Already the ground was beginning to tremble ; the Earthquaker was stirring in his sleep , for the maiden of the new song had not been sent to him , and the year ended at noon , and then he would rise and ruin Manoa . The sun was approaching mid-day , and Prigio put spurs to the Flying Horse . Ten minutes more , and the sun would look straight down the crater of the hollow hill , and the Earthquaker would arouse himself when the light and the heat fell on his body . Already the light of the sun shone slanting half-way down the hollow cone as the whirlpool of air caught the Flying Horse , and drew him swiftly down and down to the shadowy halls . There knelt and wept the nurses of the Earthquaker on the marble floor ; but Jaqueline stood a little apart , very pale , but not weeping . Ricardo had leaped off before the horse touched the ground , and rushed to Jaqueline , and embraced her in his arms ; and , oh ! how glad she was to see him , so that she quite forgot her danger and laughed for joy . `` Oh ! you have come , you have come ; I knew you would come ! '' she cried . Then King Prigio advanced , the mighty weight in his hand , to the verge of the dreadful gulf of the Earthquaker . The dim walls grew radiant ; a long slant arm of yellow light touched the black body of the Earthquaker , and a thrill went through him , and shook the world , so that , far away , the bells rang in Pantouflia . A moment more , and he would waken in his strength ; and once awake , he would shatter the city walls and ruin Manoa . Even now a great mass of rock fell from the roof deep down in the secret caves , and broke into flying fragments , and all the echoes roared and rang . King Prigio stood with the mighty mass poised in his hands . `` 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 , XXXXX only strength to draw back one step from the abyss , he fell down , hiding his face in his hands .
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