"But if he was in the vision—and he was, as the black cloud—why did he break it up? That vision is pleasant. I did not wish to leave it, and I don't think he did."

"I don't know. I heard another goblin call 'Hey, Chief!' and—" She paused, remembering it. "The cloud jumped! Then he was out of it."

"Because someone disturbed him," Che said, "woke him from the dream, in a manner. That suggests that if that other goblin hadn't called, Grotesk would not have left it."

"I suppose so. It's too bad the other goblin wasn't in it."

"Maybe he was out of range of your singing," Che said, becoming excited. "Maybe if you had sung louder, we could have walked out of the camp!"

Jenny dreaded the thought of singing at all in such company, let alone loudly, but if it was that or their lives, she had to consider it. "I suppose—I suppose we should find out if that's it. Because otherwise they may cook us anyway."

"Yes. Sing to me now, and I will see whether I can break out of the vision. If I can, probably the goblins can. But if I can't—"

"Yes!" She was excited too, for now they had a hope of escaping on their own.

She set herself, then began to hum. She just couldn't start singing cold; her throat balked. It was like plunging into cold water; she had never been able to do that and always had to go in gradually. But the humming got her in, and soon she was singing. It was easier than it had been outside, because there was only Che here.

Che watched her alertly. He did not go to sleep or even relax. He stood waiting to see what would happen, ready to break out of the vision when it came, if he could.

Her fancy formed, the castle and the Princess. But there was no dragon in it and no dark cloud. Just the Princess picking her flowers. It wasn't working! Che was not getting into the picture at all.

Then there was a sound outside. Che was distracted by it, probably afraid it was a goblin coming; they did not want the goblins to know what they were doing! Jenny kept singing, though ready to stop if it really was a goblin.

The dragon appeared. Now it was working! Then a small dark cloud appeared. That, she realized, must be the goblin outside; it must have come close enough to hear her singing.

Now it was time for Che to break out. She did not stop singing, because if she did the fancy would fade. That didn't count. They had to know whether others could break out while she maintained the fancy.

Che did not break out. He didn't even seem to be trying to. Finally, worried that some other goblin might come and discover what they were doing, she stopped, letting the vision dissipate.