小说园

chater elve the een f undernd（第1页）

TWOEarthmenentered，butinsteadofadvancingintotheroom，theyplacedthemselvesoneoneachsideofthedoor，andboweddeeply。Theywerefollowedimmediatelybythelastpersonwhomanyonehadexpectedorwishedtosee：theLadyoftheGreenKirtle，theQueenofUnderland。Shestooddeadstillinthedoorway，andtheycouldseehereyesmovingasshetookinthewholesituation—thethreestrangers，thesilverchairdestroyed，andthePrincefree，withhisswordinhishand。

Sheturnedverywhite；butJillthoughtitwasthesortofwhitenessthatcomesoversomepeople’sfacesnotwhentheyarefrightenedbutwhentheyareangry。ForamomenttheWitchfixedhereyesonthePrince，andtherewasmurderinthem。Thensheseemedtochangehermind。

“Leaveus，”shesaidtothetwoEarthmen。“AndletnonedisturbustillIcall，onpainofdeath。”Thegnomespaddedawayobediently，andtheWitch-queenshutandlockedthedoor。

“Hownow，mylordPrince，”shesaid。“Hasyournightlyfitnotyetcomeuponyou，orisitoversosoon？Whystandyouhereunbound？Whoarethesealiens？Andisittheywhohavedestroyedthechairwhichwasyouronlysafety？”

PrinceRilianshiveredasshespoketohim。Andnowonder：itisnoteasytothrowoffinhalfanhouranenchantmentwhichhasmadeoneaslavefortenyears。Then，speakingwithagreateffort，hesaid：“Madam，therewillbenomoreneedofthatchair。Andyou，whohavetoldmeahundredtimeshowdeeplyyoupitiedmeforthesorceriesbywhichIwasbound，willdoubtlesshearwithjoythattheyarenowendedforever。Therewas，itseems，somesmallerrorinyourLadyship’swayoftreatingthem。These，mytruefriends，havedeliveredme。Iamnowinmyrightmind，andtherearetwothingsIwillsaytoyou。First—asforyourLadyship’sdesignofputtingmeattheheadofanarmyofEarthmensothatImaybreakoutintotheOverworldandthere，bymainforce，makemyselfkingoversomenationthatneverdidmewrong—murderingtheirnaturallordsandholdingtheirthroneasabloodyandforeigntyrant—nowthatIknowmyself，Idoutterlyabhorandrenounceitasplainvillainy。Andsecond：IamtheKing’ssonofNarnia，Rilian，theonlychildofCaspian，Tenthofthatname，whomsomecallCaspiantheSeafarer。Therefore，Madam，itismypurpose，asitisalsomyduty，todepartsuddenlyfromyourHighness’scourtintomyowncountry。Pleaseityoutograntmeandmyfriendssafeconductandaguidethroughyourdarkrealm。”

NowtheWitchsaidnothingatall，butmovedgentlyacrosstheroom，alwayskeepingherfaceandeyesverysteadilytowardsthePrince。Whenshehadcometoalittlearksetinthewallnotfarfromthefireplace，sheopenedit，andtookoutfirstahandfulofagreenpowder。Thisshethrewonthefire。Itdidnotblazemuch，butaverysweetanddrowsysmellcamefromit。Andallthroughtheconversationwhichfollowed，thatsmellgrewstronger，andfilledtheroom，andmadeithardertothink。Secondly，shetookoutamusicalinstrumentratherlikeamandolin。Shebegantoplayitwithherfingers—asteady，monotonousthrummingthatyoudidn’tnoticeafterafewminutes。Butthelessyounoticedit，themoreitgotintoyourbrainandyourblood。Thisalsomadeithardtothink。Aftershehadthrummedforatime（andthesweetsmellwasnowstrong）shebeganspeakinginasweet，quietvoice。

“Narnia？”shesaid。“Narnia？IhaveoftenheardyourLordshiputterthatnameinyourravings。DearPrince，youareverysick。ThereisnolandcalledNarnia。”

“Yesthereis，though，Ma’am，”saidPuddleglum。“Yousee，Ihappentohavelivedthereallmylife。”

“Indeed，”saidtheWitch。“Tellme，Iprayyou，wherethatcountryis？”

“Upthere，”saidPuddleglum，stoutly，pointingoverhead。“I—Idon’tknowexactlywhere。”

“How？”saidtheQueen，withakind，soft，musicallaugh。“Isthereacountryupamongthestonesandmortaroftheroof？”

“No，”saidPuddleglum，strugglingalittletogethisbreath。“It’sinOverworld。”

“Andwhat，orwhere，prayisthis。。。howdoyoucallit。。。Overworld？”

“Oh，don’tbesosilly，”saidScrubb，whowasfightinghardagainsttheenchantmentofthesweetsmellandthethrumming。“Asifyoudidn’tknow！It’supabove，upwhereyoucanseetheskyandthesunandthestars。Why，you’vebeenthereyourself。Wemetyouthere。”

“Icryyoumercy，littlebrother，”laughedtheWitch（youcouldn’thaveheardalovelierlaugh）。“Ihavenomemoryofthatmeeting。Butweoftenmeetourfriendsinstrangeplaceswhenwedream。Andunlessalldreamedalike，youmustnotaskthemtorememberit。”

“Madam，”saidthePrincesternly，“IhavealreadytoldyourGracethatIamtheKing’ssonofNarnia。”

“Andshaltbe，dearfriend，”saidtheWitchinasoothingvoice，asifshewashumouringachild，“shaltbekingofmanyimaginedlandsinthyfancies。”

“We’vebeenthere，too，”snappedJill。Shewasveryangrybecauseshecouldfeelenchantmentgettingholdofhereverymoment。Butofcoursetheveryfactthatshecouldstillfeelit，showedthatithadnotyetfullyworked。

“AndthouartQueenofNarniatoo，Idoubtnot，prettyone，”saidtheWitchinthesamecoaxing，half-mockingtone。

“I’mnothingofthesort，”saidJill，stampingherfoot。“Wecomefromanotherworld。”

“Why，thisisaprettiergamethantheother，”saidtheWitch。“Tellus，littlemaid，whereisthisotherworld？Whatshipsandchariotsgobetweenitandours？”

OfcoursealotofthingsdartedintoJill’sheadatonce：ExperimentHouse，AdelaPennyfather，herownhome，radio-sets，cinemas，cars，aeroplanes，ration-books，queues。Buttheyseemeddimandfaraway。（Thrum—thrum—thrum—wentthestringsoftheWitch’sinstrument。）Jillcouldn’trememberthenamesofthethingsinourworld。Andthistimeitdidn’tcomeintoherheadthatshewasbeingenchanted，fornowthemagicwasinitsfullstrength；andofcourse，themoreenchantedyouget，themorecertainyoufeelthatyouarenotenchantedatall。Shefoundherselfsaying（andatthemomentitwasarelieftosay）：