CHAPTER TEN TRAVELS WITHOUT THE SUN（第1页）

CHAPTERTEHOUTTHESUN

“WHO'sthere?”shoutedthethreetravellers。

“IamtheWardenoftheMarderland，aandahuhmeninarms，”camethereply。“TellmequicklywhoyouareandwhatisyourerrandintheDeepRealm?”

“Wefelldownbyat，”saidPuddleglum，truthfullyenough。

“Manyfalldowurlands，”saidthevoice。“MakereadynowtoetotheQueenoftheDeepRealm。”

“Whatdoesshewantwithus?”askedScrubbcautiously。

“Idonotknow，”saidthevoice。“Herwillisioobeyed。”

Whilehesaidthesewordstherewasaexplosioelyacoldlight，graywithalittleblueinit，floodedthe。Allhopethatthespeakerhadbeenidlyboastingwhenhespokeofhishundredarmedfollowersdiedatonce。Jillfoundherselfblinkingandstaringatadeheywereofallsizes，fromlittleghightostatelyfigurestallerthanmen。Allcarriedthree-proheirhands，andallale，andallstoodasstillasstatues。Apartfromthat，theywereverydiffereailsa，sreatbeardsandothershadveryround，smoothfaces，bigaspumpkins。Therewerelong，pointednoses，andlong，softrunks，ablobbynoses。Severalhadsinglehornsinthemiddleoftheirforeheads。Butiheywereallalike:everyfathewholehundredwasassadasafacecouldbe。Theyweresosadthat，afterthefirstglance，Jillalmottobeafraidofthem。Shefeltshewouldliketocheerthemup。

“uddleglum，rubbinghishands。“ThisisjustwhatIhese'tteachmetotakeaseriousviewoflife，Idon'tknoill。Lookatthatfelloalrusmoustache—orthatohe—”

&up，”saidtheleaderoftheEarthmen。

&hiobedoravellersscrambledtotheirfeetandjoinedhahetouchofafriend'shandatamome。Ahmencameallroundthem，paddinge，softfeet，onwhiehadtewelve，andothersnone。

“March，”saidtheWarden:andmarchtheydid。

Thecoldlightalargeballoopofalohetallestofthegnomescarriedthisattheheadofthepro。Byitscheerlessraystheycouldseethattheywereinanatural;thewallsandroofwereked，aoathousandfantasticshapes，aonyfloorslopeddoroceeded。ItwasworseforJillthahers，becauseshehateddark，undergroundpladwheolowerandnarrower，alast，thelight-bearerstoodaside，andthegnomes，ooopeddottheverysmallestoeppedintoalittledarkddisappeared，shefeltshecouldbearitnolonger。

“I'tgointhere，I't!I't!Iwon't，”shepahmensaidnothingbuttheyallloweredtheirspearsaher。

“Steady，Pole，”saidPuddleglum。“Thosebigfellowswouldn'tbegididn'tgetwiderlateron。Andthere'sohingaboutthisundergroundwork，weshan'tgetanyrain。”

“Oh，youdon'tuand。I't，”wailedJill。

“Thinkhow1feltonthatcliff，Pole，”saidScrubb。“Yougofirst，Puddleglum，andI'lleafterher。”

“That&#ht，”saidtheMarsh-wiggle，gettingdownonhishandsandknees。“Youkeepagripofmyheels，Pole，andScrubbwillholdontoyours。Thenwe'llallbefortable。”

“fortable!”saidJill。Butshegotdownandtheyolace。Youhadtogoflatonyourfaceforwhatseemedlikehalfanhhitmayreallyhavebeenoes。Itwashot。Jillfeltshewasbeiatlastadimlightshowedahead，thetunnelgrewwideraheycameout，hot，dirty，aoacavesethatitscarcelyseemedlikeacaveatall。

Itwasfullofadim，drowsyradiaheretheyhadheEarthmen&#elahefloorwassoftwithsomekindofmossandoutofthisgrewmanystrangeshapes，braallliketrees，butflabbylikemushrooms。Theystoodtoofaraparttomakeaforest;itwasmorelikeapark。Thelight（agreenishgray）seemedtothemandfromthemoss，anditwasnhtoreachtheroofofthecave，whichmusthavebeenalongwayoverhead。Aild，soft，sleepyplacetheywereomarch。Itwasverysad，butwithaquietsortofsadmusic。

&heypasseddozenseanimalslyiurf，eitherdeadorasleep，Jillottellwhich。Theseweremostlyonishorbat-likesort;Puddleglumdidnotknowwhatanyofthemwere。

“Dotheygrowhere?”ScrubbaskedtheWarden。Heseemedverysurprisedatbeireplied，“No。Theyareallbeaststhathavefoundtheirwaydownbydcaves，outofOverlandintotheDeepRealm。Manyedowurlands。Itissaidthattheywillallwakeattheendoftheworld。”

Hismouthshutlikeaboxwhenhehadsaidthis，asilecavethefeltthattheywouldospeakagain。Thebarefeetofthegnomes，paddingonthedeepmoss，madenosound。Therewasnowind，therewerenobirds，therewasnosouherewasnosfrebeasts。

&heyhadwalkedforseveralmiles，theycametoawallofroitalowarchwayleadingintoanother。Itwasnot，however，sobadasthelastentrandJillcouldghitwithoutbendibroughtthemintoasmallergandnarrow，abouttheshapeahedral。Andhere，fillingalmostthewholelengthofit，layanenormousmanfastasleep。Hewasfarbiggerthanas，andhisfaotlikeagiant's，butnobleaiful。Hisbreastrosealyuhesnowybeardwhitotheure，silverlight（noo）resteduponhim。

“Who'sthat?”askedPuddleglum。Anditwassolongsinehadspoken，thatJillwonderedhowhehadthenerve。

“ThatisoldFatherTime，whooncewasaKinginOverland，”saidtheWarden。“AndnowhehassunkdownintotheDeepRealmandliesdreamingofallthethingsthataredoheupperworld。Manysinkdowurlands。Theysayhewillwakeattheendoftheworld。”

Andoutofthatcavetheypassedihenintoanotherandanother，andsoontillJilllostt，butalwaystheyweregoingdownhillandeachcavewaslowerthailltheverythoughtofthethofearthaboveyouwassuffog。AtlasttheycametoaplacewheretheWardenandedhischeerlesslaobelitagaiheypassedintoacavesowideanddarkthattheycouldseenothihatrightinfroripofpalesandrandownintostillwater。Andthere，besidealittlejetty，layashipwithoutmastorsailbutwithmanyoars。Theyweremadetogoonboardherandledforwardtothebowswherethereatoftherowers'bendaseatrunningrouhebul>

&hingI'dliketoknouddleglum，“iswhetheranyonefromourworld—fromup-a-top，Imeahistripbefore?”

“Maakenshipatthepalebeaches，”repliedthe>

“Yes，Iknow，”iedPuddleglum。“Ahesunlitlands。Yousayitagain。Youareaeidea，aren'tyou?”

ThehuddledclosetogetheroneachsideofPuddleglum。Theyhadthoughthimawetblaheywerestillaboveground，butdowheonlyfthiheernamidships，theEarthmensattotheoars，andtheshipbegahelaitslightoway。Lookiheycouldseenothingbutsmooth，darkwater，fadingintoabsoluteblaess。

“Oh，whateverwillbeeofus?”saidJilldespairingly。