CHAPTER ELEVEN IN THE DARK CASTLE（第3/4页）

“Quick ！ I am sane now. Every night I am sane. If only I could get out of this enchanted chair，it would last. I should be a man again. But every night they bind me，and so every night my chance is gone. But you are not enemies. I am not your prisoner. Quick ！ Cut these cords.”

“Stand fast ！ Steady,”said Puddleglum to the two children.

“I beseech you to hear me,”said the Knight，forcing himself to speak calmly. “Have they told you that if I am released from this chair I shall kill you and become a serpent ？ I see by your faces that they have. It is a lie. It is at this hour that I am in my right mind：it is all the rest of the day that I am enchanted. You are not Earthmen nor witches. Why should you be on their side ？ Of your courtesy，cut my bonds.”

“Steady ！ Steady ！ Steady ！”said the three travellers to one another.

“Oh，you have hearts of stone,”said the Knight. “Believe me，you look upon a wretch who has suffered almost more than any mortal can bear. What wrong have I ever done you，that you should side with my enemies to keep me in such miseries ？ And the minutes are slipping past. Now you can save me；when this hour has passed，I shall be witless again—the toy and lap-dog， nay，more likely the pawn and tool，of the most devilish sorceress that ever planned the woe of men. And this night，of all nights， when she is away ！You take from me a chance that may never come again.”

“This is dreadful. I do wish we’d stayed away till it was over,”said Jill.

“Steady ！”said Puddleglum.

The prisoner’s voice was now rising into a shriek. “Let me go，I say. Give me my sword. My sword ！ Once I am free，I shall take such revenge on Earthmen that Underland will talk of it for a thousand years ！”

“Now the frenzy is beginning,”said Scrubb. “I hope those knots are all right.”

“Yes,”said Puddleglum. “He’d have twice his natural strength if he got free now. And I’m not clever with my sword. He’d get us both，I shouldn’t wonder；and then Pole on her own would be left to tackle the snake.”

The prisoner was now so straining at his bonds that they cut into his wrists and ankles. “Beware,”he said. “Beware. One night I did break them. But the witch was there that time. You will not have her to help you tonight. Free me now，and I am your friend. I’m your mortal enemy else.”

“Cunning，isn’t he ？”said Puddleglum.

“Once and for all,”said the prisoner，“I adjure you to set me free. By all fears and all loves，by the bright skies of Overland， by the great Lion，by Aslan himself，I charge you—”

“Oh ！”cried the three travellers as though they had been hurt. “It’s the sign,”said Puddleglum. “It was the words of the sign,”said Scrubb more cautiously. “Oh，what are we to do ？”said Jill.

It was a dreadful question. What had been the use of promising one another that they would not on any account set the Knight free， if they were now to do so the first time he happened to call upon a name they really cared about ？ On the other hand，what had been the use of learning the signs if they weren’t going to obey them ？ Yet could Aslan have really meant them to unbind anyone—even a lunatic—who asked it in his name ？ Could it be a mere accident ？

Or how if the Queen of the Underworld knew all about the signs and had made the Knight learn this name simply in order to entrap them ？ But then，supposing this was the real sign ？...They had muffed three already；they daren’t muff the fourth.

“Oh，if only we knew ！”said Jill.

“I think we do know,”said Puddleglum.

“Do you mean you think everything will come right if we do untie him ？”said Scrubb.

“I don’t know about that,”said Puddleglum. “You see， Aslan didn’t tell Pole what would happen. He only told her what to do. That fellow will be the death of us once he’s up，I shouldn’t wonder. But that doesn’t let us off following the sign.”

They all stood looking at one another with bright eyes. It was a sickening moment. “All right ！”said Jill suddenly. “Let’s get it over. Good-bye，everyone…！”They all shook hands. The Knight was screaming by now；there was foam on his cheeks.

“Come on，Scrubb,”said Puddleglum. He and Scrubb drew their swords and went over to the captive.

“In the name of Aslan,”they said and began methodically cutting the cords. The instant the prisoner was free，he crossed the room in a single bound，seized his own sword（which had been taken from him and laid on the table），and drew it.

“You first ！”he cried and fell upon the silver chair. That must have been a good sword. The silver gave way before its edge like string，and in a moment a few twisted fragments，shining on the floor，were all that was left. But as the chair broke，there came from it a bright flash，a sound like small thunder，and（for one moment）a loathsome smell.