《THE SILVER CHAIR》第39章

m　was　so　bright　that　at　first　it　dazzled　their eyes　and　they　could　see　nothing。　when　they　got　used　to　it　they　thought　they　could　make out　a　river　of　fire；　and；　on　the　banks　of　that　river；　what　seemed　to　be　fields　and　groves of　an　unbearable；　hot　brilliance　…　though　they　were　dim　pared　with　the　river。 there　were　blues；　reds；　greens；　and　whites　all　jumbled　together：　a　very　good　stained…　glass　window　with　the　tropical　sun　staring　straight　through　it　at　midday　might　have something　the　same　effect。　down　the　rugged　sides　of　the　chasm；　looking　black　like　flies against　all　that　fiery　light；　hundreds　of　earthmen　were　climbing。
〃your　honours；〃　said　golg　（and　when　they　turned　to　look　at　him　they　could see　nothing　but　blackness　for　a　few　minutes；　their　eyes　were　so　dazzled）。　〃your honours；　why　dont
you　e　down　to　bism？　youd　be　happier　there　than　in　that　cold； unprotected；　naked　country　out　on　top。　or　at　least　e　down　for　a　short　visit。”
jill　took　it　for　granted　that　none　of　the　others　would　listen　to　such　an idea　for　a　moment。
to　her　horror　she　heard　the　prince　saying： 〃truly；　friend　golg；　i　have　half　a　mind　to　e　down　with　you。　for　this　is a　marvellous　adventure；　and　it　may　be　no　mortal　man　has　ever　looked　into　bism　before　or will　ever　have　the　chance　again。　and　i　know　not　how；　as　the　years　pass；　i　shall　bear to　remember　that　it　was　once　in　my　power　to　have　probed　the　uttermost　pit　of　earth　and that　i　forbore。
but　could　a　man　live　there？　you　do　not　swim　in　the　fire…river　itself？”
〃oh　no；　your　honour。　not　we。　its　only　salamanders　live　in　the　fire itself。”
〃what　kind　of　beast　is　your　salamander？〃　asked　the　prince。
〃it　is　hard　to　tell　their　kind；　your　honour；〃　said　golg。　〃for　they　are　too white…hot　to　look　at。　but　they　are　most　like　small　dragons。　they　speak　to　us　out　of　the　fire。 they　are　wonderfully　clever　with　their　tongues：　very　witty　and　eloquent。”
jill　glanced　hastily　at　eustace。　she　had　felt　sure　that　he　would　like　the idea　of　sliding　down　that　chasm　even　less　than　she　did。　her　heart　sank　as　she　saw　that　his face　was　quite　changed。　he　looked　much　more　like　the　prince　than　like　the　old　scrubb　at experiment　house。　for　all　his　adventures；　and　the　days　when　he　had　sailed　with　king caspian；　were　ing　back　to　him。
〃your　highness；〃　he　said。　〃if　my　old　friend　reepicheep　the　mouse　were　here； he　would　say　we　could　not　now　refuse　the　adventures　of　bism　without　a　great impeachment　to　our　honour。”
〃down　there；〃　said　golg；　〃i　could　show　you　real　gold；　real　silver；　real diamonds。”
〃bosh！〃　said　jill　rudely。　〃as　if　we　didnt　know　that　were　below　the deepest　mines　even　here。”
〃yes；〃　said　golg。　〃i　have　heard　of　those　little　scratches　in　the　crust　that you　topdwellers　call　mines。　but　thats　where　you　get　dead　gold；　dead　silver；　dead　gems。 down　in　bism　we　have　them　alive　and　growing。　there　ill　pick　you　bunches　of　rubies　that　you can　eat　and　squeeze　you　a　cup　full　of　diamond…juice。　you　wont　care　much　about fingering　the　cold；　dead　treasures　of　your　shallow　mines　after　you　have　tasted　the　live　ones　of bism。”
〃my　father　went　to　the　worlds　end；〃　said　rilian　thoughtfully。　〃it　would　be a　marvellous　thing　if　his　son　went　to　the　bottom　of　the　world。”
〃if　your　highness　wants　to　see　your　father　while　hes　still　alive；　which　i think　hed　prefer；〃　said　puddleglum；　〃its　about　time　we　were　getting　on　to　that　road to　the　diggings。”
〃and　i　wont　go　down　that　hole；　whatever　anyone　says；〃　added　jill。
〃why；　if　your　honours　are　really　set　to　go　back　to　overworld；〃　said　golg； 〃there　is　one　bit　of　the　road　thats　rather　lower　than　this。　and　perhaps；　if　that　floods still　rising　…”
〃oh；　do；　do；　do　e　on！〃　begged　jill。
〃i　fear　it　must　be　so；〃　said　the　prince　with　a　deep　sigh。　〃but　i　have　left half　of　my　heart　in　the　land　of　bism。”
〃please！〃　begged　jill。
〃where　is　the　road？〃　asked　puddleglum。
〃there　are　lamps　all　the　way；〃　said　golg。　〃your　honour　can　see　the beginning　of　the　road　on　the　far　side　of　the　chasm。”
〃how　long　will　the　lamps　burn　for？〃　asked　puddleglum。
at　that　moment　a　hissing；　scorching　voice　like　the　voice　of　fire　itself （they　wondered　afterwards　if　it　could　have　been　a　salamanders）　came　whistling　up　out　of the　very　depths　of　bism。
〃quick！　quick！　quick！　to　the　cliffs；　to　the　cliffs；　to　the　cliffs！〃　it said。　〃the　rift　closes。　it　closes。　it　closes。　quick！　quick！〃　and　at　the　same　time；　with　ear…shattering cracks　and　creaks；　the　rocks　moved。　already；　while　they　looked；　the　chasm　was narrower。　from　every　side　belated　gnomes　were　rushing　into　it。　they　would　not　wait　to climb　down　the　rocks。　they　flung　themselves　headlong　and；　either　because　so　strong　a　blast of　hot　air　was　beating　up　from　the　bottom；　or　for　some　other　reason；　they　could　be seen　floating　downwards　like　leaves。　thicker　and　thicker　they　floated；　till　their blackness　almost　blotted　out　the　fiery　river　and　the　groves　of　live　gems。　〃good…bye　to　your honours。　im　off；〃　shouted　golg；　and　dived。　only　a　few　were　left　to　follow　him。　the chasm　was　now　no　broader　than　a　stream。　now　it　was　narrow　as　the　slit　in　a　pillarbox。　now it　was　only　an　intensely　bright　thread。　then；　with　a　shock　like　a　thousand　goods　trains crashing　into　a　thousand　pairs　of　buffers；　the　lips　of　rock　closed。　the　hot；　maddening smell　vanished。
the　travellers　were　alone　in　an　underworld　which　now　looked　far　blacker than　before。
pale；　dim；　and　dreary；　the　lamps　marked　the　direction　of　the　road。
〃now；〃　said　puddleglum；　〃its　ten　to　one　weve　already　stayed　too　long；　but we　may　as　well　make　a　try。　those　lamps　will　give　out　in　five　minutes；　i　shouldnt wonder。”
they　urged　the　horses　to　a　canter　and　thundered　along　the　dusky　road　in fine　style。　but　almost　at　once　it　began　going　downhill。　they　would　have　thought　golg　had sent　them　the　wrong　way　if　they　had　not　seen；　on　the　other　side　of　the　valley；　the　lamps going　on　and　upwards　as　far　as　the　eye　could　reach。　but　at　the　bottom　of　the　valley　the lamps　shone　on　moving　water。
〃haste；〃　cried　the　prince。　they　galloped　down　the　slope。　it　would　have　been nasty　enough　at　the　bottom　even　five　minutes　later　for　the　tide　was　running　up the　valley　like　a　mill…race；　an