《銀椅》第13章:沒有女王的地下世界
ALL felt that they had earned what Scrubb called a "breather". The Witch had locked the door and told the Earthmen not to disturb her, so there was no danger of interruption for the present. Their first business was, of course, Puddleglum's burnt foot. A couple of clean shirts from the Prince's bedroom, torn into strips, and well greased on the inside with butter and salad oil off the supper table, made a fairly good dressing. When this had been applied, they all sat down and had a little refreshment, and discussed plans for escaping from the Underworld.
Rilian explained that there were quite a lot of outlets by which one could get to the surface; he had been taken out through most of them at one time or another. But he had never gone out alone, only with the Witch; and he had always reached these outlets by going in a ship across the Sunless Sea. What the Earthmen would say if he went down to the harbour without the Witch, and with four strangers, and simply ordered a ship, no one could guess. But most likely they would ask awkward questions. On the other hand the new outlet, the one for the invasion of Overworld, was on this side of the sea, and only a few miles away. The Prince knew that it was nearly finished; only a few feet of earth divided the diggings from the outer air. It was even possible that it had now been quite finished. Perhaps the Witch had come back to tell him this and to start the attack. Even if it was not, they could probably dig themselves out by that route in a few hours - if they could only get there without being stopped, and if only they found the diggings unguarded. But those were the difficulties.
"If you ask me -" began Puddleglum, when Scrubb interrupted.
"I say," he asked, "what's that noise?"
"I've been wondering that for some time!" said Jill.
They had all, in fact, been hearing the noise but it had begun and increased so gradually that they did not know when they had first noticed it. For a time it had been only a vague disquiet like gentle winds, or traffic very far away. Then it swelled to a murmur like the sea. Then came rumblings and rushings. Now there seemed to be voices as well and also a steady roaring that was not voices.
"By the Lion," said Prince Rilian, "it seems this silent land has found a tongue at last." He rose, walked to the window, and drew aside the curtains. The others crowded round him to look out.
The very first thing they noticed was a great red glow. Its reflection made a red patch on the roof of the Underworld thousands of feet above them, so that they could see a rocky ceiling which had perhaps been hidden in darkness ever since the world was made. The glow itself came from the far side of the city so that many buildings, grim and great, stood up blackly against it. But it also cast its light down many streets that ran from it towards the castle. And in those streets something very strange was going on. The closely-packed, silent crowds of Earthmen had vanished. Instead, there were figures darting about by ones, or twos, or threes. They behaved like people who do not want to be seen: lurking in shadow behind buttresses or in doorways, and then moving quickly across the open into fresh places of hiding. But the strangest thing of all, to anyone who knew the gnomes, was the noise. Shouts and cries came from all directions. But from the harbour there came a low, rumbling roar which grew steadily louder and was already shaking the whole city.
"What's happened to the Earthmen?" said Scrubb. "Is it them shouting?"
"'Tis hardly possible," said the Prince. "I never heard one of the rascals so much as speak with a loud voice in all the weary years of my bondage. Some new devilry, I don't doubt."
"And what is that red light over there?" asked Jill. "Is something on fire?"
"If you ask me," said Puddleglum, "I should say that was the central fires of the Earth breaking out to make a new volcano. We'll be in the middle of it, I shouldn't wonder."
"Look at that ship!" said Scrubb. "Why's it coming on so quickly? No one's rowing it."
"Look, look!" said the Prince. "The ship is already far this side of the harbour - it is in the street. Look! All the ships are driving into the city! By my head, the sea's rising. The flood is upon us. Aslan be praised, this castle stands on high ground. But the water comes on grimly fast."
"Oh, what can be happening?" cried Jill. "Fire and water and all those people dodging about the streets."
"I'll tell you what it is," said Puddleglum. "That Witch has laid a train of magic spells so that whenever she was killed, at that same moment her whole kingdom would fall to pieces. She's the sort that wouldn't so much mind dying herself if she knew that the chap who killed her was going to be burned, or buried, or drowned five minutes later."
"Hast hit it, friend wiggle," said the Prince. "When our swords hacked off the Witch's head, that stroke ended all her magic works, and now the Deep Lands are falling to pieces. We are looking on the end of Underworld."
"That's it, Sir," said Puddleglum. "Unless it should happen to be the end of the whole world."
"But are we just going to stay here and - wait?" gasped Jill.
"Not by my counsel," said the Prince. "I would save my horse, Coalblack, and the Witch's Snowflake (a noble beast and worthy of a better mistress) which are both stabled in the courtyard. After that, let us make shift to get out to high ground and pray that we shall find an outlet. The horses can carry two each at need, and if we put them to it they may outstrip the flood."
"Will your Highness not put on armour?" asked Puddleglum. "I don't like the look of those" - and he pointed down to the street. Everyone looked down. Dozens of creatures (and now that they were close, they obviously were Earthmen) were coming up from the direction of the harbour. But they were not moving like an aimless crowd. They behaved like modern soldiers in an attack, making rushes and taking cover, anxious not to be seen from the castle windows.
"I dare not see the inside of that armour again," said the Prince. "I rode in it as in a movable dungeon, and it stinks of magic and slavery. But I will take the shield."
He left the room and returned with a strange light in his eyes a moment later.
"Look, friends," he said, holding out the shield towards them. "An hour ago it was black and without device; and now, this." The shield had turned bright as silver, and on it, redder than blood or cherries, was the figure of the Lion.
"Doubtless," said the Prince, "this signifies that Aslan will be our good lord, whether he means us to live or die. And all's one, for that. Now, by my counsel, we shall all kneel and kiss his likeness, and then all shake hands one with another, as true friends that may shortly be parted. And then, let us descend into the city and take the adventure that is sent us."
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."
"That was good hunting," exclaimed the Prince, immediately turning Coalblack and coming back to the corner of the house. "Eustace," he said, "of your courtesy, take Coalblack's head." Then he dismounted, and all three gazed in silence while Puddleglum pulled his catch out into the light. It was a most miserable little gnome, only about three feet long. It had a sort of ridge, like a cock's comb (only hard), on the top of its head, little pink eyes, and a mouth and chin so large and round that its face looked like that of a pigmy hippopotamus. If they had not been in such a tight place, they would have burst into laughter at the sight of it.
"Now, Earthman," said the Prince, standing over it and holding his sword point very near the prisoner's neck, "speak, up, like an honest gnome, and you shall go free. Play the knave with us, and you are but a dead Earthman. Good Puddleglum, how can it speak while you hold its mouth tight shut?"
"No, and it can't bite either," said Puddleglum. "If I had the silly soft hands that you humans have (saving your Highness's reverence) I'd have been all over blood by now. Yet even a Marsh-wiggle gets tired of being chewed.'
"Sirrah," said the Prince to the gnome, "one bite and you die. Let its mouth open, Puddleglum."
"Oo-ee-ee," squealed the Earthman, "let me go, let me go. It isn't me. I didn't do it."
"Didn't do what?" asked Puddleglum.
"Whatever your Honours say I did do," answered the creature.
"Tell me your name," said the Prince, "and what you Earthmen are all about today."
"Oh please, your Honours, please, kind gentlemen," whimpered the gnome. "Promise you will not tell the Queen's grace anything I say."
"The Queen's grace, as you call her," said the Prince sternly, "is dead. I killed her myself."
"What!" cried the gnome, opening its ridiculous mouth wider and wider in astonishment. "Dead? The Witch dead? And by your Honour's hand?" It gave a huge sigh of relief and added, "Why then your Honour is a friend!"
The Prince withdrew his sword an inch or so. Puddleglum let the creature sit up. It looked round on the four travellers with its twinkling, red eyes, chuckled once or twice, and began.
瑞廉解釋說這兒有很多通到地面的出口，他以前多次被帶領着走過其中大部分出口。但他從來沒有單獨出去過，只跟着女巫去過；而且他到這些出口總要乘船，穿過暗無天日海。假如他到港口去，身邊沒有女巫，卻是四個陌生人，開口就要一條船，那些地下人會怎麼說可沒人猜得出。不過他們十之八九會問一些難以回答的問題。另一方面，那個新的出口，那個爲侵略上面世界而挖的出口，倒在海的這邊，而且只有幾英里路。王子知道那個出口已經快完工了，掘的地方跟外面的空間只相隔幾英尺土層了。甚至可能現在就已完工了。也許女巫回來就是告訴他這件事，準備發動進攻。即使還沒完工，只要他們能不受阻擋，到得了那兒，只要他們發現挖掘的地方沒人看守着，他們自己順着那條路線在幾小時之內大概也能挖出去。但那兩點都是難關。
“依我說呀……”普德格倫剛開口說，斯克羅布就打斷了它。
“喂，”他問，“那是什麼聲音?”
“我心裏納悶了好一陣子了!”吉爾說。
事實上他們全都一直聽到這種聲音，但這聲音是逐步響起來的，因此他們不知道自己幾時初次注意到這聲音。有一段時間，那只是一種隱隱約約的騷動，像輕輕的風聲，或是遠處的人來車往聲。隨後就增強爲海濤般的沙沙聲。接着又傳來了隆隆聲和嘩啦啦聲。這會兒似乎還有說話聲，還夾雜着一種不是說話聲的連續吼聲。
“獅王在上，”瑞廉王子說，“看來這片沉默的土地終於能開口了。”他站起來，走向窗邊，拉開窗簾，其他幾個都圍在他身邊往外看。
他們注意到的第一件事就是一大片紅光。紅光在他們上面幾千英尺高處地下世界頂部反射出一片紅色，因此他們能看見一片岩石天花板，也許天花板從這個世界造好以來一直就隱蔽在黑暗中。那片紅光來自城市的另一邊，因此好多陰森森的大房子在紅光襯托下黑壓壓地矗立着。但紅光也照到很多從那兒通向城堡的街道，那些街道上正出了些怪事。那些挨挨擠擠、一聲不吭的地下人羣已經消失了。
只見三三兩兩的人影到處衝來衝去。他們顯得像人們不希望讓人看見一樣：偷偷潛伏在扶壁後的陰影裏，或者門口，然後很快穿過空地，到新的隱蔽處去。但對任何瞭解這些小精靈的人來說，最奇怪的事就是聲音。四面八方都傳來吵吵嚷嚷的聲音。不過從港口方面卻傳來一種低沉的隆隆吼聲，逐漸變得更響，而且已經震撼了整個城市。
“地下人出什麼事了?”斯克羅布說，“是他們在喊叫嗎?”
“這不大可能，”王子說，“在我被監禁的漫長歲月裏，從來沒聽見過哪個無賴大聲說話。你看，這是什麼新魔法。”
“那邊那片紅光是什麼呢?”吉爾說，“是着火了吧?”
“依我說呀，”普德格倫說，“那是地心的火噴出來形成一個新的火山。我們就在火山的中央，這我不奇怪。”
“瞧那條船哪!”斯克羅布說，“爲什麼船走得那麼快?沒人在船上划槳呀。”
“瞧，瞧!”王子說，“船已經開到港口這一邊來了——船開到街上來了。瞧，所有的船都開進城來了!啊呀，海水上漲了。要發洪水了。讚美阿斯蘭，這個城堡造在高地上。但海水漲起來快得要命。”
“哎呀，會出什麼事呢?”吉爾叫道，“又是水，又是火，還有那些人在街上躲躲閃閃的。”
“我告訴你是怎麼回事吧。”普德格倫說，“那個女巫已經設下了一連串魔法咒語，因此無論什麼時候她被殺了，她的王國同時也就崩潰了。要是她知道殺掉她的人五分鐘以後就要被燒死，或活埋，或淹死，她那種壞蛋就是死也不在乎。”
“說得對，沼澤怪朋友，”王子說，“當我們的劍砍下了女巫的腦袋，那一下就把她的一切魔法都結束了，如今幽深王國正在崩潰。我們正眼看着地下世界的末日呢。”
“就是這麼回事，殿下，”普德格倫說，“除非這恰好也是整個世界的末日。”
“可我們就這麼待在這兒——等着?”吉爾氣喘吁吁地說。
“依我之見這不成，”王子說，“我要去救我的馬黑炭，還有女巫的馬雪花(那是一匹好馬，值得找一個更好的女主人)，這兩匹馬都在院子裏的馬廄裏。過後，我們趕快騎着馬到高地上去，但願我們能找到一個出口。必要時一匹馬可以騎兩個人，要是我們騎着馬，馬也可以越過洪水。”
“殿下不披上盔甲嗎?”普德格倫問道，“我不喜歡那些東西的樣子——”他朝街下指指，大家都朝下看。好多人(現在他們走近了，顯然是地下人)正從港口方向走過來。:
他們不像是沒有目的走動的人羣，他們的舉止就像發動攻擊的現代士兵，一邊向前衝，一邊找隱蔽，急於不讓城堡窗戶裏的人看見。
“我不敢再看那副盔甲裏面，”王子說，“我披上那副盔甲騎馬就像關在一個活動的土牢裏，盔甲裏有一股魔法和奴役的惡臭。不過我要帶上那面盾。”
他離開了房間，過了一會兒他回來了，眼睛裏發出奇異的光。
“瞧，朋友們，”他說着把盾舉起來對着他們，“一小時以前盾還是黑的，沒有紋章；現在啊，瞧這個。”那盾已經變得銀光閃閃，上面還有比血、比櫻桃更紅的獅王圖像。
“無疑，”王子說，“這就表明阿斯蘭將成爲我們的好主宰，不論他叫我們死還是活。其實，反正都一樣。現在我勸大家都跪下，親親阿斯蘭的像，然後彼此握握手，就像好朋友可能馬上就要分別一樣。接着讓我們下去，到城裏去經受降臨到我們頭上的風險。”
他們全都照王子所說的辦了。不過斯克羅布跟吉爾握手時，他說，“別了，吉爾，很抱歉，我過去是個膽小鬼，而且十分討厭。希望你能平安回家去。”吉爾說，“別了，尤斯塔斯，很抱歉，我過去那麼蠢。”這是他們第一次彼此稱呼名字，因爲在學校裏大家都不叫名字的。
王子打開了門，他們都走下樓去：三個拿着出鞘的劍，吉爾手裏拿着出鞘的刀。那些隨從都不見了，王子樓梯腳下那間大房間裏空空蕩蕩。那些灰沉沉、陰森森的燈仍然亮着，藉着燈光他們亳不費力地走過一條條走廊，走下一段又一段樓梯。城堡外面的聲音在這兒倒不如他們在上面房間聽得清楚。屋裏寂靜如死，空無一人。他們轉了一個彎來到底層大廳時才遇到了第一個地下人——一個蒼白的胖子，長着一張豬樣的臉，正大口大口吃着桌上的殘羹剩飯。它尖叫一聲(叫聲也很像豬叫)，就衝到一條長凳下，長尾巴一揮，正好沒讓普德格倫抓住。隨後它飛快地從另一邊門衝了出去，追也追不上了。
他們從門廳來到院子。吉爾在假日裏上過騎馬學校，恰好聞到一股馬廄的味兒(在地下世界這種地方聞到這種味兒，可真好聞，又純正又親切)。這時尤斯塔斯說，“天哪!看那邊!”城堡牆後的什麼地方升起了一股壯麗的焰火，碎裂成很多綠星星。
“焰火!”吉爾迷惑不解地說。
“是啊，”尤斯塔斯說，“但你不能以爲那些地下人是放着玩的!那一定是個信號。”
“我敢說，對我們可不妙。”普德格倫說。
“朋友們，”王子說，“一旦一個人開始冒這麼大的風險，就必須把希望和恐懼置之度外，否則死神或解脫都來不及保全他的榮譽和理智。嗬，我的美人兒(他打開了馬廄門)。嗨，老朋友!黑炭，穩住。別出聲，雪花!沒有忘記你。”
兩匹馬都被那些奇怪的亮光和鬧聲嚇壞了。吉爾穿過山洞之間的黑洞時膽子那麼小，現在卻毫無畏懼地走到兩匹又頓腳又噴鼻的牲口當中，她和王子一會兒就把馬裝好鞍子和籠頭。兩匹馬牽出來時仰着頭，看來十分神氣。吉爾騎上雪花，普德格倫坐在她後面，尤斯塔斯跨上黑炭，坐在王子後面。然後只聽得蹄聲曠得曠得，他們就騎着馬出了大門，向街上馳去。
“幸虧燒傷沒什麼大的危險。”普德格倫說，一面指着他們右面。那邊，不到一百碼以外，就有海水在拍打着屋子的牆壁了。
“鼓起勇氣!”王子說，“那邊的下坡路陡，海水只升到城裏最大一座山的半山腰。開頭半小時海水離我們可能很近，接下來兩小時就不會更近。我更擔心的倒是……”他用劍指着一個身高七英尺的大個子地下人，那人長着一口獠牙，後面跟着另外六個各種形狀、高矮不一的地下人，他們剛從一條小街裏衝出來，躲進人們看不見的屋子的陰影裏。
王子帶領大家直奔那片紅光的方向，但稍稍偏左一點，他的計劃是繞過那片火(如果那是火的話)，登上高地，希望能找到路通往新挖的出口。他跟其他三個人不同，似乎有點自得其樂。騎馬時還吹着口哨，還唱起歌頌阿欽蘭王國的霹靂拳擊手柯林的一首老歌的片斷。事實上他因爲長期受魔法幽禁，一旦解脫出來感到十分高興，相比之下，一切危險似乎只是兒戲了。但其他人都覺得這段路程陰森可怕。"
他們後面傳來船隻互相碰撞、纏繞的聲音，建築物倒下的轟隆隆聲。頭項是地下世界頂部那一大片火紅的光。前面就是那神祕的紅光，那光似乎並沒有變得大些。從同一方向還不斷傳來吵鬧、呼喊、尖叫、口哨、鬨笑、慘叫、怒吼，鬧成一片；黑夜中還升起各種各樣的焰火。誰也猜不出這是什麼意思。離他們近一點的地方，城市有部分地方被那片紅光照亮，部分地方被那些大不相同的陰森森的小精靈的燈照亮。
不過還有很多地方兩種光都照不到，仍然一片漆黑。地下人的身影就在那些地方不斷地衝進去，溜出來，眼睛一直盯着這一行人，始終儘量避開他們的視線。那些人中有的是大臉，有的是小臉，有的長着魚眼般的大眼睛，有的長着熊眼般的小眼睛，有長着羽毛的，有長着鬃毛的，有長角的，有長獠牙的，有的鼻子長得像鞭繩，有的下巴長得像鬍子。有時遇上一羣人人數太多，或者靠得太近。王子就揮舞寶劍，裝出要打他們的架勢。這些傢伙就發出各種叫聲，有的唬唬叫，有的嘰嘰叫，有的吱吱叫，然後躥到黑暗中去。
但等他們爬上一條又一條的陡峭街道，離洪水很遠了，而且幾乎出了城到內陸一邊，事態變得更嚴重了。這會兒他們已經靠近這片紅光，幾乎和紅光處在同一高度，可是他們仍然看不出這光是怎麼回事。不過在這片光照下，他們能把敵人看得更清楚。成百個，也許有幾千個小精靈都在朝紅光走去。但他們走起路來蜂擁而上，一旦停下，他們就轉身面對着這一行人。-
普德格倫說：“依我說呀，這些傢伙是打算從正面把我們截住。”
“我也是這麼想，普德格倫，”王子說，“我們休想從那麼多人中殺出一條路來。你們聽好!我們往前騎到靠那邊房子跟前。我們剛走到，你就溜到陰影裏。我和小姐就再往前走幾步。我相信有些妖怪就會跟着我們；他們密密麻麻都躲在我們後面呢。你的手臂長，要是可能的話，碰到哪個經過你埋伏的地方，就抓一個活的。我們可以從它嘴裏打聽到真相，瞭解他們究竟跟我們有什麼過不去的事。”
“可其他的人會不會全都朝我們衝過來搶救那個給我們抓住的呢?”吉爾說話的嗓音不像她竭力裝出來那麼鎮靜。
“那麼，小姐，”王子說，“你就將看見我們在你身邊血戰至死，而你必須給獅王以好印象。來吧，好普德格倫。”
沼澤怪像只貓似的迅速溜到陰影裏去。其餘的人熬過了一兩分鐘，又繼續往前走。接着他們身後忽然傳來一連串令人心驚膽戰的尖叫聲，夾雜着普德格倫那熟悉的聲音在說，“行了，別叫了，免得傷着，不然你就真要傷着了，懂嗎?人家聽了還以爲要殺豬呢。”
“抓得好。”王子喝彩道，一面馬上把黑炭調轉身子，回到屋角上。“尤斯塔斯，”他說，“請你拉住黑炭的頭。”隨後他下了馬，三個人都默默注視着普德格倫把抓住的東西拉到亮處。一看原來是個可憐透頂的小精靈，大約只有三英尺高。頭頂上有個像雞冠似的脊(只是硬邦邦的)，粉紅的小眼睛，嘴和下巴又大又圓，那張臉看上去就像只小河馬。如果他們不是處在這麼一種困境中，看見這副模樣準會捧腹大笑。
“好了，地下人，”王子說，一面監視着它，一面把手裏的劍直指它的脖子，“老老實實說出來，就放你自由。跟我們耍花招，你就死定了。普德格倫，你緊緊抓住它的嘴，它怎麼能說話呢?”
“對，而且它也不能咬人，”普德格倫說，“如果我也長了一雙你們人類那樣可笑的軟綿綿的手(尊貴的殿下除外)，這會兒我早就渾身是血了。不過連沼澤怪也不喜歡老被它嚼啊。”
“小王子!”王子對小精靈說，“再咬一口，就叫你死。讓它張嘴，普德格倫。”
“咦——咦——咦，”那地下人尖聲叫喊，“讓我走，讓我走。不是我。我沒幹。”
“沒幹什麼?”普德格倫問。
“凡是各位大人說我乾的，我都沒幹。”那傢伙答道。
“告訴我，你叫什麼名字，”王子說，“還有你們地下人今天都在幹什麼?”
“哦，求求你們各位大人，求求你們，好心的老爺們，”那小精靈哭着說，“答應我，可別把我說的任何事告訴女王陛下。”
“你所稱呼的女王陛下，”王子嚴厲地說，“已經死了，我親手殺了她。”
“什麼?”那小精靈叫道，那張可笑的嘴巴驚奇地張得越來越大。“死了?女巫死了?而且是大人親手殺的?”它放心地大大鬆了口氣，又加了一句，“咦，那麼說大人是朋友了!”
王子把劍抽回了一兩英寸。普德格倫讓這傢伙坐起來。
它那發亮的紅眼睛在大家臉上一一看着，嘻嘻笑了兩聲，這纔開始說話。
