CHAPTER THIRTEEN UNDERLAND WITHOUT THE QUEEN（第2/3页）

And they all did as the Prince had said. But when Scrubb shook hands with Jill，he said，“So long，Jill. Sorry I’ve been a funk and so ratty. I hope you get safe home,”and Jill said，“So long，Eustace. And I’m sorry I’ve been such a pig.”And this was the first time they had ever used Christian names，because one didn’t do it at school.

The Prince unlocked the door and they all went down the stairs：three of them with drawn swords，and Jill with drawn knife. The attendants had vanished and the great room at the foot of the Prince’s stairs was empty. The grey，doleful lamps were still burning and by their light they had no difficulty in passing gallery after gallery and descending stairway after stairway. The noises from outside the castle were not so easily heard here as they had been in the room above. Inside the house all was still as death，and deserted. It was as they turned a corner into the great hall on the ground floor that they met their first Earthman-a fat， whitish creature with a very piglike face who was gobbling up all the remains of food on the tables. It squealed（the squeal also was very like a pig’s）and darted under a bench，whisking its long tail out of Puddleglum’s reach in the nick of time. Then it rushed away through the far door too quickly to be followed.

From the hall they came out into the courtyard. Jill，who went to a riding school in the holidays，had just noticed the smell of a stable（a very nice，honest，homely smell it is to meet in a place like Underland）when Eustace said，“Great Scott ！ Look at that ！ ”A magnificent rocket had risen from somewhere beyond the castle walls and broken into green stars.

“Fireworks ！ ”said Jill in a puzzled voice.

“Yes,”said Eustace，“but you can’t imagine those Earth people letting them off for fun ！ It must be a signal.”

“And means no good to us，I’ll be bound,”said Puddleglum.

“Friends,”said the Prince，“when once a man is launched on such an adventure as this，he must bid farewell to hopes and fears，otherwise death or deliverance will both come too late to save his honour and his reason. Ho，my beauties”（he was now opening the stable door）. “Hey cousins ！ Steady，Coalblack ！ Softly now，Snowflake ！ You are not forgotten.”

The horses were both frightened by the strange lights and the noises. Jill，who had been so cowardly about going through a black hole betweeen one cave and another，went in without fear between the stamping and snorting beasts，and she and the Prince had them saddled and bridled in a few minutes. Very fine they looked as they came out into the courtyard，tossing their heads. Jill mounted Snowflake，and Puddleglum got up behind her. Eustace got up behind the Prince on Coalblack. Then with a great echo of hoofs，they rode out of the main gateway into the street.

“Not much danger of being burnt. That’s the bright side of it,”observed Puddleglum，pointing to their right. There，hardly a hundred yards away，lapping against the walls of the houses，was water.

“Courage ！”said the Prince. “The road there goes down steeply. That water has climbed only half up the greatest hill in the city. It might come so near in the first half-hour and come no nearer in the next two. My fear is more of that-”and he pointed with his sword to a great tall Earthman with boar’s tusks，followed by six others of assorted shapes and sizes who had just dashed out of a side street and stepped into the shadow of the houses where no one could see them.

The Prince led them，aiming always in the direction of the glowing red light but a little to the left of it. His plan was to get round the fire（if it was a fire）on to high ground，in hope that they might find their way to the new diggings. Unlike the other three，he seemed to be almost enjoying himself. He whistled as he rode，and sang snatches of an old song about Corin Thunder-fist of Archenland. The truth is，he was so glad at being free from his long enchantment that all dangers seemed a game in comparison. But the rest found it an eerie journey.

Behind them was the sound of clashing and entangled ships， and the rumble of collapsing buildings. Overhead was the great patch of lurid light on the roof of the Underworld. Ahead was the mysterious glow，which did not seem to grow any bigger. From the same direction came a continual hubbub of shouts，screams， cat-calls，laughter，squeals，and bellowings；and fireworks of all sorts rose in the dark air. No one could guess what they meant. Nearer to them，the city was partly lit up by the red glow，and partly by the very different light of the dreary Gnome lamps. But there were many places where neither of these lights fell，and those places were jet-black. And in and out of those places the shapes of Earthmen were darting and slipping all the time，always with their eyes fixed on the travellers，always trying to keep out of sight themselves. There were big faces and little faces，huge eyes like fishes’ eyes and little eyes like bears. There were feathers and bristles，horns and tusks，noses like whipcord，and chins so long that they looked like beards. Every now and then a group of them would get too big or come too near. Then the Prince would brandish his sword and make a show of charging them. And the creatures， with all manner of hootings，squeakings，and cluckings，would dive away into the darkness.

But when they had climbed many steep streets and were far away from the flood，and almost out of the town on the inland side， it began to be more serious. They were now close to the red glow and nearly on a level with it，though they still could not see what it really was. But by its light they could see their enemies more clearly. Hundreds—perhaps a few thousands—of gnomes were all moving towards it. But they were doing so in short rushes，and whenever they stopped，they turned and faced the travellers.

“If your Highness asked me,”said Puddleglum，“I’d say those fellows were meaning to cut us off in front.”

“That was my thought too，Puddleglum,”said the Prince. “And we can never fight our way through so many. Hark you ！ Let us ride forth close by the edge of yonder house. And even as we reach it，do you slip off into its shadow. The Lady and I will go forward a few paces. Some of these devils will follow us，I doubt not； they are thick behind us. Do you，who have long arms，take one alive if you may，as it passes your ambush. We may get a true tale of it or learn what is their quarrel against us.”

“But won’t the others all come rushing at us to rescue the one we catch,”said Jill in a voice not so steady as she tried to make it.

“Then，Madam,”said the Prince，“you shall see us die fighting around you，and you must commend yourself to the Lion. Now，good Puddleglum.”

The Marsh-wiggle slipped off into the shadow as quickly as a cat. The others，for a sickening minute or so，went forward at a walk. Then suddenly from behind them there broke out a series of blood-curdling screams，mixed with the familiar voice of Puddleglum，saying，“Now then ！ Don’t cry out before you’re hurt，or you will be hurt，see ？ Anyone would think it was a pig being killed.”