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Chapter 10 In which Calcifer promises Sophie a hint
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Howl must have come back while Sophie and Michael were out. He came out of the bathroom while Sophie was frying breakfast on Calcifer, and sat gracefully1 in the chair, groomed2 and glowing and smelling of honeysuckle.
“Dear Sophie,” he said. “Always busy. You were hard at work yesterday, weren’t you, in spite of my advice? Why have you made a jigsaw3 puzzle of my best suit? Just a friendly inquiry4, you know.”
“You jellied it the other day,” said Sophie. “I’m making it over.”
“I can do that,” said Howl. “I thought I showed you. I can also make you a pair of seven-league boots of your own if you give me you size. Something practical in brown calf5, perhaps. It’s amazing the way one can take a step ten and half miles long and still always land in a cow pat.”
“It may have been a bull pat,” said Sophie. “I daresay you found mud from the marshes6 on them too. A person my age needs a lot of exercise.”
“You were even busier than I realized, then,” said Howl. “Because when I happened to tear my eyes from Lettie’s lovely face for an instant yesterday, I could have sworn I saw your long nose poking7 round the corner of the house.”
“Mrs. Fairfax is a family friend,” said Sophie. “How as I to know you would be there too?”
“You have an instinct, Sophie, that’s how,” said howl. “”Nothing is safe from you. If I were to court a girl who lived on an iceberg8 in the middle of an ocean, sooner or later-probably sooner-I’d look up to see you swooping9 overhead on a broomstick. In fact, by now I’d be disappointed in you if I didn’t see you.”
“Are you off to the iceberg today?” Sophie retorted. “From the look on Lettie’s face yesterday, there’s nothing that need keep you there!”
“You wrong me, Sophie,” Howl said. He sounded deeply injured. Sophie looked suspiciously sideways. Beyond the red jewel swinging in Howl’s ear, his profile looked sad and noble. “Long years will pass before I leave Lettie,” he said. “And in fact I’m off to see the King again today. Satisfied, Mrs. Nose?”
Sophie was not sure she believed a word of this, though it was certainly to Kingsbury, with the doorknob red-down, that Howl departed after breakfast, waving Michael aside when Michael tried to consult him about the perplexing spell. Michael, since he had nothing else to do, left too. He said he might as well go to Cesari’s.
Sophie was left alone. She still did not truly believe what Howl had said about Lettie, but she had been wrong about him before, and she had only Michael and Calcifer’s word for Howl’s behavior, after all. She collected up all the little blue triangles of cloth and began guiltily sewing them back into the silver fishing net which was all that was left of the suit. When someone knocked at the door, she started violently, thinking it was the scarecrow again.
“Porthaven door,” Calcifer said, flickering10 a purple grin at her.
That should be all right, then. Sophie hobbled over and opened it, blue-down. There was a cart horse outside. The young fellow of fifty who was leading it wondered if Mrs. Witch had something which might stop it casting shoes all the time.
 
  “I’ll see,” said Sophie. She hobbled over to the grate. “What shall I do?” she whispered.
“Yellow powder, fourth jar along on the second shelf,” Calcifer whispered back. “Those spells are mostly belief. Don’t look uncertain when you give it to him.”
So Sophie poured yellow powder into a square of paper as she had seen Michael do, twisted it smartly, and hobbled to the door with it. “There you are, my boy,” she said. “That’ll stick the shoes on harder than any hundred nails. Do you hear me, horse? You won’t need a smith for the next year. That’ll be a penny, thank you.”
It was quite a busy day. Sophie had to put down her sewing and sell, with Calcifer’s help, a spell to unblock drains, another to fetch goats, and something to make good beer. The only one that gave her any trouble was the customer who pounded on the door in Kingsbury. Sophie opened it red-down to find a richly dressed boy not much older than Michael, white-faced and sweating, wringing11 his hands on the doorstep.
“Madam Sorceress, for pity’s sake!” he said. “I have to fight a duel12 at dawn tomorrow. Give me something to make sure I win. I’ll pay any sum you ask!”
Sophie looked over her shoulder at Calcifer, and Calcifer made faces back, meaning that there was no such thing ready-made. “That wouldn’t be right at all,” Sophie told the boy severely13. “Besides, dueling14 is wrong.”
“Then just give me something that lets me have a fair chance!” the lad said desperately15.
Sophie looked at him. He was very undersized and clearly in a great state of ear. He had that hopeless look a person has who always loses at everything. “I’ll see what I can do,” Sophie said. She hobbled over to the shelves and scanned the jars. The red one labeled CAYENNE looked the most likely. Sophie poured a generous heap of it on a square of paper. She stood the human skull16 beside it. “Because you must know more about this than I do,” she muttered at it. The young man was leaning anxiously round the door to watch. Sophie took up a knife and made what she hoped would look like mystic passes over the heap of pepper. “You are to make a fair fight,” she mumbled17. “A fair fight! Understand?” She screwed the paper up and hobbled to the door with it. “Throw this in the air when the duel starts,” she told the undersized young man, “and it will give you the same chance as the other man. After that, whether you win or not depends on you.”
The undersized young man was so grateful that he tried to give her a gold piece. Sophie refused to take it, so he gave her a two-penny bit instead and went away, whistling happily. “I feel a fraud,” Sophie said as she stowed the money under the hearthstone. “Nut I would like to be there at that fight!”
“So would I!” crackled Calcifer. “When are you going to release me so that I can go and see things like that?”
“When I’ve got even a hint about this contract,” Sophie said.
“You may get one later today,” said Calcifer.
Michael breezed in toward the end of the afternoon. He took an anxious look round to make sure Howl had not come home first and went to the bench, where he got things out to make it look as if he had been busy, singing cheerfully while he did.
 
  
  “I envy you being able to walk all that way so easily,” Sophie said, sewing a blue triangle to silver braid. “How was Ma-my niece?”
Michael gladly left the workbench and sat on the stool by the hearth18 to tell her all about his day. Then he asked about Sophie’s. The result was that when Howl shouldered the door open with his arms full of parcels, Michael was not even looking busy. He was rolling around on the stool laughing at the duel spell.
Howl backed into the door to shut it and leaned there in a tragic19 attitude. “Look at you all!” he said. “Ruin stares me in the face. I slave all day for you all. And not one of you, even Calcifer, can spare time to say hello!”
Michael sprang up guiltily and Calcifer said, “I never do say hello.”
“Is something wrong?” asked Sophie.
“That’s better,” said Howl. “Some of you are pretending to notice me at last. How kind of you to ask, Sophie. Yes, something is wrong. The King has asked me officially to find his brother for him-with a strong hint that destroying the Witch of the Waste would come in handy too-and you all sit there and laugh!”
By now it was clear that Howl was in a mood to produce green slime any second. Sophie hurriedly put her sewing away. “I’ll make some hot buttered toast,” she said.
“Is that all you can do in the face of tragedy?” Howl asked. “Make toast! No, don’t get up. I’ve trudged20 here laden21 with stuff for you, so the least you can do is show polite interest. Here.” He tipped a shower of parcels into Sophie’s lap and handed another to Michael.
Mystified, Sophie unwrapped things: several pairs of silk stockings; two parcels of the finests cambric petticoats, with flounces, lace, and satin insets; a pair of elastic-sided boots in dove-gray suede22; a lace shawl; and a dress of gray watered silk trimmed with lace that matched the shawl. Sophie took one professional look at each and gasped23. The lace alone was worth a fortune. She stroked the silk of the dress, awed24.
Michael unwrapped a handsome new velvet25 suit. “You must have spent every bit that was in the silk purse!” he said ungratefully. “I don’t need this. You’re the one who needs a new suit.”
Howl hooked his boot into what remained of the blue-and-silver suit and held it up ruefully. Sophie had been working hard, but it was still more hole than suit. “How selfless I am,” he said. “But I can’t send you and Sophie to blacken my name to the King in rags. The King would think I didn’t look after my old mother properly. Well, Sophie? Are the boots the right size?”
Sophie looked up from her awed stroking. “Are you being kind,” she said, “or cowardly? Thank you very much and no I won’t.”
“What ingratitude26!” Howl exclaimed, spreading out both arms. “Let’s have green slime again! After which I shall be forced to move the castle a thousand miles away and never see my lovely Lettie again!”
Michael looked at Sophie imploringly27. Sophie glowered28. She saw well enough that the happiness of both her sisters depended on her agreeing to see the King. With green slime in reserve. “You haven’t asked me to do anything yet,” she said. “You’ve just said I’m going to.”
 
  Howl smiled. “And you are going to, aren’t you?”
“All right. When do you want me to go?” Sophie said.
“Tomorrow afternoon,” said Howl. “Michael can go as your footman. The King’s expecting you.” He sat on the stool and began explaining very clearly and soberly just what Sophie was to say. There was no trace of the green-slime mood, now things were going Howl’s way, Sophie noticed. She wanted to slap him. “I want you to do a very delicate job,” Howl explained, “so that the King will go on giving me work like the transport spells, but not trust me with anything like finding his brother. You must tell him how I’ve angered the Witch of the Waste and explain what a good son I am to you, but I want you to do it in such a way that he’ll understand I’m really quite useless.”
Howl explained in great detail. Sophie clasped her hands round the parcels and tried to take it all in, though she could not help thinking, If I was the King, I wouldn’t understand a word of what the old woman was driving at!
Michael meanwhile was hovering29 at Howl’s elbow, trying to ask him about the perplexing spell. Howl kept thinking of new, delicate details to tell the King and waving Michael away. “Not now, Michael. And it occurred to me, Sophie, that you might want some practice in order not to find the Palace overwhelming. We don’t want you coming over queer in the middle of the interview. Not yet, Michael. So I arranged for you to pay a call to my old tutor, Mrs. Pentstemmon. She’s a grand old thing. In some ways she’s grander than the King. So you’ll be quite used to that kind of thing by the time you get to the Palace.”
By this time Sophie was wishing she had never agreed. She was heartily30 relieved when Howl at last turned to Michael.
“Right, Michael. Your turn now. What is it?”
Michael waved the shiny gray paper and explained in an unhappy rush how impossible the spell seemed to do.
Howl seemed faintly astonished to hear this, but he took the paper, saying, “Now where was your problem?” and spread it out. He stared at it. One of his eyebrows31 shot up.
“I tried it as a puzzle and I tried doing just what it says,” Michael explained. “But Sophie and I couldn’t catch the falling star-”
“Great gods above!” Howl exclaimed. He started to laugh, and bit his lip to stop himself. “But, Michael, this isn’t the spell I left you. Where did you find it?”
“On the bench, in that heap of things Sophie piled round the skull,” said Michael. “It as the only new spell there, so I thought-”
 Howl leaped up and sorted among the things on the bench. “Sophie strikes again,” he said. Things skidded32 right and left as he searched. “I might have known! No, the proper spell’s not here.” He tapped the skull thoughtfully on its brown, shiny dome33. “Your doing, friend? I have a notion you come from there. I’m sure the guitar does. Er-Sophie dear-”
“What?” said Sophie.
“Busy old fool, unruly Sophie,” said Howl. “Am I right in thinking that you turned my doorknob black-side-down and stuck your long nose out through it?”
 
 
  “Just my finger,” Sophie said with dignity.
“But you opened the door,” said Howl, “and the thing Michael thinks is a spell must have got through. Didn’t it occur to either of you that it doesn’t look like spells usually do?”
“Spells often look peculiar,” Michael said. “What is it really?”
Howl gave a snort of laughter. “ ‘Decide what this is about. Write a second verse’! Oh, lord!” he said and ran for the stairs. “I’ll show you,” he called as his feet pounded up them.
“I think we wasted out time rushing around the marshes last night,” Sophie said. Michael nodded gloomily. Sophie could see he was feeling a fool. “It was my fault,” she said. “I opened the door.”
“What was outside?” Michael asked with great interest.
But Howl came charging downstairs just then. “I haven’t got that book after all,” he said. He seemed upset now. “Michael, did I hear you say you went out and tried to catch a shooting star?”
“Yes, but it was scared stiff and fell in a pool and drowned,” Michael said.
“Thank goodness for that!” said Howl.
“It was very sad,” Sophie said.
“Sad, was it?” said Howl, more upset than ever. “It was your idea, was it? It would be! I can just see you hopping34 about the marshes, encouraging him! Let me tell you, that was the most stupid thing he’s ever done in his life. He’d have been more than sad if he’d chanced to catch the thing! And you-”
Calcifer flickered35 sleepily up the chimney. “What’s all this fuss about?” he demanded. “You caught one yourself, didn’t you?”
“Yes, and I-!” Howl began, turning his glass-marble glare on Calcifer. But he pulled himself together and turned to Michael instead. “Michael, promise me you’ll never try to catch one again.”
“I promise,” Michael said willingly. “What is that writing, if it’s not a spell?”
Howl looked at the gray paper in his hand. “It’s called ‘Song’-and that’s what it is, I suppose. But it’s not all here and I can’t remember the rest of it.” He stood and thought, as if a new idea had struck him which obviously worried him. “I think the next verse was important,” he said. “I’d better take it back and see-” He went to the door and turned the knob black-down. Then he paused. He looked round at Michael and Sophie, who were naturally enough both staring at the knob. “All right,” he said. “I know Sophie will squirm through if I leave her behind, and that’s not fair to Michael. Come along, both of you, so I’ve got you where I can keep my eye on you.”
He opened the door on the nothingness and walked into it. Michael fell over the stool in his rush to follow. Sophie shed parcels right and left into the hearth as she sprang up too. “Don’t let any sparks get on those!” she said hurriedly to Calcifer.
“If you promise to tell me what’s out there,” Calcifer said. “You’ve had your hint, by the way.”
“Did I?” said Sophie. She was in too much of a hurry to attend. 
  

    第10章一个暗示

    豪尔一定是在苏菲和麦可外出时回来的。苏菲在卡西法身上煮早餐时,他由浴室走了出来,优雅地坐在椅子上,仪容修饰整洁,容光焕发并带有忍冬花的香味。

    “亲爱的苏菲,”他说:“你总是忙着。你昨天好象没有听从我的劝告,工作得很辛苦呢?你为什么将我最好的衣服剪成那个样子?这只是单纯的问问,没别的意思。”

    “你前天让它沾满了黏胶,我不过是在废物利用而已。”苏菲说。

    “我以为我已经显示给你知道了,我可以让它恢复原状的。”豪尔说:“我还能帮你做一双合脚的七里格靴,如果你把脚的尺寸给我的话,也许用咖啡色的小牛皮制成,这样比较使用。实在很难想象,一步路是十哩半,偏偏有人还是会踩到牛粪。”

    “搞不好是公牛屎!”苏菲顶回去:“我敢说你还在上面看到沼泽的泥巴。我这把年纪的人需要许多运动。”

    “那你显然比我知道的还要忙了。”豪尔说:“因为昨天当我把视线由乐蒂美丽的脸庞抽离一刹那时,我敢发誓我看到你的长鼻子由房子的转角伸出来窥探。”

    “菲菲克丝太太是我们家的朋友,”苏菲说:“我怎么知道你刚巧也跑去那里!”

    “苏菲、那是因为你拥有知觉,所以会这样。”豪尔说:“好象没有事情能逃得过你。如果我去追求一个住在海中央浮冰上的女孩,迟早,搞不好很早,我抬头一看,就会看到你骑着扫把在上头俯冲。事实上,如果我没看到你的话,只怕我会很失望啊。”

    “你今天要去浮冰上吗?”苏菲顶道:“由乐蒂昨天脸上的表情看来,那儿好象再没什么值得你留恋的了嘛!”

    “你误会我了,苏菲。”豪尔说。声音听起来非常受伤。苏菲怀疑地把眼睛转开。红色的耳环在豪尔耳上晃呀晃的,但他整个人看来很高尚,带着些许悲伤。“我要很久很久才会跟乐蒂分开。”他说:“事实上,我今天得再度去面见国王。满意了吧?长鼻子太太。”

    (注:长鼻子意指多管闲事、鸡婆之意。)

    他说的话苏菲一句也不相信。不过门柄红色朝下,他确实是要去金斯别利。豪尔用过早餐即离开,麦可想问他那个另人困扰的咒语的事,他却挥手叫他走开。这么一来,麦可也没事干,所以他也出门去了,他说他要去希赛利。

    苏菲被独自一人丢在家里,她仍然无法真正相信豪尔所说的关于乐蒂的事,不过她也不是没有误会过他,而且,她一直都只靠着卡西法和麦可的话来评估豪尔的行为。

    她将所有的小蓝色三角形收集起来,开始怀着罪恶感地,将它们缝回那件剩下部分看起来像一面银色鱼网的衣服上。当有人来敲门时,她吓了一大跳,以为稻草人又回来了。

    “避难港啦。”卡西法告诉她,对她闪过一个紫色的微笑。

    那应该没问题了。苏菲拐着腿走过去,蓝色向下,打开门来。外头停着一匹专用来拖车的马。牵着它的,是一个五十岁左右的年轻人,他问巫婆太太有没有什么方法可以让马不要一年到头掉蹄铁。

    “让我看看,”苏菲说着,回头走到壁炉边,低声问道:“我该怎么做?”

    “黄色粉末,第二个架子的第四个罐子。”卡西法悄声告诉她:“那些咒语的主要成分是‘相信’,所以东西给人时要看起来很有信心。”

    苏菲将粉末倒一些在一片方形纸上,像她看麦可做的那样,漂亮地扭一下,带着它拐回门边。“拿这个去,孩子。”她说:“这会把蹄铁黏得比用一百根铁钉钉得还牢。听到了没,马儿?接下来一整年你都不需要用到铁匠那哩。总共是一分钱,谢谢。”

    那是个非常忙碌的一天。苏菲必须一再放下手头缝制的工作去卖东西,靠着卡西法的帮忙,她卖出一个通水管的咒语、一个抓山羊的,还有制造好啤酒的。唯一令她头疼的,是一个来自金斯别利的客户。苏菲将门把转到红色向下打开,看到一位服装考究、年纪比麦可大不了多少的男孩,脸色苍白、冒着冷汗,拧着双手站在门前。

    “魔法夫人,你可怜可怜我!”他恳求着道:“我明天清晨得跟人决斗,请给我一个保证我会赢的咒语,不管多少钱都没关系。”

    苏菲回头看着卡西法,卡西法对她扮了一下鬼脸,意思是说现成品里没有那样的东西。

    “这样是不对的。”苏菲严厉地说:“而且,决斗是不应该的。”

    “那就给我一个能让我有公平机会的咒语。”那少年绝望地恳求。

    苏菲看着他。他个子很小,很明显地性格怯懦,他脸上有一种‘永远的输家’那种无助的表情。“我尽量试看看。”苏菲说。她拐着脚来到架子前面,审视那些瓶瓶罐罐,一个上标有‘辣椒’的红色罐子看来最合适。她倒了一大堆到方形纸上,然后将骷髅放到它旁边。“我想决斗这种事,你应该比我清楚。”她对着骷髅喃喃自语,口中同时念叨着:“要公平地打斗!知道吗?”她把纸包起来,扭好,蹒跚地走回门边。“决斗一开始,就把这个撒向空中。”她跟小个子年轻人说:“它会带给你和对方相同的机会。在那之后,输赢都要靠你自己了。”

    小个儿年轻人显然非常感激,要塞给她一个金币,但是苏菲拒绝接受,所以他只好给她两辩士,然后高高兴兴地吹着口哨离开。“我觉得自己像个骗子。”苏菲边把钱藏到壁炉石块下边说:“但是我真希望决斗时我能在场。”

    “我也是。”卡西法劈啪地说:“你什么时候才能解放我,让我能出门去看象样的事?”

    “要是能获得跟这个契约有关的一点暗示就好了!”苏菲回道。

    “搞不好你今晚就会得到。”卡西法说。

    近傍晚时麦可飞了进来,进门后他先紧张地四处张望了一下,确定豪尔还没回来。接着走到工作台,将东西拿出来,让台子看起来好象他在那里忙了一天的样子,边弄边愉快地唱着歌。

    “真羡慕你可以轻易地走那么长的路。”苏菲边说边缝一片蓝色三角形到豪尔的银色破衣服上。“我……甥女怎么样?”

    麦可高兴地离开工作台,坐到炉旁的凳子上,开始跟她报告他的一天,然后他反问苏菲如何打发时间。结果,当豪尔以肩膀将门顶开,两手提满大包小包走进来时,麦可不仅没有一点忙碌的样子,反而坐在凳子上,为了那个决斗的咒语笑得前仰后合。

    豪尔往后退,以背部将门关上,背靠着门一副很悲怆的样子。“看看你们!”他说:“应该这样对待我的吗?我整天为你们做牛做马。可是你们,连卡西法也一样,连跟我说声hello的时间都没有。”

    麦可满怀罪恶感地跳起来,卡西法则好整以暇地说:“我从不打招呼的。”

    “有什么不对吗?”苏菲问。

    “这样还差不多,”豪尔说:“总算有人假装看到我了。苏菲,真谢谢你的问候啊!是的,是有事情不对!国王已正式要求我去寻找他的弟弟,甚至强烈暗示说,若能顺便把荒地女巫解决掉会更好。你们却只知道坐在那里笑。”

    说到这里,豪尔显然又随时要制造绿色黏液了。苏菲赶紧将手里缝着的东西摆一边,说:“我来烤一些热腾腾的奶油土司。”

    “那是你面队悲剧时唯一能做的事吗?”豪尔抱怨:“烤土司!不、不用起来。我一路拖着这些要给你的东西回来,所以,至少礼貌性地表示一点兴趣吧。哪!”他把一堆包裹放到苏菲大腿上,另外递了一个给麦可。

    苏菲困惑地将包裹一一解开,里头有几双丝质长袜,两包白麻布衬裙,下摆饰有荷叶边、蕾丝和缎带,一双灰鸽色软皮,侧边有松紧带的靴子,一件蕾丝披肩,还有一件水洗丝制成的灰色洋装,上面蕾丝的颜色与披肩正好相配。苏菲以专业者的眼光一一审视,一次次地惊叹出声,光是那件蕾丝披肩就价值不菲了。她抚抚摩着洋装的丝料,露出敬畏的表情。

    麦可拿到的是一件崭新漂亮的丝绒外套。他满口抱怨,一点也没有感激的样子。“你一定把丝质皮包里的钱全部用光了!我不需要这个。你自己才需要新衣服!”

    豪尔将靴子挂到他那件蓝银色套装的剩余部分上,可怜兮兮地举高来看。苏菲虽然很努力地缝着,上面的洞还是多过布料。“我是多么不自私的人呀!”他说:“我不能让你们穿得破破烂烂地去国王那里摸黑我,国王搞不好会认为我没照顾好我的老母亲。苏菲,怎么样啊?靴子合不合脚?”

    苏菲仍满怀敬畏地在抚摩那件丝质衣服,闻言才抬起头来,问道:“你这是出于好心还是胆小?非常谢谢,但是我不去。”

    “太不知感激了!”豪尔大叫。他将两只手臂张开:“再来场绿色黏液吧!然后我将被迫将城堡移到千里之外,从此再也见不到我可爱的乐蒂!”

    麦可恳求地望着苏菲,苏菲忍不住要呻吟。她清楚地看到,两个妹妹的幸福都系于她去见国王这件事上头,何况背后还有绿色黏液的威胁。“你还没开口拜托我呢!”她说:“你只是说我会去。”

    豪尔微笑着:“你会去的,对不对?”

    “好吧!什么时候?”

    “明天下午。”豪尔说:“麦可可以当你的仆役。国王会等着接见你。”他在凳子上坐下,开始冷静、清晰地解释,告诉苏菲该说些什么。因为事情完全顺他的意,他不再有半点‘绿黏液情绪’,苏菲很想甩他耳光。“我要你做的是很敏感、不易处理的事。”豪尔解释道:“我要国王能够继续雇佣我做类似运输咒那样的工作,但又不够信任到足以把诸如寻找他弟弟之类的工作交托给我。你得告诉他我得罪荒地女巫的原因,同时告诉他我仍是一个好儿子,对你很孝顺,但是说的时候要有技巧,让他觉得我这个人实在没用。”

    豪尔说得很详细。苏菲将手环在包裹上,试着记住他说的一切,但心里忍不住叹气:如果我是国王的话,我会完全听不懂这个老太婆在嘟囔些什么!

    麦可则在豪尔身边徘徊,伺机要问他关于那个令人困惑的咒语的事,但是豪尔一直有新点子涌上来,新的、微妙的、该告诉国王的细节,他一直挥手要麦可走开。“现在不成。还有,苏菲,我想到了,你也许需要来点联系,以免被王宫的气势吓到。我可不希望你跟国王谈话时神情怪异。麦可,现在还不行!所以我安排你去拜访我旧日的老师潘思德曼太太。她是很有威严的老妇人,就某方面而言,她的威仪还要胜过国王。所以,等你见过她,在去王宫时就会觉得习惯了。”

    苏菲真希望她从为答应这件事!当豪尔终于转身跟麦可说话时,她大大地松了一口气。

    “好了,麦可,轮到你了。到底什么事?”

    麦可挥舞着那张闪亮的灰纸,很不悦地迅速解释说,他实在是拿这个咒语没辙。

    豪尔似乎有些意外,接过纸问道:“是哪里有问题?”边说边把纸摊开来。他盯着纸看,一边的眉毛突然挑高。

    “我先当它是迷题来解,后来则逐句照做,”麦可解释道:“但是我和苏菲没法抓住那颗流星……”

    “我的天!”豪尔大叫,然后开始大笑,他必须咬住自己的下唇才能停下来。“可是麦可,这不是我留给你的咒语呀。你这是哪来的?”

    “就在工作台上,苏菲围在骷髅旁那一堆东西里。”麦可说:“那是唯一的新咒语,所以我就想说……”

    豪尔跳起来到工作台上一阵翻找。“苏菲又闯祸了。”东西被他翻得四处都是。“我早该知道了!没有,咒语不在这里。”他拍着骷髅褐色发亮的头顶。“是你干的吗?我有个想法,我觉得你是由那地方来的,我确信那把吉他也是。呃,亲爱的苏菲……”

    “什么事?”

    “没事忙的老笨蛋,无法无天的苏菲,”豪尔说:“告诉我猜的对是不对。你是不是曾将门把转到黑色向下,打开门将你那好管闲事的鼻子伸出去偷看过?”

    “我只把手指伸出去。”苏菲很有尊严地说。

    “但你确实是打开了门,”豪尔说:“那个麦可误以为是咒语的东西,一定就是这样进来的。你们两个难道从没想过,那东西看起来一点都不像平常所见的咒语吗?”

    “咒语常常看起来怪怪的嘛!”麦可说。“那到底是什么东西?”

    豪尔由鼻子里哼笑一声:“决定这段话的意涵,然后自己写出第二段。噢,天哪!”说完他往楼上跑。“我拿给你们看。”边说脚步声边一路往上响。

    “我想我们昨晚在沼泽上跑来跑去全都白费了。”苏菲说。麦可沮丧地点头,苏菲看得出来他觉得自己愚不可及。“都是我的错,”她说:“是我开了那扇门。”

    “那外头是什么?”麦可很感兴趣地问。

    就在此时,豪尔下楼来。“原来那本树不在这里,”他说,看来很生气。“麦可,我刚才听你说你们一起出去,试图捕捉流星?”

    “是的,但是它吓的全身僵硬,掉到水坑里淹死了。”麦可说。

    “谢天谢地!”豪尔说。

    “实在令人难过!”苏菲说。

    “难过!”豪尔益发生气:“一定是你的馊主意,对不对?一定是的!我闭上眼都可以看到你在沼泽区里跳来跳去鼓励他的样子。我告诉你,那是他这辈子所做过最最最愚蠢的事!如果他真的抓到那颗流星,他要难过的事还多着呢!而你……”

    卡西法伸了个懒腰,火光闪动着,直上烟囱。“干吗这么生气?”它说:“你自己不也抓了一个?”

    “没错!而我……”豪尔玻璃珠似的眼睛转向卡西法,但是说没两句就住了口,转而跟麦可说:“麦可,答应我你以后绝对不做这种事。”

    “我答应。”麦可欣然同意:“那张纸上面写的如果不是咒语的话,又是什么东西?”

    豪尔看一下手里灰色的纸:“这叫做‘诗歌’。但这不是全部,可是我想不起后面是什么?”他就站在那儿思考,然后,好象想到了什么,脸上露出担忧的表情。“下一段好象很重要,”他说:“我最好把它送回去,然后……”他走过去将门柄转到黑色向下,转过身看看麦可和苏菲,说:“好吧,我知道我若将苏菲留下来,她也会想尽办法钻过来,那样对麦可就太不公平了。你们两位都一起跟我走吧!这样至少你们会在我视线可及的范围内。”

    他打开门,外面是空无一片,他就这样踏出去。麦可急着加入,慌慌张张地,绊到凳子摔了一跤。苏菲一跃而起,包裹全掉到壁炉里,她匆忙地对卡西法叫道:“别让它们沾上火花!”

    “如果你答应告诉我那边有什么的话。”卡西法回道:“还有,我已经给过你暗示了。”

    “是吗?”苏菲说。但是因为实在赶得很匆忙,并未留意。


点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 gracefully KfYxd     
ad.大大方方地;优美地
参考例句:
  • She sank gracefully down onto a cushion at his feet. 她优雅地坐到他脚旁的垫子上。
  • The new coats blouse gracefully above the hip line. 新外套在臀围线上优美地打着褶皱。
2 groomed 90b6d4f06c2c2c35b205c60916ba1a14     
v.照料或梳洗(马等)( groom的过去式和过去分词 );使做好准备;训练;(给动物)擦洗
参考例句:
  • She is always perfectly groomed. 她总是打扮得干净利落。
  • Duff is being groomed for the job of manager. 达夫正接受训练,准备当经理。 来自《简明英汉词典》
3 jigsaw q3Gxa     
n.缕花锯,竖锯,拼图游戏;vt.用竖锯锯,使互相交错搭接
参考例句:
  • A jigsaw puzzle can keep me absorbed for hours.一副拼图就能让我沉醉几个小时。
  • Tom likes to work on jigsaw puzzles,too.汤姆也喜欢玩拼图游戏。
4 inquiry nbgzF     
n.打听,询问,调查,查问
参考例句:
  • Many parents have been pressing for an inquiry into the problem.许多家长迫切要求调查这个问题。
  • The field of inquiry has narrowed down to five persons.调查的范围已经缩小到只剩5个人了。
5 calf ecLye     
n.小牛,犊,幼仔,小牛皮
参考例句:
  • The cow slinked its calf.那头母牛早产了一头小牛犊。
  • The calf blared for its mother.牛犊哞哞地高声叫喊找妈妈。
6 marshes 9fb6b97bc2685c7033fce33dc84acded     
n.沼泽,湿地( marsh的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • Cows were grazing on the marshes. 牛群在湿地上吃草。
  • We had to cross the marshes. 我们不得不穿过那片沼泽地。 来自《简明英汉词典》
7 poking poking     
n. 刺,戳,袋 vt. 拨开,刺,戳 vi. 戳,刺,捅,搜索,伸出,行动散慢
参考例句:
  • He was poking at the rubbish with his stick. 他正用手杖拨动垃圾。
  • He spent his weekends poking around dusty old bookshops. 他周末都泡在布满尘埃的旧书店里。
8 iceberg CbKx0     
n.冰山,流冰,冷冰冰的人
参考例句:
  • The ship hit an iceberg and went under.船撞上一座冰山而沉没了。
  • The glacier calved a large iceberg.冰河崩解而形成一个大冰山。
9 swooping ce659162690c6d11fdc004b1fd814473     
俯冲,猛冲( swoop的现在分词 )
参考例句:
  • The wind were swooping down to tease the waves. 大风猛扑到海面上戏弄着浪涛。
  • And she was talking so well-swooping with swift wing this way and that. 而她却是那样健谈--一下子谈到东,一下子谈到西。
10 flickering wjLxa     
adj.闪烁的,摇曳的,一闪一闪的
参考例句:
  • The crisp autumn wind is flickering away. 清爽的秋风正在吹拂。
  • The lights keep flickering. 灯光忽明忽暗。
11 wringing 70c74d76c2d55027ff25f12f2ab350a9     
淋湿的,湿透的
参考例句:
  • He was wringing wet after working in the field in the hot sun. 烈日下在田里干活使他汗流满面。
  • He is wringing out the water from his swimming trunks. 他正在把游泳裤中的水绞出来。
12 duel 2rmxa     
n./v.决斗;(双方的)斗争
参考例句:
  • The two teams are locked in a duel for first place.两个队为争夺第一名打得难解难分。
  • Duroy was forced to challenge his disparager to duel.杜洛瓦不得不向诋毁他的人提出决斗。
13 severely SiCzmk     
adv.严格地;严厉地;非常恶劣地
参考例句:
  • He was severely criticized and removed from his post.他受到了严厉的批评并且被撤了职。
  • He is severely put down for his careless work.他因工作上的粗心大意而受到了严厉的批评。
14 dueling dueling     
n. 决斗, 抗争(=duelling) 动词duel的现在分词形式
参考例句:
  • More light-hearted But somewhat puzzled, Vladimir prepared to meet Eugene on the dueling ground. 弗拉基米尔心里轻松了一些,但仍感到有些困惑,在这种心情下,他准备去决斗场地迎战叶甫盖尼。 来自英汉 - 翻译样例 - 文学
  • They had been dueling for hours and finally called a draw. 他们一直决斗了数小时,最后打成平局。
15 desperately cu7znp     
adv.极度渴望地,绝望地,孤注一掷地
参考例句:
  • He was desperately seeking a way to see her again.他正拼命想办法再见她一面。
  • He longed desperately to be back at home.他非常渴望回家。
16 skull CETyO     
n.头骨;颅骨
参考例句:
  • The skull bones fuse between the ages of fifteen and twenty-five.头骨在15至25岁之间长合。
  • He fell out of the window and cracked his skull.他从窗子摔了出去,跌裂了颅骨。
17 mumbled 3855fd60b1f055fa928ebec8bcf3f539     
含糊地说某事,叽咕,咕哝( mumble的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • He mumbled something to me which I did not quite catch. 他对我叽咕了几句话,可我没太听清楚。
  • George mumbled incoherently to himself. 乔治语无伦次地喃喃自语。
18 hearth n5by9     
n.壁炉炉床,壁炉地面
参考例句:
  • She came and sat in a chair before the hearth.她走过来,在炉子前面的椅子上坐下。
  • She comes to the hearth,and switches on the electric light there.她走到壁炉那里,打开电灯。
19 tragic inaw2     
adj.悲剧的,悲剧性的,悲惨的
参考例句:
  • The effect of the pollution on the beaches is absolutely tragic.污染海滩后果可悲。
  • Charles was a man doomed to tragic issues.查理是个注定不得善终的人。
20 trudged e830eb9ac9fd5a70bf67387e070a9616     
vt.& vi.跋涉,吃力地走(trudge的过去式与过去分词形式)
参考例句:
  • He trudged the last two miles to the town. 他步履艰难地走完最后两英里到了城里。
  • He trudged wearily along the path. 他沿着小路疲惫地走去。 来自《简明英汉词典》
21 laden P2gx5     
adj.装满了的;充满了的;负了重担的;苦恼的
参考例句:
  • He is laden with heavy responsibility.他肩负重任。
  • Dragging the fully laden boat across the sand dunes was no mean feat.将满载货物的船拖过沙丘是一件了不起的事。
22 suede 6sXw7     
n.表面粗糙的软皮革
参考例句:
  • I'm looking for a suede jacket.我想买一件皮制茄克。
  • Her newly bought suede shoes look very fashionable.她新买的翻毛皮鞋看上去非常时尚。
23 gasped e6af294d8a7477229d6749fa9e8f5b80     
v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 );喘息;倒抽气;很想要
参考例句:
  • She gasped at the wonderful view. 如此美景使她惊讶得屏住了呼吸。
  • People gasped with admiration at the superb skill of the gymnasts. 体操运动员的高超技艺令人赞叹。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
24 awed a0ab9008d911a954b6ce264ddc63f5c8     
adj.充满敬畏的,表示敬畏的v.使敬畏,使惊惧( awe的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • The audience was awed into silence by her stunning performance. 观众席上鸦雀无声,人们对他出色的表演感到惊叹。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • I was awed by the huge gorilla. 那只大猩猩使我惊惧。 来自《简明英汉词典》
25 velvet 5gqyO     
n.丝绒,天鹅绒;adj.丝绒制的,柔软的
参考例句:
  • This material feels like velvet.这料子摸起来像丝绒。
  • The new settlers wore the finest silk and velvet clothing.新来的移民穿着最华丽的丝绸和天鹅绒衣服。
26 ingratitude O4TyG     
n.忘恩负义
参考例句:
  • Tim's parents were rather hurt by his ingratitude.蒂姆的父母对他的忘恩负义很痛心。
  • His friends were shocked by his ingratitude to his parents.他对父母不孝,令他的朋友们大为吃惊。
27 imploringly imploringly     
adv. 恳求地, 哀求地
参考例句:
  • He moved his lips and looked at her imploringly. 他嘴唇动着,哀求地看着她。
  • He broke in imploringly. 他用恳求的口吻插了话。
28 glowered a6eb2c77ae3214b63cde004e1d79bc7f     
v.怒视( glower的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • He just glowered without speaking. 他一言不发地皱眉怒视我。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • He glowered at me but said nothing. 他怒视着我,却一言不发。 来自辞典例句
29 hovering 99fdb695db3c202536060470c79b067f     
鸟( hover的现在分词 ); 靠近(某事物); (人)徘徊; 犹豫
参考例句:
  • The helicopter was hovering about 100 metres above the pad. 直升机在离发射台一百米的上空盘旋。
  • I'm hovering between the concert and the play tonight. 我犹豫不决今晚是听音乐会还是看戏。
30 heartily Ld3xp     
adv.衷心地,诚恳地,十分,很
参考例句:
  • He ate heartily and went out to look for his horse.他痛快地吃了一顿,就出去找他的马。
  • The host seized my hand and shook it heartily.主人抓住我的手,热情地和我握手。
31 eyebrows a0e6fb1330e9cfecfd1c7a4d00030ed5     
眉毛( eyebrow的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • Eyebrows stop sweat from coming down into the eyes. 眉毛挡住汗水使其不能流进眼睛。
  • His eyebrows project noticeably. 他的眉毛特别突出。
32 skidded 35afc105bfaf20eaf5c5245a2e8d22d8     
v.(通常指车辆) 侧滑( skid的过去式和过去分词 );打滑;滑行;(住在)贫民区
参考例句:
  • The car skidded and hit a lamp post. 那辆汽车打滑撞上了路灯杆。
  • The car skidded and overturned. 汽车打滑翻倒了。
33 dome 7s2xC     
n.圆屋顶,拱顶
参考例句:
  • The dome was supported by white marble columns.圆顶由白色大理石柱支撑着。
  • They formed the dome with the tree's branches.他们用树枝搭成圆屋顶。
34 hopping hopping     
n. 跳跃 动词hop的现在分词形式
参考例句:
  • The clubs in town are really hopping. 城里的俱乐部真够热闹的。
  • I'm hopping over to Paris for the weekend. 我要去巴黎度周末。
35 flickered 93ec527d68268e88777d6ca26683cc82     
(通常指灯光)闪烁,摇曳( flicker的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • The lights flickered and went out. 灯光闪了闪就熄了。
  • These lights flickered continuously like traffic lights which have gone mad. 这些灯象发狂的交通灯一样不停地闪动着。


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