Your beasts are slain and your power is gone.

Who are ye, says the Shining One, to deny it entrance to the place of its birth ?" "Ye do not answer," she cried again, "yet know we that ye hear! The Shining One offers these terms: Send forth your handmaiden and that lying stranger she stole; send them forth to us--and perhaps ye may live.

But if ye send them not forth, then shall ye too die--and soon!" We waited, silent, even as did Yolara--and again there was no answer from the Three.
The priestess laughed; the blue eyes flashed.
"It is ended!" she cried.

"If you will not open, needs must we open for you!" Over the bridge was marching a long double file of the dwarfs.

They bore a smoothed and handled tree-trunk whose head was knobbed with a huge ball of metal.