The_Complete_Chronicles_of_Narnia_(volumes_1-7,_in_order_of_publication)

"Yes," said Eustace, "but you can't imagine those Earth people letting them off for fun! It
must be a signal."
"And means no good to us, I'll be bound," said Puddleglum.
"Friends," said the Prince, "when once a man is launched on such an adventure as this, he
must bid farewell to hopes and fears, otherwise death or deliverance will both come too
late to save his honour and his reason. Ho, my beauties" (he was now opening the stable
door). "Hey cousins! Steady, Coalblack! Softly now, Snowflake! You are not forgotten."
The horses were both frightened by the strange lights and the noises. Jill, who had been
so cowardly about going through a black hole betweeen one cave and another, went in
without fear between the stamping and snorting beasts, and she and the Prince had them
saddled and bridled in a few minutes. Very fine they looked as they came out into the
courtyard, tossing their heads. Jill mounted Snowflake, and Puddleglum got up behind
her. Eustace got up behind the Prince on Coalblack. Then with a great echo of hoofs, they
rode out of the main gateway into the street.
"Not much danger of being burnt. That's the bright side of it," observed Puddleglum,
pointing to their right. There, hardly a hundred yards away, lapping against the walls of
the houses, was water.
"Courage!" said the Prince. "The road there goes down steeply. That water has climbed
only half up the greatest hill in the city. It might come so near in the first half-hour and
come no nearer in the next two. My fear is more of that -" and he pointed with his sword
to a great tall Earthman with boar's tusks, followed by six others of assorted shapes and
sizes who had just dashed out of a side street and stepped into the shadow of the houses
where no one could see them.
The Prince led them, aiming always in the direction of the glowing red light but a little to
the left of it. His plan was to get round the fire (if it was a fire) on to high ground, in hope
that they might find their way to the new diggings. Unlike the other three, he seemed to
be almost enjoying himself. He whistled as he rode, and sang snatches of an old song
about Corin Thunder-fist of Archenland. The truth is, he was so glad at being free from
his long enchantment that all dangers seemed a game in comparison. But the rest found it
an eerie journey.
Behind them was the sound of clashing and entangled ships, and the rumble of collapsing
buildings. Overhead was the great patch of lurid light on the roof of the Underworld.
Ahead was the mysterious glow, which did not seem to grow any bigger. From the same
direction came a continual hubbub of shouts, screams, cat-calls, laughter, squeals, and
bellowings; and fireworks of all sorts rose in the dark air. No one could guess what they
meant. Nearer to them, the city was partly lit up by the red glow, and partly by the very
different light of the dreary Gnome lamps. But there were many places where neither of
these lights fell, and those places were jet-black. And in and out of those places the
shapes of Earthmen were darting and slipping all the time, always with their eyes fixed