The tunnel bent to the right, and began to curve gently downhill. Underground one loses all sense of direction; there is not even the drift of wind on one’s cheek that gives direction even on the blackest night; but I guessed that we must be winding our way deep into the heart of the hill on which had stood the old King’s tower. Now and again smaller tunnels led off to left and right, but there was no danger of losing our way; we were in the main gallery, and the rock seemed reasonably good. Here and there had been falls from roof or wall, and once I was brought to a halt by a fall of rubble which almost blocked the way, but I climbed through, and the tunnel was clear beyond.

Cerdic had stopped at the barrier of rubble. He advanced the torch and peered after me. “Hey, look, Merlin, come back, for pity’s sake! This is beyond any kind of folly. I tell you, these places are dangerous, and we’re getting down into the very guts of the rock. The gods alone know what lives down here. Come on back, boy.”

“Don’t be a coward, Cerdic, there’s plenty of room for you. Come on through. Quickly.”

“That I won’t. If you don’t come out this minute, I swear I’ll go back and tell the King.”

“Look,” I said, “this is important. Don’t ask me why. But I swear to you there’s no danger. If you’re afraid, then give me that torch, and get back.”

“You know I can’t do that.”

“Yes, I know. You wouldn’t dare go back to tell him, would you? And if you did leave me, and anything happened, what do you suppose would happen to you?”

“They say right when they say you’re a devil’s spawn,” said Cerdic.

I laughed. “You can say what you like to me when we’re back in daylight, but hurry now, Cerdic, please. You’re safe, I promise you. There’s no harm in the air today, and you saw how the merlin showed us the door.”

He came, of course. Poor Cerdic, he could afford to do nothing else. But as he stood beside me again, with the torch held up, I saw him looking at me sideways, and his left hand was making the sign against the evil eye.

“Don’t be long,” he said, “that’s all.”

Twenty paces farther, round a curve, the tunnel led into the cavern.