will make us white narnians again。 and now； sweet jill； let us go see how this mail shirt bees you。 tis something too long； yet not so much as i feared。 doubtless it belonged to a page in the train of one of their tarkaans。鈥�
after the mail shirts they put on calormene helmets； which are little round ones fitting tight to the head and having a spike on top。 then tirian took long rolls of some white stuff out of the locker and wound them over the helmets till they became turbans： but the little steel spike still stuck up in the middle。 he and eustace took curved calormene swords and little round shields。 there was no sword light enough for jill； but he gave her a long； straight hunting knife which might do for a sword at a pinch。
〃hast any skill with the bow； maiden？〃 said tirian。
〃nothing worth talking of；〃 said jill； blushing。 〃scrubbs not bad。鈥�
〃dont you believe her； sire；〃 said eustace。 〃weve both been practising archery ever since we got back from narnia last time； and shes about as good as me now。 not that either of us is much。鈥�
then tirian gave jill a bow and a quiver full of arrows。 the next business was to light a fire； for inside that tower it still felt more like a cave than like anything indoors and set one shivering。 but they got warm gathering wood … the sun was now at its highest … and once the blaze was roaring up the chimney the place began to look cheerful。 dinner was； however； a dull meal； for the best they could do was to pound up some of the hard biscuit which they found in a locker and pour it into boiling water； with salt； so as to make a kind of porridge。 and of course there was nothing to drink but water。
〃i wish wed brought a packet of tea；〃 said jill。
〃or a tin of cocoa；〃 said eustace。
〃a firkin or so of good wine in each of these towers would not have been amiss；〃 said tirian。
ww锛枫��
CHAPTER SIX
灏�*璇�**t*xt**澶�*鍫�
a good nights work about four hours later tirian flung himself into one of the bunks to snatch a little sleep。 the two children were already snoring： he had made them go to bed before he did because they would have to be up most of the night and he knew that at their age they couldnt do without sleep。 also； he had tired them out。 first he had given jill some practice in archery and found that； though not up to narnian standards； she was really not too bad。 indeed she had succeeded in shooting a rabbit （not a talking rabbit； of course： there are lots of the ordinary kind about in western narnia） and it was already skinned； cleaned； and hanging up。 he had found that both the children knew all about this chilly and smelly job； they had learned that kind of thing on their great journey through giant…land in the days of prince rilian。 then he had tried to teach eustace how to use his sword and shield。 eustace had learned quite a lot about sword fighting on his earlier adventures but that had been all with a straight narnian sword。 he had never handled a curved calormene scimitar and that made it hard； for many of the strokes are quite different and some of the habits he had learned with the long sword had now to be unlearned again。 but tirian found that he had a good eye and was very quick on his feet。
he was surprised at the strength of both children： in fact they both seemed to be already much stronger and bigger and more grown…up than they had been when he first met them a few hours ago。 it is one of the effects which narnian air often has on visitors from our world。
all three of them agreed that the very first thing they must do was to go back to stable hill and try to rescue jewel the unicorn。 after that； if they succeeded； they would try to get away eastward and meet the little army which roonwit the centaur would be bringing from cair paravel。
an experienced warrior and huntsman like tirian can always wake up at the time he wants。 so he gave himself till nine oclock that night and then put all worries out of his head and fell asleep at once。 it seemed only a moment later when he woke but he knew by the light and the very feel of things that he had timed his sleep exactly。 he got up； put on his helmet…and…turban （he had slept in his mail shirt）； and then shook the other two till they woke up。 they looked； to tell the truth； very grey and dismal as they climbed out of their bunks and there was a good deal of yawning。
〃now；〃 said tirian； 〃we go due north from here … by good fortune tis a starry night … and it will be much shorter than our journey this morning； for then we went round…about but now we shall go straight。 if we are challenged； then do you two hold your peace and i will do my best to talk like a curst； cruel； proud lord of calormen。 if i draw my sword then thou； eustace； must do likewise and let jill leap behind us and stand with an arrow on the string。 but if i cry ‘home； then fly for the tower both of you。 and let none try to fight on … not even one stroke after i have given the retreat： such false valour has spoiled many notable plans in the wars。 and now； friends； in the name of aslan let us go forward。鈥�
out they went into the cold night。 all the great northern stars were burning above the tree…tops。 the north…star of that world is called the spear…head： it is brighter than our pole star。
for a time they could go straight towards the spear…head but presently they came to a dense thicket so that they had to go out of their course to get round it。 and after that …for they were still overshadowed by branches … it was hard to pick up their bearings。 it was jill who set them right again： she had been an excellent guide in england。 and of course she knew her narnian stars perfectly； having travelled so much in the wild northern lands； and could work out the direction from other stars even when the spear…head was hidden。 as soon as tirian saw that she was the best pathfinder of the three of them he put her in front。 and then he was astonished to find how silently and almost invisibly she glided on before them。
〃by the mane！〃 he whispered to eustace。 〃this girl is a wondrous wood…maid。 if she had dryads blood in her she could scarce do it better。鈥�
〃shes so small； thats what helps；〃 whispered eustace。 but jill from in front said： 〃s…s…s…h； less noise。鈥�
all round them the wood was very quiet。 indeed it was far too quiet。 on an ordinary narnia night there ought to have been noises … an occasional cheery 〃goodnight〃 from a hedgehog； the cry of an owl overhead； perhaps a flute in the distance to tell of fauns dancing； or some throbbing； hammering noises from dwarfs underground。 all that was silenced： gloom and fear reigned over narnia。
after a time they began to go steeply uphill and the trees grew further apart。 tirian could dimly make out the wellknown hill…top and the stable。 jill was now going with more and more caution： she kept on making signs to the others with her hand to do the same。 then she stopped dead still and tirian saw her gradually sink down into the grass and disappear without a sound。 a moment later she rose again； put her mouth close to tirians ear； and said in the lowest possible whisper； 〃get down。 thee better。〃 she said thee for see not because she had a lisp but because she knew the hissing letter s is the part of a whisper most likely to be overheard。 tirian at once lay down； almost as silently as jill； but not quite； for he was heavier and older。 and once they were down； he saw how from that position you could see the edge of the hill sharp against the star… strewn sky。 two black shapes rose against it： one was the stable； and the other； a few feet in front of it； was a calormene sentry。 he was keeping very ill watch： not walking or even standing but sitting with his spear over his shoulder and his chin on his chest。 〃well done；〃 said tirian to jill。 she had shown him exactly what he needed to know。
they got up and tirian now took the lead。 very slowly； hardly daring to breathe； they made their way up to a little clump of trees which was not more than forty feet away from the sentinel。
〃wait here till i e again；〃 he whispered to the other two。 〃if i miscarry； fly。〃 then he sauntered out boldly in full view of the enemy。 the man started when he saw him and was just going to jump to his feet： he was afraid tirian might be one of his own officers and that he would get into trouble for sitting down。 but before he could get up tirian had dropped on one knee beside him； saying： 〃art thou a warrior of the tisrocs； may he live for ever？ it cheers my heart to meet thee among all these beasts and devils of narnians。 give me thy hand； friend。鈥�
before he well knew what was happening the calormene sentry found his right hand seized in a mighty grip。 next instant someone was kneeling on his legs and a dagger was pressed against his neck。
〃one noise and thou art dead；〃 said tirian in his ear。 〃tell me where the unicorn is and thou shalt live。鈥�
〃b … behind the stable； o my master；〃 stammered the unfortunate man。
〃good。 rise up and lead me to him。鈥�
as the man got up the point of the dagger never left his neck。 it only travelled round （cold and rather ticklish） as tirian got behind him and settled it at a convenient place under his ear。 trembling he went round to the back of the stable。
though it was dark tirian could see the white shape of jewel at once。
〃hush！〃 he said。 〃no； do not neigh。 yes； jewel； it is i。 how have they tied thee？鈥�
〃hobbled by all four legs and tied with a bridle to a ring in the stable wall；〃 came jewels voice。
〃stand here； sentry； with your back to the wall。 so。 now； jewel： set the point of your horn against this calormenes breast。鈥�
〃with a good will； sire；〃 said jewel。
〃if he moves； rive him to the heart。〃 then in a few seconds tirian cut the ropes。 with the remains of them he bound the sentry hand and foot。 finally he made him open his mouth； stuffed it full of grass and tied him up from scalp to chin so that he could make no noise； lowered the man into a sitting position and set him against the wall。
〃i have done thee some discourtesy； soldier；〃 said tirian。 〃but such was my need。 if we meet again i may happen to do thee a better turn。 now； jewel； let us go softly。鈥�
he put his left arm round