CHAPTER EIGHT WHAT HAPPENED AFTER DINNER（第2/4页）

“I’m longing to see him，”said Peter，“even if I do feel frightened when it comes to the point．”

“That’s right，Son of Adam，”said Mr. Beaver，bringing his paw down on the table with a crash that made all the cups and saucers rattle．And so you shall．Word has been sent that you are to meet him，tomorrow if you can，at the Stone Table．

“Where’s that ？”said Lucy．

“I’ll show you，”said Mr. Beaver．“It’s down the river，a good step from here．I’ll take you to it ！”

“But meanwhile what about poor Mr. Tumnus ？”said Lucy．

“The quickest way you can help him is by going to meet Aslan，”said Mr. Beaver，once he’s with us，then we can begin doing things．Not that we don’t need you too．For that’s another of the old rhymes：

When Adam’s flesh and Adam’s bone

Sits at Cair Paravel in throne，

The evil time will be over and done．

So things must be drawing near their end now he’s come and you’ve come．We’ve heard of Aslan coming into these parts before-long ago，nobody can say when．But there’s never been any of your race here before．

“That’s what I don’t understand，Mr. Beaver，”said Peter，“I mean isn’t the Witch herself human ？”

“She’d like us to believe it，”said Mr. Beaver，“and it’s on that that she bases her claim to be Queen．But she’s no Daughter of Eve．She comes of your father Adam’s”-（here Mr. Beaver bowed）“your father Adam’s first wife，her they called Lilith． And she was one of the Jinn．That’s what she comes from on one side．And on the other she comes of the giants．No，no，there isn’t a drop of real human blood in the Witch．”

“That’s why she’s bad all through，Mr. Beaver，”said Mrs. Beaver．

“True enough，Mrs. Beaver，”replied he，“there may be two views about humans（meaning no offence to the present company）．But there’s no two views about things that look like humans and aren’t．”

“I’ve known good Dwarfs，”said Mrs. Beaver．

“So’ve I，now you come to speak of it，”said her husband， “but precious few，and they were the ones least like men．But in general，take my advice，when you meet anything that’s going to be human and isn’t yet，or used to be human once and isn’t now， or ought to be human and isn’t，you keep your eyes on it and feel for your hatchet．And that’s why the Witch is always on the lookout for any humans in Narnia．She’s been watching for you this many a year，and if she knew there were four of you she’d be more dangerous still．”

“What’s that to do with it ？”asked Peter．

“Because of another prophecy，”said Mr. Beaver．“Down at Cair Paravel-that’s the castle on the sea coast down at the mouth of this river which ought to be the capital of the whole country if all was as it should be-down at Cair Paravel there are four thrones and it’s a saying in Narnia time out of mind that when two Sons of Adam and two Daughters of Eve sit in those four thrones，then it will be the end not only of the White Witch’s reign but of her life， and that is why we had to be so cautious as we came along，for if she knew about you four，your lives wouldn’t be worth a shake of my whiskers ！”

All the children had been attending so hard to what Mr. Beaver was telling them that they had noticed nothing else for a long time． Then during the moment of silence that followed his last remark， Lucy suddenly said：

“I say-where’s Edmund ？”

There was a dreadful pause，and then everyone began asking“Who saw him last ？ How long has he been missing ？ Is he outside ？ and then all rushed to the door and looked out．The snow was falling thickly and steadily，the green ice of the pool had vanished under a thick white blanket，and from where the little house stood in the centre of the dam you could hardly see either bank．Out they went，plunging well over their ankles into the soft new snow，and went round the house in every direction．“Edmund！ Edmund ！ ”they called till they were hoarse．But the silently falling snow seemed to muffle their voices and there was not even an echo in answer．