Part 3 (1/2)
Dorothy was delighted, yet not altogether surprised, for she had clung to the hope that Ozma would be kind enough to grant her request. When, indeed, had her powerful and faithful friend refused her anything?
”But you must not call me 'Princess',” she said; ”for after this I shall live on the little farm with Uncle Henry and Aunt Em, and princesses ought not to live on farms.”
”Princess Dorothy will not,” replied Ozma with her sweet smile. ”You are going to live in your own rooms in this palace, and be my constant companion.”
”But Uncle Henry--” began Dorothy.
”Oh, he is old, and has worked enough in his lifetime,” interrupted the girl Ruler; ”so we must find a place for your uncle and aunt where they will be comfortable and happy and need not work more than they care to.
When shall we transport them here, Dorothy?”
”I promised to go and see them again before they were turned out of the farmhouse,” answered Dorothy; ”so--perhaps next Sat.u.r.day--”
”But why wait so long?” asked Ozma. ”And why make the journey back to Kansas again? Let us surprise them, and bring them here without any warning.”
”I'm not sure that they believe in the Land of Oz,” said Dorothy, ”though I've told 'em 'bout it lots of times.”
”They'll believe when they see it,” declared Ozma; ”and if they are told they are to make a magical journey to our fairyland, it may make them nervous. I think the best way will be to use the Magic Belt without warning them, and when they have arrived you can explain to them whatever they do not understand.”
”Perhaps that's best,” decided Dorothy. ”There isn't much use in their staying at the farm until they are put out, 'cause it's much nicer here.”
”Then to-morrow morning they shall come here,” said Princess Ozma. ”I will order Jellia Jamb, who is the palace housekeeper, to have rooms all prepared for them, and after breakfast we will get the Magic Belt and by its aid transport your uncle and aunt to the Emerald City.”
”Thank you, Ozma!” cried Dorothy, kissing her friend gratefully.
”And now,” Ozma proposed, ”let us take a walk in the gardens before we dress for dinner. Come, Dorothy dear!”
4. How The Nome King Planned Revenge
The reason most people are bad is because they do not try to be good.
Now, the Nome King had never tried to be good, so he was very bad indeed. Having decided to conquer the Land of Oz and to destroy the Emerald City and enslave all its people, King Roquat the Red kept planning ways to do this dreadful thing, and the more he planned the more he believed he would be able to accomplish it.
About the time Dorothy went to Ozma the Nome King called his Chief Steward to him and said:
”Kaliko, I think I shall make you the General of my armies.”
”I think you won't,” replied Kaliko, positively.
”Why not?” inquired the King, reaching for his scepter with the big sapphire.
”Because I'm your Chief Steward and know nothing of warfare,” said Kaliko, preparing to dodge if anything were thrown at him. ”I manage all the affairs of your kingdom better than you could yourself, and you'll never find another Steward as good as I am. But there are a hundred Nomes better fitted to command your army, and your Generals get thrown away so often that I have no desire to be one of them.”
”Ah, there is some truth in your remarks, Kaliko,” remarked the King, deciding not to throw the scepter. ”Summon my army to a.s.semble in the Great Cavern.”
Kaliko bowed and retired, and in a few minutes returned to say that the army was a.s.sembled. So the King went out upon a balcony that overlooked the Great Cavern, where fifty thousand Nomes, all armed with swords and pikes, stood marshaled in military array.
When they were not required as soldiers all these Nomes were metal workers and miners, and they had hammered so much at the forges and dug so hard with pick and shovel that they had acquired great muscular strength. They were strangely formed creatures, rather round and not very tall. Their toes were curly and their ears broad and flat.
In time of war every Nome left his forge or mine and became part of the great army of King Roquat. The soldiers wore rock-colored uniforms and were excellently drilled.