“LETgo!Letgo!”screamedPolly.
“I’mnottouchingyou!”saidDigory.
Thentheirheadscameoutofthepooland,oncemore,thesunnyquietnessoftheWoodbetweentheWorldswasallaboutthem,anditseemedricherandwarmerandmorepeacefulthaneverafterthestalenessandruinoftheplacetheyhadjustleft.Ithinkthat,iftheyhadbeengiventhechance,theywouldagainhaveforgottenwhotheywereandwheretheycamefromandwouldhavelaindownandenjoyedthemselves,halfasleep,listeningtothegrowingofthetrees.Butthistimetherewassomethingthatkeptthemaswide-awakeaspossible:forassoonastheyhadgotoutontothegrass,theyfoundthattheywerenotalone.TheQueen,ortheWitch(whicheveryouliketocallher)hadcomeupwiththem,holdingonfastbyPolly’shair.ThatwaswhyPollyhadbeenshoutingout“Letgo!”
Thisproved,bytheway,anotherthingabouttheringswhichUncleAndrewhadn’ttoldDigorybecausehedidn’tknowithimself.Inordertojumpfromworldtoworldbyusingofthoseringsyoudon’tneedtobewearingortouchingityourself;itisenoughifyouaretouchingsomeonewhoistouchingit.Inthatwaytheyworklikeamagnet;andeveryoneknowsthatifyoupickupapinwithamagnet,anyotherpinwhichistouchingthefirstpinwillcometoo.
Nowthatyousawherinthewood,QueenJadislookeddifferent.Shewasmuchpalerthanshehadbeen;sopalethathardlyanyofherbeautywasleft.Andshewasstoopedandseemedtobefindingithardtobreathe,asiftheairofthatplacestifledher.Neitherofthechildrenfeltintheleastafraidofhernow.
“Letgo!Letgoofmyhair,”saidPolly.“Whatdoyoumeanbyit?”
“Here!Letgoofherhair.Atonce,”saidDigory.
Theybothturnedandstruggledwithher.Theywerestrongerthansheandinafewsecondstheyhadforcedhertoletgo.Shereeledback,panting,andtherewasalookofterrorinhereyes.
“Quick,Digory!”saidPolly.“Changeringsandinto’thehomepool.”
“Help!Help!Mercy!”criedtheWitchinafaintvoice,staggeringafterthem.“Takemewithyou.Youcannot.Meantoleavemeinthishorribleplace.Itiskillingme.”
“It’sareasonofState,”saidPollyspitefully.“Likewhenyoukilledallthosepeopleinyourownworld.Dobequick,Digory.”Theyhadputontheirgreenrings,butDigorysaid:
“Ohbother!Whatarewetodo?”Hecouldn’thelpfeelingalittlesorryfortheQueen.
“Ohdon’tbesuchanass,”saidPolly.“Tentooneshe’sonlyshamming.Docomeon.”Andthenbothchildrenplungedintothehomepool.“It’sagoodthingwemadethatmark,”thoughtPolly.ButastheyjumpedDigoryfeltthatalargecoldfingerandthumbhadcaughthimbytheear.Andastheysankdownandtheconfusedshapesofourownworldbegantoappear,thegripofthatfingerandthumbgrewstronger.TheWitchwasapparentlyrecoveringherstrength.Digorystruggledandkicked,butitwasnotoftheleastuse.InamomenttheyfoundthemselvesinUncleAndrew’sstudy;andtherewasUncleAndrewhimself,staringatthewonderfulcreaturethatDigoryhadbroughtbackfrombeyondtheworld.
Andwellhemightstare.DigoryandPollystaredtoo.TherewasnodoubtthattheWitchhadgotoverherfaintness;andnowthatonesawherinourownworld,withordinarythingsaroundher,shefairlytookone’sbreathaway.InCharnshehadbeenalarmingenough:inLondon,shewasterrifying.Foronething,theyhadnotrealizedtillnowhowverybigshewas.“Hardlyhuman”waswhatDigorythoughtwhenhelookedather;andhemayhavebeenright,forsomesaythereisgiantishbloodintheroyalfamilyofCharn.Butevenherheightwasnothingcomparedwithherbeauty,herfierceness,andherwildness.ShelookedtentimesmorealivethanmostofthepeopleonemeetsinLondon.UncleAndrewwasbowingandrubbinghishandsandlooking,to
tellthetruth,extremelyfrightened.HeseemedalittleshrimpofacreaturebesidetheWitch.Andyet,asPollysaidafterwards,therewasasortoflikenessbetweenherfaceandhis,somethingintheexpression.ItwasthelookthatallwickedMagicianshave,the“Mark”whichJadishadsaidshecouldnotfindinDigory’sface.OnegoodthingaboutseeingthetwotogetherwasthatyouwouldneveragainbeafraidofUncleAndrew,anymorethanyou’dbeafraidofawormafteryouhadmetarattlesnakeorafraidofacowafteryouhadmetamadbull.
“Pooh!”thoughtDigorytohimself.“HimaMagician!
Notmuch.Nowshe’stherealthing.”
UncleAndrewkeptonrubbinghishandsandbowing.Hewastryingtosaysomethingverypolite,buthismouthhadgonealldrysothathecouldnotspeak.His“experiment”withtherings,ashecalledit,wasturningoutmoresuccessfulthanheliked:forthoughhehaddabbledinMagicforyearshehadalwaysleftallthedangers(asfarasonecan)tootherpeople.Nothingatalllikethishadeverhappenedtohimbefore.
ThenJadisspoke;notveryloud,buttherewassomethinginhervoicethatmadethewholeroomquiver.
“WhereistheMagicianwhohascalledmeintothisworld?”
“Ah-ah-Madam,”gaspedUncleAndrew,“Iammosthonoured-highlygratified-amostunexpected,pleasure-ifonlyIhadhadtheopportunityofmakinganypreparations-I-I-”
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