Rinkitink in Oz
charcoal-burner was both shrewd and sensible, and they profited much by
his words.
Inga gave Captain Buzzub the command of the warriors and made him
promise to keep his men quiet and orderly--if he could. Then the boy
allowed all of King Gos's former slaves, except those who came from
Pingaree, to choose what boats they required and to stock them with
provisions and row away to their own countries. When these had departed,
with grateful thanks and many blessings showered upon the boy Prince who
had set them free, Inga made preparations to send his own people home,
where they were told to rebuild their houses and then erect a new royal
palace. They were then to await patiently the coming of King Kitticut or
Prince Inga.
"My greatest worry," said the boy to his friends, "is to know whom to
appoint to take charge of this work of restoring Pingaree to its former
condition. My men are all pearl fishers, and although willing and
honest, have no talent for directing others how to work."
While the preparations for departure were being made, Nikobob offered to
direct the men of Pingaree, and did so in a very capable manner. As the
island had been despoiled of all its valuable furniture and draperies
and rich cloths and paintings and statuary and the like, as well as gold
and silver and ornaments, Inga thought it no more than just that they be
replaced by the spoilers. So he directed his people to search through
the storehouses of King Gos and to regain all their goods and chattels
that could be found. Also he instructed them to take as much else as
they required to make their new homes comfortable, so that many boats
were loaded full of goods that would enable the people to restore
Pingaree to its former state of comfort.
For his father's new palace the boy plundered the palaces of both Queen
Cor and King Gos, sending enough wares away with his people to make King
Kitticut's new residence as handsomely fitted and furnished as had been
the one which the ruthless invaders from Regos had destroyed.
It was a great fleet of boats that set out one bright, sunny morning on
the voyage to Pingaree, carrying all the men, women and children and all
the goods for refitting their homes. As he saw the fleet depart, Prince
Inga felt that he had already successfully accomplished a part of his
mission, but he vowed he would never return to Pingaree in person until
he could take his father and mother there with him; unless, indeed, King
Gos wickedly destroyed his beloved parents, in which case Inga would
become the King of Pingaree and it would be his duty to go to his people
and rule over them.
It was while the last of the boats were preparing to sail for Pingaree
that Nikobob, who had been of great service in getting them ready, came
to Inga in a thoughtful mood and said:
"Your Highness, my wife and my daughter Zella have been urging me to
leave Regos and settle down in your island, in a new home. From what
your people have told me, Pingaree is a better place to live than
Regos, and there are no cruel warriors or savage beasts there to keep
one in constant fear for the safety of those he loves. Therefore, I have
come to ask to go with my family in one of the boats."
Inga was much pleased with this proposal and not only granted Nikobob
permission to go to Pingaree to live, but instructed him to take with
him sufficient goods to furnish his new home in a comfortable manner. In
addition to this, he appointed Nikobob general manager of the buildings
and of the pearl fisheries, until his father or he himself arrived, and
the people approved this order because they liked Nikobob and knew him
to be just and honest.
As soon as the last boat of the great flotilla had disappeared from the
view of those left at Regos, Inga and Rinkitink prepared to leave the
island themselves. The boy was anxious to overtake the boat of King Gos,
if possible, and Rinkitink had no desire to remain in Regos.
Buzzub and the warriors stood silently on the shore and watched the
black boat with its silver lining depart, and I am sure they were as
glad to be rid of their unwelcome visitors as Inga and Rinkitink and
Bilbil were to leave.
The boy asked the White Pearl what direction the boat of King Gos had
taken and then he followed after it, rowing hard and steadily for eight
days without becoming at all weary. But, although the black boat moved
very swiftly, it failed to overtake the barge which was rowed by Queen
Cor's forty picked oarsmen.
The Nome King
CHAPTER 17
The Kingdom of the Nomes does not border on the Nonestic Ocean, from
which it is separated by the Kingdom of Rinkitink and the Country of the
Wheelers, which is a part of the Land of Ev. Rinkitink's country is
separated from the country of the Nomes by a row of high and steep
mountains, from which it extends to the sea. The Country of the Wheelers
is a sandy waste that is open on one side to the Nonestic Ocean and on
the other side has no barrier to separate it from the Nome Country,
therefore it was on the coast of the Wheelers that King Gos landed--in a
spot quite deserted by any of the curious inhabitants of that country.
The Nome Country is very large in extent, and is only separated from the
Land of Oz, on its eastern borders, by a Deadly Desert that cannot be
crossed by mortals, unless they are aided by the fairies or by magic.
The nomes are a numerous and mischievous people, living in underground
caverns of wide extent, connected one with another by arches and
passages. The word "nome" means "one who knows," and these people are so
called because they know where all the gold and silver and precious
stones are hidden in the earth--a knowledge that no other living
creatures share with them. The nomes are busy people, constantly digging
up gold in one place and taking it to another place, where they secretly
bury it, and perhaps this is the reason they alone know where to find
it. The nomes were ruled, at the time of which I write, by a King named
Kaliko.
King Gos had expected to be pursued by Inga in his magic boat, so he
made all the haste possible, urging his forty rowers to their best
efforts night and day. To his joy he was not overtaken but landed on
the sandy beach of the Wheelers on the morning of the eighth day.
The forty rowers were left with the boat, while Queen Cor and King Gos,
with their royal prisoners, who were still chained, began the journey to
the Nome King.
It was not long before they passed the sands and reached the rocky
country belonging to the nomes, but they were still a long way from the
entrance to the underground caverns in which lived the Nome King. There
was a dim path, winding between stones and boulders, over which the
walking was quite difficult, especially as the path led up hills that
were small mountains, and then down steep and abrupt slopes where any
misstep might mean a broken leg. Therefore it was the second day of
their journey before they climbed halfway up a rugged mountain and found
themselves at the entrance of the Nome King's caverns.
On their arrival, the entrance seemed free and unguarded, but Gos and
Cor had been there before, and they were too wise to attempt to enter
without announcing themselves, for the passage to the caves was full of
traps and pitfalls. So King Gos stood still and shouted, and in an
instant they were surrounded by a group of crooked nomes, who seemed to
have sprung from the ground.
One of these had very long ears and was called The Long-Eared Hearer. He
said: "I heard you coming early this morning."
Another had eyes that looked in different directions at the same time
and were curiously bright and penetrating. He could look over a hill or
around a corner and was called The Lookout. Said he: "I saw you coming
yesterday."
"Then," said King Gos, "perhaps King Kaliko is expecting us."
"It is true," replied another nome, who wore a gold collar around his
neck and carried a bunch of golden keys. "The mighty Nome King expects
you, and bids you follow me to his presence."
With this he led the way into the caverns and Gos and Cor followed,
dragging their weary prisoners with them, for poor King Kitticut and his
gentle Queen had been obliged to carry, all through the tedious journey,
the bags of gold and jewels which were to bribe the Nome King to accept
them as slaves.
Through several long passages the guide led them and at last they
entered a small cavern which was beautifully decorated and set with rare
jewels that flashed from every part of the wall, floor and ceiling. This
was a waiting-room for visitors, and there their guide left them while
he went to inform King Kaliko of their arrival.
Before long they were ushered into a great domed chamber, cut from the
solid rock and so magnificent that all of them--the King and Queen of
Pingaree and the King and Queen of Regos and Coregos--drew long breaths
of astonishment and opened their eyes as wide as they could.
In an ivory throne sat a little round man who had a pointed beard and
hair that rose to a tall curl on top of his head. He was dressed in
silken robes, richly embroidered, which had large buttons of cut rubies.
On his head was a diamond crown and in his hand he held a golden sceptre
with a big jeweled ball at one end of it. This was Kaliko, the King and
ruler of all the nomes. He nodded pleasantly enough to his visitors and
said in a cheery voice:
"Well, Your Majesties, what can I do for you?"
"It is my desire," answered King Gos, respectfully, "to place in your
care two prisoners, whom you now see before you. They must be carefully
guarded, to prevent them from escaping, for they have the cunning of
foxes and are not to be trusted. In return for the favor I am asking you
to grant, I have brought Your Majesty valuable presents of gold and
precious gems."
He then commanded Kitticut and Garee to lay before the Nome King the
bags of gold and jewels, and they obeyed, being helpless.
"Very good," said King Kaliko, nodding approval, for like all the nomes
he loved treasures of gold and jewels. "But who are the prisoners you
have brought here, and why do you place them in my charge instead of
guarding them yourself? They seem gentle enough, I'm sure."
"The prisoners," returned King Gos, "are the King and Queen of Pingaree,
a small island north of here. They are very evil people and came to our
islands of Regos and Coregos to conquer them and slay our poor people.
Also they intended to plunder us of all our riches, but by good fortune
we were able to defeat and capture them. However, they have a son who is
a terrible wizard and who by magic art is trying to find this awful King
and Queen of Pingaree, and to set them free, that they may continue
their wicked deeds. Therefore, as we have no magic to defend ourselves
with, we have brought the prisoners to you for safe keeping."
"Your Majesty," spoke up King Kitticut, addressing the Nome King with
great indignation, "do not believe this tale, I implore you. It is all a
lie!"
"I know it," said Kaliko. "I consider it a clever lie, though, because
it is woven without a thread of truth. However, that is none of my
business. The fact remains that my good friend King Gos wishes to put
you in my underground caverns, so that you will be unable to escape. And
why should I not please him in this little matter? Gos is a mighty King
and a great warrior, while your island of Pingaree is desolated and your
people scattered. In my heart, King Kitticut, I sympathize with you, but
as a matter of business policy we powerful Kings must stand together and
trample the weaker ones under our feet."
King Kitticut was surprised to find the King of the nomes so candid and