"There has been no place where we could have turned aside," she a.s.sured him. "Nowhere has there appeared any other way open to us."

"And yet we have gone astray," the Prince insisted. "There can be no doubt of it. All that I see now, I have never seen before."

"You are sure of it?" asked his companion.

"I am sure of it."

The eyes of the Shadow Witch flashed with sudden understanding. "It is the enchantment of my brother," she declared. "Lest, perhaps, I should escape him, he has closed the true way, and left this open as a trap for me. Be sure that it leads not to the Cave Hall, except through dangers into which he believes that I will not dare to venture."

"Be these dangers what they may," replied Prince Ember, "I will, by my good magic, overcome them all. And now, since there is no way but this, let us go upon it without tarrying."

"Indeed, we cannot choose but take it," agreed the Shadow Witch.

They resumed their journey, therefore, and now, though the way behind them had been gloomy, that which stretched before them grew more and more so; yet the darker it became about them, the brighter was the glow that streamed from Prince Ember, and the more surely was the Shadow Witch sustained and cheered thereby.

After a while, they saw that they were approaching an open s.p.a.ce, which was wrapped in thick darkness. Beyond it their eyes could not penetrate, but in its midst they beheld shapes like wreaths of vapor arising from below.

The Shadow Witch turned pale, and caught Prince Ember by the arm to draw him back. "Go no farther!" she cried in warning. "Go no farther, I beg of you! Yonder is certain destruction for us both! It is the Pit of Fumes! Those dread and yellow mists carry poison in their breath!"

"Though that be so, yet I must conquer them, for behind us lies your prison," the Prince replied to her. "To it we must not return."

"Never shall you risk such danger for my sake," the Shadow Witch answered firmly. "Better an endless prison for me than such dreadful peril for you. I speak of what I know-none but my brother has ever dared to enter yonder place. You shall not go."

"And when this place is pa.s.sed," demanded the Prince, "what lies beyond?"

"What matters it what lies beyond, when destruction lies between?" she murmured sadly. "Were the way ever so open when the Pit is pa.s.sed, it is closed to us who stand upon this side."

"What lies beyond?" demanded he again. "Answer me truly, for I must know."

Then the Shadow Witch knew that she must tell him. She covered her face with her hands, and her tears fell fast. For a moment she could not speak.

Prince Ember dried her tears with a tender hand. "What lies beyond?" he insisted gently.

The Shadow Witch clung to him desperately. "The way to the Cave Hall,"

she admitted. "But, oh, I cannot let you venture where the Pit lies. No, no! Many times have I heard my brother boast to his neighbors that none but himself can draw nigh to it."

"Listen, dear Shadow Witch," said the Prince consolingly, "yonder is a place of terror, in very truth, yet we shall pa.s.s it safely, in spite of that. There is good magic which can put to naught even this evil Pit of your brother's. Look-I will show you."

He thrust his hand into his breast, and took out a small round box which was hidden there. "This is the gift of him who is oldest and wisest in all the Kingdom of the Fire," he told her. "When he gave it, he a.s.sured me that when the dangers of the way were greatest, when the way itself seemed closed beyond all hope, that this which my box contains will conquer the danger and make the road to safety plain."

Opening the box he took out the piece of charcoal that lay within.

"Stay you here," he bade her, "until I have prepared the way."

But she was not willing that he should go without her. "Whatever comes, we meet it side by side," she declared.

Nothing that he could say would persuade her to do otherwise, and so at last he consented, but as they drew nearer to the Pit, the noisome odor of its fumes swept toward her and overcame her. Her face grew pale, and she began to sink to the ground.

The Prince knew, that in spite of her courage, she could endure no more. He led her back a little way, and forced her gently to rest upon a jutting of the wall. There he left her, weak and trembling, to await his return.

Stronger arose the breath of the Pit, and yet more deadly grew its fumes as the Prince drew near it, but he was undismayed. Straight toward the yellow mists he went, and in his hand was the gift of the Wise One.

Presently, he reached that point where he himself dared go no farther.

The choking vapors floated round him, but the Pit itself, yawning wide and terrible, was still some distance from where he stood. Now he must trust to the strength of his arm, to the sureness of his aim. He drew himself to his full height; he threw back his arm, and hurled the magic charcoal straight to its mark. "Descend into this Pit!" he cried, as it left his hand. "Descend, and make this evil place to exhale no more!"

Like an arrow it sped. Into the very heart of the Pit it fell, and then were the Wise One's words fulfilled. Like surly slaves, obeying unwillingly, the yellow mists sank back into the Pit, lower and lower, till they were seen no more, and with them went their noisome breath, leaving the air pure and clean. As they vanished, the way which led out of this hollow chamber to the corridor beyond lay plainly visible along the very edge of the Pit.

Prince Ember was about to go and fetch the Shadow Witch from where he had left her, but he had no need. She had felt her strength come flooding back to her when the mists departed, and immediately she rose and came to him.

"Why should I ever fear, when you are with me?" she whispered to him.

"How can I ever fail to trust your power to conquer and to save?"

Away from the now vanquished Pit of Fumes they hurried, along a corridor as dusky and deserted as the first had been. Before they had gone far upon it, they heard the low murmuring of voices, and soon they found themselves at the entrance to a low and vaulted chamber, dark like all the rest, but set about with dim lanterns and peopled with many Imps, busy at strange tasks.

Some stood before dingy looms, weaving huge curtains of soot, to replace those which covered the walls in the Cave Hall, when they should become worn, and drop to pieces. Others sat upon blocks of charcoal and braided ropes of darkness to bind those who disobeyed the Wizard's will and though they knew that they themselves might at any time be bound by them, they durst not make them less strong than their master ordained that they should be.

Over them stood the Chief Imp, whose business it was to see that none failed in his duty, or gossiped unduly with his neighbors, and so deeply engaged in their several tasks were one and all, that none heard the sound of approaching footsteps, none knew that any but themselves were near, till quite by accident the Chief Imp raised his head and saw within the doorway of the chamber the ruddy form of Prince Ember standing, and by his side the grey Shadow Witch, whom all had believed to be closely guarded by the walls of her distant prison.

Before the Chief Imp could give a command, before any other could cry out, or attempt evil, the Prince had drawn forth a wand from beneath his mantle and raised it. Clear and strong his voice fell on their ears, saying, "Stir not from your places, nor speak, until the hour when the feet of the Shadow Witch stand once more within the safe borders of her own land."

Under Prince Ember's spell each servant of the Wizard became fixed in his place, unable to move or to utter a syllable. With staring eyes they beheld the Prince and his companion advance, and pa.s.s through their very midst, whilst they remained powerless to so much as stretch out a hand to clutch at their garments.

In their rebellious ears the words of his enchantment were still ringing as he departed with the Shadow Witch from their sight.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

CHAPTER XI

Prince Ember and the Shadow Witch were now rapidly approaching the Cave Hall. On their way they pa.s.sed other vaulted chambers, like the one they had just left, and glancing into these as they hastened by, they saw great urns with ponderous lids, and enormous chests, all marked with the signs of the Wizard, filled, as the Shadow Witch was well aware, with those evil things with which he worked his spells, but not an Imp was anywhere to be seen.

She glided cautiously to the door of one of these rooms and peeped in.

She found, as she had supposed, that it was the bedchamber of her brother. His huge bed, with its jet black coverings and pillows stood ready to receive him; his tall chair was set close beside it. Near by was his special treasure chest, in which his choicest wands and spellbooks were locked carefully away from prying fingers, but this room was as silent and deserted as all the rest.

On a sudden they heard loud rapping, which became still louder, and then a harsh voice crying out in angry tones, again and yet again.

"It is my brother calling for his Imps," whispered the Shadow Witch. "He is not used to have them tarry when he summons them."

It was as she said: the Wizard, in the Cave Hall, was grey with rage.

Never before had he called to his servants without their scurrying on nimble feet to learn his desires, but this time he had struck repeatedly upon the arm of his chair, and had lifted his voice louder and louder, yet neither the Chief Imp nor any other came. He knew where and how they should be employed at this time, and if they were doing their duty, they were within sound of his voice. How they could dare not to answer him, how they could be deaf when he summoned them, the Wizard could not understand.

The Shadow Witch stole closer to Prince Ember, and spoke beneath her breath. "The Wizard is but a few yards from us," she said. "A moment more, and we must encounter him. I do not fear him now, for in this part of the Cave my power has always been fully equal to his own. The truth is, I have more than once defeated him here. He remembers it well.

Yet-I was long bound by that dark prison-long subject to his power.

Before I return to the Land of Shadows, I must test myself, for I wish to be certain that I can still meet and defy him in his Cave Hall without being conquered by him; but in order to make sure of myself I must go before him quite alone."

Prince Ember shook his head. "I would not have you venture it," he objected. "The risk is too great."