CHAPTER ELEVEN IN THE DARK CASTLE（第1页）

CHAPTERELEVENINTHEDARKCASTLE

&hemeal（igeonpie，，salad，andcakes）hadbeenbrought，andallhaddrawntheirchairsuptothetableaheKnightued:

“YoumustuaIknownothingofhehisDarkWorld。Iremembernotimeelling，asnow，atthecourtofthisallbutheavemythoughtisthatshesavedmefromsomeevileandbroughtmehitherofherexgbouFrogfoot，yourcupisempty。Suffermetorefillit。）AomethelikelierbenowIamboundbyaspell，fromwhichmyLadyalonefreeme。Everynightthereesanhourwhenmymindismosthorriblyged，and，aftermymind，mybody。ForfirstIbeefuriousandwildandwouldrushupofriendstokillthem，ifIwerenotbound。Andsoo，Iturnintothelikenessofagreatserpent，hungry，fierddeadly。（Sir，bepleasedtotakeaofpigeoyou。）Sotheytellme，aaih，formyLadysaysthesame。Imyselfknownothingofit，forwhenmyhourispastIawakefetfulofallthatvilefitandinmypropershapeandsoundmind—savingthatIamsomewhatwearied。（Littlelady，eatohesehoneycakes，whicharebroughtformefromsomebarbarouslahoftheworld。）NowtheQueen'smajestykhatIshallbefreedfromthisewhenonceshehasmademekingofalandintheOverworldasyhead。Thelandisalreadydtheveryplaceout。HerEarthmenhaveworkeddayandnightdiggingawaybe，andhavenowgonesofarandsohighthattheytuascoreoffeetbeheverygrassonwhichtheUpdwellersofthattrywalk。ItwillbeverysoonnowthatthoseUplanders'fatewill。Sheherselfisatthediggingstonight，aamessagetogotoher。Thehinroofofearthwhichstillkeepsmefrommykingdomwillbebrh，aoguidemeandathousamyback，Ishallrideforthinarms，fallsuddenlyonoureheir，theirstrongpladdoubtlessbetheiredkingwithinfourayhours。”

“It'sabitroughlu，isn'tit?”saidScrubb。

“Thouartaladofawondrous，quigwit!”exclaimedtheKnight。“For，onmyhonour，Ihadofitsobefore。Iseey。”Helookedslightly，veryslightlytroubledforamomentortwo;buthisfadhebrokeout，withanotherofhisloudlaughs，“Butfieongravity!Isitidridiculousthiothinkofthemallgoingabouttheirbusinessandhatuheirpeacefulfieldsandfloors，onlyafathomdreatarmyreadytobreakoutuponthemlikeafountaiohavesuspected!Why，theythemselves，whesmartoftheirdefeatisover，hardlychoosebutlaughatthethought!”

“Idon'tthinkit'sfunnyatall，”saidJill。“Ithinkyou'llbeawit。”

“What?”saidtheKnight，stilllaughingandpattingherheadiingfashion。“Isourlittlemaidadeeppoliti?Butheart。Inrulingthatland，IshalldoallbytheyLady，whowillthenbemyQueentoo。Herwordshallbemylaw，evenasmywordwillbelawtothepeoplewehavequered。”

“WhereI，”saidJill，whowasdislikinghimmoreeverymiheydon'tthinkmuenwhoarebossedaboutbytheirwives。”

“Shaltthinkotherwisewhenthouhastamanofthineown，Iwarrantyou，”saidtheKnight，apparentlythinkingthisveryfunny。“ButwithmyLady，itisaer。Iamwellttolivebyherword，whohasalreadysavedmefromathousanddangers。akenpaienderlyforherchild，thantheQueen'sgrae。Why，lookyou，amidallherdbusihoutwithmeintheOverworldmatoayeyestothesunlight。Agofullyarmedandwithvisordown，sothatnomanmayseemyfadImustspeaktonoone。ForshehasfoundicalthatthiswouldhindermydeliverahegrievouseIlieuthataladyworthyofaman'swholeworship?”

“Soundsaverynideed，”saidPuddlegluminavoicewhitexactlytheopposite。

&hhlytiredoftheKnight'stalkbeforetheyhadfinishedsupper。Puddleglumwasthinking，“Iwamethatwitchisreallyplayingwiththisyoungfool。”Scrubbwasthinking，“He'sagreatbaby，really:tiedtothatwoman&#s;he'sasap。”AndJillwasthihesilliest，mostceited，selfishpigI'vemetftime。”Butwhenthemealwasover，theKnight'smoodhadged。Therewaserabouthim。

“Friends，”hesaid，“myhourisnowverynear。IamashamedthatyoushouldseemeyetIdreadbeialoheywilleilyandbindmehandandfoottoyonderchair。Alas，soitmustbe:forinmyfury，theytellme，IwoulddestroyallthatIcouldreach。”

“Isay，”saidScrubb，“I'mawfullysorryaboutyoureofcourse，butwhatwillthosefellowsdotouswheobindyou?Theytalkedofputtingusinprison。Andwedon'tlikeallthosedarkplacesverymuuchratherstayheretillyou're。。。better。。。if>

“Itiswellthoughtof，”saidtheKnight。“ByheQueenherselfremainswithmeinmyevilhour。SuchishertenderyhonourthatshewouldnotwillinglysufferaherowhewordsIutteriIoteasilypersuademyattendayoushouldbeleftwithme。AndIthiheirsoftfeetevennowupoairs。Ghyonderdoor:itleadsintomyotherapartments。Aherawaitmyiheyhaveunboundme;or，ifyouwill，returnandsitwithmeinmyravings。”

Theyfollowedhisdiredpassedoutoftheroombyadoorwhichtheyhadseebroughtthem，theywerepleasedtosee，notiintoalightedcorridor。Theytriedvariousdoorsandfound（whattheyverybadlyerfandevenalookingglass。“Heneverofferedusawashbeforesupper，”saidJill，dryingherface。“Selfish，selfterdpig。”

“Arewegoingbacktowatt，orshallwestayhere?”saidScrubb。

“Stayhere，Ivote，”saidJill。“I'dmuchrathershefeltalittleihesame。

“No，goback，”saidPuddleglum。“someinformation，andweneedallweget。IamsurethatQueenisawitehoseEarthmenwouldknotheheadassoonaslookatus。There'sastrongersmellofdangerandliesandmagidtreasonaboutthislandthanI'veeversmelledbefore。Weokeepoureyesandearsopen。”

&bathecehedooropen。“It'sallright，”saidScrubb，meaningthattherewere。Thentheyallcamebawheretheyhadsupped。

Themaindoorwasnowshut，gthebetweenwhichtheyhadfirsteheKnightwasseatedinacurioussilverchair，towhichhewasboundbyhisankles，hisknees，hiselbows，hiswrists，andhiswaist。Therewassweatonhisforeheadandhisfacewasfilledwithanguish。

“ein，friends，”hesaid，glangquicklyup。“Thefitisuponme。Makeoldthatpryihatyouwereinbed。Now。。。Ifeeliting。QuiwhileIammasterofmyself。WheisupowellmaybethatIshallbegahehreatenings，toloosenmybonds。TheysayIdo。Ishallyoubyallthatismostdearandmostdreadful。Butdoome。Hardesandstopyourears。ForwhileIamboundyouaresafe。ButifonceIwereupandoutofthischair，thenfirstwouldyfury，a”—heshuddered—“thetoaloathsomeserpent。”

“There'snofearyou，”saidPuddleglum。“We'venowishtomeetwildmeseither。”

“Ishouldthinknot，”saidSdJilltogether。

“Allthesame，”addedPuddlegluminawhisper。“Don'tlet'sbetoosure。Let'sbeuard。We'vemuffedeverythingelse，youknow。He'llbeg，Ishouldn'twosstarted。wetrustoher?Doromisethatwhateverhesayswedon'ttouchthosecords?Whateverhesays，mindyou?”

“Rather!”saidScrubb。

“There'snothingintheworldhesayordothat'llmakemegemymind，”saidJill。

“Hush!Something'shappening，”saidPuddleglum。

&wasmoaning。Hisfaceutty，ahedinhisbonds。Aherbecauseshewassorryforhim，orforsomeotherreason，Jillthoughtthathelookedaofmanthanhehadlookedbefore。

“Ah，”hegroamemeangled，ywebofevilmagic。Buriedalive。Draggeddowheearth，dowyblaess。。。howma?。。。HaveIlivedtenyears，orathousahepit?Maggotmenallaroundme。Oh，havemercy。Letmeout，letmegoback。Letmefeelthewihesky。。。Thereusedtobealittlepool。Whenyoulookeddownintoityoucouldseeallthetreesgrowingupside-dower，allgreehem，deep，verydeep，thebluesky。”

Hehadbeenspeakinginalowvoiowhelookedup，fixedhiseyesuponthem，andsaidloudandclear:

“Quick!IamsaneIamsane。IfonlyIcouldgetoutofthisentedchair，itwouldlast。Ishouldbeamanagaitheybindme，amye。Butyouarenotenemies。Iamnotyourprisoner。Quick!Cutthesecords。”

“Standfast!Steady，”saidPuddleglumtothetwo。

“Ibeseee，”saidtheKnight，fhimselftospeakcalmly。“HavetheytoldyouthatifIamreleasedfromthischairIshallkillyouandbeeaserpent?Iseebyyourfacesthattheyhave。Itisalie。ItisatthishourthatIaminmyrightmind:itisalltherestofthedaythatIamented。Youarehmennorwitches。Whyshouldyoubeontheirside?Ofyourcourtesy，ds。”