As the prince and the children tend to Puddleglum’s burned feet, they start hearing strange noises coming from outside. The witch has enchanted the city so that, should she be killed, the entire realm will crumble and burn along with her. The lake’s waters are rising and fires are spreading, launching the Earthmen into a frenzied panic. Rilian leads his new friends towards his horses, then orders Puddleglum to grab an Earthman so they can question him. Upon hearing that the witch is dead, the Earthman rejoices and calls Rilian a friend.

Golg, the Earthman, explains that the witch enchanted the gnomes into servitude. When she died, they suddenly remembered that they came from the land of Bism, a realm that exists even deeper within the Earth and contains fantastical rivers of fire, living gems, and clever-tongued salamanders. Golg tries to convince Rilian, Puddleglum, Eustace, and Jill to go back there with him, but they refuse. Instead, they ask Golg to show them the way to the tunnel that leads up to the surface. When they get there, the small lights strewn along the path are starting to go out as the lake’s waters keep rising.