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CHAPTER FOUR TURKISH DELIGHT(第2/3页)

At last the Turkish Delight was all finished and Edmund was looking very hard at the empty box and wishing that she would ask him whether he would like some more.Probably the Queen knew quite well what he was thinking;for she knew,though Edmund did not,that this was enchanted Turkish Delight and that anyone who had once tasted it would want more and more of it,and would even,if they were allowed,go on eating it till they killed themselves.But she did not offer him any more.Instead,she said to him,

“Son of Adam,I should so much like to see your brother and your two sisters.Will you bring them to see me ?”

“I’ll try,”said Edmund,still looking at the empty box.

“Because,if you did come again-bringing them with you of course-I’d be able to give you some more Turkish Delight.I can’t do it now,the magic will only work once.In my own house it would be another matter.”

“Why can’t we go to your house now ?”said Edmund.When he had first got on to the sledge he had been afraid that she might drive away with him to some unknown place from which he would not be able to get back;but he had forgotten about that fear now.

“It is a lovely place,my house,”said the Queen.“I am sure you would like it.There are whole rooms full of Turkish Delight, and what’s more,I have no children of my own.I want a nice boy whom I could bring up as a Prince and who would be King of Narnia when I am gone.While he was Prince he would wear a gold crown and eat Turkish Delight all day long;and you are much the cleverest and handsomest young man I’ve ever met.I think I would like to make you the Prince-some day,when you bring the others to visit me.”

“Why not now ?”said Edmund.His face had become very red and his mouth and fingers were sticky.He did not look either clever or handsome,whatever the Queen might say.

“Oh,but if I took you there now,”said she,“I shouldn’t see your brother and your sisters.I very much want to know your charming relations.You are to be the Prince and-later on-the King;that is understood.But you must have courtiers and nobles. I will make your brother a Duke and your sisters Duchesses.”

“There’s nothing special about them,”said Edmund,“and, anyway,I could always bring them some other time.”

“Ah,but once you were in my house,”said the Queen,“you might forget all about them.You would be enjoying yourself so much that you wouldn’t want the bother of going to fetch them. No.You must go back to your own country now and come to me another day,with them,you understand.It is no good coming without them.”

“But I don’t even know the way back to my own country,” pleaded Edmund.“That’s easy,”answered the Queen.“Do you see that lamp ?”She pointed with her wand and Edmund turned and saw the same lamp-post under which Lucy had met the Faun.“Straight on,beyond that,is the way to the World of Men.And now look

the other way-here she pointed in the opposite direction-” and tell me if you can see two little hills rising above the trees.

“I think I can,”said Edmund.

“Well,my house is between those two hills.So next time you come you have only to find the lamp-post and look for those two hills and walk through the wood till you reach my house.But remember-you must bring the others with you.I might have to be very angry with you if you came alone.”

“I’ll do my best,”said Edmund.

“And,by the way,”said the Queen,“you needn’t tell them about me.It would be fun to keep it a secret between us two, wouldn’t it ? Make it a surprise for them.Just bring them along to the two hills-a clever boy like you will easily think of some excuse for doing that-and when you come to my house you could just say ‘Let’s see who lives here’ or something like that.I am sure that would be best.If your sister has met one of the Fauns,she may have heard strange stories about me-nasty stories that might make her afraid to come to me.Fauns will say anything,you know, and now-”

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