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chater ten travel withut the un(第1页)

“WHO’sthere?”shoutedthethreetravellers.

“IamtheWardenoftheMarchesofUnderland,andwithmestandahundredEarthmeninarms,”camethereply.“TellmequicklywhoyouareandwhatisyourerrandintheDeepRealm?”

“Wefelldownbyaccident,”saidPuddleglum,truthfullyenough.

“Manyfalldown,andfewreturntothesunlitlands,”saidthevoice.“MakereadynowtocomewithmetotheQueenoftheDeepReal”

“Whatdoesshewantwithus?”askedScrubbcautiously.

“Idonotknow,”saidthevoice.“Herwillisnottobequestionedbutobeyed.”

Whilehesaidthesewordstherewasanoiselikeasoftexplosionandimmediatelyacoldlight,greywithalittleblueinit,floodedthecavern.Allhopethatthespeakerhadbeenidlyboastingwhenhespokeofhishundredarmedfollowersdiedatonce.Jillfoundherselfblinkingandstaringatadensecrowd.Theywereofallsizes,fromlittlegnomesbarelyafoothightostatelyfigurestallerthanmen.Allcarriedthree-prongedspearsintheirhands,andallweredreadfullypale,andallstoodasstillasstatues.Apartfromthat,theywereverydifferent;somehadtailsandothersnot,someworegreatbeardsandothershadveryround,smoothfaces,bigaspumpkins.Therewerelong,pointednoses,andlong,softnoseslikesmalltrunks,andgreatblobbynoses.Severalhadsinglehornsinthemiddleoftheirforeheads.Butinonerespecttheywereallalike:everyfaceinthewholehundredwasassadasafacecouldbe.Theyweresosadthat,afterthefirstglance,JillalmostforgottobeafraidoftheShefeltshewouldliketocheerthemup.

“Well!”saidPuddleglum,rubbinghishands.“ThisisjustwhatIneeded.Ifthesechapsdon’tteachmetotakeaseriousviewoflife,Idon’tknowwhatwill.Lookatthatfellowwiththewalrusmoustache—orthatonewiththe—”

“Getup,”saidtheleaderoftheEarthmen.

Therewasnothingelsetobedone.Thethreetravellersscrambledtotheirfeetandjoinedhands.Onewantedthetouchofafriend’shandatamomentlikethat.AndtheEarthmencameallroundthem,paddingonlarge,softfeet,onwhichsomehadtentoes,sometwelve,andothersnone.

“March,”saidtheWarden:andmarchtheydid.

Thecoldlightcamefromalargeballonthetopofalongpole,andthetallestofthegnomescarriedthisattheheadoftheprocession.Byitscheerlessraystheycouldseethattheywereinanaturalcavern;thewallsandroofwereknobbed,twisted,andgashedintoathousandfantasticshapes,andthestonyfloorslopeddownwardastheyproceeded.ItwasworseforJillthanfortheothers,becauseshehateddark,undergroundplaces.Andwhen,astheywenton,thecavegotlowerandnarrower,andwhen,atlast,thelight-bearerstoodaside,andthegnomes,onebyone,stoopeddown(allexcepttheverysmallestones)andsteppedintoalittledarkcrackanddisappeared,shefeltshecouldbearitnolonger.

“Ican’tgointhere,Ican’t!Ican’t!Iwon’t,”shepanted.TheEarthmensaidnothingbuttheyallloweredtheirspearsandpointedthemather.

“Steady,Pole,”saidPuddleglu“Thosebigfellowswouldn’tbecrawlinginthereifitdidn’tgetwiderlateron.Andthere’sonethingaboutthisundergroundwork,weshan’tgetanyrain.”

“Oh,youdon’tunderstand.Ican’t,”wailedJill.

“Thinkhow1feltonthatcliff,Pole,”saidScrubb.“Yougofirst,Puddleglum,andI’llcomeafterher.”

“That’sright,”saidtheMarsh-wiggle,gettingdownonhishandsandknees.“Youkeepagripofmyheels,Pole,andScrubbwillholdontoyours.Thenwe’llallbecomfortable.”

“Comfortable!”saidJill.Butshegotdownandtheycrawledinontheirelbows.Itwasanastyplace.Youhadtogoflatonyourfaceforwhatseemedlikehalfanhour,thoughitmayreallyhavebeenonlyfiveminutes.Itwashot.Jillfeltshewasbeingsmothered.Butatlastadimlightshowedahead,thetunnelgrewwiderandhigher,andtheycameout,hot,dirty,andshaken,intoacavesolargethatitscarcelyseemedlikeacaveatall.

Itwasfullofadim,drowsyradiance,sothatheretheyhadnoneedoftheEarthmen’sstrangelantern.Thefloorwassoftwithsomekindofmossandoutofthisgrewmanystrangeshapes,branchedandtallliketrees,butflabbylikemushrooms.Theystoodtoofaraparttomakeaforest;itwasmorelikeapark.Thelight(agreenishgrey)seemedtocomebothfromthemandfromthemoss,anditwasnotstrongenoughtoreachtheroofofthecave,whichmusthavebeenalongwayoverhead.Acrossthemild,soft,sleepyplacetheywerenowmadetomarch.Itwasverysad,butwithaquietsortofsadness,likesoftmusic.

Heretheypasseddozensofstrangeanimalslyingontheturf,eitherdeadorasleep,Jillcouldnottellwhich.Theseweremostlyofadragonishorbat-likesort;Puddleglumdidnotknowwhatanyofthemwere.

“Dotheygrowhere?”ScrubbaskedtheWarden.Heseemedverysurprisedatbeingspokento,butreplied,“No.Theyareallbeaststhathavefoundtheirwaydownbychasmsandcaves,outofOverlandintotheDeepRealManycomedown,andfewreturntothesunlitlands.Itissaidthattheywillallwakeattheendoftheworld.”

Hismouthshutlikeaboxwhenhehadsaidthis,andinthegreatsilenceofthatcavethechildrenfeltthattheywouldnotdaretospeakagain.Thebarefeetofthegnomes,paddingonthedeepmoss,madenosound.Therewasnowind,therewerenobirds,therewasnosoundofwater.Therewasnosoundofbreathingfromthestrangebeasts.

Whentheyhadwalkedforseveralmiles,theycametoawallofrock,andinitalowarchwayleadingintoanothercavern.Itwasnot,however,sobadasthelastentranceandJillcouldgothroughitwithoutbendingherhead.Itbroughtthemintoasmallercave,longandnarrow,abouttheshapeandsizeofacathedral.Andhere,fillingalmostthewholelengthofit,layanenormousmanfastasleep.Hewasfarbiggerthananyofthegiants,andhisfacewasnotlikeagiant’s,butnobleandbeautiful.Hisbreastroseandfellgentlyunderthesnowybeardwhichcoveredhimtothewaist.Apure,silverlight(noonesawwhereitcamefrom)resteduponhi

“Who’sthat?”askedPuddlegluAnditwassolongsinceanyonehadspoken,thatJillwonderedhowhehadthenerve.

“ThatisoldFatherTime,whooncewasaKinginOverland,”saidtheWarden.“AndnowhehassunkdownintotheDeepRealmandliesdreamingofallthethingsthataredoneintheupperworld.Manysinkdown,andfewreturntothesunlitlands.Theysayhewillwakeattheendoftheworld.”

Andoutofthatcavetheypassedintoanother,andthenintoanotherandanother,andsoontillJilllostcount,butalwaystheyweregoingdownhillandeachcavewaslowerthanthelast,tilltheverythoughtoftheweightanddepthoftheearthaboveyouwassuffocating.AtlasttheycametoaplacewheretheWardencommandedhischeerlesslanterntobelitagain.Thentheypassedintoacavesowideanddarkthattheycouldseenothingofitexceptthatrightinfrontofthemastripofthepalesandrandownintostillwater.Andthere,besidealittlejetty,layashipwithoutmastorsailbutwithmanyoars.Theyweremadetogoonboardherandnearer;buttherewasnotasongorashoutorabellortherattleofawheelanywhere.TheCitywasasquiet,andnearlyasdark,astheinsideofanant-hill.

Atlasttheirshipwasbroughtalongsideaquayandmadefast.ThethreetravellersweretakenashoreandmarchedupintotheCity.CrowdsofEarthmen,notwoalike,rubbedshoulderswiththeminthecrowdedstreets,andthesadlightfellonmanysadandgrotesquefaces.Butnooneshowedanyinterestinthestrangers.Everygnomeseemedtobeasbusyasitwassad,thoughJillneverfoundwhattheyweresobusyabout.Buttheendlessmoving,shoving,hurrying,andthesoftpad-pad-padwenton.

Atlasttheycametowhatappearedtobeagreatcastle,thoughfewofthewindowsinitwerelighted.Heretheyweretakeninandmadetocrossacourtyard,andtoclimbmanystaircases.Thisbroughtthemintheendtoagreatmurkilylithall.Butinonecornerofit—ohjoy!—therewasanarchwayfilledwithaquitedifferentsortoflight;thehonest,yellowish,warmlightofsuchalampashumansuse.Whatshowedbythislightinsidethearchwaywasthefootofastaircasewhichwoundupwardbetweenwallsofstone.Thelightseemedtocomefromthetop.TwoEarthmenstoodoneoneachsideofthearchlikesentries,orfootmen.

TheWardenwentuptothesetwo,andsaid,asifitwereapassword:

“ManysinkdowntotheUnderworld.”

“Andfewreturntothesunlitlands,”theyanswered,asifitwerethecountersign.Thenallthreeputtheirheadstogetherandtalked.Atlastoneofthetwognomes-in-waitingsaid,“ItellyoutheQueen’sgraceisgonefromhenceonhergreataffair.Wehadbestkeepthesetopdwellersinstraitprisontillherhomecoming.Fewreturntothesunlitlands.”

AtthatmomenttheconversationwasinterruptedbywhatseemedtoJillthemostdelightfulnoiseintheworld.Itcamefromabove,fromthetopofthestaircase;anditwasaclear,ringing,perfectlyhumanvoice,thevoiceofayoungman.

“Whatcoilareyoukeepingdownthere,Mullugutherum?”itshouted.“Overworlders,ha!Bringthemuptome,andthatpresently.”

“PleaseityourHighnesstoremember,”beganMullugutherum,butthevoicecuthimshort.

“ItpleasesmyHighnessprincipallytobeobeyed,oldmutterer.Bringthemup,”itcalled.

Mullugutherumshookhishead,motionedtothetravellerstofollowandbegangoingupthestaircase.Ateverystepthelightincreased.Therewererichtapestrieshangingonthewalls.Thelamplightshonegoldenthroughthincurtainsatthestaircase-head.TheEarthmenpartedthecurtainsandstoodaside.Thethreepassedin.Theywereinabeautifulroom,richlytapestried,withabrightfireonacleanhearth,andredwineandcutglasssparklingonthetable.AyoungmanwithfairhairrosetogreettheHewashandsomeandlookedbothboldandkind,thoughtherewassomethingabouthisfacethatdidn’tseemquiteright.HewasdressedinblackandaltogetherlookedalittlebitlikeHamlet.

奇货7:杀破军  纳尼亚传奇3:能言马与男孩(双语)  奇货4:甲厝殿  纳尼亚传奇2:狮王、女巫和魔衣橱(双语)  奇货6:忽汗城  奇货5:九子图  奇货3:合玉门  纳尼亚传奇1:魔法师的外甥(双语)  纳尼亚传奇5:黎明踏浪号(双语)  魔幻玩具铺  刺客正传1·刺客学徒  奇货:天地镜  诸天归来  倾玉涟  奇货2:绝世楼  奇货大结局:献祭井  神州快递(wan)  仙帝打工记  纳尼亚传奇4:凯斯宾王子(双语)  神典  

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