CHAPTERFOURTHEBELLANDTHEHAMMER
THEREwasnodoubtabouttheMagicthistime。Downanddowntheyrushed，firstthroughdarkhenthroughamassofvagueandwhirlingshapeswhichmighthavebeenalmostanythier。Theheyfeltthattheywerestandihingsolid。Amomehiofodtheywereabletolookaboutthem。
“lace!”saidDigory。
“Idon'tlikeit，”saidPollywithsomethinglikeashudder。
Whattheywasthelight。Itwasn'tlikesunlight，anditwasn'tlikeelectrips，ordles，oraheyhadeverseen。Itwasadull，ratherredlight，notatallcheerful。Itwassteadyanddidheywerestandingonaflatpavedsurfadbuildingsroseallarouherewasnoroofoverhead;theywereinasortofcourtyard。Theskywasextraordinarilydark—abluethatwasalmostblayouhadseenthatskyyouwohereshouldbeanylightatall。
“It'sveryfuherhere，”saidDigory。“Iwonderifwe'vearrivedjustihuorm;oraneclipse。”
“Idon'tlikeit，”saidPolly。
Bothofthem，withoutquiteknoeretalkingihoughtherewasnoreasonwhytheyshouldstillgoonholdinghaheirjump，theydidn'tletgo。
Thewallsrhallroundthatcourtyard。Theyhadmawindowsinthem，ithoutglass，throughwhichyousawnothingbutblaess。Loeregreatpillaredaringblacklylikethemouthsofrailwaytuwasrathercold。
&oneofwhicheverythingwasbuiltseemedtobered，butthatmightonlybebecauseht。Itwasobviouslyveryold。Maopavedthecourtyardhadcra。hemfittedcloselytogetherandthesharperswereallworhearcheddoorwayswashalffilledupwithrubble。Thetwokeptroundandroundtolookatthedifferehecourtyard。Onereasonwasthattheywereafraidofsomebody—orsomething—lookingoutofthosewindowsatthemwhentheirbackswereturned。
“Doyouthinkanyoneliveshere?”saidDigoryatlast，stillinawhisper。
“No，”saidPolly。“It'sallinruins。Wehaven'theardasoundsince>
&'sstandstillandlistenforabit，”suggestedDigory。
&oodstillaalltheycouldhearwasthethump-thumpoftheirowhisplacewasatleastasquietastheorlds。ButitwasadifferentkihesileheWoodhadbeenridwarm（youosthearthetreesgrowing）andfulloflife:thiswasadead，ptysilence。Youagihinggrowinginit。
&'sgohome，”saidPolly。
“Butwehaven'tseena，”saidDigory。“Nowwe'rehere，wesimplymusthavealookround。”
“I'msurethere'snothingatalliinghere。”
“There'snotmutinfindingamagigthatletsyouintootherworldsifyou'reafraidtolookatthemwhenyou'vegotthere。”
“Who'stalkingaboutbeingafraid?”saidPolly，lettinggoofDigory'shand。
“Ionlythoughtyoudidn'tseemverykeenthisplace。”
“I'llgo。”
&awaythemomeo，”saidDigory。“Let'stakesandputtheminht-has。Allwe'vegottodoistorememberthatouryellowarei-has。Youkeepyourhandasnearyourpocketasyoulike，butdon'tputitinoryou'lltouchyouryello>
&hisalyuptoohebigarcheddoorwayswhitotheihebuilding。Aoodohresholdandcouldlookiwasnotsodarkiheyhadthoughtatfirst。Itledintoavast，shadowyhallearedtobeempty;butonthefarsidethereillarswitharchesbetweehroughthosearchestherestreamedinsomemoreofthesametired-lookinglight。Theycrossedthehall，walkingverycarefullyforfearofholesinthefloororofanythinglyingaboutthattheymighttripover。Itseemedalongwalk。Whentheyhadreachedtheothersidetheycamehtheardfoundthemselvesinanercourtyard。
“Thatdoesn'tlookverysafe，”saidPolly，pointingataplacewherethewallbulgedoutwardandlookedasifitwerereadytofalloveriyard。Inoneplaceapillarwasmissiwoardthebitthattowherethetopofthepillaroughttohavebeehnothingtosupportit。Clearly，theplacehadbeeedforhuhousands，ofyears。
“Ifit'slastedtillnow，Isupposeit'lllastabitlonger，”saidDigory。“Butwemustbeveryquiet。Youknowaimesbringsthingsdown—likeanavalaheAlps。”
&onoutofthatcourtyardintoanotherdooragreatflightofstepsandthroughvastroomsthatopeofoillyouweredizzywiththemeresizeoftheplace。Everynowahoughttheyweregoiotheopesortoftrylayaroundtheenormouspalace。Buteachtimetheyonlygotiyard。Theymusthavebeenmagplapeoplewerestilllivingthere。Iherehadoaiohwide-spreadwingsstoodwithitsmouthopenandyoucouldstillseeabitofpipingatthebaouth，outofwhichthewaterusedtopour。Uwasawidestooholdthewater;butitwasasdryasaboherplacestherewerethedrystiesortofgplantwhichhadwounditselfroundthepillarsaopullsomeofthemdown。Butithaddiedlongago。Andthereidersoraherlivingthioseeinaruihedryearthshowedbetweenthebrokenflagstoherewasnograssormoss。
ItwasallsodrearyandallsomuchthesamethatevenDigorywasthiterputontheiryellsareen，liviheIweeheycametotwohugedoorsofsomemetalthatmightpossiblybegold。Ooodalittleajar。Soofcoursetheywenttolookin。Bothstartedbaddrewaloh:forhereatlastwassomethingw。
Forasedtheythoughttheroomwasfullofpeople—hundredsofpeople，allseated，alystill。PollyandDigory，asyoumayguess，stoodperfectlystillthemselvesfoodlongtime，lookingiheydecidedthatwhattheywerelookingatotberealpeople。Therewasnorthesoundofabreathamoheywerelikethemostwonderfulwaxworksyoueversaw。
ThistimePollytookthelead。TherewassomethinginthisroomwhiterestedhermorethaedDigory:allthefigureswerewearingmaghes。Ifyouwereihesatall，youcouldhardlyhelpgoingihemdtheblazeoftheiradethisroomlook，lycheerful，butatanyrateridmajesticafterallthedustaheothers。Ithadmorewindows，too，andwasagooddeallighter。
Ihardlydescribetheclothes。Thefigureswereallrobedandhadtheirheads。Theirrobeswereofdsilverygrayanddeeppurpleandvividgreen:aterns，andpicturesofflowersas，inneedleworkalloverthem。Preesofastonishingsizeandbrightheirdhunginsroundtheirnedpeepedoutfromalltheplaceswhereanythingwasfastened。
“Whyhaven'ttheseclothesallrottedawaylongago?”askedPolly。
“Magic，”whisperedDigory。“'tyoufeelit?Ibetthiswholeroomisjuststiffwithes。Icouldfeelitthemomentwe。”