669小说网

chater elve the dark ind（第1页）

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．