lared.

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
thos