THEchildrenwerefacingoneanotheracrossthepillarwherethebellhung,stilltrembling,thoughitnolongergaveoutanynote.Suddenlytheyheardasoftnoisefromtheendoftheroomwhichwasstillundamaged.Theyturnedquickaslightningtoseewhatitwas.Oneoftherobedfigures,thefurthest-offoneofall,thewomanwhomDigorythoughtsobeautiful,wasrisingfromitschair.Whenshestooduptheyrealizedthatshewaseventallerthantheyhadthought.Andyoucouldseeatonce,notonlyfromhercrownandrobes,butfromtheflashofhereyesandthecurveofherlips,thatshewasagreatqueen.Shelookedroundtheroomandsawthedamageandsawthechildren,butyoucouldnotguessfromherfacewhatshethoughtofeitherorwhethershewassurprised.Shecameforwardwithlong,swiftstrides.
“Whohasawakedme?Whohasbrokenthespell?”sheasked.
“Ithinkitmusthavebeenme,”saidDigory.
“You!”saidtheQueen,layingherhandonhisshoulder-awhite,beautifulhand,butDigorycouldfeelthatitwasstrongassteelpincers.“You?Butyouareonlyachild,acommonchild.Anyonecanseeataglancethatyouhavenodropofroyalornoblebloodinyourveins.Howdidsuchasyoudaretoenterthishouse?”
“We’vecomefromanotherworld;byMagic,”saidPolly,whothoughtitwashightimetheQueentooksomenoticeofheraswellasofDigory.
“Isthistrue?”saidtheQueen,stilllookingatDigoryandnotgivingPollyevenaglance.
“Yes,itis,”saidhe.
TheQueenputherotherhandunderhischinandforceditupsothatshecouldseehisfacebetter.Digorytriedtostarebackbuthesoonhadtolethiseyesdrop.Therewassomethingabouthersthatoverpoweredhim.Aftershehadstudiedhimforwelloveraminute,sheletgoofhischinandsaid:
“Youarenomagician.Themarkofitisnotonyou.Youmustbeonlytheservantofamagician.Itisonanother’sMagicthatyouhavetravelledhere.”
“ItwasmyUncleAndrew,”saidDigory.
Atthemoment,notintheroomitselfbutfromsomewhereveryclose,therecame,firstarumbling,thenacreaking,andthenaroaroffallingmasonry,andthefloorshook.
“Thereisgreatperilhere,”saidtheQueen.“Thewholepalaceisbreakingup.Ifwearenotoutofitinafewminutesweshallbeburiedundertheruin.”Shespokeascalmlyasifshehadbeenmerelymentioningthetimeofday.“Come,”sheadded,andheldoutahandtoeachofthechildren.Polly,whowasdislikingtheQueenandfeelingrathersulky,wouldnothaveletherhandbetakenifshecouldhavehelpedit.ButthoughtheQueenspokesocalmly,hermovementswereasquickasthought.BeforePollyknewwhatwashappeningherlefthandhadbeencaughtinahandsomuchlargerandstrongerthanherownthatshecoulddonothingaboutit.
“Thisisaterriblewoman,”thoughtPolly.“She’sstrongenoughtobreakmyarmwithonetwist.Andnowthatshe’sgotmylefthandIcan’tgetatmyyellowring.IfItriedtostretchacrossandgetmyrighthandintomyleftpocketImightn’tbeabletoreachit,beforesheaskedmewhatIwasdoing.Whateverhappenswemustn’tletherknowabouttherings.IdohopeDigoryhasthesensetokeephismouthshut.IwishIcouldgetawordwithhimalone.”
TheQueenledthemoutoftheHallofImagesintoalongcorridorandthenthroughawholemazeofhallsandstairsandcourtyards.Againandagaintheyheardpartsofthegreatpalacecollapsing,sometimesquiteclosetothem.Onceahugearchcamethunderingdownonlyamomentaftertheyhadpassedthroughit.TheQueenwaswalkingquickly-thechildrenhadtotrottokeepupwithher—butsheshowednosignoffear.Digorythought,“She’swonderfullybrave.Andstrong.She’swhatIcallaQueen!Idohopeshe’sgoingtotellusthestoryofthisplace.”
Shedidtellthemcertainthingsastheywentalong:“Thatisthedoortothedungeons,”shewouldsay,or“Thatpassageleadstotheprincipaltorturechambers,”or“Thiswastheoldbanquetinghallwheremygreat—grandfatherbadesevenhundrednoblestoafeastandkilledthemallbeforetheyhaddrunktheirfill.Theyhadhadrebelliousthoughts.”
Theycameatlastintoahalllargerandloftierthananytheyhadyetseen.Fromitssizeandfromthegreatdoorsatthefarend,Digorythoughtthatnowatlasttheymustbecomingtothemainentrance.Inthishewasquiteright.Thedoorsweredeadblack,eitherebonyorsomeblackmetalwhichisnotfoundinourworld.Theywerefastenedwithgreatbars,mostofthemtoohightoreachandalltooheavytolift.Hewonderedhowtheywouldgetout.
TheQueenletgoofhishandandraisedherarm.Shedrewherselfuptoherfullheightandstoodrigid.Thenshesaidsomethingwhichtheycouldn’tunderstand(butitsoundedhorrid)andmadeanactionasifshewerethrowingsomethingtowardsthedoors.Andthosehighandheavydoorstrembledforasecondasiftheyweremadeofsilkandthencrumbledawaytilltherewasnothingleftofthembutaheapofdustonthethreshold.
“Whew!”whistledDigory.
“Hasyourmastermagician,youruncle,powerlikemine?”askedtheQueen,firmlyseizingDigorg’shandagain.“ButIshallknowlater.Inthemeantime,rememberwhatyouhaveseen.Thisiswhathappenstothings,andtopeople,whostandinmyway.”
Muchmorelightthantheyhadyetseeninthatcountrywaspouringinthroughthenowemptydoorway,andwhentheQueenledthemoutthroughittheywerenotsurprisedtofindthemselvesintheopenair.Thewindthatblewintheirfaceswascold,yetsomehowstale.Theywerelookingfromahighterraceandtherewasagreatlandscapespreadoutbelowthem.
Lowdownandnearthehorizonhungagreat,redsun,farbiggerthanoursun.Digoryfeltatoncethatitwasalsoolderthanours:asunneartheendofitslife,wearyoflookingdownuponthatworld.Totheleftofthesun,andhigherup,therewasasinglestar,bigandbright.Thoseweretheonlytwothingstobeseeninthedarksky;theymadeadismalgroup.Andontheearth,ineverydirection,asfarastheeyecouldreach,therespreadavastcityinwhichtherewasnolivingthingtobeseen.Andallthetemples,towers,palaces,pyramids,andbridgescastlong,disastrous-lookingshadowsinthelightofthatwitheredsun.Onceagreatriverhadflowedthroughthecity,butthewaterhadlongsincevanished,anditwasnowonlyawideditchofgreydust.
“Lookwellonthatwhichnoeyeswilleverseeagain,”saidtheQueen.“SuchwasCharn,thatgreatcity,thecityoftheKingofKings,thewonderoftheworld,perhapsofallworlds.Doesyouruncleruleanycityasgreatasthis,boy?”
“No,”saidDigory.HewasgoingtoexplainthatUncleAndrewdidn’truleanycities,buttheQueenwenton:
“Itissilentnow.ButIhavestoodherewhenthewholeairwasfullofthenoisesofCharn;thetramplingoffeet,thecreakingofwheels,thecrackingofthewhipsandthegroaningofslaves,thethunderofchariots,andthesacrificialdrumsbeatinginthetemples.Ihavestoodhere(butthatwasneartheend)whentheroarofbattlewentupfromeverystreetandtheriverofCharnranred.”Shepausedandadded,“Allinonemomentonewomanblotteditoutforever.”
“Who?”saidDigoryinafaintvoice;buthehadalreadyguessedtheanswer.
“I,”saidtheQueen.“I,JadisthelastQueen,buttheQueenoftheWorld.”
Thetwochildrenstoodsilent,shiveringinthecoldwind.
“Itwasmysister’sfault,”saidtheQueen.“Shedrovemetoit.MaythecurseofallthePowersrestuponherforever!AtanymomentIwasreadytomakepeace-yesandtospareherlifetoo,ifonlyshewouldyieldmethethrone.Butshewouldnot.Herpridehasdestroyedthewholeworld.Evenafterthewarhadbegun,therewasasolemnpromisethatneithersidewoulduseMagic.Butwhenshebrokeherpromise,whatcouldIdo?Fool!AsifshedidnotknowthatIhadmoreMagicthanshe!SheevenknewthatIhadthesecretoftheDeplorableWord.Didshethink-shewasalwaysaweakling-thatIwouldnotuseit?”
“Whatwasit?”saidDigory.
“Thatwasthesecretofsecrets,”saidtheQueenJadis.“Ithadlongbeenknowntothegreatkingsofourracethattherewasawordwhich,ifspokenwiththeproperceremonies,woulddestroyalllivingthingsexcepttheonewhospokeit.Buttheancientkingswereweakandsoft—heartedandboundthemselvesandallwhoshouldcomeafterthemwithgreatoathsnevereventoseekaftertheknowledgeofthatword.ButIlearneditinasecretplaceandpaidaterriblepricetolearnit.Ididnotuseituntilsheforcedmetoit.Ifoughttoovercomeherbyeveryothermeans.Ipouredoutthebloodofmyarmieslikewater-”
“Beast!”mutteredPolly.
“Thelastgreatbattle,”saidtheQueen,“ragedforthreedayshereinCharnitself.ForthreedaysIlookeddownuponitfromthisveryspot.Ididnotusemypowertillthelastofmysoldiershadfallen,andtheaccursedwoman,mysister,attheheadofherrebelswashalfwayupthosegreatstairsthatleadupfromthecitytotheterrace.ThenIwaitedtillweweresoclosethatwecouldseeoneanother’sfaces.Sheflashedherhorrible,wickedeyesuponmeandsaid,‘Victory.’‘Yes,’saidI,‘Victory,butnotyours.’ThenIspoketheDeplorableWord.AmomentlaterIwastheonlylivingthingbeneaththesun.”
“Butthepeople?”gaspedDigory.
“Whatpeople,boy?”askedtheQueen.
“Alltheordinarypeople,”saidPolly,“who’dneverdoneyouanyharm.Andthewomen,andthechildren,andtheanimals.”
“Don’tyouunderstand?”saidtheQueen(stillspeakingtoDigory).“IwastheQueen.Theywereallmypeople.Whatelseweretheythereforbuttodomywill?”
https://www.du8.org https://www.shuhuangxs.com www.baquge.ccabxsw.net dingdianshu.com bxwx9.net
kenshu.tw pashuba.com quanshu.la
tlxsw.cc qudushu.net zaidudu.org
duyidu.org baquge.cc kenshuge.cc
qushumi.com xepzw.com 3dllc.net