按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
ought we could make him do things。 but really； we can only ask him。”
〃who is this person you keep on talking about？”
〃they call him aslan in that place；〃 said eustace。
〃what a curious name！”
〃not half so curious as himself；〃 said eustace solemnly。 〃but lets get on。 it cant do any harm； just asking。 lets stand side by side； like this。 and well hold out our arms in front of us with the palms down： like they did in ramandus island …”
〃whose island？”
〃ill tell you about that another time。 and he might like us to face the east。 lets see； where is the east？”
〃i dont know；〃 said jill。
〃its an extraordinary thing about girls that they never know the points of the pass；”
said eustace。
〃you dont know either；〃 said jill indignantly。
〃yes i do； if only you didnt keep on interrupting。 ive got it now。 thats the east； facing up into the laurels。 now； will you say the words after me？ 〃what words？〃 asked jill。
〃the words im going to say； of course；〃 answered eustace。 〃now …”
and he began； 〃aslan； aslan； aslan！”
〃aslan； aslan； aslan；〃 repeated jill。
〃please let us two go into …”
at that moment a voice from the other side of the gym was heard shouting out； 〃pole？
yes。 i know where she is。 shes blubbing behind the gym。 shall i fetch her out？”
jill and eustace gave one glance at each other； dived under the laurels； and began scrambling up the steep； earthy slope of the shrubbery at a speed which did them great credit。 （owing to the curious methods of teaching at experiment house； one did not learn much french or maths or latin or things of that sort； but one did learn a lot about getting away quickly and quietly when they were looking for one。）
after about a minutes scramble they stopped to listen； and knew by the noises they heard that they were being followed。
〃if only the door was open again！〃 said scrubb as they went on； and jill nodded。 for at the top of the shrubbery was a high stone wall and in that wall a door by which you could get out on to open moor。 this door was nearly always locked。 but there had been times when people had found it open； or perhaps there had been only one time。 but you may imagine how the memory of even one time kept people hoping； and trying the door； for if it should happen to be unlocked it would be a splendid way of getting outside the school grounds without being seen。
jill and eustace； now both very hot and very grubby from going along bent almost double under the laurels； panted up to the wall。 and there was the door； shut as usual。
〃its sure to be no good；〃 said eustace with his hand on the handle； and then； 〃o…o…oh。 by gum！！〃 for the handle turned and the door opened。
a moment before； both of them had meant to get through that doorway in double quick time； if by any chance the door was not locked。 but when the door actually opened； they both stood stock still。 for what they saw was quite different from what they had expected。
they had expected to see the grey； heathery slope of the moor going up and up to join the dull autumn sky。 instead； a blaze of sunshine met them。 it poured through the doorway as the light of a june day pours into a garage when you open the door。 it made the drops of water on the grass glitter like beads and showed up the dirtiness of jills tear…stained face。
and the sunlight was ing from what certainly did look like a different world … what they could see of it。 they saw smooth turf； smoother and brighter than jill had ever seen before； and blue sky； and； darting to and fro； things so bright that they might have been jewels or huge butterflies。
although she had been longing for something like this； jill felt frightened。 she looked at scrubbs face and saw that he was frightened too。
〃e on； pole；〃 he said in a breathless voice。
〃can we get back？ is it safe？〃 asked jill。
at that moment a voice shouted from behind； a mean； spiteful little voice。 〃now then； pole；〃 it squeaked。 〃everyone knows youre there。 down you e。〃 it was the voice of edith jackle； not one of them herself but one of their hangers…on and tale …bearers。
〃quick！〃 said scrubb。 〃here。 hold hands。 we mustnt get separated。〃 and before she quite knew what was happening； he had grabbed her hand and pulled her through the door； out of the school grounds； out of england； out of our whole world into that place。
the sound of edith jackles voice stopped as suddenly as the voice on the radio when it is switched off。 instantly there was a quite different sound all about them。 it came from those bright things overhead； which now turned out to be birds。 they were making a riotous noise； but it was much more like music … rather advanced music which you dont quite take in at the first hearing … than birds songs ever are in our world。 yet； in spite of the singing； there was a sort of background of immense silence。 that silence； bined with the freshness of the air； made jill think they must be on the top of a very high mountain。
scrubb still had her by the hand and they were walking forward； staring about them on every side。 jill saw that huge trees； rather like cedars but bigger； grew in every direction。
but as they did not grow close together； and as there was no undergrowth； this did not prevent one from seeing a long way into the forest to left and right。 and as far as jills eye could reach； it was all the same … level turf； darting birds with yellow； or dragonfly blue； or rainbow plumage； blue shadows； and emptiness。 there was not a breath of wind in that cool； bright air。 it was a very lonely forest。
right ahead there were no trees： only blue sky。 they went straight on without speaking till suddenly jill heard scrubb say； 〃look out！〃 and felt herself jerked back。 they were at the very edge of a cliff。
jill was one of those lucky people who have a good head for heights。 she didnt mind in the least standing on the edge of a precipice。 she was rather annoyed with scrubb for pulling her back … 〃just as if i was a kid〃； she said and she wrenched her hand out of his。
when she saw how very white he had turned； she despised him。
〃whats the matter？〃 she said。 and to show that she was not afraid； she stood very near the edge indeed； in fact； a good deal nearer than even she liked。 then she looked down。
she now realized that scrubb had some excuse for looking white； for no cliff in our world is to be pared with this。 imagine yourself at the top of the very highest cliff you know。 and imagine yourself looking down to the very bottom。 and then imagine that the precipice goes on below that； as far again； ten times as far； twenty times as far。 and when youve looked down all that distance imagine little white things that might； at first glance； be mistaken for sheep； but presently you realize that they are clouds … not little wreaths of mist but the enormous white； puffy clouds which are themselves as big as most mountains。 and at last； in between those clouds； you get your first glimpse of the real bottom； so far away that you cant make out whether its field or wood； or land or water： farther below those clouds than you are above them。
jill stared at it。 then she