“Onlydust,”saidUncleAndrew.“Fine,drydust.Nothingmuchtolookat.Notmuchtoshowforalifetimeoftoil,youmightsay.Ah,butwhenIlookedatthatdust(Itookjollygoodcarenottotouchit)andthoughtthateverygrainhadoncebeeninanotherworld-Idon’tmeananotherplanet,youknow;they’repartofourworldandyoucouldgettothemifyouwentfarenough-butareallyOtherWorld-anotherNatureanotheruniverse-somewhereyouwouldneverreachevenifyoutraveledthroughthespaceofthisuniverseforeverandever-aworldthatcouldbereachedonlybyMagic-well!”HereUncleAndrewrubbedhishandstillhisknucklescrackedlikefireworks.
“Iknew,”hewenton,“thatifonlyyoucouldgetitintotherightform,thatdustwoulddrawyoubacktotheplaceithadcomefrom.Butthedifficultywastogetitintotherightform.Myearlierexperimentswereallfailures.Itriedthemonguinea-pigs.Someofthemonlydied.Someexplodedlikelittlebombs-”
“Itwasajollycruelthingtodo,”saidDigorywhohadoncehadaguinea-pigofhisown.
“Howyoudokeepgettingoffthepoint!”saidUncleAndrew.“That’swhatthecreatureswerefor.I’dboughtthemmyself.Letmesee-wherewasI?Ahyes.AtlastIsucceededinmakingtherings:theyellowrings.Butnowanewdifficultyarose.Iwasprettysure,now,thatayellowringwouldsendanycreaturethattoucheditintotheOtherPace.ButwhatwouldbethegoodofthatifIcouldn’tgetthembacktotellmewhattheyhadfoundthere?”
“Andwhataboutthem?”saidDigory.“Anicemessthey’dbeiniftheycouldn’tgetback!”
“Youwillkeeponlookingateverythingfromthewrongpointofview,”saidUncleAndrewwithalookofimpatience.“Can’tyouunderstandthatthethingisagreatexperiment?ThewholepointofsendinganyoneintotheOtherPlaceisthatIwanttofindoutwhatit’slike.”
“Wellwhydidn’tyougoyourselfthen?”
DigoryhadhardlyeverseenanyonesosurprisedandoffendedashisUncledidatthissimplequestion.“Me?Me?”heexclaimed.“Theboymustbemad!Amanatmytimeoflife,andinmystateofhealth,torisktheshockandthedangersofbeingflungsuddenlyintoadifferentuniverse?Ineverheardanythingsopreposterousinmylife!Doyourealizewhatyou’resaying?ThinkwhatAnotherWorldmeans-youmightmeetanything—anything.”
“AndIsupposeyou’vesentPollyintoitthen,”saidDigory.Hischeekswereflamingwithangernow.“AndallIcansay,”headded,“evenifyouaremyUncle-isthatyou’vebehavedlikeacoward,sendingagirltoaplaceyou’reafraidtogotoyourself.”
“Silence,sir!”saidUncleAndrew,bringinghishanddownonthetable.“Iwillnotbetalkedtolikethatbyalittle,dirty,schoolboy.Youdon’tunderstand.Iamthegreatscholar,themagician,theadept,whoisdoingtheexperiment.OfcourseIneedsubjectstodoiton.Blessmysoul,you’llbetellingmenextthatIoughttohaveaskedtheguinea-pigs’permissionbeforeIusedthem!Nogreatwisdomcanbereachedwithoutsacrifice.Buttheideaofmygoingmyselfisridiculous.It’slikeaskingageneraltofightasacommonsoldier.SupposingIgotkilled,whatwouldbecomeofmylife’swork?”
“Oh,dostopjawing,”saidDigory.“AreyougoingtobringPollyback?”
“Iwasgoingtotellyou,whenyousorudelyinterruptedme,”saidUncleAndrew,“thatIdidatlastfindoutawayofdoingthereturnjourney.Thegreenringsdrawyouback.”
“ButPollyhasn’tgotagreenring.”
“No.”saidUncleAndrewwithacruelsmile.
“Thenshecan’tgetback,”shoutedDigory.Andit’sexactlythesameasifyou’dmurderedher.
“Shecangetback,”saidUncleAndrew,“ifsomeoneelsewillgoafterher,wearingayellowringhimselfandtakingtwogreenrings,onetobringhimselfbackandonetobringherback.”
AndnowofcourseDigorysawthetrapinwhichhewascaught:andhestaredatUncleAndrew,sayingnothing,withhismouthwideopen.Hischeekshadgoneverypale.
“Ihope,”saidUncleAndrewpresentlyinaveryhighandmightyvoice,justasifhewereaperfectUnclewhohadgivenoneahandsometipandsomegoodadvice,“Ihope,Digory,youarenotgiventoshowingthewhitefeather.Ishouldbeverysorrytothinkthatanyoneofourfamilyhadnotenoughhonourandchivalrytogototheaidof-er-aladyindistress.”
“Ohshutup!”saidDigory.“Ifyouhadanyhonourandallthat,you’dbegoingyourself.ButIknowyouwon’t.Allright.IseeI’vegottogo.Butyouareabeast.Isupposeyouplannedthewholething,sothatshe’dgowithoutknowingitandthenI’dhavetogoafterher.”
“Ofcourse,”saidUncleAndrewwithhishatefulsmile.
“Verywell.I’llgo.Butthere’sonethingIjollywellmeantosayfirst.Ididn’tbelieveinMagictilltoday.Iseenowit’sreal.Wellifitis,Isupposealltheoldfairytalesaremoreorlesstrue.Andyou’resimplyawicked,cruelmagicianliketheonesinthestories.Well,I’veneverreadastoryinwhichpeopleofthatsortweren’tpaidoutintheend,andIbetyouwillbe.Andserveyouright.”
OfallthethingsDigoryhadsaidthiswasthefirstthatreallywenthome.UncleAndrewstartedandtherecameoverhisfacealookofsuchhorrorthat,beastthoughhewas,youcouldalmostfeelsorryforhim.Butasecondlaterhesmootheditallawayandsaidwitharatherforcedlaugh,“Well,well,Isupposethatisanaturalthingforachildtothink-broughtupamongwomen,asyouhavebeen.Oldwives’tales,eh?Idon’tthinkyouneedworryaboutmydanger,Digory.Wouldn’titbebettertoworryaboutthedangerofyourlittlefriend?She’sbeengonesometime.IfthereareanydangersOverThere-well,itwouldbeapitytoarriveamomenttoolate.”
“Alotyoucare,”saidDigoryfiercely.“ButI’msickofthisjaw.WhathaveIgottodo?”
“Youreallymustlearntocontrolthattemperofyours,myboy,”saidUncleAndrewcoolly.“Otherwiseyou’llgrowuptobejustlikeyourAuntLetty.Now.Attendtome.”
Hegotup,putonapairofgloves,andwalkedovertothetraythatcontainedtherings.
“Theyonlywork,”hesaid,“ifthey’reactuallytouchingyourskin.Wearinggloves,Icanpickthemup-likethis-andnothinghappens.Ifyoucarriedoneinyourpocketnothingwouldhappen:butofcourseyou’dhavetobecarefulnottoputyourhandinyourpocketandtouchitbyaccident.Themomentyoutouchayellowring,youvanishoutofthisworld.WhenyouareintheOtherPlaceIexpect-ofcoursethishasn’tbeentestedyet,butIexpect-thatthemomentyoutouchagreenringyouvanishoutofthatworldand-Iexpect-reappearinthis.Now.Itakethesetwogreensanddropthemintoyourright-handpocket.Rememberverycarefullywhichpocketthegreensarein.GforgreenandRforright.G.R.yousee:whicharethefirsttwolettersofgreen.Oneforyouandoneforthelittlegirl.Andnowyoupickupayellowoneforyourself.Ishouldputiton—onyourfinger-ifIwereyou.There’llbelesschanceofdroppingit.”
Digoryhadalmostpickeduptheyellowringwhenhesuddenlycheckedhimself.
“Lookhere,”hesaid.“WhataboutMother?SupposingsheaskswhereIam?”
“Thesooneryougo,thesooneryou’llbeback,”saidUncleAndrewcheerfully.
“Butyoudon’treallyknowwhetherIcangetback.”
UncleAndrewshruggedhisshoulders,walkedacrosstothedoor,unlockedit,threwitopen,andsaid:
“Ohverywellthen.Justasyouplease.Godownandhaveyourdinner.LeavethelittlegirltobeeatenbywildanimalsordrownedorstarvedinOtherworldorlostthereforgood,ifthat’swhatyouprefer.It’sallonetome.Perhapsbeforeteatimeyou’dbetterdropinonMrs.Plummerandexplainthatshe’llneverseeherdaughteragain;becauseyouwereafraidtoputonaring.”
“Bygum,”saidDigory,“don’tIjustwishIwasbigenoughtopunchyourhead!”
Thenhebuttoneduphiscoat,tookadeepbreath,andpickedupthering.Andhethoughtthen,ashealwaysthoughtafterwardtoo,thathecouldnotdecentlyhavedoneanythingelse.
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