CHAPTER THIRTEEN THE HIGH KING IN COMMAND（第2/4頁）
“What’s to do？”said the Lord Glozelle．“An attack？”
“A parley，rather，”said Sopespian．“See，they carry green branches．They are coming to surrender most likely．”
“He that is walking between the Centaur and the Giant has no look of surrender in his face，”said Glozelle．“Who can he be？ It is not the boy Caspian．”
“No indeed，”said Sopespian．“This is a fell warrior，I warrant you，wherever the rebels have got him from．He is (in your Lordship’s private ear) a kinglier man than ever Miraz was．And what mail he wears！ None of our smiths can make the like．”
“I’ll wager my dappled Pomely he brings a challenge，not a surrender，”said Glozelle．
“How then？”said Sopespian．“We hold the enemy in our fist here．Miraz would never be so hair-brained as to throw away his advantage on a combat．”
“He might be brought to it，”said Glozelle in a much lower voice.
“Softly，”said Sopespian．“Step a little aside here out of earshot of those sentries．Now．Have I taken your Lordship’s meaning aright？”
“If the King undertook wager of battle，”whispered Glozelle，“why，either he would kill or be killed．”
“So，”said Sopespian，nodding his head．
“And if he killed we should have won this war．”
“Certainly．And if not？”
“Why，if not，we should be as able to win it without the King’s grace as with him．For I need not tell your Lordship that Miraz is no very great captain．And after that，we should be both victorious and kingless．”
“And it is your meaning，my Lord，that you and I could hold this land quite as conveniently without a King as with one？”
Glozelle’s face grew ugly．“Not forgetting，”said he，“that it was we who first put him on the throne．And in all the years that he has enjoyed it，what fruits have come our way？ What gratitude has he shown us？”
“Say no more，”answered Sopespian．“But look—here comes one to fetch us to the King’s tent．”
When they reached Miraz’s tent they saw Edmund and his two companions seated outside it and being entertained with cakes and wine，having already delivered the challenge，and withdrawn while the King was considering it．When they saw them thus at close quarters the two Telmarine lords thought all three of them very alarming．
Inside，they found Miraz，unarmed and finishing his breakfast．His face was flushed and there was a scowl on his brow.
“There！”he growled，flinging the parchment across the table to them．“See what a pack of nursery tales our jackanapes of a nephew has sent us．”
“By your leave，Sire，”said Glozelle．“If the young warrior whom we have just seen outside is the King Edmund mentioned in the writing，then I would not call him a nursery tale but a very dangerous knight．”
“King Edmund，pah！”said Miraz．“Does your Lordship believe those old wives’ fables about Peter and Edmund and the rest？”
“I believe my eyes，your Majesty，”said Glozelle．
“Well，this is to no purpose，”said Miraz，“but as touching the challenge，I suppose there is only one opinion between us？”
“I suppose so，indeed，Sire，”said Glozelle．
“And what is that？”asked the King．
“Most infallibly to refuse it，”said Glozelle．“For though I have never been called a coward，I must plainly say that to meet that young man in battle is more than my heart would serve me for．And if (as is likely) his brother，the High King，is more dangerous than he—why，on your life，my Lord King，have nothing to do with him．”
“Plague on you！”cried Miraz．“It was not that sort of council I wanted．Do you think I am asking you if I should be afraid to meet this Peter (if there is such a man)？ Do you think I fear him？ I wanted your counsel on the policy of the matter; whether we，having the advantage，should hazard it on a wager of battle．”
“To which I can only answer，your Majesty，”said Glozelle，“that for all reasons the challenge should be refused．There is death in the strange knight’s face．”
“There you are again！”said Miraz，now thoroughly angry.“Are you trying to make it appear that I am as great a coward as your Lordship？”
“Your Majesty may say your pleasure，”said Glozelle sulkily．
“You talk like an old woman，Glozelle，”said the King．“What say you，my Lord Sopespian？”
“Do not touch it，Sire，”was the reply．“And what your Majesty says of the policy of the thing comes in very happily．It gives your Majesty excellent grounds for a refusal without any cause for questioning your Majesty’s honour or courage．”
“Great Heaven！”exclaimed Miraz，jumping to his feet．“Are you also bewitched today？ Do you think I am looking for grounds to refuse it？ You might as well call me coward to my face．”