纳尼亚传奇1在线阅读 《魔法师的外甥》第15期:钟与锤(2)

《魔法师的外甥》第15期:钟与锤(2)  

They stood still and listened
but all they could hear was the thump-thump of their own hearts. This place was at least as quiet as the Wood beeen the Worlds. But it was a different kind of quietness. The silence of the Wood had been rich and warm (you could almost hear the trees growing) and full of life: this was a dead
cold
empty silence. You couldn't imagine anything growing in it.
"Let's go home
" said Polly.
"But we haven't seen anything yet
" said Digory. "Now we're here
we simply must have a look round."
"I'm sure there's nothing at all interesting here."
"There's not much point in finding a magic ring that lets you into other worlds if you're afraid to look at them when you've got there."
"Who's talking about being afraid?" said Polly
letting go of Digory's hand.
"I only thought you didn't seem very keen on exploring this place."
"I'll go anywhere you go."
"We can get away the moment we want to
" said Digory. "Let's take off our green rings and put them in our right-hand pockets. All we've got to do is to remember that our yellow are in our left-hand pockets. You can keep your hand as near your pocket as you like
but don't put it in or you'll touch your yellow and vanish."
They did this and went quietly up to one of the big arched doorways which led into the inside of the building. And when they stood on the threshold and could look in
they saw it was not so dark inside as they had thought at first. It led into a vast
shadowy hall which appeared to be empty; but on the far side there was a row of pillars with arches beeen them and through those arches there streamed in some more of the same tired-looking light. They crossed the hall
walking very carefully for fear of holes in the floor or of anything lying about that they might trip over. It seemed a long walk. When they had reached the other side they came out through the arches and found themselves in another and larger courtyard.
"That doesn't look very safe
" said Polly
pointing at a place where the wall bulged ouard and looked as if it were ready to fall over into the courtyard. In one place a pillar was missing beeen o arches and the bit that came down to where the top of the pillar ought to have been hung there with nothing to support it. Clearly
the place had been deserted for hundreds
perhaps thousands
of years.
"If it's lasted till now
I suppose it'll last a bit longer
" said Digory. "But we must be very quiet. You know a noise sometimes brings things down - like an avalanche in the Alps."