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chater fur the bell and the har（第1页）

THEREwasnodoubtabouttheMagicthistime．Downanddowntheyrushed，firstthroughdarknessandthenthroughamassofvagueandwhirlingshapeswhichmighthavebeenalmostanything．Itgrewlighter．Thensuddenlytheyfeltthattheywerestandingonsomethingsolid．Amomentlatereverythingcameintofocusandtheywereabletolookaboutthem．

“Whataqueerplace！”saidDigory．

“Idon’tlikeit，”saidPollywithsomethinglikeashudder．

Whattheynoticedfirstwasthelight．Itwasn’tlikesunlight，anditwasn’tlikeelectriclight，orlamps，orcandles，oranyotherlighttheyhadeverseen．Itwasadull，ratherredlight，notatallcheerful．Itwassteadyanddidnotflicker．Theywerestandingonaflatpavedsurfaceandbuildingsroseallaroundthem．Therewasnoroofoverhead；theywereinasortofcourtyard．Theskywasextraordinarilydark-abluethatwasalmostblack．Whenyouhadseenthatskyyouwonderedthatthereshouldbeanylightatall．

“It’sveryfunnyweatherhere，”saidDigory．“Iwonderifwe’vearrivedjustintimeforathunderstorm；oraneclipse．”

“Idon’tlikeit，”saidPolly．

Bothofthem，withoutquiteknowingwhy，weretalkinginwhispers．Andthoughtherewasnoreasonwhytheyshouldstillgoonholdinghandsaftertheirjump，theydidn’tletgo．

Thewallsroseveryhighallroundthatcourtyard．Theyhadmanygreatwindowsinthem，windowswithoutglass，throughwhichyousawnothingbutblackdarkness．Lowerdownthereweregreatpillaredarches，yawningblacklylikethemouthsofrailwaytunnels．Itwasrathercold．

Thestoneofwhicheverythingwasbuiltseemedtobered，butthatmightonlybebecauseofthecuriouslight．Itwasobviouslyveryold．Manyoftheflatstonesthatpavedthecourtyardhadcracksacrossthem．Noneofthemfittedcloselytogetherandthesharpcornerswereallwornoff．Oneofthearcheddoorwayswashalffilledupwithrubble．Thetwochildrenkeptonturningroundandroundtolookatthedifferentsidesofthecourtyard．Onereasonwasthattheywereafraidofsomebody-orsomething-lookingoutofthosewindowsatthemwhentheirbackswereturned．

“Doyouthinkanyoneliveshere？”saidDigoryatlast，stillinawhisper．

“No，”saidPolly．“It’sallinruins．Wehaven’theardasoundsincewecame．”

“Let’sstandstillandlistenforabit，”suggestedDigory．

Theystoodstillandlistened，butalltheycouldhearwasthethump-thumpoftheirownhearts．ThisplacewasatleastasquietastheWoodbetweentheWorlds．Butitwasadifferentkindofquietness．ThesilenceoftheWoodhadbeenrichandwarm（youcouldalmosthearthetreesgrowing）andfulloflife：thiswasadead，cold，emptysilence．Youcouldn’timagineanythinggrowinginit．

“Let’sgohome，”saidPolly．

“Butwehaven’tseenanythingyet，”saidDigory．“Nowwe’rehere，wesimplymusthavealookround．”

“I’msurethere’snothingatallinterestinghere．”

“There’snotmuchpointinfindingamagicringthatletsyouintootherworldsifyou’reafraidtolookatthemwhenyou’vegotthere．”

“Who’stalkingaboutbeingafraid？”saidPolly，lettinggoofDigory’shand．

“Ionlythoughtyoudidn’tseemverykeenonexploringthisplace．”

“I’llgoanywhereyougo．”

“Wecangetawaythemomentwewantto，”saidDigory．“Let’stakeoffourgreenringsandputtheminourright-handpockets．Allwe’vegottodoistorememberthatouryellowareinourleft-handpockets．Youcankeepyourhandasnearyourpocketasyoulike，butdon’tputitinoryou’lltouchyouryellowandvanish．”

Theydidthisandwentquietlyuptooneofthebigarcheddoorwayswhichledintotheinsideofthebuilding．Andwhentheystoodonthethresholdandcouldlookin，theysawitwasnotsodarkinsideastheyhadthoughtatfirst．Itledintoavast，shadowyhallwhichappearedtobeempty；butonthefarsidetherewasarowofpillarswitharchesbetweenthemandthroughthosearchestherestreamedinsomemoreofthesametired-lookinglight．Theycrossedthehall，walkingverycarefullyforfearofholesinthefloororofanythinglyingaboutthattheymighttripover．Itseemedalongwalk．Whentheyhadreachedtheothersidetheycameoutthroughthearchesandfoundthemselvesinanotherandlargercourtyard．

“Thatdoesn’tlookverysafe，”saidPolly，pointingataplacewherethewallbulgedoutwardandlookedasifitwerereadytofalloverintothecourtyard．Inoneplaceapillarwasmissingbetweentwoarchesandthebitthatcamedowntowherethetopofthepillaroughttohavebeenhungtherewithnothingtosupportit．Clearly，theplacehadbeendesertedforhundreds，perhapsthousands，ofyears．

“Ifit’slastedtillnow，Isupposeit’lllastabitlonger，”saidDigory．“Butwemustbeveryquiet．Youknowanoisesometimesbringsthingsdown-likeanavalancheintheAlps．”

Theywentonoutofthatcourtyardintoanotherdoorway，andupagreatflightofstepsandthroughvastroomsthatopenedoutofoneanothertillyouweredizzywiththemeresizeoftheplace．Everynowandthentheythoughttheyweregoingtogetoutintotheopenandseewhatsortofcountrylayaroundtheenormouspalace．Buteachtimetheyonlygotintoanothercourtyard．Theymusthavebeenmagnificentplaceswhenpeoplewerestilllivingthere．Inonetherehadoncebeenafountain．Agreatstonemonsterwithwide-spreadwingsstoodwithitsmouthopenandyoucouldstillseeabitofpipingatthebackofitsmouth，outofwhichthewaterusedtopour．Underitwasawidestonebasintoholdthewater；butitwasasdryasabone．Inotherplacestherewerethedrysticksofsomesortofclimbingplantwhichhadwounditselfroundthepillarsandhelpedtopullsomeofthemdown．Butithaddiedlongago．Andtherewerenoantsorspidersoranyoftheotherlivingthingsyouexpecttoseeinaruin；andwherethedryearthshowedbetweenthebrokenflagstonestherewasnograssormoss．

ItwasallsodrearyandallsomuchthesamethatevenDigorywasthinkingtheyhadbetterputontheiryellowringsandgetbacktothewarm，green，livingforestoftheIn-betweenplace，whentheycametotwohugedoorsofsomemetalthatmightpossiblybegold．Onestoodalittleajar．Soofcoursetheywenttolookin．Bothstartedbackanddrewalongbreath：forhereatlastwassomethingworthseeing．

Forasecondtheythoughttheroomwasfullofpeople-hundredsofpeople，allseated，andallperfectlystill．PollyandDigory，asyoumayguess，stoodperfectlystillthemselvesforagoodlongtime，lookingin．Butpresentlytheydecidedthatwhattheywerelookingatcouldnotberealpeople．Therewasnotamovementnorthesoundofabreathamongthemall．Theywerelikethemostwonderfulwaxworksyoueversaw．

ThistimePollytookthelead．TherewassomethinginthisroomwhichinterestedhermorethanitinterestedDigory：allthefigureswerewearingmagnificentclothes．Ifyouwereinterestedinclothesatall，youcouldhardlyhelpgoingintoseethemcloser．Andtheblazeoftheircoloursmadethisroomlook，notexactlycheerful，butatanyraterichandmajesticafterallthedustandemptinessoftheothers．Ithadmorewindows，too，andwasagooddeallighter．

Icanhardlydescribetheclothes．Thefigureswereallrobedandhadcrownsontheirheads．Theirrobeswereofcrimsonandsilverygreyanddeeppurpleandvividgreen：andtherewerepatterns，andpicturesofflowersandstrangebeasts，inneedleworkalloverthem．Preciousstonesofastonishingsizeandbrightnessstaredfromtheircrownsandhunginchainsroundtheirnecksandpeepedoutfromalltheplaceswhereanythingwasfastened．

“Whyhaven’ttheseclothesallrottedawaylongago？”askedPolly.

“Magic，”whisperedDigory．“Can’tyoufeelit？Ibetthiswholeroomisjuststiffwithenchantments．Icouldfeelitthemomentwecamein．”

“Anyoneofthesedresseswouldcosthundredsofpounds，”saidPolly.

ButDigorywasmoreinterestedinthefaces，andindeedthesewerewellworthlookingat．Thepeoplesatintheirstonechairsoneachsideoftheroomandthefloorwasleftfreedownthemiddle．Youcouldwalkdownandlookatthefacesinturn．

“Theywerenicepeople，Ithink，”saidDigory．

Pollynodded．Allthefacestheycouldseewerecertainlynice．Boththemenandwomenlookedkindandwise，andtheyseemedtocomeofahandsomerace．Butafterthechildrenhadgoneafewstepsdowntheroomtheycametofacesthatlookedalittledifferent．Thesewereverysolemnfaces．YoufeltyouwouldhavetomindyourP’sandQ’s，ifyouevermetlivingpeoplewholookedlikethat．Whentheyhadgonealittlefurther，theyfoundthemselvesamongfacestheydidn’tlike：thiswasaboutthemiddleoftheroom．Thefacesherelookedverystrongandproudandhappy，buttheylookedcruel．Alittlefurtherontheylookedcrueller．Furtheronagain，theywerestillcruelbuttheynolongerlookedhappy．Theywereevendespairingfaces：asifthepeopletheybelongedtohaddonedreadfulthingsandalsosuffereddreadfulthings．Thelastfigureofallwasthemostinteresting-awomanevenmorerichlydressedthantheothers，verytall（buteveryfigureinthatroomwastallerthanthepeopleofourworld），withalookofsuchfiercenessandpridethatittookyourbreathaway．Yetshewasbeautifultoo．Yearsafterwardswhenhewasanoldman，Digorysaidhehadneverinallhislifeknownawomansobeautiful．ItisonlyfairtoaddthatPollyalwayssaidshecouldn’tseeanythingspeciallybeautifulabouther．

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