English
ThisnewsaboutLongArrowmadeusallverysad.
AndIcouldseefromthesilentdreamywaytheDoctortookhisteathathewasdreadfullyupset.
Everyonceinawhilehewouldstopeatingaltogetherandsitstaringatthespotsonthekitchentable-clothasthoughhisthoughtswerefaraway;tillDab-Dab,whowaswatchingtoseethathegotagoodmeal,wouldcoughorrattlethepotsinthesink.
IdidmybesttocheerhimupbyremindinghimofallhehaddoneforLukeandhiswifethatafternoon.Andwhenthatdidn'tseemtowork,Iwentontalkingaboutourpreparationsforthevoyage.
"Butyousee,Stubbins,"saidheaswerosefromthetableandDab-DabandChee-Cheebegantoclearaway,"Idon'tknowwheretogonow.
IfeelsortoflostsinceMirandabroughtmethisnews.
OnthisvoyageIhadplannedgoingtoseeLongArrow.
Ihadbeenlookingforwardtoitforawholeyear.
Ifelthemighthelpmeinlearningthelanguageoftheshellfish—andperhapsinfindingsomewayofgettingtothebottomofthesea.Butnow?—He'sgone!
Andallhisgreatknowledgehasgonewithhim."
Thenheseemedtofalla-dreamingagain.
"Justtothinkofit!"hemurmured.
"LongArrowandI,twostudents—AlthoughI'dnevermethim,IfeltasthoughIknewhimquitewell.
For,inhisway—withoutanyschooling—hehas,allhislife,beentryingtodotheverythingswhichIhavetriedtodoinmine—Andnowhe'sgone!
—Awholeworldlaybetweenus—Andonlyabirdknewusboth!"
Wewentbackintothestudy,whereJipbroughttheDoctorhisslippersandhispipe.Andafterthepipewaslitandthesmokebegantofilltheroomtheoldmanseemedtocheerupalittle.
"Butyouwillgoonsomevoyage,Doctor,won'tyou?"Iasked—"evenifyoucan'tgotofindLongArrow."
Helookedupsharplyintomyface;andIsupposehesawhowanxiousIwas.Becausehesuddenlysmiledhisold,boyishsmileandsaid,
"Yes,Stubbins.Don'tworry.We'llgo.Wemustn'tstopworkingandlearning,evenifpoorLongArrowhasdisappeared—Butwheretogo:that'sthequestion.Whereshallwego?"
ThereweresomanyplacesthatIwantedtogothatIcouldn'tmakeupmymindrightaway.AndwhileIwasstillthinking,theDoctorsatupinhischairandsaid,
"Itellyouwhatwe'lldo,Stubbins:it'sagameIusedtoplaywhenIwasyoung—beforeSarahcametolivewithme.IusedtocallitBlindTravel.
WheneverIwantedtogoonavoyage,andIcouldn'tmakeupmymindwheretogo,Iwouldtaketheatlasandopenitwithmyeyesshut.
Next,I'dwaveapencil,stillwithoutlooking,andstickitdownonwhateverpagehadfallenopen.ThenI'dopenmyeyesandlook.
It'saveryexcitinggame,isBlindTravel.
Becauseyouhavetoswear,beforeyoubegin,thatyouwillgototheplacethepenciltouches,comewhatway.Shallweplayit?"
"Oh,let's!"Ialmostyelled."Howthrilling!Ihopeit'sChina—orBorneo—orBagdad."
AndinamomentIhadscrambledupthebookcase,draggedthebigatlasfromthetopshelfandlaiditonthetablebeforetheDoctor.
Ikneweverypageinthatatlasbyheart.
HowmanydaysandnightsIhadlingeredoveritsoldfadedmaps,followingtheblueriversfromthemountainstothesea;wonderingwhatthelittletownsreallylookedlike,andhowwidewerethesprawlinglakes!
Ihadhadalotoffunwiththatatlas,traveling,inmymind,allovertheworld.
Icanseeitnow:thefirstpagehadnomap;itjusttoldyouthatitwasprintedinEdinburghin1808,andawholelotmoreaboutthebook.
ThenextpagewastheSolarSystem,showingthesunandplanets,thestarsandthemoon.
ThethirdpagewasthechartoftheNorthandSouthPoles.
Thencamethehemispheres,theoceans,thecontinentsandthecountries.
AstheDoctorbegansharpeninghispencilathoughtcametome.
"WhatifthepencilfallsupontheNorthPole,"Iasked,"willwehavetogothere?"
"No.Therulesofthegamesayyoudon'thavetogoanyplaceyou'vebeentobefore.Youareallowedanothertry.
I'vebeentotheNorthPole,"heendedquietly,"soweshan'thavetogothere."Icouldhardlyspeakwithastonishment.
"YOU'VEBEENTOTHENORTHPOLE!"Imanagedtogaspoutatlast.
"ButIthoughtitwasstillundiscovered.
Themapshowsalltheplacesexplorershavereachedto,TRYINGtogetthere.
Whyisn'tyournamedownifyoudiscoveredit?"
"Ipromisedtokeepitasecret.Andyoumustpromisemenevertotellanyone.
Yes,IdiscoveredtheNorthPoleinApril,1809.
ButshortlyafterIgottherethepolarbearscametomeinabodyandtoldmetherewasagreatdealofcoalthere,buriedbeneaththesnow.
Theyknew,theysaid,thathumanbeingswoulddoanything,andgoanywhere,togetcoal.SowouldIpleasekeepitasecret.
Becauseoncepeoplebegancominguptheretostartcoal-mines,theirbeautifulwhitecountrywouldbespoiled—andtherewasnowhereelseintheworldcoldenoughforpolarbearstobecomfortable.
SoofcourseIhadtopromisethemIwould.
Ah,well,itwillbediscoveredagainsomeday,bysomebodyelse.
ButIwantthepolarbearstohavetheirplay-groundtothemselvesaslongaspossible.
AndIdaresayitwillbeagoodwhileyet—foritcertainlyisafiendishplacetogetto—Wellnow,areweready?—Good!
Takethepencilandstandhereclosetothetable.
Whenthebookfallsopen,wavethepencilroundthreetimesandjabitdown.Ready?—Allright.Shutyoureyes."
Itwasatenseandfearfulmoment—butverythrilling.Webothhadoureyesshuttight.
Iheardtheatlasfallopenwithabang.
Iwonderedwhatpageitwas:EnglandorAsia.
IfitshouldbethemapofAsia,somuchwoulddependonwherethatpencilwouldland.Iwavedthreetimesinacircle.Ibegantolowermyhand.Thepencil-pointtouchedthepage.
"Allright,"Icalledout,"it'sdone."
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