第三次物种大灭绝原因 《魔法师的外甥》第21期:灭绝咒(3)

《魔法师的外甥》第21期:灭绝咒(3)  

Low down and near the horizon hung a great
red sun
far bigger than our sun. Digory felt at once that it was also older than ours: a sun near the end of its life
weary of looking down upon that world. To the left of the sun
and higher up
there was a single star
big and bright. Those were the only o things to be seen in the dark sky; they made a dismal group. And on the earth
in every direction
as far as the eye could reach
there spread a vast city in which there was no living thing to be seen. And all the temples
towers
palaces
pyramids
and bridges cast long
disastrous-looking shadows in the light of that withered sun. Once a great river had flowed through the city
but the water had long since vanished
and it was now only a wide ditch of grey dust.
"Look well on that which no eyes will ever see again
" said the Queen. "Such was Charn
that great city
the city of the King of Kings
the wonder of the world
perhaps of all worlds. Does your uncle rule any city as great as this
boy?"
"No
" said Digory. He was going to explain that Uncle Andrew didn't rule any cities
but the Queen went on:
"It is silent now. But I have stood here when the whole air was full of the noises of Charn; the trampling of feet
the creaking of wheels
the cracking of the whips and the groaning of slaves
the thunder of chariots
and the sacrificial drums beating in the temples. I have stood here (but that was near the end) when the roar of battle went up from every street and the river of Charn ran red." She paused and added
"All in one moment one woman blotted it out for ever."
"Who?" said Digory in a faint voice; but he had already guessed the answer.
"I
" said the Queen. "I
Jadis the last Queen
but the Queen of the World."
The o children stood silent
shivering in the cold wind.
"It was my sister's fault
" said the Queen. "She drove me to it. May the curse of all the Powers rest upon her forever! At any moment I was ready to make peace - yes and to spare her life too
if only she would yield me the throne. But she would not. Her pride has destroyed the whole world. Even after the war had begun
there was a solemn promise that neither side would use Magic. But when she broke her promise
what could I do? Fool! As if she did not know that I had more Magic than she! She even knew that I had the secret of the Deplorable Word. Did she think - she was always a weakling - that I would not use it?"
"What was it?" said Digory.
"That was the secret of secrets
" said the Queen Jadis. "It had long been known to the great kings of our race that there was a word which
if spoken with the proper ceremonies
would destroy all living things except the one who spoke it. But the ancient kings were weak and softhearted and bound themselves and all who should e after them with great oaths never even to seek after the knowledge of that word. But I learned it in a secret place and paid a terrible price to learn it. I did not use it until she forced me to it. I fought to overe her by every other means. I poured out the blood of my armies like water "