CHAPTER THIRTEEN UNDERLAND WITHOUT THE QUEEN（第2页）

ThePrinlockedthedoorandtheyallwentdowhreeofthemords，andJillwithdrawendantshadvahegreatroomatthefootofthePrince'sstairsty。Thegray，dolefullampswerestillburningatheyhadnodiffipassiergalleryaairwayafterstairway。Thenoisesfromoutsidethecastlewerenotsoeasilyheardhereastheyhadbeenintheroomabove。Ihehouseallwasstillasdeath，awasastheyturnedatothegreathallonthegroundfloorthattheymettheirfirstEarthman—afat，whitishcreatureiglikefacewhowasgobblingupalltheremainsoffoodoables。Itsquealed（thesquealalsowasverylikeapig's）anddartedunderabench，whiskingitslongtailoutofPuddleglum'sreathenie。Thehroughthefardoortooquicklytobefollowed。

Fromthehalltheycameoutiyard。Jill，whowenttstheholidays，hadjusthesmellofastable（avery，homelysmellitistomeetinapladerlaacesaid，“GreatScott!Lookatthat!”Amaghadrisenfromsomewherebeyolewallsaogreenstars。

“Fireworks!”saidJillinapuzzledvoice。

“Yes，”saidEustace，“butyouagihpeoplelettingthemoffforfun!Itmustbeasignal。”

“Andmeansnogoodtous，I'llbebound，”saidPuddleglum。

“Friends，”saidthePrinonislaunsuadvehis，hemustbidfarewelltohopesaherwisedeathordeliverahetoolatetosavehishonourandhisreason。Ho，mybeauties”（heeabledoor）。“Heys!Steady，Coalblack!Softlynow，Snowflake!Youarenotten。”

Thehorseswerebhterasandthenoises。Jill，whohadbeensocowardlyaboutghablackholebetweeeher，wentinwithoutfearbetweeampingandss，ahePrihemsaddledandbridledies。Veryfiheylookedastheycameoutiyard，tossingtheirheads。JillmountedSnouddleglumgotupbehiacegotupbehindthePrinCoalblawithagreatechoofhoofs，theyrodeoutofthemaiothestreet。

“Notmugerofbeingburnt。That'sthebrightsideofit，”observedPuddleglum，pointi。There，hardlyahundredyardsaingagainstthewallsofthehouses，>

“Ce!”saidthePriheregoesdowwaterhaslyhalfupthegreatesthillimightesohefirsthalf-hourandehewo。Myfearismoreofthat—”aedwithhisswreattallEarthmanwithboar'stusks，followedbysixothersofassortedshapesandsizeswhohadjustdashedoutofasidestreetaheshadowofthehouseswherenoonecouldseethem。

ThePrihem，aimingalwaysiionoftheglhtbutalittletotheleftofit。Hisplanwastogetroundthefire（ifitwasafire）ontohighground，iheymightfiothenewdiggings。Uhree，heseemedtobealmostenjoyinghimself。Hewhistledasherode，andsangsnatoldsongaboutder-fistofArd。Thetruthis，hewassogladatbeingfreefromhislomentthatalldangersseemedagameinparisofounditaneeriejourney。

&hemwasthesoundofgaangledships，andtherumbleofgbuildings。OverheadwasthegreatpatchhtontheroofoftheUnderworld。Aheadwasthemysteriousglow，whitogrowahesamedireeaualhubbubofshouts，screams，cat-calls，laughter，squeals，andbellowings;andfireworksofallsortsroseinthedarkair。Noonecouldguesswhattheymeahem，thecityartlylitupbytheredgloartlybytheverydifferentlightnomelamps。Buttherelaceswhereheselightsfell，andthoseplaceswerejet-blaandoutofthoseplacestheshapesofEarthmeingandslippiime，alwayswiththeireyesfixedoravellers，alwaystryiofsightthemselves。Therewerebigfadlittlefaces，hugeeyeslikefishes'eyesandlittleeyeslikebears'。Therewerefeathersandbristles，hornsandtusks，noseslikewhipdssolongthattheylookedlikebeards。EverynowandthenagroupofthemwouldgettoobigoretoohePrincewouldbrandishhisswordandmakeashthem。Aures，withallmaings，squeakings，andgs，woulddiveawayintothedarkness。

Butwhentheyhadclimbedmasandwerefarawayfromtheflood，andalmostoutofthetownontheibegantobemoreserious。Theywereheredglowandnearlyo，thoughtheystillotseewhatitreallywas。Butbyitslighttheycouldseetheirenemiesmoreclearly。Hundreds—perhapsafewthousands—ofgnomeswereallmovingtowardit。Buttheyweredoingsoinshortrushes，aopped，theyturnedaravellers。

“Ifyhnessaskedme，”saidPuddleglum，“I'dsaythosefelltocutusoffinfront。”

“Thatwasmythoughttoo，Puddleglum，”saidthePrindweeverfightourwaythroughsomany。Harkyou!Letusrideforthclosebytheedgeofyonderhouse。Andeve，doyouslipoffintoitsshadow。TheLadyandIwillgoforaeofthesedevilswillfollowus，Idoubthidus。Doyou，whohavelongarms，takeonealiveifyoumay，asitpassesyourambush。Wemaygetatruetaleofitorlearnwhatistheirquarrelagainstus。”

“Butwon'ttheothersallerushingatustoresewecatch，”saidJillisosteadyasshetriedtomakeit。

“Then，Madam，”saidthePrince，“youshallseeusdiefightingaroundyou，andyoumusteheLion。Now，goodPuddleglum。”

TheMarsh-wiggleslippedoffintotheshadowasquicklyasacat。Theothers，forasigminuteorso，wentforwardatawalk。Thensuddenlyfrombehiherebrokeoutaseriesofblscreams，mixedwiththefamiliarvoiceofPuddleglum，saying，“Nowthen!Don'tcryoutbeforeyou'rehurt，oryouwillbehurt，see?Ahinkitigbeingkilled。”

“Thatwasgoodhunting，”exclaimedthePriurningCoalblaingbacktotheerofthehouse。“Eustace，”hesaid，“ofyourcourtesy，takeCoalblack'shead。”Theed，andallthreegazedinsilencewhilePuddleglumpulledhiscattothelight。Itwasamostmiserablelittlegnome，onlyaboutthreefeetlong。Ithadase，likeab（onlyhard），oopofitshead，littlepinkeyes，andamouthandseandroundthatitsfacelookedlikethatofapigmyhippopotamus。Iftheyhadnotbeeninsuchatightplace，theywouldhaveburstintolaughteratthesightofit。

“hman，”saidthePriaandholdinghisswordpoiheprisoner'sneck，“speak，up，likeagnome，andyoushallgofree。Playthekhus，aadeadEarthman。GoodPuddleglum，hoeakwhileyouholditsmouthtightshut?”

“No，andit'tbiteeither，”saidPuddleglum。“IfIhadthesillysofthandsthatyouhumanshave（savingyhness'sreverence）I'dhavebeenalloverbloodbyevenaMarsh-wigglegetstiredofbeingchewed。’

“Sirrah，”saidthePrihegeasmouthopen，Puddleglum。”

“Oo-ee-ee，”squealedtheEarthmamego。Itisn'tme。Ididn'tdoit。”

“Didn'tdouddleglum。

“WhateveryourHonourssayIdiddo，”ahecreature。

“Tellmeyourname，”saidthePrindwhatyouEarthmenareallabouttoday。”

“Ohplease，yourHonours，please，kilemen，”whimperedthegnome。“PromiseyouwillheQueen'sgragIsay。”

“TheQueen'sgrace，asyoucallher，”saidthePriernly，“isdead。Ikilledhermyself。”

“What!”criedthegsridiouthwiderao。“Dead?TheWitchdead?AndbyyourHonour'shand?”ItgaveahugesighofreliefahenyourHonourisafriend!”

ThePrihdrewhisswordaninchorso。Puddleglumletthecreaturesitup。Itlookedrouravellerswithitstwinkling，redeyes，chuceortwidbegan。