AFTERthisadventuretheysailedonsouthandalittleeastfortwelvedayswithagentlewind,theskiesbeingmostlyclearandtheairwarm,andsawnobirdorfish,exceptthatoncetherewerewhalesspoutingalongwaytostarboard.LucyandReepicheepplayedagooddealofchessatthistime.Thenonthethirteenthday,Edmund,fromthefightingtop,sightedwhatlookedlikeagreatdarkmountainrisingoutoftheseaontheirportbow.
Theyalteredcourseandmadeforthisland,mostlybyoar,forthewindwouldnotservethemtosailnorth-east.Wheneveningfelltheywerestillalongwayfromitandrowedallnight.Nextmorningtheweatherwasfairbutaflatcalm.Thedarkmasslayahead,muchnearerandlarger,butstillverydim,sothatsomethoughtitwasstillalongwayoffandothersthoughttheywererunningintoamist.
Aboutninethatmorning,verysuddenly,itwassoclosethattheycouldseethatitwasnotlandatall,noreven,inanordinarysense,amist.ItwasaDarkness.Itisratherhardtodescribe,butyouwillseewhatitwaslikeifyouimagineyourselflookingintothemouthofarailwaytunnel-atunneleithersolongorsotwistythatyoucannotseethelightatthefarend.Andyouknowwhatitwouldbelike.Forafewfeetyouwouldseetherailsandsleepersandgravelinbroaddaylight;thentherewouldcomeaplacewheretheywereintwilight;andthen,prettysuddenly,butofcoursewithoutasharpdividingline,theywouldvanishaltogetherintosmooth,solidblackness.Itwasjustsohere.Forafewfeetinfrontoftheirbowstheycouldseetheswellofthebrightgreenish-bluewater.Beyondthat,theycouldseethewaterlookingpaleandgreyasitwouldlooklateintheevening.Butbeyondthatagain,utterblacknessasiftheyhadcometotheedgeofmoonlessandstarlessnight.
Caspianshoutedtotheboatswaintokeepherback,andallexcepttherowersrushedforwardandgazedfromthebows.Buttherewasnothingtobeseenbygazing.Behindthemwastheseaandthesun,beforethemtheDarkness.
“Dowegointothis?”askedCaspianatlength.
“Notbymyadvice,”saidDrinian.
“TheCaptain’sright,”saidseveralsailors.
“Ialmostthinkheis,”saidEdmund.
LucyandEustacedidn’tspeakbuttheyfeltverygladinsideattheturnthingsseemedtobetaking.ButallatoncetheclearvoiceofReepicheepbrokeinuponthesilence.
“Andwhynot?”hesaid.“Willsomeoneexplaintomewhynot.”
Noonewasanxioustoexplain,soReepicheepcontinued:
“IfIwereaddressingpeasantsorslaves,”hesaid,“Imightsupposethatthissuggestionproceededfromcowardice.ButIhopeitwillneverbetoldinNarniathatacompanyofnobleandroyalpersonsinthefloweroftheirageturnedtailbecausetheywereafraidofthedark.”
“Butwhatmannerofusewoulditbeploughingthroughthatblackness?”askedDrinian.
“Use?”repliedReepicheep.“Use,Captain?Ifbyuseyoumeanfillingourbelliesorourpurses,Iconfessitwillbenouseatall.SofarasIknowwedidnotsetsailtolookforthingsusefulbuttoseekhonourandadventure.AndhereisasgreatanadventureaseverIheardof,andhere,ifweturnback,notittleimpeachmentofallourhonours.”
Severalofthesailorssaidthingsundertheirbreaththatsoundedlike“Honourbeblowed”,butCaspiansaid:
“Oh,botheryou,Reepicheep.Ialmostwishwe’dleftyouathome.Allright!Ifyouputitthatway,Isupposeweshallhavetogoon.UnlessLucywouldrathernot?”
Lucyfeltthatshewouldverymuchrathernot,butwhatshesaidoutloudwas,“I’mgame.”
“YourMajestywillatleastorderlights?”saidDrinian.
“Byallmeans,”saidCaspian.“Seetoit,Captain.”
Sothethreelanterns,atthestern,andtheprowandthemasthead,werealllit,andDrinianorderedtwotorchesamidships.Paleandfeebletheylookedinthesunshine.Thenallthemenexceptsomewhowereleftbelowattheoarswereorderedondeckandfullyarmedandpostedintheirbattlestationswithswordsdrawn.Lucyandtwoarcherswerepostedonthefightingtopwithbowsbentandarrowsonthestring.Rynelfwasinthebowswithhislinereadytotakesoundings.Reepicheep,Edmund,EustaceandCaspian,glitteringinmail,werewithhim.Driniantookthetiller.
“Andnow,inAslan’sname,forward!”criedCaspian.“Aslow,steadystroke.Andleteverymanbesilentandkeephisearsopenfororders.”
WithacreakandagroantheDawnTreaderstartedtocreepforwardasthemenbegantorow.Lucy,upinthefightingtop,hadawonderfulviewoftheexactmomentatwhichtheyenteredthedarkness.Thebowshadalreadydisappearedbeforethesunlighthadleftthestern.Shesawitgo.Atoneminutethegildedstern,thebluesea,andthesky,wereallinbroaddaylight:nextminutetheseaandskyhadvanished,thesternlantern-whichhadbeenhardlynoticeablebefore-wastheonlythingtoshowwheretheshipended.InfrontofthelanternshecouldseetheblackshapeofDriniancrouchingatthetiller.Downbelowherthetwotorchesmadevisibletwosmallpatchesofdeckandgleamedonswordsandhelmets,andforwardtherewasanotherislandoflightontheforecastle.Apartfromthat,thefightingtop,litbythemastheadlightwhichwasonlyjustaboveher,seemedtobealittlelightedworldofitsownfloatinginlonelydarkness.Andthelightsthemselves,asalwayshappenswithlightswhenyouhavetohavethematthewrongtimeofday,lookedluridandunnatural.Shealsonoticedthatshewasverycold.
Howlongthisvoyageintothedarknesslasted,nobodyknew.Exceptforthecreakoftherowlocksandthesplashoftheoarstherewasnothingtoshowthattheyweremovingatall.Edmund,peeringfromthebows,couldseenothingexceptthereflectionofthelanterninthewaterbeforehim.Itlookedagreasysortofreflection,andtheripplemadebytheiradvancingprowappearedtobeheavy,small,andlifeless.Astimewentoneveryoneexcepttherowersbegantoshiverwithcold.
https://www.du8.org https://www.shuhuangxs.com www.baquge.ccabxsw.net dingdianshu.com bxwx9.net
kenshu.tw pashuba.com quanshu.la
tlxsw.cc qudushu.net zaidudu.org
duyidu.org baquge.cc kenshuge.cc
qushumi.com xepzw.com 3dllc.net