CHAPTER FOUR WHAT CASPIAN DID THERE（第2/4頁）
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．We are 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 enquire 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 armour 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 accordance 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．”