手机浏览器扫描二维码访问
“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.
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