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第33章 the it and the endu(第1页)

EdgarAllanPoe

Iawokefromadeeslee,lyingonthecold,hardfloorofadungeon。Itwasasdarkasmidnight。ForafewminutesItriedtorecalltheeventsthatledtomybeingutintorison。MymindwasalmostablankandIwasweakfromhunger。

Suddenlyitcametomequiteclearly-first,thesoldiersandthentheblack-robedjudgesoftheInquisition。ThejudgeshadagreedthatImustbeunishedandthendiebecauseIwasaheretic。

AslongasIlive,Ishallneverforgetthesevenburningcandles,thesevenblackrobes,andthesevenwhitefaces。HowcouldImakethejudgesbelievethatIwasaChristian?

Thechargesagainstmewereallfalse!AtonetimeIhaddaredtofindfaultwiththeInquisitionanditsmethodsofunishment。Somebodyhadreortedmyname,andnowIwastoayformyfolly。Mycarelesswordsandmyolitics,notmyreligiousbeliefs,hadfiredthejealousyofthejudges。

Iwasinthecellalone。Thedungeonkeeershadtakenmyclothesandmyweaons。AllIhadwasarobeofcoarsecloththatgavemelittlewarmth。

InanefforttofindoutwhatkindoflaceIwasin,Irosefromthefloorandbegantofeelmywayalongthewalls。Thefloorwasmoistandsliery。BysomestrangereasoningIguessedthatthecellwasroundinshae,andthatitwasbuiltofiecesofstoneormetal。Icouldnotjudgecorrectly,forIwasusetandsickuntodeath。Itoreaieceofclothfrommyrobeandushedoneendintoacrackinthewall。ThenIcontinuedtofeelmywayalong,countingeachste。AfterIhadwalkedaroundtheroom,andmyfingersonceagaintouchedtheieceofcloth,IestimatedthatIhadtakenoverahundredstesinsidethewall。Myeffortsgavemenohoe,fortherewasn&aos;tasingleoening-notevenarayoflightthroughtheslightestcrack。

Mynexteffortwastoexlorethecenterofthecell。ThisIdidbylacingonefootbeforetheotherinslowstes。Suddenlymyfeetshotoutfromunderme。Theslickfloorbroughtmedowninaheavyfall。MybodyslidforwardseveralfeetbeforeIcametorest。

WhenIbegantomovemyarmsinanefforttorise,IwassurrisedthatIfeltnothingbutsace。Ireachedouthoelessly,likeadrowningmangrabbingatsticksandstraws。

Suddenlytherewasafaintlightinthedungeon,andtomyhorrorIsawthatIlayattheedgeofadeeitorwell,fromwhichcameaterribleodor。Ilayquietlyforseveralminutes,fearingthatIwouldsliintotheit。

Finallyovercomingsomeofmyfear,Ifeltalongsidemybodyandfoundasmallstone,whichIdroedintotheit。ItseemedseveralsecondsbeforeIheardtheslashofwater。IshudderedasIsensedhowcloseIhadcometoahorribledeath。

Insomestrangewaythelighthadincreased,andIcouldnowseemoreclearlythenatureofthedungeon。Itsgeneralshaewassquare,notcircular,anditwasbuiltoflargeironlates。

Irolledawayfromtheitandcrawledbacktothesidewall,whereIhadsletafterbeingcaturedandbeaten。Nearbywasasmallitcherofwater。Idranksomeofitthoughithadthetasteofwateredwine。ThenIsletagain。

Thewatermusthavebeendrugged,forIawokewithaheadacheandIfeltasthoughIhadbeenasleeforages。IlayonmybackandIcouldnotmovemybody。ThereasonwasthatIwasboundtoaframeworkbyalongleatherstrathatheldmybody,legs,andrightarmtightly。Onlymyleftarmandheadwerefree。

Adishoffoodwaswithinreachofmyfreehand。Beingquitehungry,Iatesomeofiteagerly。Thefoodincreasedmythirst,butthewateritcherwasbeyondmyreach。Whatworseunishmentcouldonehave-adyingthirst?

Lookingutotheceilingofmyrison,Isawthatitwasbuiltofironlates,likethesidewalls。OneanelhadaaintedfigureofFatherTime。Insteadofascythe,FatherTimeheldahugeendulum,suchasweseeonoldclocks。WhileIgazedatit,oneendoftheendulumdroeddownfromtheceilingandbegantoswingback,andforth。Iwatcheditseveralminutes,moreinwonderthaninfear。Ihadnotyetguesseditsimortance。

Aslightnoiseattractedmyattention,andlookingatthefloor,Isawseveralratsrunningabout。Theyhadcomefromthewellandtheirsecretholes,luredbythesmellofthefood。EvenasIwatched,moreratsjoinedtheack,andIhadtomakeaneffortwithmyfreehandtoscarethemaway。

ImusthavelaintherehalfanhourwhenIagainlookeduward。Ahissingsoundwarnedmeofdanger。Iwasamazedtoseethattheendulumhadcomecloserinitsbroadswee。AgainIfelttheawfulfearofdeathwhenIrealizedthattheendulumitselfwasacrescentshaedknife。

TherewasnolongeranyquestionaboutthedoomtileInquisitionhadrearedforme。Nofatecouldbeworsethanfailingintothehorribleit,butnowIfacedanewdanger。

Down-thebladecame,swingingbackandforth,farandwide。AsIwatcheditinterror,Isawthatwitheachmotionitcameclosertomybreast。

Down-thebladeswungandhissed,aimedatmyheart。Itwashoethatheldmynervesfromshock?Itwashoethatketmealive,facingthisdevilishmachineofslowdeath。

Down-thebladeswung,nowbarelytwofeetfrommybody。IwassurethatIcouldsmellthecoldsteelasitreachedtomakethefinalstrokes。

Down-downitcame!Istruggledtofreemyshoulders。Myleftarmwasfreetomyleftshoulder。Icouldreachmyfooddishbutnofarther。HadIbeenabletobreakthestrathatheldmyrightarm,Imighthavegrabbedholdoftheendulumandstoedit。

However,themachinewasloweringtheendulumslowly,andIsawthatitwouldtakesometimeforthebladetocutthroughmyrobe-thenitwouldbemyflesh,myribs,andthenmyheart。

Down-downitcameandnowIcouldseethehissingbladebarelyafootaboveme。

FormanyhourstheframeworkuonwhichIlayhadbeenswarmingwithrats。Theyhadbeenabletostealmostofmyfoodinthedish。Inmyeffortstoscarethemaway,myhandwavedinaseesawmotion。Intheirgreathungertheyhadbittenmyfingersandtheendmynose。Thenathoughtcametome-arayerfulhoe。

Withtheiecesoffoodthatremainedinthedish,IrubbedthestrawhereverIcouldreachit。ThenIlaystill。Atfirsttheratsdidn&aos;tunderstandwhyIketquiet。Thenaboldoneleaeduontheframeworkandsmelledthestra。Thatwasasignalforageneralrush。Forthfromthewelltheyhurriedinfreshtroosandbegantognawatthestrainmanylaces。Theyranovermeboldly。Theirfoulodorfilledmewithhorroranddisgust。IbecamesosickthatIwouldhavewelcomedaquickstrokeofthedeath-dealingblade。

Themovementofthebladedidnotbotherthem。Avoidingitsstrokes,theygnawedthestraintoieces。

AtlastIwasfree-notamomenttoosoon。ThenextstrokeofthebladecutthroughmyrobeandIfeltasharstingofain。Therewasnotamomenttolose!Beforetheendulumswungonitsbackwardstroke,Irolledofftheframeworkontothefloor。Foramoment,atleast,Iwasfree。

DidIsayIwasfree?TheverymomentIrolledawayfromthetra,someunseenforcestoedtheendulum,andIwatcheditbeingdrawnthroughanoeningintheceiling。Free?TwiceIhadescaeddeath,butnowIbecameawarethatIfaceddeathinanotherway,foralreadythelightwithinthecellchangedintoastrangeglow。TheironlateswerebeingheatedinsomewayIknewnothow。Ifeltthewarmththatcamefromthem。Isatonthefloorasifinadream。ThecellwasgettinghotterandIcouldsmellthehotiron。

Asecondchangewastakinglaceinmyrison。Thehotwallsweremovingtowardme,forcingmetothecenterofthecell。Asthewallsbegantoglow,mylungsstruggledwiththehotair。Woulditnotbebettertohurlmyselfintotheitanddrowninitscoolwatersthantosuffertheburningainofhotiron?

ThenIsmelledthefoulodoroftheitandthoughtofthecountlesshundredsofrats。

"Death,

"Icried,

"anydeathbutthatoftheit!

"Fool!Iknewtheobjectoftheburningironwastoforcemeintotheit。

Iulledback-buttheclosingwallsressedmeclosertothehole。Atlengththerewasn&aos;tanextrainchofsolidgroundleftforme。Icouldnotfightmuchlonger,forIhalosttilewilltolive。Icriedoutinmydesair。

Idroedtomyknees,knowingthatinafewsecondsmybodywouldbefallingintothedarkwatersbelow。

Wasitadream?No,itwasreal-Iheardahumofhumanvoices。Thentherewasaloudblastoftrumets!ThenIheardasoundlikethunder!Thefierywallsweremovingback!

Suddenlythedungeonwasfullylighted,andafriendlyarmulledmefromtheedgeoftheit。ThehelinghandwasthatofGeneralLaSalleoftheFrencharmy。ThearmyhadenteredToledo[Sain]andhadcaturedtheheadquartersoftheInquisition。IwasluckythattheFrenchhadcomeintime!

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