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"Then she locked me in one of the chambers, deep underground," Eilonwy went on, pointing to the
flagstones. "There are hundreds of them under Spiral Castle, and all kinds of galleries and little passages,
like a honeycomb. Achren didn't build them; this castle, they say, once belonged to a great king. She
thinks she knows all the passageways. But she doesn't. She hasn't been in half of them. Can you imagine
Achren going through a tunnel? She's older than she looks, you know." Eilonwy giggled. "But I know
every one, and most of them connect with each other. It took me longer in the dark, though, because I
didn't have my bauble."
"You mean you live in this terrible place?" Taran asked.
"Naturally," Eilonwy said. "You don't imagine I'd want to visit here, do you?"
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"Is--- is Achren your mother?" Taran gasped and drew back fearfully.
"Certainly not!" cried the girl. "I am Eilonwy, daughter of Angharad, daughter of Regat, daughter of---
oh, it's such a bother going through all that. My ancestors," she said proudly, "are the Sea People. I am of
the blood of Llyr Half-Speech, the Sea King. Achren is my aunt, though sometimes I don't think she's
really my aunt at all."
"Then what are you doing here?"
"I said I live here," Eilonwy answered. "It must take a lot of explaining before you understand anything.
My parents died and my kinsmen sent me here so Achren could teach me to be an enchantress. It's a
family tradition, don't you see? The boys are war leaders, and the girls are enchantresses."
"Achren is leagued with Arawn of Annuvin," cried Taran. "She is an evil, loathsome creature!"
"Oh, everybody knows that," said Eilonwy. "Sometimes I wish my kinsmen had sent me to someone
else. But I think they must have forgotten about me by now."
She noticed the deep slash on his arm. "Where did you get that?" she asked. "I don't think you know
much about fighting if you let yourself get knocked about and cut up so badly. But I don't imagine
Assistant Pig-Keepers are often called on to do that sort of thing." The girl tore a strip from the hem of
her robe and began binding Taran's wound.
"I didn'tlet myself be cut up," Taran said angrily. "That's Arawn's doing, or your aunt's--- I don't know
which and I don't care. One is no better than the other."
"I hate Achren!" Eilonwy burst out. "She is a mean, spiteful person. Of all the people who come here,
you're the only one who's the least bit agreeable to talk to--- and she had you damaged!"
"That's not the end of it," Taran said. "She means to kill my friend."
"If she does that," said Eilonwy, "I'm sure she'll include you. Achren doesn't do things by halves. It would
be a shame if you were killed. I should be very sorry. I know I wouldn't like it to happen to me..."
"Eilonwy, listen," Taran interrupted, "if there are tunnels and passages under the castle--- can you get to
the other cells? Is there a way outside?"
"Of course there is," Eilonwy said. "If there's a way in, there has to be a way out, doesn't there?"
"Will you help us?" Taran asked. "It is important for us to be free of this place. Will you show us the
passage?"
"Let you escape?" Eilonwy giggled. "Wouldn't Achren be furious at that? She tossed her head. "It would
serve her right for whipping me and trying to lock me up. Yes, yes," she went on, her eyes dancing,
"that's a wonderful idea. I would love to see her face when she comes down to find you. Yes, that would
be more fun than anything I could think of. Can you imagine..."
"Listen carefully," Taran said, "is there a way you can take me to my companion?"
Eilonwy shook her head. "That would be very hard to do. You see, some of the galleries connect with
the ones leading to the cells, but when you try to go across, what happens is that you start to run into
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passages that..."
"Never mind, then," Taran said. "Can I join him in one of the passageways?"
"I don't see why you want to do that," said the girl. "It would be so much simpler if I just go and let him
out and have him wait for you beyond the castle. I don't understand why you want to complicate things;
it's bad enough for two people crawling about, but with three, you can imagine what that would be. And
you can't possibly find your way by yourself."
"Very well," Taran said impatiently. "Free my companion first. I only hope he is well enough to move. If
he isn't, then you must come and tell me right away and I'll think of some means of carrying him.
"And there is a white horse, Melyngar," Taran went on. "I don't know what's been done with her."
"She would be in the stable," Eilonwy said. "Isn't that where you'd usually find a horse?"
"Please," Taran said, "you must get her, too. And weapons for us. Will you do that?"
Eilonwy nodded quickly. "Yes, that should be very exciting." She giggled again. She picked up the
glowing ball, cupped it in her hands, and once again the cell was dark. The stone grated shut and only
Eilonwy's silvery laugh lingered behind.
Taran paced back and forth. For the first time, he felt some hope; though he wondered how much he
could count on this scatterbrained girl. She was likely to forget what she started out to do. Worse, she
might betray him to Achren. It might be another trap, a new torment that promised him freedom only to
snatch it away, but even so, Taran decided, they could be no worse off.
To save his energy, he lay down on the straw and tried to relax. His bandaged arm no longer pained
him, and while he was still hungry and thirsty, the water he had drunk had taken some of the edge from
his discomfort.
He had no idea how long it would take to travel through the underground galleries. But as time passed,
he grew more anxious. He worked at the flagstone the girl had used. It would not move, though Taran's
efforts bloodied his fingers. He sank again into dark, endless waiting. Eilonwy did not return.
Chapter 7
The Trap
FROM THE CORRIDOR, a faint sound grew louder. Taran hastened to press his ear against the slot in
the portal. He heard the heavy tread of marching feet, the rattle of weapons. He straightened and stood
with his back to the wall. The girl had betrayed him. He cast about for some means to defend himself, for
he had determined they would not take him easily. For the sake of having something in his hands, Taran
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picked up the dirty straw and held it ready to fling; it was a pitiable defense, and he wished desperately
for Gwydion's power to set it ablaze.
The footsteps continued. He feared, then, they would enter the other cell. He breathed a sigh of relief
when they did not stop but faded away toward what he imagined to be the far end of the corridor.
Perhaps the guard was being changed.
He turned away, certain Eilonwy would not be back, and furious with her and her false promises. She
was a rattlebrained fool who would undoubtedly giggle and take it as a great joke when the
Cauldron-Born came for him. He buried his face in his hands. He could hear her chatter even now. Taran
started up again. The voice he heard was real.
"Mustyou always sit on the wrong stone?" it said. "You're too heavy to lift."
Taran jumped up and hurriedly cleared the straw away. The flagstone was raised. The light from the
golden ball was dim now, but enough for him to see that Eilonwy looked pleased with herself.
"Your companion is free," she whispered. "And I took Melyngar from the stable. They are hidden in the
woods outside the castle. It's all done now," Eilonwy said gleefully. "They're waiting for you. So if you get [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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