"Племянник чародея" with W_cat

[336] “I’m sure you wouldn’t like our world at all,” said Digory. “It’s not her sort of place, is it Polly? It’s very dull; not worth seeing, really.”

[337] “It will soon be worth seeing when I rule it,” answered the Queen.

[338] “Oh, but you can’t,” said Digory. “It’s not like that. They wouldn’t let you, you know.”

[339] The Queen gave a contemptuous smile. “Many great kings,” she said, “thought they could stand against the House of Charn. But they all fell, and their very names are forgotten. Foolish boy! Do you think that I, with my beauty and my Magic, will not have your whole world at my feet before a year has passed? Prepare your incantations and take me there at once.”

[340] “This is perfectly frightful,” said Digory to Polly.

[341] “Perhaps you fear for this Uncle of yours,” said Jadis. “But if he honours me duly, he shall keep his life and his throne. I am not coming to fight against him. He must be a very great Magician, if he has found how to send you here. Is he King of your whole world or only of part?”

[342] “He isn’t King of anywhere,” said Digory.

[343] “You are lying,” said the Queen. “Does not Magic always go with the royal blood? Who ever heard of common people being Magicians? I can see the truth whether you speak it or not. Your Uncle is the great King and the great Enchanter of your world. And by his art he has seen the shadow of my face, in some magic mirror or some enchanted pool; and for the love of my beauty he has made a potent spell which shook your world to its foundations and sent you across the vast gulf between world and world to ask my favour and to bring me to him. Answer me: is that not how it was?”

[344] “Well, not exactly,” said Digory.

[345] “Not exactly,” shouted Polly. “Why, it’s absolute bosh from beginning to end.”

[346] “Minions!” cried the Queen, turning in rage upon Polly and seizing her hair, at the very top of her head where it hurts most. But in so doing she let go of both the children’s hands. “Now,” shouted Digory; and “Quick! shouted Polly. They plunged their left hands into their pockets. They did not even need to put the rings on. The moment they touched them, the whole of that dreary, world vanished from their eyes. They were rushing upward and a warm green light was growing nearer over head.

[ 347 ] CHAPTER SIX. THE BEGINNING OF UNCLE ANDREW’S TROUBLES

[348] “LET go! Let go!” screamed Polly.

[349] “I’m not touching you!” said Digory.

[350] Then their heads came out of the pool and, once more, the sunny quietness of the Wood between the Worlds was all about them, and it seemed richer and warmer and more peaceful than ever after the staleness and ruin of the place they had just left. I think that, if they had been given the chance, they would again have forgotten who they were and where they came from and would have lain down and enjoyed themselves, half asleep, listening to the growing of the trees. But this time there was something that kept them as wide-awake as possible: for as soon as they had got out on to the grass, they found that they were not alone. The Queen, or the Witch (whichever you like to call her) had come up with them, holding on fast by Polly’s hair. That was why Polly had been shouting out “Let go!”

[351] This proved, by the way, another thing about the rings which Uncle Andrew hadn’t told Digory because he didn’t know it himself. In order to jump from world to world by one of those rings you don’t need to be wearing or touching it yourself; it is enough if you are touching someone who is touching it. In that way they work like a magnet; and everyone knows that if you pick up a pin with a magnet, any other pin which is touching the first pin will come too.

[352] Now that you saw her in the wood, Queen Jadis looked different. She was much paler than she had been; so pale that hardly any of her beauty was left. And she was stooped and seemed to be finding it hard to breathe, as if the air of that place stifled her. Neither of the children felt in the least afraid of her now.

[353] “Let go! Let go of my hair,” said Polly. “What do you mean by it?”

[354] “Here! Let go of her hair. At once,” said Digory.

[355] They both turned and struggled with her. They were stronger than she and in a few seconds they had forced her to let go. She reeled back, panting, and there was a look of terror in her eyes.

[356] “Quick, Digory!” said Polly. “Change rings and into’ the home pool.”

[357] “Help! Help! Mercy!” cried the Witch in a faint voice, staggering after them. “Take me with you. You cannot. mean to leave me in this horrible place. It is killing me.”

[358] “It’s a reason of State,” said Polly spitefully. “Like when you killed all those people in your own world. Do be quick, Digory.” They had put on their green rings, but Digory said:

“Oh bother! What are we to do?” He couldn’t help feeling a little sorry for the Queen.