“Oliver?” Tess called softly.
There was no reply and she didn’t dare shout louder in case the goblin heard her. So she swallowed down her fear and made her way deeper into the tunnel. As the mermaids had told them, there was a network of tunnels that spread out under the factory. Sometimes the path Tess was on would branch off into a cavern or cave, and it wasn’t long before Tess feared she was lost.
Finally, she turned into another tunnel and realised that there was something else at the end of it, just around the corner. She could see its shadow against the wall. And it was too big to be Oliver.
The goblin! Tess thought to herself.
Before she could lose her nerve, Tess crept right up to the corner, then leaped around it and flung out her mop.
There was a pained cry and a thump, and something big fell down on the floor before her.
But it wasn’t the goblin – it was Hoggle lying on the ground. His top hat had fallen off and he dropped his enormous net to grasp his nose with both hands.
“Aargh!” Hoggle groaned between his fingers. “My nose! I think you may have broken it!”
Tess wasn’t in a very sympathetic mood just then. She pointed the mop at Hoggle sternly and said, “It’s no good pretending any more – we’ve seen your grandfather’s journal and we know everything! We know there’s a goblin down here and that he’s making the teddy bears evil! We know that—”
“Yes, yes, it’s all true!” Hoggle exclaimed, cutting Tess off. He looked up at her with pleading eyes and said, “But how was I to know? I thought Grandpops had just gone round the twist when he went on about those bears. Like him, I’ve always wanted to make toys.”
Hoggle dropped his hands. Tess was relieved to see that his nose wasn’t bleeding and didn’t seem to be broken.
Hoggle waved his arms about from where he was half-propped on the floor and said, “I wanted to make the most wonderful, fantastic, amazing toys that children would love for ever! Is that so bad?”
“No,” Tess said, starting to feel uncertain.
Hoggle gave a great sigh and said, “When I found out about the goblin, I thought hiring children would chase him away. I can’t have adults here – they’d be able to see there was something wrong with the toys. When the teddies are out in the world, the magic hides their evil from adults for the most part – although some adults seem to realise something’s not right. I thought that once you children had chased away the goblin, then the factory could have a fresh start.”
“Well, it was a very risky scheme!” Tess said. “My brother Oliver has vanished! Perhaps the teddy bears have him, or perhaps it’s the goblin. Whatever it is, I’ve got to find him.”
“Good gracious me!” Hoggle breathed. He’d gone pale as he stared up at Tess. “I’m so sorry,” he said. “I really did think that the teddy bears were all gone. I locked them all in a cupboard but they must have escaped. And I never dreamed the goblin would take a child. Not with the goblin’s allergy to children—”
Right at that moment, there was a sudden loud, “ATISHOO!”
It came from further down the tunnel. Hoggle and Tess stared at each other for a moment, then Hoggle scrambled to his feet and the two of them sprinted towards the sneeze.
Tess and Hoggle rounded the corner and found themselves in a particularly large cave, with stalactites reaching down from the ceiling and big chunks of crystals set in the walls. In the centre of the space was a small wonky well made from chipped red bricks. It didn’t look like anything that special, but Tess knew it must be the wishing well, because the goblin was crouched on its wall. The scent of black pepper and toffee apples filled the air.
The goblin was completely green, with arms and legs like a frog’s, webbed fingers and ears that seemed far too big for him. He was about the size of a small sheepdog and crouched on the edge of the well. As Tess watched, the goblin reached down and pulled something up from the depths. A shock of orange hair appeared and Tess gasped as she realised the goblin was dragging Oliver up by his collar.
Oliver grabbed the wall of the well and pulled himself onto it. His face was streaked with dirt, but otherwise he seemed OK. Tess gave a cry of relief and ran towards him, just as Hoggle raised his net and charged towards the goblin.
“Unhand that child, you monster!” Hoggle cried.
The goblin jumped, startled, and whipped around to face them.
Tess saw huge frightened yellow eyes before Hoggle brought his net down and scooped the goblin up.
“Well done!” Tess cried, delighted. She threw her arms around Oliver. “Are you all right?” Tess asked.
But, to her surprise, Oliver wriggled out of her hug and ran up to Hoggle.
“Let Betty go!” Oliver yelled, poking Hoggle hard in the ribs. When that didn’t work, Oliver grabbed Hoggle’s arm and bit him on the hand. Hoggle dropped the net with a shout.
“Good heavens!” Hoggle exclaimed. “I’ve always liked children very much indeed, but I do wish you’d all stop jabbing me and biting me and hitting me with mops!”
“Oliver, what’s wrong?” Tess asked. “Who’s Betty?”
“The goblin!” Oliver replied, hurrying over to the net where the goblin was still thrashing about. “She’s not evil. Betty saved me from the teddy bears and let me hide in her wishing well. She was going to take me home.”
Oliver reached into the net and grasped the goblin’s hand to pull her out. Tess watched with shock as the goblin shrank against Oliver and wrapped her webbed hands tight around his leg. Betty’s head only just came up to Oliver’s waist.
“Is this true?” Hoggle asked, staring at the goblin. “Did you save the boy?”
The goblin hesitated, then nodded.
