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AfterleavingtheWhimsies,GuphcontinuedonhisjourneyandpenetratedfarintotheNorthwest.
HewantedtogettotheCountryoftheGrowleywogs,andinordertodothathemustcrosstheRippleLand,whichwasahardthingtodo.
FortheRippleLandwasasuccessionofhillsandvalleys,allverysteepandrocky,andtheychangedplacesconstantlybyrippling.
WhileGuphwasclimbingahillitsankdownunderhimandbecameavalley,andwhilehewasdescendingintoavalleyitroseupandcarriedhimtothetopofahill.
Thiswasveryperplexingtothetraveler,andastrangermighthavethoughthecouldnevercrosstheRippleLandatall.
ButGuphknewthatifhekeptsteadilyonhewouldgettotheendatlast;sohepaidnoattentiontothechanginghillsandvalleysandploddedalongascalmlyasifwalkinguponthelevelground.
TheresultofthiswisepersistencewasthattheGeneralfinallyreachedfirmersoiland,afterpenetratingadenseforest,cametotheDominionoftheGrowleywogs.
NosoonerhadhecrossedtheborderofthisdomainwhentwoguardsseizedhimandcarriedhimbeforetheGrandGallipootoftheGrowleywogs,whoscowleduponhimferociouslyandaskedhimwhyhedaredintrudeuponhisterritory.
“I’mtheLordHighGeneraloftheInvincibleArmyoftheNomes,andmynameisGuph,”wasthereply.“Alltheworldtrembleswhenthatnameismentioned.”
TheGrowleywogsgaveashoutofjeeringlaughteratthis,andoneofthemcaughttheNomeinhisstrongarmsandtossedhimhighintotheair.
Guphwasconsiderablyshakenwhenhefelluponthehardground,butheappearedtotakenonoticeoftheimpertinenceandcomposedhimselftospeakagaintotheGrandGallipoot.
“Mymaster,KingRoquattheRed,hassentmeheretoconferwithyou.HewishesyourassistancetoconquertheLandofOz.”
HeretheGeneralpaused,andtheGrandGallipootscowleduponhimmoreterriblythaneverandsaid:
“Goon!”
ThevoiceoftheGrandGallipootwaspartlyaroarandpartlyagrowl.HemumbledhiswordsbadlyandGuphhadtolistencarefullyinordertounderstandhim.
TheseGrowleywogswerecertainlyremarkablecreatures.
Theywereofgiganticsize,yetwereallboneandskinandmuscle,therebeingnomeatorfatupontheirbodiesatall.
Theirpowerfulmuscleslayjustunderneaththeirskins,likebunchesoftoughrope,andtheweakestGrowleywogwassostrongthathecouldpickupanelephantandtossitsevenmilesaway.
Itseemsunfortunatethatstrongpeopleareusuallysodisagreeableandoverbearingthatnoonecaresforthem.
Infact,tobedifferentfromyourfellowcreaturesisalwaysamisfortune.
TheGrowleywogsknewthattheyweredislikedandavoidedbyeveryone,sotheyhadbecomesurlyandunsociableevenamongthemselves.
Guphknewthattheyhatedallpeople,includingtheNomes;buthehopedtowinthemover,nevertheless,andknewthatifhesucceededtheywouldaffordhimverypowerfulassistance.
“TheLandofOzisruledbyanamby-pambygirlwhoisdisgustinglykindandgood,”hecontinued.“Herpeopleareallhappyandcontentedandhavenocareorworrieswhatever.”
“Goon!”growledtheGrandGallipoot.
“OncetheNomeKingenslavedtheRoyalFamilyofEv—anothergoody-goodylotthatwedetest,”saidtheGeneral.
“ButOzmainterfered,althoughitwasnoneofherbusiness,andmarchedherarmyagainstus.
WithherwasaKansasgirlnamedDorothy,andaYellowHen,andtheymarcheddirectlyintotheNomeKing’scavern.
TheretheyliberatedourslavesfromEvandstoleKingRoquat’sMagicBelt,whichtheycarriedawaywiththem.
SonowourKingismakingatunnelunderthedeadlydesert,sowecanmarchthroughittotheEmeraldCity.
WhenwegettherewemeantoconqueranddestroyallthelandandrecapturetheMagicBelt.”
Againhepaused,andagaintheGrandGallipootgrowled:
“Goon!”
Guphtriedtothinkwhattosaynext,andahappythoughtsoonoccurredtohim.
“Wewantyoutohelpusinthisconquest,”heannounced,“forweneedthemightyaidoftheGrowleywogsinordertomakesurethatweshallnotbedefeated.
Youarethestrongestpeopleinalltheworld,andyouhategoodandhappycreaturesasmuchasweNomesdo.
IamsureitwillbearealpleasuretoyoutoteardownthebeautifulEmeraldCity,andinreturnforyourvaluableassistancewewillallowyoutobringbacktoyourcountrytenthousandpeopleofOz,tobeyourslaves.”
“Twentythousand!”growledtheGrandGallipoot.
“Allright,wepromiseyoutwentythousand,”agreedtheGeneral.
TheGallipootmadeasignalandatoncehisattendantspickedupGeneralGuphandcarriedhimawaytoaprison,wherethejaileramusedhimselfbystickingpinsintheroundfatbodyoftheoldNome,toseehimjumpandhearhimyell.
ButwhilethiswasgoingontheGrandGallipootwastalkingwithhiscounselors,whowerethemostimportantofficialsoftheGrowleywogs.
WhenhehadstatedtothemthepropositionoftheNomeKing,hesaid:
“Myadviceistooffertohelpthem.Then,whenwehaveconqueredtheLandofOz,wewilltakenotonlyourtwentythousandprisonersbutallthegoldandjewelswewant.”
“LetustaketheMagicBelt,too,”suggestedonecounselor.
“AndrobtheNomeKingandmakehimourslave,”saidanother.
“Thatisagoodidea,”declaredtheGrandGallipoot.“I’dlikeKingRoquatformyownslave.HecouldblackmybootsandbringmemyporridgeeverymorningwhileIaminbed.”
“ThereisafamousScarecrowinOz.I’lltakehimformyslave,”saidacounselor.
“I’lltakeTiktok,themachineman,”saidanother.
“GivemetheTinWoodman,”saidathird.
Theywentonforsometime,dividingupthepeopleandthetreasureofOzinadvanceoftheconquest.
FortheyhadnodoubtatallthattheywouldbeabletodestroyOzma’sdomain.
Weretheynotthestrongestpeopleinalltheworld?
“ThedeadlydeserthaskeptusoutofOzbefore,”remarkedtheGrandGallipoot,“butnowthattheNomeKingisbuildingatunnelweshallgetintotheEmeraldCityveryeasily.
SoletussendthelittlefatGeneralbacktohisKingwithourpromisetoassisthim.
WewillnotsaythatweintendtoconquertheNomesafterwehaveconqueredOz,butwewilldoso,justthesame.”
Thisplanbeingagreedupon,theyallwenthometodinner,leavingGeneralGuphstillinprison.
TheNomehadnoideathathehadsucceededinhismission,forfindinghimselfinprisonhefearedtheGrowleywogsintendedtoputhimtodeath.
BythistimethejailerhadtiredofstickingpinsintheGeneral,andwasamusinghimselfbycarefullypullingtheNome’swhiskersoutbytheroots,oneatatime.
ThisenjoymentwasinterruptedbytheGrandGallipootsendingfortheprisoner.
“Waitafewhours,”beggedthejailer.“Ihaven’tpulledoutaquarterofhiswhiskersyet.”
“IfyoukeeptheGrandGallipootwaiting,he’llbreakyourback,”declaredthemessenger.
“Perhapsyou’reright,”sighedthejailer.“Taketheprisoneraway,ifyouwill,butIadviseyoutokickhimateverystephetakes.Itwillbegoodfun,forheisassoftasaripepeach.”
SoGuphwasledawaytotheroyalcastle,wheretheGrandGallipoottoldhimthattheGrowleywogshaddecidedtoassisttheNomesinconqueringtheLandofOz.
“Wheneveryouareready,”headded,“sendmewordandIwillmarchwitheighteenthousandofmymostpowerfulwarriorstoyouraid.”
Guphwassodelightedthatheforgotallthesmartingcausedbythepinsandthepullingofwhiskers.
Hedidnotevencomplainofthetreatmenthehadreceived,butthankedtheGrandGallipootandhurriedawayuponhisjourney.
HehadnowsecuredtheassistanceoftheWhimsiesandtheGrowleywogs;buthissuccessmadehimlongforstillmoreallies.HisownlifedependeduponhisconqueringOz,andhesaidtohimself:
“I’lltakenochances.I’llbecertainofsuccess.
Then,whenOzisdestroyed,perhapsIshallbeagreatermanthanoldRoquat,andIcanthrowhimawayandbeKingoftheNomesmyself.Whynot?
TheWhimsiesarestrongerthantheNomes,andtheyalsoaremyfriends.
TherearesomepeoplestillstrongerthantheGrowleywogs,andifIcanbutinducethemtoaidmeIshallhavenothingmoretofear.”
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