“You couldn’t climb up there,” Edred said to the great Richard; yet somehow he never doubted that he and Elfrida could.
“No,” said the Mouldiwarp, leaping from Richard’s arms to the ground, “I must carry him”—and it grew to Polar bear size quite calmly before their very eyes.
“They don’t see it—even yet,” said Richard to the mole.
“See what?” Elfrida asked.
“Why, what your disguise is. You’re cats, my dear cousins, white cats!”
Then Edred and Elfrida did look at each other, and it was quite true, they were.
“I’ll tell you what my plan is,” Richard went on. “The people of this country have never seen tame cats. They think a person who can tame animals is a magician. I found that out when I was here before. So now I’ve got three tame animals, all white too, that is, if you’ll play,” he added to the Mouldiwarp. “You will play, won’t you?”
“Oh, yes, I’ll play!” it said, snarling a little.
“And you cats must only mew and purr, and do whatever I tell you. You’ll see how I work it. Don’t do anything for any one but me and your father.”
“Is father really here?” asked Elfrida, trembling a little.