csl.themagiciansnephew-第5部分

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t's　in　the　houses　that　people　talk；　and　do　things；　and　have　meals。　Nothing　goes　on　in　the　inbetween　places；　behind　the　walls　and　above　the　ceilings　and　under　the　floor；　or　in　our　own　tunnel。　But　when　you　e　out　of　our　tunnel　you　may　find　yourself　in　any　house。　I　think　we　can　get　out　of　this　place　into　jolly　well　Anywhere！　We　don't　need　to　jump　back　into　the　same　pool　we　came　up　by。　Or　not　just　yet。〃
　　
　　〃The　Wood　between　the　Worlds；〃　said　Polly　dreamily。　〃It　sounds　rather　nice。〃
　　
　　〃e　on；〃　said　Digory。　〃Which　pool　shall　we　try？〃
　　
　　〃Look　here；〃　said　Polly；　〃I'm　not　going　to　try　any　new　pool　till　we've　made　sure　that　we　can　get　back　by　the　old　one。　We're　not　even　sure　if　it'll　work　yet。〃
　　
　　〃Yes；〃　said　Digory。　〃And　get　caught　by　Uncle　Andrew　and　have　our　rings　taken　away　before　we've　had　any　fun。　No　thanks。〃
　　
　　〃Couldn't　we　just　go　part　of　the　way　down　into　our　own　pool；〃　said　Polly。　〃Just　to　see　if　it　works。　Then　if　it　does；　we'll　change　rings　and　e　up　again　before　we're　really　back　in　Mr　Ketterley's　study。〃
　　
　　〃Can　we　go　part　of　the　way　down？〃
　　
　　〃Well；　it　took　time　ing　up。　I　suppose　it'll　take　a　little　time　going　back。〃
　　
　　Digory　made　rather　a　fuss　about　agreeing　to　this；　but　he　had　to　in　the　end　because　Polly　absolutely　refused　to　do　any　exploring　in　new　worlds　until　she　had　made　sure　about　getting　back　to　the　old　one。　She　was　quite　as　brave　as　he　about　some　dangers　（wasps；　for　instance）　but　she　was　not　so　interested　in　finding　out　things　nobody　had　ever　heard　of　before；　for　Digory　was　the　sort　of　person　who　wants　to　know　everything；　and　when　he　grew　up　he　became　the　famous　Professor　Kirke　who　es　into　other　books。
　　
　　After　a　good　deal　of　arguing　they　agreed　to　put　on　their　green　rings　（〃Green　for　safety；〃　said　Digory；　〃so　you　can't　help　remembering　which　is　which〃）　and　hold　hands　and　jump。　But　as　soon　as　they　seemed　to　be　getting　back　to　Uncle　Andrew's　study；　or　even　to　their　own　world；　Polly　was　to　shout　〃Change〃　and　they　would　slip　off　their　greens　and　put　on　their　yellows。　Digory　wanted　to　be　the　one　who　shouted　〃Change〃　but　Polly　wouldn't　agree。
　　
　　They　put　on　the　green　rings；　took　hands；　and　once　more　shouted　〃One…Two…Three…Go〃。　This　time　it　worked。　It　is　very　hard　to　tell　you　what　it　felt　like；　for　everything　happened　so　quickly。　At　first　there　were　bright　lights　moving　about　in　a　black　sky；　Digory　always　thinks　these　were　stars　and　even　swears　that　he　saw　Jupiter　quite　close…close　enough　to　see　its　moon。　But　almost　at　once　there　were　rows　and　rows　of　roofs　and　chimney　pots　about　them；　and　they　could　see　St　Paul's　and　knew　they　were　looking　at　London。　But　you　could　see　through　the　walls　of　all　the　houses。　Then　they　could　see　Uncle　Andrew；　very　vague　and　shadowy；　but　getting　clearer　and　more　solid…looking　all　the　time；　just　as　if　he　were　ing　into　focus。　But　before　he　became　quite　real　Polly　shouted　〃Change〃；　and　they　did　change；　and　our　world　faded　away　like　a　dream；　and　the　green　light　above　grew　stronger　and　stronger；　till　their　heads　came　out　of　the　pool　and　they　scrambled　ashore。　And　there　was　the　wood　all　about　them；　as　green　and　bright　and　still　as　ever。　The　whole　thing　had　taken　less　than　a　minute。
　　
　　〃There！〃　said　Digory。　〃That's　alright。　Now　for　the　adventure。　Any　pool　will　do。　e　on。　Let's　try　that　one。〃
　　
　　〃Stop！〃　said　Polly…〃Aren't　we　going　to　mark　this　pool？〃
　　
　　They　stared　at　each　other　and　turned　quite　white　as　they　realized　the　dreadful　thing　that　Digory　had　just　been　going　to　do。　For　there　were　any　number　of　pools　in　the　wood；　and　the　pools　were　all　alike　and　the　trees　were　all　alike；　so　that　if　they　had　once　left　behind　the　pool　that　led　to　our　own　world　without　making　some　sort　of　landmark；　the　chances　would　have　been　a　hundred　to　one　against　their　ever　finding　it　again。
　　
　　Digory's　hand　was　shaking　as　he　opened　his　penknife　and　cut　out　a　long　strip　of　turf　on　the　bank　of　the　pool。　The　soil　（which　smelled　nice）　was　of　a　rich　reddish　brown　and　showed　up　well　against　the　green。　〃It's　a　good　thing　one　of　us　has　some　sense；〃　said　Polly。
　　
　　〃Well　don't　keep　on　gassing　about　it；〃　said　Digory。　〃e　along；　I　want　to　see　what's　in　one　of　the　other　pools。〃　And　Polly　gave　him　a　pretty　sharp　answer　and　he　said　something　even　nastier　in　reply。　The　quarrel　lasted　for　several　minutes　but　it　would　be　dull　to　write　it　all　down。　Let　us　skip　on　to　the　moment　at　which　they　stood　with　beating　hearts　and　rather　scared　faces　on　the　edge　of　the　unknown　pool　with　their　yellow　rings　on　and　held　hands　and　once　more　said　〃One…Two…Three…Go！〃
　　
　　Splash！　Once　again　it　hadn't　worked。　This　pool；　too；　appeared　to　be　only　a　puddle。　Instead　of　reaching　a　new　world　they　only　got　their　feet　wet　and　splashed　their　legs　for　the　second　time　that　morning　（if　it　was　a　morning：　it　seems　to　be　always　the　same　time　in　the　Wood　between　the　Worlds）。
　　
　　〃Blast　and　botheration！〃　exclaimed　Digory。　〃What's　gone　wrong　now？　We've　put　our　yellow　rings　on　all　right。　He　said　yellow　for　the　outward　journey。〃
　　
　　Now　the　truth　was　that　Uncle　Andrew；　who　knew　nothing　about　the　Wood　between　the　Worlds；　had　quite　a　wrong　idea　about　the　rings。　The　yellow　ones　weren't　〃outward〃　rings　and　the　green　ones　weren't　〃homeward〃　rings；　at　least；　not　in　the　way　he　thought。　The　stuff　of　which　both　were　made　had　all　e　from　the　wood。　The　stuff　in　the　yellow　rings　had　the　power　of　drawing　you　into　the　wood；　it　was　stuff　that　wanted　to　get　back　to　its　own　place；　the　in…between　place。　But　the　stuff　in　the　green　rings　is　stuff　that　is　trying　to　get　out　of　its　own　place：　so　that　a　green　ring　would　take　you　out　of　the　wood　into　a　world。　Uncle　Andrew；　you　see；　was　working　with　things　he　did　not　really　understand；　most　magicians　are。　Of　course　Digory　did　not　realize　the　truth　quite　clearly　either；　or　not　till　later。　But　when　they　had　talked　it　over；　they　decided　to　try　their　green　rings　on　the　new　pool；　just　to　see　what　happened。
　　
　　〃I'm　game　if　you　are；〃　said　Polly。　But　she　really　said　this　because；　in　her　heart　of　hearts；　she　now　felt　sure　that　neither　kind　of　ring　was　going　to　work　at　all　in　the　new　pool；　and　so　there　was　nothing　worse　to　be　afraid　of　than　another　splash。　I　am　not　quite　sure　that　Digory　had　not　the　same　feeling。　At　any　rate；　when　they　had　both　put　on　their　greens　and　e　back　to　the　edge　of　the　water；　and　taken　hands　again；　they　were　certainly　a　good　deal　more　cheerful　and　less　solemn　than　they　had　been　the　first　time。
　　
　　〃One…Two…Three…Go！〃　said　Digory。　And　they　jumped。
　　
　　
　　
　　　CHAPTER　FOUR
　　
　　THE　BELL　AND　THE　HAMMER
　　
　　THERE　was　no　doubt　about　the　Magic　this　time。　Down　and　down　they　rushed；　first　through　darkness　and　then　through　a　mass　of　vague　and　whirling　shapes　which　might　have　been　almost　anything。　It　grew　lighter。　Then　suddenly　they　felt　that　they　were　standing　on　something　solid。　A　moment　later　everything　came　into　focus　and　they　were　able　to　look　about　them。
　　
　　〃What　a　queer　place！〃　said　Digory。
　　
　　〃I　don't　like　it；〃　said　Polly　with　something　like　a　shudder。
　　
　　What　they　noticed　first　was　the　light。　It　wasn't　like　sunlight；　and　it　wasn't　like　electric　light；　or　lamps；　or　candles；　or　any　other　light　they　had　ever　seen。　It　was　a　dull；　rather　red　light；　not　at　all　cheerful。　It　was　steady　and　did　not　flicker。　They　were　standing　on　a　flat　paved　surface　and　buildings　rose　all　around　them。　There　was　no　roof　overhead；　they　were　in　a　sort　of　courtyard。　The　sky　was　extraordinarily　dark…a　blue　that　was　almost　black。　When　you　had　seen　that　sky　you　wondered　that　there　should　be　any　light　at　all。
　　
　　〃It's　very　funny　weather　here；〃　said　Digory。　〃I　wonder　if　we've　arrived　just　in　time　for　a　thunderstorm；　or　an　eclipse。〃
　　
　　〃I　don't　like　it；〃　said　Polly。
　　
　　Both　of　them；　without　quite　knowing　why；　were　talking　in　whispers。　And　though　there　was　no　reason　why　they　should　still　go　on　holding　hands　after　their　jump；　they　didn't　let　go。
　　
　　The　walls　rose　very　high　all　round　that　courtyard。　They　had　many　great　windows　in　them；　windows　without　glass；　through　which　you　saw　nothing　but　black　darkness。　Lower　down　there　were　great　pillared　arches；　yawning　blackly　like　the　mouths　of　railway　tunnels。　It　was　rather　cold。
　　
　　The　stone　of　which　everything　was　built　seemed　to　be　red；　but　that　might　only　be　because　of　the　curious　light。　It　was　obviously　very　old。　Many　of　the　flat　stones　that　paved　the　courtyard　had　cracks　across　them。　None　of　them　fitted　closely　together　and　the　sharp　corners　were　all　worn　off。　One　of　the　arched　doorways　was　half　filled　up　with　rubble。　The　two　children　kept　on　turning　round　and　round　to　look　at　the　different　sides　of　the　courtyard。　One　reason　was　that　they　were　afraid　of　somebody…or　something…looking　out　of　those　windows　at　them　when　their　backs　were　turned。
　　
　　〃Do　you　think　anyone　lives　here？〃　said　Digory　at　last；　still　in　a　whisper。
　　
　　〃No；〃　said　Polly。　〃It's　all　in　ruins。　We　haven't　heard　a　sound　since　we　came。〃
　　
　　〃Let's　stand　still　and　listen　for　a　bit；〃　suggested　Digory。
　　
　　They　stood　still　and　listened；　but　all　they　could　hear　was　the　thump…thump　of　their　own　hearts。　This　place　was　at　least　as　quiet　as　the　Wood　between　the　Worlds。　But　it　was　a　different　kind　of　quietness。　The　silence　of　the　Wood　had　been　rich　and　warm　（you　could　almost　hear　the　trees　growing）　and　full　of　life：　this　was　a　dead；　cold；　empty　silence。　You　couldn't　imagine　anything　growing　in　it。
　　
　　〃Let's　go　home；〃　said　Polly。
　　
　　〃But　we　haven't　seen　anything　yet；〃　said　Digory。　〃Now　we're　here；　we　simply　must　have　a　look　round。〃
　　
　　〃I'm　sure　there's　nothing　at　all　interesting　here。〃
　　
　　〃There's　not　much　point　in　finding　a　magic　ring　that　lets　you　into　other　worlds　if　you're　afraid　to　look　at　them　when　you've　got　there。〃
　　
　　〃Who's　talking　about　being　afraid？〃　said　Polly；　letting　go　of　Digory's　hand。
　　
　　〃I　only　thought　you　didn't　seem　very　keen　on　exploring　this　place。〃
　　
　　〃I'll　go　anywhere　you　go。〃
　　
　　〃We　can　get　away　the　moment　we　want　to；〃　said　Digory。　〃Let's　take　off　our　green　rings　and　put　them　in　our　right…hand　pockets。　All　we've　got　to　do　is　to　remember　that　o