纳尼亚传奇银椅 《银椅》第13章:没有女王的地下世界

《银椅》第13章:没有女王的地下世界  

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 e 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 os
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 ing 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 es 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 o 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 ing 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 e 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 fotten."
The horses were both frightened by the strange lights and the noises. Jill
who had been so cowardly about going through a black hole beeeen one cave and another
went in without fear beeen 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 e so near in the first half-hour and e no nearer in the next o. 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 parison. 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 e 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 e 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 mend 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 ing 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 b (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 inkling
red eyes
chuckled once or ice
and began.