Rinkitink in Oz
so well informed, and he tried to argue that he and his gentle wife did
not deserve their cruel fate and that it would be wiser for Kaliko to
side with them than with the evil King of Regos. But Kaliko only shook
his head and smiled, saying:
"The fact that you are a prisoner, my poor Kitticut, is evidence that
you are weaker than King Gos, and I prefer to deal with the strong. By
the way," he added, turning to the King of Regos, "have these prisoners
any connection with the Land of Oz?"
"Why do you ask?" said Gos.
"Because I dare not offend the Oz people," was the reply. "I am very
powerful, as you know, but Ozma of Oz is far more powerful than I;
therefore, if this King and Queen of Pingaree happened to be under
Ozma's protection, I would have nothing to do with them."
"I assure Your Majesty that the prisoners have nothing to do with the Oz
people," Gos hastened to say. And Kitticut, being questioned, admitted
that this was true.
"But how about that wizard you mentioned?" asked the Nome King.
"Oh, he is merely a boy; but he is very ferocious and obstinate and he
is assisted by a little fat sorcerer called Rinkitink and a talking
goat."
"Oho! A talking goat, do you say? That certainly sounds like magic; and
it also sounds like the Land of Oz, where all the animals talk," said
Kaliko, with a doubtful expression.
But King Gos assured him the talking goat had never been to Oz.
"As for Rinkitink, whom you call a sorcerer," continued the Nome King,
"he is a neighbor of mine, you must know, but as we are cut off from
each other by high mountains beneath which a powerful river runs, I have
never yet met King Rinkitink. But I have heard of him, and from all
reports he is a jolly rogue, and perfectly harmless. However, in spite
of your false statements and misrepresentations, I will earn the
treasure you have brought me, by keeping your prisoners safe in my
caverns."
"Make them work," advised Queen Cor. "They are rather delicate, and to
make them work will make them suffer delightfully."
"I'll do as I please about that," said the Nome King sternly. "Be
content that I agree to keep them safe."
The bargain being thus made and concluded, Kaliko first examined the
gold and jewels and then sent it away to his royal storehouse, which was
well filled with like treasure. Next the captives were sent away in
charge of the nome with the golden collar and keys, whose name was Klik,
and he escorted them to a small cavern and gave them a good supper.
"I shall lock your door," said Klik, "so there is no need of your
wearing those heavy chains any longer." He therefore removed the chains
and left King Kitticut and his Queen alone. This was the first time
since the Northmen had carried them away from Pingaree that the good
King and Queen had been alone together and free of all bonds, and as
they embraced lovingly and mingled their tears over their sad fate they
were also grateful that they had passed from the control of the
heartless King Gos into the more considerate care of King Kaliko. They
were still captives but they believed they would be happier in the
underground caverns of the nomes than in Regos and Coregos.
Meantime, in the King's royal cavern a great feast had been spread. King
Gos and Queen Cor, having triumphed in their plot, were so well pleased
that they held high revelry with the jolly Nome King until a late hour
that night. And the next morning, having cautioned Kaliko not to release
the prisoners under any consideration without their orders, the King and
Queen of Regos and Coregos left the caverns of the nomes to return to
the shore of the ocean where they had left their boat.
Inga Parts With His Pink Pearl
CHAPTER 18
The White Pearl guided Inga truly in his pursuit of the boat of King
Gos, but the boy had been so delayed in sending his people home to
Pingaree that it was a full day after Gos and Cor landed on the shore of
the Wheeler Country that Inga's boat arrived at the same place.
There he found the forty rowers guarding the barge of Queen Cor, and
although they would not or could not tell the boy where the King and
Queen had taken his father and mother, the White Pearl advised him to
follow the path to the country and the caverns of the nomes.
Rinkitink didn't like to undertake the rocky and mountainous journey,
even with Bilbil to carry him, but he would not desert Inga, even though
his own kingdom lay just beyond a range of mountains which could be seen
towering southwest of them. So the King bravely mounted the goat, who
always grumbled but always obeyed his master, and the three set off at
once for the caverns of the nomes.
They traveled just as slowly as Queen Cor and King Gos had done, so when
they were about halfway they discovered the King and Queen coming back
to their boat. The fact that Gos and Cor were now alone proved that they
had left Inga's father and mother behind them; so, at the suggestion of
Rinkitink, the three hid behind a high rock until the King of Regos and
the Queen of Coregos, who had not observed them, had passed them by.
Then they continued their journey, glad that they had not again been
forced to fight or quarrel with their wicked enemies.
"We might have asked them, however, what they had done with your poor
parents," said Rinkitink.
"Never mind," answered Inga. "I am sure the White Pearl will guide us
aright."
For a time they proceeded in silence and then Rinkitink began to chuckle
with laughter in the pleasant way he was wont to do before his
misfortunes came upon him.
"What amuses Your Majesty?" inquired the boy.
"The thought of how surprised my dear subjects would be if they realized
how near to them I am, and yet how far away. I have always wanted to
visit the Nome Country, which is full of mystery and magic and all sorts
of adventures, but my devoted subjects forbade me to think of such a
thing, fearing I would get hurt or enchanted."
"Are you afraid, now that you are here?" asked Inga.
"A little, but not much, for they say the new Nome King is not as wicked
as the old King used to be. Still, we are undertaking a dangerous
journey and I think you ought to protect me by lending me one of your
pearls."
Inga thought this over and it seemed a reasonable request.
"Which pearl would you like to have?" asked the boy.
"Well, let us see," returned Rinkitink; "you may need strength to
liberate your captive parents, so you must keep the Blue Pearl. And you
will need the advice of the White Pearl, so you had best keep that also.
But in case we should be separated I would have nothing to protect me
from harm, so you ought to lend me the Pink Pearl."
"Very well," agreed Inga, and sitting down upon a rock he removed his
right shoe and after withdrawing the cloth from the pointed toe took out
the Pink Pearl--the one which protected from any harm the person who
carried it.
"Where can you put it, to keep it safely?" he asked.
"In my vest pocket," replied the King. "The pocket has a flap to it and
I can pin it down in such a way that the pearl cannot get out and become
lost. As for robbery, no one with evil intent can touch my person while
I have the pearl."
So Inga gave Rinkitink the Pink Pearl and the little King placed it in
the pocket of his red-and-green brocaded velvet vest, pinning the flap
of the pocket down tightly.
They now resumed their journey and finally reached the entrance to the
Nome King's caverns. Placing the White Pearl to his ear, Inga asked:
"What shall I do now?" and the Voice of the Pearl replied: "Clap your
hands together four times and call aloud the word 'Klik.' Then allow
yourselves to be conducted to the Nome King, who is now holding your
father and mother captive."
Inga followed these instructions and when Klik appeared in answer to his
summons the boy requested an audience of the Nome King. So Klik led them
into the presence of King Kaliko, who was suffering from a severe
headache, due to his revelry the night before, and therefore was
unusually cross and grumpy.
"I know what you've come for," said he, before Inga could speak. "You
want to get the captives from Regos away from me; but you can't do it,
so you'd best go away again."
"The captives are my father and mother, and I intend to liberate them,"
said the boy firmly.
The King stared hard at Inga, wondering at his audacity. Then he turned
to look at King Rinkitink and said:
"I suppose you are the King of Gilgad, which is in the Kingdom of
Rinkitink."
"You've guessed it the first time," replied Rinkitink.
"How round and fat you are!" exclaimed Kaliko.
"I was just thinking how fat and round _you_ are," said Rinkitink.
"Really, King Kaliko, we ought to be friends, we're so much alike in
everything but disposition and intelligence."
Then he began to chuckle, while Kaliko stared hard at him, not knowing
whether to accept his speech as a compliment or not. And now the nome's
eyes wandered to Bilbil, and he asked:
"Is that your talking goat?"
Bilbil met the Nome King's glowering look with a gaze equally surly and
defiant, while Rinkitink answered: "It is, Your Majesty."
"Can he really talk?" asked Kaliko, curiously.
"He can. But the best thing he does is to scold. Talk to His Majesty,
Bilbil."
But Bilbil remained silent and would not speak.
"Do you always ride upon his back?" continued Kaliko, questioning
Rinkitink.
"Yes," was the answer, "because it is difficult for a fat man to walk
far, as perhaps you know from experience."
"That is true," said Kaliko. "Get off the goat's back and let me ride
him a while, to see how I like it. Perhaps I'll take him away from you,
to ride through my caverns."
Rinkitink chuckled softly as he heard this, but at once got off Bilbil's
back and let Kaliko get on. The Nome King was a little awkward, but when
he was firmly astride the saddle he called in a loud voice: "Giddap!"
When Bilbil paid no attention to the command and refused to stir, Kaliko
kicked his heels viciously against the goat's body, and then Bilbil made
a sudden start. He ran swiftly across the great cavern, until he had
almost reached the opposite wall, when he stopped so abruptly that King
Kaliko sailed over his head and bumped against the jeweled wall. He
bumped so hard that the points of his crown were all mashed out of shape
and his head was driven far into the diamond-studded band of the crown,
so that it covered one eye and a part of his nose. Perhaps this saved
Kaliko's head from being cracked against the rock wall, but it was hard
on the crown.
Bilbil was highly pleased at the success of his feat and Rinkitink
laughed merrily at the Nome King's comical appearance; but Kaliko was
muttering and growling as he picked himself up and struggled to pull the
battered crown from his head, and it was evident that he was not in the
least amused. Indeed, Inga could see that the King was very angry, and
the boy knew that the incident was likely to turn Kaliko against the
entire party.
The Nome King sent Klik for another crown and ordered his workmen to
repair the one that was damaged. While he waited for the new crown he
sat regarding his visitors with a scowling face, and this made Inga more
uneasy than ever. Finally, when the new crown was placed upon his head,
King Kaliko said: "Follow me, strangers!" and led the way to a small
door at one end of the cavern.
Inga and Rinkitink followed him through the doorway and found themselves
standing on a balcony that overlooked an enormous domed cave--so
extensive that it seemed miles to the other side of it. All around this
circular cave, which was brilliantly lighted from an unknown source,
were arches connected with other caverns.