CHAPTER THIRTEEN THE HIGH KING IN COMMAND（第4/4页）
“To be sure，so you are，and a good bear too，I don’t doubt，”said Peter．
“Yes，”said the Bear．“But it was always a right of the，bears to supply one marshal of the lists．”
“Don’t let him，”whispered Trumpkin to Peter．“He’s a good creature，but he’ll shame us all．He’ll go to sleep and he will suck his paws．In front of the enemy too．”
“I can’t help that，”said Peter．“Because he’s quite right．The Bears had that privilege．I can’t imagine how it has been remembered all these years，when so many other things have been forgotten．”
“Please，your Majesty，”said the Bear．
“It is your right，”said Peter．“And you shall be one of the marshals．But you must remember not to suck your paws．”
“Of course not，”said the Bear in a very shocked voice．
“Why，you’re doing it this minute！”bellowed Trumpkin．
The Bear whipped his paw out of his mouth and pretended he hadn’t heard．
“Sire！”came a shrill voice from near the ground．
“Ah—Reepicheep！”said Peter after looking up and down and round as people usually did when addressed by the Mouse．
“Sire，”said Reepicheep．“My life is ever at your command，but my honour is my own．Sire，I have among my people the only trumpeter in your Majesty’s army．I had thought，perhaps，we might have been sent with the challenge．Sire，my people are grieved．Perhaps if it were your pleasure that I should be a marshal of the lists，it would content them．”
A noise not unlike thunder broke out from somewhere overhead at this point，as Giant Wimbleweather burst into one of those not very intelligent laughs to which the nicer sorts of Giant are so liable．He checked himself at once and looked as grave as a turnip by the time Reepicheep discovered where the noise came from．
“I am afraid it would not do，”said Peter very gravely．“Some humans are afraid of mice—”
“I had observed it，Sire，”said Reepicheep．
“And it would not be quite fair to Miraz，”Peter continued，“to have in sight anything that might abate the edge of his courage．”
“Your Majesty is the mirror of honour，”said the Mouse with one of his admirable bows．“And on this matter we have but a single mind…I thought I heard someone laughing just now．If anyone present wishes to make me the subject of his wit，I am very much at his service—with my sword—whenever he has leisure．”
An awful silence followed this remark，which was broken by Peter saying，“Giant Wimbleweather and the Bear and the Centaur Glenstorm shall be our marshals．The combat will be at two hours after noon．Dinner at noon precisely．”
“I say，”said Edmund as they walked away，“I suppose it is all right．I mean，I suppose you can beat him？”
“That’s what I’m fighting him to find out，”said Peter．