another smile.

The light persisted in the cave. The path narrowed and became a
steep ascent. Then the angle became one of forty-five degrees, and
they had to climb. The tunnel grew so confined that Maskull was
reminded of the confined dreams of his childhood.

Not long afterward, daylight appeared. They hastened to complete the
last stage. Maskull rushed out first into the world of colours and,
all dirty and bleeding from numerous scratches, stood blinking on a
hillside, bathed in the brilliant late-afternoon sunshine. Corpang
followed closely at his heels, He was obliged to shield his eyes with
his hands for a few minutes, so unaccustomed was he to Branchspell's
blinding rays.

"The drum beats have stopped!" he exclaimed suddenly.

"You can't expect music all the time," answered Maskull dryly. "We
mustn't be luxurious."

"But now we have no guide. We're no better off than before."

"Well, Tormance is a big place. But I have an infallible rule,
Corpang. As I come from the south, I always go due north."

"That will take us to Lichstorm."

Maskull gazed at the fantastically piled rocks all around them. "I
saw these rocks from Matterplay. The mountains look as far off now
as they did them, and there's not much of the day left. How far is