声明：本书为八零电子书(txt80.com)的用户上传至本站的存储空间，本站只提供TXT全集电子书存储服务以及免费下载服务，以下作品内容之版权与本站无任何关系。 ---------------------------用户上传之内容开始-------------------------------- 纳尼亚传奇6：银椅（双语） 作者：C·S·路易斯 内容简介 深深的地下，邪恶的魔法之网囚禁着一位王子。 纳尼亚那里猫头鹰召开议会， 当邪恶编织着魔咒巫术征服了大地。 尤斯塔斯和女生吉儿被一群坏学生所追赶，逃进了一扇通往荒野的小门，意外地发现自己来到了阿斯兰的国土上。他俩接受阿斯兰交付的任务，寻找凯斯宾国王失踪的独子瑞 廉王子。十年前，王后被一条青绿色的毒蛇咬死，不久，王子也被一个绿衣美女诱走。其实，这绿衣美女是蛇精，它用魔法控制了瑞廉王子。瑞廉王子每天只有夜间一个小时是清醒的。但这时蛇精把他捆在银椅中，用魔法控制他。尤斯塔斯和吉儿和帮助他俩的沼泽怪一起踏上了艰险的寻找之路，但由于吉儿忘了阿斯兰的指示，所以增加了很多危险。他们通过巨人盘据的北方荒原，误入吃人的哈方宫，来到地下的幽深王国最后在黑暗城堡中解救了瑞廉王子，劈毁银椅并抵御住蛇精的魔法，最后杀死蛇精，解放了众多的蛇精奴隶地精，回到纳尼亚。而不幸的是，年老的凯斯宾国王见到王子后立即死去。后来，阿斯兰用自己的一滴鲜血使凯斯宾复活，并恢复了青春与活力。他从此在阿斯兰的王国生活，而尤斯塔斯和吉儿则回到自己的学校。 第一章 体育馆后面的故事 那是一个秋天，天阴沉沉的，姬尔·姬尔一个人躲在体育馆后面哭泣。 她很伤心，因为学校里有一些坏孩子总是欺负她。虽然我们要讲的并不是一个关于学校的故事，但是现在我们要讲的内容却和故事的发展有很大的关系，所以我还是要啰里啰唆地介绍一下姬尔·姬尔学校的事情，尽管这些事情实在有点无趣。姬尔·姬尔读的是一所男女混合的学校，不像别的学校只有男孩子或只有女孩子。话说学校“混”没关系，可是掌管学校的人“混”那关系可就大了。学校的管理者认为他们应该允许学生们做任何他们喜欢做的事情。可是，总有十几个大点的孩子欺负低年级的学生。那些各式各样的可怕事情， 如果发生在别的学校里，哪怕是一所最普通的学校，用不了半个学期，就会被管理人员发现并且加以制止。可是在姬尔·姬尔的学校里， 校长根本不管那些坏孩子。他说“他们只是比别的孩子更活泼一些而已”，最多也就是让老师找他们聊上几个小时，连找家长都免了。偏偏那些孩子还挺会讨校长的欢心，因此不但没有受到责备，还特别受宠。 姬尔·姬尔根本拿他们没办法，这也就是为什么她会在这样一个阴沉晦暗的日子里，不在屋里待着，反而跑到这条又湿又冷的小路， 在体育馆后面的绿化带旁哭泣。当姬尔·姬尔沉浸在自己的悲伤里哭个没完没了的时候，一个男孩子两手插在口袋里，吹着口哨从体育馆的墙角绕过来。他走得很快，根本没有注意到旁边的姬尔·姬尔， 差一点就撞到她了。 “你走路不长眼啊？”姬尔·姬尔说。 “好吧，是我没注意，”男孩说，“不过你也不用吓得……”这时， 他注意到姬尔·姬尔哭肿的小眼，说：“嘿，姬尔，你怎么了？” 姬尔·姬尔想说什么，可是又怕自己再哭起来，结果那表情就像在做鬼脸一样。 “又是那帮人，对吗？”男孩板着脸把两只手往自己的口袋深处插了插。 姬尔点了点头。她根本没必要多说，因为他们俩都清楚这是怎么一回事。 “好了，别哭了，”男孩说，“哭也没用……” 本来男孩是想安慰姬尔，让她不要再哭了。可是他这么一说， 却让姬尔气不打一处来（相信我，如果换做是你，你也会生气的）。 “啊，走开！谁要你多管闲事！”她说，“没人请你来说这些！ 你真会充好人啊，跑到这里来教训我，是吗？你该不是也想让我跟你一样，把自己的所有时间都用在讨好他们上吧？” “喔，天啊！”男孩想坐在姬尔旁边，因为灌木丛旁边的草地很湿，他只好赶紧跳起来。这个男孩叫尤斯塔斯·斯克罗布，事实上， 他人还挺好的。 “姬尔！”尤斯塔斯·斯克罗布叫起来：“你怎么能这么说！至少这个学期我没有，为了兔子的事我还和喀特吵了一架。他们那样折磨我，我都没有把斯彼文的秘密说出去，不是吗？还有……” “我不……我不知道，也不想知道。”姬尔说着又开始呜咽起来。 尤斯塔斯看姬尔很伤心，一点不像平常的样子，就从自己口袋里掏出一块薄荷糖给她，然后自己也吃了一块。冰凉的薄荷让姬尔镇定了些，终于不哭了。 “对不起，尤斯塔斯，”她说：“我那样说是有点不公平，事实上在这个学期你也做了很多好事。” “如果可以的话，请你忘掉我的过去吧，”尤斯塔斯说道，“那时候我的确和现在不一样，哎——我那个时候确实挺令人讨厌的！” “嗯，说真的，以前的你真的很坏！”姬尔附和道。 “那现在呢？你觉得我变了吗？”尤斯塔斯问。 “不光是我，”姬尔说，“大家都说你变了，他们都注意到了。易丽诺·布莱克斯汀说她昨天在更衣室里还听见奥黛拉·潘妮法瑟说起你呢。她说：‘肯定有人替尤斯塔斯撑腰。这个学期，这家伙很不听话！咱们得找个时间照顾照顾他。’” 尤斯塔斯不由自主打了个寒战，学校里的人都知道被那些坏孩子们“照顾”是怎么回事。 两个人突然都不说话，周围安静极了，月桂上的水珠往下滴的声音都听得格外清晰。 “是什么改变了你呢？”姬尔沉默一会，好奇地问道。 “这个暑假我遇到了很多奇怪的事。”尤斯塔斯很神秘地说。 “什么事？”姬尔很好奇。 刚开始尤斯塔斯没有作声，过了好一会儿，他才说：“姬尔， 咱们都不喜欢这个地方，对吧？简直就是痛恨，对吧？” “没错，我痛恨这里！”姬尔说。 “那么我想我可以信任你。” “你真是个好人。”姬尔说。 “好吧，我有一个惊天秘密，对谁也没有说过。我说，姬尔， 你相信神仙和鬼怪的传说吗？就是别人听了可能会笑话的那种。” “我从来没有听过，”姬尔说，“不过，也许我会信的。” “你相信我么？如果我告诉你暑假时我曾经离开我们这个世界到外面的世界去？你信么？” “可是我不懂你在说什么。” “算啦！别管这个世界那个世界啦，我是说，暑假的时候我去过一个神奇的地方，那里的动物们会说话，到处都是魔法还有龙…… 嗯……就跟童话里的写的一样。”尤斯塔斯说这些的时候感觉还有点不好意思，居然脸都红了。 “那你是怎么到那里去的？”姬尔看他有点不好意思，自己也开始不自在了。 “只有靠魔法才能去，”尤斯塔斯压低了声音，他贴着姬尔的耳朵就像在说悄悄话，“是我两个表兄妹带我去的，他们以前去过。” 看到尤斯塔斯这么神秘又严肃，姬尔觉得他不是在开玩笑。不过她马上又开始怀疑，生气地说（看她那个样子，就好像一只发怒的母老虎一样）：“要是我发现你戏弄我，那我永远也不理你了，永远！ 永远！永远！” “我没有，”尤斯塔斯发誓说，“我发誓我没骗你，用我所拥有的一切发誓！”（在我念书那会，人们都说“我对《圣经》发誓”， 不过在尤斯塔斯他们学校里没有人念《圣经》，所以尤斯塔斯才冒出这么一句“我用我所拥有的一切发誓”。） “那好吧，”姬尔说，“就信你这一回。” “你不会告诉别人吧？” “你把我看成什么人了？” 他们两个人都有点激动。可是完了之后，姬尔看到天空依然阴沉，听到那沉闷单调的滴水声，不由得又想到学校里那些烦人的事。十三个礼拜是一个学期，现在还有十一个礼拜才能放假。她说：“就算真有那么个地方，又有什么用？我们现在在这个破地方，不在那儿， 而且又去不了，不是吗？” “我最近一直都在琢磨，”尤斯塔斯说，“上次从那里回来的时候， 我听说佩文思家的孩子们，就是我那两个表兄以后都不能去那里了， 因为已经是第三次了。可是他们没提到我不能去，我想如果我也不能再去了，他们肯定会说出来的。这么说，也许我们，我们……” “你的意思是说要想办法再去一次？” 尤斯塔斯赞同地点了点头。 “也许我们可以在地上画个圈，写一些奇怪的字符，然后站在里面，或许还要念几句咒语什么的，是吗？” “嗯，”尤斯塔斯想了想，说，“差不多就是你说的这样吧， 不过我从来没试验过。不过我倒觉得画圈啊、咒语啊什么的未必有用。我想他不喜欢这些，因为这就像我们能命令他一样。我应该问问他到底应该怎么做。” “你说的这个人是谁啊？” “那儿的人，叫他阿斯兰。”尤斯塔斯说。 “名字真古怪！” “他人更古怪，”尤斯塔斯一本正经地说道，“不过我们不如问问看好了。你跟我一起这样肩并肩，然后向前伸出手臂，像这样，掌心向下……就像人们在拉曼杜的小岛上那样……” “什么岛？” “我回头再给你说。他也许希望我们面朝东，哪边是东？” “我不知道。”姬尔说。 “女生都这样，不分东南西北。”尤斯塔斯说。 “你不是也一样？”姬尔有点生气。 “不，我能分清。只要你别打扰到我就行。我知道了，那边是东， 咱们得面朝月桂。然后，你跟着我念咒语好吗？” “什么咒语？”姬尔问。 “就是我念的那些，”尤斯塔斯回到道，“现在开始……” 接着他念道：“阿斯兰，阿斯兰，阿斯兰！” “阿斯兰，阿斯兰，阿斯兰！”姬尔重复道。 “请让我们进入……” 这时，体育馆前面传来一阵呼喊声：“姬尔·姬尔？没错，我知道她在哪儿。她肯定在这后面哭鼻子呢。我去把她揪出来如何？” 姬尔和尤斯塔斯互相看了一眼，什么也没说就冲到了月桂树下， 爬上那长满灌木的陡坡。姬尔和尤斯塔斯的攀爬速度完全可以打个高分。看来在学校里，他们并没有学会多少法语、英语和算数，倒是学了一身快速脱身的本领。 差不多过了一分钟，他们停下来听听周围的声音，发现那些人竟然追了上来。 他们只好加快速度往上爬，“要是门开着就好了！”尤斯塔斯一边爬一边说，姬尔一边爬一边点头。斜坡的尽头有一道很高的石墙， 有一扇门通到外面，如果门开着，就能跑到外面去。可惜那扇门从来不开。也许有人把门打开过，不过你只要动动脑子，就知道不太可能。不过，只要他们见过一次门被打开，肯定就会来试着打开这扇门。如果运气好的话，就可以神不知鬼不觉地从这里溜出去了。 姬尔和尤斯塔斯气喘吁吁地赶到门口，浑身又脏又热，累得差点喘不过气来。 “肯定不行，”尽管这样说，尤斯塔斯还是握住门把手上，试图转动它，“噢……噢，天啊！”门把手一动，门竟然被打开了！ 之前尤斯塔斯拧门把手的时候，他们心想着只要门一开，就飞快的跑出去。可是现在门开了，他们却一动也不动就像木头人一样。因为，里面跟他们想象的差别太大了。 他们以为会看到一个到处长满石南的，灰色的山坡一直向上延伸，直到灰暗的天边。结果迎接他们的却是一道强烈的阳光。光线从门外照进来，就像在烈日炎炎的六月天，打开车库大门时那样。阳光把草地上的水珠照得闪闪发光。姬尔满是泪痕的脸，在阳光下显得脏脏的。他们觉得，这束光一定来自另一个世界，因为还看到从来没见过的柔软翠绿的草地，蓝蓝的天空，还有一些会发光的东西飞来飞去， 就像珠宝或大蝴蝶一样。 尽管姬尔一直希望能拥有漂亮的珠宝和蝴蝶，但她还是被吓到了。她转过去看尤斯塔斯的脸，他也有点害怕。 “来吧，姬尔！”他好像连话都说不好了。 “进去安全吗？我们去了还能回来吗？”姬尔问。 就在姬尔犹豫不决的时候，突然有个令人讨厌的、尖酸刻薄的声音在后面喊，“行了，姬尔。我们都知道你在那儿。快点下来！” 是艾迪斯·捷克尔，那帮坏孩子的小跟班，平时最爱搬弄是非，唯恐天下不乱。 “快！”尤斯塔斯喊道，“拉住我的手，无论如何都不能松开。” 她还不知道怎么回事，就被尤斯塔斯拉出去了，离开了校园，离开了英国，离开了我们的这个世界，到了另一个神奇的国度。 艾迪斯·捷克尔的声音突然听不见了，就像关上收音机的瞬间， 广播里的声音戛然而止。另一种声音紧接着响了起来，是头顶上那些会发光的小东西发出来的。这时他们看清楚了，原来是一些小鸟。它们的声音响亮、嘈杂，不过这种声音比我们的世界里的鸟叫要好听得多，它更像一种高级的音乐，乍一听不太习惯，慢慢地就会觉得越来越好听。然而，虽然有鸟鸣，可是周围还是给人寂静和空旷的感觉，再加上新鲜的空气，姬尔很快想到他们应该是在一座非常高的山顶上。 尤斯塔斯仍然拉着姬尔，一边四处张望，一边往前走。姬尔看到到处都长着参天大树，外形很像雪松，不过要比我们世界里的那些更高、更大。而且这些树并不茂密，树下也没有低矮的小树。由于没有任何阻碍，视线非常宽阔，姬尔能看清楚很远的地方。放眼望去， 全是绿色的草坪，各种颜色的鸟儿自由地飞来飞去，黄的，蓝的，还有七彩的。空气中没有一丝风，这片森林非常冷清！ 前方一棵树也没有，只有一片湛蓝的天空。他们谁也没有说话， 只是手拉手朝前走。突然，姬尔听见尤斯塔斯叫了一声：“小心”， 然后姬尔被他紧紧地拉住。原来，他们到了悬崖的边缘。 与恐高的孩子相比，姬尔是个幸运儿，所以她根本不怕站在悬崖边上。因此对于尤斯塔斯一把把他从悬崖边上拉回来，她相当的恼火，“别把我当作小孩子”。姬尔挣脱了尤斯塔斯。她注意到尤斯塔斯的脸色一下子从苍白变成铁青，不由得有点瞧不起他了。 “怎么了？”姬尔说道。她往悬崖边挪了挪，表明她并不害怕， 其实她离悬崖比她预想的还要更近，然后向悬崖底下望了一眼。 这时她才明白刚才尤斯塔斯的脸色为什么这么苍白，不是因为他胆小，而是因为这个悬崖实在是太高了。在我们现在的世界里，没有任何一座悬崖能够与它相比。想象一下，你现在站在我们的世界上最高的悬崖边望着悬崖底部。如果这个底部一直向下再向下十倍、二十倍甚至更多，那是什么感觉？如果真有那么高，那么你看到的在中间漂浮的小白点，就只能是白云而不可能是羊群了。而且这些白云不是薄薄的云雾，而是又大又白又蓬松的云层。更恐怖的是，就算你透过这些云层看到崖底，你也分不清崖底到底是原野还是森林，是陆地还是湖泊。 姬尔盯着崖底，一时回不过神来。等她想起来自己应该后退一两步的时候，却发现自己根本动不了了。她的两条腿好像被什么东西绑住了，头也晕了，顿时觉得天旋地转。 “你在干什么，姬尔！快回来，你这个小傻瓜！”尤斯塔斯大声喊。姬尔的意识逐渐模糊，她感觉尤斯塔斯的声音越来越遥远，她还感到他正用力地把她往回拉，她很想使劲，可手和脚却不听使唤。姬尔害怕极了，最终她的手甩开了尤斯塔斯的手，然后她听见尤斯塔斯凄厉地尖叫了一声，掉下悬崖。 多亏在姬尔还没反应过来的时候，一只浑身长着艳丽皮毛的巨兽冲了过，它在崖边躺下，探出身子，张大嘴吹啊吹啊，就好像一只正在工作中的巨大的吸尘器。当时姬尔已经躺在地上，她离那头动物太近了以至于都能感觉到它呼吸时从身体里传出的震动。姬尔很想起来看看发生了什么，可是她根本起不来；她害怕极了，真希望自己晕过去了。可是也不是想晕就能晕的，何况姬尔的身体一向很棒，完全不是那种动不动就犯毛病的病秧子。后来，她终于看见，悬崖下面很远很远的地方，有一个小黑点正在一边向上，一边远离悬崖。等到这个黑点升到崖顶的时候，它已经飘得远远的，超出了姬尔的视线范围。姬尔心想这只巨兽本事真大，居然能够把那个小黑点吹走。 于是她回头看了一眼那只巨兽，居然是一头大狮子！ 第二章 姬尔受命 狮子站起来，吹了一口气，就向森林走去。他对这一切似乎很满意，甚至连看也没看姬尔一眼。 “我肯定是在做梦，肯定是的，肯定，”姬尔自言自语道，“梦很快就会醒的。”但是这不是个梦，她并没有醒来。 “真希望我们没到这里来，”姬尔说，“原来尤斯塔斯对这里根本一无所知，要是他知道，他也应事先告诉我这里到底是什么情况再带我来。他掉下悬崖根本不是我的错，如果他不管我，可能我们俩现在都还好好的。”可是想起尤斯塔斯刚才的惨叫，姬尔还是忍不住大哭起来。 放声大哭之后心情好多了，可是并改变不了什么。姬尔趴在地上哭够了之后，觉得非常口渴。她坐了起来，发现四周一片寂静，连鸟叫声都没有。远处隐隐约约传来水声，姬尔仔细听了了一会，确定那就是流水声。 姬尔站起身环顾四周，没有看到狮子。可是四周这么多树，说不定他就躲在哪棵树后面。而且林中的狮子肯定不止一只。姬尔口干舌燥，她终于还是决定鼓起勇气去找水喝。她踮着脚尖，悄无声息地从一棵树下溜到另一棵树下。 林中非常安静，水流的声音指引着姬尔一路向前，她很快就来到一片林间空地。溪流就在不远的地方，闪烁着光芒，缓缓流过绿草地。姬尔感觉自己再不喝水就要渴死了，可是她没有马上冲上去喝个痛快，只是张着嘴，像石头一样站在那里一动不动。因为，那只狮子正卧在小溪边上。 狮子昂着头，前爪伏在前面的地上，就像特拉法尔加广场上的狮子雕像。姬尔知道它已经发现自己了，狮子盯着她看了好一会，才把视线移开——好像已经非常了解她，根本没把她放在眼里。 “我一动，他肯定会来追我，”姬尔想，“往前走，更是死路一条。” 事实上就算她想动也动不了，她甚至不敢往别的地方看一眼。不知道过了多久，好像过了好几个小时一样，她越来越口渴了，到最后渴得她在想：“就算被吃掉，我也要先喝一口水”。 “要是你渴，就喝吧！” 自从尤斯塔斯掉下悬崖之后，姬尔还没听见过谁说话。她睁大了眼睛，发现周围并没有人。这时那个声音又出现了：“你要是渴了， 就过来喝吧。”姬尔突然记起尤斯塔斯跟他说过这里的动物都会说话。她知道是狮子，她看见狮子的嘴唇动了，况且这声音也不像是男人的， 那么深沉、粗野，凝重而又洪亮，充满力量。尽管如此，姬尔还是很害怕。 “你不渴吗？”狮子说。 “我快渴死了。”姬尔说。 “那就喝吧。”狮子说。 “我可以……可以……我喝的时候，可以请您走开吗？”姬尔问道。 狮子瞥了她一眼，然后低吼了一声，什么也没说。姬尔望着它那庞大的身躯，心里非常懊恼，他怎么可能愿意为自己行个方便呢？ 甘甜的溪水，潺潺流淌，听得姬尔简直要疯了。 “我要是过去喝水，你能承诺……不对我怎么样吗？”姬尔问道。 “我什么也不承诺。”狮子说。 姬尔太渴了，不知不觉地又往前走了一步。 “你吃小女孩吗？”她问。 “女孩和男孩、女人和男人、国王和皇帝、城市和王国都被我吞下去过。”狮子说。它说话的神情，泰然自若，不像吹牛皮，也不带有抱歉或愤怒。 “我不敢过去。”姬尔说。 “你会渴死的。”狮子说。 “我的天！”姬尔说，不知不觉又靠近了些，“我只好去找另外一条溪流了。” “没有别的溪流了。”狮子说。 姬尔觉得狮子不可能会骗她，他是那样的严肃，严肃得让任何人都不怀疑。姬尔突然下定决心，也许这是她这辈子做过最冒险的事， 她走到小溪边，跪下来，捧起水就喝。这水可真清凉啊，一口足以解渴。姬尔原本打算，喝一口水就飞快地跑开。可是这会，她突然明白， 那样做有多危险。她站起来，一动不动，嘴唇的水珠也不敢擦。 “过来。”狮子说。姬尔不敢不去。又抬起头盯着狮子的脸， 慢慢靠近它，直到它的两前爪中间，又低下了头。 “孩子”，狮子说，“那个男孩呢？” “他从悬崖上掉下去了，”姬尔补充道，“先生。”她不知道应该怎样称呼它，不加称呼又太没礼貌了。 “他是怎么掉下去的呢？” “因为他想拉住我，先生。” “你为什么要站在悬崖边呢，孩子？” “因为我在卖弄，先生。” “说得好，孩子。别再卖弄了。”狮子的脸色似乎柔和了一些，“那个男孩很安全。我把它吹到纳尼亚去了。因为你的卖弄，作为惩罚， 你要完成一些更艰难的任务。” “请问，那是什么样的任务，先生？”姬尔说。 “也就是我把你们从人类世界召唤来这里，需要完成的任务。” 姬尔有点糊涂了。“他肯定是认错人了。”她想，但是她不敢直说，她怕她的话会把事情变得更糟。 “想说什么就直说吧，孩子。”狮子说。 “我想……我是说……是不是有什么误会？您知道，根本没有人召唤过我和尤斯塔斯。是我们自己要到来这儿的。尤斯塔斯让我呼唤……呼唤某个人……我不记得他的名字了……他就会让我们来。然后我们做了，那扇门就开了。” “如果不是我召唤你们，你们是不会呼唤我的。”狮子说。 “这么说你就是那个人了，先生？”姬尔说。 “是的。听着你的任务。在遥远的纳尼亚，有一个老国王，他正为继承人的事伤心苦恼。很多年以前他唯一的儿子被偷走了。没有人知道，王子现在在哪儿，是否还活着。不过，王子的确还活着。我命令你找到他，并把他带到纳尼亚国王的身边。除非你在找他的过程中死掉了或者回到了自己的世界。” “那我怎么样才能找到他呢？”姬尔说。 “我会给你指引的，孩子，”狮子说“记住四条！第一，尤斯塔斯一进入纳尼亚，就会碰到他的老朋友。如果他主动去打招呼，会对你们大有益处。第二，在纳尼亚北边找到一个属于旧时巨人的城市。第三，在废墟里找到一块写着文字的石头，石头上的文字会告诉你谁是王子。第四，王子就是你们第一个遇见的，要求以我——阿斯兰的名义去做一件事的那个人。” 狮子说完，姬尔觉得她应该有所表示，于是她说：“非常感谢， 我明白了。” “孩子，”阿斯兰说，语气比之前温和多了，“也许你没有完全听懂。不过没关系，你先把它记住。现在请按照顺序复述一下我刚才给你说的四个指示。” 姬尔说了，但是不太对。狮子一遍又一遍提醒她，纠正她，直到她完全说对为止。他很温和、很有耐心。终于能说全对之后，姬尔鼓起勇气问：“请问，我怎么去纳尼亚呢？” “我把你吹过去，”狮子说，“就像尤斯塔斯那样。” “我来得及告诉他第一条指示吗？不过我觉得关系不大。依他的脾气，见到老朋友，不会不打招呼的。” “你快没时间了，”狮子说，“我必须现在就把你送去。走吧， 到悬崖边上去。” 姬尔很清楚，都是自己把时间给耽误了。“要是我没干蠢事， 我早就跟尤斯塔斯一块去了。他还可以跟我一起听所有指示。”她想。虽然很害怕走在悬崖上，姬尔还是照做了。要知道，狮子不是跟他并排走，而是跟在她身后，他的脚掌很柔软，走路的时候没有一点声音。 在她快走到悬崖边的时候，狮子说：“站好，别乱动，我要吹了。一定要记好那些指示，每天早上起床时，晚上睡觉前，半夜醒来睡不着都要复述一遍。不管遇到什么稀奇古怪的事，都不要忘记指示。另外在这里我可以提醒你，在纳尼亚我可不会老这么提醒你了。在山上，空气清新，你思路清晰；可是在纳尼亚，空气会变得浑浊，你自己要多加注意，别迷迷糊糊的。你遇到的实际情况可能会跟听到的指示不太一样，跟你想象的也不一样。记住：不要只看事物的表面，这非常重要。牢记指示，并相信它，不要多管其他的事情。好了，夏娃的女儿， 再见……” 狮子的声音越来越小，越来越柔和，一会儿就听不见了。姬尔回头一看，不禁大吃一惊，悬崖已经被她远远抛在身后，狮子现在看起来就像是一个小圆点，闪闪发光。本来她牙关紧咬，双拳紧攥， 已经做好承受旋风的准备，没想到狮子这口气竟然这么温柔。她甚至没有注意到自己是怎么离开悬崖的。而现在，她竟然已经飞在万丈高空了。 有一瞬间姬尔有点害怕。毕竟她下面的世界如此遥远，就好像另一个世界。在狮子吹的这口气上简直舒服极了。她不仅可以仰卧、俯卧，甚至可以转身，就好像在水里一样（如果你会浮水的话）。她顺着狮子吹气的节奏转来转去，感觉妙极了。四周没有风，空气暖洋洋的，与其说像坐飞机不如说像是乘热气球，因为这里既没有声音也没有振动。 这时她回头看到刚才那座大山的全貌。很奇怪，那座山那样雄伟， 却竟然没有一片冰雪。“这里的一切都是不同的。”姬尔心想。她又朝下面看了看，但她飞得太高，高得看不清下面是陆地还是海洋。 “噢，对了，指示。”姬尔突然惊叫道，“我还是再背背吧。” 一时之间，她有点慌。好在她发现自己一个字也没忘。“还好，还好。” 她满意的躺下来，就好像躺在沙发上那样，长长地呼了一口气。 过了几个小时，姬尔突然自言自语道：“咦，奇怪！我居然睡着了。在空中睡觉真有意思，不知道以前有没有人和我一样呢？也许没有吧。哦，对了，讨厌，尤斯塔斯肯定这么做过。毕竟他跟我走的是一条路，而且比我还早。我要看看下面是什么情况。” 下面是一片蔚蓝色的大平原，一望无际，没有一点起伏，一些又大又白的东西浮在空中，“那肯定是云，”她想，“比我在悬崖上看到的大多了。这说明一定是下降了一些，离云朵更近了。太阳好讨厌！” 她离开悬崖时太阳正当空，现在太阳转到了她的正前方，就要下山了，阳光直射着她的眼睛。尤斯塔斯说得对，他说过姬尔（或者说所有女孩子）分不清东南西北。否则，她现在应该可以根据阳光的方位判断出自己的前进方向是正西方还是哪里的。 她仔细打量下面那片蔚蓝色，发现到处都是浅色的小亮点。“原来是大海啊，”姬尔想，“那些一定是岛屿。”事实上的确如此。如果她知道尤斯塔斯不仅在海中航行过，见过甚至登陆过其中的几个岛屿，她一定会羡慕死。又过了一会儿，她注意到海中有些许波浪，其实那都是些巨大的海浪。这时，天边出现了一道黑线，并且越来越粗， 越来越黑。姬尔意识到，自己正在飞速地靠近陆地。 突然，她左边飘过来一片白云。奇怪的是那片云是冷冰冰、湿漉漉又雾蒙蒙的。等她回过神来，她又回到了太阳下。她身上的运动衣、羊毛衫、短裤、长袜子还有那厚厚的运动鞋（英国正值雨季）全都湿了。她发现自己离地面更近了。其实她从云层中出来时就已经注意到周围的不寻常，这是她一直盼望的。但是耳边的声响还是令她大为吃惊，毕竟自从开始飞行，她还没有听到任何声音。而现在，她不但闻到了海洋的气息，还听到了海浪声和海鸥的叫声。她的飞行速度无疑是很快的。她刚刚才看见两股海浪汇合在一起，涌起一大堆泡沫， 这会儿就已经把它远远抛开一百码了，陆地离她越来越近。她看到了陆地上的山峦、山峰，海洋、海角、树林和田野，以及连绵不绝的沙滩。 海浪拍岸的声音越来越大，淹没了其他所有声响。 她突然看到前面有个河口，她离水面越来越近，在只有几英尺的地方，一股浪花溅起来，把她的裤子全打湿了。她的速度明显慢了下来，越过河面，滑到左边的河岸上，那里的景色令人眼花缭乱。柔软嫩绿的草地，色彩斑斓的大船，高耸的宝塔和城墙上的旗帜，还有一群人穿着华丽盔甲的人和鼓乐声！眼下他们似乎乱成一团。姬尔此刻意识到她已经安全降落，尤斯塔斯就在河边一片灌木丛下，离她只有几英尺。 尤斯塔斯衣衫不整，看上去非常狼狈，姬尔很快想到自己：“我自己身上也是湿漉漉的。” 第三章 国王起航 他们周围的景象太雄伟了，这让尤斯塔斯看起来更加邋遢（姬尔也没有好到哪里去，如果她照照镜子的话）。现在我就来给大家描绘一下周围的景象。 姬尔刚才就要落地的时候，透过山峰之间的缝隙看到过远处的大地。耀眼的阳光倾泻在一片平坦的草地上，远处的风向标闪闪发光， 一座美丽的城堡矗立在尽头，露出很多尖塔和角楼。姬尔的不远处， 是一个用大理石砌成的码头，停靠着一艘高大的船。船首、船尾楼都很高大，金色和深红色相间的桅杆上，一面大旗迎风招展，一排盾形图徽在船身上闪耀着银色的光芒。一个跳板从船上延伸到码头， 一个老人正要走上去。他穿着一件华丽的猩红色斗篷，前襟敞开，露出银色的盔甲。头上戴着细细的金环，长长的白胡子一直垂到腰际。他就是国王，他挺胸站直，一只手放在一个比他年轻些的贵族肩上。那个人年纪也不小了，穿着华丽两眼却闪着泪花。他个子瘦小，显得很虚弱，好像一阵风就能把他吹走似的。 国王正在跟他的子民们告别。一匹小小的驴车紧挨着国王，那驴子很小，只有一只猎狗那么大。一个小矮人坐在驾驶座上，他穿得跟国王一样华贵，但是他矮小、肥胖而且还佝偻着身子，不仔细看有可能会误以为那只是一堆乱糟糟的皮毛、丝绸和丝绒。小矮人看起来跟国王一样老迈，但是两只眼睛炯炯有神，显得很健壮。小矮人没有戴帽子，露出一颗灯泡一样的秃脑袋，在阳光下锃光发亮。 一群人围在国王身边，姬尔一看就知道那一定是大臣们，看他们的衣服和盔甲就知道了。不过他们站成一排，看起来就好像是一个花坛一样。这倒不足为奇，那些“百姓”才让人感觉奇怪，如果那些人可以称为“百姓”的话。他们大部分人并不是人类，而且是在我们世界中从来没有见过的农牧神、树精、人马，姬尔也只是在图画书中见过。还有小矮人和一些她认得出来的动物：熊、獾、睡鼠、豹、老鼠以及各种鸟儿。这些动物也和姬尔见过的不同，大部分体型超大——比如说老鼠，他们至少有两英尺高，靠后腿站着，长相各异。从动物们脸上的表情可以看出，它们就像你能想到的那样，能思考， 会说话。 “我的天！”姬尔自言自语，“到最后，这些竟然都是真的。” 过了一会她又想，“也不知道它们对人友不友好。”之前她注意到人群外面有一两个巨人，还有不知道怎么称呼的生灵。 这时，姬尔脑海中突然闪现阿斯兰和他的指示，她差点就忘了！ “尤斯塔斯！”她一把抓住他的胳膊，小声说道，“尤斯塔斯， 你快看看，有没有你认识的人？” “你从哪里冒出来的？”尤斯塔斯不高兴地说道（他的行为很容易理解），“行了，安静点，我正听国王讲话呢。” “别傻了，”姬尔说，“快没时间了。赶快看看有没有你的老朋友在，你必须立刻跟他打声招呼。” “你在说什么，我听不懂。”尤斯塔斯说。 “阿斯兰说你必须得去，”姬尔有些失望，“我已经见过他了。” “噢，真的吗？你见过他了？他跟你说什么了？” “他说你在纳尼亚见到的第一个人会是你的老朋友，你必须立刻去跟他打声招呼。” “哎，可是这儿的人我都没见过，就算真有什么老朋友，我也不知道这里到底是不是纳尼亚啊。” “那你还说你以前来过？”姬尔说。 “嗯，是你误会了”。 “亏你说得出口，你明明告诉我……” “看在上帝的份上，别那么多废话了，咱们还是听听他们在说什么吧。” 姬尔只看到国王正在跟那个小矮人说话，却听不见他在说什么， 只见小矮人不停地点头、摇头。接着国王亮开嗓子对全场人讲话，他的声音显得苍老而沙哑。姬尔几乎完全听不懂，毕竟她不属于这里， 不了解这里的百姓，也不熟悉这里的风土人情。完了之后国王弯腰吻了吻小矮人的两颊，接着站直身子，举起右手，好像在祝福所有人， 最后他慢慢地走上跳板上船去了。大臣们都伤心极了，很多人掏出了手帕，哭声一片。跳板被撤走之后，号角响起，大船就离开了码头。（大船被一条划艇拖走，不过姬尔没看见）。 “现在……”尤斯塔斯刚张嘴，就被一个又大又白的东西打断了——姬尔还以为那是只风筝——它从空中滑翔过来，落在尤斯塔斯脚边。原来那是一只白色的猫头鹰，个头很大，站在那里有一个小矮人那么高。 它眨巴眨巴双眼，紧紧地盯着他们看，脑袋歪着，温柔地说道： “哎哟，哎哟！你们是什么人啊？” “我是尤斯塔斯，她是姬尔·姬尔，”尤斯塔斯说，“您能告诉我们， 这是哪里吗？” “这里是纳尼亚，凯尔帕拉维尔国王的城堡。” “刚刚上船的那个人就是国王？” “对，对。”猫头鹰摇晃着大脑袋，伤心地说道。“不过，你们是谁啊？你们两个都会魔法，我看见你们两个都是飞过来的。大家都忙着为国王送行，没人注意你们。只有我看到你们飞过来。” “是阿斯兰派我们来的。”尤斯塔斯低声说道。 “哎哟，哎哟！”猫头鹰一边说一边竖起了翅膀，“大白天的真难受，太阳不下山，我总是觉得不舒服。” “我们被派来寻找失踪的王子。”姬尔早就想插话了。 “这事我可是头一次听说，”尤斯塔斯说，“什么王子？” “你们最好现在就去跟摄政王谈谈，”猫头鹰说，“那个就是， 驴车里的那个小矮人，杜鲁普金。”猫头鹰一边转过身为他们领路， 一边碎碎念：“嗬，喔唷，什么乱七八糟的。我都没法静下心来思考。现在还早。” “国王叫什么名字？”尤斯塔斯问道。 “凯斯宾十世。”猫头鹰说。尤斯塔斯突然停下来，脸色很难看， 姬尔不知道他是怎么回事，毕竟她从来没见过尤斯塔斯这样。但是她还没来得及问，他们就已经走到小矮人跟前了。他正收起缰绳，准备驾车回到城堡里去。大臣们也都散开了，三五成群的离去，就好像人们开完运动会或比赛结束时那样。 “嗒呼！嗯哈！摄政王！”猫头鹰弯下腰， 贴着小矮人的耳朵说道。 “嗯！怎么啦？”小矮人说。 “有两个陌生人，公爵。”猫头鹰说。 “守林人！你说什么？”小矮人说，“我只看到两个邋遢的野孩子，不知道他们来这里做什么？” “我叫姬尔。”姬尔挤到前面说，她急着要说明他们的使命。 “这女孩叫姬尔，”猫头鹰竭力大声说道。 “什么？”小矮人说，“女孩们都被杀了？我才不信呢，哪些女孩？谁干的？” “就一个女孩儿，公爵，”猫头鹰说，“她叫姬尔。” “大点声，大点声，”小矮人说，“别傻站在那，在我耳边唧唧歪歪。到底是谁被杀了？” “没有人被杀。”猫头鹰喊道。 “谁？” “没有人。” “好了，好了。你没必要大声嚷嚷，我还没聋到那个地步。你跑来跟我说没有人被杀是什么意思？难道有人应该被杀吗？” “你最好告诉他，我是尤斯塔斯。”尤斯塔斯说。 “这个男孩名叫尤斯塔斯，公爵。”猫头鹰大喊道。 “没用处？ [2]”小矮人急乎乎的说，“他敢说是没用处，那你把他带来干吗？啊？” “不是没用处，”猫头鹰说，“是尤斯塔斯。” “到底有事还是没事？你到底在说些什么？葛林米费瑟，在我还年轻的时候，鸟兽们就会说话了，那才是真正的说话。才不是这样唧唧歪歪！你这样讲话，我简直一秒都受不了。鄂娜思，请把我的助听器拿过来……” 站在小矮人身边的一只小羊怪拿过来一只银质的助听器，那玩意就好像一条蛇一样，盘在小矮人的脖子上。当他戴助听器的时候， 猫头鹰葛林米费瑟突然悄悄对两个孩子说道：“我明白了。别提失踪王子的事了。这个我回头给你们解释。那样是行不通的，行不通。呜啊， 太乱了。” “好了，”小矮人说，“如果你有什么事要说，葛林米费瑟大师， 那就说吧。先做个深呼吸，可别又说得太快了。” 虽然小矮人总是咳嗽，不过在两个孩子的帮助下，葛林米费瑟总算说明白了，眼前这两个陌生人是阿斯兰派来的。小矮人听完突然迅速地看了他们一眼。 “狮王亲自派你们来的？嗯？”他说“而且是从……嗯……从那边……从这个世界的尽头来的，是吗？” “是的，公爵。”尤斯塔斯对着助听器大喊道。 “亚当的儿子和夏娃的女儿，是吧？”小矮人说。不过实验学校的老师从来没教过亚当和夏娃，所以姬尔和尤斯塔斯没法回答这个问题。不过小矮人似乎并不介意。 “好吧，亲爱的，”他一边拉起两个孩子的手，轻轻地点了点头，“欢迎你们。你看我可怜的主人，善良的国王，如果他没有乘船去七群岛的话，准会因为你们的到来而高兴的。他会觉得回到了他的年轻时代，虽然只是一会儿。现在已经到了晚饭时间了，明天早晨议事的时候，你可以将他们的事原原本本地告诉我。葛林米费瑟大师， 请您务必按照最高规格的标准给这两位贵宾准备衣服、食物和卧室。还有——葛林米费瑟——你附耳过来……” ( 重要提示：如果书友们打不开t x t 8 0. c o m 老域名，可以通过访问t x t 8 0. c c 备用域名访问本站。 ) 说到这儿，小矮人把嘴巴凑到猫头鹰的耳朵旁，毫无疑问他是想要说点悄悄话的。不过跟其他聋子一样，他自己的音量难以控制，他们两个都听见他说：“务必让他们好好洗洗。” 说完，小矮人轻轻扬起鞭子拍了一下小驴子，就向城堡出发了， 步伐不紧不慢，摇摇晃晃（拉车的是一头很肥的驴子），小羊怪、猫头鹰和两个孩子则放慢脚步紧随其后。这时候，太阳已经下山，空气也变得凉爽多了。 他们越过草地，走过果园，来到了凯尔帕拉维尔北门口。此时门口大开，里面是一个青草萋萋的院落，右边的大厅窗户和正前方一大片结构复杂的楼房里都已经亮灯了。猫头鹰领着他们走了进去， 叫来了一个很讨人喜欢的女孩照顾姬尔。她和姬尔个头差不多，不过更苗条些，而且明显是个成年人。她的气质好像杨柳那样温和，就连头发也像杨柳一样，丝丝缕缕的。她把姬尔带到一座塔楼上一间圆形房间里。壁炉里生着火，木柴香气扑鼻，一只小浴缸立在中央，从拱形的屋顶上垂下来的银链子上吊着一盏灯。从朝西的窗户中望去， 可以看到纳尼亚的国土。姬尔看到落日的余晖把远处的群山渲染成一片红色。她开始期待即将来临的奇遇，她相信这一切才刚刚开始。 姬尔洗完澡，梳好头，穿上他们准备的衣服。这些衣服摸起来很舒服，散发着香气，走动的时候还会发出悦耳的声响。她正想再仔细看看窗外那叫人兴奋的景色，没想到“砰”的敲门声把她吓了一跳。 “进来。”姬尔说。是尤斯塔斯，他也洗了澡，穿着华丽的纳尼亚服饰，不过他似乎不太高兴。 “噢，总算找到你了。”他明显还在发脾气，一屁股坐在椅子上， “我一直都在找你。” “好吧，你现在不是找到了吗，”姬尔说，“我说尤斯塔斯， 这里真是太令人兴奋了，好得我都不知道该说什么了。”这时，她已经把阿斯兰的指示和失踪的王子全都抛诸脑后了。 “噢！那只是你的想法。”尤斯塔斯说，他停顿了一下，“我倒宁愿咱们没来过。” “你到底怎么了？” “我受不了，”尤斯塔斯说，“国王凯斯宾变成那么老的老头儿。这简直……简直太可怕了。” “为什么？那又怎么啦？” “喔，你不明白。我知道了，你是没法想象。我并没有告诉你这里的时间和我们的时间不同。” “什么意思？” “这里的时间跟我们的时间并不同步，明白吗？我的意思是，不管我们在这里待多久，回去的时候仍然是咱们离开的那个时候……” “那就真的不好玩了……” “喔，闭嘴，别老打断我。一旦你回到英国，也就是我们的世界， 你压根说不出来这里的时间是怎么回事。我们在英国待上一年，这里已经过去多少年了。佩文西兄妹跟我说过的，可是我却跟个傻瓜一样的忘得一干二净。现在，按照纳尼亚的时间来算，距离我上次来到这里，已经过去七十年啦。现在你明白了吧。我回来的时候，凯斯宾已经是个老老头了。 “这么说国王是你的一个老朋友啦？”姬尔说，突然她有种不祥的预感。 “我想是的，”尤斯塔斯痛苦地说道，“他是个非常好的朋友。上次来的时候，他只比我大几岁，现在看看那个白胡子老头，再想想我们一起占领孤独群岛的时候，大战海蛇时候的凯斯宾——噢，这太可怕了，比我回来之后发现他已经死了还可怕。” “噢，停，”姬尔不耐烦地说道，“事情比想象的还要糟，我己和阿斯兰的谈话、四点指示和寻找失踪王子的任务通通告诉了他。 “这下你该明白了吧，”她说道，“就像阿斯兰说的那样，你确实看到了一个老朋友，你本来应该立刻去跟他说话的，结果你没去， 于是就乱套了。” “可是我哪里会知道？”尤斯塔斯说。 “我那会想要告诉你的，你要是听我说就好了。”姬尔说。 “是啊，如果不是你在悬崖边上胡闹，还差点害死我的话。记住， 我差点被你害死了。只要我乐意，我还会这样说的，以便让你保持镇定。我们早就可以一块儿到这里来，早就知道该做些什么的。” “我想他一定是你看到的第一个人。”姬尔说，“你一定比我早到好几个小时。你确定之前没有先看见其他人吗？” “我只比你早到一分钟，”尤斯塔斯说，“他肯定是把你吹得比我快，补上了被耽误的时间——被你耽误的时间。” “别不说人话，尤斯塔斯，”姬尔说，“咦，发生什么事了？” 城堡里响起了晚餐钟声，一场口舌之战就这样被打断了，两个人早就饿了。 城堡大厅的豪华，是他们两个从未见过的。尤斯塔斯虽然以前来过纳尼亚，但是他上次大部分时间都是在海上，对于纳尼亚人的排场和礼节一无所知。高大的屋顶上挂着许多旗帜，每上一道菜前都会击鼓吹号。那一道又一道美食令人垂涎欲滴。名为帕文德的鱼， 还有鹿肉、孔雀肉、馅饼、蛋糕、果冻、水果、果仁，美味的汤汁， 各种各样的美酒和果汁。尤斯塔斯也不得不承认这顿饭确实“很像回事”！等他们一本正经的吃完之后，还有一个盲诗人表演《勇士与马》， 讲述的是科奥王子和阿拉维斯、老马布里的历险故事。那是彼得在凯尔帕拉维尔做至尊王时期，发生在纳尼亚和卡乐门地区的一次奇遇。（虽然这个故事非常精彩，不过现在我可没有时间给大家说这个。） 当他们上楼睡觉的时候，都已经困得哈欠连天，路都走不好了。姬尔说：“我们今晚一定要睡个好觉。”因为这一天已经过得太充实了， 他们不知道接下来还会发生什么事。 第四章 猫头鹰大会 有时候很奇怪，你越是瞌睡，就越睡不着，尤其是当你的房间里生着火的时候。姬尔原本只是打算在火边坐一会儿，她衣服都没脱。可是她一坐下来，就不愿意动了。在她第五次跟自己说“我必须去睡觉”时，突然听到敲窗声，把她吓了一跳。 她站起来拉开窗帘，外边黑得伸手不见五指。突然有一个庞然大物猛地冲到窗子上，在玻璃上撞了一下，吓得她跳起来，往后退了几步。有一个可怕的念头闪过——“难道是只大蛾子？啊！”那东西又飞了回来，这一次她看见了一只尖嘴，刚才就是它在敲窗户。“这是什么鸟？”姬尔想，“鹰吗？”她当然不希望如此，但她还是打开了窗户，朝外观望。只听“呼啦啦”几声，那只鸟飞到了窗台上，把整个窗户都给堵住了。姬尔不由得后退几步。哦，竟然是那只猫头鹰！ “嘘嘘！嗯哈，嗯哈！”猫头鹰说，“别说话！你们两个一定要去做那件事吗？” “您说的是关于王子失踪的事？”姬尔说，“当然，我们必须去做。”这时她想起了狮王的音容笑貌，之前在宴会大厅晚餐的时候几乎把这些都忘掉了。 “好吧，”猫头鹰说，“咱们可不能再这么浪费时间了，你必须马上离开这儿。我去叫醒那个人，然后再来接你。你最好把这些宫廷服装换掉，穿上便装，我很快就回来。” 如果姬尔经常去冒险，她就会怀疑猫头鹰的话。但是半夜逃走的主意实在太令人兴奋了，她几乎忘记了困倦，压根没想到这其中可能会有什么陷阱。她迅速换上羊毛衫和短裤，在短裤里还塞上了一把长刀，没准用得上，又从房间里拿了几件那个长着垂柳般头发的姑娘给她用的东西，最后她套上一件能遮住膝盖的连风帽短斗篷（“下雨的话，一定用得上。”她想）、几块手帕还有一把梳子。然后她就坐在那儿等。 等猫头鹰回来，她又困了。 “现在我们已经准备好了！”它说。 “最好你来带路，”姬尔说，“我不认识这里的路。” “嗯哈，”猫头鹰说，“我们不能从城堡里过，绝对不行。你骑到我身上来，我带你飞走。” “啊？”姬尔说着，惊讶得张大嘴，“我很重的。” “嗯哈，嗯哈！你别傻了。我都已经把那个送走了。快点，先把灯给熄灭了。” 灯灭了之后，窗外的夜空就变得不是那么黑了，而是灰色的了。猫头鹰站在窗台上，背朝屋里，张开翅膀。姬尔爬上它那又矮又胖的躯体，膝盖抵着它的胳肢窝，夹紧它。它的羽毛光滑、柔软，还很暖和， 就是没法用手去抓。“不知道尤斯塔斯飞行的感觉如何？”姬尔正想着，猫头鹰就猛地向前一冲，离开了窗台。巨大的翅膀在她耳边振动， 煽起一阵飓风，夜晚的空气凉爽、湿润，迎面而来。 姬尔的飞行似乎比她想象的要轻松得多。天空乌云密布，月亮被遮得严严实实，只有边缘亮闪闪的银边透露了一点月色，下面是灰蒙蒙的田野和黑压压的树林。这时突然刮起狂风，呼呼呼直响，好像要下雨了！ 猫头鹰朝着城堡飞去，那里只有零星的几扇窗户还有亮光。他们飞过城堡，再向北飞过河流。空气越来越冷，姬尔从水中隐约看到了他们的倒影。很快他们就飞上岸，到了林区。 猫头鹰突然咬住了什么东西。 “噢，不要！”姬尔说，“你突然一动，差点把我摔下去了。” “请原谅，”猫头鹰说，“我只是抓了一只蝙蝠，很简单，没有什么比一只胖乎乎的小蝙蝠更顶饱的了，你要吗？” “不，谢谢。”姬尔打了个哆嗦。 猫头鹰飞得更低了，一个黑色的庞然大物矗立在眼前。姬尔仔细一看，原来是一座年久失修的高塔，有的地方已经坍塌，还爬了许多常春藤。猫头鹰背着她从常春藤中间一个布满蛛网的空隙里钻了进去，她赶紧俯下身子，免得撞上。洞里散发着一股浓厚的霉湿气， 从猫头鹰身上滑下来那一刻，姬尔突然感觉四周很拥挤（一般都会感觉到的）。她听见四面八方都有声音“嗯哈，嗯哈！”原来那都是些猫头鹰。其中有一个声音与众不同，姬尔顿时放松下来。 “是你吗，姬尔？” “是你吗，尤斯塔斯？”姬尔说。 “好了，”葛林米费瑟说，“我看人都已经到齐了，猫头鹰会议现在开始吧。” “嗯哈，嗯哈！没错，就是这样。”好几个人都这么说。 “稍等，”尤斯塔斯扬声说，“我想先说两句。” “说，说。”猫头鹰们和姬尔都说，“请讲。” “我想大伙儿——我是说各位猫头鹰们，”尤斯塔斯说，“我猜你们都知道凯斯宾十世在年轻的时候，曾经海航去过东边世界的尽头。当时我正和他在一起，还有老鼠将军雷佩契普、德里宁公爵和其他人。我知道这听起来有点荒唐，但是在我们世界里的人变老的速度和这里不同。我想告诉大家的是，我是国王的人，如果这次会议中有什么反对国王的阴谋，我是决不答应的。” “嗯哈，嗯哈，我们也是国王的猫头鹰。”猫头鹰们说。 “那这是怎么回事呢？”尤斯塔斯说。 “事情是这样的，”葛林米费瑟说，“如果摄政王，小矮人杜鲁普金听说你们要去找失踪的王子，就会把你们关起来，不让你们去。” “天哪！”尤斯塔斯说，“你该不会告诉我说杜鲁普金是个叛徒吧。以前，在海上的时候，我听过很多他的事。凯斯宾——我是说国王绝对地信任他。” “哦，不，”一只猫头鹰说，“杜鲁普金不是叛徒。不过，已经有三十多个勇士（骑士、人马、善良的巨人等等）都曾经去寻找过失踪的王子，但是没有找到，也没有一个人生还。最后国王说他不能为了找到自己的儿子而毁了纳尼亚所有的勇士。所以，就再不准其他人去了。” “但他肯定会让我们去的，”尤斯塔斯说。“如果他知道我是谁， 又是谁派我们去的话。” “派我们俩。”姬尔插嘴道。 “是啊，”葛林米费瑟说，“我想他会的，如果他在的话。可是杜鲁普金总是墨守成规。他很忠诚，但是他已经完全聋了，脾气有很暴躁。你恐怕很难说服他。” “你也许认为他会听我们的，因为我们是猫头鹰，大家都知道猫头鹰很聪明。”另一只猫头鹰说，“可是他现在那么老了，他只会说， ‘小鸟儿，我出来混的时候，你们还是鸟蛋呢。居然想来教训我，小子， 别多嘴！’” 这只猫头鹰把杜鲁普金的声调学的惟妙惟肖，猫头鹰们都轰然大笑。两个孩子开始明白纳尼亚居民对杜鲁普金的感觉就像他们的同学对一个脾气不好的老师那样，虽然都怕他，老取笑他，可并没有人是真的讨厌他。 “国王要去多久？”尤斯塔斯问。 “我们也想知道！”葛林米费瑟说，“最近听说阿斯兰就在那个岛——特雷宾西亚群岛上，我猜。国王说在他临死前一定要设法再跟阿斯兰见上一面，请教他王位继承人的事。可我们都担心如果他在特雷宾西亚群岛没找到阿斯兰，就会到极东地区，去七群岛和孤独群岛，甚至更远的地方去。虽然他从来没提起过，但是我们都知道， 他从未忘记那次航行。我肯定，他很想再去一次。” “这么说，咱们不能在这里等他回来了？”姬尔说。 “对，绝不能，”猫头鹰说，“噢，一切都乱套了！如果你们认出他的时候，就马上跟他打招呼就好了，他就会安排好一切。说不定会给你们一支军队，帮你们去寻找王子呢。” 姬尔什么也没说，她也不希望尤斯塔斯把真相告诉猫头鹰们。尤斯塔斯还是那么做了，他只是小声地嘀咕道，“哦，这又不是我的错。”接着他大声说，“好吧，虽然没有军队我们也要想其他的办法。不过有件事我不太明白，你们既然说这次会议是完全光明正大的，那干吗要秘密召开——深更半夜地在废墟里呢？” “嗯哈！嗯哈！”一些猫头鹰喊了起来，“那你说我们该去哪儿呢？又该在什么时候呢？” “你知道，”葛林米费瑟解释道，“在纳尼亚，大多数动物的习性都跟我们不同，他们爱在白天办事，在那耀眼的太阳光地下。那是我们的睡觉的时间！结果，到了晚上，他们就变得又笨又瞎，连一个字也说不出来。只有我们猫头鹰遵循自然规律，所以当我们想要讨论事情的时候，我们就得自己开会。” “原来如此，”尤斯塔斯说，“那好吧，请大家继续。请跟我们讲讲王子失踪的事。”于是另一只猫头鹰（不是葛林米费瑟），给他们讲了个故事。 十年前，凯斯宾的儿子瑞利安还只是个年轻的骑士。五月的一个早晨，他陪王后骑马去纳尼亚北部游玩，很多乡绅和贵妇都跟着去了。大家头上戴着嫩树枝编成的花环，身边带着号角。因为这次是去采花赏景，不是打猎，所以没有带上猎狗。天气很暖和，他们来到了林中的一片空地上，在那里有一股甘甜的喷泉从地上喷出。他们在那里下马休息吃喝，人们都很高兴。过了一会儿，王后累了，他们把斗篷铺在地上让她休息。瑞利安王子和其他人不想吵到王后，就都走远了些。谁料到，没多久，从森林里来了一条大毒蛇，在王后的手上咬了一口。大家听见她的惊叫声才赶到，第一个赶到的瑞利安，甚至都看到那条蛇正从王后身边溜走。他立刻拔剑追了上去，那条蛇又大又亮，浑身青绿色。可惜它溜到杂乱的灌木丛里去了，瑞利安进不去， 只好回来。 瑞利安一看到王后的脸色，就知道她已经不行了。临死前，王后似乎拼命地想要告诉他什么事，可惜什么都来不及说，就已经口齿不清，意识模糊了。这离她发出惊叫的时间，还不到十分钟。 他们把王后运回凯尔帕拉维尔，国王和瑞利安，以及纳尼亚所有的臣民们都沉痛哀悼。她是凯斯宾从极东地区，世界的尽头带回来的新娘，是一位伟大的女性，既聪明，又优雅，总能给人们带来快乐。人们都说她血管里流的是星星的血液，王子对母亲的死耿耿于怀。从那以后，他经常一个人骑马，去纳尼亚北部的沼泽，寻找那条毒蛇为母亲报仇。王子每次归来，总是非常疲劳，并且忧心忡忡，但是大家并不怎么在意。大约一个月后，人们都看出王子变了。他总是失魂落魄的，尽管他每天都在外面跑，可是马却不像之前那样疲惫。在所有年长的大臣中，曾经作为船长陪国王去过极东地区的德里宁勋爵是王子最重要的朋友。 一天黄昏，德里宁对王子说：“请殿下尽快放弃寻找毒蛇的想法。对一条冷血的野兽，谈不上什么复仇，可不要把自己给累坏了。” 王子回答说：“爵爷，这个星期开始，我已经快忘掉那条毒蛇了。” 德里宁问他，“如果那样的话，他为什么还总是一个人骑马， 到北部树林呢。” “公爵，我在那儿看到了世界上最美的东西。”王子说。 “王子殿下，”德里宁说，“请您恩准，让我明天跟你一起去， 让我也瞧瞧。” “非常乐意。”瑞利安说。 第二天他们骑上马，飞奔到北部森林，来到了王后被害的那个喷泉附近。德里宁对于王子选中这个地方停留，感到非常惊讶。他们在那里歇息等待，一直到正午时分。突然德里宁一抬头，就看到了他生平见过的最美的女人：她就在喷泉北边，沉默不语，她不停对王子招手，好像让王子到她那里去。她的身材高挑，五官精致，神采奕奕， 身上裹着一件轻薄的青绿色外套。王子一看见她就失了魂，眼睛一眨不眨地盯着她。但是突然地那女子就不见了，德里宁不知道她到哪里去了。回到凯尔帕拉维尔后，德里宁总觉得那个女人是个魔鬼。 德里宁不知道该不该把这件事告诉国王，他不想做个惹是生非的人，于是此他决定暂时保密。后来他因此时常埋怨自己。就在第二天，瑞利安王子骑着马出去之后，再也没有回来。人们找遍了整个纳尼亚和附近地区都一无所获，就连他的马、斗篷、帽子，或者其他的东西都没找到。德里宁痛苦万分，他求见凯斯宾说：“陛下，请您杀了我吧，都是我的错，都是我的优柔寡断害了王子。”接着他把事情原原本本告诉了国王。凯斯宾听完，抓起一把战斧，冲着德里宁砍了下去。德里宁就跟木头人一样，一动也不动，甘愿受罚。最终，国王把斧子扔到了一边，恸哭着：“我已经失去了妻子和儿子，难道还要失去我的朋友吗？”他紧紧地搂住德里宁，抱头痛哭，他们的友谊并没有因此受到影响。 这就是瑞利安的故事。听完之后，姬尔说：“我肯定那个女人就是那条毒蛇。” “就是，就是，我们也这样想。”猫头鹰们都叫嚷着。 “但是我们认为她并没有杀死王子，”葛林米费瑟说，“因为没有见到尸骨……” “我们知道她不会的，”尤斯塔斯说，“因为阿斯兰告诉姬尔， 他还活着。” “这样可能就更糟了，”那只最老的猫头鹰说，“这说明他对女人来说还有用处，她对纳尼亚蓄谋已久。很久以前，北方的白女巫来到纳尼亚，把我们这里冰封了一个多世纪，我们觉得她们都是一类人。” “好吧，”尤斯塔斯说，“我和姬尔必须要去找王子，你们能帮我们吗？” “有什么线索吗？”葛林米费瑟问。 “有，”尤斯塔斯说，“我们要去北方，找巨人城的废墟。” 听到这些，猫头鹰们开始狂躁起来，有的开始跺脚、竖起了翅膀， 然后几乎所有的猫头鹰开始各抒己见。他们都说，不能陪他们去找王子，简直太遗憾了。“你们在白天赶路，我们只能晚上，”有的说，“不行， 绝对不行。”还有两只猫头鹰垂头丧气地说，现在塔里没有之前黑了， 差不多该散会了。这才刚说道要去巨人城找废墟呢。葛林米费瑟说： “要是他们走那条路，去艾汀斯荒原，我们一定要带他们去找沼泽怪， 只有他能帮上他们。 “对，没错，去吧。”猫头鹰说。 “那来吧，”葛林米费瑟说，“我背一个，谁来背另一个？这事今晚必须得办好。” “我愿意去沼泽怪那儿。”另一只猫头鹰说。 “准备好了么？”葛林米费瑟问姬尔。 “她应该已经睡了。”尤斯塔斯说。 第五章 普德格勒姆 姬尔睡着了。猫头鹰大会一开始，她就已经哈欠连天，这会儿已经睡熟了。被叫醒之后，她很不高兴，况且她发现自己身处黑乎乎、满是灰尘的塔楼，躺在光秃秃的地板上，四周挤满了猫头鹰。当她听到又要骑着猫头鹰飞到其他地方去，而且明显不是去睡觉时她就更不高兴了。 “噢，来吧，姬尔，振作点。”尤斯塔斯说，“这好歹可是一次冒险啊。” “我讨厌冒险。”姬尔开始发怒了。 但她到底还是爬上了葛林米费瑟的背。它带着她在夜空中飞， 空气中寒意的确令她清醒了不少。月亮已经下去了，没有星星。她能看见身后的地面上有一扇窗户亮着灯，毋庸置疑，那是凯尔帕拉维尔的一座塔楼。灯光让她产生了一种渴望：她希望现在能回到那间舒适的卧室，躺在床上，看照在墙上的火光。她把手缩进斗篷，裹紧自己。她感到很不可思议的是，居然听到黑压压的夜空中传来的几句交谈声。原来是尤斯塔斯在跟猫头鹰说话。“看来他一点都不累。”姬尔想。 她不知道上次在这里参与的几次轰轰烈烈的冒险给了尤斯塔斯力量， 也就是当初跟随凯斯宾国王去极东地区出海的那种力量。 如果姬尔不掐着自己来让自己的头脑保持清醒，她就会在葛林米费瑟背上打瞌睡然后掉下去。终于飞行结束了，她从葛林米费瑟身上爬下来，发现手脚都麻木了。她站在平地上，一阵凉风吹了过来。他们似乎在一个没有树的空地上。“哦哈！哦哈！”葛林米费瑟呼唤道，“快醒醒，普德格勒姆，醒醒。狮王有要事。” 好大一会儿都没反应。随后，远处的亮光越来越近。有人问： “是猫头鹰吧？”它说，“什么事？国王死了？还是有敌人入侵？ 发大水了？还是恶龙来了？” 等那灯光到她身边的时候，姬尔才发现是一只灯笼，但她看不清提灯笼的人，看起来他长着三头六臂。两只猫头鹰正跟他解释所有的事情。姬尔太累了，脑袋昏昏沉沉，没去听他们谈话的内容。最后她只听见他们说再见，然后就什么都不知道了。她只记得自己和尤斯塔斯走进一个低矮的大门，然后躺到温暖的床上（哎呀，谢天谢地）。这时候有一个人说：“总算到了，我们已经做到力所能及的事了。你们可能觉得这里不仅湿冷湿冷的，而且不舒服，我倒觉得这不足为奇。你们可能会睡不着，即便这儿不是电闪雷鸣，洪水将至，棚屋也没有塌。我以前就遇到过这种事。可是既来之，则安之……”话还没完， 姬尔就已经睡着了。 第二天两个人醒得很晚，他们发现自己睡在干燥暖和的草堆上， 晨光从三角形的豁口里射进来。 “这是在哪里？”姬尔问。 “在一只沼泽怪的棚里。”尤斯塔斯说。 “一只什么？” “沼泽怪。别问我是什么，我昨晚也没看清。我要起床了，一块去看看吧。” “没脱衣服就睡了，真别扭。”姬尔一边说一边坐了起来。 “我刚才还在想，起床的时候不用穿衣服真省事。”尤斯塔斯说。 “还不用洗脸呢。”姬尔不屑地说。不过尤斯塔斯已经起来了， 他打着哈欠，伸伸懒腰爬出了棚子，姬尔赶紧跟上出去。 他们在外面看到的景象和昨天完全不同。眼前是一大片平原， 数不清的水沟把它分割成无数个小岛。岛的周围长满芦苇和灯芯草， 中间覆盖着厚厚的草皮。有的地方被分割成草圃，每片差不多一英亩。成群的鸟儿在岛上起落——鸭子、喜鹊、鸬鹚、苍鹭。棚屋星星点点遍布其中，跟他们昨晚住的那个差不多。沼泽怪们都习惯独处，不喜欢被打扰，所以棚屋之间距离都非常远。除了西、南两个方向的几英里外的森林，周围没有一棵树。东边是一些低矮的沙丘，从那个方向刮来的风有一股浓重的咸味，那边应该是大海。北边是灰白色的低矮山丘，遍布石头堡垒，别的地方都是平坦的沼泽。潮湿的夜晚待这里肯定闷死了。不过这会儿阳光普照，鸟鸣声声，清风拂面，一切都是清新美好的。他们的情绪又高涨起来。 “那个叫什么什么的去哪里了？”姬尔说。 “沼泽怪。”尤斯塔斯说，他对于知道这个叫法颇为得意，“我希望……嗨，你看！就是他。”他们看见他坐在五十码开外，背对着他们钓鱼。他们全身的颜色跟沼泽一样，而且坐着一动不动，刚开始他们根本没看出来。 “咱们还是找他谈谈吧。”姬尔说。尤斯塔斯点头表示同意， 事实上他俩都有点紧张。 他们刚一走近，那个身影就扭过来，露出瘦长的脸颊，两颊凹陷，鼻子尖尖的，双唇紧闭，下巴光秃秃的没长胡子。他尖尖的高帽子， 像一座塔，帽檐宽宽的。灰绿色的头发挂在大耳朵上，如果那可以称作头发的话。它的每根头发都不是圆的，而是扁的，像是芦苇一样。它的神情严肃，肤色接近土色。 “早上好，亲爱的客人们！”他说，“虽说我的‘好’并不是指不下雨、下雪、降雾或打雷。你们肯定一夜没睡吧。” “不，我们都睡着了。”姬尔说，“而且睡得很好。” “啊？”沼泽怪摇摇头，“看来你们已经学会了随遇而安，这样很好，要乐观地面对一切。” “请问，您尊姓大名。”尤斯塔斯说。 “我叫普德格勒姆。记不住也没关系，可以再问。” 两个孩子分别坐在他的左右。这会儿他们才注意到，沼泽怪的胳膊和腿都出奇的长，虽然他们坐着时并不比小矮人高，但是站起来却高得多。他的手脚趾之间有蹼，像青蛙的脚。土黄色的衣服松松垮垮地挂在身上。 “我想钓些鲤鱼做午餐，”普德格勒姆说，“但可能一条也钓不到， 不过你们有可能不像我这么喜欢吃鲤鱼。” “为什么不？”尤斯塔斯问。 “好吧，当然你们毫不在乎的样子可能是装出来的，但是你们真的不太可能喜欢我们的食物。不过没关系，我钓鱼的时候，你们不如先生火。试试看，木柴在棚屋后，可能是湿的。你们可以在棚屋里生火，不过那样烟会熏到眼睛，也可以在外面生火，不过如果下雨的话，火会被浇灭。我这有火石，不知道你们会不会用。” 尤斯塔斯在上次已经学会弄这些了。他们跑回棚屋，拿了些木柴（全部都是干柴），很快地生起了一堆火。尤斯塔斯照看火堆，姬尔则跑去附近的水渠洗脸，接着尤斯塔斯也去洗了一下。两人都清醒了，也饿了。 很快沼泽怪也过来了。虽然他说过自己可能钓不到鱼，却提回来十几条，而且都已经清洗干净了。他架起一口锅，添了些柴，点上烟斗就坐在一边。沼泽怪的烟草很奇怪，味道很浓（有人说他们在烟叶里掺了泥巴），飘出来的烟不上升，却一缕一缕地往下飘，顺着地面铺开形成一层薄雾，呛得尤斯塔斯咳嗽个不停。 “好吧，”普德格勒姆说，“不过那些鲤鱼要做很久，在饭熟之前说不定会有人饿晕。一个小姑娘，我认识……算了还是不跟你讲了，你们会觉得扫兴，这不太好。为了转移你们的注意力，我们还是谈谈计划吧。” “好的，咱们谈谈吧。”姬尔说，“你能帮我们找到瑞利安王子吗？” 沼泽怪咂了几下烟斗之后，两颊凹陷下去，那样子让你难以想象。“嗯，你们说的帮忙，”他说，“我不知道谁能帮你们的忙。今年的冬天来得比较早，往北方走，很难走远。不过你们不必为此沮丧。我们很可能会遇到敌人，要跋山涉水，还有可能会迷路，缺衣少食， 腿脚酸痛，估计不会太注意到天气。咱们不急着回来，不妨慢慢走。” 孩子们注意到他说“我们”而不是“你们”，高兴地叫起来，“你跟我们一起，是吗？” “噢，当然！当然一起去。国王都已经动身了，可能他再也回不来了，而且他走的时候，咳嗽得很厉害，杜鲁普金也老得那么快。明年夏天很有可能遭遇旱灾，粮食不能丰收，也许会有外敌入侵，这些都有可能发生，你们都要记住。” “我们从哪里开始呢？”尤斯塔斯说。 “呃，”沼泽怪慢吞吞地说，“寻找瑞利安王子的人都会从德里宁勋爵见到那个女人的喷泉出发，往北去。可是没有一个生还，不知道他们有没有发现什么线索。” “我们要先找到巨人城的废墟，”姬尔说，“阿斯兰说的。” “必须先找到它，是吗？”普德格勒姆说，“我看，不是试着找找看？” “当然啦，就是这意思，”姬尔说，“然后，等咱们找到之后……” “噢，不知道什么时候才能找到！”普德格勒姆冷冷地说。 “有人知道那儿吗？”尤斯塔斯问。 “我不知道谁知道那儿，”普德格勒姆说，“我也听说过那个废墟。不过咱们不必从喷泉出发，但是需要穿过艾汀斯荒原。如果真有这个城市，肯定就在那里。我往那个方向走过，跟大多数人一样。但是我没见到过什么废墟，我不骗你们。” “艾汀斯荒原在哪里？”尤斯塔斯说。 “从这儿往北，”普德格勒姆烟斗一挥，“看到那些小山和悬崖了吗？那就是艾汀斯荒原的边缘。咱们这儿跟那边隔着一条河流， 叫史瑞博河。当然，中间没有桥。” “话虽如此，咱们可以蹚过去。”尤斯塔斯说。 “好吧，确实有人蹚水过去。”沼泽怪表示认可。 “说不定咱们会在那儿遇到什么人，能给咱们指路呢。”姬尔说。 “遇到什么人，你算说到点子上了。”普德格勒姆说。 “那儿住了些什么人呢？”她问。 “我不太喜欢他们的生活习惯”，普德格勒姆回答，“不过也许你们会喜欢。” “是啊。都是什么人呢？”姬尔追问道，“那里到处都是飞禽走兽。我指的是，他们是鸟兽，小矮人，还是别的什么？” 沼泽怪吹了吹口哨：“嘘！”他说，“你们不知道？我以为猫头鹰告诉你们了呢，是巨人啊。” 姬尔有些害怕，因为书画里的巨人她都不喜欢，有一回她做梦梦到过巨人。她看到尤斯塔斯的脸色也变了。她暗自想道：“我打赌他比我更害怕。”这样一想，她感觉好了很多。 “很久之前国王就告诉过我，”尤斯塔斯说，“那个时候我正和他在海上航行，他说他曾经打败巨人国，还逼着他们进贡。” “这倒不假，”普德格勒姆说，“可他们跟我们从来井水不犯河水。只要我们待在史瑞博河这边，他们就不会伤害我们。不过，在他们的荒原上就难说了。只要我们不接触任何巨人，他们也要守本分，或者他们没看到我们，我们就能顺利地走很远。 “听着，”尤斯塔斯受了惊，又开始发起脾气了，“我就不信像你说得那么吓人，就跟你说棚屋里的床是硬的，柴火是湿的一样， 我一点都不信。要是这事没有任何希望，阿斯兰就不会派我们来。” 他以为沼泽怪会生气，没想到他只是说：“很好，尤斯塔斯。你就应该这样，满不在乎。不过我们要学会控制自己的脾气，我们还要共渡难关。吵架是没用的，知道吗？至少不能一开始就吵架。很多探险队都是因为这个不欢而散：事儿还没办，就开始动刀。这不足为奇，不过我们尽量别这样，或者说以后再……” “好吧，要是你觉得这事根本没什么希望，”尤斯塔斯打断他的话说，“你还是待在这里吧。我和姬尔可以去，是不是，姬尔？” “闭嘴，你别傻了，尤斯塔斯。”姬尔急忙阻止尤斯塔斯，以免沼泽怪把他的话当真。 “别担心，姬尔，”普德格勒姆说，“我一定会去的。我可不想丢掉这个机会，这对我百利无一害。别人都说，我说的是其他沼泽怪，都说我轻浮不够严肃。有一就有二，他们肯定不止一次这么说。‘普德格勒姆，’他们说，‘你总是口若悬河，滔滔不绝，而且精力过剩。你要知道生活并不是只有生煎青蛙和鲤鱼馅饼。应该有点什么事让你清醒一下，我们都是为了你好，’他们就是这么说的。现在趁冬天还没来临去北方走一趟，找找那个不知道在哪儿的王子，去一个不一定存在的废墟，那样很适合我。如果这事也不能让我成熟，那我没办法了。”说着，他搓了搓那双像青蛙脚一样的手，好像他谈论的是舞会或者哑剧。“现在，”他说，“看看鱼煮好了没有。” 他们做得很好吃，两个孩子都吃了两份。沼泽怪刚开始不信他们真的喜欢这道菜，可是看到他们吃了那么多，就没什么好怀疑了。他又说，可能这些东西不太符合他们的习惯，“沼泽怪的食物，对于人类来说也许就像毒药一样。”饭后他们喝了些茶，就是铁皮罐子里的那种（跟你们看到的在路上干活的那种人一样），普德格勒姆凑着一个黑瓶子喝了很多。然后给两个孩子也喝了一些，不过他们都觉得很难喝。 然后他们开始为第二天的远行做准备。普德格勒姆是他们中最大的，他说要带上三条毛毯，和一大块熏肉。姬尔决定带上吃剩的鲤鱼，饼干和打火石。尤斯塔斯带上了他和姬尔的斗篷。上一次跟凯斯宾国王航行的时候，他曾经学了一些箭术，于是他从普德格勒姆那儿拿了把好弓。普德格勒姆拿着自己那把最好的弓。不过他又说冬天有风、光线不好、手指也不灵活，弓弦又受了潮，很难射中目标。他和尤斯塔斯都要佩一把剑，尤斯塔斯拿上了他从凯尔帕拉维尔中拿的那把。姬尔只能随便佩上一把小刀。他们为了这个还差点吵起来， 不过才一开始，沼泽怪就搓着手说：“啊，我就说吧，又这样了。探险总遇到这样的情况。”然后他们就不再争执了。 他们三个人在棚屋睡得很早，这天晚上两个孩子还真没睡好。原因在于普德格勒姆，他说了句：“你们两个应该睡上一会儿，我倒不是说，我们今晚都能睡着。”他的鼾声实在太响了。姬尔好不容易睡着，可是整晚都梦见钻井机、瀑布和特快列车呼啸着穿过隧道。 第六章 北方荒原 第二天早晨刚过九点，史瑞博河边就出现了三个单薄的身影。只见他们走在浅滩中，小心翼翼地踩着石头过河。史瑞博河水声很大， 但是很浅，他们抵达北岸的时候，姬尔也只浸湿了小腿。前进了差不多五十码 [3]，地面越来越高了，荒原露了出来，四处山路崎岖有不少峭壁悬崖。 “走那条路吧！”尤斯塔斯指着左边往西去的方向，那里有一条小河穿过荒原顺流而下。可沼泽怪却摇了摇头。 “巨人们都住在那峡谷一带，”他说，“这条峡谷就像他们的一条街。我们最好向前直走，虽然前面陡一些，可是没办法。” 他们从一个地方向上爬，十分钟之后到了山顶上。他们回头看了一眼纳尼亚谷地，就转向北方。那是一片广阔的荒原，没有一个人影。姬尔注意到他们左边的地面和岩石层叠，想着可能是连着巨人的峡谷，她就不愿再多看一眼了。他们又从这里开始出发。 这里的土地非常软，踩上去很舒服。在冬季淡淡的阳光照射下，他们逐渐深入荒原。他们越深入，就越觉得荒凉。偶尔听见红嘴鸥的叫声，有时还能看到一只鹰。快到中午的时候，他们在一条小河边停下来休息，在一个小溪的水坑边喝了水。姬尔觉得冒险还是挺有意思的，就把自己的想法说出来。 “我们至今还没遇到危险。”沼泽怪说。 休息一次之后的感觉就不一样了，就跟学校课间或是铁路换乘之后的感觉一样走起路来精神了许多。峡谷的岩石越来越近，跟刚才看到的那些相比，这些错落有致，也陡峭很多。事实上这些岩石就好像矗立着的一座座尖塔，很有意思。 “我相信，”姬尔想，“那些巨人的传说说不定就源于那些有趣的岩石。在天快黑的时候来这里容易把那些石头当成巨人。你看那一块，就是一个大脑袋嘛。虽然跟身体相比，有点太大了，不过如果说是个丑陋的巨人，那也还好。上面那些黑乎乎的东西可能是石南或鸟窝，也可以想象成头发和胡子。还有一块石头，像耳朵，虽然大得吓人。不过巨人也可以和大象一样，长着大耳朵。还有……噢……噢！” 她的血液好像突然凝住了，那些东西竟然动起来了。原来真的是巨人！是真的！她看见他转过脸，腮帮子鼓鼓的，又大又蠢。这些“岩石”竟然都是巨人！这一排有四五十个，他们站在峡谷底，手肘搁在峡谷的边缘，就像一排人靠墙站着——就是男人们吃完早饭后懒洋洋的模样。 “往前走。”普德格勒姆小声说。他也注意到巨人们了。“别看他们，随便做什么，就是别跑。否则他们会来追我们的。” 他们继续往前走，假装什么都没看到，就像走过门前养有恶狗的人家，不过比这个恐怖多了。几十个巨人没有什么表情，似乎对什么都不感兴趣。而且他们显然没有注意到路人。 然后嗖——嗖——嗖……好像空中有什么重物飞过，一声巨响后，一块石头落在他们前面只有二十步远的地方。再然后——咚！第二块落在他们身后二十英尺远的地方。 “他们在瞄准我们吗？”尤斯塔斯问。 “不是，如果那样我们反而安全多了。他们的目标应该是那儿——右边的石堆。他们扔不中的，知道吗？那儿很安全。因为他们的技术太烂了。天气好的时候，他们喜欢玩这种打靶游戏，他们那脑袋也只能玩这种游戏了。” 那一阵子真可怕，巨人们没完没了的不停扔石头，有几块差点砸中他们。除此之外，看见他们的脸或听见他们的声音也叫人胆战心惊。姬尔尽量不去瞧他们。 大约二十五分钟之后，巨人们似乎吵起来了，游戏这才结束。不幸的是，吵架的巨人离他们不到一英里。他们互相嘲讽，都是些没什么意义的字句，而且每串字都有二十多个音节。他们叽里咕噜唾沫四溅，跳起来八尺高，每次都像炸弹扔下来一样震动大地。他们还用大石槌敲打彼此的头。他们的脑壳很硬，石槌敲下去，就会弹开， 这样反而会弄痛自己的手，有的巨人疼得嗷嗷直叫。他们实在太笨了， 不到一分钟他们就好了伤疤忘了疼，又敲起来。这不见得是件坏事， 因为一个小时之后，所有的巨人都疼得坐下来直哭。他们坐下的时候脑袋就都在峡谷边缘以下，看不见了。姬尔听见他们像孩子一样哇哇大哭，一英里之外还能听见。 那夜他们在荒野露营，普德格勒姆教孩子们怎样盖毯子背靠着背入睡，背靠着背不仅暖和，而且可以把两条毯子叠在一起盖。即便如此他们仍感觉到寒气透骨，地面粗糙不平，硬邦邦的。沼泽怪告诉他们想想以后会越来越冷，这时候应该感到庆幸，不过这并不能让两个孩子振作起来。 他们在荒原走了很多天，为了节省熏肉，他们主要吃的是尤斯塔斯和沼泽怪捕猎的小鸟，当然是不会说话的鸟儿。姬尔因此很羡慕尤斯塔斯，射箭是他跟凯斯宾国王航行时学到的。荒原上有数不清的溪流，饮水倒是不缺。姬尔常常想，书里面只写到人们靠打猎为生， 却没有说给死鸟拔毛、处理干净是多么脏、臭又耗时耗力的事，幸运的是他们不常遇见巨人，有一个巨人见过他们，不过他只是大笑几声， 就走开了。 走了十天，终于走到了荒原的北部边缘，这里地形发生了明显的变化。从最后一个大坡望去，另一边完全不同。高山层叠连绵不绝， 到处是黑压压的峭壁和深不见底的峡谷。几条河从谷中倾泻而出，流入深渊。普德格勒姆指了指那边更远的山坡上白皑皑的雪。 “北边的雪会更多，不用怀疑。”他说。 他们老半天才走到山脚下。从那儿往下看，能看到一条河自西向东奔腾而过，水声隆隆。两岸都是峭壁，太阳照不进去，河水是翠绿翠绿的，到处都是瀑布和险滩。奔涌的河水冲击着大地，震感直传至他们的脚下。 “值得庆幸的是，”普德格勒姆说，“如果我们不小心摔下悬崖， 也不会淹死在河里。” “你们瞧那儿！”尤斯塔斯指着左边河的上游说道。大家顺着那个方向，竟然发现了一座桥，这可真是意外！那是一座巨型的单拱桥，从这头通往那头跨越整个峡谷。拱桥的顶端耸立在峡谷中部， 跟圣保罗教堂耸立在街道上的圆屋顶有点像。 “噢，这肯定是巨人桥！”姬尔说。 “更像是巫师桥，”普德格勒姆说，“我们要留心这里有没有魔法。 我觉得可能是个陷阱，等我们走到桥中央，它就会像雾气一样消失。” “啊呀，天哪。你能不能别老往坏处想？”尤斯塔斯说，“这桥为什么不可能是一座平常的桥呢？” “你想想看，以那些巨人的智商，他们能造出这么个东西？” 普德格勒姆说。 “这桥会不会是其他巨人造的呢？”姬尔说，“我是说，也许是很久以前的巨人们。他们可能比现在这些巨人要聪明得多。说不准就是建造巨人城的那些人。如果是的话，就说明咱们没有走错——老桥通老城嘛。” “你真有头脑，姬尔，”尤斯塔斯说，“一定是那么回事。走吧。” 他们转身走向那座桥，到桥边一看，这座桥还挺结实。每一块石头都像是从巨大的史前巨石群中切割下来的，上面有数不清的裂痕。桥栏上有很多雕刻，有残缺的脸、巨人、牛头怪、大乌贼、蝓蛤， 还有一些面目狰狞的神像。普德格勒姆心中对此仍然抱有怀疑，不过他还是答应一起过桥。 通往桥顶的路悠长而崎岖，许多大石块都掉了，留下巨大的裂口。从那里往下看，能看到几千英尺以下的河里翻腾飞溅的浪花，他们还看见一只鹰从下面飞过。他们越往上走越冷，风很大，他们没法站稳， 桥也好像也在晃。 好不容易走到桥顶，他们发现前面有一条很可能是古代巨人的大路，一直通往山里。路面上很多石块已经不见了，野草丛生，有两个普通人类身材的人骑着马朝他们奔过来。 “走吧，继续走，”普德格勒姆说，“在这种地方遇到的人很难判断是敌是友，不过不能让他们觉得咱们非常胆小。” 他们走下桥，那两个陌生人就走到了眼前。其中一个骑士骑着一匹黑马，身披黑色的盔甲，头上戴着面罩，盾上没有纹章，矛上也没有小旗。另一个是位夫人，骑着一匹可爱的白马。这位夫人穿着一件翠绿色的长袍，侧坐在马上，漂亮极了。 “你们好，旅客们！”她的声音就像黄莺一样好听，拖长的颤音尤其美妙，“你们是特地来拜访我们的吗？” “不是的，夫人。”普德格勒姆生硬地说，显然心存疑虑。 “我们在寻找巨人城废墟。”姬尔说。 “废……废墟？”夫人说，“你们要找的地方真是奇怪，你们找那里干什么呢？” “我们要……”姬尔刚要开口，就被普德格勒姆打断了。 “请原谅，夫人。我们不认识您和您的朋友，他不太爱说话是吗？ 您也不认识我们。如果不介意的话，我们不习惯在陌生人面前谈论私事。是不是快要下雨了？” 夫人的笑声很圆润悦耳。“好吧，孩子们，”她说，“你们有个聪明又庄重的向导，你们听他的忠告总没错的，我倒是愿意给你们说说我的想法。我经常听人说巨人城废墟，但是从来没人告诉过我怎么去。这条路是通往哈方镇和城堡的，那儿住着高贵的巨人。他们性情温和，举止文明，为人谨慎，彬彬有礼，跟艾汀斯那些愚蠢、凶残和野蛮的巨人们完全不同。我不敢保证你们在哈方能打听到消息， 但是你们肯定能找到舒服的住处。聪明人会在那里过冬，或者至少住上一段日子休息一下，恢复一下体力。在那里可以蒸桑拿，睡在柔软的床上，还有各种美味供应，烘的、烤的、甜的、辣的，一天四顿， 应有尽有。” “哇！”尤斯塔斯叫道，“太棒了，你们想啊，还能睡床上啊！” “是啊，还可以洗热水澡！”姬尔说，“你猜他们会把我们留下吗？毕竟，咱们不认识他们。” “只要告诉他们，”夫人说，“绿衣夫人派你们向他们致意， 两个孩子是我为他们秋天的盛宴送来的礼物。” “好的，谢谢！”姬尔和尤斯塔斯说。 “注意哦，”夫人说，“不管你们什么时候到哈方，最好早些去。因为午后不久他们就会紧闭大门。那是他们的风俗，一旦上了门栓， 就敲不开咯。” 孩子们眼睛发亮，再次对夫人表示感谢。接着夫人向他们挥了挥手，沼泽怪也脱下了尖帽子，僵硬地向夫人鞠了个躬。接着那个沉默的骑士和夫人就噔噔噔地骑着马离开了。 “嗯，”普德格勒姆说，“我真想知道她从哪儿来，又到哪儿去。像她这样的人怎么会出现在巨人们的地盘上呢？我敢肯定，她不是好人。” “哎，别胡说了，”尤斯塔斯说，“我倒觉得她是个好人。想想热饭热菜，还有暖和舒适的房间，我很希望能快点到达哈方。” “我也这么想，”姬尔说，“你看她的衣服多漂亮啊，连那匹马都很可爱！” “虽然如此，”普德格勒姆说，“可咱们毕竟不了解她。” “我本来打算问问她的，”姬尔说，“但你不肯告诉她咱们的事， 我又怎么问呢？” “就是，”尤斯塔斯说，“你刚才鞠躬，那么生硬，好像很勉强。难道你不喜欢他们吗？” “他们？”沼泽怪说，“他们是谁？我可只看见了一个人。” “你没看到那个骑士？”姬尔问道。 “我只看见一套盔甲。”普德格勒姆说，“可他为什么一声不吭呢？” “也许他害羞，”姬尔说，“或者他只想看着她，听听她那美妙的声音。如果我是他，可能也会那样。” “我倒想知道，”普德格勒姆说，“面罩后面到底是什么。” “岂有此理，”尤斯塔斯说，“想想盔甲的样子！除了人之外， 还有什么？” “说不定是具骷髅呢？”沼泽怪摆出一副恐怖的表情说道。“或者，”他说，“也有可能什么都没有，是个隐形人呢？” “说真的，普德格勒姆，”姬尔忍不住打了个哆嗦，“真没想到你会这么想，你怎么会有这么可怕的想法？” “哎呀，别管那些乱七八糟的想法了！”尤斯塔斯说，“他总是把什么事情都往坏处想，结果全都不对的。想想那些斯文的巨人， 咱们还是赶紧去哈方吧，真想知道还有多远。” 像普德格勒姆预见的那样，他们又开始争吵。虽然说姬尔和尤斯塔斯之前也老斗嘴、怄气，可这回是真吵。普德格勒姆坚决不同意去哈方。他说他从来没有听说过什么斯文的巨人，而且在阿斯兰的指示中也没有说要去那里。而孩子们早就厌倦了风吹雨打的生活，他们不愿意再吃着皮包骨的小鸟，睡在又冷又硬的地面上，决定去找斯文的巨人。最终普德格勒姆拗不过他们，只好同意了。不过他让孩子们保证，不经过他的允许，绝不能告诉那些巨人他们是从纳尼亚来的， 更不能吐露半句关于瑞利安王子的事。 从这时起，事情变得越来越糟了。一方面路更加难走。这是一条通往峡谷的小路，凛冽的北风刮在脸上，地上的石头把他们的脚硌得很疼。没有木柴点火，也没有洁净平坦的洞穴可以露营，晚上睡觉都不安生了。 另一方面，不管那夫人有没有用意，事实上她的话的确产生了不利的影响。他们一心想着热饭热菜、柔软的床铺和舒适的房间，别的什么都不关心了。如今他们都也不提阿斯兰和失踪王子的事情了。姬尔也不再坚持早晚背诵那些指示了。刚开始，她对自己说，我太累了，可是很快她就真的就抛诸脑后了。你可能以为他们只要想到哈方的美好生活就会高兴起来。事实上那个想法让他们对现在的情况更加厌烦甚至恼火，因此变得更加暴躁。 终于在一天下午，他们走到峡谷中一个豁然开朗的地带。他们看到附近有一些暗沉的杉树林，前方是一片遍布岩石的荒原，远处则群山连绵，山顶上覆盖着皑皑白雪。中间不远处，是一座相对平坦的小山头。 “快看！快看！”姬尔指着对面那座山头喊。迷茫的夜色中， 那座小山的另一边出现了灯光。是灯光！不是月光，也不是火光，而是一整排透着亮光的窗户。虽然平常，却令人激动万分。如果你从来没有去过荒野，更不要说几个星期待在荒野里，恐怕你很难理解他们的心情。 “哈方！”尤斯塔斯和姬尔激动万分，“哈方！”普德格勒姆也忧心忡忡地说了一遍。“嗨，野天鹅！”他搭弓射箭，射中了两只。这个时候去哈方，已经太晚了。不过他们总算吃了一顿热饭，生了一堆火，暖暖和和的。上半夜睡得还好，下半夜火熄灭之后就很冷了。第二天早上他们醒来的时候，发现毯子都冻得硬邦邦的了。 “没关系！”姬尔一边说，一边跺脚，“今晚就能洗热水澡了！” 第七章 古怪的壕沟 说实在的，天气可真够糟的。厚厚的云朵盖住了太阳，天空低沉着，像要下雪的样子；脚底下的霜，都变成了黑色，风一吹都能把身上的皮刮掉。他们好不容易走到平原的古道上，这条路比之前走过的更糟糕，到处都是破碎的大石块和鹅卵石。他们不得不小心的挑着路走，脚还是很疼。更惨的是因为太冷了，他们再累也不能停下来休息。 十点左右，天空中飘起了雪花，落在了姬尔的胳膊上。又过了十分钟，雪就开始纷纷扬扬的了，二十分钟之后，整个世界都变了样。半个小时后，暴风雪就来了，雪花迎面扑来，打得眼睛都睁不开。 要想明白接下来的事情，请你们记住一点，他们几乎什么都看不见了。当他们走近小山时，眯起眼睛也只能勉强看到前面几步远。当然，没法张嘴说话。 到山脚之后他们看了一眼旁边的岩石，仔细辨别的话会发现那些是方形的，可是谁也没这个功夫。大家把注意力都放在了前面的石头上了。这块石头横在路上大约四英尺高，沼泽怪凭着自己的长腿， 一下子就跳了上去，然后又把另外两个人拉了上去。那块石头上的积雪很厚，所费了很大的劲才爬上去。姬尔摔了一跤，他们又向上爬了约有一百码，才爬上第二块。总共有四块石头，距离各不相同。 费了九牛二虎之力才爬上第四块，不过好在他们已经在小山顶上了。好歹总算有了个避风的地方，在那里他们见识到了暴风雪的厉害。说来奇怪，这座小山顶相当平坦，就像远处看到的一模一样。这片高地没有遮掩物，暴风雪任意肆虐。风卷起雪花，一团团地抛到他们脸上，一股小旋风在他们脚边转啊转的，就跟咱们平时在冰面上看到的一样。尽管地面上没有太多积雪，但是大部分地方已经很滑了。更糟的是，这里还有许多堤坝类的东西，把整个平面分割成正方形和长方形。每个堤坝有二至五英尺高，宽两三码，北侧堆起了厚厚的积雪。每跨过一道堤坝，就会陷进积雪中，弄得浑身都是潮湿的。 姬尔戴好风帽，耷拉着头，把手缩进斗篷里挣扎着往前走。一路上她还注意到其他古怪的东西，比如她右边看上去像是工厂的烟囱，左边是一个陡峭的悬崖，不过根本没关系。现在她脑子里只觉得手脚冰凉，耳朵和下巴都快冻掉了，什么时候才能到哈方洗个热水澡， 睡在温暖的床上呢？ 正想着，姬尔脚下一滑，掉进了五英尺开外的一个的坑，又黑又窄，把她吓得没魂了似的。她才看到坑，还没反应过来，就滑到底了。回过神来看，这应该是沟槽之类的，只有三英尺宽，还好，因为沟壁高， 这里没有风。尤斯塔斯和普德格勒姆焦急的从沟边往下看她。 “你受伤了吗，姬尔？”尤斯塔斯大声叫道。 “估计两条腿都摔断了吧。”普德格勒姆大声地说。 姬尔站起来以示她没受伤，不过他们还是要想办法把她弄上来。 “这是什么洞？”尤斯塔斯问。 “是个沟，或者暗巷之类的，”姬尔说，“一直向前。” “是吗？太好了！”尤斯塔斯说，“看来这条巷道直通北方， 会不会是一条地下通道呢？如果是的话，我们就不用在外面吹冷风了，下面有雪吗？” “几乎没有，雪基本上都从上面吹下来的。” “里面还有些什么？” “等一下，我瞧瞧。”姬尔说。她站起来往里走，没走多远就发现了一个右拐的弯道，她把这个情况告诉了他们。 “拐角有什么？”尤斯塔斯问。 就像尤斯塔斯害怕在悬崖边上站着一样，姬尔害怕在黑咕隆咚的弯道里走。她不想一个人过去，更何况普德格勒姆在喊：“小心点， 姬尔。说不定那条路通往龙洞的路。巨人国里，还有大蚯蚓和甲壳虫。” “我想只是一个通道。”姬尔一边说着一边往回走。 “我倒乐意去看看，”尤斯塔斯说，“只是一个通道是什么意思？” 他坐在沟边（反正全身都湿了，再湿一点也无所谓），小心地滑到沟里， 从姬尔身边挤了过去。虽然她什么也没说，不过尤斯塔斯已经很清楚她害怕了，姬尔小心翼翼地走在他旁边。 但是，结果实在令人大失所望。右拐后，他们只往前走了几步就到了一个分叉口。一条向前，另一条向右转。“不能走，”尤斯塔斯看了一眼右转的路说，“那样我们就又回到南面去了。”可是只走了几步，他们又发现了第二条右拐的路，这回就再也没有什么别的岔道可以走了。 “不行。”尤斯塔斯咕哝说。姬尔立刻转身回到她掉下来的地方。沼泽怪伸长胳膊一把就把他们拉了上来。 回到上面才发现上面太冷了。在地下巷道中，他们的耳朵都已经开始暖和了，眼睛能看清楚，呼吸也轻松，声音也很清晰。对比之下，上面刺骨的寒风愈加难以忍受了。普德格勒姆偏偏还在这个时候说： “你还相信那些指示吗，姬尔？我们该做哪一条？” “算了，去他的指示吧！”姬尔说，“好像是说会有人提到阿斯兰的名字，不过我不想再提那个。” 显然，她已经把顺序搞乱了。因为她已经很久都没有背了。其实只要想一想，还是能想出来的，现在只是有点生疏了而已。普德格勒姆这么一问却把她惹恼了。因为她的内心深处，对自己没有记住狮王的指示有点生气，她本来应该做到的。心中的怒气，加上这湿冷的环境给她造成的痛苦，她才违背本心，说出“去他的指示”这样的话。 “那是下一句吗？”普德格勒姆说，“你到底说得对不对。我看你肯定是把指示给弄混了。我看咱们还是停下来看看这周围的小山，你们有没有看到……” “天哪！”尤斯塔斯说，“现在我们应该停下来欣赏风景吗？ 看在老天的份上，还是赶紧走吧。” “咦，看！快看！”姬尔指着一个方向叫，大家回头一看，比他们现在的位置还要高一点的北面有一排灯。比昨晚看到的要清晰得多，那些窗户小的可能是温暖的卧室，大的可能是燃着壁炉的餐厅， 餐桌可能摆满了热汤和热气腾腾的牛腰肉。 “是哈方！”尤斯塔斯欢呼起来。 “太好了！”普德格勒姆说，“不过我要说的是……” “别说了，”姬尔发怒道，“现在没时间。你记不记得夫人说过， 他们的门锁得很早吗？我们一定要尽快赶到那里，一定去，必须去。这鬼天气，如果我们被关在门外的话，肯定会冻死的。” “好吧，现在又没到晚上，早着呢。”普德格勒姆说。可是两个孩子早已经迫不及待了。他们跌跌撞撞地向前奔去，沼泽怪跟在他们后面，嘴里还嘟囔着。不过这会儿他们什么也听不见，就算听见他们也不想听。他们只想着热乎乎的洗澡水、温暖的床铺和热饮料， 他们可不想被关在门外。 尽管他们走得很急的，可是爬过小山顶还是花了不少时间，因为越过山顶之后，还需要从几块突出的石块爬下去。最后，他们总算到了山脚，看到了哈方的全貌。 一座伫立在危崖的城堡，虽然同样有很多尖塔，但是座大宅而不是城堡。很明显，斯文的巨人并不怕敌人袭击，因为房子的外墙上有很多落地窗，正规的城堡是不会这样设计的。外墙上还开了许多奇特的小门，进出城堡不用穿过院子，这让整个城堡显得更加友好可爱。姬尔和尤斯塔斯一看这些，马上来了精神。 起初，他们担心那险峻的山峰不好爬，可是不久他们发现，左边有一条小路盘旋而上。考虑到他们走了那么远的路，爬上去的确够难受的。多亏有尤斯塔斯和普德格勒姆的帮忙，姬尔没有放弃。 最终，他们到了城堡门前，大门开着。 不管他们多么疲倦，走到巨人城堡的大门口前还是需要些许胆量。虽说普德格勒姆多次警告并劝阻他们，但是这一路他最勇敢。 “好了，把脚步放稳些，”他说，“自然一些，别让人看出你的惊慌失措。我们本不该来，但是既来之，则安之。” 说完这些，他就大步走到门口，稳稳当当地站在拱门下，大声喊。 “嘿，守门人！有客来了！” 等回音的时候，他把帽子取下来，拍打了帽檐上的积雪。 “我说，”尤斯塔斯悄声对姬尔说，“虽然他总扫兴，却很勇敢， 脸皮也厚。” 门开了，诱人的火光漏了出来，看门人走了出来。姬尔咬住嘴唇不让自己叫出声。那并不是一个巨人，他只比一颗苹果树高，还不如电线杆高。他头发短而硬，穿一件无袖皮衣，上面有金属片，像一件盔甲；双膝露在外（长了很多汗毛），腿上打着绑腿。他停下来， 睁大眼睛看着普德格勒姆。 “你说，你是哪种动物？”他说。 姬尔鼓足勇气。“您好，”她大声说，“我是代表绿衣夫人向斯文的巨人国致敬的。她请我们两个和这个沼泽怪（他叫普德格勒姆） 来参加你们的秋宴。当然，如果可以的话。”她说。 “哦！”看门人说，“那就进来吧，小不点儿，请进。我向陛下禀报的时候，你们得先待在门房。”他好奇地看了看两个孩子。“青色的面孔，”他说，“竟然有这种肤色。但是没关系。我说，你们自己应该不会觉得奇怪吧，都说物以类聚嘛。” “这是冻得发青，”姬尔说，“不是我们的肤色。” “那进来暖和暖和吧。进来，小不点儿。”看门人说。他们跟他一起走进门房。大门在身后砰的一声关上，把他们吓了一跳，但是他们看到一直向往的东西——火堆时，就把这事给忘了。好大的一堆火！好像有四五棵树正在燃烧，火堆真暖和啊。几码之外，就已经热得难以靠近了。他们“扑通”一声坐在地上，靠近火堆，还不禁发出舒服的感叹声。 “嘿，小子。”看门人对另外一个人说。那人一直坐在房间里， 瞪大眼睛盯着这些客人。“快去禀告国王陛下。”然后他把姬尔的话重复了一遍。那个巨人深深地看了他们一眼，笑了几声，就离开了。 “嘿，小青蛙，”看门人对普德格勒姆说，“看来你需要提神。” 他拿来一个黑瓶子，样子很像普德格勒姆的那个，只是大得有二十倍。“我看看，来看看。”看门人说，“我不能给你，这大杯子会把你淹死的。我看，那个盐瓶大小合适，不过你别给国王陛下说这事。” 那个盐瓶跟我们平常见到的不太一样，它更窄且直，巨人把盐瓶放在普德格勒姆身边，当成酒杯。孩子们以为既然普德格勒姆不相信斯文的巨人，肯定不会喝酒。哪知他自言自语说，“既然都来了， 门也关上了，提防又有什么用呢？”他闻了闻那瓶酒，“挺香，”他说，“不过味道是闻不出来的，最好还是尝尝。”于是他浅酌了一口， “味道不错，”他又说“喝上一口是不错，不过喝多了就未必了吧？” 他又喝了一大口。“嗯！真不错”他说，“全都是这个味儿吗？”于是又喝了一口。“我敢说这酒瓶里可能会有什么令人恶心的东西。” 就这样，他一边说一边把酒喝完了。最后还舔了舔嘴唇，对两个孩子说“这是在试验，懂吗？如果我发作了，倒下来变成了一条蜥蜴，你们就知道他们给你的东西都不能碰了。”那个巨人很高，听不见普德格勒姆在悄声说些什么，他大笑着说，“嘿，青蛙人，你真是个男子汉。瞧瞧！把酒都喝光了。” “不是男子汉……沼泽怪，”普德格勒姆大着舌头说，“也不是青蛙人，是沼泽怪。” 这是，他们身后的门被打开了，那个年轻的巨人走进来：“让他们立刻觐见。” 两个孩子立刻站了起来，普德格勒姆却还坐着，嘴里嘟囔着：“沼泽怪，沼泽怪。值得尊敬的沼泽怪，值得尊敬。” “带他们去，小子，”看门人说，“最好带上青蛙，他喝多了。” “我没事儿，”普德格勒姆说，“我不是青蛙，不是青蛙，我是个值得尊敬的沼泽怪。” 那个年轻巨人把他抓在手里，示意让孩子们跟着走。普德格勒姆在巨人手中，神志不清的蹬着腿，还真有点像青蛙。不过他们并没有注意到，因为很快就走进了主城堡，他俩的心跳明显加快了，为了追上巨人的步子，他们不得不一路小跑。穿过几条走廊后，他们来到了一间富丽堂皇的屋子，灯火辉煌，壁炉的火烧得很旺，镀金的屋顶和飞檐把这些光反射出来，照的人眼睛都睁不开。数不清的巨人穿着华丽的袍子分站左右，屋子最里面的两个宝座上坐着两个巨人，应该是国王和王后。 在离宝座约二十英尺的地方，尤斯塔斯和姬尔尴尬地鞠了一躬（实验学校里没有教过女孩子怎样行屈膝礼），年轻的巨人把普德格勒姆轻轻放在地板上。他瘫在那里，四肢软绵绵地搭着，像一只蜘蛛。 第八章 哈方宫 “继续，姬尔，该你表现表现了。”尤斯塔斯小声说道。 姬尔对尤斯塔斯点了点头，可是她口干舌燥，一个字也说不出来。 尤斯塔斯暗暗决定绝不原谅她（还有普德格勒姆），他舔了舔嘴唇，向国王禀告： “尊敬的陛下，绿衣夫人派我们来向您致意，她说你们会乐意让我们参加秋宴。” 国王和王后互看了一眼，点头微笑。姬尔一点也不喜欢他们笑的样子，与王后比起来，她更喜欢国王。国王脸上有卷曲的胡子，还有一个直挺的鹰钩鼻，就巨人而言，算得上英俊了。王后则胖得吓人， 肥肥的双下巴垂下来，脸上还擦了厚厚的粉，这实在很糟，脸看起来就好像被撑大了十倍。这时国王伸出舌头，舔了舔嘴唇。虽然每个人都会这么做，可是他的舌头又长又红，突然伸出来把姬尔吓得不轻。 “真是好孩子！”王后说。（“说不定她是个好人呢。”姬尔想。） “是啊，没错，”国王说，“很好。欢迎你们到我宫里，请把你们的手给我。” 他伸出他巨大的右手——很干净，手指上带了很多戒指，但是指甲被修整得很尖锐。他的手实在太大，没法跟孩子们握手，只好握了握他们的胳膊。 “那是什么？”国王指着普德格勒姆问道。 “尊敬的沼泽怪。”普德格勒姆大着舌头说。 “啊！”王后尖叫着，把裙子拢起来，盖住脚，“怪物，活的！” “他真的很不错，陛下，真的，是个好怪物，”尤斯塔斯赶紧说， “等你跟他熟了，你会很喜欢他的，我保证。” 如果我说这时姬尔突然哭了，希望你们不要因此小看她。她哭泣的原因很多：她的手脚，耳朵鼻子都开始发软了，融化的雪从她身上淌下来，肚子饿得咕咕叫，腿也疼得受不了。而且，这个时候哭比其他反应都好得多，因为王后说：“哎呀，可怜的孩子！陛下，让客人们这么站着不太好吧。快来人！把他们带下去，给他们点东西吃， 喝点酒，让他们洗洗澡。好好安慰那个小姑娘，给她拿棒棒糖，洋娃娃， 或者给她吃点药，你们能想到的都拿给她——牛奶、甜酒、蜜饯、催眠曲和玩具。别哭了，小姑娘，否则秋宴上你就没用了。” 姬尔和我一样，不喜欢玩具和洋娃娃，糖果和蜜饯还不错，但是她希望来点更实际的东西。不过王后的蠢话也不是没有好处，因为普德格勒姆和尤斯塔斯立刻被几个巨人侍男抱起，姬尔也被一个侍女抱起，被送到了各自的房里。 姬尔的房间像教堂那么大，如果壁炉里没有暖烘烘的火，地上没有红毯，屋里还真有点阴森可怕。在这里她总算高兴了些。姬尔被交给了王后的老保姆照看，在巨人的眼里，她是个上了年纪，弯腰驼背的老太婆。而在人类看来，她毕竟是个女巨人，只是身材略矮，住在一间普通的人类房间，脑袋还不至于会碰到天花板。老保姆很能干，不过姬尔更希望她不要那么唠叨，说什么，“哦，宝宝，抱抱抱抱”“真是个小宝贝”“好了，好了，小乖乖”。她在巨人的洗脚盆里倒上热水， 让姬尔爬进去。如果你会游泳（姬尔就会），就会觉得在巨人的洗脚盆里洗澡真是太妙了。巨人的毛巾虽然有些粗糙，但是非常好用， 因为那毛巾足有几英亩那么大，你根本不用擦干，只要躺在毛巾上， 滚上一滚，就行了。洗完澡后，姬尔穿上了干净、暖和、鲜艳的华服， 只是稍微大了一点，看得出来这是专门为人类做的。“我猜既然那个绿衣女人来过这里，这些衣服有可能是专门做给我们这种客人穿的。” 姬尔想。 事实证明她猜对了，因为一副人类世界大小的桌椅已经准备好了，上面还摆着正常尺寸的刀、叉和汤匙。终于能够干干净净地坐在暖和的屋里，可真叫人开心。她光着脚踩在巨人的地毯上，那可真舒服。那顿饭——他们的午饭，虽然那时已经接近下午茶时间了——有韭菜鸡肉汤、热乎乎的烤火鸡、蒸布丁、烤栗子，还有很多水果。 唯一不招人喜欢的是，老保姆不停地进出，拿来许多玩具—— 一个大娃娃，比姬尔还大；一匹装着四个轮子的木马，有大象那么大； 一只跟煤气罐一样大小的鼓；还有一只毛茸茸的小羊玩偶。这些东西做工粗糙，涂着艳丽的颜色。姬尔一点也不喜欢，她跟保姆说，但是保姆却说： “唔，唔，唔。你一会儿准会要的，我知道！嘻，嘻，嘻，好了， 来睡觉吧，可爱的小宝贝！” 不是一张巨人床，而是咱们在人类世界老式旅馆里常见到的那种四周有四根大柱子的大床。在这间房子里它看上去很小，姬尔高兴地爬了上去。 “外头还在下雪吗，嬷嬷？”她带着睡意问道。 “没有，在下雨呢，宝贝！”老保姆说，“雨会把那些讨厌的雪冲掉， 宝贝明天就能去外面玩儿了！”她给姬尔盖好被子，道了晚安。 我想，没有什么比让一个女巨人亲亲更讨厌了，姬尔也这么想。不过还不到五分钟她就把它抛诸脑后，睡熟了。 雨从傍晚下到天亮，雨点噼里啪啦拍打着城堡的窗户，可是姬尔睡得很熟，一点都没听见。她一直睡，晚饭也没吃，一直睡到午夜。在夜深人静的时刻，巨人的屋子里除了偶尔有老鼠出没，别的什么声音也没有。这时，姬尔做了一个梦，她梦见自己醒了，屋里的火堆已经变成了暗红颜色。那匹木马突然自己动起来，轮子哗啦啦滚过地毯， 停在她床头。等她看清楚的时候，木马已经变成了玩具狮子，然后又变成了一头狮子，哦不，是狮王，就像她曾经在世界尽头那座高山上见到的一模一样。屋里弥漫着各种各样的香味。姬尔莫名其妙地哭了， 眼泪尽情地流淌，枕头都湿了。狮王叫她背指示，她发现自己已经忘得一干二净了。她吓得要命。阿斯兰把她叼起来（她能感觉到他的嘴唇和呼吸，但是没有感觉到牙齿），带到窗前，叫她往外看。月光皎洁， 不知道是在天上还是地面上（她不知道哪儿是哪儿）写着几个字“我在下面”。然后梦就结束了。第二天早上，她很晚才醒，一点也不记得这个梦了。 她穿上衣服，在壁炉前吃早餐。这时保姆打开门说：“宝贝， 你的小朋友来跟你玩了。” 尤斯塔斯和沼泽怪走了进来。 “嗨，早上好！”姬尔说，“真有意思，我简直不敢相信自己睡了十五个小时。我好多了，你们呢？” “我也是，”尤斯塔斯说，“不过，普德格勒姆说他头疼。噢， 你这儿的窗户有窗台，我们站上面，能看到外面。”他们立刻站了上去。 姬尔瞧了一眼，说道：“哦，简直糟透了！” 阳光普照着大地，几乎所有的雪都被雨水冲走了，只剩下零星几点。在他们下面，昨天下午拼命翻越的平坦的山顶，现在像地图一样展开。现在从城堡望去，那儿显然是一座巨人城的废墟，而不是别的。姬尔这才看到，那山顶之所以如此平坦，是因为那儿是路面，虽然很多地方已经裂开了。那些纵横交错的堤坝其实是建筑物留下的断壁残桓，那儿可能是巨人的宫殿或庙宇。有一面墙，大约五百英尺高， 曾经被她当成了悬崖。那些看起来像工厂烟囱的东西其实是石柱断裂形成的参差不齐的残桩，碎片散落在底座附近，看起来像倒下来的大石头树。他们从北坡往下爬时踩的那些，还有他们从南面爬上来踩着的另外一些石头，毫无疑问是巨型楼梯毁损后的台阶。更糟的是， 路面中央有几个黑色大字：我在下面。 三个人惊慌地你看看我，我看看你，尤斯塔斯嘘了一声，说出了他们的想法：“第二点和第三点指示都错过了。”姬尔突然想起了她的梦。 “都怪我不好，”她的声音很沮丧，“我——我没坚持背那些指示。如果我一直想着指示，就算是在大雪里，也能看出那是一座城市的。” “我更糟糕，”普德格勒姆说，“我看出来了，或者说差不多看出来了。我曾经看得出那地方像一座废城。” “你没有错，”尤斯塔斯说，“你曾尽力想让我们停下。” “我做得不够，”沼泽怪说，“而且我不应该只尽力，我应该动手做起来。我要是一手拉一个，肯定能拉住你们！” “事实上，”尤斯塔斯说，“我们都一心想到这个地方，别的事情全都没放在心上了，至少我是这样的。自从我们遇到了那个女人还有那个沉默的骑士，就没想过别的事，差不多把瑞利安王子都给忘了。” “如果那正是她要的，”普德格勒姆说，“我一点也不吃惊。” “我不明白的是，”姬尔说，“我们怎么没看到那些字呢？难道这些字是昨晚出现的吗？是不是他——阿斯兰——昨晚写的呢？我做了个怪梦。”接着她把那个梦告诉了他们。 “哎！你真笨！”尤斯塔斯说，“我们其实见过的，我们还走到字里去了，你还不明白吗？我们走到了‘ME’的字母‘E’里面去了，就是你掉下去的那条沟。我们走在了E 最下面的一笔中，正北——转到右边，是一竖——又是一个右拐——那是其中的一画，然后接着是左上角，可能是这个字母的东北角，再转回来。我们都是笨蛋！”他忍不住往窗台踢了一脚，继续说下去：“大事不妙，姬尔， 我明白你的想法，因为我跟你一样。你在想如果这些字是阿斯兰在我们走过废墟城之后写得该多好啊。因为那就不是我们的错了。对吗？ 可这不行，我们必须承认，现在按第四点指示做了，前面三条都错过了。” “你的意思是，我错过了，”姬尔说，“你说得对，自从你把我带到这里来之后，我把一切都弄乱了。反正就是这么回事。我太抱歉了。‘我在下面’是什么意思，我真搞不懂。” “那些字肯定有所指，”普德格勒姆说，“也许是让我们到下面去找王子呢？” “可是我们怎么样出去呢？”姬尔问。 “难就难在这儿，”普德格勒姆说，一边搓了搓那双像青蛙脚一样的大手，“现在有什么办法呢？毫无疑问，如果我们在那里时把心思放在这些事上，可能早就有所发现了。一扇小门，一个山洞， 一条地道什么的，说不定会遇见什么人，兴许是阿斯兰本人（这事很难说）。我们总有办法能钻到下面去的，阿斯兰的指示一向奏效，没有任何差池。不过现在怎么办呢，这是另一个问题。” “好吧，我们想办法回去。”姬尔说。 “说来容易！”普德格勒姆说，“不如先从那扇门开始。”他们看着那扇门，可是够不着门把手，就算够得着，恐怕也没人能转动。 “你们说，如果我们要求出去，他们会同意吗？”姬尔说。大家都沉默了，每个人心中都在想“如果他们不同意呢？” 这可不太好，普德格勒姆坚决反对他们把任务告诉巨人或者直接要求出去。不得到他的允许，孩子们是不会那么做的，因为他们已经保证过。他们三个都很清楚，晚上是根本不可能逃出去的，他们要在自己的房间里，房门一旦关闭，早上才会打开。当然，他们可以要求开着门，可是那样会引起怀疑。 “只有一个可能，”尤斯塔斯说，“那就是设法在白天溜走。也许午休时趁着大多数巨人都睡着了的时候。如果我们跑到厨房去， 后门会不会还开着？” “这不算是个好办法，”沼泽怪说，“但这是唯一的办法了。” 事实上，尤斯塔斯的计划并没有那么绝望。如果要偷偷走出一所房子， 从某个角度说，下午倒比半夜好，门窗都打开着，就算被抓住了，也可以装着不是故意走远的样子。要是半夜一点钟，被人发现你正从窗户上往外爬，就很难令人相信，无论是巨人还是普通人。 “我们必须要出其不意，”尤斯塔斯说，“我们得装着喜欢这儿， 一直期待秋宴的样子。” “秋宴就在明天晚上，”普德格勒姆说，“我听他们说的。” “明白了，”姬尔说，“我们要表现出对秋宴很关心的样子， 问这问那，问个没完。反正他们也把我们当成小孩，这样做也可以好办些。” “开开心心的，”普德格勒姆叹了口气，说，“一定得表现得开开心心的。好像咱们没有心事，就爱闹着玩。我看到你们两个就没有保持兴高采烈的样子。你们得学我这样，照我这样做，开开心心的， 就这样……”他张着嘴，装出一副可怕的笑容，“就爱玩儿……”他又苦中作乐似的蹦蹦跳跳起来。“只要你们看着我，很快就明白了。你们看，他们已经觉得我很好玩了。我敢说，你们肯定都认为昨晚我喝醉了吧。请你们放心，那——嗯，我差不多是——装出来的。我想那样做总会有些用处。” 后来他们两个谈起这次的冒险历程，怎样也搞不清楚沼泽怪最后这句话严格来说是不是真话，不过可以肯定的是普德格勒姆说这句话时他心里认为是真的。 “行啊，那就高高兴兴的吧。”尤斯塔斯说，“不管怎样，我们得先让人打开这扇门。然后咱们要装得高高兴兴的，四处闲逛，弄清城堡的状况。” 幸运的是，就在这时门开了，巨人保姆急急忙忙跑进来说：“嘿， 宝贝儿。想看看国王和大臣们打猎时的景象吗？那场面可真壮观啊 ！” 他们从她身边跑过去，跑下第一段楼梯，循着猎狗、号角和巨人们的声音走去。不到几分钟，就来到了院子里。巨人们全部步行， 因为这里没有巨型马，所以他们打猎只能走着去的，就像英国人打兔子。猎狗也只是正常大小，姬尔没看到马，刚开始有些失望。因为她相信，那个肥婆王后是不可能跟在猎狗后面走的，她也不可能整天待在宫里。终于，她看到王后了，坐在轿子里，被年轻的巨人抬着。那肥婆穿着一身绿衣，身边还放着一只号角。 二十几个巨人，包括国王，聚在一起准备出发打猎。大家说说笑笑的，简直要把他们的耳朵震聋了。在他们身边都是些跟姬尔差不多高的，摇着尾巴汪汪叫的猎狗，还把潮乎乎的狗嘴和鼻子伸到他们的手中。普德格勒姆装出一副很高兴的样子（如果有人注意到，他们的计划就毁了）。姬尔则装出孩子气的笑容，冲到王后轿边，冲着王后大喊： “噢，求你了。你不会走的，对吧？你还会回来吗？” “当然，亲爱的，”王后说，“我今晚就回。” “啊，太好了！太好了！”姬尔说，“我们能参加明天的秋宴是吧？我们都等着明天晚上呢！我们太喜欢这儿了。你们不在的时候，我们能到处走走吗？请你说行，好吗。” 王后真的说了声“行”，所有的大臣都哈哈大笑起来，几乎把她的声音都盖住了。 第九章 真相 普德格勒姆和尤斯塔斯后来不得不承认，姬尔那天的表演实在是精彩极了。国王和那些猎人一出发，她就开始游览整个城堡，问了好多问题，用她那副天真烂漫，孩子气十足的声调，根本没人怀疑她。虽然她说个没完，可是根本听不清她在说些什么，她一个人碎碎念， 咯咯直笑。她讨好每一个人——男仆、女仆、看门人、女侍，还有那些不能出去打猎的老年巨人贵族。她忍受了很多女巨人的亲吻和抚摸，大家似乎都很怜惜她，把她叫作“可怜的小东西”，但是没有人告诉他们为什么。她跟厨子成了好朋友，发现了重要的情报：厨房洗碗间有一扇门，通往城堡外面。 她装出很馋的样子，吃了很多厨子和帮工给她的各种食物碎屑。在楼上和那些夫人们在一起的时候，她就问，在宴会上她应该穿什么衣服啊，能坐多久啊，能不能跟个子最小的巨人跳舞什么的。然后（事后当她会想到这些，就会觉得浑身起麻），她装出一副傻样儿，小脑袋瓜歪在一边，这个动作迷倒了很多巨人和大人们。她还会甩动自己的卷发，坐立不安地说：“我，我希望现在就是明天晚上，你们说呢？ 你们认为时间会不会过得快些？”所有的女巨人都说她是个完美的小宝贝，甚至还拿出一大块手帕，轻轻地擦拭眼角，像哭了一样。 “这个年纪的孩子真是可爱，”一个女巨人对另一个说，“真是太遗憾了……” 尤斯塔斯和普德格勒姆也都使出自己的看家本领，不过显然女孩子做这种事情比男孩子效果好很多，不过男孩子还是比沼泽怪强多了。 午餐时的状况，令他们三个人更加急着离开城堡。那时，他们在大厅靠着火炉的一张小桌子上用餐。大约二十码开外的大桌子旁， 六个老巨人也在用餐。他们的声音很大，就像窗外的汽笛声和路人的嘈杂声，很快就被两个孩子忽略掉了。他们尽情品尝着冷的鹿肉， 姬尔以前从来没吃过，但是她很喜欢。 突然，普德格勒姆转过身，脸色刷白，从他那土黄色的皮肤上一眼就能看出来。它说：“别吃了！” “怎么了？”另外两个小声问道。 “你们没听见那些巨人的话吗？一个说，‘这是一块鹿腿肉。’ 另一个说，‘这么说那只鹿说谎了。’一个又说，‘为什么。’‘哦，’ 另外那个说，‘听说他们抓住这只鹿的时候，它说，‘别杀我，我的肉不嫩，你们不喜欢吃的。’”姬尔一时没反应过来，但是她看到尤斯塔斯瞪大的眼睛，就立刻明白了。他说：“我们吃的是一只会说话的鹿。” 这个发现对他们三个的影响不尽相同。姬尔刚刚到这个世界来， 她心里只为这只可怜的鹿感到难过，认为那些杀鹿的巨人很坏。尤斯塔斯之前来过这里，他的好朋友很多都是会说话的兽类，对此他不由得感到心悸，就像是听到一起谋杀案一样。而普德格勒姆，从小生长在纳尼亚，他感觉自己像吃了一个婴儿一样恶心，简直恶心得要晕过去。 “一定是我们惹恼了阿斯兰，”他说，“因为我们没有按照指示去做。我想，我们已经被诅咒了。如果可以，我真想拿起刀，扎进自己的心脏。” 姬尔也明白了他的意思。总之，他们一点也不想吃了。等到他们认为比较安全的时候，就悄悄溜了出去。 决定逃亡的时刻就要到了，成败在此一举，大家都开始紧张起来。他们在过道等待着。大厅里的巨人们吃完饭后坐了很长时间， 一个秃顶巨人还讲了个故事。故事讲完之后，他们三个摸到厨房里。那儿还是很多巨人，至少在洗碗间里很多，正在洗洗涮涮，收拾东西。等这些人干完活，擦干手走开真是一件痛苦的事情。终于厨房里只剩下一个年纪大的女巨人。她走走，停停。三个人这才总算明白过来， 她压根就没打算离开。 “好了，宝贝，”她对他们说，“活都干完了，我们要放上一只水壶， 煮上一杯好茶。我要休息一下。做个好宝宝，去看看洗碗间里后门开着吗？” “开着呢。”尤斯塔斯说。 “那就好，我总是把门打开，那样猫咪就能自由进出了，小可怜。” 然后她坐在一把椅子上，把两只脚搭在另一把椅子上。 “不知道我能不能小眯一会儿，”女巨人说，“希望打猎的混蛋别那么快回来。” 听她说要打盹，他们立刻兴奋起来，可是听她提起那帮打猎的人， 又有点丧气。 “他们一般什么时候回来？”姬尔问。 “这可说不好，”女巨人说，“不过，宝贝儿，你们还是休息一会儿吧。” 他们悄悄地退到厨房一角，如果不是那女巨人突然坐起身，张开眼睛，赶走一只苍蝇，他们已经溜进洗碗间去了。“等她睡熟了再开溜，”尤斯塔斯小声说，“要不就完了。”于是他们蜷缩在角落里等啊等，想到那些出猎的人随时可能回来，心中难免七上八下的。那个女巨人也没睡好，眼看就要睡着了，又突然动起来。 “真受不了。”姬尔想。她开始东张西望起来。面前的大桌子已经收拾干净，放着两只装馅饼的干净的盘子，还有一本书，打开着。盘子是巨人们用的盘子，姬尔想也许可以躺在里面睡觉呢。于是她爬到长凳子上，她看到书上写着：野鸭：这种飞禽有多种烹调方法。 “原来是本烹饪书。”姬尔并不感兴趣。她回头望了一眼，女巨人双眼紧闭，但是看上去她并没有睡着。姬尔又看了看这本书，内容是按照字母顺序排列的，她的视线移到下面时，心脏几乎都停止了跳动。 人：这种温文尔雅的两足动物历来被视为上等佳肴，也是秋宴上的一道传统美食。上菜应安排在鱼和牛羊骨腿肉之间，每一只人…… 她再也看不下去了。她转过身，看到女巨人已经醒来，不停地咳嗽。姬尔轻轻推了推另外两个人，指了指那本书。他们也爬上长凳， 看巨大的书页。当尤斯塔斯在看人的烹饪方法时，普德格勒姆指着下面一条。上面写着： 沼泽怪：有些权威人士不吃这种动物，它的肉中多筋而且坚韧， 有土腥味，不适合巨人。此味可以大大减少，只要…… 姬尔碰了下普德格勒姆和尤斯塔斯的脚。大家回头看见女巨人， 嘴巴张开，鼻子响起一种声音，在他们听来比任何音乐都要悦耳—— 呼噜声。这会儿，只要踮着脚尖走就行了。他们屏着呼吸，蹑手蹑脚地走出了巨人味道难闻的洗碗间，来到冬日午后的暖阳下。 他们走上了一条坎坷不平的小路，小路向下延伸，十分陡峭。谢天谢地，他们一会儿就看得见废城了。然后很快就来到了城堡大门直通的那条宽阔、陡峭的大路上。透过城堡的任何一扇窗户都能看到他们，要是只有一两扇或是五扇窗户，也许还不会那么巧正好有人往外看，可是那里有近五十扇窗户，而不是五扇。这时他们还发现这条路一直到废城，连一个狐狸的容身之地都没有。这儿全是野草和鹅卵石和平坦的石块。更糟的是，他们穿的都是昨晚巨人们给他们的衣服， 当然普德格勒姆除外，因为没有适合他的。姬尔身上是一件又宽又长的嫩绿色袍子，外面罩着边缘镶着白色毛皮的猩红色披风。尤斯塔斯穿着紧身短上衣，身披大斗篷，脚踩猩红色长袜，背着一把金柄宝剑， 头上还戴着一顶带羽毛的帽子。 “你们俩衣服的颜色真亮，”普德格勒姆喃喃自语到，“冬天更是， 只要在射程以内，最烂的弓箭手也能射中。说到弓箭手，恐怕很快就要为没有带上弓箭而遗憾了。你们冷不冷？” “是啊，我快被冻僵了。”姬尔说。 还在厨房的时候，她还以为只要逃出城堡，就大功告成了。现在她才明白，真正的危险时刻还没到呢。 “镇定，镇定！”普德格勒姆说，“别往后看，也别走得太快。怎么样都好，就是别跑。要表现出我们是在散步，那样的话如果有人看见，也可能，只是可能不会嚷嚷。要是我们像是要逃走，那就完了。” 通往废城的路比姬尔想象的长多了，但他们还是越来越近了。这时传来的声音让他们紧张得透不过气来。姬尔不知道是什么，只好问：“什么声音啊？” “是打猎的号角。”尤斯塔斯小声说。 “就算这样，也不能跑，”普德格勒姆说，“听我的命令。” 姬尔忍不住回头看了一眼。就在大概半英里远处，打猎的人从他们的左后方过来了。 他们往前走，听到许多巨人在嚷嚷，甚至大叫起来。 “他们看见我们了，快跑！”普德格勒姆说。 姬尔提起长裙，穿着这么长的裙子可真是麻烦！现在真是危险了。她听见猎狗在咆哮，国王在呐喊，“赶紧追，赶紧追，要不明天就没有人肉馅饼吃了。” 这会儿，姬尔已经落后了，她被衣服绊到，脚下一滑倒在碎石上。头发飘进嘴里，胸口生疼。猎狗的声音越来越近了。她不得不上山， 到通往地下石阶的斜坡那里。她不知道接下来该怎么办，不知道到了山顶上，会不会有转机。 但她没法去想那些事了。她只知道往前跑，只要那群狗还在后面追，她就得跑，直到跑不动为止。 沼泽怪在最前面，他跑到石阶前面，突然停下朝右面瞧了一眼， 钻进了石阶下的一个洞里去了。嗖的一下，长腿就不见了，真像一只蜘蛛。尤斯塔斯犹豫了一下，也跟上去消失了。姬尔气喘吁吁，一分钟后总算到了这里。那个洞一点儿也不起眼，就是泥地和石头之间的裂口而已。有三英尺宽，不到一英尺高，必须趴在地上爬进去。姬尔真怕自己还没有完全爬进洞，就会被猎狗咬住。 “快，快，石头，把洞堵上。”普德格勒姆的声音从暗处传来。除了入口处灰蒙蒙的光线，里面一片漆黑。那两个人正忙活着呢。她只能看见尤斯塔斯的小手和沼泽怪的那像青蛙脚一样的大手在拼命堆石头。因为背光，两双手看上去黑乎乎的。她这才明白过来，赶紧找石头递给他们。谢天谢地，他们总算赶在猎狗到来之前把洞口堵严了。现在，他们眼前一点亮光也没有了。 “往里面走，快！”只听普德格勒姆说。 “手拉手。”姬尔说。 “好主意！”尤斯塔斯说。洞里太黑，他们半天才拉到彼此的手， 这会儿猎狗正在洞口处嗅着气味呢。 “我们试试能不能站起来，”尤斯塔斯提议。他们这才发现已经可以站起来了。普德格勒姆伸出一只手拉住尤斯塔斯，尤斯塔斯再伸出另一只手来拉住姬尔（她真希望自己是中间的那个）。他们开始在黑暗中摸索，跌跌撞撞往前走，脚下全是松散的石头。不久， 普德格勒姆来到了一堵石墙前，他们往右拐，经过了很多弯道和拐角。姬尔稀里糊涂的，搞不清方向，连洞口在什么方位也弄不清了。 “我看，”普德格勒姆的声音从黑暗中传来，“困在这里，跟回去让巨人们吃了比，也好不到哪里去。这里十有八九有龙，洞这么深，有沼气，还有水——哎呀，放手！注意保护自己，我……” 只听一声惊叫，接着是哗啦啦、嚓嚓嚓，石头滚动的声音，姬尔感觉自己正在下滑，每经过一个陡坡，速度就越来越快，很久都没有停。这不是光滑结实的斜坡，而是布满小石子和碎屑的斜坡。就算你站起来也没用，不管你踩在哪里，滑动的小石子都会把你拖下去。而且姬尔根本算不上是站着，倒更像是躺着。他们越滑越远，似乎把所有的石头和泥土都带起来，往下冲（包括他们自己）。速度越来越快，响声越来越大，尘土越来越多！从另外两个人的尖叫声和怒骂声，姬尔知道自己踩掉的石头肯定没少砸中尤斯塔斯和普德格勒姆。她感觉自己飞一般地往下滑，心想，自己一定会被摔得粉身碎骨。 不知道是什么原因，他们并没有摔得粉身碎骨，只是青一块， 紫一块。姬尔觉得脸上黏湿湿的，可能是血。周围是碎石、沙土和大石块，有的比她还高，她没法站起来。而且这里黑咕隆咚的，睁不睁眼没有区别，周围一点声音也没有。这是姬尔最糟糕的一次经历， 如果只剩她一个人，其他人都……这时她听见身边有响动，不久，他们三个声音都发颤，好在大家都没事。 “我们上不去了。”是尤斯塔斯的声音。 “你们有没有发现这里很暖和？”这是普德格勒姆的声音。“这说明我们滑了一段距离，我猜有一英里。” 没有人搭腔。普德格勒姆过了一会儿，才说：“我的打火石不见了。” 过了很久，姬尔说：“我快渴死了。” 没有人说话，很明显大家现在什么也干不了。不过他们现在的状况并没有想象的那么糟，只是他们太累了。 又这样过了很久很久，突然，一个陌生的声音出现了，这不是他们盼望的那个声音，不是阿斯兰的声音，而是一种深沉的声调，像漆黑的夜——如果你能明白。 “地上世界的人，你们为什么到这儿来了？” 第十章 暗地旅行 “谁在那儿？”他们三个齐声喊。 “我是地下秘境的守将，带着一百多全副武装的士兵。”他厉声地说，“快说，你们到底是什么人，贸然闯进来做什么？” “我们是不小心掉下来的。”普德格勒姆如实回答道。 “掉下来的多，回去的少。”那声音说，“马上跟我去觐见女王。” “她为什么要召见我们？”尤斯塔斯小心翼翼地问。 “我不知道”，那声音说，“我们不问原因，只服从命令。” 说话的同时，一个轻柔的爆破声在空中响起，随之岩洞里出现了一片灰蓝色的光芒。这个时候，大家真希望刚才那个人是在吹牛， 并没有带着一百多全副武装的士兵，但这个希望立刻破灭了。姬尔眨眨眼，过一会儿才适应了光线，眼前真有一大群人盯着他们三个。这些守卫们个头高低不一，有的连一英尺都不到，有的却比正常成年人还高。每个人的脸色都很苍白，手中握着三叉长矛，纹丝不动的站着，活像一群雕塑。他们的长相差异很大，有的长着尾巴，有的没有；有的满脸络腮胡子，有些人的脸蛋光滑圆润得像个南瓜；有的长着尖尖的鼻子，有的人的长鼻子软绵绵的像象鼻，有的鼻子像肉瘤；甚至还有几个人前额上长着犄角。但是表情却很相似：都无比悲伤。他们看起来是那么忧伤，忧伤到姬尔看过一眼之后，一点都不害怕了。她甚至希望自己能做些什么让他们开心。 “太棒了，”普德勒姆搓搓手说，“正合我意。如果这些家伙没法教会我严肃对待生活，恐怕再没人能了。你们看那个长着海象胡子的家伙，还有那个……” “起来！”地下守卫头领说。 事到如今，他们三人也只好互相搀扶着站起来。当然，在这种危难时刻就应该与伙伴们互相扶持。卫兵们把他们三个团团围住。这些人的脚都很大而且十分柔软，有的人长着十个脚趾，还有的长着十二个脚趾，有的却一个脚趾也没有。 “出发。”守卫说，他们只能照办。 那团光线是从一个长杆上的大球发出来的。队伍中最高个的小精灵举着这根长杆走在前面。凑着昏暗的灯光，他们勉强分辨出自己在一个天然的岩洞里。洞壁和头上的洞顶都坑坑洼洼，凹凸不平， 千奇百怪。他们走在一条向下倾斜的石头路上。这种情况对于姬尔来说简直糟透了，因为她最怕的就是黑暗。越往里走岩洞就越小，最后他们来到一个又小又黑的洞前。拿灯的精灵站在一旁，其他人排成一列，一个接着一个弯下腰（只有最小那几个精灵不用弯腰）走进去， 就再也看不见了。姬尔觉得自己快要崩溃了。 “我不想进去，不要！不要！我死也不要！”她气喘吁吁地说道。守卫们没说话，只是将矛尖对准姬尔。 “冷静点，姬尔，”普德格勒姆说，“如果里面不宽敞，这些大个子不会贸然爬进去。在这里也挺不错，至少不会淋雨。” “天啊，你不明白的，我不要进去。”姬尔泛着哭腔。 “想想我在那悬崖边的感觉吧，姬尔，”尤斯塔斯说道，“你走前面普德格勒姆，我跟在她后面。” “好吧，”普德格勒姆趴下来，双手双膝触地，“姬尔，你抓着我的脚后跟，让尤斯塔斯抓住你的，那样我们会感觉好些。” “好多了，”姬尔说，但她还是跪下和伙伴们一起，匍匐着爬进了山洞。洞里很闷，也很恶心，姬尔趴在地上往前爬，五分钟后， 她感觉至少有半个小时，姬尔觉得自己就快被闷死了。前方终于露出一丝微弱的光线，地道才宽敞起来。最后，他们终于爬到了另一个山洞，累得浑身打战，又脏又热。这个山洞很大，大得不像山洞。 这个洞被朦胧、昏暗的灯光笼罩，因此他们不再需要灯笼。地面长满了青苔，踩上去软绵绵的。青苔上长着一些奇怪的，跟树木一样高大、还长着枝杈，又像蘑菇那样软的东西。那东西很远，没有形成树林，倒像个园林。洞内灰绿色的光线似乎就是从这东西和青苔上发出来的。光线比较暗，不足以照到到洞顶，也有可能是因为洞顶很高。他们被押着穿过这片不冷不热、令人困倦的地方，突然有点伤感， 就好像听柔和的轻音乐一样，伤感中略带着恬静。 他们还看到许多奇怪的动物躺在草地上，姬尔拿不准它们是死了还是在睡觉。这些动物像龙或蝙蝠，可是连普德格勒姆都不认识。 “它们是这里的动物吗？”尤斯塔斯问守卫说。似乎是对听到有人开口跟他说话感到很惊讶，那人吃惊地回答说：“不是，它们全是从上面来的，从裂缝和山洞钻下来的。掉下来的多，回去的少。据说到世界末日它们才能苏醒。 说完这些话，他又不作声了。山洞里死一般的静，精灵们赤脚踩在厚厚的青苔上，听不到风声、鸟鸣声、流水声，也听不到那些奇怪动物的呼吸声，两个孩子都不敢说话。 他们走了好远，来到一堵石墙前，穿过墙上一道低矮的拱门， 到另一个山洞。这个拱门比上次那个入口要好多了，姬尔走过去的时候不用低头。这个山洞小一些，是狭长的，跟个大教堂差不多。有个人躺在那儿呼呼大睡，都快把整个山洞给占满了。他的个头比巨人还要大，但比巨人长得英俊多了，还很高贵。雪白胡子从在起伏的胸前垂到腰部，银色的光线照到他身上，不知道这光线是从哪儿来的。 “他是谁？”普德格勒姆问。姬尔真佩服他的勇气，毕竟这么久都没有人说话了。 “那是时间老人，他从前是地上世界的一个国王。”看守回答， “如今他掉进了暗地秘境，躺在那里在沉睡中重温过往的事情。我早就告诉过你们了，掉下来的多，回去的少。据说，他也要到世界末日才会醒来。” 出了那个山洞，他们又到另一个，就这样一个又一个，走啊走， 姬尔数不清他们到底穿过了多少个山洞。她只知道他们是向地底深处走去，因为每一个山洞都要比前一个更深，每当想起头顶有很多层土地，姬尔就感觉喘不上气来。最后他们来到一个山洞前，守将命令再次点亮灯笼，带他们走了进去。这个山洞又宽又黑，里面漆黑一片， 只能看到灰白色的沙泻入静止的水面。一个小小的码头旁边停着一艘船，上面没有桅杆和帆，却有很多桨。他们被赶上船，坐在船头内侧的座位上。 “有件事我想问一下。”普德格勒姆说，“以前有没有从我们世界来的人，我的意思是说从上面来的人，来过这儿？” “在这个沙滩乘船的人很多，”守将回答道：“但……” “啊，我知道，”普德格勒姆打断他的话说，“回去的少，你不用再说了，你可真死板，不是吗？” 孩子们紧紧贴着普德格勒姆，在上面他们总认为他是个一无是处的家伙，而在暗地秘境中他却又是他们唯一的安慰。灯笼被挂在船中央，守卫们坐下来划动木桨，船开始向前走。昏暗的光线只能照到最近的地方，前面还是一片漆黑，他们只能看到黑色的水面消失在无边无际的黑暗中。 “天哪，我们会怎么样呢？”姬尔绝望地说。 “嗨，振作起来，姬尔，”沼泽怪说，“有件事你要明白，我们已经回归了正轨。我们本来就打算要到废城下面去，而我们现在已经在下面了，我们正在遵循指示。” 不久，他们分到了一点吃的，一种又淡又酥，没什么味道的饼干， 然后就慢慢睡着了。等他们醒来时，发现还在水上航行，守卫们还在划桨，带动船只悄然向前，前方仍然一片漆黑。他们醒了吃，吃了睡， 不知道过了多久。最糟的是，他们感觉到自己仿佛一直生活在这艘船上，在这沉寂的黑暗中，上面世界的太阳、蓝天、微风和鸟语，仿佛只是一场美梦。 当他们快要放弃，既不抱希望，也不再恐惧时，终于看到了一道灯光：跟船上的那个一模一样。接着，一盏灯靠近，他们看到了另一艘船。在看到好几艘这样的船之后，直到看得眼睛生疼，他们才明白过来，前方那有灯光的地方也许是码头、墙壁、灯塔或来往的船只， 奇怪的是那边却依然没有什么动静。 “天哪，”普德格勒姆说，“一座城！”他们恍然大悟。 真是座奇怪的城。灯光稀疏得还不如人类世界里分散的农舍。借着昏暗的灯光，能够隐约看出这个地方是海港。许多船只正在码头装货；那边有一包包货品和许多仓库；还有的地方有华丽恢宏的围墙和柱子，像我们世界的大宫殿或者庙宇。重要的是，有灯光的地方，总有数以千计的地下居民，摩肩接踵走在狭窄的街道上、宽阔的广场上、或者巨大的石阶上，熙熙攘攘。船越来越接近码头，居民们忙碌的声响只是一种轻微的沙沙声，没有歌声、吆喝声或者车轮声。这个沉寂的城市，像一座蚁山一般压抑、漆黑。 终于，他们的船靠岸了。三人被带向城中去，身边三三两两的地下居民，面貌各异，但在熙熙攘攘的街头与他们擦肩而过时，却能借着昏暗的光线看到他们脸上悲哀的神情。居民们都急匆匆的，看起来又忙碌又难过，没有人对这三位陌生人表现出一丝的好奇。姬尔观察了半天也没明白他们忙碌的目的，只看到这些人不停地奔走，只能听到他们“吧嗒吧嗒”的脚步声。 他们来到一座城堡似的建筑面前，几扇窗户亮着星星点点的灯光。姬尔三人被守卫押着，穿过一个大院，爬上许多楼梯，到了一间灯光昏暗的大房间。谁料，就在这房间的一角——哦，太让人开心了——那儿有座拱门，透过门缝射进来一小束与众不同的灯光，像人类世界橘黄色的温暖灯光。这束光映在拱门里面的楼梯上，楼梯顺着石墙旋转上升，那温暖的灯光就来自上面。拱门两边各站着一名秘境居民，应该是守卫或者仆人。 看守走到俩人身边，又说那句口令似的话：“掉下来的多，回得去的少。”守卫回答道，像是在对接头暗号。在这之后，三人便凑在一起耳语起来。其中一个侍从说，“我说，女王陛下出去办大事儿了。在女王回来前，我们最好把这些人关进暗牢里，回去的少。” 突然，这段谈话被一个声音打断了。此刻，姬尔觉得那简直是天底下最好听的声音。声音是从上面旋转楼梯传来的，声音清脆、响亮，肯定是一个年轻男性的声音。 “你们在下面嚷嚷什么呢，穆鲁古瑟瑞姆？”然后又提高声调，说，“地上世界的人，哈！马上把他们带来。” “请陛下慎重。”穆鲁古瑟瑞姆开口道，但那声音立刻打断了他。 “想让我高兴，就必须听我的，少啰唆，把他们给我带上来。” 穆鲁古瑟瑞姆摇摇头，对三个人打个手势，便带着他们上楼。每上一级阶梯，灯光就更加亮一些，四周的石墙上挂着华贵的挂毯。尽头一个薄薄的门帘里透出金色的灯光。仆人拉开门帘站在一旁，恭请姬尔三人走进房间。这房间非常漂亮，屋内也挂满了地毯，干净的壁炉内炉火通明，桌上的雕花玻璃和红酒发出诱人的光芒。那个年轻的金发男子起身向他们三人问好。他长相英俊，看上去和蔼可亲，但脸上却有一种异样的神色。他一身黑衣，有点像悲剧里的哈姆雷特。 “欢迎你们，地上世界的人们，”他突然惊叫道，“稍等，请原谅我的冒昧，我见过你们，孩子们，还有这位，你们古怪的老师。我们不是在艾汀斯荒原边界的桥上见过吗？当时，我骑着马跟在夫人身边。” “哦……你就是那个沉默的黑骑士？”姬尔惊奇地喊出了声。 “那位夫人就是暗地秘境的女王吧？”普德格勒姆没好气地问道。尤斯塔斯也抱有同样的想法，他脱口而出，“如果她真是秘境女王的话，我认为她是故意把我们打发到那个有食人巨人的城堡去的。我们是怎么得罪她了？” “什么？”黑骑士皱了皱眉说，“如果不是因为你这么年轻，小子， 你就必须为刚才所说的话付出代价。我无法忍受任何诋毁夫人的话。不过有一点你们可以放心，不论她对你们说什么，做什么，出发点都是好的。你们不了解她，她是集万千美德于一身的女神一样的人， 忠诚、仁慈、坚定、温柔、勇敢等等，我是实话实说。单说她为我所做的一切，我就无以回报，她的事迹可以写成一部让人叹为观止的书。相信你们最终会像我一样爱她的。不过话说回来，你们到暗地秘境干什么？” 普德格勒姆还没来得及阻止姬尔，她已经脱口而出道，“我们正在设法寻找纳尼亚的瑞利安王子。”话音刚落，她突然明白自己犯了一个天大的错误，这些人很可能是敌人。不过幸亏骑士对此不感兴趣。 “瑞利安？纳尼亚？”他漫不经心地说，“纳尼亚？是什么地方？ 我从未听说过这个名字。据我所知，那肯定是在地上世界几千里之外的地方了。你们真是异想天开，竟然会找到地下来，他叫什么名字来着？比利安？特里安？在暗地秘境中没有这个人。”他说罢哈哈大笑起来。姬尔心里暗暗琢磨，“这个人好奇怪，他脸上的神情很奇怪， 他是不是脑袋有问题啊？” “我们是根据废城石头上的信息来的，”尤斯塔斯说，“关键是我们看到了那些字：我在下面。” 听了他们的话，黑骑士笑得更欢了。“你们被骗了，”他说，“那些字对你们此行的目的毫无意义。你们如果请教一下女王，她可能会给你们一个更好的提示。那些字不过是一句古诗的片段，女王记得很清楚，原话是这样的：尽管我长眠地下，失去了王位。但在我活着的时候，大地都在我的脚下。 “这些只言片语看来，这显然是古代巨人中某个伟大国王的墓地。而在他活着的时候将这段自我吹嘘的话刻在他墓志铭上，多年后这块石头已经断裂，一部分被挖走盖新的建筑了。这些字只是残留的碎石上，依稀能辨认出的几个罢了。你们竟然以为这些字是留给你们的线索，这不大笑话吗？” 尤斯塔斯和姬尔听到这话惊得目瞪口呆，对他们而言，这些话与他们的任务无关，也不是阿斯兰的指示，他们是偶然被带到这儿来的。 “你们别太把他的话放在心上，”普德格勒姆说，“这并不是偶然事件，我们的向导是阿斯兰，巨人国王让人往石碑上刻字的时候他就在场，他知道这事的来龙去脉。” “朋友们，那你们的向导一定是个长寿的人。”黑骑士说罢， 又是一阵狂笑。 姬尔开始从心底觉得，他的笑声让人觉得反感了。 “先生，在我看来，”普德格勒姆回答说，“如果女王记得他们刻在石碑上的完整诗句，她一定也很长寿。” “反应真快，青蛙脸，”黑骑士一边说，一边拍了拍普德格伦的肩膀，又开始哈哈大笑，“这点你说对了，她的确出身神族，有着长生不老之身。她对我这个可怜虫表现出的慷慨，我此生无以为报。和你们说实话吧，我是一个历经各种磨难的人，除了女王陛下，再也没有人对我耐心过。除此之外，她对我的好，远远不止这些，她答应给我一个地面世界的王国，等我登基当上了国王，就和她结婚。不过让你们饿着肚子站着听这个故事未免有点太不礼貌了。喂，来人啊， 快拿来好酒好菜招待客人，各位请坐。这位小姐，你先坐这里，有空我把事情的来龙去脉都说给你们听。” 第十一章 黑暗城堡 饭菜（鸽肉馅饼、冷火腿、沙拉和蛋糕）都被端上来后，大家坐在椅子上吃了起来，骑士继续说： “你们要知道，朋友，我都不知道自己是谁，也不知道什么时候来的。我不记得住进这伟大的女王宫殿之前的所有经历。我只知道是她把我从魔法中解救出来，把我带到这里。可敬的青蛙，您的酒杯空了，请让我给你斟满。就是这样，即便到现在，我还会受到魔法的制约，只有女王陛下才能破除。 每晚都有一小时的时间，这一小时，我的大脑会发生可怕的变化， 思想和身体也是。我会暴跳如雷，到处撒野，如果不把我绑起来，我就会去杀了我的朋友。然后我就，就会变成毒蛇一样的东西，凶残、充满欲望。阁下，请再吃一块鸽肉吧。他们是这么告诉我的，他们说的肯定是实话，因为夫人也这么说。可我自己一点都不知道，因为过了那个时间，等我醒过来就完全忘了一切。只是会有些累。小姐， 请吃一块蛋糕，这是从很远的南方带来的。 女王陛下说，只要我能够成为地上世界一个国家的国王，加冕之后，我才会从魔法中彻底解脱。那个国家已经选好，突破点也选好了。她的臣民们正没日没夜的往那个方向挖一条通道。那条路已经很远很高了，离那个国家的居民脚下的土地不到二十英尺。过不了多久， 那里人的命运就会剧变。今晚女王也亲自去了，我希望给她送封信。到那时把我和我的王国隔开的这层土地就会大变样，她在前面给我带路，我全副武装，骑着大马被上千人簇拥着，出其不意地扑倒敌人， 杀掉他们的首领，占领他们的土地。毫无疑问，不到二十四个小时， 我就会成为他们的国王。” “他们可真是太倒霉了。”尤斯塔斯说。 “你这孩子的脑子挺好使嘛，”骑士惊叫道，“说实话，我以前从来没想过，我懂你的意思了。”他看上去有点懊恼，不过很快就恢复了原状，哈哈大笑。“算了，这算不了什么！想想看，他们都在忙着自己的事情，做梦也没想到在那宁静的田野和地板下，只有六英尺的地方，有一支大军，像喷泉那样冲出来袭击他们。这不是很好玩吗？他们根本想不到！哈哈，等他们吃了第一次败仗，他们就哭笑不得了。” “我觉得一点儿都不好笑，”姬尔说，“我想你一定会是个暴君。” “什么？”骑士说，一边笑一边拍了拍她的脑袋，“没想到这位小姐竟然是个深谋远虑的政治家。别担心宝贝儿。统治那个国家的时候，我要跟夫人商量的，那时她就是我的王后。她的话就是王法， 就像我的话一样。” “我来的那个地方，”姬尔说，她越来越不喜欢他了，“那里的人瞧不起怕老婆的男人。” “等你长大了，就不会这么想了。”骑士说，显然他觉得这话很有趣，“跟女王在一起是另一回事。我心甘情愿遵从她的旨意办事，是她无数次把我从危险中解救出来。没有一个人像她那样对我。嗨， 你看，她要操心的事情那么多，但她还是常常陪我骑马到上面的世界去，好让我的眼睛习惯阳光。那时我必须穿上盔甲，拉下面罩，免得让人看见我的脸，而且我也不能和别人说话。因为她说那样会妨碍魔法解除。那样好的一位夫人，难道不值得男人的全心呵护和膜拜吗？” “听起来她还真是完美。”普德格勒姆的嗓音分明是在讽刺。 饭还没吃完，他们就已经对骑士非常反感。普德格勒姆心想：“真不知道女巫在这个小傻瓜身上搞了什么鬼。”尤斯塔斯想，“这个活宝， 被那女人牵着鼻子走，实在是个大笨蛋。”姬尔想，“很久没见过像他这样的蠢货了。”还没吃完饭，骑士的脸色就变了，至少不笑了。 “朋友们，”他说，“时间快到了，让你们看到我的模样，我很羞愧， 但是我又不想一个人待着。他们很快就把我绑在椅子上。哎，必须要这么做：他们告诉过我，我发起火来，会把所有的东西都毁掉。” “我说，”尤斯塔斯说，“对于您中了魔法这件事情，我非常遗憾。不过那些家伙来绑住你的时候，会把我们怎么样呢？听他们说要把我们关进地牢里。我们可不喜欢乌漆墨黑的地方。如果可以，我们宁愿待这里，等您……清醒。” “想得很周全，”骑士说，“在我发疯的时候，通常只有女王留在我身边，她对我非常体贴，不愿意让别的人听见我的胡言乱语。不过我恐怕难以说服那些守卫侍从，准许你们留在这里陪我。我已经听见他们脚步声了。你们可以从那边的门出去，待在我的另一个房间。你们可以待在那里直到他们给我松绑；或者，如果你们愿意，请你们在我胡闹的时候来这里陪我。” 他们从一扇紧闭的门走出房间。他们高兴地发现这扇门外并不黑暗，而是一条有灯的走廊。他们打开许多门，找到了一些水，还有镜子。“晚饭前他都没请我们来洗一洗，”姬尔一边说一边擦脸，“自私，太自私了。” “我们回去看看？还是就待在这儿？”尤斯塔斯说。 “我建议待在这儿，”姬尔说，“我不要看到那种事情。”但是她心中还是难免好奇。 “不，回去，”普德格勒姆说，“说不定会打听到什么消息呢， 我们需要。我敢肯定那女王一定是个女巫，是敌人。那些秘境的居民看到我们肯定会把我们打死的。这地方很危险，充满了谎言、魔法和背叛的气息，我的感觉很强烈，我们必须要小心。” 他们顺着走廊回去，轻轻推开门，“没事了。”尤斯塔斯说， 意思是说那里没有别人。于是他们又回到了吃饭的房间里。 那扇大门已经被关上了，门帘在外面。骑士坐在一张奇特的银椅子上，他的脚踝、膝盖、手肘、手腕和腰部被紧紧地绑在上面。额头全是汗水，表情痛苦。 “请进，朋友们，”他一边说，一边飞快地看了他们一眼，“我还没有开始发作。别做声，我已经告诉那些侍从你们已经睡觉去了。现在……我觉得我就要发作了。趁我还清醒，请听我说。当我发作的时候，我可能会求你们，让你们给我松绑，软磨硬泡的，他们说总是这样。就算我哀求你们，恐吓你们，你们也要硬起心肠，不要听我的话。只有我被绑着，你们才安全。一旦我离开这张椅子，我肯定会暴怒， 接着”，他浑身发抖，“就会变成一条可怕的毒蛇。” “不用担心，我们不会放了你，”普德格勒姆说，“我们不希望看到疯子，也不愿意见到毒蛇。” “我也不想。”尤斯塔斯和姬尔异口同声地说。 普德格勒姆小声说：“我们一定要留神，不要信他的话。我们已经错了很多次了。我肯定一旦他发作起来，就会很狡猾。我们能彼此信任吗？我们保证过无论他说什么，都不碰那些绳子是吗？无论他说了什么。” “当然！”尤斯塔斯说。 “不管他说什么做什么，都不能令我改变主意。”姬尔说。 “嘘，发生什么事了？”普德格勒姆说。 那骑士开始呻吟，他的面如死灰，在椅子上痛苦地扭曲。姬尔不知道是出于同情，或者别的什么原因，她觉得他比之前看起来更像个好人了。 “啊！”他呻吟道：“魔法，魔法……沉重的，混乱的，冰冷的， 邪恶的魔法……活埋了。被拖到地下去，到黑暗中去……我在这地狱里多少年了……十年？一千年？到处都是怪物。可怜可怜我吧。让我出去，我要回家。我要感受那风，看那天空……那儿原本有个小池塘。只要你往水里看，就会看到绿色的倒影，还有那蔚蓝的天空。” 起初他一直在低声说话，现在他抬起头来，死命地盯着他们， 响亮清晰地说道：“快！我清醒了。每天晚上我都是清醒的。只要能从这把施有魔法的椅子上站起来，我就会完全清醒。我又是一个男子汉了。他们每天晚上都把我绑住，机会就这么白白浪费了。你们不是敌人，我也不是你们的囚犯。快！帮帮忙，解开这些绳子。” “站着，沉住气。”普德格勒姆对孩子们说。 “你们听说我，”骑士说，他强作镇定，“他是不是告诉你们， 一旦把我松开，我就会杀掉你们，还会变成一条毒蛇？从你们脸上， 我已经看出来了。这全是谎言。事实上，只有这一个小时，我的脑子才是清醒的。其他的时间，我都被魔法控制。你们不是秘境居民， 也不是女巫。干吗要站在他们那边？求你们，行行好，给我松绑吧。” “镇定！镇定！镇定！”他们三个互相提醒。 “啊！你们真是铁石心肠，”骑士说，“请相信我，你们面前的是一个不幸的人，他经受的折磨是难以想象的。我做了什么对不起你们的事情？你们竟然跟我的敌人站在一边，情愿让我忍受这种痛苦？ 时间正在流逝，只有你们能救我。等这个小时过去，我又要糊涂了—— 变成那个恶毒女巫的玩具，专门陷害男人的哈巴狗，不，十有八九会变成狗腿子甚至工具。玩弄我、捆住我的是最阴险恶毒的女巫，她是人类的敌人。只有今天晚上，趁她不在，这是个千载难逢的好机会。” “太可怕了。我们本应该待在别的地方，等他发作后再来的。” 姬尔说。 “镇定！”普德格勒姆说。 那个人又开始尖叫了：“让我走，把我的剑给我。我的宝剑！ 一旦我获得自由，我会向秘境的人复仇，让他们悔恨千年！” “他发狂了，”尤斯塔斯说，“希望那些绳子很结实。” “是啊，”普德格勒姆说，“要是现在放开他，他的力气肯定比刚才大。我的剑术不好，他肯定会杀死我们两个的，这样一来，姬尔就得孤身作战了。” 那个人这会儿开始拼命挣脱勒紧手腕和脚踝的绳索。“注意，” 他说，“注意。有天晚上，我真的把绳子挣脱了。那次女巫在场，今晚她不在。现在把我放了，我们就是朋友，否则咱们从此不共戴天。” “他可真狡猾！”普德格勒姆说。 “现在就把我放了！”骑士说，“快点！我以全部的恐惧和爱， 以地上世界明亮的天空的名义，以伟大的狮王，以阿斯兰的名义，命令你们……” “哎呀！”他们三个惊得跳了起来。“这是指示，”普德格勒姆说。“指示里的话！”尤斯塔斯说。“啊，我们该怎么办呢？” 姬尔说。 这下可难办了。要是他一提起这个名字，他们就把骑士放开， 那他们刚才的保证又算什么呢？但是，如果他们不遵照指示行事，指示又有什么用？也许，阿斯兰真的要他们给这个以他的名义请求他们松绑的人松绑呢——即便那人是个疯子？这是偶然的吗？如果这是个圈套——秘境女王知道指示，迫使骑士说这个名字呢，怎么办？可是， 如果这是真的指示呢？……他们已经错过三条了。 “噢，要是我们知道该怎么做就好了！”姬尔说。 “我想我们知道。”普德格勒姆说。 “你的意思是说让我们救他，这么做对吗？”尤斯塔斯说。 “这不知道，”普德格勒姆说，“毕竟阿斯兰没有告诉姬尔会出什么事，只告诉她应该做什么。我知道，那家伙一旦站起来，我们就死定了。但是按照指示的要求，我们必须放了他。” 他们三个站在那里，面面相觑。时间可真难熬。“好吧，”姬尔突然说道，“让我们来了结吧！再见，各位……！”他们相互握了握手。一旁的骑士满头大汗，高声尖叫起来。 “来吧，尤斯塔斯。”普德格勒姆说。他和尤斯塔斯拔出剑， 走到了骑士身边。 “以阿斯兰的名义，”他们一边说，一边割断了绳子。那人一得到自由，就跳起来从房间里抓起自己的剑（被人解下来放在桌子上），拔出来。 “先是你！”他大叫着对准银椅子劈下去。那可真是把好剑， 剑锋刚一碰到椅子就把它像割绳子一样切碎了。不一会儿，地板上就只剩下几块弯弯曲曲的碎银片。椅子碎裂的时候，还发出了打雷一样的声音，就那么一会儿，还散发出着令人恶心的气味。 “可恶的魔法工具，你就待在那儿吧！”他说，“以免你的女主人又拿你去迫害别人。”说完他转身寻找他的救命恩人，脸上那种古怪神情已经不见了。 “咦？”他转身对普德格勒姆叫道，“站在我面前的不是个沼泽怪吗？一个真正的活蹦乱跳的纳尼亚沼泽怪？” “看来，你知道纳尼亚。”姬尔说。 “我中了魔法的时候忘记了纳尼亚吗？”骑士问道，“好了， 一切都过去了。你们相信我，我知道纳尼亚，因为我就是纳尼亚的王子瑞利安，伟大的凯斯宾国王就是我的父亲。” “陛下，”普德格勒姆单膝跪地（两个孩子也照做）说道：“我们是来找您的。” “你们又是什么人呢，我的救命恩人？”王子问尤斯塔斯和姬尔。 “我们是阿斯兰从世界尽头之外的世界找来的，”尤斯塔斯说， “我叫尤斯塔斯，曾经跟他一起航海去过若曼都岛。” “我欠你们的情是怎么也还不清了。”瑞利安王子说，“父亲呢？ 他还活着吗？” “我们离开纳尼亚之前，他就乘船到东方去了，殿下，”普德格勒姆说，“您想想，毕竟国王已经很老了，说不定会死在半路上。” “他已经老了。那我落到女巫手里多少年了？” “殿下在纳尼亚北边森林失踪之后，到现在已经十年了。” “十年！”王子的手用力地在脸上擦了一下，好像要挥走过去。“我相信你。我现在已经清醒了，能记起这段时间发生的事情。我中了魔咒的时候根本不记得自己是什么人。好了，朋友们——等一下！ 我听见他们的脚步声了，那种模糊的声音，简直令人恶心！呸！把门锁上，哦，不，还是就那样吧。我有个更好的主意。既然阿斯兰给予我智慧，我要来戏弄戏弄这些怪物，你们看着。 他毫不犹豫地走到门边，一把打开门。 第十二章 秘境女王 两个侍从进来，站在门口，深深鞠了一躬，紧跟在他们后面的是他们最不想看到的人：绿衣夫人——秘境女王。她站在门口一动不动，只有眼珠子转来转去，思索着目前的情况——三个陌生人，被破坏的银椅，获得自由的王子，手里还拿着剑。 她的脸色发白，在姬尔看来，这不是吓白的，而是气的。女巫盯着王子看了好一会，眼睛里杀气腾腾。然后，她又似乎改变了主意。 “你们下去，”她对随从说。“任何人都不要进来打扰，否则一律处死。”侍从们顺从地离开。女巫把门关上，锁好。 “怎么了，王子殿下，”她说，“每晚你都会发疯，现在怎么了？ 还没有发作，还是已经好了？怎么也没绑上就在这儿站着。这些是什么人？他们怎么把唯一能够救你的银椅给毁了呢？” 听到她的话，瑞利安不由自主打了个寒战。也难怪，毕竟在她的魔法中生活了十年之久。因此，他半天才说： “夫人，那把椅子已经没用了。你不止一次告诉我，你怜悯我遭受魔法禁锢，如果听说魔法已经永远消失了，你肯定会高兴的。看来，夫人并不怎么高兴。是这些真诚的朋友解救了我。趁我现在头脑清醒，我要告诉您两件事。首先，夫人曾经计划让我带着秘境的军队， 破土而出到上面的世界，武力占领一个从来没有侵犯过我的国家， 杀害原有的贵族，当个残忍的暴君霸占他们的王位。我已经清醒了， 我不同意这个邪恶的计划。其次，我是纳尼亚国王的儿子瑞利安，航海家凯斯宾，凯斯宾十世的独子。夫人，我必须立刻离开您的宫殿回到我的国家，履行我的职责。请派一个向导带领我们安全地离开您的王国。” 女巫盯着王子，沉默不语，她轻轻穿过房间，从火炉附近墙上的一个小柜子里拿出一把绿色粉末，洒在火焰里。那粉末不发光，散发出令人昏昏欲睡的香气。这股气味越来越浓，很快弥漫在房间中， 大家的头脑都开始模糊。接着，她又拿出一个类似于曼陀林的乐器， 用手拨动着琴弦——一种单调、没有起伏的声音发出来，开始你可能不太注意，但越是这样，那声音却越要往你耳朵里钻，搅得你无法思考。她弹奏了一小会儿（香味也更浓了），开始用一种甜蜜、沉着的声音讲话。 “纳尼亚？”她说，“纳尼亚？殿下说胡话的时候倒是经常提到那个名字。亲爱的王子，您的病一定是加重了，根本没有纳尼亚这个地方。” “可是，夫人，有这地方，”普德格勒姆说，“你看，我在那儿住了一辈子了。” “真的吗？”女巫说，“那么请告诉我，那个国家在哪儿？” “在上面，”普德格勒姆固执地的了指头顶，“我——我不知道确切的方位。” “什么？”女王笑了，声音很亲切、很柔和、很动听，“在上面的石头和泥灰中有一个国家？” “不，”普德格勒姆努力让自己清醒起来，“我是说地上世界。” “好吧，那个……你所谓的地上世界……在哪儿？” “好，你别装了，”尤斯塔斯说，他正拼命跟那股香味和音乐斗争， “好像你真的不知道似的！那地方就在上面，能够看得见天空、太阳和星星。你自己也去过，我们还在上面见过你。” “很抱歉，小兄弟，”女巫笑道（你恐怕从来没有听过比这更悦耳的笑声），“我可不记得见过你们。我们做梦的时候，常常会在稀奇古怪的地方遇到我们的朋友。不过除非所有人做的梦都一样， 你可不能要求人家都记得这个梦。” “夫人，”王子执着地说，“我已经说过了，我是纳尼亚国王的儿子！” “将来会是的，亲爱的，”女巫安慰他说，那声音就像在哄小孩， “你总是幻想成为许多地方的国王。” “我们也去过那儿。”姬尔生气地说。她感觉到魔法正在控制她， 她对此非常不悦。不过从她还能辨别真相来看，魔法并没有完全起作用。 “那你就是纳尼亚的女王咯，小美人儿。”女巫用半哄骗、半嘲讽的口气说道。 “我可没那么说，”姬尔跺着脚说，“我们来自于另一个世界。” “咦，真是越来越有意思。”女巫说，“告诉我们，小姑娘， 另外一个世界又在哪儿？你怎么来这里的？坐船还是马车？” 姬尔的脑海里涌现了许多东西：实验学校、奥黛拉?潘妮法瑟、她的家、收音机、电影院、汽车、飞机、供货车、排队。不过这些事都很模糊的，好像很遥远（噔……噔……噔，女巫的乐器响个不停）， 姬尔快想不起来这些东西的名字了。她没有想到自己会中魔法，看来魔法开始起作用了。这是肯定的，中魔法的人，是根本没有意识的。不知不觉中，她竟然说（还松了一口气）： “不。这一定是个梦。” “是啊，是个梦。”女巫一边说一边不停弹奏。 “没错，是梦。”姬尔说。 “那个世界根本不存在。”女巫说。 “就是，”姬尔和尤斯塔斯说，“根本不存在。” “除了我的世界，再没有别的世界。”女巫说。 “除了你的世界，再没有别的世界。”他们齐声说。 只有普德格勒姆还在苦苦挣扎。“另一个世界是什么意思，”他说， 看起来就像快窒息一样，“你尽管弹那把琴，就算弹到手指都掉下来， 还是不能让我忘记纳尼亚和地面世界。哪怕我们将来再也看不见那个世界了，你尽管把这些抹掉，让地上世界变得跟这里一样黑暗。谁知道呢？那也是有可能的。我只知道自己到过那儿，看到漫天星斗。我见过太阳，早上从海上升起，晚上在山那边落下，还有正午那耀眼的太阳，明亮得让人不能直视。” 普德格勒姆的话很有用，三个人重新调整呼吸，彼此对望着， 如梦方醒。 “哦。是的。”王子喊道，“但愿阿斯兰保佑这个忠诚的沼泽怪。这几分钟，我们才是在做梦。我们怎么会忘记，我们都见过太阳。” “是的，我们都见过，”尤斯塔斯说，“好样的，普德格勒姆！ 你是我们当中最有头脑的！” 然后女巫开口了，声音轻柔，就像夏天的下午三点，老花园里高大的榆树上野鸽子的叫声，她说： “你们所谓的太阳是什么呀？那个词有什么特殊的意思吗？” “是的，当然！”尤斯塔斯说。 “告诉我什么样好吗？”女巫问（噔……噔……噔，琴声还在继续）。 “是，陛下，”王子彬彬有礼地说，“就像那盏灯，圆的，黄色的， 挂在屋顶上，照亮整个房间。我们所说的太阳，就像这盏灯一样，不过要大得多，也亮得多。它挂在天上，能照亮整个世界。” “挂在什么地方，殿下？”女巫问。紧跟着，当大家还在想应该怎么回答的时候，她又笑了，声音柔和得如同银铃般，“瞧，你们都想搞清楚这个太阳是个什么东西，可是却又说不清。你们只能告诉我，太阳就像那盏灯。听我说，太阳是个梦，梦里的东西都源于现实， 灯是真的，而太阳不过是个神话故事。” “啊，我明白了，”姬尔的声音低沉，绝望，“一定是这样。” 她说这话的时候，似乎觉得这还蛮有道理的。 女巫慢慢地重复道：“没有太阳。”声音更加柔和、深沉。他们都一声不吭。“没有太阳。”就这样过了一会，四个人明显挣扎了一番，接着他们齐声说道，“您说得对，没有太阳。” “从来没有太阳。”女巫说。 “对，从来没有太阳。”王子、沼泽怪和两个孩子说。 这一刻，姬尔总觉得心里有什么事，她拼命地想啊想，突然她想起来了，可是又觉得嘴巴好沉好沉，最终她用尽全力说道： “有阿斯兰。” “阿斯兰？”女巫噔噔噔地加快了节奏，说道，“多好听！那是什么意思？” “他是伟大的狮王，是他把我们从自己的世界召唤过来的。” 尤斯塔斯说，“他派我们来找瑞利安。” “狮王是什么？”女巫问。 “啊呀，见鬼！”尤斯塔斯说，“你真不知道？我们该怎么来形容狮子呢？你见过猫吗？” “当然，”女巫说，“我喜欢猫。” “好吧，狮子有点——听着，有点——像一只大猫，它有鬃毛。不是马鬃，更像法官的假发，黄色的，它非常强壮。” 女巫摇摇头，“我明白了，”她说，“你们说的这个狮子和太阳都是一回事。你们看到灯，就想象出了一个更大更好的，也就是太阳。你们见到猫，就想出来一个更大更好的猫，还给它取名为狮子。好了，这都很有意思。老实说，如果你们还是小孩子，这么做就合情合理了。你看，如果你们并没有从我这个世界里学到什么，所以想象不出来。我的世界是唯一的真实世界。话说回来，你们两个也已经够大了，不适合玩这种游戏。至于你，王子殿下，你已经是个成年人了， 竟然做得出来！知不知道什么叫害臊？过来，把这套孩子气的把戏收起来。回到真实世界中，我还有事儿要你们做。没有纳尼亚，没有地上世界，没有天空，没有太阳，也没有所谓的阿斯兰，现在大家都睡去吧。明天开始，要懂事些。不过现在还是睡觉去吧，枕着软软的枕头， 美美的睡一觉，不要再做任何荒唐可笑的梦。” 王子和两个孩子站在那里，脑袋耷拉着，脸红红的，眼睛半睁着， 浑身瘫软，魔法就要完全控制他们了。不料普德格勒姆拼命地走到火炉旁，干了一件非常勇敢地事。他光着脚去踩火，把炉子里大部分烧着的木柴都踩成了灰。尽管他知道会被火烧伤，但是不会特别严重。因为他的脚上有硬硬的蹼，而他本身又是冷血的。这样一来，立刻就发生了三个改变： 第一，那股香气变淡了。尽管火还没有被完全扑灭，但也已经灭了一大半，加上空中弥散的沼泽怪被烧伤的脚臭味，已经不全是魔法的气味了，每个人顿时清醒了许多。王子和两个孩子抬起头，睁开了眼睛。 第二，女巫一改甜蜜的声调，扯起嗓门，大喊道：“你在干什么？ 竟敢动我的火，你这团烂泥巴，我要把你烧死！” 第三，疼痛让普德格勒姆完全清醒了，他清楚地知道自己内心的想法。想要破除魔法，没有什么比剧烈疼痛更加管用的了。 “我说，夫人，”他从火炉边一瘸一拐地走过来，“我说。您刚才说的都对，这完全有可能。我一向喜欢凡事往坏处想，然后再往好处想。你完全可以那么做。就算那样，我还要说。假如我们只是梦见， 或者说想象出来的那些——树木、草地、太阳、月亮、星星甚至阿斯兰。就算那真的只是想象，而你的王国是唯一的世界。那么我想说， 为什么捏造出来的东西要比真实的东西还要重要呢？那么我觉得这个世界实在太可悲了，想来也有趣。如果像你所说，我们在玩这些小孩子的游戏，可是这个游戏居然能把你的真实世界打得落花流水， 因为我只会忠实于这个游戏世界。即便世界上没有阿斯兰，我也要站在他那边；即便没有纳尼亚这个地方，我也要像个真正的纳尼亚人那样生活。所以，感谢您招待我们吃饭，要是这两位先生和小姐都准备好了，我们现在要出发，离开这里寻找理想世界。也许我们的生命很短暂，但如果这个世界跟你说的那样沉闷，我们并没有多大损失。 “哦，好啊！普德格勒姆真是好样的！”尤斯塔斯和姬尔大叫道。王子则突然叫嚷起来：“小心！看女巫！” 大家不寒而栗。 她手里的乐器掉了下来，两只胳膊紧紧贴住身体，两只脚缠在一起然后突然不见了，她的长裙突然变成了一根蠕动的绿柱子。柱子歪歪扭扭左右摇摆，满身是节，没有主心骨。她的头高高地后扬，鼻子变得很长，头上只剩下了火红色的眼睛，眉毛和睫毛都不见了。说时迟那时快，他们什么都没做女巫就变成了一条毒蛇，绿幽幽的像是毒药一样，像姬尔的腰那么粗的躯体在王子的腿上缠了两三圈， 还打算把王子拿着剑的那只手给圈住。幸亏王子举起双臂，她只缠住了胸部——打算像勒木柴一样把王子的肋骨勒断。 王子用左手，抓住蛇颈，拼命地想要把它掐死。蛇的脸（如果还能称其为脸）离他的只有五英寸。蛇精不停地吐着信子，差点就够着王子了。接着，他又举起右手，抽出剑劈下去。普德格勒姆和尤斯塔斯都抽出武器冲上去帮助他，又刺了三下。尤斯塔斯一下子刺在了蛇身上，这一击并不怎么样，蛇鳞都没有刺穿，王子本人和普德格勒姆倒是击中了蛇颈。蛇精虽然还是没死，但是绕在瑞利安腿上和胸脯上的躯体已经松了。他们又刺了好几下，终于把蛇头砍掉。蛇精不停的扭动，你肯定能想象得出来，地板被她搞得多糟。 三个征服者站在那里，面面相觑，喘着粗气，久久没有说话。好大一会儿，王子才缓过劲来说：“谢谢你们！”姬尔则聪明地坐下了， 沉默不语，心想：“我真希望自己别昏过去，也别哭，没出洋相。” “我母后的仇报了，”瑞利安说，“这条蛇肯定就是多年前我在纳尼亚森林的喷泉边追捕的那条。这么多年，我居然成了仇人的奴隶。不过我很高兴，这个恶毒的女巫终于现出原形。无论是良心上还是荣誉上，我很难去杀死这个女人。来照顾一下这位小姐。”他指的是姬尔。 “我还好，谢谢。”她说。 “小姐，”王子对她鞠了一躬，“你很勇敢，我想您一定出身高贵。来吧，朋友们，这里有酒，我们先干一杯。以后的事情以后再说。” “好主意，殿下。”尤斯塔斯说。 第十三章 无主秘境 就像尤斯塔斯说的，大家总算可以缓口气了。女巫锁门之前， 曾经吩咐下人不要来打扰她。他们暂时是安全的。他们现在要做的第一件事就是处理一下普德格勒姆烧伤的脚。他们从王子的卧室里找来干净的衬衣，撕成布条，再涂上黄油和色拉油，把食物变成绝佳的敷料。之后，他们坐下来一边享用茶点，一边讨论出逃计划。 瑞利安说这里有许多通往地面的出口，大部分他都走过，当然是和女巫一起，但没有单独去过，但不管哪个出口都必须穿过幽境海洋。假如他独自一人带着四个陌生人到港口，要求乘船穿越幽境海洋， 不知道那些秘境人会不会放行。他们八成会问一些无法回答的问题。另一条路，也就是那个新的出口，是为了侵略挖的出口，在幽静海洋的另一边，而且距离只有几英里路。王子知道，那个出口很快就完工， 只差几英尺厚的土了。现在说不定已经完工，也许女巫回来就是为了告诉他这件事，让他做好准备。即便还没完工，只要他们能够顺利到那儿，顺着路线，大概只需要几个小时就能出去。至于在路上会不会受阻，出口那里有没有人把守就很难讲了，反正这两个方案都不好实施。 “依我看……”普德格勒姆刚一开口，就被尤斯塔斯打断了。 “听，”他问，“是什么声音？” “我纳闷了好一会儿了！”姬尔说。 实际上，这声音一直都在。不过因为它是逐渐变大了，他们也搞不清是从什么时候开始出现的。刚开始只是隐约的骚动声，有点像轻柔的风声或远处的车马声。不久，它变成了浪涛一样的沙沙声。紧随其后的，是响亮的轰隆声和哗啦啦的声音。现在还多了些说话声， 甚至低吼声。 “狮王保佑，”瑞利安王子说，“看来沉默的土地发怒了。” 他站起来走到窗边拉开窗帘，其他几个人围在他身边一起往外看。 他们首先看到一大片红光，就在上面几千英尺的地方，地下世界的顶部。他们甚至能看见一片“天花板”，也许这块天花板很久以前就在这里了。红光来自于城市的另一头，在光的映照下，很多阴森森大房子显得很突出，红光也映出许多通往城堡的街道。很奇怪的是， 街上那些熙熙攘攘的人群都消失了，只有三两个人影走来走去。很显然，他们不想让人发现：他们潜伏在阴影或门后，不时迅速地穿过空地，寻找新的庇护。而最奇怪的，是那些声音了。四面八方都是吵闹声， 港口那边发出隆隆的低吼声，声音越来越大，震动着整个城市。 “秘境出什么事了？”尤斯塔斯说，“他们叫什么？” “不可能，”王子说，“在我被禁锢的十多年里，从来没有听过这么大的说话声。我看，说不定是什么魔法。” “那边的红光是什么？”姬尔说，“不会是着火了吧。” “依我看，”普德格勒姆说，那是地心喷薄而出的新火山，我猜我们正好在火山的中央。” “瞧那艘船！”尤斯塔斯说，“怎么那么快？没人在划啊。” “看！”王子说，“船都开到港口这边的到街上来了。看，所有的船都开进城里来了。哎呀！海水上涨了，要发洪水了。阿斯兰保佑！虽然说这个城堡建在高地上，但是海水涨得也太快了。” “噢！到底是怎么回事啊？”姬尔喊道，“又是火，又是水， 还有那些躲躲闪闪的人。” “我告诉你吧。”普德格勒姆说，“那个女巫肯定施了一连串的魔法，她一死，她的王国也就崩溃了。她就是那种人，自己死了， 也想让别人给她陪葬，被烧死、淹死或活埋。” “说得对，沼泽怪朋友，”王子说，“我们挥剑砍下女巫脑袋的同时，也把她的魔法破除了，如今暗地秘境正在崩溃，眼下正是地下世界的末日。” “应该是这样，殿下，”普德格勒姆说，“但今天不是所有人的世界末日。” “但是咱们就这么待着等吗？”姬尔气喘吁吁地说。 “我看不行，”王子说，“我要去找我的黑炭，还有女巫的雪花， 那可是一匹好马，应该给它找个更好的女主人，它们都在后院的马厩里。我们得赶紧骑马到高地去，但愿能找到个出口。必要的时候， 可以两个人骑一匹马，还能越过洪水。” “殿下不穿上盔甲吗？”普德格勒姆问道，“我不喜欢那些人的样子……”他朝街道指了指，大家都看了过去。很多人（他们已经靠近了，显然都是些秘境人）正从港口方向过来。他们的行为一点也不混乱，倒像是有人领导的士兵，一边冲一边找隐蔽伺机进攻，而且不想被城堡里的人发现。 “我不想再穿那副盔甲里去，”王子说，“那盔甲就好像一个活动的牢狱，有一股魔法和奴役的臭味。不过我可以带上盾牌。” 他走出房间，不一会就回来了，眼睛里泛着奇特的光芒。 “看，朋友们，”他把盾牌举起来对着他们，“一个小时之前， 它还是黑色的，没有花纹；现在，看看。”那盾已经变得光芒四射， 上面还有比鲜血和樱桃还要鲜红的狮王图案。” “毫无疑问，”王子说，“这说明阿斯兰是主宰我们的神，无论他让我们死还是活。其实这没什么区别。我提议大家单膝跪下亲吻阿斯兰的像，握住彼此的手，就像要分别的好朋友那样。然后我们就下去，到城里去受难。” 他们按照王子所说的做了。当尤斯塔斯和姬尔握手时，他说，“再见，姬尔，很抱歉，过去我是个令人讨厌的胆小鬼。我希望你能平安回家。”姬尔说，“再见，尤斯塔斯，我很抱歉，以前是我太愚蠢了。” 这是他们第一次叫对方的名字，在学校里大家都不这么叫的。 王子打开门，带着他们走下去。他们三个拿着剑，姬尔拿着刀。那些侍从都不见了，大厅空荡荡的。那些灰暗的、阴森的灯倒还都亮着，在昏暗的灯光下，他们走过一条又一条走廊，走下一段又一段楼梯。这时他们听到的声音还是有点模糊，不如上面听起来的清晰。屋子里空无一人，死一般地静。他们迅速前行，很快遇到了在这里见到的第一个幽境居民——那是个脸色惨白的胖子，长着一个大猪头， 大口地吞咽着桌上的残羹冷炙。他尖叫着，冲到一条长凳下面，挥动着长尾巴，不让普德格勒姆抓住。然后飞快地从另一扇门冲了出去， 再也找不到了。 他们走过门厅来到后院。姬尔放假的时候学过骑马，突然闻到马厩的气味（秘境有很多这种气味，正宗而亲切）。尤斯塔斯说：“天哪，看那边，城堡后面不知道什么地方放起了烟花，飞上天，很快迸裂成了许多绿色的星。” “烟花？”姬尔有点疑惑不解。 “是的。”尤斯塔斯说，“我想那应该不是放着玩的，八成是什么信号。” “我说，这可不妙。”普德格勒姆说。 “朋友们，”王子说，一旦开始冒险，要把希望和恐惧全都抛开。“嗨，我的小美人，别出声，雪花，我从来没忘记你。” 马被那些奇怪的光和声音惊着了。姬尔穿过黑洞时很胆小，现在却见她无所畏惧地走到喷鼻、跺脚的两匹马之间。她和王子很快给马套上了马鞍和笼头，昂着头大踏步走出来，显得很神气。姬尔骑上雪花，普德格勒姆坐在她身后，尤斯塔斯跨上了黑炭，坐在王子身后。只听一阵咯噔的声音，他们就走出了大门，向街道飞奔而去。 “多亏伤得不重。”普德格勒姆这么说道，一边指着他们右边。就在那里不到一百米处，海水已经在拍打墙壁了。 “振作起来！”王子说，“那边下坡非常陡。海水最多只会淹到那座高山的一半。刚开始，海水离我们很近，但是很快就不用担心这些了。我担心的是……”他用剑指着一个大个子的秘境居民，那人满口獠牙，还带着六个奇形怪状的居民从一条小巷中冲出来，躲在了一座房屋的阴影中。 王子带着大家朝那片红光走去。他的计划是从左侧绕过大火（如果那是火的话），寻找新的通道。他和其他三个人明显不同，多了些自得其乐的味道。骑马的时候，不仅吹起了口哨，甚至还唱起了歌—— 歌颂安晨兰王国的一流霹雳手科林的一首老歌。事实上，由于他被禁锢的太久了，获得解脱实在太让他开心了，以至于所有一切危险都微不足道了。但是其他人都觉得这段路程走得是心惊肉跳的。 船只互撞的声音、建筑物倾倒的隆隆声在他们身后响起，头顶是一大片火光。前面神秘的红光并没有因为距离的缩短而变大。从另一边传来的吵闹声、喊叫声、口哨声、哄笑声、惨叫声、怒吼声乱成一片。五颜六色的烟花在空中升起，没有人知道是什么信号。红光和灯光照亮了他们附近的大部分地区。 光照不到的地方还是一片漆黑，秘境居民的身影就在那些区域不断出现。那些居民们始终盯着他们，躲避他们。这些居民有的脸大有的脸小；有的眼睛像鱼眼，有的眼睛像熊的眼；有的披着羽毛， 有的长着鬃毛；有的长角，有的长獠牙，有的人鼻子长得犹如缰绳， 还有的人下巴长得像胡子。他们一旦靠得太近，或人数太多，王子就会挥舞着宝剑，做出一副要打他们的姿势。那些家伙就一边叫唤着， 一边躲到黑暗中去。 等他们爬上一条条崎岖的街道，洪水还在离他们很远的地方时， 事情突然恶化了。这时他们已经接近红光，几乎与它在同一个水平面上了，但是他们仍然不知道光是怎么来的。在红光下，那些敌人就更加清楚，那里有几百甚至上千个精灵。这些人蜂拥而上，很快就会赶上他们。 “依我看，”普德格勒姆说，“他们是想从正面拦截我们。” “我也是这么想的，普德格勒姆，”王子说，“我们几乎没法杀出重围。大家听我的！咱们到那些房子旁边。一到那儿，你就躲进阴影中，我和小姐再往前走几步，肯定会引走那些怪物。他们现在躲在咱们后面呢。你的手臂长，如果有可能的话，最好活捉一个，好知道到底怎么回事。他们到底跟我们有什么恩怨。” “那其他人会不会冲过来救他呢？”姬尔说话的嗓音没有她外表那样冷静。 “那么，小姐，”王子说，“您只能看着我们为您战死，向狮王汇报的重任就交给您了。现在，亲爱的普德格勒姆。” 沼泽怪像猫一样敏捷，迅速钻到阴影里去了。其余的人迟疑了一会儿，才往前走。不久，他们身后突然传来了一阵令人胆战心惊的尖叫声，普德格勒姆的声音夹杂其中，他说：“行了，别叫唤了， 不然你就被我伤着了。懂吗？要不人家还以为在杀猪呢。” “抓得好！”王子赞叹了一声，把黑炭调转方向，回到屋角。“尤斯塔斯，”他说，“请控制住黑炭。”然后下了马。三人看着普德格勒姆把精灵拖到光亮处。这个可怜的小精灵只有三英尺高，头顶长着个鸡冠似的东西（硬邦邦的），粉红色的小眼睛下面是大圆嘴和下巴， 看上去有点像小河马。要不是情况特殊，他们看见这个小精灵肯定会哈哈大笑的。 “好了，秘境居民，”王子紧盯着它，手中的剑指着它的脖子， 说，“老老实实回答就放了你。要是跟我们耍花招你就死定了。普德格勒姆，你捏住它的嘴，让它怎么说话？” “是，那样它也就不会咬人了，”普德格勒姆说，“要是我也长了一双像你们人类那样软绵绵的手（尊敬的殿下除外），这会儿我早就鲜血淋漓了。就算是沼泽怪，也不能任它咬啊。” “小子！”王子对那怪物说，“你再敢咬一口，就没命了。放开他， 普德格勒姆。” “噢……啊……呃，”那人尖叫道，“放开我，放开我。不是我干的， 不是我。” “你真没干什么吗？”普德格勒姆问道。 “不管你们怎么说，我真的什么都没干。”那家伙回答道。 “你叫什么名字？”王子说，“今天这些秘境居民都干了什么？” “噢，求求你们，大人，请你们行行好，好心的先生们，”小精灵哭着说，“答应我，别把我说的事情告诉女王陛下。” “你说的女王陛下，”王子严厉地说，“已经死了，是我亲手杀的。” “什么！”小精灵惊叫一声，他的嘴巴张得很大。“死了？女巫死了？而且是您亲手杀的？”然后他大大地松了一口气，说，“啊， 这么说你是朋友咯！” 王子把剑往回收了收，普德格勒姆扶着小精灵坐起来。它的红眼睛看了所有人一眼，嘻笑了两声，开始说话。 第十四章 地底层 “我叫戈尔格，”小精灵说，“我会知无不言，言无不尽。差不多一个钟头以前，我们都在干活。大家忧伤而沉默，多年如一日。突然不知哪里传来一阵隆隆声响。一听到这个声音，大家突然发现自己已经很久没有唱歌、跳舞、放鞭炮了。可这是为什么呢？所有人都想不通，噢，一定是被魔法迷住了。然后我听见大家都在说，我要是知道自己为什么在这里干这么重的活儿就好了，我一定不会再干了， 就是这样。于是我们把口袋、包袱和工具都扔掉了。大家都去看那片红光。所有人都在自言自语，那是什么？原来是几千英里下，有一道温暖的光透过地下裂缝照进来了。 “天哪，”尤斯塔斯惊叫道，“还有比这里更深的地方吗？” “哦，是的。”戈尔格说。“那是个可爱的地方，我们叫它比瑟姆国。我们现在待的地方是女巫的国土，叫做浅地。对我们来说，这儿离地面太近，不适合居住。嗯，住这里还不如直接住到外面，到地面上去呢。瞧，我们都是从比瑟姆国来的精灵，是女巫用魔法把我们弄到这里来给她干活的。原本我们把这些事都忘记了，可是那一声巨响过后魔法破解了，我们才想起来。这么多年来我们不知道自己是谁，从哪里来。脑子里全是她灌输进来的东西，什么也不会做，什么也不会想。 这么多年她给我们灌输的全是郁闷、愁苦的东西。我们几乎忘记该怎么说笑、怎么跳舞了。可是这轰隆一声，地面裂开了，海水涨起来了， 一切都被想起来了。所以我们大家都赶紧从裂缝下去，回到我们自己的地方。你看他们在那里放烟花翻筋斗庆祝呢。要是你们能放了我， 让我跟大家一起回去，我会很感激的。” “太好了！”姬尔说，“我真开心，砍下女巫头的同时，不仅解救了自己，还解救了精灵们！我真开心他们不再那么害怕和犹豫了，就像王子也不是……嗯，像之前那样傻。” “这当然好，姬尔，”普德格勒姆谨慎地说，“可是在我看来这些精灵不止想逃跑。照我说，它们倒像是搞暴动。看着我的脸，戈尔格先生，告诉我，你们是在谋划战争吗？” “当然，大人，”戈尔格说，“不瞒您说，我们不知道女巫已经死了。我们以为她会看到我们逃跑。后来你们四个人出来了，骑着马，提着剑。大家就想，这就来了。我们不知道你们跟女巫不是一伙的，所以决定宁可战斗到底，也绝不会放弃。 “我敢说它是个诚实的精灵，”王子说，“放开他，我的朋友， 普德格勒姆。至于我，好心的戈尔格，我跟你和你的同胞一样，曾经被魔法迷住了，也是刚刚恢复本性。现在我想问你一个问题，您知道怎么去新挖的那条坑道吗？就是女巫说要带领军队攻打上面世界的那条地道？” “嗯……嗯——啊，”戈尔格尖叫着，“我知道，那条路很可怕， 我可以给你们指路。但是如果想要叫我陪你们去，我可不愿意，我情愿去死。” “为什么？”尤斯塔斯急切地问，“那里有什么可怕的东西？” “离上面，外面，非常近，”戈尔格哆哆嗦嗦地说，“这是女巫对我们做的最狠毒的事情。我们会被带出去——带到地面上。听说那儿没有顶层，只有一片可怕的空白，叫天空。坑道挖得很高，再来几锹就能到外面去了，我可不敢去。” “太好了！总算说到点子上了！”尤斯塔斯高喊道。姬尔说，“上面一点都不恐怖，我们喜欢那儿，我们就住在那儿。” “我知道那儿有人住，”戈尔格说，“但我认为这是因为你们找不到通往地下的路。你们不会喜欢那儿的，像只苍蝇一样，在这个世界的上面爬来爬去。” “请你现在给我们指路，好吗？”普德格勒姆说。 “真及时。”王子说道，他们这就出发。王子骑上马，普德格勒姆爬到姬尔后面，戈尔格在前面带路。它一边走一边传播信息，说女巫已经死了。四个地上世界的人不是敌人。小精灵们把这消息一传十，十传百，一会儿工夫整个地下世界都欢呼起来了。成千上万个小精灵跳啊，蹦啊，翻跟头，竖蜻蜓，跳背，放鞭炮，还有很多人围着黑炭和雪花。王子只好把他自己是怎么中了魔法，又怎么被解救出来的过程讲了又讲，最起码说了有十遍。 他们就这样一路前进来到裂缝处。裂缝约有一千英尺长，二百英尺宽。他们下了马，从边缘往下敲了敲。热浪扑面而来，携带着一种他们从来没有闻过的气味。又浓又辣又刺激，让人忍不住打喷嚏。裂缝的深处很亮，一开始把他们的眼睛都照花了，什么也看不清楚。等他们习惯之后才看出来是一条火河，河两岸是田野和放着耀眼光芒的小树林。跟那条河比起来，这光芒不算什么。河里五颜六色的，蓝色、红色、绿色、白色混在一起，就像正午时分热带阳光照射到一块彩色玻璃上一样。红光下，他们看到成千上万名精灵正顺着凹凸不平的裂缝向下爬，黑压压的像一群蚂蚁。 “各位大人，”戈尔格说（他们回头看时眼睛已经花了眼前一片漆黑什么也看不见），“各位大人，你们为什么不到比瑟姆去呢？ 在那儿可比上面那个冷冰冰、光秃秃、无遮无拦的国家快乐多了。去做个短暂的访问也好啊。” 姬尔想当然地认为不会有谁同意这个馊主意的，令她吃惊的是， 她听见王子说：“说实话，我的朋友戈尔格，我也想跟你一起下去， 因为这肯定很有意思，凡人肯定从来没去过比瑟姆，以后也不一定会有机会去。当一年一年过去，无论是谁，只要想起自己曾经有机会去地球最深的地方探险，却避而不去，肯定会懊恼不已的。但是人能在那里生活吗？你们不会在那条火河里游来游去吧。” “噢，不，大人，我们不。火蛇才生活在火里。” “火蛇？是什么动物？”王子问。 “很难说它是什么动物，大人。”戈尔格说，“因为它们太热了， 眼睛受不了没法看。不过它们大部分像小龙，常常在火焰外面和我们说话。它们的口才好极了，能说会道，说起来没个完。” 姬尔看了尤斯塔斯一眼。原本她坚信尤斯塔斯跟她一样讨厌这个爬下裂缝去的主意。可是当她看到他的脸色时，心不由得一沉。看上去他倒像个王子，而不是实验中学里的那个尤斯塔斯了。因为他正想起自己跟凯斯宾国王一起航行的日子。 “殿下，”他说，“要是我的老朋友老鼠骑士雷佩契普在这儿， 他肯定会说如果我们不去比瑟姆冒险，就不是男子汉。” “到了下面，”戈尔格说，“我能带你们去看真正的金子、银子还有钻石。” “胡说，”姬尔粗鲁地插嘴，“难道我们不知道，这里已经在最深的矿下面？” “是的，”戈尔格说，“我听说过地壳上那些擦痕，地面上的人都把它叫做矿。那就是你们能弄到死了的金银珠宝的地方。在比瑟姆，我们的金银珠宝都是活的，还在生长呢。在那里，我能给你们摘下一串串能吃的红宝石，给你挤上一杯杯钻石汁。一旦你尝过比瑟姆活生生的珠宝，就不会去碰那些冷冰冰的、死了的金银珠宝了。” “我父亲去世界尽头了，”瑞利安沉思道，“要是他的儿子去地底层，倒也有趣。” “要是殿下趁父亲活着的时候再见到他，我想他会更高兴的。” 普德格勒姆说，“我们该去找坑道了。” “我死都不愿意下去。”姬尔说。 “哎呀，要是各位真的要动身回到地上去，”戈尔格说，“有一段路比这里还要低呢，说不定，如果洪水还在继续上涨的话……” “噢，走吧，求你们快走吧！”姬尔恳求。 “我们得走了，”王子深深地叹了口气，“我的半颗心留在比瑟姆了。” “求你！”姬尔恳求着。 “路呢？”普德格勒姆问道。 “那儿一路都有灯，”戈尔格说，“在裂缝尽头你能找到起点。” “那些灯能持续多久？”普德格勒姆问。 这时，从比瑟姆最深处响起了一种奇怪的嘶响和热辣辣的呼啸声。事后他们真想知道那是不是火蛇的声音。 “快，快点，快去，去悬崖，去悬崖，去悬崖！”他说，“裂缝就要合上了。快！快！”与此同时，岩石在震耳欲聋的响声中慢慢移动。他们回过神来，裂缝已经窄了很多。掉队的小精灵们从两边冲过去，他们来不及爬的，就跳了下去，不知道是因为底层冒上来的热气太强烈了，还是因为别的什么原因，他们都像树叶一样漂下去了。小精灵越来越多，黑压压的一片，几乎把火红的河流和小树林都遮住了。 “再见，各位。我要走了。”戈尔格嚷嚷着，也跳了进去，最后几个精灵也跟它一起去了。裂缝越来越窄，从一条小溪的宽度逐渐减小到邮筒的投信口那么窄，再到一条亮晶晶的细线，最后砰的一声， 就像数千节货车撞上缓冲器那样，合拢了。那股灼热的让人发疯的气味也消失了。只剩下他们四个人待在地下世界里，这里比之前更黑了。只有那些苍白的、昏暗的、阴森森的路灯可以作为路标。 “好了，”普德格勒姆说，“我们已经耽误很多时间了，但是我们还是要试一试。我敢说，那些灯五分钟之内就会熄灭。” 他们骑马一路小跑，在昏暗的路上精神十足。刚开始一路都是下坡，要不是他们看到山谷的另一边也有灯，而且那些灯都是向上去的，他们肯定以为是戈尔格指错了路。但是到了谷底之后灯光所到之处却全是流水。 “赶快！”王子叫道。他们沿着斜坡飞奔而来。再晚上五分钟就糟了。潮水像河渠里的水一样滚滚而来，两匹马游过去是不可能的。好在现在潮水只有一两英尺深，所以尽管湍急的水流在马腿出发出了可怕的响声，他们还是安全抵达了对岸。 之后他们开始缓慢的攀爬，除了那一眼望不到头的苍白灯光什么也没有。他们回头的时候，发现潮水开始蔓延，很多地下世界的山头此刻都变成了岛屿。有些灯还亮着，但是几乎每一分钟都有灯在熄灭。很快除了他们走的这条路到处都是一片黑暗，即便他们身后的那段路上灯还没有熄灭，水已经漫上来了。 虽然他们都知道必须要继续赶路，可是马已经累得走不动了。 他们只好停下来休息，没有人说话，水的拍打声格外清晰。 “我真想知道那个叫什么……时间老人……是不是也被大水冲出来了？”姬尔说，“还有那些睡着了的动物。” “我想我们没有到那么高的地方，”尤斯塔斯说，“你记不记得我们是怎么到那个幽深海洋的？大水应该还没有涌到时间老人的那个洞。” “可能吧，”普德格勒姆说，“我更感兴趣的是这条路上的灯， 好像比之前暗了。” “这些灯一直都很暗。”姬尔说。 “是，”普德格勒姆说，“但是这会儿已经开始泛绿了。” “你该不会是说灯要灭了吧？”尤斯塔斯叫道。 “嗯，不管这些灯是怎么点亮的，但是它们总不会永远这么亮下去吧。”沼泽怪回答说，“不过你也别沮丧的，尤斯塔斯。我还留意着水呢，水上涨的速度好像慢了。” “算是小小的安慰，朋友，”王子说，“我要恳求你们的原谅。我们要是找不到出路，都是我的错，害得大家在比瑟姆国的入口处耽误了。都是因为我的自尊心和异想天开，在地底层裂口耽误了时间。现在我们继续赶路吧。” 之后的一个时辰，姬尔认为普德格勒姆关于灯的看法是对的， 有时又觉得这不过是她的想象。她注意到地面的变化，地下世界的顶层已经越来越近了，昏暗的灯光下，他们能看得一清二楚。两片凹凸不平的岩壁在向他们靠拢。事实上，这条路把它们引进了一条陡峭的地道。路上时不时会出现铁锹、铁镐、手推车和别的工具，说明挖地道的人刚刚还在干活。只要能出去，这一切还真是令人振奋的。但是想到自己正走进一个越来越窄的小洞，窄得无法转身，还是让人觉得不自在。 顶层变得越来越低，最后普德格勒姆和王子的头都能碰到顶了， 他们不得不下马。这里的路高低不平，走起来要格外小心。姬尔发现周围已经越来越黑了，毫无疑问。其他人的脸在绿莹莹的灯光下像鬼魅一般。随后姬尔尖叫了一声，一盏灯，就是前面那盏，灭了，然后他们身后的那盏灯也灭了，他们被黑暗包围了。 “鼓起勇气来，朋友们，”这是瑞利安王子，“无论是死是活， 阿斯兰都是我们的神。” “对，殿下，”普德格勒姆说，“死在这里还有一个好处：连丧葬费都省了。” 姬尔没有说话。（如果你不想让别人发现你的慌乱，这是最好的办法，言多必失。） “与其站在这里不如继续往前走。”尤斯塔斯说。当她听见他颤抖的话音时，姬尔就知道刚才沉默是多么明智了。 普德格勒姆和尤斯塔斯怕撞上什么东西，只好伸出胳膊走在前面。姬尔和王子牵着马紧随其后。 “嘿，”好大一会儿之后，尤斯塔斯才说，“是我看错了吗， 还是上面真的有光？” 还没等人回答，普德格勒姆就叫了起来。“停，到头了，这是泥土不是岩石。你刚说什么，尤斯塔斯？” “狮王在上，”王子说，“尤斯塔斯是对的，是有一种……” “但这不是阳光，”姬尔说，“是一种淡蓝色的冷光。” “不管怎么说，有光总比没光好。”尤斯塔斯说，“能上去吗？” “光不在我们头顶，”普德格勒姆说，“在我们上面，就在我撞的这堵墙里。姬尔，你爬到我肩上来，试试能不能爬上去？” 第十五章 姬尔失踪 那点光对他们没有任何帮助。其他人只听见姬尔竭力爬到沼泽怪背上，但是什么都看不见。他们一会儿听见沼泽怪说：“你不要把手指塞到我眼睛里。”“也别把脚伸进我嘴里。”“这才像话。”最后才是“行了，我会抓住你的腿，这样你就能腾出两只胳膊撑着地了， 稳住！” 然后他们向上看，姬尔的脑袋在那光线中留下了一个黑色的轮廓。 “怎么样？”他们急切地嚷嚷。 “是个洞，”姬尔叫道，“要是再高一点，就能爬出去了。” “你从洞口看到什么了？”尤斯塔斯问。 “什么都没看见呢。”姬尔说，“我说普德格勒姆，放开我的腿， 让我站在你的肩膀上，坐着不行，我会靠着洞稳住的。” 他们听见她在动，接着姬尔的大半个身子出现在洞口，事实上， 她的上半身已经出去了。 “嗨……”姬尔刚一开口，却突然叫了一声，听起来并不尖锐， 可是像嘴巴被人捂住了，要不就是塞了什么东西。不久她的声音又出现了，似乎是在大喊大叫，但是听不清楚。这时有那片光被堵住了一会儿，还听见了一阵扭打的声音，沼泽怪喘着气说：“快帮帮忙， 抓住她的腿，抓住她。那儿，不，这儿！噢，太晚了！” 那个洞和洞口的冷光又露了出来，姬尔人已经完全不见了。 “姬尔！姬尔！”他们发疯似的喊叫，可是没有人回应。 “你怎么没有抓住她的脚呢？”尤斯塔斯说。 “我不知道，尤斯塔斯，”普德格勒姆哼着说，“我就知道， 我生来就是个倒霉蛋，这都是命中注定的，注定了姬尔的死，也注定了我在哈方要吃会说话的鹿的肉。当然我不是说我没错。” “这是我们今生最大的耻辱和痛苦，”王子说，“我们把一位勇敢的小姐送到了敌人手里，自己却安全地待在后方。” “别说了，殿下，”普德格勒姆说，“我们也不一定安全，说不定要饿死在这里。” “不知道我能不能钻姬尔钻出去的那个洞？”尤斯塔斯说。 其实姬尔遇到的事情是这样的：她刚把脑袋伸出洞口，就发现自己是往下看，就像从楼上的一扇窗户往下看一样，而不是从门里往上看。她在黑暗中待了很久，刚开始眼睛还没有适应，看不出眼前的东西。只知道她看到的不是想象中的大白天和阳光世界。空气很冷， 光是灰暗的，泛着绿色。许多白东西在空中飞来飞去，到处都是声音。也就是这个时候，她冲下面的普德格勒姆喊，要站在他肩膀上。 站起来后，看清楚了，也听清楚了，她听见了两种声音，一是有节奏的跺脚，二是四把小提琴、三支笛子和一面鼓正在奏乐，她看清了周围。她正在一个山洞里，这个山洞在一个陡峭的向下倾斜的山坡上。距下面的平地有大约十四英尺，周围白茫茫一片。好多人在那里来回走动。她兴奋得气都接上不来了。那是些穿着整齐的小羊怪， 还有带着花冠的树精，头发在他们脑后飘起。事实上，她们是在跳舞。 刚开始姬尔没看出来，这是一种步子复杂、身段摇摆的舞蹈，你要看上一会儿才会明白。 回头一看，她又吃了一惊，那灰暗发青的冷光是月光，那些白茫茫的东西，则是雪花！当然，头顶上还有星星在漆黑的寒夜中凝视着地面。那些跳舞的人后面是黑乎乎的树。他们终于回到了地面世界， 而且是回到了纳尼亚的中心。姬尔兴奋得就要昏倒了。那音乐粗犷、热烈，尽管怪诞，却充满了魔法，就像女巫弹奏的乐声一样，不过这里充满的是正道魔法——她简直乐坏了。 讲完这些需要一会儿，但事实上姬尔一小会儿功夫就已经全明白了。她几乎立刻打算对其他人说，“嗨！快出来吧，我们到家啦！” 可是，她刚说出“嗨”，就没机会说下去了。原因很简单。那些跳舞人中，在最外圈围着的是一些小矮人。他们大部分都穿着猩红色的节日盛装，带着皮风帽，脚踩装饰着金色流苏的皮质高筒靴，一边转圈一边使劲扔着雪球（就是姬尔刚才看到的，在空中飞来飞去的白色物体）。不过他们不像英国那些傻小子一样，只知道对着舞者扔，而是跟着节拍，分毫不差的扔到刚刚好空出来的位置上，谁也不会真的被打中。这就是大雪舞，纳尼亚人在每年第一场雪后的第一个有月亮的夜晚都会这么做。 这既是舞蹈，也是一个游戏。因为总会有那么一两个跳舞的人出点差错，把雪球打中谁，惹得大家哈哈大笑。不过，如果舞蹈者、小矮人和乐师配合得好，也有可能几个小时都不会有人被打中呢。天气好的晚上，凄冷的月光下寒风凛冽，鼓声隆隆，猫头鹰叫着，这些狂野的元素往往会勾起林地人心中的野性，一舞到天亮，希望你们也能亲眼看到这种盛况。 姬尔刚喊出“嗨”就停下了，因为一个小矮人扔出的大雪球正好穿过舞者打进她的嘴里。可她一点儿也不在乎，就算是扔过来二十雪球，她也不会生气的。可惜不管你有多高兴，含着满嘴的雪花，是怎么也说不了话的。她吐掉嘴里的雪，好不容易能张口说了，却又激动得忘记了其他人，那些还什么都不知道的朋友。她飞快地从洞里往外探出身子，朝跳舞的精灵们喊。 “救命！救命！我们被埋住了，快把我们挖出来。” 那些纳尼亚人没有注意到这里的小洞，他们惊讶地东看看，西瞧瞧，才循着声音发现了姬尔。一看到姬尔，他们全都飞快地跑过来， 所有能来的人都来了，十几双手同时伸出来要帮助她。姬尔抓住他们的手，一倒头就从坡上滑了下来。接着，她爬起来说：“噢，快去把其他人也挖出来，下面还有三个人和一匹马，里面有一个是瑞利安王子。” 她说这些话的时候，已经有很多人把她围住了，不仅有跳舞的还有各种各样围观的动物。刚开始她没有注意到它们，而现在它们也都跑来了。小松鼠像雨点一样纷纷从树上跳下来，猫头鹰们飞过来了， 刺猬撒开短腿，摇摇摆摆跑过来了，熊和獾慢慢地跟在后面，最后赶过来的是一头豹子。 等他们听明白姬尔说的话之后，变得更加积极了。“铁镐和铁锹， 快，孩子们，那些铁镐和铁锹来！”小矮人们一边说一边飞快地冲进树林里。“快去把鼹鼠叫醒，它们跟小矮人一样能干，而且是挖洞专家，”另一个声音说。“她说瑞利安王子怎么了？”另一个问道。“嘘，” 豹子说，“可怜的孩子，她一定是疯了，看来她在山里迷了路，糊涂得不知道自己在说什么了。”“是啊，”老熊说，“哎，她还说瑞利安王子是一匹马呢！”“不，她没那么说。”一只松鼠急匆匆地跑来。“说了，她是那么说的。”另一只松鼠更糊涂。1100 “这都是真……真……真的，别……别……你们别傻了。”姬尔说，她这么说，是因为她正冷的牙齿直打架呢。 一只树精给她披上一件皮制的斗篷，那是一个小矮人去取工具时掉下来的，一个热心的羊怪则跑去给她找热饮料去了。姬尔看得见前面不远处的一个山洞里闪着火光。不过还没等它回来，小矮人就已经带着工具回来了。大家又往山上跑去。姬尔听见他们七嘴八舌地喊叫声，有人说，“嘿！你要干什么？快点把剑放下！”有的人说，“好了，小伙子，别那样。”还有的人说，“好啊，他肯定是个坏家伙。” 姬尔急忙赶过去一看，真是哭笑不得，尤斯塔斯那张苍白、肮脏的小脸刚从黑洞里探出来，右手舞着一把剑，赶走了所有要接近他的人。 尤斯塔斯不知道姬尔的经历。他只听见姬尔大声喊叫，然后一下子不见了。他、王子和普德格勒姆都以为她是被敌人抓走了。从下面朝上看，根本看不清那灰暗发青的光来自月亮。他还以为洞外面可能是另外一个洞，亮着鬼火，到处挤满了暗地秘境中妖魔鬼怪的地方。他终于说服普德格勒姆，答应从他背上探出头来，实在已经非常勇敢了。要不是因为这个洞很小，另外两个人爬不上来，否则他们早就上来了。尤斯塔斯的身量只比姬尔稍微大一点，只是不如姬尔灵活。他爬上洞口向外张望的时候不小心把脑袋碰到了洞口，积雪纷纷崩落， 搞得他什么也没看清，只知道有很多人正拼命向他跑过来，才拼命抵抗。 “住手，尤斯塔斯，快住手！”姬尔喊道，“他们都是朋友， 你看不出来吗？我们已经回到纳尼亚了！” 这么一说，尤斯塔斯才算是搞清楚了，于是他立刻向小矮人表达了歉意。小矮人也说没关系。和刚才帮助姬尔那样，十几个小矮人伸出又粗又壮而且多毛的手把他从洞里拉了出来。接着姬尔趴在山坡上，把脑袋凑到洞口大声地把好消息告诉给里面的人。她转身时还听见普德格勒姆喃喃自语道：“哎呀，可怜的姬尔，真是难为她了。见鬼， 她一定是糊涂了。” 姬尔又跟尤斯塔斯在一起了，他们手拉着手，自由呼吸。人们给尤斯塔斯也拿来了一件暖和的斗篷，给他俩端来了热乎乎的饮料。就在他们喝饮料的时候，小矮人们已经迅速的挖掉山洞周围的积雪和一部分草皮。他们欢快地挥舞着铁铲和铁镐，就像十分钟之前跟羊怪们和树精跳舞一样。然而对于姬尔和尤斯塔斯来说，他们却感觉像做了个梦。无限的黑暗、炙热和令人窒息的地底环境，已经离他们远去了。外面寒冷天气里，月亮高挂空中，星罗棋布（纳尼亚的星星比我们的星星离得更近些），周围都是友好的朋友，他们倒有点不相信真的有地下世界了。 他们还没喝完热饮料，就有十多只鼹鼠跑来了。这些小东西睡眼惺忪，显然不大高兴就这么被叫醒。但是等他们明白怎么回事后， 它们开始埋头苦干。就连羊怪们也推来了小车子，帮忙运走挖出来的泥土。松鼠们在一旁蹦蹦跳跳的，姬尔对此很不理解。熊和猫头鹰在一旁指指点点，帮忙出主意，还不时问两个孩子要不要到山洞（就是姬尔看到火光的那个山洞）去暖和暖和，并且吃点东西。不过两个孩子在没有看到他们的朋友之前，还是不愿意走。 在咱们的世界里，没有像纳尼亚的小矮人和会说话的鼹鼠那样擅长挖洞的。鼹鼠和小矮人甚至没有把这当成是一种劳动，他们就喜欢挖洞。很快他们就在山坡上挖出了一个黑乎乎的缺口。沼泽怪和瑞利安王子从黑暗中走到了月光下——他们真的把人吓了一跳—— 第一个出来的是细长腿、尖帽子的沼泽怪，然后是拉着两匹大马的瑞利安王子。 当普德格勒姆出来时，四周一片惊叫声。“咦，是个怪……哦，原来是老普德格勒姆，东部沼泽地的老普德格勒姆。你去干什么了， 普德格勒姆，好几个搜寻队都出发找你去了，杜鲁普金公爵为此出了告示，还给了赏金呢！”突然这些叫声全部消失了，一下子都安静了下来。就像校长突然推开一个闹哄哄的宿舍门时那样，吵闹声一下子全部消失了。因为，他们看到了王子。 没有一个人提出质疑，无论是动物、树精、小矮人还是羊怪， 都记得以前他没有中魔法时的模样。有些上了年纪看过年轻的凯斯宾国王的动物，也从他脸上看到了相似之处。不过我想，无论如何他们都不会认错的。尽管由于长期被监禁在暗地秘境，他的脸色非常苍白， 而且衣冠不整、灰头土脸，精神很不好，但是他脸上的神情和仪态却是纳尼亚真正的国王所特有的。凡是按照阿斯兰的指示，坐上凯尔帕拉维尔至尊王彼得王座的国王，都是这种神情。 大家纷纷脱帽行礼，不一会儿就响起了激烈的欢呼声和喊叫声。大家相握手，亲吻，拥抱！热闹的场面令姬尔不由自主流下了眼泪， 为自己的付出而高兴。 “恭迎殿下，”最年长的小矮人说，“那边山洞里正准备晚餐， 是我们为大雪舞准备的……” “我很乐意，老爹，”王子说，“我们的胃口好得谁都比不上， 任何王子、骑士、绅士或者熊都比不上。” 众人逐渐散去，他们穿过森林，往山洞走去。姬尔听见普德格勒姆对他身边的动物们说：“不，不，我的事情可以等等再说。我的遭遇不值一提，我想要先打听些消息。可别隐瞒，我要知道的一清二楚。国王的船有没有出事？有没有发生过森林火灾？卡乐门边境有没有发生过战争？有没有龙来过这里？说吧，我都能接受。”所有的动物都哈哈大笑说：“这才是个沼泽怪！” 来到暖洋洋的山洞，火光在墙上、柜子上、水杯上、碟子上、盘子上和光滑的石板上欢快地跳跃，跟所有温馨的农家厨房一样， 两个孩子兴奋了一小会儿。不过他们实在是又累又饿，困得不行了， 还没等晚饭端上来就进入了梦乡。他们睡觉的时候，瑞利安王子把他们的冒险经历讲给了那些经验丰富、聪明伶俐的小动物和小矮人。 现在他们都知道事情的来龙去脉了。一个狠毒的女巫（跟以前那个给纳尼亚带来漫长冬日的白色女巫一样）策划了整个事件。她设法杀害了瑞利安的母亲，然后又给他施了魔法。她叫人在纳尼亚的地底下挖洞，让瑞利安带着军队破土而出，统治这个国家。最让他吃惊的是，她想要他统治的国家（名义上的，事实上他也只是她的奴隶）， 竟然就是他自己的国家。他们还知道女巫和哈方的巨人们相互勾结， 沆瀣一气。“殿下，这件事我们能肯定的是，”最年长的小矮人说， “北部的女巫始终心怀不轨，只是在不同的时期，她们采用的计划不同而已。” 第十六章 任务完成 第二天，姬尔醒来时发现自己在一个山洞里，吓了一跳。她还以为自己又回到地下世界了呢。不过随后她就注意到自己正躺在一张用石南铺成的床上，身上盖着一件皮质斗篷，石头壁炉里的火噼里啪啦地烧得正旺（像是刚刚生好的）。山的那边，晨曦正从洞口照进来。她终于想起了令人快乐的事情。 虽说她困得要命，晚餐匆匆忙忙就结束了，但她总算是好好地享受了一番。她模模糊糊地记得大家都挤在山洞里，很多小矮人围着火炉举着比他们本人还大的煎锅，美味可口的香肠在里面滋滋作响。有好多、好多、好多的香肠。不是那种一半面粉和黄豆的劣质香肠， 而是肉多味美，肥壮滚烫的，被煎得裂开、略带焦黄色的真正的香肠。还有一大杯一大杯满是泡沫的巧克力，烤土豆、烧栗子、里面塞满葡萄干的苹果，接着美味提神的雪糕。 “嘿，你们俩！”姬尔大喊道，“还不起床？” “嘘，嘘，”在她上面，一个睡意蒙眬的声音说，“安静，好好睡觉吧，睡吧！别吵了，哦哈！” “好吧，我确定，”姬尔说，往山洞一边落地大钟顶上一团雪白的蓬松的羽毛瞧了一眼，“我敢说那准是葛林米费瑟！” “是的，是的，”猫头鹰呼噜呼噜地，一边说一边把脑袋从翅膀下伸出来，还睁开了一只眼睛，“两点钟的时候刚给王子送了一封信，是松鼠带来的。接着他就走了，你们也要去。再见……”那个脑袋又不见了。 看来是不可能从猫头鹰那里打听到什么了。姬尔赶紧起床看看能不能洗漱，然后吃点早饭。这时一只小羊怪踩着石板一溜小跑进来了。 “哎呀，您总算醒过来了，夏娃的女儿，”他说，“你最好叫醒亚当的儿子，你们很快就要出发。两匹人马前来带你们去凯尔帕拉维尔。”接着它悄声说道，“你们可要明白，骑人马可是一种前所未有的殊荣。我从来没听说有谁骑过人马，让它们久等不太好。” 尤斯塔斯和普德格勒姆被叫醒之后的第一件事就是问：“王子呢？” “他去凯尔帕拉维尔觐见他的父王去了，”那只叫沃伦斯的羊怪回答说，“陛下的船随时会抵达，据说国王刚走没多久就遇见了阿斯兰。我不知道是梦见的，还是真的碰到。阿斯兰叫他回来，说当他抵达纳尼亚的时候，就会看到自己失踪已久的儿子。” 尤斯塔斯也起来了，他和姬尔帮沃伦斯准备早餐。普德格勒姆遵照医嘱，安静地躺在床上。有个名叫劳德博斯的人是个有名的郎中， 或者说“医师”（沃伦斯这么称呼它），正准备给他治疗它那只被烧伤的脚。 “啊！”普德格勒姆几乎心满意足地说，“我想恐怕它要把我的腿齐膝截断，要不截掉才怪呢。”虽然这么说，他看起来还是开开心心地躺在床上的。 早餐是煎蛋和烤面包。尤斯塔斯狼吞虎咽的，就好像昨天半夜没吃那顿丰富的晚餐似的。 “我说，亚当的儿子，”羊怪说，看着尤斯塔斯这么狼吞虎咽的， 它有点害怕，“不用那么着急，吃得那么快。人马估计还没有吃完早饭呢。” “他们一定起得很晚，”尤斯塔斯说，“我敢说现在应该已经十点多了。” “噢，不，”沃伦斯说，“它们天不亮就起床了。” “那它们一定等了很久才吃饭。”尤斯塔斯说。 “不，它们没等，”沃伦斯说，“它们一醒来就开始吃了。” “天哪，”尤斯塔斯说，“他们要吃多少？” “怎么，亚当的儿子，难道你不知道？人马有一个人的胃和一个马的胃，两个胃都要填饱才行。因此它们要先吃点粥、然后是帕文德鱼、腰子、熏肉、煎蛋卷、冷火腿肉、烤面包片和果酱，喝点咖啡和啤酒。然后再照顾自己身上属于马的那部分，吃上一个多钟头的青草，最后再来点热面糊糊、燕麦和糖。要不怎么说邀请人马来度周末是件大事呢？确实是件天大的事！” 这时从洞口传来了马蹄声，两个孩子抬头看去，只见两个人马正站在那里等他们，黑胡子和金黄色的胡子飘拂在它们健壮光滑的胸脯上。人马正低着头往山洞里探望。两个孩子一下子变得很礼貌， 飞快地吃完早餐。不管是谁，看到人马都会这样的。因为人马是庄重而且威严的动物，他们满腹经纶，都是跟星星学来的。通常他们喜怒不形于色，但是一旦发作起来就会像海啸一样恐怖。 “再见，亲爱的普德格勒姆，”姬尔到沼泽怪床边说，“很抱歉我们叫你扫兴鬼。” “我也是，”尤斯塔斯说，“你是我们最好的朋友。” “真希望我们还能再见。”姬尔又说。 “老实说，这种机会不多，”普德格勒姆说，“我想我可能再也见不着自己的旧棚屋了。还有那个王子，他是个好人，不过你们认为他很强壮吗？我猜地下生活早就把他的健康毁了。他身体很虚弱， 随时都可能送命。” “普德格勒姆！”姬尔说，“你还真是扫兴！你那口气听起来就好像马上就要出席葬礼一样，但是我敢说你心里其实非常开心。听你说话好像你什么都害怕，其实你就像狮子一样勇敢。” “对了，提起葬礼……”普德格勒姆张口说。人马有点不耐烦的顿了顿脚，姬尔没等普德格勒姆说完，就突然出其不意地搂住他的细脖子，亲亲他泥土色的脸颊，尤斯塔斯也紧紧地握住了他的手。接着他们都奔人马去了。沼泽怪倒在床上，自言自语道：“天哪，就算我长得英俊，也没想到她竟然会来这一手。” 骑人马无疑是一种极大的荣耀，除了姬尔和尤斯塔斯，当今世界上恐怕再没有第三个人得到过这份荣耀，但是骑在上面一点都不舒服。而且没有人敢提出在人马身上放一个马鞍，而其在光滑的背上还真不好受的，尤其是对于像尤斯塔斯这种压根没学过骑马的人而言。 人马很有礼貌，或者说庄重又高雅，完全是一副成年人的态度。当他们慢慢经过纳尼亚的树林时，就开始滔滔不绝地说。他告诉两个孩子草药和根茎的性质、行星的影响、阿斯兰九个名字的含义等等。两个孩子的屁股颠得生疼。但是现在他们情愿付出任何代价，再来这么一次，看看雪后闪闪发亮的林间空地和山坡，跟路上的兔子、松鼠、鸟儿们道早安，呼吸纳尼亚的空气，听听纳尼亚树木的声音。 很快他们就到了下游，在阳光照映下，冬天的河水格外清澈。他们在最后一座桥下（就是舒适的红屋顶的小镇帕鲁纳附近那座）， 登上一艘大船，请船工或者说沼泽怪把他们送到对岸。在纳尼亚，只要和水有关，或沾点鱼腥味的活儿全都由沼泽怪负责。之后他们沿着南岸一路飞奔，很快就到了凯尔帕拉维尔。 他们刚到那儿，就看到了他们第一次来这里时看到的那艘颜色鲜艳的大船，它像一只大鸟一样从河里驶进港口。王室上下聚集在草坪上，热烈欢迎凯斯宾国王的归来。瑞利安王子早就换下了黑色的衣服，身上穿的是一件银色的盔甲，外面披着深红色的斗篷，头上什么也没戴，站在河岸边恭迎他的父亲。他身边是坐在那辆驴车里的小矮人杜鲁普金。两个孩子知道自己没法穿过人群回到王子身边，就算可以，他们也不敢上前。因此他们为了看到被人群挡住的一切，恳求人马让他们在背上多坐一会儿，人马毫不犹豫地答应了。 一阵响亮的号角声从水面传来，水手们扔过来一根缆绳。会说话的老鼠和沼泽怪把大船拴住，然后把船拖进港口，船一靠岸，老鼠们赶紧把跳板架上。人群中的乐师开始演奏庄重的凯旋音乐。 姬尔原以为会看到老国王走下跳板，结果并非如此。一位公爵脸色苍白地走上岸，向王子和杜鲁普金跪地行礼并报告了什么。虽然听不出来他们谈话的内容，但是看到三个人凑在一起窃窃私语，人们开始感到不安。不一会儿，在一片音乐中，四位骑士抬着什么东西， 从甲板上缓缓走过来。 他们走下跳板时，人们看到老国王躺在床上。他脸色灰白，一动也不动。王子跪在他身边拥抱他，人们看见凯斯宾国王举手祝福他的儿子，都开始欢呼起来，可是欢呼却是无精打采的，因为大家都感觉大事不好。果然没多久，国王的脑袋垂了下来，乐师停止了演奏， 四周一片寂静。王子跪倒在国王床前，伏在他身上恸哭起来。 周围开始一阵悄声细语，所有人都把帽子摘了，不管是软帽、头盔还是风帽，包括尤斯塔斯在内。随后在城堡上方也出现了一阵窸窸窣窣、哗啦哗啦的声音，姬尔抬头一看，那面有着金色狮王图案的大旗正在降成半旗。又过了一会儿，乐师又开始缓慢的演奏起来， 这次弦乐器像在哭泣，号角也在忧伤的哀鸣，这次演奏的，是令人心碎的哀乐。 两个孩子从人马身上溜了下来（他们并没有注意到）。 “真希望我待在家里。”姬尔说。 尤斯塔斯点点头，咬着嘴唇一言不发。 “我来了。”一个低沉的声音从他们身后响起。两人转过身， 看到了狮王，他浑身发着光，威武雄壮，让所有的一切都暗淡失色。转眼间，姬尔就忘记了纳尼亚国王的死，只记得自己害的尤斯塔斯摔下了悬崖，自己差点忘记了所有的指示不说，还不停地和伙伴吵架。她真想说“对不起”，可惜她说不出口。狮王用眼神把他们召到身边， 他俯下身，用舌头舔了舔他们苍白的脸。 “别想那些了。我不会责怪你们，你们已经完成了任务。” “阿斯兰，请问，”姬尔说，“我们现在是不是可以回家了？” “是啊，我这就带你们回去。”阿斯兰说，接着他张大嘴巴， 吹啊吹。这次他们可没有感觉到自己在空中飞，相反，他们似乎就留在原地，一步也没动。感觉阿斯兰那口风吹走了那艘船，吹走了死去的国王，吹走了城堡、冬雪和冬日的天空。所有一切就像一团烟雾一样在空中飘散。突然，他们发现自己站在柔软的草地上，沐浴着明媚的夏日阳光，周围有好多树，还有一条清澈的小溪。 他们这才发现，原来自己又回到阿斯兰大山山顶，那个耸立在纳尼亚世界尽头的地方。奇怪的是凯斯宾国王的哀乐仍然连绵不断， 没人知道这音乐是从哪里传来的。他们在小溪边行走，狮王走在前面。他那么美好，可音乐却令人肝肠寸断。姬尔不知道自己到底是为什么会两眼泪汪汪。 最终阿斯兰停住脚步，两个孩子凝视着小溪，底部金色碎石上， 躺着死去的凯斯宾国王。洁净的溪水淌过他的身上，他那长长的白色胡须在水中像水草一样漂浮。他们三个人站在那里不由自主伤心地哭了，就连狮王也不例外。伟大狮王的眼泪，每一颗都堪比最纯净的钻石，比世界上的一切都要珍贵。姬尔注意到尤斯塔斯哭的时候一点也不像小孩，也不像男孩子那样躲躲闪闪的，倒更像一个真正的男子汉。她认为这么评价非常到位。不过事实上，就像她所说的那样，在这里似乎没具体的年龄差异。 “亚当的儿子，”阿斯兰说，“到那边的灌木丛，找一根有刺的枝条给我。” 尤斯塔斯去了，很快他就拿了一根足有一英尺长，像双刃剑那样尖锐的刺。 “把尖刺扎进我的爪子里去，亚当的儿子。”阿斯兰说着，伸出他的右前爪，露出一大块足趾。 “非这么做不可吗？”尤斯塔斯说。 “是的。”阿斯兰说。 尤斯塔斯咬紧牙关，把刺扎进狮王的足趾，马上就流出了一大滴血，比你能想象到的红色还要红。 血滴在小溪中国王的尸体上，哀乐突然停了，国王的尸体发生了奇妙的变化。他的白胡子变成灰色，又变成黄色，而且越来越短， 最后竟然消失了。凹陷下去的脸颊凸成圆滚滚的，脸色好看了，皱纹也消失了。然后他睁开眼睛，笑容满面，一下子跳起来站在他们面前。这是一个年轻的男人，或者说男孩子。（姬尔说不上来是哪种，阿斯兰国家里的人是没有年龄差异的。当然这个世界中，最孩子气和最老成的，都是不正常的傻瓜）。他冲向阿斯兰，张大双臂搂住狮王的脖子， 并给了他一个有力的属于国王的吻，阿斯兰则还给了他一个属于狮王的充满野性的吻。 最后，凯斯宾转过身来看着两个孩子，这惊喜让他哈哈大笑起来。 “怎么是你呀，尤斯塔斯！”他说，“尤斯塔斯，你到底还是回来了。在海蛇身上砍断的那把剑——我的第二把好剑在哪呢？” 尤斯塔斯伸出双手迎上前，可是刚走一步他又退了回来。 “看，我说，”他结结巴巴地说，“都好着呢。不过，你不是…… 我的意思是，你难道不是……” “噢，别犯傻了。”凯斯宾说。 “但是，”尤斯塔斯疑惑地看着阿斯兰说，“他不是……嗯…… 已经死了吗？” “没错，”狮王平静地说，姬尔觉得他像是在笑，“他是死了。你们也知道，大多数人都死过，就连我也一样，没死过的人很少。” “哦，”凯斯宾说，“我知道了。你以为我是鬼，或其他什么邪恶的东西。难道你还不明白吗？要是我再出现在纳尼亚，我就是鬼。因为我已经不属于那里了。而且一个人是不能够在自己的地方变成鬼的。要是我在你们的世界倒行得通。我也不知道。但是我想那个世界也不再是你们的世界了。你们现在毕竟在这里。” 希望在两个孩子心中冉冉升起。而阿斯兰却摇了摇他那蓬松的大脑袋说：“不，亲爱的，你们再次在这里遇到的话，就必须住在这里了。不过不是现在，你们现在必须回到自己的世界。” “先生，”凯斯宾说，“我一直想看看他们的世界，难道不行吗？” “我的孩子，你既然已经死了，想做什么就做什么。”阿斯兰说， “你马上就要去他们的世界了——按他们的时间是五分钟。用这点时间把那里的事情纠正过来，完全足够。”接着阿斯兰向凯斯宾介绍了姬尔和尤斯塔斯的世界，包括实验学校的一切事情。现在他已经和他们一样熟悉那里的情况了。 “孩子，”阿斯兰对姬尔说，“到那边的灌木丛里去折一根树枝来。”她刚把树枝拿到手，它就变成了一根新马鞭。 “好了，亚当的儿子，抽出你们的宝剑。”阿斯兰说，“记住， 只能用剑背，因为我派你们去对付的只是胆小鬼和孩子，而不是武士。” “你要跟我们一起去吗，阿斯兰？”姬尔说。 “他们只能看到我的背。”阿斯兰说。 他带他们穿过树林，走了几步，实验学校的墙就出现了。阿斯兰怒吼起来，连天上的太阳都惊得发抖。眼前的墙壁瞬间坍塌了三十英尺宽，从这里他们看到了学校的灌木丛还有体育馆的屋顶，一切还跟之前的一样，被笼罩在阴沉的秋日里。阿斯兰转过身，冲着姬尔和尤斯塔斯吹了一口气，还用舌头舔了舔他们的前额。接着他躺在那个豁口上，金色的背对着英国，面对着自己的国土。 这时，姬尔看到几个熟悉的身影正从月桂树那边过来。那帮人几乎全过来了——奥黛拉?潘妮法瑟、乔蒙德利?梅杰，伊迪丝?温特布洛特，“雀斑”索纳，大个子班尼斯特，还有加勒特家两个讨厌的双胞胎。不料，他们突然全部停下了脚步，脸色大变，那种卑鄙、自负、残酷、诡诈的神情全部变成了恐怖的表情。他们看到那堵倒塌的墙，小象一样大小的狮子躺在上面，三个衣着华丽的人手中拿着武器向他们冲过来。 有了阿斯兰赋予的力量，姬尔狠狠的鞭打着那些坏姑娘，凯斯宾和尤斯塔斯则使劲挥舞着那些剑，用剑背用力击打那些坏男孩，两分钟不到，那些小恶霸就发疯一样逃命去了。一边跑，一边还大喊大叫道：“杀人了！你们这些法西斯！狮子！这不公平！”接着校长（顺便提一句，校长是个女的）跑出来想要看看到底出了什么事。她一看到断墙、狮子、凯斯宾、姬尔和尤斯塔斯（她没认出他们）就发了疯。她跑回屋里给警察打电话，编了一套鬼话，说狮子从马戏团逃跑了， 逃犯拿着剑砸倒了学校的墙等等。 姬尔和尤斯塔斯在混乱中溜进屋子，换掉华丽的服装，穿上普通的衣服，凯斯宾也回到了自己的世界。那堵墙也被阿斯兰恢复了原样。当警察到达时，什么也没有发现：没有狮子，没有断墙，也没有罪犯，只有一个发了疯的校长。于是警察对整个事件进行了彻底地调查，实验学校里面重重坏事都被揭发出来，差不多有十个人被开除。校长的朋友看出她不适合做校长，就把她调去做了督学管理其他学校的校长。后来，他们又发现她连这个工作也不在行，只好把她送进了议会，在那里她到过得还不错。 一天晚上，尤斯塔斯把他那些衣服偷偷埋在校园里，姬尔则把衣服带回家，并且在好几个节日的化装舞会上穿了起来。从那之后， 实验学校慢慢好转，变成了一所挺不错的学校。姬尔和尤斯塔斯一直都是非常好的朋友。 在遥远的纳尼亚，瑞利安国王安葬了他的父亲——航海家凯斯宾十世，并沉痛哀悼他。瑞利安把纳尼亚治理得很好，国家安泰、人民幸福。尽管普德格勒姆（他的脚在三个星期之后就完全好了）经常说“天有不测风云，人有旦夕祸福，人们不能指望好日子一直过下去。” 山坡上那个裂口一直保持着原样，纳尼亚人常常在炎热的夏季，提着灯笼坐着船在那里来回飘荡，在阴凉黑暗的幽深海洋上歌唱，传颂着这个传奇的故事。如果你有幸到纳尼亚，一定要去瞧瞧那些山洞啊。 CHAPTER ONE BEHIND THE GYM IT was a dull autumn day and Jill Pole was crying behind the gym. She was crying because they had been bullying her. This is not going to be a school story，so I shall say as little as possible about Jill’s school，which is not a pleasant subject. It was“co-educational”，a school for both boys and girls，what used to be called a“mixed”school；some said it was not nearly so mixed as the minds of the people who ran it. These people had the idea that boys and girls should be allowed to do what they liked. And unfortunately what ten or fifteen of the biggest boys and girls liked best was bullying the others. All sorts of things，horrid things， went on which at an ordinary school would have been found out and stopped in half a term；but at this school they weren’t. Or even if they were，the people who did them were not expelled or punished. The head said they were interesting psychological cases and sent for them and talked to them for hours. And if you knew the right sort of things to say to the head，the main result was that you became rather a favourite than otherwise. That was why Jill Pole was crying on that dull autumn day on the damp little path which runs between the back of the gym and the shrubbery. And she hadn’t nearly finished her cry when a boy came round the corner of the gym whistling，with his hands in his pockets. He nearly ran into her. “Can’t you look where you’re going ？”said Jill Pole. “All right,”said the boy，“you needn’t start—”and then he noticed her face. “I say，Pole, ”he said，“what’s up ？” Jill only made faces，the sort you make when you’re trying to say something but find that if you speak you’ll start crying again. “It’s them，I suppose—as usual，”said the boy grimly， digging his hands farther into his pockets. Jill nodded. There was no need for her to say anything，even if she could have said it. They both knew. “Now，look here,”said the boy，“there’s no good us all—” He meant well，but he did talk rather like someone beginning a lecture. Jill suddenly flew into a temper（which is quite a likely thing to happen if you have been interrupted in a cry）. “Oh，go away and mind your own business,”she said. “Nobody asked you to come barging in，did they ？ And you’re a nice person to start telling us what we all ought to do，aren’t you ？ I suppose you mean we ought to spend all our time sucking up to Them，and currying favour，and dancing attendance on them like you do.” “Oh，Lor ！”said the boy，sitting down on the grassy bank at the edge of the shrubbery and very quickly getting up again because the grass was soaking wet. His name unfortunately was Eustace Scrubb，but he wasn’t a bad sort. “Pole ！”he said. “Is that fair ？ Have I been doing anything of the sort this term ？ Didn’t I stand up to Carter about the rabbit ？ And didn’t I keep the secret about Spivvins—under torture too ？ And didn’t I—” “I d-don’t know and I don’t care,”sobbed Jill. Scrubb saw that she wasn’t quite herself yet and very sensibly offered her a peppermint. He had one too. Presently Jill began to see things in a clearer light. “I’m sorry，Scrubb,”she said presently. “I wasn’t fair. You have done all that—this term.” “Then wash out last term if you can,”said Eustace. “I was a different chap then. I was—gosh ！ What a little tick I was.” “Well，honestly，you were.”said Jill. “You think there has been a change，then ？”said Eustace. “It’s not only me,”said Jill. “Everyone’s been saying so. They’ve noticed it. Eleanor Blakiston heard Adela Pennyfather talking about it in our changing room yesterday. She said， ‘Someone’s got hold of that Scrubb kid. He’s quite unmanageable this term. We shall have to attend to him next. ’” Eustace gave a shudder. Everyone at Experiment House knew what it was like being“attended to” by them. Both children were quiet for a moment. The drops dripped off the laurel leaves. “Why were you so different last term ？”said Jill presently. “A lot of queer things happened to me in the hols,”said Eustace mysteriously. “What sort of things ？”asked Jill. Eustace didn’t say anything for quite a long time. Then he said： “Look here，Pole，you and I hate this place about as much as anybody can hate anything，don’t we ？” “I know I do,”said Jill. “Then I really think I can trust you.” “Dam’ good of you,”said Jill. “Yes，but this is a really terrific secret. Pole，I say，are you good at believing things ？ I mean things that everyone here would laugh at ？” “I’ve never had the chance,”said Jill，“but I think I would be.” “Could you believe me if I said I’d been right out of the world—outside this world—last hols ？ ” “I wouldn’t know what you meant.” “Well，don’t let’s bother about worlds then. Supposing I told you I’d been in a place where animals can talk and where there are—er—enchantments and dragons—and—well，all the sorts of things you have in fairy-tales.”Scrubb felt terribly awkward as he said this and got red in the face. “How did you get there ？”said Jill. She also felt curiously shy. “The only way you can—by Magic,”said Eustace almost in a whisper. “I was with two cousins of mine. We were just—whisked away. They’d been there before.” Now that they were talking in whispers Jill somehow felt it easier to believe. Then suddenly a horrible suspicion came over her and she said（so fiercely that for the moment she looked like a tigress）： “If I find you’ve been pulling my leg I’ll never speak to you again；never，never，never.” “I’m not,”said Eustace. “I swear I’m not. I swear by—by everything.” （When I was at school one would have said，“I swear by the Bible.”But Bibles were not encouraged at Experiment House.） “All right,”said Jill，“I’ll believe you.” “And tell nobody ？” “What do you take me for ？” They were very excited as they said this. But when they had said it and Jill looked round and saw the dull autumn sky and heard the drip off the leaves and thought of all the hopelessness of Experiment House（it was a thirteen-week term and there were still eleven weeks to come）she said： “But after all，what’s the good ？ We’re not there：we’re here. And we jolly well can’t get there. Or can we ？” “That’s what I’ve been wondering,”said Eustace. “When we came back from That Place，Someone said that the two Pevensie kids（that’s my two cousins）could never go there again. It was their third time，you see. I suppose they’ve had their share. But he never said I couldn’t. Surely he would have said so，unless he meant that I was to get back ？ And I can’t help wondering，can we—could we—？” “Do you mean，do something to make it happen ？” Eustace nodded. “You mean we might draw a circle on the ground—and write in queer letters in it—and stand inside it—and recite charms and spells ？” “Well,”said Eustace after he had thought hard for a bit. “I believe that was the sort of thing I was thinking of，though I never did it. But now that it comes to the point，I’ve an idea that all those circles and things are rather rot. I don’t think he’d like them. It would look as if we thought we could make him do things. But really，we can only ask him.” “Who is this person you keep on talking about ？” “They call him Aslan in That Place,”said Eustace. “What a curious name ！” “Not half so curious as himself,”said Eustace solemnly. “But let’s get on. It can’t do any harm，just asking. Let’s stand side by side，like this. And we’ll hold out our arms in front of us with the palms down：like they did in Ramandu’s island—” “Whose island ？” “I’ll tell you about that another time. And he might like us to face the east. Let’s see，where is the east ？” “I don’t know,”said Jill. “It’s an extraordinary thing about girls that they never know the points of the compass,”said Eustace. “You don’t know either,”said Jill indignantly. “Yes I do，if only you didn’t keep on interrupting. I’ve got it now. That’s the east，facing up into the laurels. Now，will you say the words after me ？” “What words ？ ”asked Jill. “The words I’m going to say，of course,”answered Eustace. “Now—” And he began，“Aslan，Aslan，Aslan ！” “Aslan，Aslan，Aslan,”repeated Jill. “Please let us two go into—” At that moment a voice from the other side of the gym was heard shouting out，“Pole ？ Yes. I know where she is. She’s blubbing behind the gym. Shall I fetch her out ？ ” Jill and Eustace gave one glance at each other，dived under the laurels，and began scrambling up the steep，earthy slope of the shrubbery at a speed which did them great credit. （Owing to the curious methods of teaching at Experiment House，one did not learn much French or Maths or Latin or things of that sort；but one did learn a lot about getting away quickly and quietly when they were looking for one. ） After about a minute’s scramble they stopped to listen，and knew by the noises they heard that they were being followed. “If only the door was open again ！”said Scrubb as they went on，and Jill nodded. For at the top of the shrubbery was a high stone wall and in that wall a door by which you could get out on to open moor. This door was nearly always locked. But there had been times when people had found it open；or perhaps there had been only one time. But you may imagine how the memory of even one time kept people hoping，and trying the door；for if it should happen to be unlocked it would be a splendid way of getting outside the school grounds without being seen. Jill and Eustace，now both very hot and very grubby from going along bent almost double under the laurels，panted up to the wall. And there was the door，shut as usual. “It’s sure to be no good,”said Eustace with his hand on the handle；and then，“O-o-oh. By Gum ！！”For the handle turned and the door opened. A moment before，both of them had meant to get through that doorway in double quick time，if by any chance the door was not locked. But when the door actually opened，they both stood stock still. For what they saw was quite different from what they had expected. They had expected to see the grey，heathery slope of the moor going up and up to join the dull autumn sky. Instead，a blaze of sunshine met them. It poured through the doorway as the light of a June day pours into a garage when you open the door. It made the drops of water on the grass glitter like beads and showed up the dirtiness of Jill’s tear-stained face. And the sunlight was coming from what certainly did look like a different world—what they could see of it. They saw smooth turf，smoother and brighter than Jill had ever seen before，and blue sky，and，darting to and fro， things so bright that they might have been jewels or huge butterflies. Although she had been longing for something like this，Jill felt frightened. She looked at Scrubb’s face and saw that he was frightened too. “Come on，Pole,”he said in a breathless voice. “Can we get back ？ Is it safe ？”asked Jill. At that moment a voice shouted from behind，a mean， spiteful little voice. “Now then，Pole,”it squeaked. “Everyone knows you’re there. Down you come.”It was the voice of Edith Jackle，not one of Them herself but one of their hangers-on and tale-bearers. “Quick ！”said Scrubb. “Here. Hold hands. We mustn’t get separated.”And before she quite knew what was happening，he had grabbed her hand and pulled her through the door，out of the school grounds，out of England，out of our whole world into That Place. The sound of Edith Jackle’s voice stopped as suddenly as the voice on the radio when it is switched off. Instantly there was a quite different sound all about them. It came from those bright things overhead，which now turned out to be birds. They were making a riotous noise，but it was much more like music—rather advanced music which you don’t quite take in at the first hearing— than birds’ songs ever are in our world. Yet，in spite of the singing，there was a sort of background of immense silence. That silence，combined with the freshness of the air，made Jill think they must be on the top of a very high mountain. Scrubb still had her by the hand and they were walking forward，staring about them on every side. Jill saw that huge trees，rather like cedars but bigger，grew in every direction. But as they did not grow close together，and as there was no undergrowth，this did not prevent one from seeing a long way into the forest to left and right. And as far as Jill’s eye could reach， it was all the same—level turf，darting birds with yellow， or dragonfly blue，or rainbow plumage，blue shadows，and emptiness. There was not a breath of wind in that cool，bright air. It was a very lonely forest. Right ahead there were no trees：only blue sky. They went straight on without speaking till suddenly Jill heard Scrubb say， “Look out ！ ”and felt herself jerked back. They were at the very edge of a cliff. Jill was one of those lucky people who have a good head for heights. She didn’t mind in the least standing on the edge of a precipice. She was rather annoyed with Scrubb for pulling her back—“just as if I was a kid”，she said—and she wrenched her hand out of his. When she saw how very white he had turned，she despised him. “What’s the matter ？”she said. And to show that she was not afraid，she stood very near the edge indeed；in fact，a good deal nearer than even she liked. Then she looked down. She now realized that Scrubb had some excuse for looking white，for no cliff in our world is to be compared with this. Imagine yourself at the top of the very highest cliff you know. And imagine yourself looking down to the very bottom. And then imagine that the precipice goes on below that，as far again，ten times as far，twenty times as far. And when you’ve looked down all that distance imagine little white things that might，at first glance，be mistaken for sheep，but presently you realize that they are clouds—not little wreaths of mist but the enormous white， puffy clouds which are themselves as big as most mountains. And at last，in between those clouds，you get your first glimpse of the real bottom，so far away that you can’t make out whether it’s field or wood，or land or water：farther below those clouds than you are above them. Jill stared at it. Then she thought that perhaps，after all，she would step back a foot or so from the edge；but she didn’t like to for fear of what Scrubb would think. Then she suddenly decided that she didn’t care what he thought，and that she would jolly well get away from that horrible edge and never laugh at anyone for not liking heights again. But when she tried to move，she found she couldn’t. Her legs seemed to have turned into putty. Everything was swimming before her eyes. “What are you doing，Pole ？ Come back—blithering little idiot ！”shouted Scrubb. But his voice seemed to he coming from a long way off. She felt him grabbing at her. But by now she had no control over her own arms and legs. There was a moment’s struggling on the cliff edge. Jill was too frightened and dizzy to know quite what she was doing，but two things she remembered as long as she lived（they often came back to her in dreams）. One was that she had wrenched herself free of Scrubb’s clutches； the other was that，at the same moment，Scrubb himself，with a terrified scream，had lost his balance and gone hurtling to the depths. Fortunately，she was given no time to think over what she had done. Some huge，brightly coloured animal had rushed to the edge of the cliff. It was lying down，leaning over；and（this was the odd thing）blowing. Not roaring or snorting，but just blowing from its wide-opened mouth；blowing out as steadily as a vacuum cleaner sucks in. Jill was lying so close to the creature that she could feel the breath vibrating steadily through its body. She was lying still because she couldn’t get up. She was nearly fainting： indeed，she wished she could really faint，but faints don’t come for the asking. At last she saw，far away below her，a tiny black speck floating away from the cliff and slightly upwards. As it rose，it also got farther away. By the time it was nearly on a level with the cliff-top it was so far off that she lost sight of it. It was obviously moving away from them at a great speed. Jill couldn’t help thinking that the creature at her side was blowing it away. So she turned and looked at the creature. It was a lion. CHAPTER TWO JILL IS GIVEN A TASK WITHOUT a glance at Jill the lion rose to its feet and gave one last blow. Then，as if satisfied with its work，it turned and stalked slowly away，back into the forest. “It must be a dream，it must，it must,”said Jill to herself. “I’ll wake up in a moment.”But it wasn’t，and she didn’t. “I do wish we’d never come to this dreadful place,”said Jill. “I don’t believe Scrubb knew any more about it than I do. Or if he did，he had no business to bring me here without warning me what it was like. It’s not my fault he fell over that cliff. If he’d left me alone we should both be all right.”Then she remembered again the scream that Scrubb had given when he fell，and burst into tears. Crying is all right in its way while it lasts. But you have to stop sooner or later，and then you still have to decide what to do. When Jill stopped，she found she was dreadfully thirsty. She had been lying face downward，and now she sat up. The birds had ceased singing and there was perfect silence except for one small，persistent sound，which seemed to come from a good distance away. She listened carefully，and felt almost sure it was the sound of running water. Jill got up and looked round her very carefully. There was no sign of the lion；but there were so many trees about that it might easily be quite close without her seeing it. For all she knew，there might be several lions. But her thirst was very bad now，and she plucked up her courage to go and look for that running water. She went on tiptoes，stealing cautiously from tree to tree，and stopping to peer round her at every step. The wood was so still that it was not difficult to decide where the sound was coming from. It grew clearer every moment and， sooner than she expected，she came to an open glade and saw the stream，bright as glass，running across the turf a stone’s throw away from her. But although the sight of the water made her feel ten times thirstier than before，she didn’t rush forward and drink. She stood as still as if she had been turned into stone，with her mouth wide open. And she had a very good reason；just on this side of the stream lay the lion. It lay with its head raised and its two fore-paws out in front of it，like the lions in Trafalgar Square. She knew at once that it had seen her，for its eyes looked straight into hers for a moment and then turned away—as if it knew her quite well and didn’t think much of her. “If I run away，it’ll be after me in a moment,”thought Jill. “And if I go on，I shall run straight into its mouth.”Anyway，she couldn’t have moved if she had tried，and she couldn’t take her eyes off it. How long this lasted，she could not be sure；it seemed like hours. And the thirst became so bad that she almost felt she would not mind being eaten by the lion if only she could be sure of getting a mouthful of water first. “If you’re thirsty，you may drink.” They were the first words she had heard since Scrubb had spoken to her on the edge of the cliff. For a second she stared here and there，wondering who had spoken. Then the voice said again，“If you are thirsty，come and drink,”and of course she remembered what Scrubb had said about animals talking in that other world， and realized that it was the lion speaking. Anyway，she had seen its lips move this time，and the voice was not like a man’s. It was deeper，wilder，and stronger；a sort of heavy，golden voice. It did not make her any less frightened than she had been before，but it made her frightened in rather a different way. “Are you not thirsty ？”said the Lion. “I’m dying of thirst，”said Jill. “Then drink，”said the Lion. “May I—could I—would you mind going away while I do ？”said Jill. The Lion answered this only by a look and a very low growl. And as Jill gazed at its motionless bulk，she realized that she might as well have asked the whole mountain to move aside for her convenience. The delicious rippling noise of the stream was driving her nearly frantic. “Will you promise not to—do anything to me，if I do come ？”said Jill. “I make no promise,”said the Lion. Jill was so thirsty now that，without noticing it，she had come a step nearer. “Do you eat girls ？”she said. “I have swallowed up girls and boys，women and men， kings and emperors，cities and realms,”said the Lion. It didn’t say this as if it were boasting，nor as if it were sorry，nor as if it were angry. It just said it. “I daren’t come and drink,”said Jill. “Then you will die of thirst,”said the Lion. “Oh dear ！”said Jill，coming another step nearer. “I suppose I must go and look for another stream then.” “There is no other stream,”said the Lion. It never occurred to Jill to disbelieve the Lion—no one who had seen his stern face could do that—and her mind suddenly made itself up. It was the worst thing she had ever had to do，but she went forward to the stream，knelt down，and began scooping up water in her hand. It was the coldest，most refreshing water she had ever tasted. You didn’t need to drink much of it，for it quenched your thirst at once. Before she tasted it she had been intending to make a dash away from the Lion the moment she had finished. Now，she realized that this would be on the whole the most dangerous thing of all. She got up and stood there with her lips still wet from drinking. “Come here,”said the Lion. And she had to. She was almost between its front paws now，looking straight into its face. But she couldn’t stand that for long；she dropped her eyes. “Human Child,”said the Lion. “Where is the Boy ？” “He fell over the cliff,”said Jill，and added，“Sir.”She didn’t know what else to call him，and it sounded cheek to call him nothing. “How did he come to do that，Human Child ？” “He was trying to stop me from falling，Sir.” “Why were you so near the edge，Human Child ？” “I was showing off，Sir.” “That is a very good answer，Human Child. Do so no more.” And now（here for the first time the Lion’s face became a little less stern）“the boy is safe. I have blown him to Narnia. But your task will be the harder because of what you have done.” “Please，what task，Sir ？”said Jill. “The task for which I called you and him here out of your own world.” This puzzled Jill very much. “It’s mistaking me for someone else,”she thought. She didn’t dare to tell the Lion this，though she felt things would get into a dreadful muddle unless she did. “Speak your thought，Human Child,”said the Lion. “I was wondering—I mean—could there be some mistake ？ Because nobody called me and Scrubb，you know. It was we who asked to come here. Scrubb said we were to call to—to Somebody-it was a name I wouldn’t know-and perhaps the Somebody would let us in. And we did，and then we found the door open.” “You would not have called to me unless I had been calling to you,”said the Lion. “Then you are Somebody，Sir ？”said Jill. “I am. And now hear your task. Far from here in the land of Narnia there lives an aged king who is sad because he has no prince of his blood to be king after him. He has no heir because his only son was stolen from him many years ago，and no one in Narnia knows where that prince went or whether he is still alive. But he is. I lay on you this command，that you seek this lost prince until either you have found him and brought him to his father’s house， or else died in the attempt，or else gone back into your own world.” “How，please ？”said Jill. “I will tell you，Child,”said the Lion. “These are the signs by which I will guide you in your quest. First；as soon as the Boy Eustace sets foot in Narnia，he will meet an old and dear friend. He must greet that friend at once；if he does，you will both have good help. Second；you must journey out of Narnia to the north till you come to the ruined city of the ancient giants. Third；you shall find a writing on a stone in that ruined city，and you must do what the writing tells you. Fourth；you will know the lost prince（if you find him）by this，that he will be the first person you have met in your travels who will ask you to do something in my name，in the name of Aslan.” As the Lion seemed to have finished，Jill thought she should say something. So she said，“Thank you very much. I see.” “Child,”said Aslan，in a gentler voice than he had yet used，“perhaps you do not see quite as well as you think. But the first step is to remember. Repeat to me，in order，the four signs.” Jill tried，and didn’t get them quite right. So the Lion corrected her，and made her repeat them again and again till she could say them perfectly. He was very patient over this，so that， when it was done，Jill plucked up courage to ask： “Please，how am I to get to Narnia ？ ” “On my breath,”said the Lion. “I will blow you into the west of the world as I blew Eustace.” “Shall I catch him in time to tell him the first sign ？ But I suppose it won’t matter. If he sees an old friend，he’s sure to go and speak to him，isn’t he ？” “You will have no time to spare,”said the Lion. “That is why I must send you at once. Come. Walk before me to the edge of the cliff.” Jill remembered very well that if there was no time to spare， that was her own fault. “If I hadn’t made such a fool of myself， Scrubb and I would have been going together. And he’d have heard all the instructions as well as me,”she thought. So she did as she was told. It was very alarming walking back to the edge of the cliff，especially as the Lion did not walk with her but behind her— making no noise on his soft paws. But long before she had got anywhere near the edge，the voice behind her said，“Stand still. In a moment I will blow. But， first，remember，remember，remember the signs. Say them to yourself when you wake in the morning and when you lie down at night，and when you wake in the middle of the night. And whatever strange things may happen to you，let nothing turn your mind from following the signs. And secondly，I give you a warning. Here on the mountain I have spoken to you clearly： I will not often do so down in Narnia. Here on the mountain，the air is clear and your mind is clear；as you drop down into Narnia， the air will thicken. Take great care that it does not confuse your mind. And the signs which you have learned here will not look at all as you expect them to look，when you meet them there. That is why it is so important to know them by heart and pay no attention to appearances. Remember the signs and believe the signs. Nothing else matters. And now，daughter of Eve，farewell—” The voice had been growing softer towards the end of this speech and now it faded away altogether. Jill looked behind her. To her astonishment she saw the cliff already more than a hundred yards behind her，and the Lion himself a speck of bright gold on the edge of it. She had been setting her teeth and clenching her fists for a terrible blast of lion’s breath；but the breath had really been so gentle that she had not even noticed the moment at which she left the earth. And now，there was nothing but air for thousands upon thousands of feet below her. She felt frightened only for a second. For one thing，the world beneath her was so very far away that it seemed to have nothing to do with her. For another，floating on the breath of the Lion was so extremely comfortable. She found she could lie on her back or on her face and twist any way she pleased，just as you can in water（if you’ve learned to float really well）. And because she was moving at the same pace as the breath，there was no wind，and the air seemed beautifully warm. It was not in the least like being in an aeroplane，because there was no noise and no vibration. If Jill had ever been in a balloon she might have thought it more like that； only better. When she looked back now she could take in for the first time the real size of the mountain she was leaving. She wondered why a mountain so huge as that was not covered with snow and ice—“but I suppose all that sort of thing is different in this world,”thought Jill. Then she looked below her；but she was so high that she couldn’t make out whether she was floating over land or sea，nor what speed she was going at. “By Jove ！ The signs ！”said Jill suddenly. “I’d better repeat them.”She was in a panic for a second or two，but she found she could still say them all correctly. “So that’s all right,”she said，and lay back on the air as if it was a sofa，with a sigh of contentment. “Well，I do declare,”said Jill to herself some hours later，“I’ve been asleep. Fancy sleeping on air. I wonder if anyone’s done it before. I don’t suppose they have. Oh bother—Scrubb probably has ！ On this same journey，a little bit before me. Let’s see what it looks like down below.” What it looked like was an enormous，very dark blue plain. There were no hills to be seen；but there were biggish white things moving slowly across it. “Those must be clouds,”she thought. “But far bigger than the ones we saw from the cliff. I suppose they’re bigger because they’re nearer. I must be getting lower. Bother this sun.” The sun which had been high overhead when she began her journey was now getting into her eyes. This meant that it was getting lower，ahead of her. Scrubb was quite right in saying that Jill（I don’t know about girls in general）didn’t think much about points of the compass. Otherwise she would have known，when the sun began getting in her eyes，that she was travelling pretty nearly due west. Staring at the blue plain below her，she presently noticed that there were little dots of brighter，paler colour in it here and there. “It’s the sea ！”thought Jill. “I do believe those are islands.”And so they were. She might have felt rather jealous if she had known that some of them were islands which Scrubb had seen from a ship’s deck and even landed on；but she didn’t know this. Then，later on，she began to see that there were little wrinkles on the blue flatness：little wrinkles which must be quite big ocean waves if you were down among them. And now，all along the horizon there was a thick dark line which grew thicker and darker so quickly that you could see it growing. That was the first sign she had had of the great speed at which she was travelling. And she knew that the thickening line must be land. Suddenly from her left（for the wind was in the south）a great white cloud came rushing towards her，this time on the same level as herself. And before she knew where she was，she had shot right into the middle of its cold，wet fogginess. That took her breath away，but she was in it only for a moment. She came out blinking in the sunlight and found her clothes wet. （She had on a blazer and sweater and shorts and stockings and pretty thick shoes；it had been a muddy sort of day in England.）She came out lower than she had gone in；and as soon as she did so she noticed something which，I suppose，she ought to have been expecting， but which came as a surprise and a shock. It was Noises. Up till then she had travelled in total silence. Now，for the first time， she heard the noise of waves and the crying of seagulls. And now， too，she smelled the smell of the sea. There was no mistake about her speed now. She saw two waves meet with a smack and a spout of foam go up between them；but she had hardly seen it before it was a hundred yards behind her. The land was getting nearer at a great pace. She could see mountains far inland，and other nearer mountains on her left. She could see bays and headlands，woods and fields，stretches of sandy beach. The sound of waves breaking on the shore was growing louder every second and drowning the other sea noises. Suddenly the land opened right ahead of her. She was coming to the mouth of a river. She was very low now，only a few feet above the water. A wave-top came against her toe and a great splash of foam spurted up，drenching her nearly to the waist. Now she was losing speed. Instead of being carried up the river she was gliding in to the river bank on her left. There were so many things to notice that she could hardly take them all in；a smooth，green lawn，a ship so brightly coloured that it looked like an enormous piece of jewellery，towers and battlements，banners fluttering in the air，a crowd，gay clothes，armour，gold，swords，a sound of music. But this was all jumbled. The first thing that she knew clearly was that she had alighted and was standing under a thicket of trees close by the river side，and there，only a few feet away from her，was Scrubb. The first thing she thought was how very grubby and untidy and generally unimpressive he looked. And the second was“How wet I am ！” CHAPTER THREE THE SAILING OF THE KING WHAT made Scrubb look so dingy（and Jill too，if she could only have seen herself）was the splendour of their surroundings. I had better describe them at once. Through a cleft in those mountains which Jill had seen far inland as she approached the land，the sunset light was pouring over a level lawn. On the far side of the lawn，its weather-vanes glittering in the light，rose a many-towered and many-turreted castle；the most beautiful castle Jill had ever seen. On the near side was a quay of white marble and，moored to this，the ship：a tall ship with high forecastle and high poop，gilded and crimson，with a great flag at the mast-head，and many banners waving from the decks，and a row of shields，bright as silver，along the bulwarks. The gang-plank was laid to her，and at the foot of it，just ready to go on board，stood an old，old man. He wore a rich mantle of scarlet which opened in front to show his silver mail shirt. There was a thin circlet of gold on his head. His beard，white as wool，fell nearly to his waist. He stood straight enough，leaning one hand on the shoulder of a richly dressed lord who seemed younger than himself：but you could see he was very old and frail. He looked as if a puff of wind could blow him away，and his eyes were watery. Immediately in front of the King—who had turned round to speak to his people before going on board the ship—there was a little chair on wheels，and，harnessed to it，a little donkey：not much bigger than a big retriever. In this chair sat a fat little dwarf. He was as richly dressed as the King，but because of his fatness and because he was sitting hunched up among cushions，the effect was quite different：it made him look like a shapeless little bundle of fur and silk and velvet. He was as old as the King，but more hale and hearty，with very keen eyes. His bare head，which was bald and extremely large，shone like a gigantic billiard ball in the sunset light. Farther back，in a half-circle，stood what Jill at once knew to be the courtiers. They were well worth looking at for their clothes and armour alone. As far as that went，they looked more like a flower-bed than a crowd. But what really made Jill open her eyes and mouth as wide as they would go，was the people themselves. If“people”was the right word. For only about one in every five was human. The rest were things you never see in our world. Fauns， satyrs，centaurs：Jill could give a name to these，for she had seen pictures of them. Dwarfs too. And there were a lot of animals she knew as well；bears，badgers，moles，leopards，mice，and various birds. But then they were so very different from the animals which one called by the same names in England. Some of them were much bigger—the mice，for instance，stood on their hind legs and were over two feet high. But quite apart from that，they all looked different. You could see by the expression in their faces that they could talk and think just as well as you could. “Golly ！”thought Jill. “So it’s true after all.”But next moment she added，“I wonder are they friendly ？”For she had just noticed， on the outskirts of the crowd，one or two giants and some people whom she couldn’t give a name to at all. At that moment Aslan and the signs rushed back into her mind. She had forgotten all about them for the last half-hour. “Scrubb ！”she whispered，grabbing his arm. “Scrubb， quick ！ Do you see anyone you know ？” “So you’ve turned up again，have you ？”said Scrubb disagreeably（for which he had some reason）. “Well，keep quiet，can’t you ？ I want to listen.” “Don’t be a fool,”said Jill. “There isn’t a moment to lose. Don’t you see some old friend here ？ Because you’ve got to go and speak to him at once.” “What are you talking about ？”said Scrubb. “It’s Aslan—the Lion—says you’ve got to,”said Jill despairingly. “I’ve seen him.” “Oh，you have，have you ？ What did he say ？” “He said the very first person you saw in Narnia would be an old friend，and you’d got to speak to him at once.” “Well，there’s nobody here I’ve ever seen in my life before；and anyway，I don’t know whether this is Narnia.” “Thought you said you’d been here before,”said Jill. “Well，you thought wrong then.” “Well，I like that ！ You told me—” “For heaven’s sake dry up and let’s hear what they’re saying.” The King was speaking to the Dwarf，but Jill couldn’t hear what he said. And，as far as she could make out，the Dwarf made no answer，though he nodded and wagged his head a great deal. Then the King raised his voice and addressed the whole court：but his voice was so old and cracked that she could understand very little of his speech—especially since it was all about people and places she had never heard of. When the speech was over，the King stooped down and kissed the Dwarf on both cheeks，straightened himself， raised his right hand as if in blessing，and went，slowly and with feeble steps，up the gangway and on board the ship. The courtiers appeared to be greatly moved by his departure. Handkerchiefs were got out，sounds of sobbing were heard in every direction. The gangway was cast off，trumpets sounded from the poop，and the ship moved away from the quay. （It was being towed by a rowing-boat，but Jill didn’t see that.） “Now—”said Scrubb，but he didn’t get any farther，because at that moment a large white object—Jill thought for a second that it was a kite—came gliding through the air and alighted at his feet. It was a white owl，but so big that it stood as high as a good-sized dwarf. It blinked and peered as if it were short-sighted，and put its head a little on one side，and said in a soft，hooting kind of voice： “Tu-whoo，tu-whoo ！ Who are you two ？” “My name’s Scrubb，and this is Pole,”said Eustace. “Would you mind telling us where we are ？” “In the land of Narnia，at the King’s castle of Cair Paravel.” “Is that the King who’s just taken ship ？” “Too true，too true,”said the Owl sadly，shaking its big head. “But who are you ？ There’s something magic about you two. I saw you arrive：you flew. Everyone else was so busy seeing the King off that nobody knew. Except me. I happened to notice you， you flew.” “We were sent here by Aslan,”said Eustace in a low voice. “Tu-whoo，tu-whoo ！”said the Owl，ruffling out its feathers. “This is almost too much for me，so early in the evening. I’m not quite myself till the sun’s down.” “And we’ve been sent to find the lost Prince,”said Jill，who had been anxiously waiting to get into the conversation. “It’s the first I’ve heard about it,”said Eustace. “What prince ？” “You had better come and speak to the Lord Regent at once,”it said. “That’s him，over there in the donkey carriage；Trumpkin the Dwarf.”The bird turned and began leading the way，muttering to itself，“Whoo ！ Tu-whoo ！ What a to-do ！ I can’t think clearly yet. It’s too early.” “What is the King’s name ？ ”asked Eustace. “Caspian the Tenth,”said the Owl. And Jill wondered why Scrubb had suddenly pulled up short in his walk and turned an extraordinary colour. She thought she had never seen him look so sick about anything. But before she had time to ask any questions they had reached the dwarf，who was just gathering up the reins of his donkey and preparing to drive back to the castle. The crowd of courtiers had broken up and were going in the same direction， by ones and twos and little knots，like people coming away from watching a game or a race. “Tu-whoo ！ Ahem ！ Lord Regent,”said the Owl，stooping down a little and holding its beak near the Dwarf’s ear. “Heh ？ What’s that ？”said the Dwarf. “Two strangers，my lord,”said the Owl. “Rangers ！ What d’ye mean ？”said the Dwarf. “I see two uncommonly grubby man-cubs. What do they want ？” “My name’s Jill,”said Jill，pressing forward. She was very eager to explain the important business on which they had come. “The girl’s called Jill,”said the Owl，as loud as it could. “What’s that ？”said the Dwarf. “The girls are all killed ！ I don’t believe a word of it. What girls ？ Who killed’em ？” “Only one girl，my lord,”said the Owl. “Her name is Jill.” “Speak up，speak up,”said the Dwarf. “Don’t stand there buzzing and twittering in my ear. Who’s been killed ？” “Nobody’s been killed,”hooted the Owl. “Who ？” “Nobody.” all that. What do you mean by coming here to tell me that nobody’s been killed ？ Why should anyone have been killed ？” “Better tell him I’m Eustace,”said Scrubb. “The boy’s Eustace，my lord，”hooted the Owl as loud as it could. “Useless ？”said the Dwarf irritably. “I dare say he is. Is that any reason for bringing him to court ？ Hey ？” “Not useless,”said the Owl. “Eustace.” “Used to it，is he ？ I don’t know what you’re talking about， I’m sure. I tell you what it is，Master Glimfeather；when I was a young Dwarf there used to be talking beasts and birds in this country who really could talk. There wasn’t all this mumbling and muttering and whispering. It wouldn’t have been tolerated for a moment. Not for a moment，Sir. Urnus，my trumpet please—” A little Faun who had been standing quietly beside the Dwarf’s elbow all this time now handed him a silver eartrumpet. It was made like the musical instrument called a serpent，so that the tube curled right round the Dwarf’s neck. While he was getting it settled the Owl，Glimfeather，suddenly said to the children in a whisper：“My brain’s a bit clearer now. Don’t say anything about the lost Prince. I’ll explain later. It wouldn’t do，wouldn’t do， Tu-Whoo ！ Oh what a to-do ！” “Now,”said the Dwarf，“if you have anything sensible to say，Master Glimfeather，try and say it. Take a deep breath and don’t attempt to speak too quickly.” With help from the children，and in spite of a fit of coughing on the part of the Dwarf，Glimfeather explained that the strangers had been sent by Aslan to visit the court of Narnia. The Dwarf glanced quickly up at them with a new expression in his eyes. “Sent by the Lion Himself，hey ？”he said. “And from— m’m—from that other Place—beyond the world’s end，hey ？” “Yes，my lord,”bawled Eustace into the trumpet. “Son of Adam and Daughter of Eve，hey ？ ”said the Dwarf. But people at Experiment House haven’t heard of Adam and Eve， so Jill and Eustace couldn’t answer this. But the Dwarf didn’t seem to notice. “Well，my dears,”he said，taking first one and then the other by the hand and bowing his head a little. “You are very heartily welcome. If the good King，my poor Master，had not this very hour set sail for Seven Isles，he would have been glad of your coming. It would have brought back his youth to him for a moment—for a moment. And now，it is high time for supper. You shall tell me your business in full council tomorrow morning. Master Glimfeather，see that bedchambers and suitable clothes and all else are provided for these guests in the most honourable fashion. And—Glimfeather—in your ear—” Here the Dwarf put his mouth close to the Owl’s head and， no doubt，intended to whisper：but，like other deaf people， he wasn’t a very good judge of his own voice，and both children heard him say，“See that they’re properly washed.” After that，the Dwarf touched up his donkey and it set off towards the castle at something between a trot and a waddle（it was a very fat little beast），while the Faun，the Owl，and the children followed at a rather slower pace. The sun had set and the air was growing cool. They went across the lawn and then through an orchard and so to the North Gate of Cair Paravel，which stood wide open. Inside，they found a grassy courtyard. Lights were already showing from the windows of the great hall on their right and from a more complicated mass of buildings straight ahead. Into these the Owl led them，and there a most delightful person was called to look after Jill. She was not much taller than Jill herself，and a good deal slenderer，but obviously full grown，graceful as a willow，and her hair was willowy too，and there seemed to be moss in it. She brought Jill to a round room in one of the turrets，where there was a little bath sunk in the floor and a fire of sweet-smelling woods burning on the flat hearth and a lamp hanging by a silver chain from the vaulted roof. The window looked west into the strange land of Narnia，and Jill saw the red remains of the sunset still glowing behind distant mountains. It made her long for more adventures and feel sure that this was only the beginning. When she had had her bath，and brushed her hair，and put on the clothes that had been laid out for her—they were the kind that not only felt nice，but looked nice and smelled nice and made nice sounds when you moved as well—she would have gone back to gaze out of that exciting window，but she was interrupted by a bang on the door. “Come in,”said Jill. And in came Scrubb，also bathed and splendidly dressed in Narnian clothes. But his face didn’t look as if he were enjoying it. “Oh，here you are at last,”he said crossly，flinging himself into a chair. “I’ve been trying to find you for ever so long.” “Well，now you have,”said Jill. “I say，Scrubb，isn’t it all simply too exciting and scrumptious for words.”She had forgotten all about the signs and the lost Prince for the moment. “Oh ！ That’s what you think，is it ？”said Scrubb，and then， after a pause，“I wish to goodness we’d never come.” “Why on earth ？” “I can’t bear it,”said Scrubb. “Seeing the King—Caspian—a doddering old man like that. It’s—it’s frightful.” “Why，what harm does it do you ？” “Oh，you don’t understand. Now that I come to think of it， you couldn’t. I didn’t tell you that this world has a different time from ours.” “How do you mean ？” “The time you spend here doesn’t take up any of our time. Do you see ？ I mean，however long we spend here，we shall still get back to Experiment House at the moment we left it—” “That won’t be much fun—” “Oh，dry up ！ Don’t keep interrupting. And when you’re back in England—in our world—you can’t tell how time is going here. It might be any number of years in Narnia while we’re having one year at home. The Pevensies explained it all to me，but，like a fool，I forgot about it. And now apparently it’s been about seventy years—Narnian years—since I was here last. Do you see now ？ And I come back and find Caspian an old，old man.” “Then the King was an old friend of yours ！”said Jill. A horrid thought had struck her. “I should jolly well think he was,”said Scrubb miserably. “About as good a friend as a chap could have. And last time he was only a few years older than me. And to see that old man with a white beard，and to remember Caspian as he was the morning we captured the Lone Islands，or in the fight with the Sea Serpent— oh，it’s frightful. It’s worse than coming back and finding him dead.” “Oh，shut up,”said Jill impatiently. “It’s far worse than you think. We’ve muffed the first Sign.”Of course Scrubb did not understand this. Then Jill told him about her conversation with Aslan and the four signs and the task of finding the lost prince which had been laid upon them. “So you see,”she wound up，“you did see an old friend，just as Aslan said，and you ought to have gone and spoken to him at once. And now you haven’t，and everything is going wrong from the very beginning.” “But how was I to know ？”said Scrubb. “If you’d only listened to me when I tried to tell you，we’d be all right,”said Jill. “Yes，and if you hadn’t played the fool on the edge of that cliff and jolly nearly murdered me—all right，I said murder，and I’ll say it again as often as I like，so keep your hair on—we’d have come together and both known what to do.” “I suppose he was the first person you saw ？”said Jill. “You must have been here hours before me. Are you sure you didn’t see anyone else first ？” “I was only here about a minute before you,”said Scrubb. “He must have blown you quicker than me. Making up for lost time： the time you lost.” “Don’t be a perfect beast，Scrubb,”said Jill. “Hallo ！ What’s that ？” It was the castle bell ringing for supper，and thus what looked like turning into a first-rate quarrel was happily cut short. Both had a good appetite by this time. Supper in the great hall of the castle was the most splendid thing either of them had ever seen；for though Eustace had been in that world before，he had spent his whole visit at sea and knew nothing of the glory and courtesy of the Narnians at home in their own land. The banners hung from the roof，and each course came in with trumpeters and kettledrums. There were soups that would make your mouth water to think of，and the lovely fishes called pavenders，and venison and peacock and pies，and ices and jellies and fruit and nuts，and all manner of wines and fruit drinks. Even Eustace cheered up and admitted that it was“something like”. And when all the serious eating and drinking was over，a blind poet came forward and struck up the grand old tale of Prince Cor and Aravis and the horse Bree，which is called The Horse and his Boy and tells of an adventure that happened in Narnia and Calormen and the lands between，in the Golden Age when Peter was High King in Cair Paravel. （I haven’t time to tell it now，though it is well worth hearing.） When they were dragging themselves upstairs to bed，yawning their heads off，Jill said，“I bet we sleep well tonight”；for it had been a full day. Which just shows how little anyone knows what is going to happen to them next. CHAPTER FOUR A PARLIAMENT OF OWLS IT is a very funny thing that the sleepier you are，the longer you take about getting to bed；especially if you are lucky enough to have a fire in your room. Jill felt she couldn’t even start undressing unless she sat down in front of the fire for a bit first. And once she had sat down，she didn’t want to get up again. She had already said to herself about five times，“I must go to bed”，when she was startled by a tap on the window. She got up，pulled the curtain，and at first saw nothing but darkness. Then she jumped and started backwards，for something very large had dashed itself against the window，giving a sharp tap on the glass as. it did so. A very unpleasant idea came into her head—“Suppose they have giant moths in this country ！ Ugh ！”But then the thing came back，and this time she was almost sure she saw a beak，and that the beak had made that tapping noise. “It’s some huge bird,”thought Jill. “Could it be an eagle ？”She didn’t very much want a visit even from an eagle，but she opened the window and looked out. Instantly，with a great whirring noise，the creature alighted on the window-sill and stood there filling up the whole window，so that Jill had to step back to make room for it. It was the Owl. “Hush，hush ！ Tu-whoo，tu-whoo,”said the Owl. “Don’t make a noise. Now，are you two really in earnest about what you’ve got to do ？” “About the lost Prince，you mean ？”said Jill. “Yes，we’ve got to be.”For now she remembered the Lion’s voice and face， which she had nearly forgotten during the feasting and story-telling in the hall. “Good ！”said the Owl. “Then there’s no time to waste. You must get away from here at once. I’ll go and wake the other human. Then I’ll come back for you. You’d better change those court clothes and put on something you can travel in. I’ll be back in two twos. Tu-whoo ！”And without waiting for an answer，he was gone. If Jill had been more used to adventures，she might have doubted the Owl’s word，but this never occurred to her：and in the exciting idea of a midnight escape she forgot her sleepiness. She changed back into sweater and shorts—there was a guide’s knife on the belt of the shorts which might come in useful—and added a few of the things that had been left in the room for her by the girl with the willowy hair. She chose a short cloak that came down to her knees and had a hood（“just the thing，if it rains,”she thought）， a few handkerchiefs and a comb. Then she sat down and waited. She was getting sleepy again when the Owl returned. “Now we’re ready,”it said. “You’d better lead the way,”said Jill. “I don’t know all these passages yet.” “Tu-whoo ！”said the Owl. “We’re not going through the castle. That would never do. You must ride on me. We shall fly.” “Oh ！ ”said Jill，and stood with her mouth open，not much liking the idea. “Shan’t I be too heavy for you ？” “Tu-whoo，tu-whoo ！ Don’t you be a fool. I’ve already carried the other one. Now. But we’ll put out that lamp first.” As soon as the lamp was out，the bit of the night which you saw through the window looked less dark—no longer black，but grey. The Owl stood on the window-sill with his back to the room and raised his wings. Jill had to climb on to his short fat body and get her knees under the wings and grip tight. The feathers felt beautifully warm and soft but there was nothing to hold on by. “I wonder how Scrubb liked his ride ！”thought Jill. And just as she was thinking this，with a horrid plunge they had left the window-sill，and the wings were making a flurry round her ears，and the night air，rather cool and damp，was flying in her face. It was much lighter than she expected，and though the sky was overcast，one patch of watery silver showed where the moon was hiding above the clouds. The fields beneath her looked grey，and the trees black. There was a certain amount of wind—a hushing， ruffling sort of wind which meant that rain was coming soon. The Owl wheeled round so that the castle was now ahead of them. Very few of the windows showed lights. They flew right over it，northwards，crossing the river：the air grew colder， and Jill thought she could see the white reflection of the Owl in the water beneath her. But soon they were on the north bank of the river，flying above wooded country. The Owl snapped at something which Jill couldn’t see. “Oh，don’t，please ！ ”said Jill. “Don’t jerk like that. You nearly threw me off.” “I beg your pardon,”said the Owl. “I was just nabbing a bat. There’s nothing so sustaining，in a small way，as a nice plump little bat. Shall I catch you one ？” “No，thanks,”said Jill with a shudder. He was flying a little lower now and a large，black looking object was looming up towards them. Jill had just time to see that it was a tower—a partly ruinous tower，with a lot of ivy on it， she thought—when she found herself ducking to avoid the archway of a window，as the Owl squeezed with her through the ivied cobwebby opening，out of the fresh，grey night into a dark place inside the top of the tower. It was rather fusty inside and，the moment she slipped off the Owl’s back，she knew（as one usually does somehow）that it was quite crowded And when voices began saying out of the darkness from every direction“Tu—whoo ！Tu-whoo！”she knew it was crowded with owls. She was rather relieved when a very different voice said： “Is that you，Pole ？” “Is that you，Scrubb ？”said Jill. “Now,”said Glimfeather，“I think we’re all here. Let us hold a parliament of owls.” “Tu-whoo，tu-whoo. True for you. That’s the right thing to do,”said several voices. “Half a moment,”said Scrubb’s voice. “There’s something I want to say first.” “Do，do，do,”said the owls，and Jill said，“Fire ahead.” “I suppose all you chaps—owls，I mean,”said Scrubb，“I suppose you all know that King Caspian the Tenth，in his young days，sailed to the eastern end of the world. Well，I was with him on that journey：with him and Reepicheep the Mouse，and the Lord Drinian and all of them. I know it sounds hard to believe， but people don’t grow older in our world at the same speed as they do in yours. And what I want to say is this，that I’m the King’s man；and if this parliament of owls is any sort of plot against the King，I’m having nothing to do with it.” “Tu-whoo，tu-whoo，we’re all the King’s owls too,”said the owls. “What’s it all about then ？ ”said Scrubb. “It’s only this,”said Glimfeather. “That if the Lord Regent，the Dwarf Trumpkin，hears you are going to look for the lost Prince，he won’t let you start. He’d keep you under lock and key sooner.” “Great Scott ！”said Scrubb. “You don’t mean that Trumpkin is a traitor ？ I used to hear a lot about him in the old days，at sea. Caspian—the King，I mean—trusted him absolutely.” “Oh no,”said a voice. “Trumpkin’s no traitor. But more than thirty champions（knights，centaurs，good giants，and all sorts） have at one time or another set out to look for the lost Prince， and none of them have ever come back. And at last the King said he was not going to have all the bravest Narnians destroyed in the search for his son. And now nobody is allowed to go.” “But surely he’d let us go,”said Scrubb. “When he knew who I was and who had sent me.” （“Sent both of us,”put in Jill.） “Yes,”said Glimfeather，“I think，very likely，he would. But the King’s away. And Trumpkin will stick to the rules. He’s as true as steel，but he’s deaf as a post and very peppery. You could never make him see that this might be the time for making an exception to the rule.” “You might think he’d take some notice of us，because we’re owls and everyone knows how wise owls are,”said someone else. “But he’s so old now he’d only say，‘You’re a mere chick. I remember you when you were an egg. Don’t come trying to teach me，Sir. Crabs and crumpets ！’” This owl imitated Trumpkin’s voice rather well，and there were sounds of owlish laughter all round. The children began to see that the Narnians all felt about Trumpkin as people feel at school about some crusty teacher，whom everyone is a little afraid of and everyone makes fun of and nobody really dislikes. “How long is the King going to be away ？”asked Scrubb. “If only we knew ！”said Glimfeather. “You see，there has been a rumour lately that Aslan himself has been seen in the islands—in Terebinthia，I think it was. And the King said he would make one more attempt before he died to see Aslan face to face again，and ask his advice about who is to be King after him. But we’re all afraid that，if he doesn’t meet Aslan in Terebinthia， he’ll go on east，to Seven Isles and Lone Islands—and on and on. He never talks about it，but we all know he has never forgotten that voyage to the world’s end. I’m sure in his heart of hearts he wants to go there again.” “Then there’s no good waiting for him to come back ？”said Jill. “No，no good,”said the Owl. “Oh，what a to-do ！ If only you two had known and spoken to him at once ！ He’d have arranged everything—probably given you an army to go with you in search of the Prince.” Jill kept quiet at this and hoped Scrubb would be sporting enough not to tell all the owls why this hadn’t happened. He was， or very nearly. That is，he only muttered under his breath，“Well， it wasn’t my fault,”before saying out loud： “Very well. We’ll have to manage without it. But there’s just one thing more I want to know. If this owls’ parliament，as you call it，is all fair and above board and means no mischief， why does it have to be so jolly secret—meeting in a ruin in dead of night，and all that ？” “Tu-whoo ！Tu-whoo ！”hooted several owls. “Where should we meet ？ When would anyone meet except at night ？ ” “You see,”explained Glimfeather，“most of the creatures in Narnia have such unnatural habits. They do things by day，in broad blazing sunlight（ugh ！）when everyone ought to be asleep. And，as a result，at night they’re so blind and stupid that you can’t get a word out of them. So we owls have got into the habit of meeting at sensible hours，on our own，when we want to talk about things.” “I see,”said Scrubb. “Well now，let’s get on. Tell us all about the lost Prince.”Then an old owl，not Glimfeather，related the story. About ten years ago，it appeared，when Rilian，the son of Caspian，was a very young knight，he rode with the Queen his mother on a May morning in the north parts of Narnia. They had many squires and ladies with them and all wore garlands of fresh leaves on their heads，and horns at their sides；but they had no hounds with them，for they were maying，not hunting. In the warm part of the day they came to a pleasant glade where a fountain flowed freshly out of the earth，and there they dismounted and ate and drank and were merry. After a time the Queen felt sleepy，and they spread cloaks for her on the grassy bank，and Prince Rilian with the rest of the party went a little way from her，that their tales and laughter might not wake her. And so，presently，a great serpent came out of the thick wood and stung the Queen in her hand. All heard her cry out and rushed towards her，and Rilian was first at her side. He saw the worm gliding away from her and made after it with his sword drawn. It was great，shining，and as green as poison，so that he could see it well：but it glided away into thick bushes and he could not come at it. So he returned to his mother， and found them all busy about her. But they were busy in vain，for at the first glance of her face Rilian knew that no physic in the world would do her good. As long as the life was in her she seemed to be trying hard to tell him something. But she could not speak clearly and，whatever her message was，she died without delivering it. It was then hardly ten minutes since they had first heard her cry. They carried the dead Queen back to Cair Paravel，and she was bitterly mourned by Rilian and by the King，and by all Narnia. She had been a great lady，wise and gracious and happy，King Caspian’s bride whom he had brought home from the eastern end of the world. And men said that the blood of the stars flowed in her veins. The Prince took his mother’s death very hardly，as well he might. After that，he was always riding on the northern marches of Narnia，hunting for that venomous worm，to kill it and be avenged. No one remarked much on this，though the Prince came home from these wanderings looking tired and distraught. But about a month after the Queen’s death，some said they could see a change in him. There was a look in his eyes as of a man who has seen visions，and though he would be out all day，his horse did not bear signs of hard riding. His chief friend among the older courtiers was the Lord Drinian，he who had been his father’s captain on that great voyage to the east parts of the world. One evening Drinian said to the Prince，“Your Highness must soon give over seeking the worm. There is no true vengeance on a witless brute as there might be on a man. You weary yourself in vain.”The Prince answered him，“My Lord，I have almost forgotten the worm this seven days.”Drinian asked him why，if that were so，he rode so continually in the northern woods. “My lord,”said the Prince，“I have seen there the most beautiful thing that was ever made.”“Fair Prince,”said Drinian，“of your courtesy let me ride with you tomorrow，that I also may see this fair thing.”“With a good will,”said Rilian. Then in good time on the next day they saddled their horses and rode a great gallop into the northern woods and alighted at that same fountain where the Queen got her death. Drinian thought it strange that the Prince should choose that place of all places，to linger in. And there they rested till it came to high noon：and at noon Drinian looked up and saw the most beautiful lady he had ever seen；and she stood at the north side of the fountain and said no word but beckoned to the Prince with her hand as if she bade him come to her. And she was tall and great，shining，and wrapped in a thin garment as green as poison. And the Prince stared at her like a man out of his wits. But suddenly the lady was gone，Driman knew not where；and the two returned to Cair Paravel. It stuck in Drinian’s mind that this shining green woman was evil. Drinian doubted very much whether he ought not to tell this adventure to the King，but he had little wish to be a blab and a tale-bearer and so he held his tongue. But afterwards he wished he had spoken. For next day Prince Rilian rode out alone. That night he came not back，and from that hour no trace of him was ever found in Narnia nor any neighbouring land，and neither his horse nor his hat nor his cloak nor anything else was ever found. Then Drinian in the bitterness of his heart went to Caspian and said，“Lord King，slay me speedily as a great traitor：for by my silence I have destroyed your son.”And he told him the story. Then Caspian caught up a battle-axe and rushed upon the Lord Drinian to kill him，and Drinian stood still as a stock for the death blow. But when the axe was raised，Caspian suddenly threw it away and cried out，“I have lost my queen and my son：shall I lose my friend also ？”And he fell upon the Lord Drinian’s neck and embraced him and both wept，and their friendship was not broken. Such was the story of Rilian. And when it was over，Jill said，“I bet that serpent and that woman were the same person.” “True，true，we think the same as you,”hooted the owls. “But we don’t think she killed the Prince,”said Glimfeather， “because no bones—” “We know she didn’t,”said Scrubb. “Aslan told Pole he was still alive somewhere.” “That almost makes it worse,”said the oldest owl. “It means she has some use for him，and some deep scheme against Narnia. Long，long ago，at the very beginning，a White Witch came out of the North and bound our land in snow and ice for a hundred years. And we think this may be some of the same crew.” “Very well，then,”said Scrubb. “Pole and I have got to ‘find this Prince. Can you help us ？” “Have you any clue，you two ？”asked Glimfeather. “Yes,”said Scrubb. “We know we’ve got to go north. And we know we’ve got to reach the ruins of a giant city.” At this there was a greater tu-whooing than ever，and noise of birds shifting their feet and ruffling their feathers，and then all the owls started speaking at once. They all explained how very sorry they were that they themselves could not go with the children on their search for the lost Prince. “You’d want to travel by day，and we’d want to travel by night,”they said. “It wouldn’t do，wouldn’t do.”One or two owls added that even here in the ruined tower it wasn’t nearly so dark as it had been when they began，and that the parliament had been going on quite long enough. In fact，the mere mention of a journey to the ruined city of giants seemed to have damped the spirits of those birds. But Glimfeather said： “If they want to go that way—into Ettinsmoor—we must take them to one of the Marsh—wiggles. They’re the Only people who can help them much.” “True，true. Do,”said the owls. “Come on，then,”said Glimfeather. “I’ll take one. Who’ll take the other ？ It must be done tonight.” “I will：as far as the Marsh-wiggles,”said another owl. “Are you ready ？”said Glimfeather to Jill. “I think Pole’s asleep,”said Scrubb. CHAPTER FIVE PUDDLEGLUM JILL was asleep. Ever since the owls’ parliament began she had been yawning terribly and now she had dropped off. She was not at all pleased at being waked again，and at finding herself lying on bare boards in a dusty belfry sort of place，completely dark， and almost completely full of owls. She was even less pleased when she heard that they had to set off for somewhere else—and not， apparently，for bed—on the Owl’s back. “Oh，come on，Pole，buck up,”said Scrubb’s voice. “After all，it is an adventure.” “I’m sick of adventures,”said Jill crossly. She did，however，consent to climb on to Glimfeather’s back，and was thoroughly waked up（for a while）by the unexpected coldness of the air when he flew out with her into the night. The moon had disappeared and there were no stars. Far behind her she could see a single lighted window well above the ground；doubtless，in one of the towers of Cair Paravel. It made her long to be back in that delightful bedroom，snug in bed， watching the firelight on the walls. She put her hands under her cloak and wrapped it tightly round her. It was uncanny to hear two voices in the dark air a little distance away；Scrubb and his owl were talking to one another. “He doesn’t sound tired,”thought Jill. She did not realize that he had been on great adventures in that world before and that the Narnian air was bringing back to him a strength he had won when he sailed the Eastern Seas with King Caspian. Jill had to pinch herself to keep awake，for she knew that if she dozed on Glimfeather’s back she would probably fall off. When at last the two owls ended their flight，she climbed stiffly off Glimfeather and found herself on flat ground. A chilly wind was blowing and they appeared to be in a place without trees. “Tu-whoo，tu-whoo ！”Glimfeather was calling. “Wake up， Puddleglum. Wake up. It is on the Lion’s business.” For a long time there was no reply. Then，a long way off，a dim light appeared and began to come nearer. With it came a voice. “Owls ahoy ！”it said. “What is it ？ Is the King dead ？ Has an enemy landed in Narnia ？ Is it a flood ？ Or dragons ？” When the light reached them，it turned out to be that of a large lantern. She could see very little of the person who held it. He seemed to be all legs and arms. The owls were talking to him， explaining everything，but she was too tired to listen. She tried to wake herself up a bit when she realized that they were saying goodbye to her. But she could never afterwards remember much except that，sooner or later，she and Scrubb were stooping to enter a low doorway and then（oh，thank heavens）were lying down on something soft and warm，and a voice was saying： “There you are. Best we can do. You’ll lie cold and hard. Damp too，I shouldn’t wonder. Won’t sleep a wink，most likely；even if there isn’t a thunderstorm or a flood or the wigwam doesn’t fall down on top of us all，as I’ve known them to do. Must make the best of it—”But she was fast asleep before the voice had ended. When the children woke late next morning they found that they were lying，very dry and warm，on beds of straw in a dark place. A triangular opening let in the daylight. “Where on earth are we ？”asked Jill. “In the wigwam of a Marsh-wiggle,”said Eustace. “A what ？” “A Marsh-wiggle. Don’t ask me what it is. I couldn’t see it last night. I’m getting up. Let’s go and look for it.” “How beastly one feels after sleeping in one’s clothes,”said Jill，sitting up. “I was just thinking how nice it was not to have to dress,”said Eustace. “Or wash either，I suppose,”said Jill scornfully. But Scrubb had already got up，yawned，shaken himself，and crawled out of the wigwam. Jill did the same. What they found outside was quite unlike the bit of Narnia they had seen on the day before. They were on a great flat plain which was cut into countless little islands by countless channels of water. The islands were covered with coarse grass and bordered with reeds and rushes. Sometimes there were beds of rushes about an acre in extent. Clouds of birds were constantly alighting in them and rising from them again—duck，snipe，bitterns，herons. Many wigwams like that in which they had passed the night could be seen dotted about，but all at a good distance from one another；for Marsh-wiggles are people who like privacy. Except for the fringe of the forest several miles to the south and west of them，there was not a tree in sight. Eastward the flat marsh stretched to low sand-hills on the horizon，and you could tell by the salt tang in the wind which blew from that direction that the sea lay over there. To the North there were low pale-coloured hills，in places bastioned with rock. The rest was all flat marsh. It would have been a depressing place on a w et evening. Seen under a morning sun，with a fresh wind blowing，and the air filled with the crying of birds，there was something fine and fresh and clean about its loneliness. The children felt their spirits rise. “Where has the thingummy got to，I wonder ？”said Jill. “The Marsh-wiggle,”said Scrubb，as if he were rather proud of knowing the word. “I expect—hullo，that must be him.”And then they both saw him，sitting with his back to them，fishing， about fifty yards away. He had been hard to see at first because he was nearly the same colour as the marsh and because he sat so still. “I suppose we’d better go and speak to him,”said Jill. Scrubb nodded. They both felt a little nervous. As they drew nearer，the figure turned its head and showed them a long thin face with rather sunken cheeks，a tightly shut mouth，a sharp nose，and no beard. He was wearing a high， pointed hat like a steeple，with an enormously wide flat brim. The hair，if it could be called hair，which hung over his large ears was greeny-grey，and each lock was flat rather than round， so that they were like tiny reeds. His expression was solemn， his complexion muddy，and you could see at once that he took a serious view of life. “Good morning，Guests,”he said. “Though when I say good I don’t mean it won’t probably turn to rain or it might he snow，or fog，or thunder. You didn’t get any sleep，I dare say. “Yes we did，though,”said Jill. “We had a lovely night.” “Ah,”said the Marsh-wiggle，shaking his head. “I see you’re making the best of a bad job. That’s right. You’ve been well brought up，you have. You’ve learned to put a good face on things.” “Please，we don’t know your name,”said Scrubb. “Puddleglum’s my name. But it doesn’t matter if you forget it. I can always tell you again.” The children sat down on each side of him. They now saw that he had very long legs and arms，so that although his body was not much bigger than a dwarf’s，he would be taller than most men when he stood up. The fingers of his hands were webbed like a frog’s，and so were his bare feet which dangled in the muddy water. He was dressed in earthcoloured clothes that hung loose about him. “I’m trying to catch a few eels to make an eel stew for our dinner,”said Puddleglum. “Though I shouldn’t wonder if I didn’t get any. And you won’t like them much if I do.” “Why not ？”asked Scrubb. “Why，it’s not in reason that you should like our sort of victuals，though I’ve no doubt you’ll put a bold face on it. All the same，while I am a catching of them，if you two could try to light the fire—no harm trying—！The wood’s behind the wigwam. It may be wet. You could light it inside the wigwam，and then we’d get all the smoke in our eyes. Or you could light it outside，and then the rain would come and put it out. Here’s my tinder-box. You wouldn’t know how to use it，I expect.” But Scrubb had learned that sort of thing on his last adventure. The children ran back together to the wigwam，found the wood （which was perfectly dry）and succeeded in lighting a fire with rather less than the usual difficulty. Then Scrubb sat and took care of it while Jill went and had some sort of wash—not a very nice one—in the nearest channel. After that she saw to the fire and he had a wash. Both felt a good deal fresher，but very hungry. Presently the Marsh-wiggle joined them. In spite of his expectation of catching no eels，he had a dozen or so，which he had already skinned and cleaned. He put a big pot on，mended the fire，and lit his pipe. Marsh-wiggles smoke a very strange，heavy sort of tobacco（some people say they mix it with mud）and the children noticed the smoke from Puddleglum’s pipe hardly rose in the air at all. It trickled out of the bowl and downwards and drifted along the ground like a mist. It was very black and set Scrubb coughing. “Now,”said Puddleglum. “Those eels will take a mortal long time to cook，and either of you might faint with hunger before they’re done. I knew a little girl-but I’d better not tell you that story. It might lower your spirits，and that’s a thing I never do. So，to keep your minds off your hunger，we may as well talk about our plans.” “Yes，do let’s,”said Jill. “Can you help us to find Prince Rilian ？” The Marsh-wiggle sucked in his cheeks till they were hollower than you would have thought possible. “Well，I don’t know that you’d call it help,”he said. “I don’t know that anyone can exactly help. It stands to reason we’re not likely to get very far on a journey to the North，not at this time of the year，with the winter coming on soon and all. And an early winter too，by the look of things. But you mustn’t let that make you down-hearted. Very likely， what with enemies，and mountains，and rivers to cross，and losing our way，and next to nothing to eat，and sore feet，we’ll hardly notice the weather. And if we don’t get far enough to do any good，we may get far enough not to get back in a hurry.” Both children noticed that he said“we”，not“you”，and both exclaimed at the same moment. “Are you coming with us ？” “Oh yes，I’m coming of course. Might as well，you see. I don’t suppose we shall ever see the King back in Narnia，now that he’s once set off for foreign parts；and he had a nasty cough when he left. Then there’s Trumpkin. He’s failing fast. And you’ll find there’ll have been a bad harvest after this terrible dry summer. And I shouldn’t wonder if some enemy attacked us. Mark my words.” “And how shall we start ？”said Scrubb. “Well,”said the Marsh-wiggle very slowly，“all the others who ever went looking for Prince Rilian started from that same fountain where Lord Drinian saw the lady. They went north， mostly. And as none of them ever came back，we can’t exactly say how they got on.” “We’ve got to start by finding a ruined city of giants,”said Jill. “Aslan said so.” “Got to start by finding it，have we ？”answered Puddleglum. “Not allowed to start by looking for it，I suppose ？” “That’s what I meant，of course,”said Jill. “And then，when we’ve found it—” “Yes，when ！ ”said Puddleglum very drily. “Doesn’t anyone know where it is ？”asked Scrubb. “I don’t know about Anyone,”said Puddleglum. “And I won’t say I haven’t heard of that Ruined City. You wouldn’t start from the fountain，though. You’d have to go across Ettinsmoor. That’s where the Ruined City is，if it’s anywhere. But I’ve been as far in that direction as most people and I never got to any ruins，so I won’t deceive you.” “Where’s Ettinsmoor ？”said Scrubb. “Look over there northward,”said Puddleglum，pointing with his pipe. “See those hills and bits of cliff ？ That’s the beginning of Ettinsmoor. But there’s a river between it and us；the river Shribble. No bridges，of course.” “I suppose we can ford it，though,”said Scrubb. “Well，it has been forded,”admitted the Marsh-wiggle. “Perhaps we shall meet people on Ettinsmoor who can tell us the way,”said Jill. “You’re right about meeting people,”said Puddleglum. “What sort of people live there ？”she asked. “It’s not for me to say they aren’t all right in their own way,”answered Puddleglum. “If you like their way.” “Yes，but what are they ？”pressed Jill. “There are so many queer creatures in this country. I mean，are they animals，or birds，or dwarfs，or what ？” The Marsh-wiggle gave a long whistle. “Phew ！”he said. “Don’t you know ？ I thought the owls had told you. They’re giants.” Jill winced. She had never liked giants even in books，and she had once met one in a nightmare. Then she saw Scrubb’s face， which had turned rather green，and thought to herself，“I bet he’s in a worse funk than I am.”That made her feel braver. “The King told me long ago,”said Scrubb—“that time when I was with him at sea—that he’d jolly well beaten those giants in war and made them pay him tribute.” “That’s true enough,”said Puddleglum. “They’re at peace with us all right. As long as we stay on our own side of the Shribble， they won’t do us any harm. Over on their side，on the Moor—Still，there’s always a chance. If we don’t get near any of them， and if none of them forget themselves，and if we’re not seen，it’s just possible we might get a long way.” “Look here ！”said Scrubb，suddenly losing his temper，as people so easily do when they have been frightened. “I don’t believe the whole thing can be half as bad as you’re making out；any more than the beds in the wigwam were hard or the wood was wet. I don’t think Aslan would ever have sent us if there was so little chance as all that.” He quite expected the Marsh-wiggle to give him an angry reply，but he only said，“That’s the spirit，Scrubb. That’s the way to talk. Put a good face on it. But we all need to be very careful about our tempers，seeing all the hard times we shall have to go through together. Won’t do to quarrel，you know. At any rate，don’t begin it too soon. I know these expeditions usually end that way：knifing one another，I shouldn’t wonder，before all’s done. But the longer we can keep off it—” “Well，if you feel it’s so hopeless,”interrupted Scrubb，“I think you’d better stay behind. Pole and I can go on alone，can’t we，Pole ？” “Shut up and don’t be an ass，Scrubb,”said Jill hastily， terrified lest the Marsh-wiggle should take him at his word. “Don’t you lose heart，Pole,”said Puddleglum. “I’m coming，sure and certain. I’m not going to lose an opportunity like this. It will do me good. They all say-I mean，the other wiggles all say—that I’m too flighty；don’t take life seriously enough. If they’ve said it once，they’ve said it a thousand times. ‘Puddleglum，’ they’ve said，‘you’re altogether too full of bobance and bounce and high spirits. You’ve got to learn that life isn’t all fricasseed frogs and eel pie. You want something to sober you down a bit. We’re only saying it for your own good， Puddleglum. ‘That’s what they say. Now a job like this-a journey up north just as winter’s beginning，looking for a Prince that probably isn’t there，by way of a ruined city that no one has ever seen—will be just the thing. If that doesn’t steady a chap， I don’t know what will.”And he rubbed his big frog-like hands together as if he were talking of going to a party or a pantomime. “And now,”he added，“let’s see how those eels are getting on.” When the meal came it was delicious and the children had two large helpings each. At first the Marsh-wiggle wouldn’t believe that they really liked it，and when they had eaten so much that he had to believe them，he fell back on saying that it would probably disagree with them horribly. “What’s food for wiggles may be poison for humans，I shouldn’t wonder,”he said. After the meal they had tea，in tins（as you’ve seen men having it who are working on the road），and Puddleglum had a good many sips out of a square black bottle. He offered the children some of it，but they thought it very nasty. The rest of the day was spent in preparations for an early start tomorrow morning. Puddleglum，being far the biggest， said he would carry three blankets，with a large bit of bacon rolled up inside them. Jill was to carry the remains of the eels，some biscuit，and the tinder-box. Scrubb was to carry both his own cloak and Jill’s when they didn’t want to wear them. Scrubb （who had learned some shooting when he sailed to the East under Caspian）had Puddleglum’s secondbest bow，and Puddleglum had his best one；though he said that what with winds，and damp bowstrings，and bad light，and cold fingers，it was a hundred to one against either of them hitting anything. He and Scrubb both had swords—Scrubb had brought the one which had been left out for him in his room at Cair Paravel，but Jill had to be content with her knife. There would have been a quarrel about this，but as soon as they started sparring the wiggle rubbed his hands and said，“Ah， there you are. I thought as much. That’s what usually happens on adventures.”This made them both shut up. All three went to bed early in the wigwam. This time the children really had a rather bad night. That was because Puddleglum，after saying，“You’d better try for some sleep，you two；not that I suppose any of us will close an eye tonight,”instantly went off into such a loud，continuous snore that，when Jill at last got to sleep，she dreamed all night about road-drills and waterfalls and being in express trains in tunnels. CHAPTER SIX THE WILD WASTE LANDS OF THE NORTH AT about nine o’clock next morning three lonely figures might have been seen picking their way across the Shribble by the shoals and stepping-stones. It was a shallow，noisy stream，and even Jill was not wet above her knees when they reached the northern bank. About fifty yards ahead，the land rose up to the beginning of the moor，everywhere steeply，and often in cliffs. “I suppose that’s our way ！”said Scrubb，pointing left and west to where a stream flowed down from the moor through a shallow gorge. But the Marsh-wiggle shook his head. “The giants mainly live along the side of that gorge,”he said. “You might say the gorge was like a street to them. We’ll do better straight ahead，even though it’s a bit steep.” They found a place where they could scramble up，and in about ten minutes stood panting at the top. They cast a longing look back at the valley-land of Narnia and then turned their faces to the North. The vast，lonely moor stretched on and up as far as they could see. On their left was rockier ground. Jill thought that must be the edge of the giants’ gorge and did not much care about looking in that direction. They set out. It was good，springy ground for walking，and a day of pale winter sunlight. As they got deeper into the moor，the loneliness increased：one could hear peewits and see an occasional hawk. When they halted in the middle of the morning for a rest and a drink in a little hollow by a stream，Jill was beginning to feel that she might enjoy adventures after all，and said so. “We haven’t had any yet,”said the Marsh-wiggle. Walks after the first halt—like school mornings after break or railway journeys after changing trains—never go on as they were before. When they set out again，Jill noticed that the rocky edge of the gorge had drawn nearer. And the rocks were less flat，more upright，than they had been. In fact they were like little towers of rock. And what funny shapes they were ！ “I do believe,”thought Jill，“that all the stories about giants might have come from those funny rocks. If you were coming along here when it was half dark，you could easily think those piles of rock were giants. Look at that one，now ！ You could almost imagine that the lump on top was a head. It would be rather too big for the body，but it would do well enough for an ugly giant. And all that bushy stuff—I suppose it’s heather and birds’ nests， really—would do quite well for hair and beard. And the things sticking out on each side are quite like ears. They’d be horribly big，but then I dare say giants would have big ears，like elephants. And—o-o-o-h ！—” Her blood froze. The thing moved. It was a real giant. There was no mistaking it；she had seen it turn its head. She had caught a glimpse of the great，stupid，puffcheeked face. All the things were giants，not rocks. There were forty or fifty of them，all in a row；obviously standing with their feet on the bottom of the gorge and their elbows resting on the edge of the gorge，just as men might stand leaning on a wall-lazy men，on a fine morning after breakfast. “Keep straight on,”whispered Puddleglum，who had noticed them too. “Don’t look at them. And whatever you do，don’t run. They’d be after us in a moment.” So they kept on，pretending not to have seen the giants. It was like walking past the gate of a house where there is a fierce dog， only far worse. There were dozens and dozens of these giants. They didn’t look angry—or kind—or interested at all. There was no sign that they had seen the travellers. Then—whizz-whizz-whizz—some heavy object came hurtling through the air，and with a crash a big boulder fell about twenty paces ahead of them. And then—thud ！—another fell twenty feet behind. “Are they aiming at us ？”asked Scrubb. “No,”said Puddleglum. “We’d be a good deal safer if they were. They’re trying to hit that—that cairn over there to the right. They won’t hit it，you know. It’s safe enough；they’re such very bad shots. They play cock-shies most fine mornings. About the only game they’re clever enough to understand.” It was a horrible time. There seemed no end to the line of giants，and they never ceased hurling stones，some of which fell extremely close. Quite apart from the real danger，the very sight and sound of their faces and voices were enough to scare anyone. Jill tried not to look at them. After about twenty-five minutes the giants apparently had a quarrel. This put an end to the cock-shies，but it is not pleasant to be within a mile of quarrelling giants. They stormed and jeered at one another in long，meaningless words of about twenty syllables each. They foamed and gibbered and jumped in their rage，and each jump shook the earth like a bomb. They lammed each other on the head with great，clumsy stone hammers；but their skulls were so hard that the hammers bounced off again，and then the monster who had given the blow would drop his hammer and howl with pain because it had stung his fingers. But he was so stupid that he would do exactly the same thing a minute later. This was a good thing in the long run，for by the end of an hour all the giants were so hurt that they sat down and began to cry. When they sat down，their heads were below the edge of the gorge，so that you saw them no more；but Jill could hear them howling and blubbering and boo-booing like great babies even after the place was a mile behind. That night they bivouacked on the bare moor，and Puddleglum showed the children how to make the best of their blankets by sleeping back to back（The backs keep each other warm and you can then have both blankets on top）. But it was chilly even so， and the ground was hard and lumpy. The Marsh-wiggle told them they would feel more comfortable if only they thought how very much colder it would be later on and farther north；but this didn’t cheer them up at all. They travelled across Ettinsmoor for many days，saving the bacon and living chiefly on the moor-fowl（they were not，of course，talking birds）which Eustace and the wiggle shot. Jill rather envied Eustace for being able to shoot；he had learned it on his voyage with King Caspian. As there were countless streams on the moor，they were never short of water. Jill thought that when， in books，people live on what they shoot，it never tells you what a long，smelly，messy job it is plucking and cleaning dead birds， and how cold it makes your fingers. But the great thing was that they met hardly any giants. One giant saw them，but he only roared with laughter and stumped away about his own business. About the tenth day，they reached a place where the country changed. They came to the northern edge of the moor and looked down a long，steep slope into a different，and grimmer，land. At the bottom of the slope were cliffs：beyond these，a country of high mountains，dark precipices，stony valleys，ravines so deep and narrow that one could not see far into them，and rivers that poured out of echoing gorges to plunge sullenly into black depths. Needless to say，it was Puddleglum who pointed out a sprinkling of snow on the more distant slopes. “But there’ll be more on the north side of them，I shouldn’t wonder,”he added. It took them some time to reach the foot of the slope and，when they did，they looked down from the top of the cliffs at a river running below them from west to east. It was walled in by precipices on the far side as well as on their own，and it was green and sunless，full of rapids and waterfalls. The roar of it shook the earth even where they stood. “The bright side of it is,”said Puddleglum，“that if we break our necks getting down the cliff，then we’re safe from being drowned in the river.” “What about that ？”said Scrubb suddenly，pointing upstream to their left. Then they all looked and saw the last thing they were expecting—a bridge. And what a bridge，too ！It was a huge，single arch that spanned the gorge from cliff-top to cliff-top；and the crown of that arch was as high above the cliff-tops as the dome of St. Paul’s is above the street. “Why，it must be a giants’ bridge ！”said Jill. “Or a sorcerer’s，more likely,”said Puddleglum. “We’ve got to look out for enchantments in a place like this. I think it’s a trap. I think it’ll turn into mist and melt away just when we’re out on the middle of it.” “Oh，for goodness’ sake，don’t be such a wet blanket,” said Scrubb. “Why on earth shouldn’t it be a proper bridge ？” “Do you think any of the giants we’ve seen would have sense to build a thing like that ？ ”said Puddleglum. “But mightn’t it have been built by other giants ？”said Jill. “I mean，by giants who lived hundreds of years ago，and were far cleverer than the modern kind. It might have been built by the same ones who built the giant city we’re looking for. And that would mean we were on the right track—the old bridge leading to the old city ！” “That’s a real brain-wave，Pole,”said Scrubb. “It must be that. Come on.” So they turned and went to the bridge. And when they reached it，it certainly seemed solid enough. The single stones were as big as those at Stonehenge and must have been squared by good masons once，though now they were cracked and crumbled. The balustrade had apparently been covered with rich carvings，of which some traces remained；mouldering faces and forms of giants， minotaurs，squids，centipedes，and dreadful gods. Puddleglum still didn’t trust it，but he consented to cross it with the children. The climb up to the crown of the arch was long and heavy. In many places the great stones had dropped out，leaving horrible gaps through which you looked down on the river foaming thousands of feet below. They saw an eagle fly through under their feet. And the higher they went，the colder it grew，and the wind blew so that they could hardly keep their footing. It seemed to shake the bridge. When they reached the top and could look down the farther slope of the bridge，they saw what looked like the remains of an ancient giant road stretching away before them into the heart of the mountains. Many stones of its pavement were missing and there were wide patches of grass between those that remained. And riding towards them on that ancient road were two people of normal grown-up human size. “Keep on. Move towards them,”said Puddleglum. “Anyone you meet in a place like this is as likely as not to be an enemy，but we mustn’t let them think we’re afraid.” By the time they had stepped off the end of the bridge onto the grass，the two strangers were quite close. One was a knight in complete armour with his visor down. His armour and his horse were black；there was no device on his shield and no banneret on his spear. The other was a lady on a white horse，a horse so lovely that you wanted to kiss its nose and give it a lump of sugar at once. But the lady，who rode side-saddle and wore a long，fluttering dress of dazzling green，was lovelier still. “Good day，t-r-r-avellers,”she cried out in a voice as sweet as the sweetest bird’s song，trilling her R’s delightfully. “Some of you are young pilgrims to walk this rough waste.” “That’s as may be，Ma’am,”said Puddleglum very stiffly and on his guard. “We’re looking for the ruined city of the giants,”said Jill. “The r-r-ruined city ？”said the Lady. “That is a strange place to be seeking. What will you do if you find it ？” “We’ve got to—”began Jill，but Puddleglum interrupted. “Begging your pardon，Ma’am. But we don’t know you or your friend—a silent chap，isn’t he ？ —and you don’t know us. And we’d as soon not talk to strangers about our business，if you don’t mind. Shall we have a little rain soon，do you think ？” The Lady laughed：the richest，most musical laugh you can imagine. “Well，children,”she said，“you have a wise，solemn old guide with you. I think none the worse of him for keeping his own counsel，but I’ll be free with mine. I have often heard the name of the giantish City Ruinous，but never met any who would tell me the way thither. This road leads to the burgh and castle of Harfang，where dwell the gentle giants. They are as mild， civil，prudent，and courteous as those of Ettinsmoor are foolish， fierce，savage，and given to all beastliness. And in Harfang you may or may not hear tidings of the City Ruinous，but certainly you shall find good lodgings and merry hosts. You would be wise to winter there，or，at the least，to tarry certain days for your ease and refreshment. There you shall have steaming baths，soft beds， and bright hearths；and the roast and the baked and the sweet and the strong will be on the table four times in a day.” “I say ！”exclaimed Scrubb. “That’s something like ！ Think of sleeping in a bed again.” “Yes，and having a hot bath,”said Jill. “Do you think they’ll ask us to stay ？ We don’t know them，you see.” “Only tell them,”answered the Lady，“that She of the Green Kirtle salutes them by you，and has sent them two fair Southern children for the Autumn Feast.” “Oh，thank you，thank you ever so much,”said Jill and Scrubb. “But have a care,”said the Lady. “On whatever day you reach Harfang，that you come not to the door too late. For they shut their gates a few hours after noon，and it is the custom of the castle that they open to none when once they have drawn the bolt，how hard so ever he knock.” The children thanked her again，with shining eyes，and the Lady waved to them. The Marsh-wiggle took off his steeple-hat and bowed very stiffly. Then the silent Knight and the Lady started walking their horses up the slope of the bridge with a great clatter of hoofs. “Well ！”said Puddleglum. “I’d give a good deal to know where she’s coming from and where she’s going. Not the sort you expect to meet in the wilds of Giantland，is she ？Up to no good，I’ll be bound.” “Oh rot ！”said Scrubb. “I thought she was simply super. And think of hot meals and warm rooms. I do hope Harfang isn’t a long way off.” “Same here,”said Jill. “And hadn’t she a scrumptious dress. And the horse ！” “All the same,”said Puddleglum，“I wish we knew a bit more about her.” “I was going to ask her all about herself,”said Jill. “But how could I when you wouldn’t tell her anything about us ？” “Yes,”said Scrubb. “And why were you so stiff and unpleasant. Didn’t you like them ？” “Them ？ ”said the wiggle.“Who’s them ？ I only saw one.” “Didn’t you see the Knight ？”asked Jill. “I saw a suit of armour,”said Puddleglum. “Why didn’t he speak ？” “I expect he was shy,”said Jill. “Or perhaps he just wants to look at her and listen to her lovely voice. I’m sure I would if I was him.” “I was wondering,”remarked Puddleglum，“what you’d really see if you lifted up the visor of that helmet and looked inside.” “Hang it all,”said Scrubb. “Think of the shape of the armour ！ What could be inside it except a man ？” “How about a skeleton ？”asked the Marsh-wiggle with ghastly cheerfulness. “Or perhaps,”he added as an afterthought，“nothing at all. I mean，nothing you could see. Someone invisible.” “Really，Puddleglum,”said Jill with a shudder，“you do have the most horrible ideas. How do you think of them all ？” “Oh，bother his ideas ！”said Scrubb. “He’s always expecting the worst，and he’s always wrong. Let’s think about those Gentle Giants and get on to Harfang as quickly as we can. I wish I knew how far it is.” And now they nearly had the first of those quarrels which Puddleglum had foretold：not that Jill and Scrubb hadn’t been sparring and snapping at each other a good deal before，but this was the first really serious disagreement. Puddleglum didn’t want them to go to Harfang at all. He said that he didn’t know what a giant’s idea of being“gentle”might be，and that，anyway， Aslan’s signs had said nothing about staying with giants，gentle or otherwise. The children，on the other hand，who were sick of wind and rain，and skinny fowl roasted over campfires，and hard，cold earth to sleep on，were absolutely dead set to visit the Gentle Giants. In the end，Puddleglum agreed to do so，but only on one condition. The others must give an absolute promise that， unless he gave them leave，they would not tell the Gentle Giants that they came from Narnia or that they were looking for Prince Rilian. And they gave him this promise，and went on. After that talk with the Lady things got worse in two different ways. In the first place the country was much harder. The road led through endless，narrow valleys down which a cruel north wind was always blowing in their faces. There was nothing that could be used for firewood，and there were no nice little hollows to camp in，as there had been on the moor. And the ground was all stony， and made your feet sore by day and every bit of you sore by night. In the second place，whatever the Lady had intended by telling them about Harfang，the actual effect on the children was a bad one. They could think about nothing but beds and baths and hot meals and how lovely it would be to get indoors. They never talked about Aslan，or even about the lost prince，now. And Jill gave up her habit of repeating the signs over to herself every night and morning. She said to herself，at first，that she was too tired，but she soon forgot all about it. And though you might have expected that the idea of having a good time at Harfang would have made them more cheerful，it really made them more sorry for themselves and more grumpy and snappy with each other and with Puddleglum. At last they came one afternoon to a place where the gorge in which they were travelling widened out and dark fir woods rose on either side. They looked ahead and saw that they had come through the mountains. Before them lay a desolate，rocky plain：beyond it，further mountains capped with snow. But between them and those further mountains rose a low hill with an irregular flattish top. “Look ！ Look ！”cried Jill，and pointed across the plain； and there，through the gathering dusk，from beyond the flat hill， everyone saw lights. Lights ！ Not moonlight，nor fires，but a homely cheering row of lighted windows. If you have never been in the wild wilderness，day and night，for weeks，you will hardly understand how they felt. “Harfang ！”cried Scrubb and Jill in glad，excited voices； and“Harfang,”repeated Puddleglum in a dull，gloomy voice. But he added，“Hullo ！ Wild geese ！”and had the bow off his shoulder in a second. He brought down a good fat goose. It was far too late to think of reaching Harfang that day. But they had a hot meal and a fire，and started the night warmer than they had been for over a week. After the fire had gone out，the night grew bitterly cold，and when they woke next morning，their blankets were stiff with frost. “Never mind ！”said Jill，stamping her feet. “Hot baths tonight ！ ” CHAPTER SEVEN THE HILL OF THE STRANGE TRENCHES THERE is no denying it was a beast of a day. Overhead was a sunless sky，muffled in clouds that were heavy with snow； underfoot，a black frost；blowing over it，a wind that felt as if it would take your skin off. When they got down into the plain they found that this part of the ancient road was much more ruinous than any they had yet seen. They had to pick their way over great broken stones and between boulders and across rubble：hard going for sore feet. And，however tired they got，it was far too cold for a halt. At about ten o’clock the first tiny snow flakes came loitering down and settled on Jill’s arm. Ten minutes later they were falling quite thickly. In twenty minutes the ground was noticeably white. And by the end of half an hour a good steady snowstorm，which looked as if it meant to last all day，was driving in their faces so that they could hardly see. In order to understand what followed，you must keep on remembering how little they could see. As they drew near the low hill which separated them from the place where the lighted windows had appeared，they had no general view of it at all. It was a question of seeing the next few paces ahead，and，even for that， you had to screw up your eyes. Needless to say，they were not talking. When they reached the foot of the hill they caught a glimpse of what might be rocks on each side—squarish rocks，if you looked at them carefully，but no one did. All were more concerned with the ledge right in front of them which barred their way. It was about four feet high. The Marsh-wiggle，with his long legs，had no difficulty in jumping onto the top of it，and he then helped the others up. It was a nasty wet business for them，though not for him，because the snow now lay quite deep on the ledge. They then had a stiff climb—Jill fell once—up very rough ground for about a hundred yards，and came to a second ledge. There were four of these ledges altogether，at quite irregular intervals. As they struggled on to the fourth ledge，there was no mistaking the fact that they were now at the top of the flat hill. Up till now the slope had given them some shelter；here，they got the full fury of the wind. For the hill，oddly enough，was quite as flat on top as it had looked from a distance：a great level tableland which the storm tore across without resistance. In most places the snow was still hardly lying at all，for the wind kept catching it up off the ground in sheets and clouds，and hurling it in their faces. And round their feet little eddies of snow ran about as you sometimes see them doing over ice. And，indeed，in many places，the surface was almost as smooth as ice. But to make matters worse it was crossed and crisscrossed with curious banks or dykes，which sometimes divided it up into squares and oblongs. All these of course had to be climbed；they varied from two to five feet in height and were about a couple of yards thick. On the north side of each bank the snow already lay in deep drifts；and after each climb you came down into a drift and got wet. Fighting her way forward with hood up and head down and numb hands inside her cloak，Jill had glimpses of other odd things on that horrible tableland—things on her right that looked vaguely like factory chimneys，and，on her left，a huge cliff，straighter than any cliff ought to be. But she wasn’t at all interested and didn’t give them a thought. The only things she thought about were her cold hands（and nose and chin and ears）and hot baths and beds at Harfang. Suddenly she skidded，slid about five feet，and found herself to her horror sliding down into a dark，narrow chasm which seemed that moment to have appeared in front of her. Half a second later she had reached the bottom. She appeared to be in a kind of trench or groove，only about three feet wide. And though she was shaken by the fall，almost the first thing she noticed was the relief of being out of the wind；for the walls of the trench rose high above her. The next thing she noticed was，naturally，the anxious faces of Scrubb and Puddleglum looking down at her from the edge. “Are you hurt，Pole ？”shouted Scrubb. “Both legs broken，I shouldn’t wonder,”shouted Puddleglum. Jill stood up and explained that she was all right，but they’d have to help her out. “What is it you’ve fallen into ？”asked Scrubb. “It’s a kind of trench，or it might be a kind of sunken lane or something,”said Jill. “It runs quite straight.” “Yes，by Jove,”said Scrubb. “And it runs due north ！I wonder is it a sort of road ？ If it was，we’d be out of this infernal wind down there. Is there a lot of snow at the bottom ？” “Hardly any. It all blows over the top，I suppose.” “What happens farther on ？” “Half a second. I’ll go and see,”said Jill. She got up and walked along the trench；but before she had gone far，it turned sharply to the right. She shouted this information back to the others. “What’s round the corner ？”asked Scrubb. Now it happened that Jill had the same feeling about twisty passages and dark places underground，or even nearly underground，that Scrubb had about the edges of cliffs. She had no intention of going round that corner alone；especially when she heard Puddleglum bawling out from behind her： “Be careful，Pole. It’s just the sort of place that might lead to a dragon’s cave. And in a giant country，there might be giant earth-worms or giant beetles.” “I don’t think it goes anywhere much,”said Jill，coming hastily back. “I’m jolly well going to have a look,”said Scrubb. “What do you mean by anywhere much，I should like to know ？”So he sat down on the edge of the trench（everyone was too wet by now to bother about being a bit wetter）and then dropped in. He pushed past Jill and，though he didn’t say anything，she felt sure that he knew she had funked it. So she followed him close，but took care not to get in front of him. It proved，however，a disappointing exploration. They went round the right-hand turn and straight on for a few paces. Here there was a choice of ways：straight on again，or sharp to the right. “That’s no good,”said Scrubb，glancing down the right-hand turn，“that would be taking us back—south.”He went straight on，but once more，in a few steps，they found a second turn to the right. But this time there was no choice of ways，for the trench they had been following here came to a dead end. “No good,”grunted Scrubb. Jill lost no time in turning and leading the way back. When they returned to the place where Jill had first fallen in，the Marsh-wiggle with his long arms had no difficulty in pulling them out. But it was dreadful to be out on top again. Down in those narrow slits of trenches，their ears had almost begun to thaw. They had been able to see clearly and breathe easily and hear each other speak without shouting. It was absolute misery to come back into the withering coldness. And it did seem hard when Puddleglum chose that moment for saying： “Are you still sure of those signs，Pole ？ What’s the one we ought to be after，now ？” “Oh，come on ！Bother the signs,”said Pole. “Something about someone mentioning Aslan’s name，I think. But I’m jolly well not going to give a recitation here.” As you see，she had got the order wrong. That was because she had given up saying the signs over every night. She still really knew them，if she troubled to think：but she was no longer so“pat”in her lesson as to be sure of reeling them off in the right order at a moment’s notice and without thinking. Puddleglum’s question annoyed her because，deep down inside her，she was already annoyed with herself for not knowing the Lion’s lesson quite so well as she felt she ought to have known it. This annoyance，added to the misery of being very cold and tired， made her say，“Bother the signs.”She didn’t perhaps quite mean it. “Oh，that was next，was it ？”said Puddleglum. “Now I wonder，are you right ？ Got’em mixed，I shouldn’t wonder. It seems to me，this hill，this flat place we’re on，is worth stopping to have a look at. Have you noticed—” “Oh Lor ！”said Scrubb，“is this a time for stopping to admire the view ？ For goodness’ sake let’s get on.” “Oh，look，look，look,”cried Jill and pointed. Everyone turned，and everyone saw. Some way off to the north，and a good deal higher up than the tableland on which they stood，a line of lights had appeared. This time，even more obviously than when the travellers had seen them the night before，they were windows： smaller windows that made one think deliciously of bedrooms，and larger windows that made one think of great halls with fires roaring on the hearth and hot soup or juicy sirloins smoking on the table. “Harfang ！”exclaimed Scrubb. “That’s all very well,”said Puddleglum. “But what I was saying was—” “Oh，shut up,”said Jill crossly. “We haven’t a moment to lose. Don’t you remember what the Lady said about their locking up so early ？ We must get there in time，we must，we must. We’ll die if we’re shut out on a night like this.” “Well，it isn’t exactly a night，not yet,”began Puddleglum； but the two children both said，“Come on,”and began stumbling forward on the slippery tableland as quickly as their legs would carry them. The Marsh-wiggle followed them：still talking，but now that they were forcing their way into the wind again，they could not have heard him even if they had wanted to. And they didn’t want. They were thinking of baths and beds and hot drinks； and the idea of coming to Harfang too late and being shut out was almost unbearable. In spite of their haste，it took them a long time to cross the flat top of that hill. And even when they had crossed it，there were still several ledges to climb down on the far side. But at last they reached the bottom and could see what Harfang was like. It stood on a high crag，and in spite of its many towers was more a huge house than a castle. Obviously，the Gentle Giants feared no attack. There were windows in the outside wall quite close to the ground—a thing no one would have in a serious fortress. There were even odd little doors here and there，so that it would be quite easy to get in and out of the castle without going through the courtyard. This raised the spirits of Jill and Scrubb. It made the whole place look more friendly and less forbidding. At first the height and steepness of the crag frightened them， but presently they noticed that there was an easier way up on the left and that the road wound up towards it. It was a terrible climb，after the journey they had already had，and Jill nearly gave up. Scrubb and Puddleglum had to help her for the last hundred yards. But in the end they stood before the castle gate. The portcullis was up and the gate open. However tired you are，it takes some nerve to walk up to a giant’s front door. In spite of all his previous warnings against Harfang，it was Puddleglum who showed most courage. “Steady pace，now,”he said. “Don’t look frightened，whatever you do. We’ve done the silliest thing in the world by coming at all：but now that we are here，we’d best put a bold face on it.” With these words he strode forward into the gateway，stood still under the arch where the echo would help his voice，and called out as loud as he could. “Ho ！ Porter ！ Guests who seek lodging.” And while he was waiting for something to happen，he took off his hat and knocked off the heavy mass of snow which had gathered on its wide brim. “I say,”whispered Scrubb to Jill. “He may be a wet blanket， but he has plenty of pluck—and cheek.” A door opened，letting out a delicious glow of firelight，and the Porter appeared. Jill bit her lips for fear she should scream. He was not a perfectly enormous giant；that is to say，he was rather taller than an apple tree but nothing like so tall as a telegraph pole. He had bristly red hair，a leather jerkin with metal plates fastened all over it so as to make a kind of mail shirt，bare knees（very hairy indeed）and things like puttees on his legs. He stooped down and goggled at Puddleglum. “And what sort of creature do you call yourself,”he said. Jill took her courage in both hands. “Please,”she said， shouting up at the giant. “The Lady of the Green Kirtle salutes the King of the Gentle Giants，and has sent us two Southern children and this Marsh-wiggle（his name’s Puddleglum）to your Autumn Feast. -If it’s quite convenient，of course,”she added. “O-ho ！ ”said the Porter. “That’s quite a different story. Come in，little people，come in. You’d best come into the lodge while I’m sending word to his Majesty.”He looked at the children with curiosity. “Blue faces,”he said. “I didn’t know they were that colour. Don’t care about it myself. But I dare say you look quite nice to one another. Beetles fancy other beetles，they do say.” “Our faces are only blue with cold,”said Jill. “We’re not this colour really.” “Then come in and get warm. Come in，little shrimps,” said the Porter. They followed him into the lodge. And though it was rather terrible to hear such a big door clang shut behind them，they forgot about it as soon as they saw the thing they had been longing for ever since supper time last night—afire. And such a fire ！ It looked as if four or five whole trees were blazing on it，and it was so hot they couldn’t go within yards of it. But they all flopped down on the brick floor，as near as they could bear the heat，and heaved great sighs of relief. “Now，youngster,”said the Porter to another giant who had been sitting in the back of the room，staring at the visitors till it looked as if his eyes would start out of his head，“run across with this message to the House.”And he repeated what Jill had said to him. The younger giant，after a final stare，and a great guffaw， left the room. “Now，Froggy,”said the Porter to Puddleglum，“you look as if you wanted some cheering up.”He produced a black bottle very like Puddleglum’s own，but about twenty times larger. “Let me see，let me see,”said the Porter. “I can’t give you a cup or you’ll drown yourself. Let me see. This salt-cellar will be just the thing. You needn’t mention it over at the House. The silver will keep on getting over here，and it’s not my fault.” The salt-cellar was not very like one of ours，being narrower and more upright，and made quite a good cup for Puddleglum， when the giant set it down on the floor beside him. The children expected Puddleglum to refuse it，distrusting the Gentle Giants as he did. But he muttered，“It’s rather late to be thinking of precautions now that we’re inside and the door shut behind us.”Then he sniffed at the liquor. “Smells all right,”he said. “But that’s nothing to go by. Better make sure,”and took a sip. “Tastes all right，too,”he said. “But it might do that at the first sip. How does it go on ？”He took a larger sip. “Ah ！”he said. “But is it the same all the way down ？”and took another. “There’ll be something nasty at the bottom，I shouldn’t wonder,”he said，and finished the drink. He licked his lips and remarked to the children， “This’ll be a test，you see. If I curl up，or burst，or turn into a lizard，or something，then you’ll know not to take anything they offer you.”But the giant，who was too far up to hear the things Puddleglum had been saying under his breath，roared with laughter and said，“Why，Froggy，you’re a man. See him put it away ！” “Not a man...Marsh-wiggle,”replied Puddleglum in a somewhat indistinct voice. “Not frog either：Marsh-wiggle.” At that moment the door opened behind them and the younger giant came in saying，“They’re to go to the throne-room at once.” The children stood up but Puddleglum remained sitting and said，“Marsh-wiggle. Marsh-wiggle. Very respectable Marsh-wiggle. Respectowiggle.” “Show them the way，young’un,”said the giant Porter. “You’d better carry Froggy. He’s had a drop more than’s good for him.” “Nothing wrong with me,”said Puddleglum. “Not a frog. Nothing frog with me. I’m a respectabiggle.” But the young giant caught him up by the waist and signed to the children to follow. In this undignified way they crossed the courtyard. Puddleglum，held in the giant’s fist，and vaguely kicking the air，did certainly look very like a frog. But they had little time to notice this，for they soon entered the great doorway of the main castle-both their hearts beating faster than usual-and，after pattering along several corridors at a trot to keep up with the giant’s paces，found themselves blinking in the light of an enormous room，where lamps glowed and a fire roared on the hearth and both were reflected from the gilding of roof and cornice. More giants than they could count stood on their left and right，all in magnificent robes；and on two thrones at the far end，sat two huge shapes that appeared to be the King and Queen. About twenty feet from the thrones，they stopped. Scrubb and Jill made an awkward attempt at a bow（girls are not taught how to curtsey at Experiment House）and the young giant carefully put Puddleglum down on the floor，where he collapsed into a sort of sitting position. With his long limbs he looked，to tell the truth， uncommonly like a large spider. CHAPTER EIGHT THE HOUSE OF HARFANG “Go on，Pole，do your stuff,”whispered Scrubb. Jill found that her mouth was so dry that she couldn’t speak a word. She nodded savagely at Scrubb. Thinking to himself that he would never forgive her（or Puddleglum either），Scrubb licked his lips and shouted up to the King giant. “If you please，Sire，the Lady of the Green Kirtle salutes you by us and said you’d like to have us for your Autumn Feast.” The giant King and Queen looked at each other，nodded to each other，and smiled in a way that Jill didn’t exactly like. She liked the King better than the Queen. He had a fine，curled beard and a straight eagle-like nose，and was really rather good-looking as giants go. The Queen was dreadfully fat and had a double chin and a fat，powdered face—which isn’t a very nice thing at the best of times，and of course looks much worse when it is ten times too big. Then the King put out his tongue and licked his lips. Anyone might do that：but his tongue was so very large and red，and came out so unexpectedly，that it gave Jill quite a shock. “Oh，what good children ！”said the Queen. （“Perhaps she’s the nice one after all,”thought Jill.） “Yes indeed,”said the King. Quite excellent children. We welcome you to our court. Give me your hands.” He stretched down his great right hand—very clean and with any number of rings on the fingers，but also with terrible pointed nails. He was much too big to shake the hands which the children， in turn，held up to him；but he shook the arms. “And what’s that ？”asked the King，pointing to Puddleglum. “Reshpeckobiggle,”said Puddleglum. “Oh ！”screamed the Queen，gathering her skirts close about her ankles. “The horrid thing ！ It’s alive.” “He’s quite all right，your Majesty，really，he is,”said Scrubb hastily. “You’ll like him much better when you get to know him. I’m sure you will.” I hope you won’t lose all interest in Jill for the rest of the book if I tell you that at this moment she began to cry. There was a good deal of excuse for her. Her feet and hands and ears and nose were still only just beginning to thaw；melted snow was trickling off her clothes；she had had hardly anything to eat or drink that day；and her legs were aching so that she felt she could not go on standing much longer. Anyway，it did more good at the moment than anything else would have done，for the Queen said：“Ah，the poor child ！ My lord，we do wrong to keep our guests standing. Quick，some of you ！Take them away. Give them food and wine and baths. Comfort the little girl. Give her lollipops，give her dolls，give her physics，give her all you can think of—possets and comfits and caraways and lullabies and toys. Don’t cry，little girl，or you won’t be good for anything when the feast comes.” Jill was just as indignant as you and I would have been at the mention of toys and dolls；and，though lollipops and comfits might be all very well in their way，she very much hoped that something more solid would be provided. The Queen’s foolish speech，however，produced excellent results，for Puddleglum and Scrubb were at once picked up by gigantic gentlemen-in-waiting，and Jill by a gigantic maid of honour，and carried off to their rooms. Jill’s room was about the size of a church，and would have been rather grim if it had not had a roaring fire on the hearth and a very thick crimson carpet on the floor. And here delightful things began to happen to her. She was handed over to the Queen’s old Nurse，who was，from the giants’ point of view，a little old woman almost bent double with age，and，from the human point of view，a giantess small enough to go about an ordinary room without knocking her head on the ceiling. She was very capable， though Jill did wish she wouldn’t keep on clicking her tongue and saying things like“Oh la，la ！Ups-a-daisy”and“There’s a duck”and“Now we’ll be all right，my poppet”. She filled a giant foot-bath with hot water and helped Jill into it. If you can swim （as Jill could）a giant bath is a lovely thing. And giant towels， though a bit rough and coarse，are lovely too，because there are acres of them. In fact you don’t need to dry at all，you just roll about on them in front of the fire and enjoy yourself. And when that was over，clean，fresh，warmed clothes were put on Jill：very splendid clothes and a little too big for her，but clearly made for humans not giantesses. “I suppose if that woman in the green kirtle comes here，they must be used to guests of our size,”thought Jill. She soon saw that she was right about this，for a table and chair of the right height for an ordinary grown-up human were placed for her，and the knives and forks and spoons were the proper size too. It was delightful to sit down，feeling warm and clean at last. Her feet were still bare and it was lovely to tread on the giant carpet. She sank in it well over her ankles and it was just the thing for sore feet. The meal—which I suppose we must call dinner， though it was nearer tea time—was cock-a-leekie soup，and hot roast turkey，and a steamed pudding，and roast chestnuts，and as much fruit as you could eat. The only annoying thing was that the Nurse kept coming in and out，and every time she came in，she brought a gigantic toy with her—a huge doll，bigger than Jill herself，a wooden horse on wheels，about the size of an elephant，a drum that looked like a young gasometer，and a woolly lamb. They were crude，badly made things，painted in very bright colours，and Jill hated the sight of them. She kept on telling the Nurse she didn’t want them， but the Nurse said：“Tut-tut-tut-tut. You’ll want’em all right when you’ve had a bit of a rest，I know ！ Te-he-he ！ Beddy bye，now. A precious poppet ！” The bed was not a giant bed but only a big four-poster，like what you might see in an old-fashioned hotel；and very small it looked in that enormous room. She was very glad to tumble into it. “Is it still snowing，Nurse ？”she asked sleepily. “No. Raining now，ducky ！”said the giantess. “Rain’ll wash away all the nasty snow. Precious poppet will be able to go out and play tomorrow ！”And she tucked Jill up and said good night. I know nothing so disagreeable as being kissed by a giantess. Jill thought the same，but was asleep in five minutes. The rain fell steadily all the evening and all the night，dashing against the windows of the castle，and Jill never heard it but slept deeply，past supper time and past midnight. And then came the deadest hour of the night and nothing stirred but mice in the house of the giants. At that hour there came to Jill a dream. It seemed to her that she awoke in the same room and saw the fire，sunk low and red，and in the firelight the great wooden horse. And the horse came of its own will，rolling on its wheels across the carpet，and stood at her head. And now it was no longer a horse，but a lion as big as the horse. And then it was not a toy lion，but a real lion， The Real Lion，just as she had seen him on the mountain beyond the world’s end. And a smell of all sweet-smelling things there are filled the room. But there was some trouble in Jill’s mind， though she could not think what it was，and the tears streamed down her face and wet the pillow. The Lion told her to repeat the signs，and she found that she had forgotten them all. At that，a great horror came over her. And Aslan took her up in his jaws（she could feel his lips and his breath but not his teeth）and carried her to the window and made her look out. The moon shone bright； and written in great letters across the world or the sky（she did not know which）were the words UNDER ME. After that，the dream faded away，and when she woke，very late next morning，she did not remember that she had dreamed at all. She was up and dressed and had finished breakfast in front of the fire when the Nurse opened the door and said：“Here’s pretty poppet’s little friends come to play with her.” In came Scrubb and the Marsh-wiggle. “Hullo ！ Good morning,”said Jill. “Isn’t this fun ？ I’ve slept about fifteen hours，I believe. I do feel better，don’t you ？” “1 do,”said Scrubb，“but Puddleglum says he has a headache. Hullo ！—your window has a window seat. If we got up on that， we could see out.”And at once they all did so：and at the first glance Jill said，“Oh，how perfectly dreadful ！” The sun was shining and，except for a few drifts，the snow had been almost completely washed away by the rain. Down below them，spread out like a map，lay the flat hill-top which they had struggled over yesterday afternoon；seen from the castle，it could not be mistaken for anything but the ruins of a gigantic city. It had been flat，as Jill now saw，because it was still，on the whole， paved，though in places the pavement was broken. The criss-cross banks were what was left of the walls of huge buildings which might once have been giants’ palaces and temples. One bit of wall，about five hundred feet high，was still standing；it was that which she had thought was a cliff. The things that had looked like factory chimneys were enormous pillars，broken off at unequal heights； their fragments lay at their bases like felled trees of monstrous stone. The ledges which they had climbed down on the north side of the hill—and also，no doubt the other ledges which they had climbed up on the south side—were the remaining steps of giant stairs. To crown all，in large，dark lettering across the centre of the pavement，ran the words UNDER ME. The three travellers looked at each other in dismay，and，after a short whistle，Scrubb said what they were all thinking，“The second and third signs muffed.”And at that moment Jill’s dream rushed back into her mind. “It’s my fault,”she said in despairing tones. “I—I’d given up repeating the signs every night. If I’d been thinking about them I could have seen it was the city，even in all that snow.” “I’m worse,”said Puddleglum. “I did see，or nearly. I thought it looked uncommonly like a ruined city.” “You’re the only one who isn’t to blame,”said Scrubb. “You did try to make us stop.” “Didn’t try hard enough，though,”said the Marsh-wiggle. “And I’d no call to be trying. I ought to have done it. As if I couldn’t have stopped you two with one hand each ！” “The truth is,”said Scrubb，“we were so jolly keen on getting to this place that we weren’t bothering about anything else. At least I know I was. Ever since we met that woman with the knight who didn’t talk，we’ve been thinking of nothing else. We’d nearly forgotten about Prince Rilian.” “I shouldn’t wonder,”said Puddleglum，“if that wasn’t exactly what she intended.” “What I don’t quite understand,”said Jill，“is how we didn’t see the lettering ？ Or could it have come there since last night. Could he—Aslan—have put it there in the night ？ I had such a queer dream.”And she told them all about it. “Why，you chump ！”said Scrubb. “We did see it. We got into the lettering. Don’t you see ？ We got into the letter E in ME. That was your sunk lane. We walked along the bottom stroke of the E，due north—turned to our right along the upright—came to another turn to the right—that’s the middle stroke-and then went on to the top left-hand corner，or（if you like）the north-eastern corner of the letter，and came back. Like the bally idiots we are.”He kicked the window seat savagely，and went on，“So it’s no good，Pole. I know what you were thinking because I was thinking the same. You were thinking how nice it would have been if Aslan hadn’t put the instructions on the stones of the ruined city till after we’d passed it. And then it would have been his fault，not ours. So likely，isn’t it ？ No. We must just own up. We’ve only four signs to go by，and we’ve muffed the first three.” “You mean I have,”said Jill. “It’s quite true. I’ve spoiled everything ever since you brought me here. All the same— I’m frightfully sorry and all that—all the same，what are the instructions ？ UNDER ME doesn’t seem to make much sense.” “Yes it does，though,”said Puddleglum. “It means we’ve got to look for the Prince under that city.” “But how can we ？”asked Jill. “That’s the question,”said Puddleglum，rubbing his big， frog-like hands together. “How can we now ？ No doubt，if we’d had our minds on our job when we were at the Ruinous City， we’d have been shown how—found a little door，or a cave，or a tunnel，met someone to help us. Might have been（you never know）Aslan himself. We’d have got down under those paving-stones somehow or other. Aslan’s instructions always work：there are no exceptions. But how to do it now—that’s another matter.” “Well，we shall just have to go back，I suppose,”said Jill. “Easy，isn’t it ？”said Puddleglum. “We might try opening that door to begin with.”And they all looked at the door and saw that none of them could reach the handle，and that almost certainly no one could turn it if they did. “Do you think they won’t let us out if we ask ？”said Jill. And nobody said，but everyone thought，“Supposing they don’t.” It was not a pleasant idea. Puddleglum was dead against any idea of telling the giants their real business and simply asking to be let out；and of course the children couldn’t tell without his permission，because they had promised. And all three felt pretty sure that there would be no chance of escaping from the castle by night. Once they were in their rooms with the doors shut，they would be prisoners till morning. They might，of course，ask to have their doors left open，but that would rouse suspicions. “Our only chance,”said Scrubb，“is to try to sneak away by daylight. Mightn’t there be an hour in the afternoon when most of the giants are asleep ？ —and if we could steal down into the kitchen，mightn’t there be a back door open ？” “It’s hardly what I call a Chance,”said the Marsh-wiggle. “But it’s all the chance we’re likely to get.”As a matter of fact， Scrubb’s plan was not quite so hopeless as you might think. If you want to get out of a house without being seen，the middle of the afternoon is in some ways a better time to try it than the middle of the night. Doors and windows are more likely to be open；and if you are caught，you can always pretend you weren’t meaning to go far and had no particular plans. （It is very hard to make either giants or grown-ups believe this if you’re found climbing out of a bedroom window at one o’clock in the morning.） “We must put them off their guard，though,”said Scrubb. “We must pretend we love being here and are longing for this Autumn Feast.” “That’s tomorrow night,”said Puddleglum. “I heard one of them say so.” “I see,”said Jill. “We must pretend to be awfully excited about it，and keep on asking questions. They think we’re absolute infants anyway，which will make it easier.” “Gay,”said Puddleglum with a deep sigh. “That’s what we’ve got to be. Gay. As if we hadn’t a care in the world. Frolicsome. You two youngsters haven’t always got very high spirits，I’ve noticed. You must watch me，and do as I do. I’ll be gay. Like this”—and he assumed a ghastly grin. “And frolicsome”—here he cut a most mournful caper. “You’ll soon get into it，if you keep your eyes on me. They think I’m a funny fellow already，you see. I dare say you two thought I was a trifle tipsy last night，but I do assure you it was—well，most of it was—put on. I had an idea it would come in useful，somehow.” The children，when they talked over their adventures afterwards，could never feel sure whether this last statement was quite strictly true；but they were sure that Puddleglum thought it was true when he made it. “All right. Gay’s the word,”said Scrubb. “Now，if we could only get someone to open this door. While we’re fooling about and being gay，we’ve got to find out all we can about this castle.” Luckily，at that very moment the door opened，and the giant Nurse bustled in，saying，“Now，my poppets. Like to come and see the King and all the court setting out on the hunting ？ Such a pretty sight ！” They lost no time in rushing out past her and climbing down the first staircase they came to. The noise of hounds and horns and giant voices guided them，so that in a few minutes they reached the courtyard. The giants were all on foot，for there are no giant horses in that part of the world，and the giants’ hunting is done on foot；like beagling in England. The hounds also were of normal size. When Jill saw that there were no horses she was at first dreadfully disappointed，for she felt sure that the great fat Queen would never go after hounds on foot；and it would never do to have her about the house all day. But then she saw the Queen in a kind of litter supported on the shoulders of six young giants. The silly old creature was all got up in green and had a horn at her side. Twenty or thirty giants，including the King，were assembled， ready for the sport，all talking and laughing fit to deafen you： and down below，nearer Jill’s level，there were wagging tails， and barking，and loose，slobbery mouths and noses of dogs thrust into your hand. Puddleglum was just beginning to strike what he thought a gay and gamesome attitude（which might have spoiled everything if it had been noticed）when Jill put on her most attractively childish smile，rushed across to the Queen’s litter and shouted up to the Queen. “Oh，please ！ You’re not going away，are you ？ You will come back ？” “Yes，my dear,”said the Queen. “I’ll be back tonight.” “Oh，good. How lovely ！”said Jill. “And we may come to the feast tomorrow night，mayn’t we ？ We’re so longing for tomorrow night ！ And we do love being here. And while you’re out，we may run over the whole castle and see everything，mayn’t we ？ Do say yes.” The Queen did say yes，but the laughter of all the courtiers nearly drowned her voice. CHAPTER NINE HOW THEY DISCOVERED SOMETHING WORTH KNOWING THE others admitted afterwards that Jill had been wonderful that day. As soon as the King and the rest of the hunting party had set off，she began making a tour of the whole castle and asking questions，but all in such an innocent，babyish way that no one could suspect her of any secret design. Though her tongue was never still，you could hardly say she talked：she prattled and giggled. She made love to everyone—the grooms，the porters， the housemaids，the ladies-in-waiting，and the elderly giant lords whose hunting days were past. She submitted to being kissed and pawed about by any number of giantesses，many of whom seemed sorry for her and called her“a poor little thing”though none of them explained why. She made especial friends with the cook and discovered the all-important fact there was a scullery door which let you out through the outer wall，so that you did not have to cross the courtyard or pass the great gatehouse. In the kitchen she pretended to be greedy，and ate all sorts of scraps which the cook and scullions delighted to give her. But upstairs among the ladies she asked questions about how she would be dressed for the great feast，and how long she would be allowed to sit up，and whether she would dance with some very，very small giant. And then（it made her hot all over when she remembered it afterwards）she would put her head on one side in an idiotic fashion which grown-ups，giant and otherwise，thought very fetching，and shake her curls，and fidget，and say，“Oh，I do wish it was tomorrow night，don’t you ？ Do you think the time will go quickly till then ？”And all the giantesses said she was a perfect little darling； and some of them dabbed their eyes with enormous handkerchiefs as if they were going to cry. “They’re dear little things at that age,”said one giantess to another. “It seems almost a pity...” Scrubb and Puddleglum both did their best，but girls do that kind of thing better than boys. Even boys do it better than Marsh-wiggles. At lunchtime something happened which made all three of them more anxious than ever to leave the castle of the Gentle Giants. They had lunch in the great hall at a little table of their own，near the fireplace. At a bigger table，about twenty yards away，half a dozen old giants were lunching. Their conversation was so noisy， and so high up in the air，that the children soon took no more notice of it than you would of hooters outside the window or traffic noises in the street. They were eating cold venison，a kind of food which Jill had never tasted before，and she was liking it. Suddenly Puddleglum turned to them，and his face had gone so pale that you could see the paleness under the natural muddiness of his complexion. He said： “Don’t eat another bite.” “What’s wrong ？”asked the other two in a whisper. “Didn’t you hear what those giants were saying ？‘That’s a nice tender haunch of venison，’ said one of them. ‘Then that stag was a liar，’ said another. ‘Why ？’said the first one. ‘Oh，’ said the other. ‘They say that when he was caught he said，Don’t kill me，I’m tough. You won’t like me.’‘For a moment Jill did not realize the full meaning of this. But she did when Scrubb’s eyes opened wide with horror and he said： “So we’ve been eating a Talking stag.” This discovery didn’t have exactly the same effect on all of them. Jill，who was new to that world，was sorry for the poor stag and thought it rotten of the giants to have killed him. Scrubb，who had been in that world before and had at least one Talking beast as his dear friend，felt horrified；as you might feel about a murder. But Puddleglum，who was Narnian born，was sick and faint，and felt as you would feel if you found you had eaten a baby. “We’ve brought the anger of Aslan on us,”he said. “That’s what comes of not attending to the signs. We’re under a curse，I expect. If it was allowed，it would be the best thing we could do， to take these knives and drive them into our own hearts.” And gradually even Jill came to see it from his point of view. At any rate，none of them wanted any more lunch. And as soon as they thought it safe they crept quietly out of the hall. It was now drawing near to that time of the day on which their hopes of escape depended，and all became nervous. They hung about in passages and waited for things to become quiet. The giants in the hall sat on a dreadfully long time after the meal was over. The bald one was telling a story. When that was over，the three travellers dawdled down to the kitchen. But there were still plenty of giants there，or at least in the scullery，washing up and putting things away. It was agonizing，waiting till these finished their jobs and，one by one，wiped their hands and went away. At last only one old giantess was left in the room. She pottered about，and pottered about，and at last the three travellers realized with horror that she did not intend to go away at all. “Well，dearies,”she said to them. “That job’s about through. Let’s put the kettle there. That’ll make a nice cup of tea presently. Now I can have a little bit of a rest. Just look into the scullery，like good poppets，and tell me if the back door is open.” “Yes，it is,”said Scrubb. “That’s right. I always leave it open so as Puss can get in and out，the poor thing.” Then she sat down on one chair and put her feet up on another. “I don’t know as I mightn’t have forty winks,”said the giantess. “If only that blarney hunting party doesn’t come back too soon.” All their spirits leaped up when she mentioned forty winks， and flopped down again when she mentioned the return of the hunting party. “When do they usually comeback ？”asked Jill. “You never can tell,”said the giantess. “But there；go and be quiet for a bit，my dearies.” They retreated to the far end of the kitchen，and would have slipped out into the scullery there and then if the giantess had not sat up，opened her eyes，and brushed away a fly. “Don’t try it till we’re sure she’s really asleep,”whispered Scrubb. “Or it’ll spoil everything.”So they all huddled at the kitchen end，waiting and watching. The thought that the hunters might come back at any moment was terrible. And the giantess was fidgety. Whenever they thought she had really gone to sleep，she moved. “I can’t bear this,”thought Jill. To distract her mind，she began looking about her. Just in front of her was a clean wide table with two clean pie-dishes on it，and an open book. They were giant pie-dishes of course. Jill thought that she could lie down just comfortably in one of them. Then she climbed up on the bench beside the table to look at the book. She read： MALLARD. This delicious bird can be cooked in a variety of ways. “It’s a cookery book,”thought Jill without much interest，and glanced over her shoulder. The giantess’s eyes were shut but she didn’t look as if she were properly asleep. Jill glanced back at the book. It was arranged alphabetically：and at the very next entry her heart seemed to stop beating；It ran— MAN. This elegant little biped has long been valued as a delicacy. It forms a traditional part of the Autumn Feast，and is served between the fish and the joint. Each Man—but she could not bear to read any more. She turned round. The giantess had wakened up and was having a fit of coughing. Jill nudged the other two and pointed to the book. They also mounted the bench and bent over the huge pages. Scrubb was still reading about how to cook Men when Puddleglum pointed to the next entry below it. It was like this： MARSH-WIGGLE. Some authorities reject this animal altogether as unfit for giants’ consumption because of its stringy consistency and muddy flavour. The flavour can，however，be greatly reduced if— Jill touched his feet，and Scrubb’s，gently. All three looked back at the giantess. Her mouth was slightly open and from her nose there came a sound which at that moment was more welcome to them than any music；she snored. And now it was a question of tip-toe work，not daring to go too fast，hardly daring to breathe， out through the scullery（giant sculleries smell horrid），out at last into the pale sunlight of a winter afternoon. They were at the top of a rough little path which ran steeply down. And，thank heavens，on the right side of the castle；the City Ruinous was in sight. In a few minutes they were back on the broad，steep road which led down from the main gate of the castle. They were also in full view from every single window on that side. If it had been one，or two，or five windows there’d be a reasonable chance that no one might be looking out. But there were nearer fifty than five. They now realized，too，that the road on which they were，and indeed all the ground between them and the City Ruinous，didn’t offer as much cover as would hide a fox；it was all coarse grass and pebbles and flat stones. To make matters worse，they were now in the clothes that the giants had provided for them last night：except Puddleglum，whom nothing would fit. Jill wore a vivid green robe，rather too long for her， and over that a scarlet mantle fringed with white fur. Scrubb had scarlet stockings，blue tunic and cloak，a gold-hilted sword，and a feathered bonnet. “Nice bits of colour，you two are,”muttered Puddleglum. “Show up very prettily on a winter day. The worst archer in the world couldn’t miss either of you if you were in range. And talking of archers，we’ll be sorry not to have our own bows before long，I shouldn’t wonder. Bit thin，too，those clothes of yours，are they ？” “Yes，I’m freezing already,”said Jill. A few minutes ago when they had been in the kitchen，she had thought that if only they could once get out of the castle，their escape would be almost complete. She now realized that the most dangerous part of it was still to come. “Steady，steady,”said Puddleglum. “Don’t look back. Don’t walk too quickly. Whatever you do，don’t run. Look as if we were just taking a stroll，and then，if anyone sees us，he might， just possibly，not bother. The moment we look like people running away，we’re done.” The distance to the City Ruinous seemed longer than Jill would have believed possible. But bit by bit they were covering it. Then came a noise. The other two gasped. Jill，who didn’t know what it was，said，“What’s that ？” “Hunting horn,”whispered Scrubb. “But don’t run even now,”said Puddleglum. “Not until I give the word.” This time Jill couldn’t help glancing over her shoulder. There，about half a mile away，was the hunt returning from behind them on the left. They walked on. Suddenly a great clamour of giant voices arose：then shouts and hollas. “They’ve seen us. Run,”said Puddleglum. Jill gathered up her long skirts—horrible things for running in—and ran. There was no mistaking the danger now. She could hear the music of the hounds. She could hear the King’s voice roaring out，“After them，after them，or we’ll have no man-pies tomorrow.” She was last of the three now，cumbered with her dress， slipping on loose stones，her hair getting in her mouth，running-pains across her chest. The hounds were much nearer. Now she had to run uphill，up the stony slope which led to the lowest step of the giant stairway. She had no idea what they would do when they got there，or how they would be any better off even if they reached the top. But she didn’t think about that. She was like a hunted animal now；as long as the pack was after her，she must run till she dropped. The Marsh-wiggle was ahead. As he came to the lowest step he stopped，looked a little to his right，and all of a sudden darted into a little hole or crevice at the bottom of it. His long legs， disappearing into it，looked very like those of a spider. Scrubb hesitated and then vanished after him. Jill，breathless and reeling， came to the place about a minute later. It was an unattractive hole— a crack between the earth and the stone about three feet long and hardly more than a foot high. You had to fling yourself flat on your face and crawl in. You couldn’t do it so very quickly either. She felt sure that a dog’s teeth would close on her heel before she had got inside. “Quick，quick. Stones. Fill up the opening,”came Puddleglum’s voice in the darkness beside her. It was pitch black in there，except for the grey light in the opening by which they had crawled in. The other two were working hard. She could see Scrubb’s small hands and the Marsh-wiggle’s big，frog-like hands black against the light，working desperately to pile up stones. Then she realized how important this was and began groping for large stones herself， and handing them to the others. Before the dogs were baying and yelping at the cave mouth，they had it pretty well filled；and now，of course，there was no light at all. “Farther in，quick,”said Puddleglum’s voice. “Let’s all hold hands,”said Jill. “Good idea,”said Scrubb. But it took them quite a long time to find one another’s hands in the darkness. The dogs were sniffing at the other side of the barrier now. “Try if we can stand up,”suggested Scrubb. They did and found that they could. Then，Puddleglum holding out a hand behind him to Scrubb，and Scrubb holding a hand out behind him to Jill（who wished very much that she was the middle one of the party and not the last），they began groping with their feet and stumbling forwards into the blackness. It was all loose stones underfoot. Then Puddleglum came up to a wall of rock. They turned a little to their right and went on. There were a good many more twists and turns. Jill had now no sense of direction at all，and no idea where the mouth of the cave lay. “The question is,”came Puddleglum’s voice out of the darkness ahead，“whether，taking one thing with another，it wouldn’t be better to go back（if we can）and give the giants a treat at that feast of theirs，instead of losing our way in the guts of a hill where，ten to one，there’s dragons and deep holes and gases and water and— Ow ！ Let go ！ Save yourselves. I’m—” After that all happened quickly. There was a wild cry，a swishing，dusty，gravelly noise，a rattle of stones，and Jill found herself sliding，sliding，hopelessly sliding，and sliding quicker every moment down a slope that grew steeper every moment. It was not a smooth，firm slope，but a slope of small stones and rubbish. Even if you could have stood up，it would have been no use. Any bit of that slope you had put your foot on would have slid away from under you and carried you down with it. But Jill was more lying than standing. And the farther they all slid，the more they disturbed all the stones and earth，so that the general downward rush of everything（including themselves）got faster and louder and dustier and dirtier. From the sharp cries and swearing of the other two，Jill got the idea that many of the stones which she was dislodging were hitting Scrubb and Puddleglum pretty hard. And now she was going at a furious rate and felt sure she would be broken to bits at the bottom. Yet somehow they weren’t. They were a mass of bruises，and the wet，sticky stuff on her face appeared to be blood. And such a mass of loose earth，shingle，and larger stones was piled up round her（and partly over her）that she couldn’t get up. The darkness was so complete that it made no difference at all whether you had your eyes open or shut. There was no noise. And that was the very worst moment Jill had ever known in her life. Supposing she was alone：supposing the others...Then she heard movements around her. And presently all three，in shaken voices，were explaining that none of them seemed to have any broken bones. “We can never get up that again,”said Scrubb’s voice. “And have you noticed how warm it is ？”said the voice of Puddleglum. “That means we’re a long way down. Might be nearly a mile.” No one said anything. Some time later Puddleglum added： “My tinder-box has gone.” After another long pause Jill said，“I’m terribly thirsty.” No one suggested doing anything. There was so obviously nothing to be done. For the moment，they did not feel it quite so badly as one might have expected；that was because they were so tired. Long，long afterwards，without the slightest warning， an utterly strange voice spoke. They knew at once that it was not the one voice in the whole world for which each had secretly been hoping；the voice of Aslan. It was a dark，flat voice—almost，if you know what that means，a pitch-black voice. It said： “What make you here，creatures of the Overworld ？” CHAPTER TEN TRAVELS WITHOUT THE SUN “WHO’s there ？ ”shouted the three travellers. “I am the Warden of the Marches of Underland，and with me stand a hundred Earthmen in arms,”came the reply. “Tell me quickly who you are and what is your errand in the Deep Realm ？” “We fell down by accident,”said Puddleglum，truthfully enough. “Many fall down，and few return to the sunlit lands,”said the voice. “Make ready now to come with me to the Queen of the Deep Realm.” “What does she want with us ？”asked Scrubb cautiously. “I do not know,”said the voice. “Her will is not to be questioned but obeyed.” While he said these words there was a noise like a soft explosion and immediately a cold light，grey with a little blue in it，flooded the cavern. All hope that the speaker had been idly boasting when he spoke of his hundred armed followers died at once. Jill found herself blinking and staring at a dense crowd. They were of all sizes，from little gnomes barely a foot high to stately figures taller than men. All carried three-pronged spears in their hands，and all were dreadfully pale，and all stood as still as statues. Apart from that，they were very different；some had tails and others not，some wore great beards and others had very round，smooth faces，big as pumpkins. There were long，pointed noses，and long，soft noses like small trunks，and great blobby noses. Several had single horns in the middle of their foreheads. But in one respect they were all alike：every face in the whole hundred was as sad as a face could be. They were so sad that，after the first glance，Jill almost forgot to be afraid of them. She felt she would like to cheer them up. “Well ！ ”said Puddleglum，rubbing his hands. “This is just what I needed. If these chaps don’t teach me to take a serious view of life，I don’t know what will. Look at that fellow with the walrus moustache—or that one with the—” “Get up,”said the leader of the Earthmen. There was nothing else to be done. The three travellers scrambled to their feet and joined hands. One wanted the touch of a friend’s hand at a moment like that. And the Earthmen came all round them，padding on large，soft feet，on which some had ten toes，some twelve，and others none. “March,”said the Warden：and march they did. The cold light came from a large ball on the top of a long pole，and the tallest of the gnomes carried this at the head of the procession. By its cheerless rays they could see that they were in a natural cavern；the walls and roof were knobbed，twisted，and gashed into a thousand fantastic shapes，and the stony floor sloped downward as they proceeded. It was worse for Jill than for the others，because she hated dark，underground places. And when， as they went on，the cave got lower and narrower，and when， at last，the light-bearer stood aside，and the gnomes，one by one， stooped down（all except the very smallest ones）and stepped into a little dark crack and disappeared，she felt she could bear it no longer. “I can’t go in there，I can’t ！ I can’t ！ I won’t,”she panted. The Earthmen said nothing but they all lowered their spears and pointed them at her. “Steady，Pole,”said Puddleglum. “Those big fellows wouldn’t be crawling in there if it didn’t get wider later on. And there’s one thing about this underground work，we shan’t get any rain.” “Oh，you don’t understand. I can’t,”wailed Jill. “Think how 1 felt on that cliff，Pole,”said Scrubb. “You go first，Puddleglum，and I’ll come after her.” “That’s right,”said the Marsh-wiggle，getting down on his hands and knees. “You keep a grip of my heels，Pole，and Scrubb will hold on to yours. Then we’ll all be comfortable.” “Comfortable ！ ”said Jill. But she got down and they crawled in on their elbows. It was a nasty place. You had to go flat on your face for what seemed like half an hour，though it may really have been only five minutes. It was hot. Jill felt she was being smothered. But at last a dim light showed ahead，the tunnel grew wider and higher，and they came out，hot，dirty，and shaken， into a cave so large that it scarcely seemed like a cave at all. It was full of a dim，drowsy radiance，so that here they had no need of the Earthmen’s strange lantern. The floor was soft with some kind of moss and out of this grew many strange shapes， branched and tall like trees，but flabby like mushrooms. They stood too far apart to make a forest；it was more like a park. The light（a greenish grey）seemed to come both from them and from the moss，and it was not strong enough to reach the roof of the cave，which must have been a long way overhead. Across the mild，soft，sleepy place they were now made to march. It was very sad，but with a quiet sort of sadness，like soft music. Here they passed dozens of strange animals lying on the turf， either dead or asleep，Jill could not tell which. These were mostly of a dragonish or bat-like sort；Puddleglum did not know what any of them were. “Do they grow here ？”Scrubb asked the Warden. He seemed very surprised at being spoken to，but replied，“No. They are all beasts that have found their way down by chasms and caves，out of Overland into the Deep Realm. Many come down，and few return to the sunlit lands. It is said that they will all wake at the end of the world.” His mouth shut like a box when he had said this，and in the great silence of that cave the children felt that they would not dare to speak again. The bare feet of the gnomes，padding on the deep moss，made no sound. There was no wind，there were no birds， there was no sound of water. There was no sound of breathing from the strange beasts. When they had walked for several miles，they came to a wall of rock，and in it a low archway leading into another cavern. It was not，however，so bad as the last entrance and Jill could go through it without bending her head. It brought them into a smaller cave，long and narrow，about the shape and size of a cathedral. And here，filling almost the whole length of it，lay an enormous man fast asleep. He was far bigger than any of the giants，and his face was not like a giant’s，but noble and beautiful. His breast rose and fell gently under the snowy beard which covered him to the waist. A pure，silver light（no one saw where it came from）rested upon him. “Who’s that ？ ”asked Puddleglum. And it was so long since anyone had spoken，that Jill wondered how he had the nerve. “That is old Father Time，who once was a King in Overland,” said the Warden. “And now he has sunk down into the Deep Realm and lies dreaming of all the things that are done in the upper world. Many sink down，and few return to the sunlit lands. They say he will wake at the end of the world.” And out of that cave they passed into another，and then into another and another，and so on till Jill lost count，but always they were going downhill and each cave was lower than the last， till the very thought of the weight and depth of the earth above you was suffocating. At last they came to a place where the Warden commanded his cheerless lantern to be lit again. Then they passed into a cave so wide and dark that they could see nothing of it except that right in front of them a strip of the pale sand ran down into still water. And there，beside a little jetty，lay a ship without mast or sail but with many oars. They were made to go on board her and nearer；but there was not a song or a shout or a bell or the rattle of a wheel anywhere. The City was as quiet，and nearly as dark，as the inside of an ant-hill. At last their ship was brought alongside a quay and made fast. The three travellers were taken ashore and marched up into the City. Crowds of Earthmen，no two alike，rubbed shoulders with them in the crowded streets，and the sad light fell on many sad and grotesque faces. But no one showed any interest in the strangers. Every gnome seemed to be as busy as it was sad，though Jill never found what they were so busy about. But the endless moving， shoving，hurrying，and the soft pad-pad-pad went on. At last they came to what appeared to be a great castle，though few of the windows in it were lighted. Here they were taken in and made to cross a courtyard，and to climb many staircases. This brought them in the end to a great murkily lit hall. But in one corner of it—oh joy ！—there was an archway filled with a quite different sort of light；the honest，yellowish，warm light of such a lamp as humans use. What showed by this light inside the archway was the foot of a staircase which wound upward between walls of stone. The light seemed to come from the top. Two Earthmen stood one on each side of the arch like sentries，or footmen. The Warden went up to these two，and said，as if it were a password： “Many sink down to the Underworld.” “And few return to the sunlit lands,”they answered，as if it were the countersign. Then all three put their heads together and talked. At last one of the two gnomes-in-waiting said，“I tell you the Queen’s grace is gone from hence on her great affair. We had best keep these top dwellers in strait prison till her homecoming. Few return to the sunlit lands.” At that moment the conversation was interrupted by what seemed to Jill the most delightful noise in the world. It came from above，from the top of the staircase；and it was a clear，ringing， perfectly human voice，the voice of a young man. “What coil are you keeping down there，Mullugutherum ？” it shouted. “Overworlders，ha ！ Bring them up to me，and that presently.” “Please it your Highness to remember,”began Mullugutherum，but the voice cut him short. “It pleases my Highness principally to be obeyed，old mutterer. Bring them up,”it called. Mullugutherum shook his head，motioned to the travellers to follow and began going up the staircase. At every step the light increased. There were rich tapestries hanging on the walls. The lamplight shone golden through thin curtains at the staircase-head. The Earthmen parted the curtains and stood aside. The three passed in. They were in a beautiful room，richly tapestried，with a bright fire on a clean hearth，and red wine and cut glass sparkling on the table. A young man with fair hair rose to greet them. He was handsome and looked both bold and kind，though there was something about his face that didn’t seem quite right. He was dressed in black and altogether looked a little bit like Hamlet. “Welcome，Overworlders,”he cried. “But stay a moment ！ I cry you mercy ！ I have seen you two fair children，and this，your strange governor，before. Was it not you three that met me by the bridge on the borders of Ettinsmoor when I rode there by my Lady’s side ？ ” “Oh...you were the black knight who never spoke ？” exclaimed Jill. “And was that lady the Queen of Underland ？”asked Puddleglum，in no very friendly voice. And Scrubb，who was thinking the same，burst out，“Because if it was，I think she was jolly mean to send us off to a castle of giants who intended to eat us. What harm had we ever done her，I should like to know ？” “How ？”said the Black Knight with a frown. “If you were not so young a warrior，Boy，you and I must have fought to the death on this quarrel. I can hear no words against my Lady’s honour. But of this you may be assured，that whatever she said to you，she said of a good intent. You do not know her. She is a nosegay of all virtues，as truth，mercy，constancy，gentleness，courage，and the rest. I say what I know. Her kindness to me alone，who can in no way reward her，would make an admirable history. But you shall know and love her hereafter. Meanwhile，what is your errand in the Deep Lands ？” And before Puddleglum could stop her，Jill blurted out，“Please we are trying to find Prince Rilian of Narnia.”And then she realized what a frightful risk she had taken；these people might be enemies. But the Knight showed no interest. “Rilian ？ Narnia ？”he said carelessly. “Narnia ？ What land is that ？ I have never heard the name. It must be a thousand leagues from those parts of the Overworld that I know. But it was a strange fantasy that brought you seeking this—how do you call him ？—Billian ？ Trillian ？ in my Lady’s realm. Indeed，to my certain knowledge，there is no such man here.”He laughed very loudly at this，and Jill thought to herself，“I wonder is that what’s wrong with his face ？ Is he a bit silly ？” “We had been told to look for a message on the stones of the City Ruinous,”said Scrubb. “And we saw the words UNDER ME.” The Knight laughed even more heartily than before. “You were the more deceived,”he said“Those words meant nothing to your purpose. Had you but asked my Lady，she could have given you better counsel. For those words are all that is left of a longer script，which in ancient times，as she well remembers，expressed this verse： Though under Earth and throneless now I be，Yet，while I lived，all Earth was under me. From which it is plain that some great king of the ancient giants，who lies buried there，caused this boast to be cut in the stone over his sepulchre；though the breaking up of some stones， and the carrying away of others for new buildings，and the filling up of the cuts with rubble，has left only two words that can still be read. Is it not the merriest jest in the world that you should have thought they were written to you ？” This was like cold water down the back to Scrubb and Jill；for it seemed to them very likely that the words had nothing to do with their quest at all，and that they had been taken in by a mere accident. “Don’t you mind him,”said Puddleglum. “There are no accidents. Our guide is Aslan；and he was there when the giant King caused the letters to be cut，and he knew already all things that would come of them；including this.” “This guide of yours must be a long liver，friend,”said the Knight with another of his laughs. Jill began to find them a little irritating. “And it seems to me，Sir,”answered Puddleglum，“that this Lady of yours must be a long liver too，if she remembers the verse as it was when they first cut it.” “Very shrewd，Frog-face,”said the Knight，clapping Puddleglum on the shoulder and laughing again. “And you have hit the truth. She is of divine race，and knows neither age nor death. I am the more thankful to her for all her infinite bounty to such a poor mortal wretch as I. For you must know，Sirs，I am a man under most strange afflictions，and none but the Queen’s grace would have had patience with me. Patience，said I ？ But it goes far beyond that. She has promised me a great kingdom in Overland， and，when I am king，her own most gracious hand in marriage. But the tale is too long for you to hear fasting and standing. Hi there，some of you ！ Bring wine and Updwellers’ food for my guests. Please you，be seated，gentlemen. Little maiden，sit in this chair. You shall hear it all.” CHAPTER ELEVEN IN THE DARK CASTLE WHEN the meal（which was pigeon pie，cold ham，salad， and cakes）had been brought，and all had drawn their chairs up to the table and begun，the Knight continued：“You must understand，friends，that I know nothing of who I was and whence I came into this Dark World. I remember no time when I was not dwelling，as now，at the court of this all but heavenly Queen；but my thought is that she saved me from some evil enchantment and brought me hither of her exceeding bounty. （Honest Frogfoot， your cup is empty. Suffer me to refill it.）And this seems to me the likelier because even now I am bound by a spell，from which my Lady alone can free me. Every night there comes an hour when my mind is most horribly changed，and，after my mind，my body. For first I become furious and wild and would rush upon my dearest friends to kill them，if I were not bound. And soon after that，I turn into the likeness of a great serpent，hungry，fierce， and deadly. （Sir，be pleased to take another breast of pigeon，I entreat you.）So they tell me，and they certainly speak truth， for my Lady says the same. I myself know nothing of it，for when my hour is past I awake forgetful of all that vile fit and in my proper shape and sound mind—saving that I am somewhat wearied. （Little lady，eat one of these honey cakes，which are brought for me from some barbarous land in the far south of the world.）Now the Queen’s majesty knows by her art that I shall be freed from this enchantment when once she has made me king of a land in the Overworld and set its crown upon my head. The land is already chosen and the very place of our breaking out. Her Earthmen have worked day and night digging a way beneath it，and have now gone so far and so high that they tunnel not a score of feet beneath the very grass on which the Updwellers of that country walk. It will be very soon now that those Uplanders’ fate will come upon them. She herself is at the diggings tonight，and I expect a message to go to her. Then the thin roof of earth which still keeps me from my kingdom will be broken through，and with her to guide me and a thousand Earthmen at my back，I shall ride forth in arms，fall suddenly on our enemies，slay their chief men，cast down their strong places，and doubtless be their crowned king within four and twenty hours.” “It’s a bit rough luck on them，isn’t it ？ ”said Scrubb. “Thou art a lad of a wondrous，quick-working wit ！” exclaimed the Knight. “For，on my honour，I had never thought of it so before. I see your meaning.”He looked slightly，very slightly troubled for a moment or two；but his face soon cleared and he broke out，with another of his loud laughs，“But fie on gravity ！ Is it not the most comical and ridiculous thing in the world to think of them all going about their business and never dreaming that under their peaceful fields and floors，only a fathom down，there is a great army ready to break out upon them like a fountain ！ And they never to have suspected ！ Why，they themselves，when once the first smart of their defeat is over，can hardly choose but laugh at the thought ！” “I don’t think it’s funny at all,”said Jill. “I think you’ll be a wicked tyrant.” “What ？”said the Knight，still laughing and patting her head in a quite infuriating fashion. “Is our little maid a deep politician ？ But never fear，sweetheart. In ruling that land，I shall do all by the counsel of my Lady，who will then be my Queen too. Her word shall be my law，even as my word will be law to the people we have conquered.” “Where I come from,”said Jill，who was disliking him more every minute，“they don’t think much of men who are bossed about by their wives.” “Shalt think otherwise when thou hast a man of thine own，I warrant you,”said the Knight，apparently thinking this very funny. “But with my Lady，it is another matter. I am well content to live by her word，who has already saved me from a thousand dangers. No mother has taken pains more tenderly for her child，than the Queen’s grace has for me. Why，look you，amid all her cares and business，she rideth out with me in the Overworld many a time and oft to accustom my eyes to the sunlight. And then I must go fully armed and with visor down，so that no man may see my face，and I must speak to no one. For she has found out by art magical that this would hinder my deliverance from the grievous enchantment I lie under. Is not that a lady worthy of a man’s whole worship ？” “Sounds a very nice lady indeed,”said Puddleglum in a voice which meant exactly the opposite. They were thoroughly tired of the Knight’s talk before they had finished supper. Puddleglum was thinking，“I wonder what game that witch is really playing with this young fool.”Scrubb was thinking，“He’s a great baby，really：tied to that woman’s apron strings；he’s a sap.”And Jill was thinking，“He’s the silliest， most conceited，selfish pig I’ve met for a long time.”But when the meal was over，the Knight’s mood had changed. There was no more laughter about him. “Friends,”he said，“my hour is now very near. I am ashamed that you should see me yet I dread being left alone. They will come in presently and bind me hand and foot to yonder chair. Alas，so it must be：for in my fury，they tell me，I would destroy all that I could reach.” “I say,”said Scrubb，“I’m awfully sorry about your enchantment of course，but what will those fellows do to us when they come to bind you ？ They talked of putting us in prison. And we don’t like all those dark places very much. We’d much rather stay here till you’re…better…if we may.” “It is well thought of,”said the Knight. “By custom none but the Queen herself remains with me in my evil hour. Such is her tender care for my honour that she would not willingly suffer any ears but her own to hear the words I utter in that frenzy. But I could not easily persuade my attendant gnomes that you should be left with me. And I think I hear their soft feet even now upon the stairs. Go through yonder door：it leads into my other apartments. And there，either await my coming when they have unbound me；or， if you will，return and sit with me in my ravings.” They followed his directions and passed out of the room by a door which they had not yet seen opened. It brought them，they were pleased to see，not into darkness but into a lighted corridor. They tried various doors and found（what they very badly needed） water for washing and even a looking glass. “He never offered us a wash before supper,”said Jill，drying her face. “Selfish，self-centred pig.” “Are we going back to watch the enchantment，or shall we stay here ？”said Scrubb. “Stay here，I vote,”said Jill. “I’d much rather not see it.”But she felt a little inquisitive all the same. “No，go back,”said Puddleglum. “We may pick up some information，and we need all we can get. I am sure that Queen is a witch and an enemy. And those Earthmen would knock us on the head as soon as look at us. There’s a stronger smell of danger and lies and magic and treason about this land than I’ve ever smelled before. We need to keep our eyes and ears open.” They went back down the corridor and gently pushed the door open. “It’s all right,”said Scrubb，meaning that there were no Earthmen about. Then they all came back into the room where they had supped. The main door was now shut，concealing the curtain between which they had first entered. The Knight was seated in a curious silver chair，to which he was bound by his ankles，his knees， his elbows，his wrists，and his waist. There was sweat on his forehead and his face was filled with anguish. “Come in，friends,”he said，glancing quickly up. “The fit is not yet upon me. Make no noise，for I told that prying chamberlain that you were in bed. Now...I can feel it coming. Quick ！ Listen while I am master of myself. When the fit is upon me，it well may be that I shall beg and implore you，with entreaties and threatenings，to loosen my bonds. They say I do. I shall call upon you by all that is most dear and most dreadful. But do not listen to me. Harden your hearts and stop your ears. For while I am bound you are safe. But if once I were up and out of this chair，then first would come my fury，and after that”—he shuddered—“the change into a loathsome serpent.” “There’s no fear of our loosing you,”said Puddleglum. “We’ve no wish to meet wild men；or serpents either.” “I should think not,”said Scrubb and Jill together. “All the same,”added Puddleglum in a whisper. “Don’t let’s be too sure. Let’s be on our guard. We’ve muffed everything else，you know. He’ll be cunning，I shouldn’t wonder，once he gets started. Can we trust one another ？ Do we all promise that whatever he says we don’t touch those cords ？ Whatever he says， mind you ？” “Rather ！”said Scrubb. “There’s nothing in the world he can say or do that’ll make me change my mind,”said Jill. “Hush ！ Something’s happening,”said Puddleglum. The Knight was moaning. His face was as pale as putty，and he writhed in his bonds. And whether because she was sorry for him，or for some other reason，Jill thought that he looked a nicer sort of man than he had looked before. “Ah,”he groaned. “Enchantments，enchantments...the heavy，tangled，cold，clammy web of evil magic. Buried alive. Dragged down under the earth，down into the sooty blackness...how many years is it ？ ...Have I lived ten years，or a thousand years，in the pit ？ Maggotmen all around me. Oh，have mercy. Let me out，let me go back. Let me feel the wind and see the sky...There used to be a little pool. When you looked down into it you could see all the trees growing upside-down in the water，all green，and below them，deep，very deep，the blue sky.” He had been speaking in a low voice；now he looked up， fixed his eyes upon them，and said loud and clear： “Quick ！ I am sane now. Every night I am sane. If only I could get out of this enchanted chair，it would last. I should be a man again. But every night they bind me，and so every night my chance is gone. But you are not enemies. I am not your prisoner. Quick ！ Cut these cords.” “Stand fast ！ Steady,”said Puddleglum to the two children. “I beseech you to hear me,”said the Knight，forcing himself to speak calmly. “Have they told you that if I am released from this chair I shall kill you and become a serpent ？ I see by your faces that they have. It is a lie. It is at this hour that I am in my right mind：it is all the rest of the day that I am enchanted. You are not Earthmen nor witches. Why should you be on their side ？ Of your courtesy，cut my bonds.” “Steady ！ Steady ！ Steady ！”said the three travellers to one another. “Oh，you have hearts of stone,”said the Knight. “Believe me，you look upon a wretch who has suffered almost more than any mortal can bear. What wrong have I ever done you，that you should side with my enemies to keep me in such miseries ？ And the minutes are slipping past. Now you can save me；when this hour has passed，I shall be witless again—the toy and lap-dog， nay，more likely the pawn and tool，of the most devilish sorceress that ever planned the woe of men. And this night，of all nights， when she is away ！You take from me a chance that may never come again.” “This is dreadful. I do wish we’d stayed away till it was over,”said Jill. “Steady ！”said Puddleglum. The prisoner’s voice was now rising into a shriek. “Let me go，I say. Give me my sword. My sword ！ Once I am free，I shall take such revenge on Earthmen that Underland will talk of it for a thousand years ！” “Now the frenzy is beginning,”said Scrubb. “I hope those knots are all right.” “Yes,”said Puddleglum. “He’d have twice his natural strength if he got free now. And I’m not clever with my sword. He’d get us both，I shouldn’t wonder；and then Pole on her own would be left to tackle the snake.” The prisoner was now so straining at his bonds that they cut into his wrists and ankles. “Beware,”he said. “Beware. One night I did break them. But the witch was there that time. You will not have her to help you tonight. Free me now，and I am your friend. I’m your mortal enemy else.” “Cunning，isn’t he ？”said Puddleglum. “Once and for all,”said the prisoner，“I adjure you to set me free. By all fears and all loves，by the bright skies of Overland， by the great Lion，by Aslan himself，I charge you—” “Oh ！”cried the three travellers as though they had been hurt. “It’s the sign,”said Puddleglum. “It was the words of the sign,”said Scrubb more cautiously. “Oh，what are we to do ？”said Jill. It was a dreadful question. What had been the use of promising one another that they would not on any account set the Knight free， if they were now to do so the first time he happened to call upon a name they really cared about ？ On the other hand，what had been the use of learning the signs if they weren’t going to obey them ？ Yet could Aslan have really meant them to unbind anyone—even a lunatic—who asked it in his name ？ Could it be a mere accident ？ Or how if the Queen of the Underworld knew all about the signs and had made the Knight learn this name simply in order to entrap them ？ But then，supposing this was the real sign ？...They had muffed three already；they daren’t muff the fourth. “Oh，if only we knew ！”said Jill. “I think we do know,”said Puddleglum. “Do you mean you think everything will come right if we do untie him ？”said Scrubb. “I don’t know about that,”said Puddleglum. “You see， Aslan didn’t tell Pole what would happen. He only told her what to do. That fellow will be the death of us once he’s up，I shouldn’t wonder. But that doesn’t let us off following the sign.” They all stood looking at one another with bright eyes. It was a sickening moment. “All right ！”said Jill suddenly. “Let’s get it over. Good-bye，everyone…！”They all shook hands. The Knight was screaming by now；there was foam on his cheeks. “Come on，Scrubb,”said Puddleglum. He and Scrubb drew their swords and went over to the captive. “In the name of Aslan,”they said and began methodically cutting the cords. The instant the prisoner was free，he crossed the room in a single bound，seized his own sword（which had been taken from him and laid on the table），and drew it. “You first ！”he cried and fell upon the silver chair. That must have been a good sword. The silver gave way before its edge like string，and in a moment a few twisted fragments，shining on the floor，were all that was left. But as the chair broke，there came from it a bright flash，a sound like small thunder，and（for one moment）a loathsome smell. “Lie there，vile engine of sorcery,”he said，“lest your mistress should ever use you for another victim.”Then he turned and surveyed his rescuers；and the something wrong，whatever it was，had vanished from his face. “What ？ ”he cried，turning to Puddleglum. “Do I see before me a Marsh-wiggle—a real，live，honest，Narnian Marsh-wiggle ？” “Oh，so you have heard of Narnia after all ？”said Jill. “Had I forgotten it when I was under the spell ？”asked the Knight. “Well，that and all other bedevilments are now over. You may well believe that I know Narnia，for I am Rilian，Prince of Narnia，and Caspian the great King is my father.” “Your Royal Highness,”said Puddleglum，sinking on one knee （and the children did the same），“we have come hither for no other end than to seek you.” “And who are you，my other deliverers ？”said the Prince to Scrubb and Jill. “We were sent by Aslan himself from beyond the world’s end to seek your Highness,”said Scrubb. “I am Eustace who sailed with him to the island of Ramandu.” “I owe all three of you a greater debt than I can ever pay,”said Prince Rilian. “But my father ？ Is he yet alive ？” “He sailed east again before we left Narnia，my lord,”said Puddleglum. “But your Highness must consider that the King is very old. It is ten to one his Majesty must die on the voyage.” “He is old，you say. How long then have I been in the power of the witch ？” “It is more than ten years since your Highness was lost in the woods at the north side of Narnia.” “Ten years ！”said the Prince，drawing his hand across his face as if to rub away the past. “Yes，I believe you. For now that I am myself I can remember that enchanted life，though while I was enchanted I could not remember my true self. And now，fair friends—but wait ！ I hear their feet（does it not sicken a man，that padding woolly tread ！ faugh ！）on the stairs. Lock the door， boy. Or stay. I have a better thought than that. I will fool these Earthmen，if Aslan gives me the wit. Take your cue from me.” He walked resolutely to the door and flung it wide open. CHAPTER TWELVE THE QUEEN OF UNDERLAND TWO Earthmen entered，but instead of advancing into the room，they placed themselves one on each side of the door，and bowed deeply. They were followed immediately by the last person whom anyone had expected or wished to see：the Lady of the Green Kirtle，the Queen of Underland. She stood dead still in the doorway，and they could see her eyes moving as she took in the whole situation—the three strangers，the silver chair destroyed， and the Prince free，with his sword in his hand. She turned very white；but Jill thought it was the sort of whiteness that comes over some people’s faces not when they are frightened but when they are angry. For a moment the Witch fixed her eyes on the Prince，and there was murder in them. Then she seemed to change her mind. “Leave us,”she said to the two Earthmen. “And let none disturb us till I call，on pain of death.”The gnomes padded away obediently，and the Witch-queen shut and locked the door. “How now，my lord Prince,”she said. “Has your nightly fit not yet come upon you，or is it over so soon ？ Why stand you here unbound ？ Who are these aliens ？ And is it they who have destroyed the chair which was your only safety ？” Prince Rilian shivered as she spoke to him. And no wonder： it is not easy to throw off in half an hour an enchantment which has made one a slave for ten years. Then，speaking with a great effort，he said：“Madam，there will be no more need of that chair. And you，who have told me a hundred times how deeply you pitied me for the sorceries by which I was bound，will doubtless hear with joy that they are now ended for ever. There was，it seems，some small error in your Ladyship’s way of treating them. These，my true friends，have delivered me. I am now in my right mind，and there are two things I will say to you. First—as for your Ladyship’s design of putting me at the head of an army of Earthmen so that I may break out into the Overworld and there，by main force， make myself king over some nation that never did me wrong— murdering their natural lords and holding their throne as a bloody and foreign tyrant—now that I know myself，I do utterly abhor and renounce it as plain villainy. And second：I am the King’s son of Narnia，Rilian，the only child of Caspian，Tenth of that name， whom some call Caspian the Seafarer. Therefore，Madam，it is my purpose，as it is also my duty，to depart suddenly from your Highness’s court into my own country. Please it you to grant me and my friends safe conduct and a guide through your dark realm.” Now the Witch said nothing at all，but moved gently across the room，always keeping her face and eyes very steadily towards the Prince. When she had come to a little ark set in the wall not far from the fireplace，she opened it，and took out first a handful of a green powder. This she threw on the fire. It did not blaze much， but a very sweet and drowsy smell came from it. And all through the conversation which followed，that smell grew stronger，and filled the room，and made it harder to think. Secondly，she took out a musical instrument rather like a mandolin. She began to play it with her fingers—a steady，monotonous thrumming that you didn’t notice after a few minutes. But the less you noticed it，the more it got into your brain and your blood. This also made it hard to think. After she had thrummed for a time（and the sweet smell was now strong）she began speaking in a sweet，quiet voice. “Narnia ？”she said. “Narnia ？ I have often heard your Lordship utter that name in your ravings. Dear Prince，you are very sick. There is no land called Narnia.” “Yes there is，though，Ma’am,”said Puddleglum. “You see，I happen to have lived there all my life.” “Indeed,”said the Witch. “Tell me，I pray you，where that country is ？” “Up there,”said Puddleglum，stoutly，pointing overhead. “I— I don’t know exactly where.” “How ？”said the Queen，with a kind，soft，musical laugh. “Is there a country up among the stones and mortar of the roof ？” “No,”said Puddleglum，struggling a little to get his breath. “It’s in Overworld.” “And what，or where，pray is this...how do you call it...Overworld ？” “Oh，don’t be so silly,”said Scrubb，who was fighting hard against the enchantment of the sweet smell and the thrumming. “As if you didn’t know ！ It’s up above，up where you can see the sky and the sun and the stars. Why，you’ve been there yourself. We met you there.” “I cry you mercy，little brother,”laughed the Witch（you couldn’t have heard a lovelier laugh）. “I have no memory of that meeting. But we often meet our friends in strange places when we dream. And unless all dreamed alike，you must not ask them to remember it.” “Madam,”said the Prince sternly，“I have already told your Grace that I am the King’s son of Narnia.” “And shalt be，dear friend,”said the Witch in a soothing voice，as if she was humouring a child，“shalt be king of many imagined lands in thy fancies.” “We’ve been there，too,”snapped Jill. She was very angry because she could feel enchantment getting hold of her every moment. But of course the very fact that she could still feel it， showed that it had not yet fully worked. “And thou art Queen of Narnia too，I doubt not，pretty one,”said the Witch in the same coaxing，half-mocking tone. “I’m nothing of the sort,”said Jill，stamping her foot. “We come from another world.” “Why，this is a prettier game than the other,”said the Witch. “Tell us，little maid，where is this other world ？ What ships and chariots go between it and ours ？” Of course a lot of things darted into Jill’s head at once： Experiment House，Adela Pennyfather，her own home，radio-sets，cinemas，cars，aeroplanes，ration-books，queues. But they seemed dim and far away. （Thrum—thrum—thrum—went the strings of the Witch’s instrument.）Jill couldn’t remember the names of the things in our world. And this time it didn’t come into her head that she was being enchanted，for now the magic was in its full strength；and of course，the more enchanted you get，the more certain you feel that you are not enchanted at all. She found herself saying（and at the moment it was a relief to say）： “No. I suppose that other world must be all a dream.” “Yes. It is all a dream,”said the Witch，always thrumming. “Yes，all a dream,”said Jill. “There never was such a world,”said the Witch. “No,”said Jill and Scrubb，“never was such a world.” “There never was any world but mine,”said the Witch. “There never was any world but yours,”said they. Puddleglum was still fighting hard. “I don’t know rightly what you all mean by a world,”he said，talking like a man who hasn’t enough air. “But you can play that fiddle till your fingers drop off，and still you won’t make me forget Narnia；and the whole Overworld too. We’ll never see it again，I shouldn’t wonder. You may have blotted it out and turned it dark like this，for all I know. Nothing more likely. But I know I was there once. I’ve seen the sky full of stars. I’ve seen the sun coming up out of the sea of a morning and sinking behind the mountains at night. And I’ve seen him up in the midday sky when I couldn’t look at him for brightness.” Puddleglum’s words had a very rousing effect. The other three all breathed again and looked at one another like people newly awaked. “Why，there it is ！”cried the Prince. “Of course ！The blessing of Aslan upon this honest Marsh-wiggle. We have all been dreaming，these last few minutes. How could we have forgotten it ？ Of course we’ve all seen the sun.” “By Jove，so we have ！”said Scrubb. “Good for you， Puddleglum ！You’re the only one of us with any sense，I do believe.” Then came the Witch’s voice，cooing softly like the voice of a wood-pigeon from the high elms in an old garden at three o’clock in the middle of a sleepy，summer afternoon；and it said： “What is this sun that you all speak of ？ Do you mean anything by the word ？” “Yes，we jolly well do,”said Scrubb. “Can you tell me what it’s like ？”asked the Witch（thrum， thrum，thrum，went the strings）. “Please it your Grace,”said the Prince，very coldly and politely. “You see that lamp. It is round and yellow and gives light to the whole room；and hangeth moreover from the roof. Now that thing which we call the sun is like the lamp，only far greater and brighter. It giveth light to the whole Overworld and hangeth in the sky.” “Hangeth from what，my lord ？”asked the Witch；and then，while they were all still thinking how to answer her，she added， with another of her soft，silver laughs：“You see ？ When you try to think out clearly what this sun must be，you cannot tell me. You can only tell me it is like the lamp. Your sun is a dream；and there is nothing in that dream that was not copied from the lamp. The lamp is the real thing；the sun is but a tale，a children’s story.” “Yes，I see now,”said Jill in a heavy，hopeless tone. “It must be so.”And while she said this，it seemed to her to be very good sense. Slowly and gravely the Witch repeated，“There is no sun.”And they all said nothing. She repeated，in a softer and deeper voice. “There is no sun.”After a pause，and after a struggle in their minds，all four of them said together. “You are right. There is no sun.”It was such a relief to give in and say it. “There never was a sun,”said the Witch. “No. There never was a sun,”said the Prince，and the Marsh-wiggle，and the children. For the last few minutes Jill had been feeling that there was something she must remember at all costs. And now she did. But it was dreadfully hard to say it. She felt as if huge weights were laid on her lips. At last，with an effort that seemed to take all the good out of her，she said： “There’s Aslan.” “Aslan ？”said the Witch，quickening ever so slightly the pace of her thrumming. “What a pretty name ！ What does it mean ？” “He is the great Lion who called us out of our own world,”said Scrubb，“and sent us into this to find Prince Rilian.” “What is a lion ？”asked the Witch. “Oh，hang it all ！”said Scrubb. “Don’t you know ？ How can we describe it to her ？ Have you ever seen a cat ？” “Surely,”said the Queen. “I love cats.” “Well，a lion is a little bit—only a little bit，mind you—like a huge cat—with a mane. At least，it’s not like a horse’s mane， you know，it’s more like a judge’s wig. And it’s yellow. And terrifically strong.” The Witch shook her head. “I see,”she said，“that we should do no better with your lion，as you call it，than we did with your sun. You have seen lamps，and so you imagined a bigger and better lamp and called it the sun. You’ve seen cats，and now you want a bigger and better cat，and it’s to be called a lion. Well，’tis a pretty make-believe，though，to say truth，it would suit you all better if you were younger. And look how you can put nothing into your make-believe without copying it from the real world，this world of mine，which is the only world. But even you children are too old for such play. As for you，my lord Prince，that art a man full grown，fie upon you ！ Are you not ashamed of such toys ？ Come，all of you. Put away these childish tricks. I have work for you all in the real world. There is no Narnia，no Overworld，no sky，no sun，no Aslan. And now，to bed all. And let us begin a wiser life tomorrow. But，first，to bed；to sleep；deep sleep， soft pillows，sleep without foolish dreams.” The Prince and the two children were standing with their heads hung down，their cheeks flushed，their eyes half closed；the strength all gone from them；the enchantment almost complete. But Puddleglum，desperately gathering all his strength，walked over to the fire. Then he did a very brave thing. He knew it wouldn’t hurt him quite as much as it would hurt a human；for his feet（which were bare）were webbed and hard and cold-blooded like a duck’s. But he knew it would hurt him badly enough；and so it did. With his bare foot he stamped on the fire，grinding a large part of it into ashes on the flat hearth. And three things happened at once. First，the sweet，heavy smell grew very much less. For though the whole fire had not been put out，a good bit of it had， and what remained smelled very largely of burnt Marsh-wiggle， which is not at all an enchanting smell. This instantly made everyone’s brain far clearer. The Prince and the children held up their heads again and opened their eyes. Secondly，the Witch，in a loud，terrible voice，utterly different from all the sweet tones she had been using up till now， called out，“What are you doing ？ Dare to touch my fire again， mud-filth，and I’ll turn the blood to fire inside your veins.” Thirdly，the pain itself made Puddleglum’s head for a moment perfectly clear and he knew exactly what he really thought. There is nothing like a good shock of pain for dissolving certain kinds of magic. “One word，Ma’am,”he said，coming back from the fire； limping，because of the pain. “One word. All you’ve been saying is quite right，I shouldn’t wonder. I’m a chap who always liked to know the worst and then put the best face I can on it. So I won’t deny any of what you said. But there’s one thing more to be said，even so. Suppose we have only dreamed，or made up， all those things—trees and grass and sun and moon and stars and Aslan himself. Suppose we have. Then all I can say is that，in that case，the made-up things seem a good deal more important than the real ones. Suppose this black pit of a kingdom of yours is the only world. Well，it strikes me as a pretty poor one. And that’s a funny thing，when you come to think of it. We’re just babies making up a game，if you’re right. But four babies playing a game can make a play-world which licks your real world hollow. That’s why I’m going to stand by the play-world. I’m on Aslan’s side even if there isn’t any Aslan to lead it. I’m going to live as like a Narnian as I can even if there isn’t any Narnia. So，thanking you kindly for our supper，if these two gentlemen and the young lady are ready，we’re leaving your court at once and setting out in the dark to spend our lives looking for Overland. Not that our lives will be very long，I should think；but that’s a small loss if the world’s as dull a place as you say.” “Oh，hurrah ！ Good old Puddleglum ！”cried Scrubb and Jill. But the Prince shouted suddenly，“Ware ！ Look to the Witch.” When they did look their hair nearly stood on end. The instrument dropped from her hands. Her arms appeared to be fastened to her sides. Her legs were intertwined with each other，and her feet had disappeared. The long green train of her skirt thickened and grew solid，and seemed to be all one piece with the writhing green pillar of her interlocked legs. And that writhing green pillar was curving and swaying as if it had no joints，or else were all joints. Her head was thrown far back and while her nose grew longer and longer，every other part of her face seemed to disappear，except her eyes. Huge flaming eyes they were now， without brows or lashes. All this takes time to write down；it happened so quickly that there was only just time to see it. Long before there was time to do anything，the change was complete， and the great serpent which the Witch had become，green as poison，thick as Jill’s waist，had flung two or three coils of its loathsome body round the Prince’s legs. Quick as lightning another great loop darted round，intending to pinion his sword-arm to his side. But the Prince was just in time. He raised his arms and got them clear：the living knot closed only round his chest-ready to crack his ribs like firewood when it drew tight. The Prince caught the creature’s neck in his left hand，trying to squeeze it till it choked. This held its face（if you could call it a face）about five inches from his own. The forked tongue flickered horribly in and out，but could not reach him. With his right hand he drew back his sword for the strongest blow he could give. Meanwhile Scrubb and Puddleglum had drawn their weapons and rushed to his aid. All three blows fell at once：Scrubb’s（which did not even pierce the scales and did no good）on the body of the snake below the Prince’s hand，but the Prince’s own blow and Puddleglum’s both on its neck. Even that did not quite kill it， though it began to loosen its hold on Rilian’s legs and chest. With repeated blows they hacked off its head. The horrible thing went on coiling and moving like a bit of wire long after it had died；and the floor，as you may imagine，was a nasty mess. The Prince，when he had breath，said，“Gentlemen，I thank you.”Then the three conquerors stood staring at one another and panting，without another word，for a long time. Jill had very wisely sat down and was keeping quiet；she was saying to herself，“I do hope I don’t faint—or blub—or do anything idiotic.” “My royal mother is avenged,”said Rilian presently. “This is undoubtedly the same worm that I pursued in vain by the fountain in the forest of Narnia，so many years ago. All these years I have been the slave of my mother’s slayer. Yet I am glad，gentlemen， that the foul Witch took to her serpent form at the last. It would not have suited well either with my heart or with my honour to have slain a woman. But look to the lady.”He meant Jill. “I’m all right，thanks,”said she. “Damsel,”said the Prince，bowing to her. “You are of a high courage，and therefore，I doubt not，you come of a noble blood in your own world. But come，friends. Here is some wine left. Let us refresh ourselves and each pledge his fellows. After that，to our plans.” “A jolly good idea，Sir,”said Scrubb. CHAPTER THIRTEEN UNDERLAND WITHOUT THE QUEEN ALL felt that they had earned what Scrubb called a “breather”. The Witch had locked the door and told the Earthmen not to disturb her，so there was no danger of interruption for the present. Their first business was，of course，Puddleglum’s burnt foot. A couple of clean shirts from the Prince’s bedroom，torn into strips，and well greased on the inside with butter and salad oil off the supper table，made a fairly good dressing. When this had been applied， they all sat down and had a little refreshment，and discussed plans for escaping from the Underworld. Rilian explained that there were quite a lot of outlets by which one could get to the surface；he had been taken out through most of them at one time or another. But he had never gone out alone，only with the Witch；and he had always reached these outlets by going in a ship across the Sunless Sea. What the Earthmen would say if he went down to the harbour without the Witch，and with four strangers，and simply ordered a ship，no one could guess. But most likely they would ask awkward questions. On the other hand the new outlet，the one for the invasion of Overworld，was on this side of the sea，and only a few miles away. The Prince knew that it was nearly finished；only a few feet of earth divided the diggings from the outer air. It was even possible that it had now been quite finished. Perhaps the Witch had come back to tell him this and to start the attack. Even if it was not，they could probably dig themselves out by that route in a few hours—if they could only get there without being stopped，and if only they found the diggings unguarded. But those were the difficulties. “If you ask me—”began Puddleglum，when Scrubb interrupted. “I say,”he asked，“what’s that noise ？” “I’ve been wondering that for some time ！”said Jill. They had all，in fact，been hearing the noise but it had begun and increased so gradually that they did not know when they had first noticed it. For a time it had been only a vague disquiet like gentle winds，or traffic very far away. Then it swelled to a murmur like the sea. Then came rumblings and rushings. Now there seemed to be voices as well and also a steady roaring that was not voices. “By the Lion,”said Prince Rilian，“it seems this silent land has found a tongue at last.”He rose，walked to the window，and drew aside the curtains. The others crowded round him to look out. The very first thing they noticed was a great red glow. Its reflection made a red patch on the roof of the Underworld thousands of feet above them，so that they could see a rocky ceiling which had perhaps been hidden in darkness ever since the world was made. The glow itself came from the far side of the city so that many buildings，grim and great，stood up blackly against it. But it also cast its light down many streets that ran from it towards the castle. And in those streets something very strange was going on. The closely-packed，silent crowds of Earthmen had vanished. Instead，there were figures darting about by ones，or twos，or threes. They behaved like people who do not want to be seen： lurking in shadow behind buttresses or in doorways，and then moving quickly across the open into fresh places of hiding. But the strangest thing of all，to anyone who knew the gnomes，was the noise. Shouts and cries came from all directions. But from the harbour there came a low，rumbling roar which grew steadily louder and was already shaking the whole city. “What’s happened to the Earthmen ？”said Scrubb. “Is it them shouting ？” “Tis hardly possible,”said the Prince. “I never heard one of the rascals so much as speak with a loud voice in all the weary years of my bondage. Some new devilry，I don’t doubt.” “And what is that red light over there ？”asked Jill. “Is something on fire ？” “If you ask me,”said Puddleglum，“I should say that was the central fires of the Earth breaking out to make a new volcano. We’ll be in the middle of it，I shouldn’t wonder.” “Look at that ship ！”said Scrubb. “Why’s it coming on so quickly ？ No one’s rowing it.” “Look，look ！”said the Prince. “The ship is already far this side of the harbour—it is in the street. Look ！ All the ships are driving into the city ！ By my head，the sea’s rising. The flood is upon us. Aslan be praised，this castle stands on high ground. But the water comes on grimly fast.” “Oh，what can be happening ？”cried Jill. “Fire and water and all those people dodging about the streets.” “I’ll tell you what it is,”said Puddleglum.“That Witch has laid a train of magic spells so that whenever she was killed，at that same moment her whole kingdom would fall to pieces. She’s the sort that wouldn’t so much mind dying herself if she knew that the chap who killed her was going to be burned，or buried，or drowned five minutes later.” “Hast hit it，friend wiggle,”said the Prince. “When our swords hacked off the Witch’s head，that stroke ended all her magic works，and now the Deep Lands are falling to pieces. We are looking on the end of Underworld.” “That’s it，Sir,”said Puddleglum. “Unless it should happen to be the end of the whole world.” “But are we just going to stay here and—wait ？”gasped Jill. “Not by my counsel,”said the Prince. “I would save my horse，Coalblack，and the Witch’s Snowflake（a noble beast and worthy of a better mistress）which are both stabled in the courtyard. After that，let us make shift to get out to high ground and pray that we shall find an outlet. The horses can carry two each at need，and if we put them to it they may outstrip the flood.” “Will your Highness not put on armour ？”asked Puddleglum. “I don’t like the look of those”—and he pointed down to the street. Everyone looked down. Dozens of creatures（and now that they were close，they obviously were Earthmen）were coming up from the direction of the harbour. But they were not moving like an aimless crowd. They behaved like modern soldiers in an attack， making rushes and taking cover，anxious not to be seen from the castle windows. “I dare not see the inside of that armour again,”said the Prince. “I rode in it as in a movable dungeon，and it stinks of magic and slavery. But I will take the shield.” He left the room and returned with a strange light in his eyes a moment later. “Look，friends,”he said，holding out the shield towards them. “An hour ago it was black and without device；and now，this.”The shield had turned bright as silver，and on it，redder than blood or cherries，was the figure of the Lion. “Doubtless,”said the Prince，“this signifies that Aslan will be our good lord，whether he means us to live or die. And all’s one，for that. Now，by my counsel，we shall all kneel and kiss his likeness，and then all shake hands one with another，as true friends that may shortly be parted. And then，let us descend into the city and take the adventure that is sent us.” And they all did as the Prince had said. But when Scrubb shook hands with Jill，he said，“So long，Jill. Sorry I’ve been a funk and so ratty. I hope you get safe home,”and Jill said，“So long，Eustace. And I’m sorry I’ve been such a pig.”And this was the first time they had ever used Christian names，because one didn’t do it at school. The Prince unlocked the door and they all went down the stairs：three of them with drawn swords，and Jill with drawn knife. The attendants had vanished and the great room at the foot of the Prince’s stairs was empty. The grey，doleful lamps were still burning and by their light they had no difficulty in passing gallery after gallery and descending stairway after stairway. The noises from outside the castle were not so easily heard here as they had been in the room above. Inside the house all was still as death，and deserted. It was as they turned a corner into the great hall on the ground floor that they met their first Earthman-a fat， whitish creature with a very piglike face who was gobbling up all the remains of food on the tables. It squealed（the squeal also was very like a pig’s）and darted under a bench，whisking its long tail out of Puddleglum’s reach in the nick of time. Then it rushed away through the far door too quickly to be followed. From the hall they came out into the courtyard. Jill，who went to a riding school in the holidays，had just noticed the smell of a stable（a very nice，honest，homely smell it is to meet in a place like Underland）when Eustace said，“Great Scott ！ Look at that ！ ”A magnificent rocket had risen from somewhere beyond the castle walls and broken into green stars. “Fireworks ！ ”said Jill in a puzzled voice. “Yes,”said Eustace，“but you can’t imagine those Earth people letting them off for fun ！ It must be a signal.” “And means no good to us，I’ll be bound,”said Puddleglum. “Friends,”said the Prince，“when once a man is launched on such an adventure as this，he must bid farewell to hopes and fears，otherwise death or deliverance will both come too late to save his honour and his reason. Ho，my beauties”（he was now opening the stable door）. “Hey cousins ！ Steady，Coalblack ！ Softly now，Snowflake ！ You are not forgotten.” The horses were both frightened by the strange lights and the noises. Jill，who had been so cowardly about going through a black hole betweeen one cave and another，went in without fear between the stamping and snorting beasts，and she and the Prince had them saddled and bridled in a few minutes. Very fine they looked as they came out into the courtyard，tossing their heads. Jill mounted Snowflake，and Puddleglum got up behind her. Eustace got up behind the Prince on Coalblack. Then with a great echo of hoofs，they rode out of the main gateway into the street. “Not much danger of being burnt. That’s the bright side of it,”observed Puddleglum，pointing to their right. There，hardly a hundred yards away，lapping against the walls of the houses，was water. “Courage ！”said the Prince. “The road there goes down steeply. That water has climbed only half up the greatest hill in the city. It might come so near in the first half-hour and come no nearer in the next two. My fear is more of that-”and he pointed with his sword to a great tall Earthman with boar’s tusks，followed by six others of assorted shapes and sizes who had just dashed out of a side street and stepped into the shadow of the houses where no one could see them. The Prince led them，aiming always in the direction of the glowing red light but a little to the left of it. His plan was to get round the fire（if it was a fire）on to high ground，in hope that they might find their way to the new diggings. Unlike the other three，he seemed to be almost enjoying himself. He whistled as he rode，and sang snatches of an old song about Corin Thunder-fist of Archenland. The truth is，he was so glad at being free from his long enchantment that all dangers seemed a game in comparison. But the rest found it an eerie journey. Behind them was the sound of clashing and entangled ships， and the rumble of collapsing buildings. Overhead was the great patch of lurid light on the roof of the Underworld. Ahead was the mysterious glow，which did not seem to grow any bigger. From the same direction came a continual hubbub of shouts，screams， cat-calls，laughter，squeals，and bellowings；and fireworks of all sorts rose in the dark air. No one could guess what they meant. Nearer to them，the city was partly lit up by the red glow，and partly by the very different light of the dreary Gnome lamps. But there were many places where neither of these lights fell，and those places were jet-black. And in and out of those places the shapes of Earthmen were darting and slipping all the time，always with their eyes fixed on the travellers，always trying to keep out of sight themselves. There were big faces and little faces，huge eyes like fishes’ eyes and little eyes like bears. There were feathers and bristles，horns and tusks，noses like whipcord，and chins so long that they looked like beards. Every now and then a group of them would get too big or come too near. Then the Prince would brandish his sword and make a show of charging them. And the creatures， with all manner of hootings，squeakings，and cluckings，would dive away into the darkness. But when they had climbed many steep streets and were far away from the flood，and almost out of the town on the inland side， it began to be more serious. They were now close to the red glow and nearly on a level with it，though they still could not see what it really was. But by its light they could see their enemies more clearly. Hundreds—perhaps a few thousands—of gnomes were all moving towards it. But they were doing so in short rushes，and whenever they stopped，they turned and faced the travellers. “If your Highness asked me,”said Puddleglum，“I’d say those fellows were meaning to cut us off in front.” “That was my thought too，Puddleglum,”said the Prince. “And we can never fight our way through so many. Hark you ！ Let us ride forth close by the edge of yonder house. And even as we reach it，do you slip off into its shadow. The Lady and I will go forward a few paces. Some of these devils will follow us，I doubt not； they are thick behind us. Do you，who have long arms，take one alive if you may，as it passes your ambush. We may get a true tale of it or learn what is their quarrel against us.” “But won’t the others all come rushing at us to rescue the one we catch,”said Jill in a voice not so steady as she tried to make it. “Then，Madam,”said the Prince，“you shall see us die fighting around you，and you must commend yourself to the Lion. Now，good Puddleglum.” The Marsh-wiggle slipped off into the shadow as quickly as a cat. The others，for a sickening minute or so，went forward at a walk. Then suddenly from behind them there broke out a series of blood-curdling screams，mixed with the familiar voice of Puddleglum，saying，“Now then ！ Don’t cry out before you’re hurt，or you will be hurt，see ？ Anyone would think it was a pig being killed.” “That was good hunting,”exclaimed the Prince，immediately turning Coalblack and coming back to the corner of the house. “Eustace,”he said，“of your courtesy，take Coalblack’s head.”Then he dismounted，and all three gazed in silence while Puddleglum pulled his catch out into the light. It was a most miserable little gnome，only about three feet long. It had a sort of ridge，like a cock’s comb（only hard），on the top of its head， little pink eyes，and a mouth and chin so large and round that its face looked like that of a pigmy hippopotamus. If they had not been in such a tight place，they would have burst into laughter at the sight of it. “Now，Earthman,”said the Prince，standing over it and holding his sword point very near the prisoner’s neck，“speak， up，like an honest gnome，and you shall go free. Play the knave with us，and you are but a dead Earthman. Good Puddleglum， how can it speak while you hold its mouth tight shut ？” “No，and it can’t bite either,”said Puddleglum. “If I had the silly soft hands that you humans have（saving your Highness’s reverence）I’d have been all over blood by now. Yet even a Marsh-wiggle gets tired of being chewed.” “Sirrah,”said the Prince to the gnome，“one bite and you die. Let its mouth open，Puddleglum.” “Oo-ee-ee,”squealed the Earthman，“let me go，let me go. It isn’t me. I didn’t do it.” “Didn’t do what ？”asked Puddleglum. “Whatever your Honours say I did do,”answered the creature. “Tell me your name,”said the Prince，“and what you Earthmen are all about today.” “Oh please，your Honours，please，kind gentlemen,” whimpered the gnome. “Promise you will not tell the Queen’s grace anything I say.” “The Queen’s grace，as you call her,”said the Prince sternly， “is dead. I killed her myself.” “What ！”cried the gnome，opening its ridiculous mouth wider and wider in astonishment. “Dead ？ The Witch dead ？ And by your Honour’s hand ？”It gave a huge sigh of relief and added，“Why then your Honour is a friend ！” The Prince withdrew his sword an inch or so. Puddleglum let the creature sit up. It looked round on the four travellers with its twinkling，red eyes，chuckled once or twice，and began. CHAPTER FOURTEEN THE BOTTOM OF THE WORLD “MY name is Golg,”said the gnome. “And I’ll tell your Honours all I know. About an hour ago we were all going about our work—her work，I should say—sad and silent，same as we’ve done any other day for years and years. Then there came a great crash and bang. As soon as they heard it，everyone says to himself，I haven’t had a song or a dance or let off a squib for a long time；why’s that ？ And everyone thinks to himself，Why， I must have been enchanted. And then everyone says to himself，I’m blessed if I know why I’m carrying this load，and I’m not going to carry it any farther：that’s that. And down we all throw our sacks and bundles and tools. Then everyone turns and sees the great red glow over yonder. And everyone says to himself，What’s that ？ and everyone answers himself and says，There’s a crack or chasm split open and a nice warm glow coming up through it from the Really Deep Land，a thousand fathom under us.” “Great Scott,”exclaimed Eustace，“are there other lands still lower down ？” “Oh yes，your Honour,”said Golg. “Lovely places；what we call the Land of Bism. This country where we are now，the Witch’s country，is what we call the Shallow Lands. It’s a good deal too near the surface to suit us. Ugh ！ You might almost as well be living outside，on the surface itself. You see，we’re all poor gnomes from Bism whom the Witch has called up here by magic to work for her. But we’d forgotten all about it till that crash came and the spell broke. We didn’t know who we were or where we belonged. We couldn’t do anything，or think anything，except what she put into our heads. And it was glum and gloomy things she put there all those years. I’ve nearly forgotten how to make a joke or dance a jig. But the moment the bang came and the chasm opened and the sea began rising，it all came back. And of course we all set off as quick as we could to get down the crack and home to our own place. And you can see them over there all letting off rockets and standing on their heads for joy. And I’ll be very obliged to your Honours if you’ll soon let me go and join in.” “I think this is simply splendid,”said Jill. “I’m so glad we freed the gnomes as well as ourselves when we cut off the Witch’s head ！ And I’m so glad they aren’t really horrid and gloomy any more than the Prince really was—well，what he seemed like.” “That’s all very well，Pole,”said Puddleglum cautiously. “But those gnomes didn’t look to me like chaps who were just running away. It looked more like military formations，if you ask me. Do you look me in the face，Mr Golg，and tell me you weren’preparing for battle ？” “Of course we were，your Honour,”said Golg. “You see，we didn’t know the Witch was dead. We thought she’d be watching from the castle. We were trying to slip away without being seen. And then when you four came out with swords and horses，of course everyone says to himself，Here it comes：not knowing that his Honour wasn’t on the Witch’s side. And we were determined to fight like anything rather than give up the hope of going back to Bism.” “I’ll be sworn’t is an honest gnome,”said the Prince. “Let go of it，friend Puddleglum. As for me，good Golg，I have been enchanted like you and your fellows，and have but newly remembered myself. And now，one question more. Do you know the way to those new diggings，by which the sorceress meant to lead out an army against Overland ？” “Ee-ee-ee ！”squeaked Golg. “Yes，I know that terrible road. I will show you where it begins. But it is no manner of use your Honour asking me to go with you on it. I’ll die rather.” “Why ？”asked Eustace anxiously. “What’s so dreadful about it ？” “Too near the top，the outside,”said Golg，shuddering. “That was the worst thing the Witch did to us. We were going to be led out into the open—onto the outside of the world. They say there’s no roof at all there；only a horrible，great emptiness called the sky. And the diggings have gone so far that a few strokes of the pick would bring you out to it. I wouldn’t dare go near them.” “Hurrah！Now you’re talking！”cried Eustace，and Jill said，“But it’s not horrid at all up there. We like it. We live there.” “I know you Overlanders live there,”said Golg. “But I thought it was because you couldn’t find your way down inside. You can’t really like it—crawling about like flies on the top of the world ！” “What about showing us the road at once ？”said Puddleglum. “In a good hour,”cried the Prince. The whole party set out. The Prince remounted his charger，Puddleglum climbed up behind Jill，and Golg led the way. As he went，he kept shouting out the good news that the Witch was dead and that the four Overlanders were not dangerous. And those who heard him shouted it on to others，so that in a few minutes the whole of Underland was ringing with shouts and cheers，and gnomes by hundreds and thousands，leaping，turning cart-wheels，standing on their heads，playing leap-frog，and letting off huge crackers，came pressing round Coalblack and Snowflake. And the Prince had to tell the story of his own enchantment and deliverance at least ten times. In this way they came to the edge of the chasm. It was about a thousand feet long and perhaps two hundred wide. They dismounted from their horses and came to the edge，and looked down into it. A strong heat smote up into their faces，mixed with a smell which was quite unlike any they had ever smelled. It was rich，sharp，exciting，and made you sneeze. The depth of the chasm was so bright that at first it dazzled their eyes and they could see nothing. When they got used to it they thought they could make out a river of fire，and，on the banks of that river，what seemed to be fields and groves of an unbearable，hot brilliance—though they were dim compared with the river. There were blues，reds，greens，and whites all jumbled together：a very good stained-glass window with the tropical sun staring straight through it at midday might have something the same effect. Down the rugged sides of the chasm，looking black like flies against all that fiery light，hundreds of Earthmen were climbing. “Your honours,”said Golg（and when they turned to look at him they could see nothing but blackness for a few minutes， their eyes were so dazzled）. “Your honours，why don’t you come down to Bism ？ You’d be happier there than in that cold， unprotected，naked country out on top. Or at least come down for a short visit.” Jill took it for granted that none of the others would listen to such an idea for a moment. To her horror she heard the Prince saying： “Truly，friend Golg，I have half a mind to come down with you. For this is a marvellous adventure，and it may be no mortal man has ever looked into Bism before or will ever have the chance again. And I know not how，as the years pass，I shall bear to remember that it was once in my power to have probed the uttermost pit of Earth and that I forbore. But could a man live there ？ You do not swim in the fire-river itself ？” “Oh no，your Honour. Not we. It’s only salamanders live in the fire itself.” “What kind of beast is your salamander ？”asked the Prince. “It is hard to tell their kind，your Honour,”said Golg. “For they are too white-hot to look at. But they are most like small dragons. They speak to us out of the fire. They are wonderfully clever with their tongues：very witty and eloquent.” Jill glanced hastily at Eustace. She had felt sure that he would like the idea of sliding down that chasm even less than she did. Her heart sank as she saw that his face was quite changed. He looked much more like the Prince than like the old Scrubb at Experiment House. For all his adventures，and the days when he had sailed with King Caspian，were coming back to him. “Your Highness,”he said. “If my old friend Reepicheep the Mouse were here，he would say we could not now refuse the adventures of Bism without a great impeachment to our honour.” “Down there,”said Golg，“I could show you real gold，real silver，real diamonds.” “Bosh ！ ”said Jill rudely. “As if we didn’t know that we’re below the deepest mines even here.” “Yes,”said Golg. “I have heard of those little scratches in the crust that you Topdwellers call mines. But that’s where you get dead gold，dead silver，dead gems. Down in Bism we have them alive and growing. There I’ll pick you bunches of rubies that you can eat and squeeze you a cup full of diamond juice. You won’t care much about fingering the cold，dead treasures of your shallow mines after you have tasted the live ones of Bism.” “My father went to the world’s end,”said Rilian thoughtfully. “It would be a marvellous thing if his son went to the bottom of the world.” “If your Highness wants to see your father while he’s still alive，which I think he’d prefer,”said Puddleglum，“it’s about time we were getting on to that road to the diggings.” “And I won’t go down that hole，whatever anyone says,” added Jill. “Why，if your Honours are really set to go back to Overworld,”said Golg，“there is one bit of the road that’s rather lower than this. And perhaps，if that flood’s still rising—” “Oh，do，do，do come on ！ ”begged Jill. “I fear it must be so,”said the Prince with a deep sigh. “But I have left half of my heart in the land of Bism.” “Please ！”begged Jill. “Where is the road ？ ”asked Puddleglum. “There are lamps all the way,”said Golg. “Your Honour can see the beginning of the road on the far side of the chasm.” “How long will the lamps burn for ？ ”asked Puddleglum. At that moment a hissing，scorching voice like the voice of Fire itself（they wondered afterwards if it could have been a salamander’s）came whistling up out of the very depths of Bism. “Quick ！ Quick ！ Quick ！ To the cliffs，to the cliffs，to the cliffs ！”it said. “The rift closes. It closes. It closes. Quick ！ Quick ！”And at the same time，with ear-shattering cracks and creaks，the rocks moved. Already，while they looked，the chasm was narrower. From every side belated gnomes were rushing into it. They would not wait to climb down the rocks. They flung themselves headlong and，either because so strong a blast of hot air was beating up from the bottom，or for some other reason， they could be seen floating downwards like leaves. Thicker and thicker they floated，till their blackness almost blotted out the fiery river and the groves of live gems. “Good-bye to your Honours. I’m off,”shouted Golg，and dived. Only a few were left to follow him. The chasm was now no broader than a stream. Now it was narrow as the slit in a pillar box. Now it was only an intensely bright thread. Then，with a shock like a thousand goods trains crashing into a thousand pairs of buffers，the lips of rock closed. The hot，maddening smell vanished. The travellers were alone in an Underworld which now looked far blacker than before. Pale， dim，and dreary，the lamps marked the direction of the road. “Now,”said Puddleglum，“it’s ten to one we’ve already stayed too long，but we may as well make a try. Those lamps will give out in five minutes，I shouldn’t wonder.” They urged the horses to a canter and thundered along the dusky road in fine style. But almost at once it began going downhill. They would have thought Golg had sent them the wrong way if they had not seen，on the other side of the valley，the lamps going on and upwards as far as the eye could reach. But at the bottom of the valley the lamps shone on moving water. “Haste,”cried the Prince. They galloped down the slope. It would have been nasty enough at the bottom even five minutes later for the tide was running up the valley like a mill-race，and if it had come to swimming，the horses could hardly have won over. But it was still only a foot or two deep，and though it swished terribly round the horses’ legs，they reached the far side in safety. Then began the slow，weary march uphill with nothing ahead to look at but the pale lamps which went up and up as far as the eye could reach. When they looked back they could see the water spreading. All the hills of Underland were now islands，and it was only on those islands that the lamps remained. Every moment some distant light vanished. Soon there would be total darkness everywhere except on the road they were following；and even on the lower part of it behind them，though no lamps had yet gone out，the lamplight shone on water. Although they had good reason for hurrying，the horses could not go on for ever without a rest. They halted：and in silence they could hear the lapping of water. “I wonder is what’s his name—Father Time—flooded out now,”said Jill. “And all those queer sleeping animals.” “I don’t think we’re as high as that,”said Eustace. “Don’t you remember how we had to go downhill to reach the sunless sea ？ I shouldn’t think the water has reached Father Time’s cave yet.” “That’s as may be,”said Puddleglum. “I’m more interested in the lamps on this road. Look a bit sickly，don’t they ？” “They always did,”said Jill. “Aye,”said Puddleglum. “But they’re greener now.” “You don’t mean to say you think they’re going out ？ ”cried Eustace. “Well，however they work，you can’t expect them to last for- ever，you know,”replied the Marsh-wiggle. “But don’t let your spirits down，Scrubb. I’ve got my eye on the water too，and I don’t think it’s rising so fast as it did.” “Small comfort，friend,”said the Prince. “If we cannot find our way out. I cry you mercy，all. I am to blame for my pride and fantasy which delayed us by the mouth of the land of Bism. Now， let us ride on.” During the hour or so that followed Jill sometimes thought that Puddleglum was right about the lamps，and sometimes thought it was only her imagination. Meanwhile，the land was changing. The roof of Underland was so near that even by that dull light they could now see it quite distinctly. And the great，rugged walls of Underland could be seen drawing closer on each side. The road，in fact，was leading them up into a steep tunnel. They began to pass picks and shovels and barrows and other signs that the diggers had recently been at work. If only one could be sure of getting out，all this was very cheering. But the thought of going on into a hole that would get narrower and narrower，and harder to turn back in，was very unpleasant. At last the roof was so low that Puddleglum and the Prince knocked their heads against it. The party dismounted and led the horses. The road was uneven here and one had to pick one’s steps with some care. That was how Jill noticed the growing darkness. There was no doubt about it now. The faces of the others looked strange and ghastly in the green glow. Then all at once（she couldn’t help it）Jill gave a little scream. One light，the next one ahead，went out altogether. The one behind them did the same. Then they were in absolute darkness. “Courage，friends,”came Prince Rilian’s voice. “Whether we live or die Aslan will be our good lord.” “That’s right，Sir,”said Puddleglum’s voice. “And you must always remember there’s one good thing about being trapped down here：it’ll save funeral expenses.” Jill held her tongue. （If you don’t want other people to know how frightened you are，this is always a wise thing to do；it’s your voice that gives you away.） “We might as well go on as stand here,”said Eustace；and when she heard the tremble in his voice，Jill knew how wise she’d been not to trust her own. Puddleglum and Eustace went first with their arms stretched out in front of them，for fear of blundering into anything；Jill and the Prince followed，leading the horses. “I say,”came Eustace’s voice much later，“are my eyes going queer or is there a patch of light up there ？” Before anyone could answer him，Puddleglum called out： “Stop. I’m up against a dead end. And it’s earth，not rock. What were you saying，Scrubb ？” “By the Lion,”said the Prince，“Eustace is right. There is a sort of—” “But it’s not daylight,”said Jill. “It’s only a cold blue sort of light.” “Better than nothing，though,”said Eustace. “Can we get up to it ？” “It’s not right overhead,”said Puddleglum. “It’s above us， but it’s in this wall that I’ve run into. How would it be，Pole，if you got on my shoulders and saw whether you could get up to it ？” CHAPTER FIFTEEN THE DISAPPEARANCE OF JILL THE patch of light did not show up anything down in the darkness where they were standing. The others could only hear， not see，Jill’s efforts to get on to the Marsh-wiggle’s back. That is，they heard him saying，“You needn’t put your finger in my eye,”and，“Nor your foot in my mouth either,”and，“That’s more like it,”and，“Now，I’ll hold on to your legs. That’ll leave your arms free to steady yourself against the earth.” Then they looked up and soon they saw the black shape of Jill’s head against the patch of light. “Well ？ ”they all shouted up anxiously. “It’s a hole,”called Jill’s voice. “I could get through it if I was a little bit higher.” “What do you see through it ？”asked Eustace. “Nothing much yet,”said Jill. “I say，Puddleglum，let go my legs so that I can stand on your shoulders instead of sitting on them. I can steady myself all right against the edge.” They could hear her moving and then much more of her came into sight against the greyness of the opening；in fact，all of her down to the waist. “I say—”began Jill，but suddenly broke off with a cry：not a sharp cry. It sounded more as if her mouth had been muffled up or had something pushed into it. After that she found her voice and seemed to be shouting out as loud as she could，but they couldn’t hear the words. Two things then happened at the same moment. The patch of light was completely blocked up for a second or so； and they heard both a scuffling，struggling sound and the voice of the Marsh-wiggle gasping：“Quick ！ Help ！ Hold on to her legs. Someone’s pulling her. There ！ No，here. Too late ！” The opening，and the cold light which filled it，were now perfectly clear again. Jill had vanished. “Jill ！ Jill ！”they shouted frantically，but there was no answer. “Why the dickens couldn’t you have held her feet ？”said Eustace. “I don’t know，Scrubb,”groaned Puddleglum. “Born to be a misfit，I shouldn’t wonder. Fated. Fated to be Pole’s death，just as I was fated to eat Talking Stag at Harfang. Not that it isn’t my own fault as well，of course.” “This is the greatest shame and sorrow that could have fallen on us,”said the Prince. “We have sent a brave lady into the hands of enemies and stayed behind in safety.” “Don’t paint it too black，Sir,”said Puddleglum. “We’re not very safe except for death by starvation in this hole.” “I wonder am I small enough to get through where Jill did ？ ”said Eustace. What had really happened to Jill was this. As soon as she got her head out of the hole she found that she was looking down as if from an upstairs window，not up as if through a trap-door. She had been so long in the dark that her eyes couldn’t at first take in what they were seeing：except that she was not looking at the daylit，sunny world which she so wanted to see. The air seemed to be deadly cold，and the light was pale and blue. There was also a good deal of noise going on and a lot of white objects flying about in the air. It was at that moment that she had shouted down to Puddleglum to let her stand up on his shoulders. When she had done this，she could see and hear a good deal better. The noises she had been hearing turned out to be of two kinds：the rhythmical thump of several feet，and the music of four fiddles，three flutes，and a drum. She also got her own position clear. She was looking out of a hole in a steep bank which sloped down and reached the level about fourteen feet below her. Everything was very white. A lot of people were moving about. Then she gasped ！ The people were trim little Fauns，and Dryads with leaf-crowned hair floating behind them. For a second they looked as if they were moving anyhow；then she saw that they were really doing a dance—a dance with so many complicated steps and figures that it took you some time to understand it. Then it came over her like a thunderclap that the pale，blue light was really moonlight，and the white stuff on the ground was really snow. And of course ！ There were the stars staring in a black frosty sky overhead. And the tall black things behind the dancers were trees. They had not only got out into the upper world at last，but had come out in the heart of Narnia. Jill felt she could have fainted with delight；and the music-the wild music，intensely sweet and yet just the least bit eerie too，and full of good magic as the Witch’s thrumming had been full of bad magic—made her feel it all the more. All this takes a long time to tell，but of course it took a very short time to see. Jill turned almost at once to shout down to the others，“I say ！ It’s all right. We’re out，and we’re home.”But the reason she never got further than“I say”was this. Circling round and round the dancers was a ring of Dwarfs，all dressed in their finest clothes；mostly scarlet with fur-lined hoods and golden tassels and big furry top-boots. As they circled round they were all diligently throwing snowballs. （Those were the white things that Jill had seen flying through the air.）They weren’t throwing them at the dancers as silly boys might have been doing in England. They were throwing them through the dance in such perfect time with the music and with such perfect aim that if all the dancers were in exactly the right places at exactly the right moments，no one would be hit. This is called the Great Snow Dance and it is done every year in Narnia on the first moonlit night when there is snow on the ground. Of course it is a kind of game as well as a dance，because every now and then some dancer will be the least little bit wrong and get a snowball in the face，and then everyone laughs. But a good team of dancers，Dwarfs，and musicians will keep it up for hours without a single hit. On fine nights when the cold and the drum-taps，and the hooting of the owls，and the moonlight，have got into their wild，woodland blood and made it even wilder，they will dance till daybreak. I wish you could see it for yourselves. What had stopped Jill when she got as far as the say of“I say”was of course simply a fine big snowball that came sailing through the dance from a Dwarf on the far side and got her fair and square in the mouth. She didn’t in the least mind；twenty snowballs would not have damped her spirits at that moment. But however happy you are feeling，you can’t talk with your mouth full of snow. And when，after considerable spluttering，she could speak again，she quite forgot in her excitement that the others， down in the dark，behind her，still didn’t know the good news. She simply leaned as far out of the hole as she could，and yelled to the dancers. “Help ！ Help ！ We’re buried in the hill. Come and dig us out.” The Narnians，who had not even noticed the little hole in the hillside，were of course very surprised，and looked about in several wrong directions before they found out where the voice was coming from. But when they caught sight of Jill they all came running towards her，and as many as could scrambled up the bank，and a dozen or more hands were stretched up to help her. And Jill caught hold of them and thus got out of the hole and came slithering down the bank head first，and then picked herself up and said：“Oh， do go and dig the others out. There are three others，besides the horses. And one of them is Prince Rilian.” She was already in the middle of a crowd when she said this，for besides the dancers all sorts of people who had been watching the dance，and whom she had not seen at first，came running up. Squirrels came out of the trees in showers，and so did Owls. Hedgehogs came waddling as fast as their short legs would carry them. Bears and Badgers followed at a slower pace. A great Panther， twitching its tail in excitement，was the last to join the party. But as soon as they understood what Jill was saying，they all became active. “Pick and shovel，boys，pick and shovel. Off for our tools ！ ”said the Dwarfs，and dashed away into the woods at top speed. “Wake up some Moles，they’re the chaps for digging. They’re quite as good as Dwarfs,”said a voice. “What was that she said about Prince Rilian ？”said another. “Hush ！”said the Panther. “The poor child’s crazed，and no wonder after being lost inside the hill. She doesn’t know what she’s saying.”“That’s right,”said an old Bear. “Why，she said Prince Rilian was a horse ！”—“No， she didn’t,”said a Squirrel，very pert. “Yes，she did,”said another Squirrel，even perter. “It’s quite t-t-t-true. D-d-don’t be so silly,”said Jill. She spoke like that because her teeth were now chattering with the cold. Immediately one of the Dryads flung round her a furry cloak which some Dwarf had dropped when he rushed to fetch his mining tools，and an obliging Faun trotted off among the trees to a place where Jill could see firelight in the mouth of a cave，to get her a hot drink. But before it came，all the Dwarfs reappeared with spades and pick-axes and charged at the hillside. Then Jill heard cries of “Hi ！ What are you doing ？ Put that sword down,”and“Now，young’un：none of that,”and，“He’s a vicious one，now，isn’t he ？”Jill hurried to the spot and didn’t know whether to laugh or cry when she saw Eustace’s face，very pale and dirty， projecting from the blackness of the hole，and Eustace’s right hand brandishing a sword with which he made lunges at anyone who came near him. For of course Eustace had been having a very different time from Jill during the last few minutes. He had heard Jill cry out and seen her disappear into the unknown. Like the Prince and Puddleglum，he thought that some enemies had caught her. And from down below he didn’t see that the pale，blueish light was moonlight. He thought the hole would lead only into some other cave，lit by some ghostly phosphorescence and filled with goodness-knows-what evil creatures of the Underworld. So that when he had persuaded Puddleglum to give him a back，and drawn his sword，and poked out his head，he had really been doing a very brave thing. The others would have done it first if they could，but the hole was too small for them to climb through. Eustace was a little bigger，and a lot clumsier，than Jill，so that when he looked out he bumped his head against the top of the hole and brought a small avalanche of snow down on his face. And so， when he could see again，and saw dozens of figures coming at him as hard as they could run，it is not surprising that he tried to ward them off. “Stop，Eustace，stop,”cried Jill. “They’re all friends. Can’t you see ？ We’ve come up in Narnia. Everything’s all right.” Then Eustace did see，and apologized to the Dwarfs（and the Dwarfs said not to mention it），and dozens of thick，hairy， dwarfish hands helped him out just as they had helped Jill out a few minutes before. Then Jill scrambled up the bank and put her head in at the dark opening and shouted the good news in to the prisoners. As she turned away she heard Puddleglum mutter. “Ah，poor Pole. It’s been too much for her，this last bit. Turned her head，I shouldn’t wonder. She’s beginning to see things.” Jill rejoined Eustace and they shook one another by both hands and took in great deep breaths of the free midnight air. And a warm cloak was brought for Eustace and hot drinks，for both. While they were sipping it，the Dwarfs had already got all the snow and all the sods off a large strip of the hillside round the original hole，and the pickaxes and spades were now going as merrily as the feet of Fauns and Dryads had been going in the dance ten minutes before. Only ten minutes ！ Yet already it felt to Jill and Eustace as if all their dangers in the dark and heat and general smotheriness of the earth must have been only a dream. Out here，in the cold，with the moon and the huge stars overhead（Narnian stars are nearer than stars in our world）and with kind，merry faces all round them， one couldn’t quite believe in Underland. Before they had finished their hot drinks，a dozen or so Moles，newly waked and still very sleepy，and not well pleased， had arrived. But as soon as they understood what it was all about， they joined in with a will. Even the Fauns made themselves useful by carting away the earth in little barrows，and the Squirrels danced and leaped to and fro in great excitement，though Jill never found out exactly what they thought they were doing. The Bears and Owls contented themselves with giving advice，and kept on asking the children if they wouldn’t like to come into the cave（that was where Jill had seen the firelight）and get warm and have supper. But the children couldn’t bear to go without seeing their friends set free. No one in our world can work at a job of that sort as Dwarfs and Talking Moles work in Narnia；but then，of course，Moles and Dwarfs don’t look on it as work. They like digging. It was therefore not really long before they had opened a great black chasm in the hillside. And out from the blackness into the moonlight— this would have been rather dreadful if one hadn’t known who they were—came，first，the long，leggy，steeple-hatted figure of the Marsh-wiggle，and then，leading two great horses，Rilian the Prince himself. As Puddleglum appeared shouts broke out on every side：“Why， it’s a Wiggle—why，it’s old Puddleglum—old Puddleglum from the Eastern Marshes—what ever have you been doing，Puddleglum ？— there’ve been search-parties out for you—the Lord Trumpkin has been putting up notices—there’s a reward offered ！”But all this died away，all in one moment，into dead silence，as quickly as the noise dies away in a rowdy dormitory if the Headmaster opens the door. For now they saw the Prince. No one doubted for a moment who he was. There were plenty of Beasts and Dryads and Dwarfs and Fauns who remembered him from the days before his enchanting. There were some old ones who could just remember how his father，King Caspian， had looked when he was a young man，and saw the likeness. But I think they would have known him anyway. Pale though he was from long imprisonment in the Deep Lands，dressed in black， dusty，dishevelled，and weary，there was something in his face and air which no one could mistake. That look is in the face of all true kings of Narnia，who rule by the will of Aslan and sit at Cair Paravel on the throne of Peter the High King. Instantly every head was bared and every knee was bent；a moment later such cheering and shouting，such jumps and reels of joy，such hand-shakings and kissings and embracings of everybody by everybody else broke out that the tears came into Jill’s eyes. Their quest had been worth all the pains it cost. “Please it your Highness,”said the oldest of the Dwarfs，“there is some attempt at a supper in the cave yonder，prepared against the ending of the snow-dance—” “With a good will，Father,”said the Prince. “For never had any Prince，Knight，Gentleman，or Bear so good a stomach to his victuals as we four wanderers have tonight.” The whole crowd began to move away through the trees towards the cave. Jill heard Puddleglum saying to those who pressed round him. No，no，my story can wait. Nothing worth talking about has happened to me. I want to hear the news. Don’t try breaking it to me gently，for I’d rather have it all at once. Has the King been shipwrecked ？ Any forest fires ？ No wars on the Calormen border ？ Or a few dragons，I shouldn’t wonder ？ “And all the creatures laughed aloud and said,”Isn’t that just like a Marsh-wiggle ？ The two children were nearly dropping with tiredness and hunger，but the warmth of the cave，and the very sight of it， with the firelight dancing on the walls and dressers and cups and saucers and plates and on the smooth stone floor，just as it does in a farmhouse kitchen，revived them a little. All the same they went fast asleep while supper was being got ready. And while they slept Prince Rilian was talking over the whole adventure with the older and wiser Beasts and Dwarfs. And now they all saw what it meant；how a wicked Witch（doubtless the same kind as that White Witch who had brought the Great Winter on Narnia long ago）had contrived the whole thing，first killing Rilian’s mother and enchanting Rilian himself. And they saw how she had dug right under Narnia and was going to break out and rule it through Rilian：and how he had never dreamed that the country of which she would make him king（king in name，but really her slave） was his own country. And from the children’s part of the story they saw how she was in league and friendship with the dangerous giants of Harfang. “And the lesson of it all is，your Highness,”said the oldest Dwarf，“that those Northern Witches always mean the same thing，but in every age they have a different plan for getting it.” CHAPTER SIXTEEN THE HEALING OF HARMS WHEN Jill woke next morning and found herself in a cave， she thought for one horrid moment that she was back in the Underworld. But when she noticed that she was lying on a bed of heather with a furry mantle over her，and saw a cheery fire crackling（as if newly lit）on a stone hearth and，farther off， morning sunlight coming in through the cave’s mouth，she remembered all the happy truth. They had had a delightful supper， all crowded into that cave，in spite of being so sleepy before it was properly over. She had a vague impression of Dwarfs crowding round the fire with frying-pans rather bigger than themselves， and the hissing，and delicious smell of sausages，and more，and more，and more sausages. And not wretched sausages half full of bread and soya bean either，but real meaty，spicy ones，fat and piping hot and burst and just the tiniest bit burnt. And great mugs of frothy chocolate，and roast potatoes and roast chestnuts，and baked apples with raisins stuck in where the cores had been，and then ices just to freshen you up after all the hot things. Jill sat up and looked around. Puddleglum and Eustace were lying not far away，both fast asleep. “Hi，you two ！”shouted Jill in a loud voice. “Aren’t you ever going to get up ？” “Shoo，shoo ！”said a sleepy voice somewhere above her. “Time to be settling down. Have a good snooze，do，do. Don’t make a to-do. Tu-whoo ！” “Why，I do believe,”said Jill，glancing up at a white bundle of fluffy feathers which was perched on top of a grandfather clock in one corner of the cave，“I do believe it’s Glimfeather ！” “True，true,”whirred the Owl，lifting its head out from under its wing and opening one eye. “I came up with a message for the Prince at about two. The squirrels brought us the good news. Message for the Prince. He’s gone. You’re to follow too. Good-day—”and the head disappeared again. As there seemed no further hope of getting any information from the Owl，Jill got up and began looking round for any chance of a wash and some breakfast. But almost at once a little Faun came trotting into the cave with a sharp click-clack of his goaty hoofs on the stone floor. “Ah ！You’ve woken up at last，Daughter of Eve,”he said. “Perhaps you’d better wake the Son of Adam. You’ve got to be off in a few minutes and two Centaurs have very kindly offered to let you ride on their backs down to Cair Paravel.”He added in a lower voice. “Of course，you realize it is a most special and unheard- of honour to be allowed to ride a Centaur. I don’t know that I ever heard of anyone doing it before. It wouldn’t do to keep them waiting.” “Where’s the Prince ？ ”was the first question of Eustace and Puddleglum as soon as they had been wakened. “He’s gone down to meet the King，his father，at Cair Paravel,”answered the Faun，whose name was Orruns. “His Majesty’s ship is expected in harbour any moment. It seems that the King met Aslan—I don’t know whether it was in a vision or face to face—before he had sailed far，and Aslan turned him back and told him he would find his long-lost son awaiting him when he reached Narnia.” Eustace was now up and he and Jill set about helping Orruns to get the breakfast. Puddleglum was told to stay in bed. A Centaur called Cloudbirth，a famous healer，or（as Orruns called it）a ‘leech’，was coming to see to his burnt foot. “Ah ！”said Puddleglum in a tone almost of contentment，“he’ll want to have the leg off at the knee，I shouldn’t wonder. You see if he doesn’t.”But he was quite glad to stay in bed. Breakfast was scrambled eggs and toast and Eustace tackled it just as if he had not had a very large supper in the middle of the night. “I say，Son of Adam,”said the Faun，looking with a certain awe at Eustace’s mouthfuls. “There’s no need to hurry quite so dreadfully as that. I don’t think the Centaurs have quite finished their breakfasts yet.” “Then they must have got up very late,”said Eustace. “I bet it’s after ten o’clock.” “Oh no,”said Orruns. “They got up before it was light.” “Then they must have waited the dickens of a time for breakfast,”said Eustace. “No，they didn’t,”said Orruns. “They began eating the minute they awoke.” “Golly ！”said Eustace.“Do they eat a very big breakfast ？” “Why，Son of Adam，don’t you understand ？ A Centaur has a man-stomach and a horse-stomach. And of course both want breakfast. So first of all he has porridge and pavenders and kidneys and bacon and omelette and cold ham and toast and marmalade and coffee and beer. And after that he attends to the horse part of himself by grazing for an hour or so and finishing up with a hot mash，some oats，and a bag of sugar. That’s why it’s such a serious thing to ask a Centaur to stay for the weekend. A very serious thing indeed.” At that moment there was a sound of horse-hoofs tapping on rock from the mouth of the cave，and the children looked up. The two Centaurs，one with a black and one with a golden beard flowing over their magnificent bare chests，stood waiting for them，bending their heads a little so as to look into the cave. Then the children became very polite and finished their breakfast very quickly. No one thinks a Centaur funny when he sees it. They are solemn，majestic people，full of ancient wisdom which they learn from the stars，not easily made either merry or angry；but their anger is terrible as a tidal wave when it comes. “Good-bye，dear Puddleglum,”said Jill，going over to the Marsh-wiggle’s bed. “I’m sorry we called you a wet blanket.” “So’m I,”said Eustace. “You’ve been the best friend in the world.” “And I do hope we’ll meet again,”added Jill. “Not much chance of that，I should say,”replied Puddleglum. “1 don’t reckon I’m very likely to see my old wigwam again， either. And that Prince—he’s a nice chap—but do you think he’s very strong ？ Constitution ruined with living underground，I shouldn’t wonder. Looks the sort that might go off any day.” “Puddleglum ！”said Jill. “You’re a regular old humbug. You sound as doleful as a funeral and I believe you’re perfectly happy. And you talk as if you were afraid of everything，when you’re really as brave as—as a lion.” “Now，speaking of funerals,”began Puddleglum，but Jill， who heard the Centaurs tapping with their hoofs behind her， surprised him very much by flinging her arms round his thin neck and kissing his muddy-looking face，while Eustace wrung his hand. Then they both rushed away to the Centaurs，and the Marsh-wiggle，sinking back on his bed，remarked to himself， “Well，I wouldn’t have dreamt of her doing that. Even though I am a good-looking chap.” To ride on a Centaur is，no doubt，a great honour（and except Jill and Eustace，there is probably no one alive in the world today who has had it）but it is very uncomfortable. For no one who valued his life would suggest putting a saddle on a Centaur， and riding bare-back is no fun；especially if，like Eustace，you have never learned to ride at all. The Centaurs were very polite in a grave，gracious，grown-up kind of way，and as they cantered through the Narnian woods they spoke，without turning their heads，telling the children about the properties of herbs and roots， the influences of the planets，the nine names of Aslan with their meanings，and things of that sort. But however sore and jolted the two humans were，they would now give anything to have that journey over again：to see those glades and slopes sparkling with last night’s snow，to be met by rabbits and squirrels and birds that wished you good morning，to breathe again the air of Narnia and hear the voices of the Narnian trees. They came down to the river，flowing bright and blue in winter sunshine，far below the last bridge（which is at the snug， red-roofed little town of Beruna）and were ferried across in a flat barge by the ferryman；or rather，by the ferry-wiggle，for it is Marsh-wiggles who do most of the watery and fishy kinds of work in Narnia. And when they had crossed they rode along the south bank of the river and presently came to Cair Paravel itself. And at the very moment of their arrival they saw that same bright ship which they had seen when they first set foot in Narnia，gliding up the river like a huge bird. All the court were once more assembled on the green between the castle and the quay to welcome King Caspian home again. Rilian，who had changed his black clothes and was now dressed in a scarlet cloak over silver mail，stood close to the water’s edge，bare-headed，to receive his father； and the Dwarf Trumpkin sat beside him in his little donkey-chair. The children saw there would be no chance of reaching the Prince through all that crowd，and，anyway，they now felt rather shy. So they asked the Centaurs if they might go on sitting on their backs a little longer and thus see everything over the heads of the courtiers. And the Centaurs said they might. A flourish of silver trumpets came over the water from the ship’s deck：the sailors threw a rope；rats（Talking Rats，of course）and Marsh-wiggles made it fast ashore；and the ship was warped in. Musicians，hidden somewhere in the crowd，began to play solemn，triumphal music. And soon the King’s galleon was alongside and the Rats ran the gangway on board her. Jill expected to see the old King come down it. But there appeared to be some hitch. A Lord with a pale face came ashore and knelt to the Prince and to Trumpkin. The three were talking with their heads close together for a few minutes，but no one could hear what they said. The music played on，but you could feel that everyone was becoming uneasy. Then four Knights，carrying something and going very slowly，appeared on deck. When they started to come down the gangway you could see what they were carrying：it was the old King on a bed，very pale and still. They set him down. The Prince knelt beside him and embraced him. They could see King Caspian raising his hand to bless his son. And everyone cheered，but it was a half-hearted cheer，for they all felt that something was going wrong. Then suddenly the King’s head fell back upon his pillows，the musicians stopped and there was a dead silence. The Prince，kneeling by the King’s bed，laid down his head upon it and wept. There were whisperings and goings to and fro. Then Jill noticed that all who wore hats，bonnets，helmets，or hoods were taking them off—Eustace included. Then she heard a rustling and flapping noise up above the castle；when she looked she saw that the great banner with the golden Lion on it was being brought down to half-mast. And after that，slowly，mercilessly，with wailing strings and disconsolate blowing of horns，the music began again： this time，a tune to break your heart. They both slipped off their Centaurs（who took no notice of them）. “I wish I was at home,”said Jill. Eustace nodded，saying nothing，and bit his lip. “I have come,”said a deep voice behind them. They turned and saw the Lion himself，so bright and real and strong that everything else began at once to look pale and shadowy compared with him. And in less time than it takes to breathe Jill forgot about the dead King of Narnia and remembered only how she had made Eustace fall over the cliff，and how she had helped to muff nearly all the signs，and about all the snappings and quarrellings. And she wanted to say“I’m sorry”but she could not speak. Then the Lion drew them towards him with his eyes，and bent down and touched their pale faces with his tongue，and said：“Think of that no more. I will not always be scolding. You have done the work for which I sent you into Narnia.” “Please，Aslan,”said Jill，“may we go home now ？” “Yes. I have come to bring you Home,”said Aslan. Then he opened his mouth wide and blew. But this time they had no sense of flying through the air：instead，it seemed that they remained still，and the wild breath of Aslan blew away the ship and the dead King and the castle and the snow and the winter sky. For all these things floated off into the air like wreaths of smoke，and suddenly they were standing in a great brightness of mid-summer sunshine，on smooth turf，among mighty trees，and beside a fair，fresh stream. Then they saw that they were once more on the Mountain of Aslan，high up above and beyond the end of that world in which Narnia lies. But the strange thing was that the funeral music for King Caspian still went on，though no one could tell where it came from. They were walking beside the stream and the Lion went before them：and he became so beautiful，and the music so despairing，that Jill did not know which of them it was that filled her eyes with tears. Then Aslan stopped，and the children looked into the stream. And there，on the golden gravel of the bed of the stream，lay King Caspian，dead，with the water flowing over him like liquid glass. His long white beard swayed in it like water-weed. And all three stood and wept. Even the Lion wept：great Lion-tears，each tear more precious than the Earth would be if it was a single solid diamond. And Jill noticed that Eustace looked neither like a child crying，nor like a boy crying and wanting to hide it，but like a grown-upcrying. At least，that is the nearest she could get to it； but really，as she said，people don’t seem to have any particular ages on that mountain. “Son of Adam,”said Aslan，“go into that thicket and pluck the thorn that you will find there，and bring it to me.” Eustace obeyed. The thorn was a foot long and sharp as a rapier. “Drive it into my paw，Son of Adam,”said Aslan，holding up his right fore-paw and spreading out the great pad towards Eustace. “Must I ？”said Eustace. “Yes,”said Aslan. Then Eustace set his teeth and drove the thorn into the Lion’s pad. And there came out a great drop of blood，redder than all redness that you have ever seen or imagined. And it splashed into the stream over the dead body of the King. At the same moment the doleful music stopped. And the dead King began to be changed. His white beard turned to grey， and from grey to yellow，and got shorter and vanished altogether； and his sunken cheeks grew round and fresh，and the wrinkles were smoothed，and his eyes opened，and his eyes and lips both laughed，and suddenly he leaped up and stood before them—a very young man，or a boy. （But Jill couldn’t say which，because of people having no particular ages in Aslan’s country. Even in this world，of course，it is the stupidest children who are most childish and the stupidest grown-ups who are most grown-up.）And he rushed to Aslan and flung his arms as far as they would go round the huge neck；and he gave Aslan the strong kisses of a King，and Aslan gave him the wild kisses of a Lion. At last Caspian turned to the others. He gave a great laugh of astonished joy. “Why ！ Eustace ！”he said. “Eustace ！ So you did reach the end of the world after all. What about my second-best sword that you broke on the sea-serpent ？ ” Eustace made a step towards him with both hands held out， but then drew back with a somewhat startled expression. “Look here ！ I say,”he stammered. “It’s all very well. But aren’t you ？—I mean didn’t you—” “Oh，don’t be such an ass,”said Caspian. “But,”said Eustace，looking at Aslan.“Hasn’t heer—died ？” “Yes,”said the Lion in a very quiet voice，almost（Jill thought）as if he were laughing. “He has died. Most people have，you know. Even I have. There are very few who haven’t.” “Oh,”said Caspian. “I see what’s bothering you. You think I’m a ghost，or some nonsense. But don’t you see ？ I would be that if I appeared in Narnia now：because I don’t belong there any more. But one can’t be a ghost in one’s own country. I might be a ghost if I got into your world. I don’t know. But I suppose it isn’t yours either，now you’re here.” A great hope rose in the children’s hearts. But Aslan shook his shaggy head.“No，my dears,”he said. “When you meet me here again，you will have come to stay. But not now. You must go back to your own world for a while.” “Sir,”said Caspian，“I’ve always wanted to have just one glimpse of their world. Is that wrong ？” “You cannot want wrong things any more，now that you have died，my son,”said Aslan. “And you shall see their world—for five minutes of their time. It will take no longer for you to set things right there.”Then Aslan explained to Caspian what Jill and Eustace were going back to and all about Experiment House：he seemed to know it quite as well as they did. “Daughter,”said Aslan to Jill，“pluck a switch off that bush.”She did；and as soon as it was in her hand it turned into a fine new riding crop. “Now，Sons of Adam，draw your swords,”said Aslan. “But use only the flat，for it is cowards and children，not warriors， against whom 1 send you.” “Are you coming with us，Aslan ？”said Jill. “They shall see only my back,”said Aslan. He led them rapidly through the wood，and before they had gone many paces，the wall of Experiment House appcared before them. Then Aslan roared so that the sun shook in the sky and thirty feet of the wall fell down before them. They looked through the gap，down into the school shrubbery and on to the roof of the gym，all under the same dull autumn sky which they had seen before their adventures began. Aslan turned to Jill and Eustace and breathed upon them and touched their foreheads with his tongue. Then he lay down amid the gap he had made in the wall and turned his golden back to England，and his lordly face towards his own lands. At the same moment Jill saw figures whom she knew only too well running up through the laurels towards them. Most of the gang were there—Adela Pennyfather and Cholmondely Major， Edith Winterblott，‘Spotty’Sorrier，big Bannister，and the two loathsome Garrett twins. But suddenly they stopped. Their faces changed，and all the meanness，conceit，cruelty，and sneakishness almost disappeared in one single expression of terror. For they saw the wall fallen down，and a lion as large as a young elephant lying in the gap，and three figures in glittering clothes with weapons in their hands rushing down upon them. For，with the strength of Aslan in them，Jill plied her crop on the girls and Caspian and Eustace plied the flats of their swords on the boys so well that in two minutes all the bullies were running like mad， crying out，‘Murder ！ Fascists ！ Lions ！ It isn’t fair.’ And then the Head（who was，by the way，a woman）came running out to see what was happening. And when she saw the lion and the broken wall and Caspian and Jill and Eustace（whom she quite failed to recognize）she had hysterics and went back to the house and began ringing up the police with stories about a lion escaped from a circus，and escaped convicts who broke down walls and carried drawn swords. In the midst of all this fuss Jill and Eustace slipped quietly indoors and changed out of their bright clothes into ordinary things，and Caspian went back into his own world. And the wall，at Aslan’s word，was made whole again. When the police arrived and found no lion，no broken wall，and no convicts，and the Head behaving like a lunatic，there was an inquiry into the whole thing. And in the inquiry all sorts of things about Experiment House came out，and about ten people got expelled. After that，the Head’s friends saw that the Head was no use as a Head，so they got her made an Inspector to interfere with other Heads. And when they found she wasn’t much good even at that，they got her into Parliament where she lived happily ever after. Eustace buried his fine clothes secretly one night in the school grounds，but Jill smuggled hers home and wore them at a fancy-dress ball next holidays. And from that day forth things changed for the better at Experiment House，and it became quite a good school. And Jill and Eustace were always friends. But far off in Narnia，King Rilian buried his father，Caspian the Navigator，Tenth of that name，and mourned for him. He himself ruled Narnia well and the land was happy in his days， though Puddleglum（whose foot was as good as new in three weeks）often pointed out that bright mornings brought on wet afternoons，and that you couldn’t expect good times to last. The opening into the hillside was left open，and often in hot summer days the Narnians go in there with ships and lanterns and down to the water and sail to and fro，singing，on the cool，dark underground sea，telling each other stories of the cities that lie fathoms deep below. If ever you have the luck to go to Narnia yourself，do not forget to have a look at those caves. ---------------------------用户上传之内容结束-------------------------------- 声明：本书为八零电子书(txt80.com)的用户上传至其在本站的存储空间，本站只提供TXT全集电子书存储服务以及免费下载服务，以上作品内容之版权与本站无任何关系。