《銀椅》第11章:在黑暗的城堡裏
WHEN the meal (which was pigeon pie, cold ham, salad, and cakes) had been brought, and all had drawn their chairs up to the table and begun, the Knight continued:
"You must understand, friends, that I know nothing of who I was and whence I came into this Dark World. I remember no time when I was not dwelling, as now, at the court of this all but heavenly Queen; but my thought is that she saved me from some evil enchantment and brought me hither of her exceeding bounty. (Honest Frogfoot, your cup is empty. Suffer me to refill it.) And this seems to me the likelier because even now I am bound by a spell, from which my Lady alone can free me. Every night there comes an hour when my mind is most horribly changed, and, after my mind, my body. For first I become furious and wild and would rush upon my dearest friends to kill them, if I were not bound. And soon after that, I turn into the likeness of a great serpent, hungry, fierce, and deadly. (Sir, be pleased to take another breast of pigeon, I entreat you.) So they tell me, and they certainly speak truth, for my Lady says the same. I myself know nothing of it, for when my hour is past I awake forgetful of all that vile fit and in my proper shape and sound mind - saving that I am somewhat wearied. (Little lady, eat one of these honey cakes, which are brought for me from some barbarous land in the far south of the world.) Now the Queen's majesty knows by her art that I shall be freed from this enchantment when once she has made me king of a land in the Overworld and set its crown upon my head. The land is already chosen and the very place of our breaking out. Her Earthmen have worked day and night digging a way beneath it, and have now gone so far and so high that they tunnel not a score of feet beneath the very grass on which the Updwellers of that country walk. It will be very soon now that those Uplanders' fate will come upon them. She herself is at the diggings tonight, and I expect a message to go to her. Then the thin roof of earth which still keeps me from my kingdom will be broken through, and with her to guide me and a thousand Earthmen at my back, I shall ride forth in arms, fall suddenly on our enemies, slay their chief men, cast down their strong places, and doubtless be their crowned king within four and twenty hours."
"It's a bit rough luck on them, isn't it?" said Scrubb.
"Thou art a lad of a wondrous, quick-working wit!" exclaimed the Knight. "For, on my honour, I had never thought of it so before. I see your meaning." He looked slightly, very slightly troubled for a moment or two; but his face soon cleared and he broke out, with another of his loud laughs, "But fie on gravity! Is it not the most comical and ridiculous thing in the world to think of them all going about their business and never dreaming that under their peaceful fields and floors, only a fathom down, there is a great army ready to break out upon them like a fountain! And they never to have suspected! Why, they themselves, when once the first smart of their defeat is over, can hardly choose but laugh at the thought!"
"I don't think it's funny at all," said Jill. "I think you'll be a wicked tyrant."
"What?" said the Knight, still laughing and patting her head in a quite infuriating fashion. "Is our little maid a deep politician? But never fear, sweetheart. In ruling that land, I shall do all by the counsel of my Lady, who will then be my Queen too. Her word shall be my law, even as my word will be law to the people we have conquered."
"Where I come from," said Jill, who was disliking him more every minute, "they don't think much of men who are bossed about by their wives."
"Shalt think otherwise when thou hast a man of thine own, I warrant you," said the Knight, apparently thinking this very funny. "But with my Lady, it is another matter. I am well content to live by her word, who has already saved me from a thousand dangers. No mother has taken pains more tenderly for her child, than the Queen's grace has for me. Why, look you, amid all her cares and business, she rideth out with me in the Overworld many a time and oft to accustom my eyes to the sunlight. And then I must go fully armed and with visor down, so that no man may see my face, and I must speak to no one. For she has found out by art magical that this would hinder my deliverance from the grievous enchantment I lie under. Is not that a lady worthy of a man's whole worship?"
"Sounds a very nice lady indeed," said Puddleglum in a voice which meant exactly the opposite.
They were thoroughly tired of the Knight's talk before they had finished supper. Puddleglum was thinking, "I wonder what game that witch is really playing with this young fool." Scrubb was thinking, "He's a great baby, really: tied to that woman's apron strings; he's a sap." And Jill was thinking, "He's the silliest, most conceited, selfish pig I've met for a long time." But when the meal was over, the Knight's mood had changed. There was no more laughter about him.
"Friends," he said, "my hour is now very near. I am ashamed that you should see me yet I dread being left alone. They will come in presently and bind me hand and foot to yonder chair. Alas, so it must be: for in my fury, they tell me, I would destroy all that I could reach."
"I say," said Scrubb, "I'm awfully sorry about your enchantment of course, but what will those fellows do to us when they come to bind you? They talked of putting us in prison. And we don't like all those dark places very much. We'd much rather stay here till you're . . . better . . . if we may."
"It is well thought of," said the Knight. "By custom none but the Queen herself remains with me in my evil hour. Such is her tender care for my honour that she would not willingly suffer any ears but her own to hear the words I utter in that frenzy. But I could not easily persuade my attendant gnomes that you should be left with me. And I think I hear their soft feet even now upon the stairs. Go through yonder door: it leads into my other apartments. And there, either await my coming when they have unbound me; or, if you will, return and sit with me in my ravings."
They followed his directions and passed out of the room by a door which they had not yet seen opened. It brought them, they were pleased to see, not into darkness but into a lighted corridor. They tried various doors and found (what they very badly needed) water for washing and even a looking glass. "He never offered us a wash before supper," said Jill, drying her face. "Selfish, selfcentred pig."
"Are we going back to watch the enchantment, or shall we stay here?" said Scrubb.
"Stay here, I vote," said Jill. "I'd much rather not see it." But she felt a little inquisitive all the same.
"No, go back," said Puddleglum. "We may pick up some information, and we need all we can get. I am sure that Queen is a witch and an enemy. And those Earthmen would knock us on the head as soon as look at us. There's a stronger smell of danger and lies and magic and treason about this land than I've ever smelled before. We need to keep our eyes and ears open."
They went back down the corridor and gently pushed the door open. "It's all right," said Scrubb, meaning that there were no Earthmen about. Then they all came back into the room where they had supped.
The main door was now shut, concealing the curtain between which they had first entered. The Knight was seated in a curious silver chair, to which he was bound by his ankles, his knees, his elbows, his wrists, and his waist. There was sweat on his forehead and his face was filled with anguish.
"Come in, friends," he said, glancing quickly up. "The fit is not yet upon me. Make no noise, for I told that prying chamberlain that you were in bed. Now . . . I can feel it coming. Quick! Listen while I am master of myself. When the fit is upon me, it well may be that I shall beg and implore you, with entreaties and threatenings, to loosen my bonds. They say I do. I shall call upon you by all that is most dear and most dreadful. But do not listen to me. Harden your hearts and stop your ears. For while I am bound you are safe. But if once I were up and out of this chair, then first would come my fury, and after that" - he shuddered - "the change into a loathsome serpent."
"There's no fear of our loosing you," said Puddleglum. "We've no wish to meet wild men; or serpents either."
"I should think not," said Scrubb and Jill together.
"All the same," added Puddleglum in a whisper. "Don't let's be too sure. Let's be on our guard. We've muffed everything else, you know. He'll be cunning, I shouldn't wonder, once he gets started. Can we trust one another? Do we all promise that whatever he says we don't touch those cords? Whatever he says, mind you?"
"Rather!" said Scrubb.
"There's nothing in the world he can say or do that'll make me change my mind," said Jill.
"Hush! Something's happening," said Puddleglum.
The Knight was moaning. His face was as pale as putty, and he writhed in his bonds. And whether because she was sorry for him, or for some other reason, Jill thought that he looked a nicer sort of man than he had looked before.
"Ah," he groaned. "Enchantments, enchantments . . . the heavy, tangled, cold, clammy web of evil magic. Buried alive. Dragged down under the earth, down into the sooty blackness . . . how many years is it? . . . Have I lived ten years, or a thousand years, in the pit? Maggotmen all around me. Oh, have mercy. Let me out, let me go back. Let me feel the wind and see the sky . . . There used to be a little pool. When you looked down into it you could see all the trees growing upside-down in the water, all green, and below them, deep, very deep, the blue sky."
He had been speaking in a low voice; now he looked up, fixed his eyes upon them, and said loud and clear:
"Quick! I am sane now. Every night I am sane. If only I could get out of this enchanted chair, it would last. I should be a man again. But every night they bind me, and so every night my chance is gone. But you are not enemies. I am not your prisoner. Quick! Cut these cords."
"Stand fast! Steady," said Puddleglum to the two children.
"I beseech you to hear me," said the Knight, forcing himself to speak calmly. "Have they told you that if I am released from this chair I shall kill you and become a serpent? I see by your faces that they have. It is a lie. It is at this hour that I am in my right mind: it is all the rest of the day that I am enchanted. You are not Earthmen nor witches. Why should you be on their side? Of your courtesy, cut my bonds."
"Steady! Steady! Steady!" said the three travellers to one another.
"Oh, you have hearts of stone," said the Knight. "Believe me, you look upon a wretch who has suffered almost more than any mortal can bear. What wrong have I ever done you, that you should side with my enemies to keep me in such miseries? And the minutes are slipping past. Now you can save me; when this hour has passed, I shall be witless again - the toy and lap-dog, nay, more likely the pawn and tool, of the most devilish sorceress that ever planned the woe of men. And this night, of all nights, when she is away! You take from me a chance that may never come again."
"This is dreadful. I do wish we'd stayed away till it was over," said Jill.
"Steady!" said Puddleglum.
The prisoner's voice was now rising into a shriek. "Let me go, I say. Give me my sword. My sword! Once I am free I shall take such revenge on Earthmen that Underland will talk of it for a thousand years!"
"Now the frenzy is beginning," said Scrubb. "I hope those knots are all right."
"Yes," said Puddleglum. "He'd have twice his natural strength if he got free now. And I'm not clever with my sword. He'd get us both, I shouldn't wonder; and then Pole on her own would be left to tackle the snake."
The prisoner was now so straining at his bonds that they cut into his wrists and ankles. "Beware," he said. "Beware. One night I did break them. But the witch was there that time. You will not have her to help you tonight. Free me now, and I am your friend. I'm your mortal enemy else."
"Cunning, isn't he?" said Puddleglum.
"Once and for all," said the prisoner, "I adjure you to set me free. By all fears and all loves, by the bright skies of Overland, by the great Lion, by Aslan himself, I charge you -"
"Oh!" cried the three travellers as though they had been hurt. "It's the sign," said Puddleglum. "It was the words of the sign," said Scrubb more cautiously. "Oh, what are we to do?" said Jill.
It was a dreadful question. What had been the use of promising one another that they would not on any account set the Knight free, if they were now to do so the first time he happened to call upon a name they really cared about? On the other hand, what had been the use of learning the signs if they weren't going to obey them? Yet could Aslan have really meant them to unbind anyone even a lunatic - who asked it in his name? Could it be a mere accident? Or how if the Queen of the Underworld knew all about the signs and had made the Knight learn this name simply in order to entrap them? But then, supposing this was the real sign? . . . They had muffed three already; they daren't muff the fourth.
"Oh, if only we knew!" said Jill.
"I think we do know," said Puddleglum.
"Do you mean you think everything will come right if we do untie him?" said Scrubb.
"I don't know about that," said Puddleglum. "You see, Aslan didn't tell Pole what would happen. He only told her what to do. That fellow will be the death of us once he's up, I shouldn't wonder. But that doesn't let us off following the sign."
They all stood looking at one another with bright eyes. It was a sickening moment. "All right!" said Jill suddenly. "Let's get it over. Good-bye, everyone ...!" They all shook hands. The Knight was screaming by now; there was foam on his cheeks.
"Come on, Scrubb," said Puddleglum. He and Scrubb drew their swords and went over to the captive.
"In the name of Aslan," they said and began methodically cutting the cords. The instant the prisoner was free, he crossed the room in a single bound, seized his own sword (which had been taken from him and laid on the table), and drew it.
"You first!" he cried and fell upon the silver chair. That must have been a good sword. The silver gave way before its edge like string, and in a moment a few twisted fragments, shining on the floor, were all that was left. But as the chair broke, there came from it a bright flash, a sound like small thunder, and (for one moment) a loathsome smell.
"Lie there, vile engine of sorcery," he said, "lest your mistress should ever use you for another victim." Then he turned and surveyed his rescuers; and the something wrong, whatever it was, had vanished from his face.
"What?" he cried, turning to Puddleglum. "Do I see before me a Marsh-wiggle - a real, live, honest, Narnian Marsh-wiggle?"
"Oh, so you have heard of Narnia after all?" said Jill.
"Had I forgotten it when I was under the spell?" asked the Knight. "Well, that and all other bedevilments are now over. You may well believe that I know Narnia, for I am Rilian, Prince of Narnia, and Caspian the great King is my father."
"Your Royal Highness," said Puddleglum, sinking on one knee (and the children did the same), "we have come hither for no other end than to seek you."
"And who are you, my other deliverers?" said the Prince to Scrubb and Jill.
"We were sent by Aslan himself from beyond the world's end to seek your Highness," said Scrubb. "I am Eustace who sailed with him to the island of Ramandu."
"I owe all three of you a greater debt than I can ever pay," said Prince Rilian. "But my father? Is he yet alive?"
"He sailed east again before we left Narnia, my lord," said Puddleglum. "But your Highness must consider that the King is very old. It is ten to one his Majesty must die on the voyage."
"He is old, you say. How long then have I been in the power of the witch?'
"It is more than ten years since your Highness was lost in the woods at the north side of Narnia."
"Ten years!" said the Prince, drawing his hand across his face as if to rub away the past. "Yes, I believe you. For now that I am myself I can remember that enchanted life, though while I was enchanted I could not remember my true self. And now, fair friends - but wait! I hear their feet (does it not sicken a man, that padding woolly tread! faugh!) on the stairs. Lock the door, boy. Or stay. I have a better thought than that. I will fool these Earthmen, if Aslan gives me the wit. Take your cue from me."
He walked resolutely to the door and flung it wide open.
“你們一定得明白，朋友們，我並不知道自己是誰，什麼時候來到這黑暗世界。我不記得住進這位簡直舉世無雙的女王王宮之前的一切；但我的想法是她把我從邪惡的魔法裏救出來，非常慷慨地把我帶到這兒。(可敬的青蛙腳，你的酒杯空了，允許我替你斟滿吧。)我覺得，這點似乎可能性大些，因爲即使到現在，我還是受魔法的約束，只有夫
人能使我解脫。每天晚上都有一小時，我頭腦裏會起可怕的變化，先是頭腦，後是身體。開頭我會暴跳如雷，拼命撒野，如果不把我綁起來，我會衝到我最親愛的朋友身邊殺了他們。過後不久，我就變成類似一條大毒蛇的東西，又餓，又兇，又厲害。(閣下，請你再吃一塊鴿胸肉吧。)他們這麼告訴我，他們當然說的是真話，因爲夫人也這麼說。我本人則對此一無所知，因爲過了這一個小時，我醒來時已經忘記了那一切惡性發作，而且恢復了原形，腦子也清楚了——只是有點兒累。(小姐，吃一塊這種蜜糕吧，這是從世界上很遠的南方什麼蠻荒地方帶來給我的。)現在女王陛下憑法術知道，一旦她讓我成爲上面世界一個國家的國王，爲我加冕，我就從魔法裏解脫出來了。那個國家已經選好了。還有我們破土而出的那個地方。她的地下人日日夜夜都在幹活，在那個地方下面挖一條路，這條路已經挖得很遠很高，離那個國家的上界居民走路的草地已不到二十英尺了。不久上界人的命運就要突變。女王本人今晚也親自去挖了，我希望給她送個信。到那時把我和我的王國隔開的地面這層薄薄的頂層就要打通，前面有她爲我帶路，後面有一千地下人撐腰，我就要全副武裝，騎馬上陣，出其不意撲到我們的敵人身上，把他們的首領殺掉，掃平他們的據點，毫無疑義，在二十四小時之內就加冕做他們的國王。”
“那他們就有點倒黴了吧?”斯克羅布說。
“你這孩子頭腦非常敏捷，”騎士失聲喊道，“因爲，憑良心說，我以前就從來沒想到這點，我明白你的意思。”一時他看上去有一點點煩惱的樣子；但他臉色很快就開朗了，又響亮地哈哈大笑起來。“呸，別一本正經了!想想看，他們全都在忙着自己的事，做夢也沒想到在他們那寧靜的田野和地板下面，只有六英尺以下，就有一支大軍，準備着像噴泉一樣衝出來打他們，這豈不是世界上最滑稽可笑的事嗎?而且他們根本不會懷疑!嗨，他們吃過第一個大敗仗的苦頭之後就只好對這個妙計付之一笑了。”
“我認爲這一點兒都不可笑，”吉爾說，“我認爲你會當個惡毒的暴君。”
“什麼?”騎士說着，一邊還是笑個不停，一邊激怒地拍拍她腦袋，“我們這位小姐竟是個深謀遠慮的政治家?不過別害怕，寶貝兒。在統治那個國家時，我一切都要跟夫人商量，那時她也是我的王后了。她的話就是我的法律，甚至就像我的話將成爲我們征服的人民的法律一樣。”
“我來的那個地方，”吉爾說，她越來越不喜歡他了，“他們可看不起被自己老婆指揮的男人。”
“等你有了你自己的男人，包管你就不會那樣想了。”騎士說，顯然認爲這話十分有趣，“不過跟夫人在一起，那是另一回事。我甘心情願根據她的命令生活，她已經把我從無數次危險中拯救出來。沒有一個母親像女王陛下對我那樣親切地爲孩子盡力。咳，聽着，儘管她操勞的事這麼多，還是常常陪我騎馬到上面世界去，讓我眼睛習慣陽光。那時我必須披甲掛胄，拉下面罩，這樣就沒人能看見我的臉，而且我千萬不能跟任何人說話。因爲她憑法術看出這樣會妨礙我從可惡的魔法下解脫出來。難道那麼一位夫人不值得男人全心全意崇拜嗎?”
“聽上去確實是一位非常好的夫人。”普德格倫說話的嗓音意味着他說的全是反話。"
他們還沒吃完晚飯就對騎士的話厭煩透了。普德格倫心想，“我真想知道那個女巫究竟在這個小傻瓜身上搞了什麼鬼把戲。”斯克羅布心想，“他真是一個大活寶：被那個女人牽着鼻子走：他是個笨蛋。”吉爾心想，“我好久沒見過他這麼愚蠢，這麼自負，這麼自私的粗坯了。”但等吃過飯以後，騎士的態度就改變了，再也聽不見他笑了。
“朋友們，”他說，“我的時辰已經很近了，讓你們看見我那副模樣，我真羞愧，然而我又怕一個人待着。他們很快就要來把我手腳綁在那邊的椅子上。唉，一定得那樣幹：因爲他們告訴我，我發起火來會把夠得到的一切都毀掉。”
“聽着，”斯克羅布說，“我對你中了魔法當然感到非常遺憾，但那些傢伙來綁你的時候又會怎樣對待我們呢?他們說過要把我們關到牢裏。我們可不大喜歡那種黑暗的地方。如果可以的話，我們寧可待在這兒，直到你……好轉。”
“考慮得很周到，”騎士說，“習慣上，在我不幸發作的時刻裏只有女王留在我身邊。她對我的名譽如此關心體貼，除了她本人，她不願讓任何人聽見我在昏亂中說的那些話。但我不容易說服那些小精靈隨從讓你們留在這兒陪我。而且我想我現在已經聽見樓梯上有他們輕柔的腳步聲了。你們從那邊的門出去，門通向我另外的房間。你們或者在那兒等到他們給我鬆綁以後我過來；或者，你們願意的話，在我說胡話的時候回到這兒來坐下陪着我。”
他們按照他的指點，從一扇沒看見開過的門裏走出房間。他們看到這扇門不是通向黑暗，而是通向一條有燈的走廊，心裏很高興。他們試着打開各扇門，找到了他們迫切需要用來洗洗臉的水，甚至還有一面鏡子。“晚飯前他根本沒請我們來洗一洗，”吉爾說着把臉擦乾，“真是自私自利的粗坯。”
“我們回去看魔法嗎?還是待在這兒?”斯克羅布說。
“我主張待在這兒，”吉爾說，“我情願不看見這種事情。”但她心裏還是覺得有點兒好奇。
“不，回去，”普德格倫說，“我們可能會打聽到一些消息，而我們需要一切能得到的消息。我肯定那女王是個女巫，是敵人。而那些地下人一看見我們就會把我們打死。這地方充滿了危險、謊言、魔法和反叛的氣味，比我以前聞到的更強烈。我們需要多提防着點兒。”
他們從走廊走回去，輕輕推開門，“好了。”斯克羅布說，意思是那裏沒有地下人了。於是他們全都回到他們吃晚飯的那問房間裏。
那扇大門這會兒已經關上了，遮住了他們最初進來時走過的門簾。騎士坐在一張古怪的銀椅上，腳踝、膝部、肘部、手腕和腰部都綁在椅子上。他前額上全是汗，臉上神情非常痛苦。
“進來，朋友們，”他說，一邊趕快看了他們一眼，“我還沒開始發作。你們別出聲，因爲我告訴那愛打聽的侍從你們已經睡覺去了。現在……我能感覺到就要發作了。快，趁我還作得了自己的主，聽我說。當我發作時，我很可能會哀求你們，懇求你們給我鬆綁，又是軟磨又是恐嚇。他們說我會這樣做。我會用一切最可愛和最可怕的話請求你們。但你們別聽我的話。硬起心腸，堵起耳朵。因爲我被綁着的時候你們就安全。但要是我一旦站起來，離開了這張椅子，那麼我首先就要狂怒，過後”——他渾身發抖——“就變成一條可惡的毒蛇。”
“不用害怕我們放了你，”普德格倫說，“我們不希望遇見瘋子，也不希望遇見毒蛇。”
“我也不想。”斯克羅布和吉爾異口同聲說。
普德格倫悄悄說：“我們還是別太相信。要多留神。你們知道我們已經把別的一切都錯過了。一旦他發作起來，他會很狡猾，這我不會奇怪。我們彼此信得過嗎?我們大家不是都保證過無論他說什麼，我們都不碰那些繩子嗎?無論他說什麼?”
“當然啦!”斯克羅布說。
“無論他說什麼幹什麼都不能讓我改變主意。”吉爾說。
“噓，發生什麼事了?”普德格倫說。
那騎士正在呻吟。他臉如死灰，身子在五花大綁中扭動。吉爾不知是不是爲他難過，還是別的原因，竟覺得他比先前看上去更像個好點的人了。
“啊，”他呻吟道，“魔法，魔法……沉重，混亂，又冷又溼，邪惡的魔法網。活埋了。拖到地下，拖到黑暗裏……有多少年了……我在這地獄裏住了十年還是一千年?周圍全是怪物。哦，可憐可憐吧。讓我出去，讓我回去。讓我感受到風吹，看看天空……那兒以前有一個小水塘。你往水塘裏看，就能看見所有的樹在水中的倒影，一片綠色，樹下面深處是藍藍的天。”
他一直在低聲說話；這會兒他擡起頭來，眼睛盯着他們，響亮而清楚地說：
“快!我現在神志清醒了。每天晚上我都是清醒的。只要我能從這把有魔法的騎子上起來，我就會一直清醒。我就又成了一個男子漢。但他們每天晚上都把我綁起來，因此每天晚上我的機會都消失了。但你們不是敵人。我不是你們的囚犯。快!砍掉這些繩子。”
“站好!沉住氣。”普德格倫對兩個孩子說。
“我懇求你們聽我說，”騎士說，他強自鎮定地說話，“他們有沒有告訴你們，要是把我從這把椅子上放開，我就要殺掉你們，而且變成一條毒蛇?我從你們臉上就看出他們已經告訴你們了。這是謊言。實際上只有這一小時裏我腦子纔是清醒的：其餘時間我都在魔法的迷惑下。你們不是地下人也不是女巫。你們幹嗎要站在他們一邊?你們就行行好，給我鬆了綁吧。”
“沉住氣!沉住氣!沉住氣!”他們三個相互提醒說。
“哦，你們真是鐵石心腸，”騎士說，“相信我，你們面對一個不幸的人，他經受的折磨幾乎是任何臨死的人也忍受不了的。我有什麼對不起你們的，你們竟站在我的敵人一邊，讓我經受這種痛苦?一分鐘又一分鐘過去了，現在只有你們能救我；等這一個小時過去了，我又要糊塗了——成爲設計陷害男人的最毒辣的女巫的玩具，叭兒狗，不，十之八九是狗腿子和工具。惟獨只有今天晚上，趁她不在的時候，你們才碰上一個千載難逢的機會。”
“這太可怕了。我真希望我們待在別的地方，等到他發作過後。”吉爾說。
“沉住氣!”普德格倫說。
那個被綁着的人的聲音這會兒變成尖叫了。“我說讓我走。把我的劍給我。我的劍!一旦我自由了，我就要向地下人報仇，地下世界將千年萬載議論我的復仇!”
“現在開始狂亂了，”斯克羅布說，“我希望那些繩結都牢靠。”
“是啊，”普德格倫說，“要是現在放開他，他會比原來的力量大上一倍。我的劍術不大好。他會殺死我們兩個，這我不奇怪；這一來波爾就得獨自對付那條蛇了。”
那個被綁住的人這會兒拼命使勁掙脫勒進他手腕和腳踝的繩索。“注意，”他說，“注意。有天晚上，我真的把繩子掙斷了。但那時女巫在場。今晚你們可沒有她幫你們。現在把我放了，我就是你們的朋友。否則我就是你們不共戴天的敵人。”
“他有多狡猾呀!”普德格倫說。
“我要求你們把我放了，”被綁住的人說，“爽快點。以全部的恐懼和全部的愛的名義，以上面世界明亮的天的名義，以偉大的獅王，以阿斯蘭本人的名義，我命令你們——”
“啊呀!”他們三個像受了傷似的大叫起來。“這是指示，”普德格倫說，“這是指示裏的話呀。”斯克羅布格外小心地說。“哦，我們怎麼辦呢?”吉爾說。
這問題倒難辦了。要是他第一次偶然提起一個他們真正關心的名字，他們就把騎士放開，那麼剛纔彼此保證在任何情況下都不放開他又有什麼用?反過來說，要是他們不打算遵照指示行事，那學指示還有什麼用?不過，阿斯蘭是否可能真的要他們給以他的名義提出鬆綁要求的任何人鬆綁呢——哪怕那人是個瘋子?這會不會僅僅出於偶然呢?如果地下世界的女王知道有關指示的一切，就迫使騎士學說這個名字，就爲了讓他們落入圈套，那又怎麼辦呢?但是，假定這是真正的指示呢?……他們已經錯過了三點，可不敢錯過第四點了。
“哦，只要我們知道就好了!”吉爾說。
“我認爲我們的確知道。”普德格倫說。
“你意思是說假如我們真的救了他，你認爲一切都會好起來?”斯克羅布說。
“那個我不知道，”普德格倫說，“你瞧，阿斯蘭並沒告訴波爾會出什麼事，他只告訴她幹什麼。那傢伙一旦站起來，我們就死定了，這我不會奇怪。但放了他我們就不違背指示了。”
他們全都眼晴發亮，站在那兒你看看我，我看看你。這段時間可真難受。“好吧，”吉爾突然說，“讓我們了結這件事吧。大家再見了……”他們互相握握手。騎士這會兒正在尖聲喊叫，滿臉全是汗。
“來吧，斯克羅布。”普德格倫說。它和斯克羅布抽出劍走到那個被綁住的人身邊。
“以阿斯蘭的名義，”他們說着開始井井有條地割斷繩子。那人剛剛獲得自由，就跳到房間那邊，抓起他自己那把劍(那劍從他身上解下後就放在桌上)，抽出劍來。
“首先是你!”他叫着對準銀椅劈下去。那一定是把好劍，銀椅碰到劍鋒就像繩子一樣碎了，一會兒工夫，地板上就只剩下幾塊彎彎曲曲的碎片在發亮。不過椅子碎裂的時候，裏面亮晃晃的一閃，有一種像打雷的聲音，片刻間還有一種叫人噁心的味兒。)
“可惡的魔法工具，你就躺在那兒吧，”他說，“免得你的女主人把你再用在另一個受害人身上。”說着他轉身打量他的救命恩人；臉上那種不知怎麼總有點不對頭的神情已經消失了。
“什麼?”他轉過身對普德格倫叫道，“難道我面前不是一個沼澤怪嗎?——不是一個地地道道、活蹦亂跳的納尼亞沼澤怪嗎?”
“哦，原來你畢竟還是聽說過納尼亞的?”吉爾說。
“我中邪的時候忘記了納尼亞嗎?”騎士問，“好了，那一點和一切其他困擾都過去了。你們完全可以相信我知道納尼亞，因爲我就是納尼亞的王子瑞廉，偉大的凱斯賓國王就是我父親。”
“殿下，”普德格倫說着單腿跪下(兩個孩子也照做)，“我們到這兒來的目的就是來找你的。”
“我的另兩位救命恩人，你們是什麼人啊?”王子問斯克羅布和吉爾。
“我們是阿斯蘭本人從世界盡頭以外派來尋找殿下的，”斯克羅布說，“我叫尤斯塔斯，曾經跟他一起航海到拉曼杜島去。”
“我欠你們三個的情是我還也還不清的。”瑞廉王子說，“可我父親呢?他還活着嗎?”
“我們離開納尼亞之前，他又乘船往東面去了，殿下，”普德格倫說，“但殿下必須考慮國王已經很老了。十有八九陛下必定死在半路上。”
“你說他老了。那我落到女巫手裏有多久了呢?”
“自從殿下在納尼亞北邊的森林裏失蹤以來，已經十年多了。”
“十年!”王子說，一手在臉上擦了一把，像是要擦去往事。“是啊，我相信你。因爲現在我清醒了，我能記起那段中了邪的生活，雖然我中邪時我記不得自己本來面貌。行啦，好朋友——可等一下!我聽見樓梯上他們的腳步聲了，(那種輕輕的，模模糊糊的腳步聲，不是讓人聽了作嘔嗎?)呸!把門鎖上，孩子。要不，還是待着吧。我有個比那更好的主意。要是阿斯蘭給了我智慧，我就來騙騙這些地下人。你們看我的暗示行事。”
他果斷地走到門口，把門打開。
