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CHAPTER FIVE THE DEPLORABLE WORD（第1页）

CHAPTERFIVETHEDEPLORABLEWORD

THEwerefaeanotheracrossthepillarwherethebellhung，stilltrembling，thoughitnaveoutanynote。Suddenlytheyheardasoftheendoftheroomwhichwasstilluurnedquickaslightwas。Oherobedfigures，thefurthest-offoneofall，thewomanwhhtsobeautiful，wasrisingfromitschair。Wheooduptheyrealizedthatshewaseveheyhadthought。Andyoucouldseeatoonlyfromherdrobes，butfromtheflashofhereyesandthecurveofherlips，thatshewasagreatqueen。Shelookedroundtheroomandsawthedamageandsawthe，butyouotguessfromherfacewhatshethoughtofeitherorwhethersherised。Shecameforwardwithlong，swiftstrides。

“Whohasawakedme?Whohasbrokenthespell?”sheasked。

“Ithinkitmusthavebeenme，”saidDigory。

“You!”saidtheQueen，layingherhandonhisshoulder—awhite，beautifulhand，butDigorycouldfeelthatitwasstrongassteelpincers。“You?Butyouareonlyachild，aonyoaglayouhavenodropofroyalornoblebloodinyourveins。Howdidsuchasyoudaretoehishouse?”

“We'veanotherworld;byMagic，”saidPolly，whothoughtitwashightimetheQueentooksomenoticeofheraswellasofDigory。

“Isthistrue?”saidtheQueen，stilllookingatDigoryandnotgivingPollyevenaglance。

&is，”saidhe。

TheQueeherhandunderhisdforceditupsothatshecouldseehisfacebetter。Digorytriedtostarebackbuthesoonhadtolethiseyesdrop。Therewassomethingabouthersthatoverpoweredhim。

Aftershehadstudiedhimforwelloveramigoofhisdsaid:

“Yi。Themarkofitisnotonyou。Youmustbeoofamagi。Itisonanother'sMagicthatyouhavetravelledhere。”

“ItwasmyUndrew，”saidDigory。

Atthemoment，selfbutfromsomewhereveryclose，therecame，firstarumbling，thenag，andthenaroaroffallingmasonry，andthefloorshreatperilhere，”saidtheQueen。“Thewholepalaceisbreakingup。Ifwearenotoutofitiesweshallbeburieduheruin。”Shespokeascalmlyasifshehadbeeioimeofday。“e，”sheadded，aahahe。Polly，whowasdislikingtheQueehersulky，wouldherhaakenifshecouldhavehelpedit。ButthoughtheQueenspokesocalmly，hermovementswereasquickasthought。BeforePollykehainahandserahahatsheothingaboutit。

“Thisisaterriblewoman，”thoughtPolly。“She&#htobreakmyarmwitho。Andnowthatshe'sgotmylefthandI'tgetatmyyell。IfItriedtostretchadgetmyrighthandiImightn'tbeabletoreachit，beforesheaskedmewhatIwasdoing。pen'tletherknowabs。IdohopeDigoryhastheseokeephismouthshut。IwishIcouldgetaword

TheQueeoftheHallofImagesintoalongcorridorahroughawholemazeofhallsandstairsandcainandagaisofthegreatpalaceg，sometimesquite。Onceahugearchderingdownoertheyhadpassedthroughit。TheQueenwaswalkingquickly—thehadtotrottokeepupwithherbutsheshowednosignht，“She'swonderfullybrave。Andstrong。She'swhatIcallaQueen!Idohopeshe'sgoihestoryofthisplace。”

&ellthemthialong:“Thatisthedoortothedungeons，”shewouldsay，or“Thatpassageleadstotheprincipaltorturechambers，”or“Thiswastheoldbainghallwheremygreatgrandfatherbadesevenhundredoafeastahemallbeforetheyhaddrunktheirfill。Theyhadhadrebelliousthoughts。”

&lastintoahalllargerahaseen。Fromitssizeandfromthegreatdoorsatthefarend，Dightthatnowatlasttheymustbeaihishewasquiteright。Thedoorsweredeadblack，eitherebonyorsomeblackmetalwhiotfoundinourworld。Theywerefastehgreatbars，mostofthemtoohightoreadalltooheavytolift。Hewoheywouldgetout。

TheQueegoofhishandandraisedherarm。Shedrewherselfuptoherfullheightandstid。Thenshesaidsomethingwhichthey'tuand（butitsoundedhorrid）aionasifshewerethrowiowardthedoors。Andthosehighandheavydoorstrembledforasedasiftheyweremadeofsilkandtheilltherewashembutaheapofdustohreshold。

“histledDigory。

“Hasyi，youruncle，powerlikemiheQueen，firmlyseizingDigory'shandagain。“ButIshallkhemeantime，rememberwhatyouhaveseen。Thisisenstothings，andtopeople，whostandinmy>

Muchmhtthaseeninthattryinthroughtheydoorway，aheQueehroughittheywerenotsurprisedtofiheopehatblewintheirfaceswascold，yetsomehowstale。Theywerelhterradtherewasagreatlabelowthem。

Lowdowhehagreat，redsun，farbiggerthanoryfeltatowasalsoolderthanours:asuheendofitslife，wearyoflookingdownuponthatworld。Totheleftofthesun，aherewasasiar，bigandbright。Thoseweretheonlytwothingstobeseeninthedarksky;theymadeadismalgroup。Ah，iion，asfarastheeyecouldreach，therespreadavastwhichtherewasnolivingthingtobeseen。Aemples，toyramids，along，disastrous-lookingshadowsiofthatwitheredsuriverhadflhthecity，butthewaterhadlongsinished，anditideditchofgraydust。

“Lookwellonthatwhioeyeswilleverseeagain，”saidtheQueen。“Suchwas，thatgreatcity，thecityoftheKingofKings，thewoheworld，perhapsofallworlds。Doesyouruyasgreatasthis，boy?”

“No，”saidDigory。HewasgoihatUndrewdidn'truleaheQueeon:“Itissilentnow。ButIhavestoodherewhenthewholeairwasfullofthenoisesof;thetramplihegofwheels，thegofthewhipsandthegroaningofslaves，thethunderofchariots，andthesacrificialdrumsbeatiemples。Ihavestoodhere（butthatwasheeheroarofbattlewentupfromeverystreetandtheriverofred。”Shepausedandadded，“Allionewomaforever。”

“Who?”saidDigoryinafaihehadalreadyguessedtheanswer。

“I，”saidtheQueen。“I，JadisthelastQueen，buttheQueenoftheWorld。”

&wostoodsilehed。

“Itwasmysister'sfault，”saidtheQueen。“Shedrovemetoit。MaythecurseofallthePowersrestupoaIwasreadytomakepeadtospareherlifetoo，ifonlyshewouldyieldmethethroshewouldnot。Herpridehasdestroyedthewholeworld。Evehewarhadbegun，thereromisethathersidewoulduseMagic。Butwhenshebrokeherpromise，whatcouldIdo?Fool!AsifshedidnotknowthatIhadmishe!SheeveIhadthesecretoftheDeplorableWord。Didshethink—sheeakling—thatIwould?”

“Whatwasit?”saidDigory。

“Thatwasthesecretofsecrets，”saidtheQueenJadis。“Ithadlosofourracethattherehich，ifspokenwiththeproperies，woulddestroyalllivingthiheonewhospokeit。Buttheakingswereweakaedandboundthemselvesandallwhoshouldeafterthemwithgreatoathsoseekafterthekword。ButIlearipladpaidaterriblepricetolearnit。Ididilsheforcedmetoit。Ifoughttoovereherbyeveryothermeans。Ipouredoutthebloodofmyarmieslike>

&!”mutteredPolly。

&greatbattle，”saidtheQueehreedayshereinitself。ForthreedaysIlookeddownuponitfromthisveryspot。Ididnotusemypowertillthelastofmysoldiershadfallen，andtheaysister，attheheadofherrebelsthosegreatstairsthatleadupfromthecitytotheterraIwaitedtillweweresoclosethatwecouldseeoher'sfaces。Sheflashedherhorrible，wickedeyesuponmeandsaid，“Victory。”“Yes，”saidI，“Victory，butnotyours。”TheheDeplorableWord。Amomeheonlylivingthihesun。