educe them
to a level with the country upstairs? That is swarming with wild
beasts of every description.'

'But I did feel it, father.'

'I tell you to hold your tongue. You are no patriot.'

Curdie suppressed his laughter, and lay still as a mouse--but no
stiller, for every moment he kept nibbling away with his fingers at the
edges of the hole. He was slowly making it bigger, for here the rock
had been very much shattered with the blasting.

There seemed to be a good many in the family, to judge from the mass of
confused talk which now and then came through the hole; but when all
were speaking together, and just as if they had bottle-brushes--each at
least one--in their throats, it was not easy to make out much that was
said. At length he heard once more what the father goblin was saying.

'Now, then,' he said, 'get your bundles on your backs. Here, Helfer,
I'll help you up with your chest.'

'I wish it was my chest, father.'

'Your turn will come in good time enough! Make haste. I must go to
the meeting at the palace tonight. When that's over, we can come back
and clear out the last of the things before our enemies return in the
morning. Now light your torches, and come along. What a distinction it
is, to provide our own light, instead of being dependent on a thing
hung up in the air--a most disagreeable contrivance--intended no doubt
to blind us when we venture out under its baleful influence! Quite
glaring and vulgar, I call it, though no doubt useful to poor creatures
who haven't the wit to make light for themselves.'

Curdie could hardly keep himself from calling through to know whether
they made the fire to light their torches by. But a moment's
reflection showed him that they would have said they did, inasmuch as
they struck two stones together, and the fire came.

CHAPTER 9

The Hall of the Goblin Palace

A sound of many soft feet followed, but soon ceased. Then Curdie flew
at the hole like a tiger, and tore and pulled. The sides gave way, and
it was soon large enough for him to crawl through. He would not betray
himself by rekindling his lamp, but the torches of the retreating
company, which he found departing in a straight line up a long avenue
from the door of their cave, threw back light enough to afford him a
glance round the deserted home of the goblins. To his surprise, he
could discover nothing to distinguish it from an ordinary natural cave
in the rock, upon many of whi