《THE SILVER CHAIR》第32章

ook　hands。　the　knight　was　screaming　by　now；　there　was　foam　on　his　cheeks。
〃e　on；　scrubb；〃　said　puddleglum。　he　and　scrubb　drew　their　swords　and went　over　to　the　captive。
〃in　the　name　of　aslan；〃　they　said　and　began　methodically　cutting　the　cords。 the　instant　the　prisoner　was　free；　he　crossed　the　room　in　a　single　bound；　seized　his own　sword　（which　had　been　taken　from　him　and　laid　on　the　table）；　and　drew　it。
〃you　first！〃　he　cried　and　fell　upon　the　silver　chair。　that　must　have　been　a good　sword。
the　silver　gave　way　before　its　edge　like　string；　and　in　a　moment　a　few twisted　fragments；　shining　on　the　floor；　were　all　that　was　left。　but　as　the　chair　broke；　there came　from　it　a　bright　flash；　a　sound　like　small　thunder；　and　（for　one　moment）　a　loathsome smell。
〃lie　there；　vile　engine　of　sorcery；〃　he　said；　〃lest　your　mistress　should ever　use　you　for　another　victim。〃　then　he　turned　and　surveyed　his　rescuers；　and　the something　wrong；　whatever　it　was；　had　vanished　from　his　face。
〃what？〃　he　cried；　turning　to　puddleglum。　〃do　i　see　before　me　a　marsh…wiggle …　a　real；　live；　honest；　narnian　marsh…wiggle？”
〃oh；　so　you　have　heard　of　narnia　after　all？〃　said　jill。
〃had　i　forgotten　it　when　i　was　under　the　spell？〃　asked　the　knight。　〃well； that　and　all　other　bedevilments　are　now　over。　you　may　well　believe　that　i　know　narnia； for　i　am　rilian；　prince　of　narnia；　and　caspian　the　great　king　is　my　father。”
〃your　royal　highness；〃　said　puddleglum；　sinking　on　one　knee　（and　the children　did　the　same）；　〃we　have　e　hither　for　no　other　end　than　to　seek　you。”
〃and　who　are　you；　my　other　deliverers？〃　said　the　prince　to　scrubb　and　jill。
〃we　were　sent　by　aslan　himself　from　beyond　the　worlds　end　to　seek　your highness；”
said　scrubb。　〃i　am　eustace　who　sailed　with　him　to　the　island　of　ramandu。”
〃i　owe　all　three　of　you　a　greater　debt　than　i　can　ever　pay；〃　said　prince rilian。　〃but　my　father？　is　he　yet　alive？”
〃he　sailed　east　again　before　we　left　narnia；　my　lord；〃　said　puddleglum。 〃but　your　highness　must　consider　that　the　king　is　very　old。　it　is　ten　to　one　his majesty　must　die　on　the　voyage。”
〃he　is　old；　you　say。　how　long　then　have　i　been　in　the　power　of　the　witch？ 〃it　is　more　than　ten　years　since　your　highness　was　lost　in　the　woods　at　the north　side　of　narnia。”
〃ten　years！〃　said　the　prince；　drawing　his　hand　across　his　face　as　if　to　rub away　the　past。
〃yes；　i　believe　you。　for　now　that　i　am　myself　i　can　remember　that　enchanted life；　though　while　i　was　enchanted　i　could　not　remember　my　true　self。　and　now；　fair friends　…　but　wait！　i　hear　their　feet　（does　it　not　sicken　a　man；　that　padding　woolly tread！　faugh！）　on　the　stairs。　lock　the　door；　boy。　or　stay。　i　have　a　better　thought　than　that。　i will　fool　these　earthmen；　if　aslan　gives　me　the　wit。　take　your　cue　from　me。”
he　walked　resolutely　to　the　door　and　flung　it　wide　open。
．co
CHAPTER　TWELVE
？小说、网
the　queen　of　underland two　earthmen　entered；　but　instead　of　advancing　into　the　room；　they　placed themselves　one　on　each　side　of　the　door；　and　bowed　deeply。　they　were　followed immediately　by　the　last　person　whom　anyone　had　expected　or　wished　to　see：　the　lady　of　the green　kirtle；　the　queen　of　underland。　she　stood　dead　still　in　the　doorway；　and　they　could see　her　eyes　moving　as　she　took　in　the　whole　situation　…　the　three　strangers；　the　silver chair　destroyed；　and　the　prince　free；　with　his　sword　in　his　hand。
she　turned　very　white；　but　jill　thought　it　was　the　sort　of　whiteness　that es　over　some　peoples　faces　not　when　they　are　frightened　but　when　they　are　angry。　for　a moment　the　witch　fixed　her　eyes　on　the　prince；　and　there　was　murder　in　them。　then　she seemed　to　change　her　mind。
〃leave　us；〃　she　said　to　the　two　earthmen。　〃and　let　none　disturb　us　till　i call；　on　pain　of　death。〃　the　gnomes　padded　away　obediently；　and　the　witch…queen　shut　and locked　the　door。
〃how　now；　my　lord　prince；〃　she　said。　〃has　your　nightly　fit　not　yet　e upon　you；　or　is　it　over　so　soon？　why　stand　you　here　unbound？　who　are　these　aliens？　and　is it　they　who　have　destroyed　the　chair　which　was　your　only　safety？”
prince　rilian　shivered　as　she　spoke　to　him。　and　no　wonder：　it　is　not　easy to　throw　off　in　half　an　hour　an　enchantment　which　has　made　one　a　slave　for　ten　years。　then； speaking　with　a　great　effort；　he　said： 〃madam；　there　will　be　no　more　need　of　that　chair。　and　you；　who　have　told　me a　hundred　times　how　deeply　you　pitied　me　for　the　sorceries　by　which　i　was　bound；　will doubtless　hear　with　joy　that　they　are　now　ended　for　ever。　there　was；　it　seems；　some small　error　in　your　ladyships　way　of　treating　them。　these；　my　true　friends；　have delivered　me。　i　am　now　in　my　right　mind；　and　there　are　two　things　i　will　say　to　you。　first　… as　for　your　ladyships　design　of　putting　me　at　the　head　of　an　army　of　earthmen　so　that i　may　break　out　into　the　overworld　and　there；　by　main　force；　make　myself　king　over　some nation　that　never　did　me　wrong　…　murdering　their　natural　lords　and　holding　their　throne as　a　bloody　and　foreign　tyrant　…　now　that　i　know　myself；　i　do　utterly　abhor　and renounce　it　as　plain　villainy。　and　second：　i　am　the　kings　son　of　narnia；　rilian；　the　only　child of　caspian；　tenth　of　that　name；　whom　some　call　caspian　the　seafarer。　therefore；　madam； it　is　my　purpose；　as　it　is　also　my　duty；　to　depart　suddenly　from　your　highnesss court　into　my　own　country。　please　it　you　to　grant　me　and　my　friends　safe　conduct　and　a　guide through　your　dark　realm。”
now　the　witch　said　nothing　at　all；　but　moved　gently　across　the　room；　always keeping　her　face　and　eyes　very　steadily　towards　the　prince。　when　she　had　e　to　a little　ark　set　in　the　wall　not　far　from　the　fireplace；　she　opened　it；　and　took　out　first　a handful　of　a　green　powder。　this　she　threw　on　the　fire。　it　did　not　blaze　much；　but　a　very　sweet and　drowsy　smell　came　from　it。　and　all　through　the　conversation　which　followed；　that smell　grew　stronger；　and　filled　the　room；　and　made　it　harder　to　think。　secondly；　she took　out　a　musical　instrument　rather　like　a　mandolin。　she　began　to　play　it　with　her fingers　…　a　steady；　monotonous　thrumming　that　you　didnt　notice　after　a　few　minutes。 but　the　less　you　noticed　i