chater eleven the dark catle (第3/7页)
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“There’s no fear of our loosing you,”said Puddleglum. “We’ve no wish to meet wild men;or serpents either.”
“I should think not,”said Scrubb and Jill together.
“All the same,”added Puddleglum in a whisper. “Don’t let’s be too sure. Let’s be on our guard. We’ve muffed everything else,you know. He’ll be cunning,I shouldn’t wonder,once he gets started. Can we trust one another ? Do we all promise that whatever he says we don’t touch those cords ? Whatever he says, mind you ?”
“Rather !”said Scrubb.
“There’s nothing in the world he can say or do that’ll make me change my mind,”said Jill.
“Hush ! Something’s happening,”said Puddleglum.
The Knight was moaning. His face was as pale as putty,and he writhed in his bonds. And whether because she was sorry for him,or for some other reason,Jill thought that he looked a nicer sort of man than he had looked before.
“Ah,”he groaned. “Enchantments,enchantments...the heavy,tangled,cold,clammy web of evil magic. Buried alive. Dragged down under the earth,down into the sooty blackness...how many years is it ? ...Have I lived ten years,or a thousand years,in the pit ? Maggotmen all around me. Oh,have mercy. Let me out,let me go back. Let me feel the wind and see the sky...There used to be a little pool. When you looked down into it you could see all the trees growing upside-down in the water,all green,and below them,deep,very deep,the blue sky.”
He had been speaking in a low voice;now he looked up, fixed his eyes upon them,and said loud and clear:
“Quick ! I am sane now. Every night I am sane. If only I could get out of this enchanted chair,it would last. I should be a man again. But every night they bind me,and so every night my chance is gone. But you are not enemies. I am not your prisoner. Quick ! Cut these cords.”