“O Vizier，” said the Tisroc， “is it certain that no living soul knows of this council we three have held here tonight？”
“O my master，” said Ahoshta， “it is not possible that any should know. For that very reason I proposed， and you in your wisdom agreed， that we should meet here in the Old Palace where no council is ever held and none of the household has any occasion to come.”
“It is well，” said the Tisroc. “If any man knew， I would see to it that he died before an hour had passed. And do you also， O prudent Vizier， forget it. I sponge away from my own heart and from yours all knowledge of the Prince’s plans. He is gone without my knowledge or my consent， I know not whither， because of his violence and the rash and disobedient disposition of youth. No man will be more astonished than you and I to hear that Anvard is in his hands.”
“To hear is to obey，” said Ahoshta.
“That is why you will never think even in your secret heart that I am the hardest hearted of fathers who thus send my first-born son on an errand so likely to be his death； pleasing as it must be to you who do not love the Prince. For I see into the bottom of your mind.”
“O impeccable Tisroc，” said the Vizier. “In comparison with you I love neither the Prince nor my own life nor bread nor water nor the light of the sun.”
“Your sentiments，” said the Tisroc， “are elevated and correct.
I also love none of these things in comparison with the glory and strength of my throne. If the Prince succeeds， we have Archenland， and perhaps hereafter Narnia. If he fails-I have eighteen other sons and Rabadash， after the manner of the eldest sons of kings， was beginning to be dangerous. More than five Tisrocs in Tashbaan have died before their time because their eldest sons， enlightened princes， grew tired of waiting for their throne. He had better cool his blood abroad thanboil it in inaction here. And now， O excellent Vizier， the excess of my paternal anxiety inclines me to sleep. Command the musicians to my chamber. But before you lie down， call back the pardon we wrote for the third cook. I feel within me the manifest prognostics of indigestion.”
“To hear is to obey，” said the Grand Vizier. He crawled backwards on all fours to the door， rose， bowed， and went out. Even then the Tisroc remained seated in silence on the divan till Aravis almost began to be afraid that he had dropped asleep. But at last with a great creaking and sighing he heaved up his enormous body， signed to the slaves to precede him with the lights， and went out. The door closed behind him， the room was once more totally dark， and the two girls could breathe freely again.
中文阅读
“啊-我的-父王-啊-我-眼中的-喜乐，”年轻人开口说道。他阴沉着脸，嘴里快速地、含混不清地发出这些言词，一点儿也看不出提斯洛克是他眼中的喜乐，“祝你万寿无疆，可是你完全毁了我。如果在日出时，刚一发现该死的野蛮人的船不见了，你就让我使用最快的大木船，说不定我已经追上他们了。可是你劝我派人去查看，他们是否换了个更好的地方停泊。现在整整一天荒废过去了。他们跑了——逃之夭夭——逃出了我的手掌心！虚伪的玉石，那个——”说到这里，他吐出了一大堆咒骂苏珊女王的话语，写下来会显得十分不雅。当然这个年轻人就是拉巴达西王子，虚伪的玉石指的是纳尼亚的苏珊。“镇静，啊我的皇儿，”提斯洛克说，“客人的离去，在明智的主人心中留下的创伤是很容易治愈的。”
“可是我需要她，”王子叫道，“我必须拥有她。如果得不到她，我会死的——她是一个狗娘养的虚伪的、傲慢的、黑心的小母狗！由于她的美貌，我无法入睡，食物没有味道，我的眼睛也失去了光彩。我一定要得到这个野蛮人的女王。”
“一位有才华的诗人说得好，”宰相从地毯上抬起头来（脸上沾了不少灰尘），插嘴说道，“要浇灭青春爱情之火焰，必须要畅饮理性愉悦的泉水。”
看来这句话激怒了王子。“狗东西，”他嚷着，对准宰相的臀部一连踢了好几脚，“胆敢对我引用诗人的话。整整一天我听够了格言和诗歌，我再也无法忍受了。”我敢说，阿拉维斯丝毫不会为宰相感到难过。
提斯洛克显然沉浸在思索之中，过了好久，他才注意到正在发生的事情，平静地说：
“我儿，千万不可以再踢可敬而贤明的宰相了。正如一块昂贵的珠宝，即使是藏在粪堆中，也会保持它的价值；即使是我们的卑贱下属，也要尊重他们的高龄和判断力。停下脚来，把你的愿望和建议告诉我们。”
“哦我的父王，我希望并建议，”拉巴达西说，“你立即召聚你那战无不胜的大军，入侵可恶的纳尼亚领土，用火与刀毁灭它，把它添加到你那庞大帝国的版图之中。除了苏珊女王，将他们的大帝和王室成员全都杀死。我一定要娶她为妻，虽说先要好好地教训她一番。”
“要知道，啊我的皇儿，”提斯洛克说，“你就是说破天，我也不会向纳尼亚开战。”
“你若不是我的父亲，啊永生的提斯洛克，”王子咬牙切齿地说，“我就会说，这是一个懦夫的言语。”
“你若不是我的儿子，啊性情暴躁的拉巴达西，”他的父亲回答说，“当你说出这句话，你的小命也就完了，而且不会死得那么痛快。”（他说这些话时，那冷冰冰而又平静的声音使阿拉维斯的血液都要凝固了。）“可是为什么，啊我的父王，”王子说——这次他的声音里多了几分尊重，“为什么对于纳尼亚，我们一直犹豫不决呢？为什么不能像绞死一个偷懒的奴隶，或者把一匹衰弱的马拿去喂狗那样加以惩罚呢？纳尼亚的面积还不到你最小省份的四分之一。用一千支长矛在五周之内就可以征服它了。它是你帝国边上的一个不体面的污点。”
“毫无疑问，”提斯洛克说，“对于诸神和所有明辨是非的人来说，这些自称是自由的（也就等于说，是闲散、混乱和无益的）野蛮小国家是可恶的。”
“那么，为什么我们允许纳尼亚这样的国家长期存在，而不去加以征服呢？”
“要知道，啊贤明的王子，”宰相说道，“就在你崇高的父王开始他有益而永恒的统治那一年，纳尼亚的土地还依然覆盖着冰雪，而且是在一个最强大的女巫统治之下。”
