The Bottom of the World
- The Earthman reveals that his name is Golg and tells them about his people and what's going on with the noises and the red light.
- It turns out that the Earthmen are Gnomes from a land even farther below than the queen's realm, and that they, too, were under the queen's enchantment.
- When Rilian killed the queen, the gnomes began to "wake up," and once they realized that things weren't right, they quietly rebelled by dropping their work.
- A crack then opened in the ground, all the way down to the center of the Earth—the place the gnomes were stolen from by the witch queen.
- Now they are taking their chance to return to the Land of Bism, as it is called.
- Rilian and the others ask Golg about the new road to Overland. Golg hates the idea of Overland, and then brings Rilian to the break in the earth, to stare into the splendors of Bism.
- Rilian is an adventurer, like his father before him, and would really like to take a detour to visit the land of fire—where gold and silver and gems grow like fruits on trees—but Jill is horrified by this, and Puddleglum brings Rilian back to reality, reminding him that if Rilian wants to see his father alive, he'd better make haste and return to Narnia.
- Golg points out the new road to Overland and the group sees that it is quickly being covered by the rising sea, so they rush to cover the distance before the water drowns them.
- Golg dives into Bism just before the crack in the earth snaps closed.
- Rilian, Jill, Scrubb, and Puddleglum make their way up the road on horseback. It narrows as they get closer to the surface, and pretty soon, the gnome lights go out. Darkness rules.
- But Eustace notices a dull light shining through a patch in the earth above their heads, so Puddleglum suggests that Jill climb onto his shoulders to investigate.