THE SILVER CHAIR-第18章

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nd　such　a　mass　of　loose　earth；　shingle；　and　　larger　stones　was　piled　up　round　her　（and　partly　over　her）　that　she　couldnt　get　up。　the　　darkness　was　so　plete　that　it　made　no　difference　at　all　whether　you　had　your　eyes　open　　or　shut。　there　was　no　noise。　and　that　was　the　very　worst　moment　jill　had　ever　known　in　her　　life。

supposing　she　was　alone：　supposing　the　others　。　。　。　then　she　heard　　movements　around　her。　and　presently　all　three；　in　shaken　voices；　were　explaining　that　none　　of　them　seemed　to　have　any　broken　bones。

〃we　can　never　get　up　that　again；〃　said　scrubbs　voice。

〃and　have　you　noticed　how　warm　it　is？〃　said　the　voice　of　puddleglum。　〃that　　means　were　a　long　way　down。　might　be　nearly　a　mile。”

no　one　said　anything。　some　time　later　puddleglum　added：　　〃my　tinder…box　has　gone。”

after　another　long　pause　jill　said；　〃im　terribly　thirsty。”

no　one　suggested　doing　anything。　there　was　so　obviously　nothing　to　be　done。　　for　the　moment；　they　did　not　feel　it　quite　so　badly　as　one　might　have　expected；　　that　was　because　they　were　so　tired。

long；　long　afterwards；　without　the　slightest　warning；　an　utterly　strange　　voice　spoke。　they　knew　at　once　that　it　was　not　the　one　voice　in　the　whole　world　for　which　　each　had　secretly　been　hoping；　the　voice　of　aslan。　it　was　a　dark；　flat　voice　…　almost；　if　you　　know　what　that　means；　a　pitch…black　voice。　it　said：　　〃what　make　you　here；　creatures　of　the　overworld？”

．．



CHAPTER　TEN

　生
travels　without　the　sun　　　〃whos　there？〃　shouted　the　three　travellers。

〃i　am　the　warden　of　the　marches　of　underland；　and　with　me　stand　a　hundred　　earthmen　in　arms；〃　came　the　reply。　〃tell　me　quickly　who　you　are　and　what　is　your　　errand　in　the　deep　realm？”

〃we　fell　down　by　accident；〃　said　puddleglum；　truthfully　enough。

〃many　fall　down；　and　few　return　to　the　sunlit　lands；〃　said　the　voice。　〃make　　ready　now　to　e　with　me　to　the　queen　of　the　deep　realm。”

〃what　does　she　want　with　us？〃　asked　scrubb　cautiously。

〃i　do　not　know；〃　said　the　voice。　〃her　will　is　not　to　be　questioned　but　　obeyed。”

while　he　said　these　words　there　was　a　noise　like　a　soft　explosion　and　　immediately　a　cold　light；　grey　with　a　little　blue　in　it；　flooded　the　cavern。　all　hope　that　the　　speaker　had　been　idly　boasting　when　he　spoke　of　his　hundred　armed　followers　died　at　once。　　jill　found　herself　blinking　and　staring　at　a　dense　crowd。　they　were　of　all　sizes；　from　　little　gnomes　barely　a　foot　high　to　stately　figures　taller　than　men。　all　carried　three…　pronged　spears　in　their　hands；　and　all　were　dreadfully　pale；　and　all　stood　as　still　as　　statues。　apart　from　that；　they　were　very　different；　some　had　tails　and　others　not；　some　wore　great　　beards　and　others　had　very　round；　smooth　faces；　big　as　pumpkins。　there　were　long；　　pointed　noses；　and　long；　soft　noses　like　small　trunks；　and　great　blobby　noses。　several　had　　single　horns　in　the　middle　of　their　foreheads。　but　in　one　respect　they　were　all　alike：　　every　face　in　the　whole　hundred　was　as　sad　as　a　face　could　be。　they　were　so　sad　that；　after　　the　first　glance；　jill　almost　forgot　to　be　afraid　of　them。　she　felt　she　would　like　to　cheer　　them　up。

〃well！〃　said　puddleglum；　rubbing　his　hands。　〃this　is　just　what　i　needed。　if　　these　chaps　dont　teach　me　to　take　a　serious　view　of　life；　i　dont　know　what　will。　look　　at　that　fellow　with　the　walrus　moustache　…　or　that　one　with　the　…”

〃get　up；〃　said　the　leader　of　the　earthmen。

there　was　nothing　else　to　be　done。　the　three　travellers　scrambled　to　their　　feet　and　joined　hands。　one　wanted　the　touch　of　a　friends　hand　at　a　moment　like　that。　and　　the　earthmen　came　all　round　them；　padding　on　large；　soft　feet；　on　which　some　had　ten　　toes；　some　twelve；　and　others　none。

〃march；〃　said　the　warden：　and　march　they　did。

the　cold　light　came　from　a　large　ball　on　the　top　of　a　long　pole；　and　the　　tallest　of　the　gnomes　carried　this　at　the　head　of　the　procession。　by　its　cheerless　rays　　they　could　see　that　they　were　in　a　natural　cavern；　the　walls　and　roof　were　knobbed；　twisted；　　and　gashed　into　a　thousand　fantastic　shapes；　and　the　stony　floor　sloped　downward　as　they　　proceeded。　it　was　worse　for　jill　than　for　the　others；　because　she　hated　dark；　underground　　places。　and　when；　as　they　went　on；　the　cave　got　lower　and　narrower；　and　when；　at　last；　　the　light…bearer　stood　aside；　and　the　gnomes；　one　by　one；　stooped　down　（all　except　　the　very　smallest　ones）　and　stepped　into　a　little　dark　crack　and　disappeared；　she　　felt　she　could　bear　it　no　longer。

〃i　cant　go　in　there；　i　cant！　i　cant！　i　wont；〃　she　panted。　the　earthmen　　said　nothing　but　they　all　lowered　their　spears　and　pointed　them　at　her。

〃steady；　pole；〃　said　puddleglum。　〃those　big　fellows　wouldnt　be　crawling　in　　there　if　it　didnt　get　wider　later　on。　and　theres　one　thing　about　this　underground　　work；　we　shant　get　any　rain。”

〃oh；　you　dont　understand。　i　cant；〃　wailed　jill。

〃think　how　1　felt　on　that　cliff；　pole；〃　said　scrubb。　〃you　go　first；　　puddleglum；　and　ill　e　after　her。”

〃thats　right；〃　said　the　marsh…wiggle；　getting　down　on　his　hands　and　knees。　　〃you　keep　a　grip　of　my　heels；　pole；　and　scrubb　will　hold　on　to　yours。　then　well　all　be　　fortable。”

〃fortable！〃　said　jill。　but　she　got　down　and　they　crawled　in　on　their　　elbows。　it　was　a　nasty　place。　you　had　to　go　flat　on　your　face　for　what　seemed　like　half　an　　hour；　though　it　may　really　have　been　only　five　minutes。　it　was　hot。　jill　felt　she　was　being　　smothered。　but　at　last　a　dim　light　showed　ahead；　the　tunnel　grew　wider　and　higher；　and　　they　came　out；　hot；　dirty；　and　shaken；　into　a　cave　so　large　that　it　scarcely　seemed　like　a　　cave　at　all。

it　was　full　of　a　dim；　drowsy　radiance；　so　that　here　they　had　no　need　of　the　　earthmens　strange　lantern。　the　floor　was　soft　with　some　kind　of　moss　and　out　of　this　　grew　many　strange　shapes；　branched　and　tall　like　trees；　but　flabby　like　mushrooms。　　they　stood　too　far　apart　to　make　a　forest；　it　was　more　like　a　park。　the　light　（a　greenish　　grey）　seemed　to　e　both　from　them　and　from　the　moss；　and　it　was　not　strong　enough　to　　reach　the　roof　　

of　the　cave；　which　must　have　been　a　long　way　overhead。　across　the　mild；　　soft；　sleepy　place　they　were　now　made　to　march。　it　was　very　sad；　but　with　a　quiet　sort　　of　sadness　like　soft　music。

here　they　passed　dozens　of　strange　animals　lying　on　the　turf；　either　dead　　or　asleep；　jill　could　not　tell　which。　these　were　mostly　of　a　dragonish　or　bat…like　sort；　　puddleglum　did　not　know　what　any　of　them　were。

〃do　they　grow　here？〃　scrubb　asked　the　warden。　he　seemed　very　surprised　at　　being　spoken　to；　but　replied；　〃no。　they　are　all　beasts　that　have　found　their　way　　down　by　chasms　and　caves；　out　of　overland　into　the　deep　realm。　many　e　down；　and　　few　return　to　the　sunlit　lands。　it　is　said　that　they　will　all　wake　at　the　end　　of　the　world。”

his　mouth　shut　like　a　box　when　he　had　said　this；　and　in　the　great　silence　　of　that　cave　the　children　felt　that　they　would　not　dare　to　speak　again。　the　bare　feet　of　the　　gnomes；　padding　on　the　deep　moss；　made　no　sound。　there　was　no　wind；　there　were　no　　birds；　there　was　no　sound　of　water。　there　was　no　sound　of　breathing　from　the　strange　　beasts。

when　they　had　walked　for　several　miles；　they　came　to　a　wall　of　rock；　and　in　　it　a　low　archway　leading　into　another　cavern。　it　was　not；　however；　so　bad　as　the　　last　entrance　and　jill　could　go　through　it　without　bending　her　head。　it　brought　them　into　a　　smaller　cave；　long　and　narrow；　about　the　shape　and　size　of　a　cathedral。　and　here；　filling　　almost　the　whole　length　of　it；　lay　an　enormous　man　fast　asleep。　he　was　far　bigger　than　　any　of　the　giants；　and　his　face　was　not　like　a　giants；　but　noble　and　beautiful。　his　　breast　rose　and　fell　gently　under　the　snowy　beard　which　covered　him　to　the　waist。　a　pure；　silver　　light　（no　one　saw　where　it　came　from）　rested　upon　him。

〃whos　that？〃　asked　puddleglum。　and　it　was　so　long　since　anyone　had　spoken；　　that　jill　wondered　how　he　had　the　nerve。

〃that　is　old　father　time；　who　once　was　a　king　in　overland；〃　said　the　　warden。　〃and　now　he　has　sunk　down　into　the　deep　realm　and　lies　dreaming　of　all　the　things　　that　are　done　in　the　upper　world。　many　sink　down；　and　few　return　to　the　sunlit　lands。　they　　say　he　will　wake　at　the　end　of　the　world。”

and　out　of　that　cave　they　passed　into　another；　and　then　into　another　and　　another；　and　so　on　till　jill　lost　count；　but　always　they　were　going　downhill　and　each　cave　　was　lower　than　the　last；　till　the　very　thought　of　the　weight　and　depth　of　earth　above　you　　was　suffocating。

at　last　they　came　to　a　place　where　the　warden　manded　his　cheerless　　lantern　to　be　lit　again。　then　they　passed　into　a　cave　so　wide　and　dark　that　they　could　see　　nothing　of　it　except　that　right　in　front　of　them　a　strip　of　pale　sand　ran　down　into　still　　water。　and　there；　beside　a　little　jetty；　lay　a　ship　without　mast　or　sail　but　with　many　oars。　　they　were　made　to　go　on　board　her　and　led　forward　to　the　bows　where　there　was　a　clear　space　　in　front　of　the　rowers　benches　and　a　seat　running　round　inside　the　bulwarks。

〃one　thing　id　like　to　know；〃　said　puddleglum；　〃is　whether　anyone　from　our　　world　…　from　up…a…top；　i　mean　has　ever　done　this　trip　before？”

〃many　have　taken　ship　at　the　pale　beaches；〃　replied　the　warden；　〃and…”

〃yes；　i　know；〃　interrupted　puddleglum。　〃an