CHAPTER FIVE HOW HELP CAME TO THE KING（第3/4页）

“Gosh!”said Eustace.“It’s getting hot in this sun. Are we nearly there，Sire ？”

“Look，”said Tirian and pointed. Not many yards away grey battlements rose above the tree-tops，and after a minute’s more walking they came out in an open grassy space. A stream ran across it and on the far side of the stream stood a squat，square tower with very few and narrow windows and one heavy-looking door in the wall that faced them．

Tirian looked sharply this way and that to make sure that no enemies were in sight. Then he walked up to the tower and stood still for a moment fishing up his bunch of keys which he wore inside his hunting-dress on a narrow silver chain that went round his neck. It was a nice bunch of keys that he brought out，for two were golden and many were richly ornamented：you could see at once that they were keys made for opening solemn and secret rooms in palaces，or chests and caskets of sweet-smelling wood that contained royal treasures. But the key which he now put into the lock of the door was big and plain and more rudely made. The lock was stiff and for a moment Tirian began to be afraid that he would not be able to turn it：but at last he did and the door swung open with a sullen creak．

“Welcome friends，”said Tirian.“I fear this is the best palace that the King of Narnia can now offer to his guests.”

Tirian was pleased to see that the two strangers had been well brought up. They both said not to mention it and that they were sure it would be very nice．

As a matter of fact it was not particularly nice. It was rather dark and smelled very damp. There was only one room in it and this room went right up to the stone roof：a wooden staircase in one corner led up to a trap door by which you could get out on the battlements. There were a few rude bunks to sleep in，and a great many lockers and bundles. There was also a hearth which looked as if nobody had lit a fire in it for a great many years．

“We’d better go out and gather some firewood first thing， hadn’t we ？”said Jill．

“Not yet，comrade，”said Tirian. He was determined that they should not be caught unarmed，and began searching the lockers，thankfully remembering that he had always been careful to have these garrison towers inspected once a year and to make sure that they were stocked with all things needful. The bow strings were there in their coverings of oiled silk，the swords and spears were greased against rust，and the armour was kept bright in its wrappings. But there was something even better.“Look you!”said Tirian as he drew out a long mail shirt of a curious pattern and flashed it before the children’s eyes．

“That’s funny-looking mail，Sire，”said Eustace．

“Aye，lad，”said Tirian.“No Narnian Dwarf smithied that.‘ Tis mail of Calormen，outlandish gear. I have ever kept a few suits of it in readiness，for I never knew when I or my friends might have reason to walk unseen in The Tisroc’s land. And look on this stone bottle. In this there is a juice which，when we have rubbed it on our hands and faces，will make us brown as Calormenes.”

“Oh hurrah!”said Jill.“Disguise! I love disguises.”

Tirian showed them how to pour out a little of the juice into the palms of their hands and then rub it well over their faces and necks，right down to the shoulders，and then on their hands，right up to the elbows. He did the same himself．

“After this has hardened on us，”he said，“we may wash in water and it will not change. Nothing but oil and ashes will make us white Narnians again. And now，sweet Jill，let us go see how this mail shirt becomes you .’Tis something too long，yet not so much as I feared. Doubtless it belonged to a page in the train of one of their Tarkaans.”

After the mail shirts they put on Calormene helmets，which are little round ones fitting tight to the head and having a spike on top. Then Tirian took long rolls of some white stuff out of the locker and wound them over the helmets till they became turbans： but the little steel spike still stuck up in the middle. He and Eustace took curved Calormene swords and little round shields. There was no sword light enough for Jill，but he gave her a long，straight hunting knife which might do for a sword at a pinch．