21
　　On the mountain-top
　　Both the soldiers had got hold of poor Lucy-Ann. She was screaming wildly, and the two boysflew at the men. But to their great surprise they were thrown back as easily as if they had beenfeather-weights. Just a twist of the men’s arms, and back they went, falling headlong to the floor.
　　They were up again in a trice – but this time one of the soldiers caught Philip in a vicious grip,and the boy found himself turning over in the air, and flying right over the man’s head! He landedwith a crash on the table, and sent all the dishes into the air.
　　What with Lucy-Ann’s screams, the boys’ yells, and the crashes of the dishes there was aterrific commotion¹. Kiki added to it by screeching² loudly. Then she flew down and attacked one ofthe men. He fended³ her off.
　　Four more soldiers suddenly appeared, and that was the end of the children’s resistance. Theywere all captured. Kiki flew off somewhere, still screeching. Snowy had disappeared completely.
　　The four children were marched out of the room and taken to a bigger room, well furnished, butnot nearly so elaborate as the king’s rooms. Hangings covered the walls, but they were plain andsimple. The roof of the cave was not covered, and the children could see the rough rock abovetheir heads.
　　Lucy-Ann was sobbing⁴. Dinah looked very pale and the boys were angry and defiant⁵. Theywere all stood in a row against the wall. Philip felt in his pocket to see if his slow-worm was hurtin the scuffle. Sally Slithery had not liked life in the mountain. She had become lethargic⁶ and dull.
　　But she would not leave Philip.
　　She was still there, coiled up. Philip wondered where Kiki and Snowy were. It was not like Kikito fly off like that. She must have been very scared – or perhaps one of the dishes had struck her asit flew off the table.
　　In a few minutes Meier and Erlick, the two men who were the real power behind the poor old‘king’, came into the room. Meier was

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