THEREwasnodoubtabouttheMagicthistime.Downanddowntheyrushed,firstthroughdarknessandthenthroughamassofvagueandwhirlingshapeswhichmighthavebeenalmostanything.Itgrewlighter.Thensuddenlytheyfeltthattheywerestandingonsomethingsolid.Amomentlatereverythingcameintofocusandtheywereabletolookaboutthem.
“Whataqueerplace!”saidDigory.
“Idon’tlikeit,”saidPollywithsomethinglikeashudder.
Whattheynoticedfirstwasthelight.Itwasn’tlikesunlight,anditwasn’tlikeelectriclight,orlamps,orcandles,oranyotherlighttheyhadeverseen.Itwasadull,ratherredlight,notatallcheerful.Itwassteadyanddidnotflicker.Theywerestandingonaflatpavedsurfaceandbuildingsroseallaroundthem.Therewasnoroofoverhead;theywereinasortofcourtyard.Theskywasextraordinarilydark-abluethatwasalmostblack.Whenyouhadseenthatskyyouwonderedthatthereshouldbeanylightatall.
“It’sveryfunnyweatherhere,”saidDigory.“Iwonderifwe’vearrivedjustintimeforathunderstorm;oraneclipse.”
“Idon’tlikeit,”saidPolly.
Bothofthem,withoutquiteknowingwhy,weretalkinginwhispers.Andthoughtherewasnoreasonwhytheyshouldstillgoonholdinghandsaftertheirjump,theydidn’tletgo.
Thewallsroseveryhighallroundthatcourtyard.Theyhadmanygreatwindowsinthem,windowswithoutglass,throughwhichyousawnothingbutblackdarkness.Lowerdownthereweregreatpillaredarches,yawningblacklylikethemouthsofrailwaytunnels.Itwasrathercold.
Thestoneofwhicheverythingwasbuiltseemedtobered,butthatmightonlybebecauseofthecuriouslight.Itwasobviouslyveryold.Manyoftheflatstonesthatpavedthecourtyardhadcracksacrossthem.Noneofthemfittedcloselytogetherandthesharpcornerswereallwornoff.Oneofthearcheddoorwayswashalffilledupwithrubble.Thetwochildrenkeptonturningroundandroundtolookatthedifferentsidesofthecourtyard.Onereasonwasthattheywereafraidofsomebody-orsomething-lookingoutofthosewindowsatthemwhentheirbackswereturned.
“Doyouthinkanyoneliveshere?”saidDigoryatlast,stillinawhisper.
“No,”saidPolly.“It’sallinruins.Wehaven’theardasoundsincewecame.”
“Let’sstandstillandlistenforabit,”suggestedDigory.
Theystoodstillandlistened,butalltheycouldhearwasthethump-thumpoftheirownhearts.ThisplacewasatleastasquietastheWoodbetweentheWorlds.Butitwasadifferentkindofquietness.ThesilenceoftheWoodhadbeenrichandwarm(youcouldalmosthearthetreesgrowing)andfulloflife:thiswasadead,cold,emptysilence.Youcouldn’timagineanythinggrowinginit.
“Let’sgohome,”saidPolly.
“Butwehaven’tseenanythingyet,”saidDigory.“Nowwe’rehere,wesimplymusthavealookround.”
“I’msurethere’snothingatallinterestinghere.”
“There’snotmuchpointinfindingamagicringthatletsyouintootherworldsifyou’reafraidtolookatthemwhenyou’vegotthere.”
“Who’stalkingaboutbeingafraid?”saidPolly,lettinggoofDigory’shand.
“Ionlythoughtyoudidn’tseemverykeenonexploringthisplace.”
“I’llgoanywhereyougo.”
“Wecangetawaythemomentwewantto,”saidDigory.“Let’stakeoffourgreenringsandputtheminourright-handpockets.Allwe’vegottodoistorememberthatouryellowareinourleft-handpockets.Youcankeepyourhandasnearyourpocketasyoulike,butdon’tputitinoryou’lltouchyouryellowandvanish.”
Theydidthisandwentquietlyuptooneofthebigarcheddoorwayswhichledintotheinsideofthebuilding.Andwhentheystoodonthethresholdandcouldlookin,theysawitwasnotsodarkinsideastheyhadthoughtatfirst.Itledintoavast,shadowyhallwhichappearedtobeempty;butonthefarsidetherewasarowofpillarswitharchesbetweenthemandthroughthosearchestherestreamedinsomemoreofthesametired-lookinglight.Theycrossedthehall,walkingverycarefullyforfearofholesinthefloororofanythinglyingaboutthattheymighttripover.Itseemedalongwalk.Whentheyhadreachedtheothersidetheycameoutthroughthearchesandfoundthemselvesinanotherandlargercourtyard.
“Thatdoesn’tlookverysafe,”saidPolly,pointingataplacewherethewallbulgedoutwardandlookedasifitwerereadytofalloverintothecourtyard.Inoneplaceapillarwasmissingbetweentwoarchesandthebitthatcamedowntowherethetopofthepillaroughttohavebeenhungtherewithnothingtosupportit.Clearly,theplacehadbeendesertedforhundreds,perhapsthousands,ofyears.
“Ifit’slastedtillnow,Isupposeit’lllastabitlonger,”saidDigory.“Butwemustbeveryquiet.Youknowanoisesometimesbringsthingsdown-likeanavalancheintheAlps.”
Theywentonoutofthatcourtyardintoanotherdoorway,andupagreatflightofstepsandthroughvastroomsthatopenedoutofoneanothertillyouweredizzywiththemeresizeoftheplace.Everynowandthentheythoughttheyweregoingtogetoutintotheopenandseewhatsortofcountrylayaroundtheenormouspalace.Buteachtimetheyonlygotintoanothercourtyard.Theymusthavebeenmagnificentplaceswhenpeoplewerestilllivingthere.Inonetherehadoncebeenafountain.Agreatstonemonsterwithwide-spreadwingsstoodwithitsmouthopenandyoucouldstillseeabitofpipingatthebackofitsmouth,outofwhichthewaterusedtopour.Underitwasawidestonebasintoholdthewater;butitwasasdryasabone.Inotherplacestherewerethedrysticksofsomesortofclimbingplantwhichhadwounditselfroundthepillarsandhelpedtopullsomeofthemdown.Butithaddiedlongago.Andtherewerenoantsorspidersoranyoftheotherlivingthingsyouexpecttoseeinaruin;andwherethedryearthshowedbetweenthebrokenflagstonestherewasnograssormoss.
ItwasallsodrearyandallsomuchthesamethatevenDigorywasthinkingtheyhadbetterputontheiryellowringsandgetbacktothewarm,green,livingforestoftheIn-betweenplace,whentheycametotwohugedoorsofsomemetalthatmightpossiblybegold.Onestoodalittleajar.Soofcoursetheywenttolookin.Bothstartedbackanddrewalongbreath:forhereatlastwassomethingworthseeing.
Forasecondtheythoughttheroomwasfullofpeople-hundredsofpeople,allseated,andallperfectlystill.PollyandDigory,asyoumayguess,stoodperfectlystillthemselvesforagoodlongtime,lookingin.Butpresentlytheydecidedthatwhattheywerelookingatcouldnotberealpeople.Therewasnotamovementnorthesoundofabreathamongthemall.Theywerelikethemostwonderfulwaxworksyoueversaw.
ThistimePollytookthelead.TherewassomethinginthisroomwhichinterestedhermorethanitinterestedDigory:allthefigureswerewearingmagnificentclothes.Ifyouwereinterestedinclothesatall,youcouldhardlyhelpgoingintoseethemcloser.Andtheblazeoftheircoloursmadethisroomlook,notexactlycheerful,butatanyraterichandmajesticafterallthedustandemptinessoftheothers.Ithadmorewindows,too,andwasagooddeallighter.
Icanhardlydescribetheclothes.Thefigureswereallrobedandhadcrownsontheirheads.Theirrobeswereofcrimsonandsilverygreyanddeeppurpleandvividgreen:andtherewerepatterns,andpicturesofflowersandstrangebeasts,inneedleworkalloverthem.Preciousstonesofastonishingsizeandbrightnessstaredfromtheircrownsandhunginchainsroundtheirnecksandpeepedoutfromalltheplaceswhereanythingwasfastened.
“Whyhaven’ttheseclothesallrottedawaylongago?”askedPolly。
“Magic,”whisperedDigory.“Can’tyoufeelit?Ibetthiswholeroomisjuststiffwithenchantments.Icouldfeelitthemomentwecamein.”
“Anyoneofthesedresseswouldcosthundredsofpounds,”saidPolly。
ButDigorywasmoreinterestedinthefaces,andindeedthesewerewellworthlookingat.Thepeoplesatintheirstonechairsoneachsideoftheroomandthefloorwasleftfreedownthemiddle.Youcouldwalkdownandlookatthefacesinturn.
“Theywerenicepeople,Ithink,”saidDigory.
Pollynodded.Allthefacestheycouldseewerecertainlynice.Boththemenandwomenlookedkindandwise,andtheyseemedtocomeofahandsomerace.Butafterthechildrenhadgoneafewstepsdowntheroomtheycametofacesthatlookedalittledifferent.Thesewereverysolemnfaces.YoufeltyouwouldhavetomindyourP’sandQ’s,ifyouevermetlivingpeoplewholookedlikethat.Whentheyhadgonealittlefurther,theyfoundthemselvesamongfacestheydidn’tlike:thiswasaboutthemiddleoftheroom.Thefacesherelookedverystrongandproudandhappy,buttheylookedcruel.Alittlefurtherontheylookedcrueller.Furtheronagain,theywerestillcruelbuttheynolongerlookedhappy.Theywereevendespairingfaces:asifthepeopletheybelongedtohaddonedreadfulthingsandalsosuffereddreadfulthings.Thelastfigureofallwasthemostinteresting-awomanevenmorerichlydressedthantheothers,verytall(buteveryfigureinthatroomwastallerthanthepeopleofourworld),withalookofsuchfiercenessandpridethatittookyourbreathaway.Yetshewasbeautifultoo.Yearsafterwardswhenhewasanoldman,Digorysaidhehadneverinallhislifeknownawomansobeautiful.ItisonlyfairtoaddthatPollyalwayssaidshecouldn’tseeanythingspeciallybeautifulabouther.
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