five children and it-第17部分

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'Oh；　crikey！'　said　Robert　fervently。　　'They　HAVE！　　They've　wished

for　a　castle；　and　it's　being　besieged！　　It's　just　like　that

Sand…fairy！　　I　wish　we'd　never　seen　the　beastly　thing！'



At　the　little　window　above　the　great　gateway；　across　the　moat　that

now　lay　where　the　garden　had　been　but　half　an　hour　ago；　someone　was

waving　something　pale　dust…coloured。　　Robert　thought　it　was　one　of

Cyril's　handkerchiefs。　　They　had　never　been　white　since　the　day

when　he　had　upset　the　bottle　of　'Combined　Toning　and　Fixing

Solution'　into　the　drawer　where　they　were。　　Robert　waved　back；　and

immediately　felt　that　he　had　been　unwise。　　For　his　signal　had　been

seen　by　the　besieging　force；　and　two　men　in　steel…caps　were　coming

towards　him。　　They　had　high　brown　boots　on　their　long　legs；　and

they　came　towards　him　with　such　great　strides　that　Robert

remembered　the　shortness　of　his　own　legs　and　did　not　run　away。　　He

knew　it　would　be　useless　to　himself；　and　he　feared　it　might　be

irritating　to　the　foe。　　So　he　stood　still；　and　the　two　men　seemed

quite　pleased　with　him。



'By　my　halidom；'　said　one；　'a　brave　varlet　this！'



Robert　felt　pleased　at　being　CALLED　brave；　and　somehow　it　made　him

FEEL　brave。　　He　passed　over　the　'varlet'。　　It　was　the　way　people

talked　in　historical　romances　for　the　young；　he　knew；　and　it　was

evidently　not　meant　for　rudeness。　　He　only　hoped　he　would　be　able

to　understand　what　they　said　to　him。　　He　had　not　always　been　able

quite　to　follow　the　conversations　in　the　historical　romances　for

the　young。



'His　garb　is　strange；'　said　the　other。　　'Some　outlandish　treachery；

belike。'



'Say；　lad；　what　brings　thee　hither？'



Robert　knew　this　meant；　'Now　then；　youngster；　what　are　you　up　to

here；　eh？'　…　so　he　said：



'If　you　please；　I　want　to　go　home。'



'Go；　then！'　said　the　man　in　the　longest　boots；　'none　hindereth；　and

nought　lets　us　to　follow。　　Zooks！'　he　added　in　a　cautious

undertone；　'I　misdoubt　me　but　he　beareth　tidings　to　the　besieged。'



'Where　dwellest　thou；　young　knave？'　inquired　the　man　with　the

largest　steel…cap。



'Over　there；'　said　Robert；　and　directly　he　had　said　it　he　knew　he

ought　to　have　said　'Yonder！'



'Ha　…　sayest　so？'　rejoined　the　longest　boots。　　'Come　hither；　boy。　

This　is　a　matter　for　our　leader。'



And　to　the　leader　Robert　was　dragged　forthwith　…　by　the　reluctant

ear。



The　leader　was　the　most　glorious　creature　Robert　had　ever　seen。　　He

was　exactly　like　the　pictures　Robert　had　so　often　admired　in　the

historical　romances。　　He　had　armour；　and　a　helmet；　and　a　horse；　and

a　crest；　and　feathers；　and　a　shield；　and　a　lance；　and　a　sword。　　His

armour　and　his　weapons　were　all；　I　am　almost　sure；　of　quite

different　periods。　　The　shield　was　thirteenth…century；　while　the

sword　was　of　the　pattern　used　in　the　Peninsular　War。　　The　cuirass

was　of　the　time　of　Charles　I；　and　the　helmet　dated　from　the　Second

Crusade。　　The　arms　on　the　shield　were　very　grand　…　three　red

running　lions　on　a　blue　ground。　　The　tents　were　of　the　latest　brand

and　the　whole　appearance　of　camp；　army；　and　leader　might　have　been

a　shock　to　some。　　But　Robert　was　dumb　with　admiration；　and　it　all

seemed　to　him　perfectly　correct；　because　he　knew　no　more　of

heraldry　or　archaeology　than　the　gifted　artists　who　usually　drew

the　pictures　for　the　historical　romances。　　The　scene　was　indeed

'exactly　like　a　picture'。　　He　admired　it　all　so　much　that　he　felt

braver　than　ever。



'Come　hither；　lad；'　said　the　glorious　leader；　when　the　men　in

Cromwellian　steel…caps　had　said　a　few　low　eager　words。　　And　he　took

off　his　helmet；　because　he　could　not　see　properly　with　it　on。　　He

had　a　kind　face；　and　long　fair　hair。　　'Have　no　fear；　thou　shalt

take　no　scathe；'　he　said。



Robert　was　glad　of　that。　　He　wondered　what　'scathe'　was；　and　if　it

was　nastier　than　the　senna　tea　which　he　had　to　take　sometimes。



'Unfold　thy　tale　without　alarm；'　said　the　leader　kindly。　　'Whence

comest　thou；　and　what　is　thine　intent？'



'My　what？'　said　Robert。



'What　seekest　thou　to　accomplish？　　What　is　thine　errand；　that　thou

wanderest　here　alone　among　these　rough　men…at…arms？　　Poor　child；

thy　mother's　heart　aches　for　thee　e'en　now；　I'll　warrant　me。'



'I　don't　think　so；'　said　Robert；　'you　see；　she　doesn't　know　I'm

out。'



The　leader　wiped　away　a　manly　tear；　exactly　as　a　leader　in　a

historical　romance　would　have　done；　and　said：



'Fear　not　to　speak　the　truth；　my　child；　thou　hast　nought　to　fear

from　Wulfric　de　Talbot。'



Robert　had　a　wild　feeling　that　this　glorious　leader　of　the

besieging　party　…　being　himself　part　of　a　wish　…　would　be　able　to

understand　better　than　Martha；　or　the　gipsies；　or　the　policeman　in

Rochester；　or　the　clergyman　of　yesterday；　the　true　tale　of　the

wishes　and　the　Psammead。　　The　only　difficulty　was　that　he　knew　he

could　never　remember　enough　'quothas'　and　'beshrew　me's'；　and

things　like　that；　to　make　his　talk　sound　like　the　talk　of　a　boy　in

a　historical　romance。　　However；　he　began　boldly　enough；　with　a

sentence　straight　out　of　Ralph　de　Courcy；　or；　The　Boy　Crusader。　　He

said：



'Grammercy　for　thy　courtesy；　fair　sir　knight。　　The　fact　is；　it's

like　this　…　and　I　hope　you're　not　in　a　hurry；　because　the　story's

rather　a　breather。　　Father　and　mother　are　away；　and　when　we　were

down　playing　in　the　sand…pits　we　found　a　Psammead。'



'I　cry　thee　mercy！　　A　Sammyadd？'　said　the　knight。



'Yes；　a　sort　of　…　of　fairy；　or　enchanter　…　yes；　that's　it；　an

enchanter；　and　he　said　we　could　have　a　wish　every　day；　and　we

wished　first　to　be　beautiful。'



'Thy　wish　was　scarce　granted；'　muttered　one　of　the　men…at…arms；

looking　at　Robert；　who　went　on　as　if　he　had　not　heard；　though　he

thought　the　remark　very　rude　indeed。



'And　then　we　wished　for　money　…　treasure；　you　know；　but　we　couldn't

spend　it。　　And　yesterday　we　wished　for　wings；　and　we　got　them；　and

we　had　a　ripping　time　to　begin　with　…'



'Thy　speech　is　strange　and　uncouth；'　said　Sir　Wulfric　de　Talbot。　

'Repeat　thy　words　…　what　hadst　thou？'



'A　ripping　…　I　mean　a　jolly　…　no　…　we　were　contented　with　our　lot

…　that's　what　I　mean；　only；　after　that　we　got　into　an　awful　fix。'



'What　is　a　fix？　　A　fray；　mayhap？'



'No　…　not　a　fray。　　A　…　a　…　a　tight　place。'



'A　dungeon？　　Alas　for　thy　youthful　fettered　limbs！'　said　the

knight；　with　polite　sympathy。



'It　wasn't　a　dungeon。　　We　just　…　just　encountered　undeserved

misfortunes；'　Robert　explained；　'and　to…day　we　are　punished　by　not

being　allowed　to　go　out。　　That's　where　I　live；'　…　he　pointed　to　the

castle。　　'The　others　are　in　there；　and　they're　not　allowed　to　go

out。　　It's　all　the　Psammead's　…　I　mean　the　enchanter's　fault。　　I

wish　we'd　never　seen　him。'



'He　is　an　enchanter　of　might？'



'Oh　yes　…　of　might　and　main。　　Rather！'



'And　thou　deemest　that　it　is　the　spells　of　the　enchanter　whom　thou

hast　angered　that　have　lent　strength　to　the　besieging　party；'　said

the　gallant　leader；　'but　know　thou　that　Wulfric　de　Talbot　needs　no

enchanter's　aid　to　lead　his　followers　to　victory。'



'No；　I'm　sure　you　don't；'　said　Robert；　with　hasty　courtesy；　'of

course　not　…　you　wouldn't；　you　know。　　But；　all　the　same；　it's

partly　his　fault；　but　we're　most　to　blame。　　You　couldn't　have　done

anything　if　it　hadn't　been　for　us。'



'How　now；　bold　boy？'　asked　Sir　Wulfric　haughtily。　　'Thy　speech　is

dark；　and　eke　scarce　courteous。　　Unravel　me　this　riddle！'



'Oh；'　said　Robert　desperately；　'of　course　you　don't　know　it；　but

you're　not　REAL　at　all。　　You're　only　here　because　the　others　must

have　been　idiots　enough　to　wish　for　a　castle　…　and　when　the　sun

sets　you'll　just　vanish　away；　and　it'll　be　all　right。'



The　captain　and　the　men…at…arms　exchanged　glances；　at　first

pitying；　and　then　sterner；　as　the　longest…booted　man　said；　'Beware；

noble　my　lord；　the　urchin　doth　but　feign　madness　to　escape　from　our

clutches。　　Shall　we　not　bind　him？'



'I'm　no　more　mad　than　you　are；'　said　Robert　angrily；　'perhaps　not

so　much　…　only；　I　was　an　idiot　to　think　you'd　understand　anything。　

Let　me　go　…　I　haven't　done　anything　to　you。'



'Whither？'　asked　the　knight；　who　seemed　to　have　believed　all　the

enchanter　story　till　it　came　to　his　own　share　in　it。　　'Whither

wouldst　thou　wend？'



'Home；　of　course。'　　Robert　pointed　to　the　castle。



'To　carry　news　of　succour？　　Nay！'



'All　right　then；'　said　Robert；　struck　by　a　sudden　idea；　'then　let

me　go　somewhere　else。'　　His　mind　sought　eagerly　among　his　memories

of　the　historical　romance。



'Sir　Wulfric　de　Talbot；'　he　said　slowly；　'should　think　foul　scorn

to　…　to　keep　a　chap　…　I　mean　one　who　has　done　him　no　hurt　…　when　he

wants　to　cut　off　quietly　…　I　mean　to　depart　without　violence。'



'This　to　my　face！　　Beshrew　thee　for　a　knave！'　replied　Sir　Wulfric。　

But　the　appeal　seemed　to　have　gone　home。　　'Yet　thou　sayest　sooth；'

he　added　thoughtfully。　　'Go　where　thou　wilt；'　he　added　nobly；　'thou

art　free。　　Wulfric　de　Talbot　warreth　not　with　babes；　and　Jakin　here

shall　bear　thee　company。'

'All　right；'　said　Robert　wildly。　　'Jakin　will　enjoy　himself；　I

think。　　Come　on；　Jakin。　　Sir　Wulfric；　I　salute　thee。'



He　saluted　after　the　modern　military　manner；　and　set　off　running　to

the　sand…pit；　Jakin's　long　boots　keeping　up　easily。



He　found　the　Fairy。　　He　dug　it　up；　he　woke　it　up；



he　implored　it　to　give　him　one　more　wish。



'I've　done　two　to…day　already；'　it　grumbled；　'and　one　was　as　stiff

a　bit　of　work　as　ever　I　did。'



'Oh；　do；　do；　do；　do；　DO！'　said　Robert；　while　Jakin　looked　on　with

an　expression　of　open…mouthed　horror　at　the　strange　beast　that

talked；　and　gazed　with　its　snail's　eyes　at　him。



'Well；　what　is　it？'　snapped　the　Psammead；　with　cross　sleepiness。



'I　wish　I　was　with　the　others；'　said　Robert。　　And　the　Psammead

began　to　swell。　　Robert　never　thought　of　wishing　the　castle　and　the

siege　away。　　Of　course　he　knew　they　had　all　come　out　of　a　wish；　but

swords　and　daggers　and　pike