《THE SILVER CHAIR》第35章

on；　thick　as　jills　waist； had　flung　two　or　three　coils　of　its　loathsome　body　round　the　princes　legs。　quick　as lightning　another　great　loop　darted　round；　intending　to　pinion　his　sword…arm　to　his　side。　but the　prince　was
just　in　time。　he　raised　his　arms　and　got　them　clear：　the　living　knot　closed only　round　his　chest　…　ready　to　crack　his　ribs　like　firewood　when　it　drew　tight。
the　prince　caught　the　creatures　neck　in　his　left　hand；　trying　to　squeeze it　till　it　choked。
this　held　its　face　（if　you　could　call　it　a　face）　about　five　inches　from　his own。　the　forked　tongue　flickered　horribly　in　and　out；　but　could　not　reach　him。　with　his right　hand　he　drew　back　his　sword　for　the　strongest　blow　he　could　give。　meanwhile　scrubb　and puddleglum　had　drawn　their　weapons　and　rushed　to　his　aid。　all　three　blows　fell　at once：　scrubbs　（which　did　not　even　pierce　the　scales　and　did　no　good）　on　the　body　of　the snake　below　the　princes　hand；　but　the　princes　own　blow　and　puddleglums　both　on　its neck。　even　that　did　not　quite　kill　it；　though　it　began　to　loosen　its　hold　on　rilians　legs and　chest。　with　repeated　blows　they　hacked　off　its　head。　the　horrible　thing　went　on　coiling and　moving　like　a　bit　of　wire　long　after　it　had　died；　and　the　floor；　as　you　may imagine；　was　a　nasty　mess。
the　prince；　when　he　had　breath；　said；　〃gentlemen；　i　thank　you。〃　then　the three　conquerors　stood　staring　at　one　another　and　panting；　without　another　word； for　a　long　time。　jill　had　very　wisely　sat　down　and　was　keeping　quiet；　she　was　saying to　herself；　〃i　do　hope　i　dont　faint　or　blub　…　or　do　anything　idiotic。”
〃my　royal　mother　is　avenged；〃　said　rilian　presently。　〃this　is　undoubtedly the　same　worm　that　i　pursued　in　vain　by　the　fountain　in　the　forest　of　narnia；　so many　years　ago。
all　these　years　i　have　been　the　slave　of　my　mothers　slayer。　yet　i　am　glad； gentlemen；　that　the　foul　witch　took　to　her　serpent　form　at　the　last。　it　would　not　have suited　well　either　with　my　heart　or　with　my　honour　to　have　slain　a　woman。　but　look　to the　lady。〃　he　meant　jill。
〃im　all　right；　thanks；〃　said　she。
〃damsel；〃　said　the　prince；　bowing　to　her。　〃you　are　of　a　high　courage；　and therefore；　i　doubt　not；　you　e　of　a　noble　blood　in　your　own　world。　but　e；　friends。 here　is　some　wine　left。　let　us　refresh　ourselves　and　each　pledge　his　fellows。　after that；　to　our　plans。”
〃a　jolly　good　idea；　sir；〃　said　scrubb。
d
CHAPTER　THIRTEEN
小？说网
underland　without　the　queen all　felt　that　they　had　earned　what　scrubb　called　a　〃breather〃。　the　witch had　locked　the　door　and　told　the　earthmen　not　to　disturb　her；　so　there　was　no　danger　of interruption　for
the　present。　their　first　business　was；　of　course；　puddleglums　burnt　foot。 a　couple　of　clean　shirts　from　the　princes　bedroom；　torn　into　strips；　and　well　greased on　the　inside　with　butter　and　salad　oil　off　the　supper　table；　made　a　fairly　good dressing。　when　this　had　been　applied；　they　all　sat　down　and　had　a　little　refreshment；　and　discussed plans　for　escaping　from　the　underworld。
rilian　explained　that　there　were　quite　a　lot　of　outlets　by　which　one　could get　to　the　surface；　he　had　been　taken　out　through　most　of　them　at　one　time　or　another。 but　he　had　never　gone　out　alone；　only　with　the　witch；　and　he　had　always　reached　these outlets　by　going　in　a　ship　across　the　sunless　sea。　what　the　earthmen　would　say　if　he went　down　to　the　harbour　without　the　witch；　and　with　four　strangers；　and　simply　ordered a　ship；　no　one　could　guess。　but　most　likely　they　would　ask　awkward　questions。　on　the　other hand　the　new　outlet；　the　one　for　the　invasion　of　overworld；　was　on　this　side　of　the sea；　and　only　a　few　miles　away。　the　prince　knew　that　it　was　nearly　finished；　only　a　few feet　of　earth　divided　the　diggings　from　the　outer　air。　it　was　even　possible　that　it　had now　been　quite　finished。　perhaps　the　witch　had　e　back　to　tell　him　this　and　to　start　the attack。　even　if　it　was　not；　they　could　probably　dig　themselves　out　by　that　route　in　a　few hours　…　if　they　could　only　get　there　without　being　stopped；　and　if　only　they　found　the diggings　unguarded。　but　those　were　the　difficulties。
〃if　you　ask　me　…〃　began　puddleglum；　when　scrubb　interrupted。
〃i　say；〃　he　asked；　〃whats　that　noise？”
〃ive　been　wondering　that　for　some　time！〃　said　jill。
they　had　all；　in　fact；　been　hearing　the　noise　but　it　had　begun　and increased　so　gradually　that　they　did　not　know　when　they　had　first　noticed　it。　for　a　time　it　had been　only　a　vague　disquiet　like　gentle　winds；　or　traffic　very　far　away。　then　it　swelled　to　a murmur　like　the　sea。　then　came　rumblings　and　rushings。　now　there　seemed　to　be　voices　as well　and　also　a　steady　roaring　that　was　not　voices。
〃by　the　lion；〃　said　prince　rilian；　〃it　seems　this　silent　land　has　found　a tongue　at　last。〃　he　rose；　walked　to　the　window；　and　drew　aside　the　curtains。　the　others　crowded round　him　to　look　out。
the　very　first　thing　they　noticed　was　a　great　red　glow。　its　reflection　made a　red　patch　on　the　roof　of　the　underworld　thousands　of　feet　above　them；　so　that　they　could see　a　rocky　ceiling　which　had　perhaps　been　hidden　in　darkness　ever　since　the　world　was made。　the　glow　itself　came　from　the　far　side　of　the　city　so　that　many　buildings；　grim and　great；　stood　up　blackly　against　it。　but　it　also　cast　its　light　down　many　streets that　ran　from　it　towards　the　castle。　and　in　those　streets　something　very　strange　was　going on。　the　closely…packed；　silent　crowds　of　earthmen　had　vanished。　instead；　there　were figures　darting　about　by　ones；　or　twos；　or　threes。　they　behaved　like　people　who　do not　want　to　be　seen：　lurking　in　shadow　behind　buttresses　or　in　doorways；　and　then moving　quickly　across　the　open　into　fresh　places　of　hiding。　but　the　strangest　thing　of all；　to　anyone　who
knew　the　gnomes；　was　the　noise。　shouts　and　cries　came　from　all　directions。 but　from　the　harbour　there　came　a　low；　rumbling　roar　which　grew　steadily　louder　and　was already　shaking　the　whole　city。
〃whats　happened　to　the　earthmen？〃　said　scrubb。　〃is　it　them　shouting？”
〃tis　hardly　possible；〃　said　the　prince。　〃i　never　heard　one　of　the　rascals so　much　as　speak　with　a　loud　voice　in　all　the　weary　years　of　my　bondage。　some　new