CHAPTER TEN TRAVELS WITHOUT THE SUN(第2页)
“Nowdon'tyouletyourspiritsdown,Pole,”saidtheMarsh-wiggle。“There'sohingyou'vegottoremember。We'rebatherightliogouheRuiy,a。We'refollowiionsagain。”
&heyweregivenfood—flat,flabbyesortwhichhadhardlyaerthat,theygraduallyfellasleep。Butwhentheywwasjustthesame;thegillrowiillglidingon,stilldeadblaessahead。Howoftentheytandateaagaihemcouldeverremember。Ahingaboutitwasthatyoubegantofeelasifyouhadalwayslivedonthatship,inthatdarkowohersunandblueskiesandwindandbirdshadnotbeenonlyadream。
Theyhadalmostgivenuphafraidaboutanythitheysawlightsahead:drearylights,likethatoftheirowhen,quitesuddeheselightscamedtheysawthattheywerepassinganothership。Afterthattheymetseveralships。Then,staringtilltheireyeshurt,theysawthatsomeofthelightsaheadwereshiningonwhatlookedlikeers,andmovingcrowds。Butstilltherewashardlyanynoise。
“ByJove,”saidScrubb。“Adsoontheyallsawthathewasright。
Butitwasaqueercity。Thelightsweresofeartthattheywouldhardlyhavedoteredcottagesinourworld。Butthelittlebitsoftheplacewhichyoucouldseebythelightswerelikeglimpsesofagreatseaport。Youakeoutinoneplaceawholecrowdofshipsloadingorunloading;inanother,balesofstuffandwarehouses;inathird,illarsthatsuggestedgreatpalaples;andalways,whereverthelightfell,endlessdredsofEarthmen,jostliherastheypaddedsoftlyabouttheirbusinessinnarrowstreets,broadsquares,htsofsteps。Theirovemeofsheshipdrewneareraherewasnotasongorashoutorabellortherattleofawheelaywasasquiet,andnearlyasdark,astheinsideofanant-hill。
AtlasttheirshipwasbroughtalongsideaquayahethreetravellersweretakenashoreaotheCity。en,notwoalike,rubbedshoulderswiththeminthecrowdedstreets,andthesadlightfellonmanysadandgrotesquefaooerestirangers。Everygobeasbusyasitwassad,thoughJillneverfoundwhattheyweresobusyabout。Buttheendlessmoving,sh,apad-pad-padwenton。
Atlasttheycametoearedtobeagreatcastle,thoughfesied。Heretheyweretakeniocrossacourtyard,andtoystaircases。Thisbroughtthemioagreatmurkilylitroom。Butino—ohjoy!—therewasanarchwayfilledwithaquitedifferentsht;theho,yellhtofsuchalampashumashowedbythislightihearchwaywasthefootofastaircaseardbetweenwallsofstoseemedtothetop。TwoEarthmenstoodoneoneachsideofthearchlikesentries,orfootmen。
TheWardeothesetwo,andsaid,asifitassword:
“ManysinkdowntotheUnderworld。”
“Ahesunlitlands,”theyanswered,asifitwerethetersighreeputtheirheadstogetheralastowogingsaid,“ItellyoutheQueenonefromheaffair。Wehadbestkeepthesetopdwellersinstraitprisontillherhomeihesunlitlands。”
AtthatmomenttheversatioedbywhatseemedtoJillthemostdelightfulheworld。Itabove,fromthetopofthestairditwasagilyhumahevoian。
“Whatcoilareyoukeepingdutherum?”itshouted。“Overworlders,ha!Briome,andthatpresently。”
&yhanMullugutherum,butthevoicecuthimshort。
“ItpleasesmyHighnessprincipallytobeobeyed,themup,”itcalled。
Mullugutherumshookhishead,motioravellerstofollowandbegangoiaircase。Ateverystepthelightiherewererichtapestrieshangihelamplightshohroughthinsatthestaircase-head。TheEarthmehesandstoodaside。Thethreepassedin。Theywereiifulroom,richlytapestried,withabrightfireoh,andredwiglasssparkliable。Ayoungmanwithfairhairrosetogreetthem。Hewashandsomeahboldandkind,thoughtherewassomethingabouthisfacethatdidn'tseemquiteright。HewasdressedinbladaltogetherlookedalittlebitlikeHamlet。
“Wele,Overworlders,”hecried。“Butstayamoment!Iercy!Ihaveseenyoutwofair,andthis,yovernor,before。WasitnotyouthreethatmetmebythebridgeonthebordersofEttinsmoorwheherebymyLady'sside?”
“Oh。。。youweretheblaightwhoneverspoke?”exclaimedJill。
“AndwasthatladytheQueenofUnderland?”askedPuddleglum,innoveryfriendlyvoidScrubb,whowasthinkingthesame,burstout,“Becauseifitwas,Ithinkshewasjollymeantosendusofftoacastleofgiantswhoius。Whatharmhadweeverdoneher,Ishouldliketoknow?”
“How?”saidtheBlaightwithafrown。“Ifyouwerenotsoyoungawarrior,Boy,youandImusthavefoughttothedeathonthisquarrel。IainstmyLady'shonour。Butofthisyoumaybeassured,thatwhatevershesaidtoyou,shesaidofagoodi。Youdonotknowher。Sheisanosegayofallvirtues,astruth,merstaleness,ce,a。IsaywhatIknow。Herkiomealone,whoowayrewardher,wouldmakeanadmirablehistory。Butyoushallknowaer。MeaisyourerrandintheDeepLands?”
Andbeflumcouldstopher,Jillblurtedout,“PleasewearetryingtofindPrinofNarnia。”Andthensherealizedwhatafrightfulriskshehadtaken;thesepeoplemightbeeheKnightshowed。
“Rilian?Narnia?”hesaidcarelessly。“Narnia?Whatlandisthat?IhavehebeathousahosepartsoftheOverworldthatIknow。Butitwasastraasythatbroughtyouseekingthis—howdoyoucallhim?—Billian?Trillian?inmyLady'srealm。Iomyowledge,thereisnosuhere。”Helaughedveryloudlyatthis,andJillthoughttoherself,“Iwowhatwithhisface?Isheabitsilly?”
“WehadbeentoldteooyRuinous,”saidSdordsUNDERME。”
&laughedevehanbefore。“Youwerethemoredeceived,”hesaid。“Thosewordsmeantnothingtoyourpurpose。HadyoubutaskedmyLady,shecouldhavegiveersel。Forthosewordsareallthatisleftofalo,whittimes,asshewellremembers,expressedthisverse:
Thoughuhandthroneless,whileIlived,allEarthwasunderme。
Fromwhichitisplainthatsoftheas,wholiesburiedthere,causedthisboasttobethestoneoverhissepulchre;thoughthebreakingupofsomestohegawayofothersfornewbuildings,andthefillingupofthecutswithrubble,hasleftonlytwowordsthatstillberead。Isitjestihatyoushouldhavethoughttheywerewrittentoyou?”
ThiswaslikecoldwaterdowoSd
Jill;foritseemedtothemverylikelythatthewordshadnothingtodowiththeirquestatall,andthattheyhadbeentakeninbyamereat。
“Don'tyoumindhim,”saidPuddleglum。“Thereares。uideisAslaherewheKiterstobedhekhingsthatwould;ingthis。”
“Thisguideofyoursmustbealongliver,friend,”saidtheKnightwithanotherofhislaughs。
Jillbegantofileirritating。
“Aome,Sir,”answeredPuddleglum,“thatthisLadyofyoursmustbealooo,ifsherememberstheverseasitwaswhecutit。”
“Veryshrewd,Frog-face,”saidtheKnight,gPuddleglumontheshhingagain。“Andyouhavehitthetruth。Sheisofdivineraowsherageh。IamthemorethankfultoherforallheriosuortalwretchasI。Foryoumustknow,Sirs,Iamamaraions,aheQueen'sgraceatiehme。Patience,saidI?Butitgoesfarbeyondthat。ShehaspromisedmeagreatkingdominOverland,and,whenIamking,herownmostgradihetaleistoolongforyandstanding。Hithere,somedwellers'fuests。Pleaseyou,beseated,gelemaiden,sitinthischair。Youshallhearitall。”