CHAPTER SIXTEEN THE VERY END OF THE WORLD（第2/5頁）

“What did you say ？”asked Caspian．

“Blooming lilies，your Majesty，”said Rynelf．“Same as in a pool or in a garden at home．”

“Look ！”said Lucy，who was in the stern of the boat．She held up her wet arms full of white petals and broad flat leaves．

“What’s the depth，Rynelf ？”asked Drinian．

“That’s the funny thing，Captain，”said Rynelf．“It’s still deep．Three and a half fathoms clear．”

“They can’t be real lilies—not what we call lilies，”said Eustace．

Probably they were not，but they were very like them．And when，after some consultation，the Dawn Treader turned back into the current and began to glide eastward through the Lily Lake or the Silver Sea(they tried both these names but it was the Silver Sea that stuck and is now on Caspian’s map)the strangest part of their travels began．Very soon the open sea which they were leaving was only a thin rim of blue on the western horizon．Whiteness，shot with faintest colour of gold，spread round them on every side，except just astern where their passage had thrust the lilies apart and left an open lane of water that shone like dark green glass．To look at， this last sea was very like the Arctic；and if their eyes had not by now grown as strong as eagles’ the sun on all that whiteness— especially at early morning when the sun was hugest—would have been unbearable．And every evening the same whiteness made the daylight last longer．There seemed no end to the lilies．Day after day from all those miles and leagues of flowers there rose a smell which Lucy found it very hard to describe；sweet—yes，but not at all sleepy or overpowering，a fresh，wild，lonely smell that seemed to get into your brain and make you feel that you could go up mountains at a run or wrestle with an elephant．She and Caspian said to one another，“I feel that I can’t stand much more of this， yet I don’t want it to stop．”

They took soundings very often but it was only several days later that the water became shallower．After that it went on getting shallower．There came a day when they had to row out of the current and feel their way forward at a snail’s pace，rowing．And soon it was clear that the Dawn Treader could sail no further east． Indeed it was only by very clever handling that they saved her from grounding．

“Lower the boat，”cried Caspian，“and then call the men aft．I must speak to them．”

“What’s he going to do ？”whispered Eustace to Edmund． “There’s a queer look in his eyes．”

“I think we probably all look the same，”said Edmund．

They joined Caspian on the poop and soon all the men were crowded together at the foot of the ladder to hear the King’s speech．

“Friends，”said Caspian，“we have now fulfilled the quest on which you embarked．The seven lords are all accounted for and as Sir Reepicheep has sworn never to return，when you reach Ramandu’s Land you will doubtless find the Lords Revilian and Argoz and Mavramorn awake．To you，my Lord Drinian，I entrust this ship，bidding you sail to Narnia with all the speed you may，and above all not to land on the Island of Deathwater．And instruct my regent，the Dwarf Trumpkin，to give to all these，my shipmates，the rewards I promised them．They have been earned well．And if I come not again it is my will that the Regent，and Master Cornelius，and Trufflehunter the Badger，and the Lord Drinian choose a King of Narnia with the consent—”

“But，Sire，”interrupted Drinian，“are you abdicating ？”

“I am going with Reepicheep to see the World’s End，”said Caspian.

A low murmur of dismay ran through the sailors．

“We will take the boat，”said Caspian．“You will have no need of it in these gentle seas and you must build a new one on Ramandu’s island．And now—”

“Caspian，”said Edmund suddenly and sternly，“you can’t do this．”

“Most certainly，”said Reepicheep，“his Majesty cannot．”

“No indeed，”said Drinian．

“Can’t ？”said Caspian sharply，looking for a moment not unlike his uncle Miraz．

“Begging your Majesty’s pardon，”said Rynelf from the deck below，“but if one of us did the same it would be called deserting．”

“You presume too much on your long service，Rynelf，”said Caspian.

“No，Sire ！He’s perfectly right，”said Drinian．

“By the Mane of Aslan，”said Caspian，“I had thought you were all my subjects here，not my schoolmasters．”

“I’m not，”said Edmund，“and I say you can not do this．”

“Can’t again，”said Caspian．“What do you mean ？”

“If it please your Majesty，we mean shall not，”said Reepicheep with a very low bow．“You are the King of Narnia．You break faith with all your subjects，and especially with Trumpkin，if you do not return．You shall not please yourself with adventures as if you were a private person．And if your Majesty will not hear reason it will be the truest loyalty of every man on board to follow me in disarming and binding you till you come to your senses．”