Whisked Away

75. Who Will Go Into the Stable?

Shifra's POV
Jill left to rid Puzzle of the lion's skin and before she had returned the ape began to speak again.

"And after a horrid thing like that, Aslan - Tashlan, is angrier than ever. He says he's been a great deal too good to you, coming out to be looked at every night. Well, he's not coming out anymore.

The animals began to whine as another voice called out in a familiar mocking tone, "Hark what the monkey says! We know why he isn't going to bring his precious Aslan out. Because he hasn't got him. He never had anything but an old donkey with a lion's skin on his back. Now he's lost that and doesn't know what to do!" I recognized the voice as that of Griffle, the chief dwarf we had meet the previous night.

All the other dwarves' voices join in, singing, "Don't know what to do! Don't know what to do! Don't know what to do-o-o!"

"Silence!" Rishta Tarkaan's voice thundered, "Silence, children of mud! Listen to me, you other Narnians, lest I give command to my warriors to fall upon you with the edge of the sword. The Lord Shift has already told you of that wicked ass. Do you think, because of him that there is no real Tashlan in the stable? Do you? Beware, beware!"

"No, no!" shouted most of the crowd.

The dwarves, however, replied, "That's right, Darkie, you've got it. Come on monkey, show us what's in the stable, seeing is believing."

"You dwarves think you're so cleaver, don't you?," taunted the ape, "But not so fast. I never said you couldn't see Tashlan. Anyone who likes can see him."

An old bear spoke next, remarking, "I don't quite understand all this. I thought you said..."

"You thought?" repeated the ape, "As if anyone could call what goes on in your head thinking! Listen you others, anyone can see Tashlan, but he's not coming out. You have to go in and see him."

Dozens of voices cried out excitedly, "Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you! That's what we wanted! We can go in and see him face to face. And now he'll be kind and it will all be as it used to be."

My eyes narrowed and my suspicions were confirmed as the ape exclaimed, "Get back! Quiet! Not so fast!" For the creatures had begun to crowd in. "Anyone can go in, but one at a time. Who'll go first? He didn't say he was feeling very kind. He's been licking his lips a lot since he swallowed up the wicked king the other night. He's been growling a good deal this morning. I wouldn't much like to see him myself tonight, but just as you please. Who's like to go first? Don't blame me if he he swallows you whole or blasts you into cinder with the mere terror of his eyes. That's your affair."

"Who's first?" the Tarkaan asked, "What about one of you children of mud?"

"Dilly, dilly, come and be killed!" sneered Griffle, "How do we know what you've got in there?"

"Ho-ho," cried the ape, "So you're beginning to think there's something in there, eh? Well all of you were making enough noise a minuet ago. What's struck you all dumb? Who's going in first?" When no one answered, he commented, "I thought you were all so eager to see Tashlan face to face! Changed your mind, eh?"

"I'll go in, if you like," replied Ginger. I shared a look with Tirian before looking back out.

"Ho-ho!" the ape exclaimed joyously, "So you, a pert cat, would look upon him face to face. Come on, then! I'll open the door for you. Don't blame me if he scares the whispers off your face. That's your affair." Ginger rose to his feet and nimbly walked to the stable door. The ape opened the door for the cat.

It's face was completely calm as it walked up, but the moment the stable door opened for it, the most horrible caterwaul I had ever heard rose from the cat, "Aii-aii- aouwee!" The ape was knocked from his feet by the speeding cat as it turned around and ran. It seemed almost as if a ginger colored streak of lightning flashed by the other creatures until he ran up a tree. Every single hair on him was stood perfectly upright.

Rishta Tarkaan and the ape seemed as perplexed as ourselves, but soon Rishta spoke, "Now, Ginger. Enough of that noise, tell them what thou has seen."

"Aii - Aii - Aaow - Awah," the cat screamed back.

"Art thou a talking beast?" commented the Tarkaan. "Then hold thy devilish noise and talk."

I had just about had enough of this and was beginning to turn around to ask Tirian when we should move, when a clear, ringing voice spoke, "My Father." I knew it must be a Calormen, for the officers call their senior officers 'My Father'. "I also desire to go in," he spoke. He was tall and lean and appeared to be rather young.

"Peace, Emeth," Rishta replied, "Who called thee to council? Does it become a boy to speak?"

"My Father," Officer Emeth replied calmly and courteously, "Truely I am younger than thou, yet I also am of the blood of the Tarkaans even as thou art, and I also am the servant of Tash. Therefore..."

"Silence," thundered Rishta, "Am not I thou captain? Thou has nothing to do with the stable."

The two continued to bicker until Griffle shouted, "Come on Darkie, why don't you let him in? Why do you let the Narnians in, but not your own people?" Emeth walked up and excitement filled his eyes as the door was opened. He closed it behind him and just a few moments later the door was opened again and someone in Calormen armor was shoved out.

"The rash boy has had his will," shouted Rishta, "He had looked on Tash and is dead. Take warning all of you." We all looked at one another in confusion, for the man laying dead was much older than Emeth.

As the Calormens began to move in a force one of the creatures to go into the stable, Tirian turned to us all and whispered, "Weapons out and follow."

Stepping out into view of everyone, Tirian began to shout, "Here stand I, Tirian of Narnia to prove with my body that Tash is a foul fiend, the ape a manifold traitor, and these Calormens worthy of death. To my side, all true Narnians. Would you wait till your new masters have killed you one by one?"