"Get away!" cried Johannes to Bangeling, who was now standing close beside them, twitching and whining. Then a throng of frightful figures pushed forward, trying to approach him, grinning, twisted, misformed faces--some with big purple noses, others with drooling lips--still others pale, and passive, with closed eyes, but with scornful muttering mouths. Johannes knew these figures well; he had often when a child seen them in his dreams. And doubtless you also have seen many of them in the night--just before the measles broke out, or after you have eaten too much pie for dinner. And you were very much afraid of them, were you not? Perhaps as much as formerly Johannes was. But this time he was not in the least afraid. When they came too near, he called out in a fierce voice: "Back!" Then they grew pale, and crumpled up like withered toadstools. "This one is Ginnegap!"[3] said the Devil, pointing out a girl-like being with open mouth, dull eyes, and a finger in each nasty nostril, who was constantly tittering. "Another excellent assistant of mine. Here are Labbekak[4] and Goedzak;[5] charming twins, compact of goodness and charity. Just look! They quiver and quake like jelly. They have no bones, and they never did any wrong. If they do not belong in heaven, who does?" "Of course they have no sense," said Johannes. "But here, then--this one--an old acquaintance of yours. Maybe you think he has no wits, either?" Who was it Johannes saw there? Pluizer, in truth--his old enemy Pluizer! But he lacked a good deal of looking so pert and fierce as formerly. Upon seeing Johannes he hid himself behind the back of a stout, dumpy demon. "A little to one side, Sleur!" said the king to the bulky devil. "Give Johannes a peep at his old friend." But Sleur did not budge. He was very sluggish. Pluizer called out: "Does Death know about it, Johannes--that you are already here?" "What is this place, really?" asked Johannes. "Hell? Is it here that Dante was?" "Dante?" asked the Devil. And all his retainers whispered and tittered and chattered: "Dante? Dante? Dante?" "Surely," resumed the king, "you must mean that nice place full of light where it is so hot and smells so bad; where sand melts; where rivers of blood are seething, and the boiling pitch is ever bubbling; where they scream and yell and curse and lament, and swear at one another." "Yes," said Johannes. "Dante told about that." "But, my little friend!" said the Devil, affably, "that is not here, as you can very well see. That is not my kingdom. That is the kingdom of another who, they say, is called Love. With me, no one suffers. I am not so cruel as that. I cause no one pain." "I know that well," said Johannes, "for so long as I have pain I am alive and am warned. Is it not so, Wistik?" "Yes!" cried the little fellow, his voice now sounding as if far in the distance--up above. "We are falling all the time!" said Johannes, in great alarm.