“And if you were not my son， O most inflammable Rabadash，” replied his father， “your life would be short and your death slow when you had said it.” （The cool， placid voice in which he spoke these words made Aravis‘s blood run cold.）“But why， O my father，” said the Prince.this time in a much more respectful voice， “why should we think twice about punishing Narnia any more than about hanging an idle slave or sending a worn.out horse to be made into dog’s.meat？ It is not the fourth size of one of your least provinces. A thousand spears could conquer it in five weeks. It is an unseemly blot on the skirts of your empire.”
“Most undoubtedly，” said the Tisroc. “These little barbarian countries that call themselves free （which is as much as to say， idle， disordered， and unprofitable） are hateful to the gods and to all persons of discernment.”
“Then why have we suffered such a land as Narnia to remain thus long unsubdued？”
“Know， O enlightened Prince，” said the Grand Vizier， “that until the year in which your exalted father began his salutary and unending reign， the land of Narnia was covered with ice and snow and was moreover ruled by a most powerful enchantress.”
