The very first thing they noticed was a great red glow. Its eflection made a red patch on the roof of the Underworld housands of feet above them, so that they could see a ocky ceiling which had perhaps been hidden in darkness ver since the world was made. The glow itself came from he far side of the city so that many buildings, grim and reat, stood up blackly against it. But it also cast its light own many streets that ran from it towards the castle. And those streets something very strange was going on. The losely.packed, silent crowds of Earthmen had vanished. nstead, there were figures darting about by ones, or twos, r threes. They behaved like people who do not want to be een: lurking in shadow behind buttresses or in doorways, nd then moving quickly across the open into fresh places f hiding. But the strangest thing of all, to anyone who new the gnomes, was the noise. Shouts and cries came om all directions. But from the harbour there came a low, umbling roar which grew steadily louder and was alreadyhaking the whole city.
“What’s happened to the Earthmen?” said Scrubb. “Is ithem shouting?”