迪文小说

chater ten travel withut the un（第1页）

“WHO’sthere？”shoutedthethreetravellers。

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

“Wefelldownbyaccident，”saidPuddleglum，truthfullyenough。

“Manyfalldown，andfewreturntothesunlitlands，”saidthevoice。“MakereadynowtocomewithmetotheQueenoftheDeepRealm。”

“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，Jillalmostforgottobeafraidofthem。Shefeltshewouldliketocheerthemup。

“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，”saidPuddleglum。“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，outofOverlandintotheDeepRealm。Manycomedown，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）resteduponhim。

“Who’sthat？”askedPuddleglum。Anditwassolongsinceanyonehadspoken，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。Ayoungmanwithfairhairrosetogreetthem。Hewashandsomeandlookedbothboldandkind，thoughtherewassomethingabouthisfacethatdidn’tseemquiteright。HewasdressedinblackandaltogetherlookedalittlebitlikeHamlet。