`` Die ! '' he cried ; and he uttered the words of power , the magic spell that the dark Moon Lady had taught him . Then all its invincible natural weight came into the mass which the king held , and down it shot full on the body of the Earthquaker ; and where that had been was nothing but a vast abyss , silent , empty , and blank , and bottomless . Far , far below , thousands of miles below , in the very centre of the earth , lay the dead Earthquaker , crushed flat as a sheet of paper , and the sun of midsummer-day shone straight down on the dreadful chasm , and could not waken him any more for ever . The king drew a long breath . `` Stupidity has saved the world , '' he said ; and , with only strength to draw back one step from the abyss , he fell down , hiding his face in his hands . But Jaqueline 's arms were round his neck , and the maidens brought him water from an ice-cold spring ; and soon King Prigio was himself again , and ready for anything . But afterwards he used to say that the moment when the Earthquaker stirred was the most dreadful in his life . Now , in Manoa , where all the firm foundations of the city had trembled once , when the sun just touched the Earthquaker , the people , seeing that the shadow of the sacred column had crept to its foot , and yet Manoa stood firm again , and the Temple of the Sun was not overthrown , raised such a cry that it echoed even through the halls within the hollow hill . Who shall describe the joy of the maidens , and how often Jaqueline and Ricardo kissed each other ? `` You have saved me ! '' she cried to the king , throwing her arms round him again . `` You have saved Manoa ! '' `` And you have saved the Hope of Pantouflia , not once or twice , '' said his Majesty , grandly . And he told Dick how much he had owed to Jaqueline , in the fight with the Yellow Dwarf , and the fight with the Giant , for he did not think it necessary to mention the affair at Rome . Then Dick kissed Jaqueline again , and all the maidens kissed each other , and they quite cried for gladness . `` But we keep his Majesty the Inca waiting , '' said Prigio . `` Punctuality is the courtesy of kings . You ladies will excuse me , I am sure , if I remove first from the dungeon her whom we call the Princess Jaqueline . The Inca , her father , has a claim on us to this preference . ''
Then placing Jaqueline on the saddle , and leaving Dick to comfort the other young ladies , who were still rather nervous , the king flew off to Manoa , for the wind , of course , died XXXXX the death of the Earthquaker .
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