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AfterashortwalkthroughverybeautifulgardenstheycametothecastleandfollowedTubekinsthroughtheentranceandintoagreatdomedchamber,wherehecommandedthemtobeseated.
Fromthecrownwhichhewore,BetsyhadthoughtthismanmustbetheKingofthecountrytheywerein,yetafterhehadseatedallthestrangersuponbenchesthatwererangedinasemicirclebeforeahighthrone,Tubekinsbowedhumblybeforethevacantthroneandinaflashbecameinvisibleanddisappeared.
Thehallwasanimmenseplace,butthereseemedtobenooneinitbesidethemselves.
Presently,however,theyheardalowcoughnearthem,andhereandtherewasthefaintrustlingofarobeandaslightpatterasoffootsteps.
Thensuddenlythererangoutthecleartoneofabellandatthesoundallwaschanged.
Gazingaroundthehallinbewildermenttheysawthatitwasfilledwithhundredsofmenandwomen,allwithbeautifulfacesandstaringblueeyesandallwearingscarletrobesandjeweledcrownsupontheirheads.
Infact,thesepeopleseemedexactduplicatesofTubekinsanditwasdifficulttofindanymarkbywhichtotellthemapart.
“My!WhatalotofKingsandQueens!”whisperedBetsytoPolychrome,whosatbesideherandappearedmuchinterestedinthescenebutnotabitworried.
“Itiscertainlyastrangesight,”wasPolychrome’sreply;“butIcannotseehowtherecanbemorethanoneKing,orQueen,inanyonecountry,forweretheseallrulers,noonecouldtellwhowasMaster.”
OneoftheKingswhostoodnearandoverheardthisremarkturnedtoherandsaid:“OnewhoisMasterofhimselfisalwaysaKing,ifonlytohimself.
InthisfavoredlandallKingsandQueensareequal,anditisourprivilegetobowbeforeonesupremeRuler—thePrivateCitizen.”
“Who’she?”inquiredBetsy.
Asiftoanswerher,thecleartonesofthebellagainrangoutandinstantlythereappearedseatedinthethronethemanwhowaslordandmasterofalltheseroyalones.
Thisfactwasevidentwhenwithoneaccordtheyfellupontheirkneesandtouchedtheirforeheadstothefloor.
ThePrivateCitizenwasnotunliketheothers,exceptthathiseyeswereblackinsteadofblueandinthecentersoftheblackirisesglowedredsparksthatseemedlikecoalsoffire.
Buthisfeatureswereverybeautifulanddignifiedandhismannercomposedandstately.
Insteadoftheprevalentscarletrobe,heworeoneofwhite,andthesamedragon’sheadthatdecoratedtheotherswasembroidereduponitsbosom.
“Whatchargeliesagainstthesepeople,Tubekins?”heaskedinquiet,eventones.
“TheycamethroughtheforbiddenTube,OMightyCitizen,”wasthereply.
“Yousee,itwasthisway,”saidBetsy.“WeweremarchingtotheNomeKing,toconquerhimandsetShaggy’sbrotherfree,whenonasudden—”
“Whoareyou?”demandedthePrivateCitizensternly.
“Me?Oh,I’mBetsyBobbin,and—”
“Whoistheleaderofthisparty?”askedtheCitizen.
“Sir,IamQueenAnnofOogaboo,and—”
“Thenkeepquiet,”saidtheCitizen.“Whoistheleader?”
Nooneansweredforamoment.ThenGeneralBunnstoodup.
“Sitdown!”commandedtheCitizen.“Icanseethatsixteenofyouaremerelyofficers,andofnoaccount.”
“ButwehaveanArmy,”saidGeneralClock,blusteringly,forhedidn’tliketobetoldhewasofnoaccount.
“WhereisyourArmy?”askedtheCitizen.
“It’sme,”saidTik-Tok,hisvoicesoundingalittlerusty.“I’mtheon-lyPri-vateSol-dierinthepar-ty.”
Hearingthis,theCitizenroseandbowedrespectfullytotheClockworkMan.
“Pardonmefornotrealizingyourimportancebefore,”saidhe.“Willyouobligemebytakingaseatbesidemeonmythrone?”
Tik-Tokroseandwalkedovertothethrone,alltheKingsandQueensmakingwayforhim.ThenwithclankingstepshemountedtheplatformandsatonthebroadseatbesidetheCitizen.
AnnwasgreatlyprovokedatthismarkoffavorshowntothehumbleClockworkMan,butShaggyseemedmuchpleasedthathisoldfriend’simportancehadbeenrecognizedbytherulerofthisremarkablecountry.
TheCitizennowbegantoquestionTik-Tok,whotoldinhismechanicalvoiceaboutShaggy’squestofhislostbrother,andhowOzmaofOzhadsenttheClockworkMantoassisthim,andhowtheyhadfalleninwithQueenAnnandherpeoplefromOogaboo.
AlsohetoldhowBetsyandHankandPolychromeandtheRosePrincesshadhappenedtojointheirparty.
“AndyouintendedtoconquerRuggedo,theMetalMonarchandKingoftheNomes?”askedtheCitizen.
“Yes.Thatseemedtheon-lythingforustodo,”wasTik-Tok’sreply.“Buthewastoocle-verforus.
Whenwegotclosetohiscav-ernhemadeourpathleadtotheTube,andmadetheop-en-ingin-vis-i-ble,sothatweallfellin-toitbe-foreweknewitwasthere.
Itwasaneas-ywaytogetridofusandnowRug-gedoissafeandwearefara-wayinastrangeland.”
TheCitizenwassilentamomentandseemedtobethinking.Thenhesaid:
“MostnoblePrivateSoldier,ImustinformyouthatbythelawsofourcountryanyonewhocomesthroughtheForbiddenTubemustbetorturedforninedaysandtennightsandthenthrownbackintotheTube.
Butitiswisetodisregardlawswhentheyconflictwithjustice,anditseemsthatyouandyourfollowersdidnotdisobeyourlawswillingly,beingforcedintotheTubebyRuggedo.
ThereforetheNomeKingisalonetoblame,andhealonemustbepunished.”
“Thatsuitsme,”saidTik-Tok.“ButRug-ge-doisontheo-thersideoftheworldwhereheisa-wayoutofyourreach.”
TheCitizendrewhimselfupproudly.
“DoyouimagineanythingintheworldoruponitcanbeoutofthereachoftheGreatJinjin?”heasked.
“Oh!Areyou,then,theGreatJinjin?”inquiredTik-Tok.
“Iam.”
“ThenyournameisTi-ti-ti-Hoo-choo?”
“Itis.”
QueenAnngaveascreamandbegantotremble.
Shaggywassodisturbedthathetookoutahandkerchiefandwipedtheperspirationfromhisbrow.
Polychromelookedsoberanduneasyforthefirsttime,whileFilesputhisarmsaroundtheRosePrincessasiftoprotecther.
Asfortheofficers,thenameofthegreatJinjinsetthemmoaningandweepingatagreatrateandeveryonefelluponhiskneesbeforethethrone,beggingformercy.
Betsywasworriedatseeinghercompanionssodisturbed,butdidnotknowwhatitwasallabout.
OnlyTik-Tokwasunmovedatthediscovery.
“Then,”saidhe,“ifyouareTi-ti-ti-Hoo-choo,andthinkRug-ge-doistoblame,Iamsurethatsome-thingstrangewillhap-pentotheKingoftheNomes.”
“Iwonderwhat‘twillbe,”saidBetsy.
ThePrivateCitizen—otherwiseknownasTititi-Hoochoo,theGreatJinjin—lookedatthelittlegirlsteadily.
“IwillpresentlydecidewhatistohappentoRuggedo,”saidheinahard,sternvoice.
Then,turningtothethrongofKingsandQueens,hecontinued:“Tik-Tokhasspokentruly,forhismachinerywillnotallowhimtolie,norwillitallowhisthoughtstothinkfalsely.
Thereforethesepeoplearenotourenemiesandmustbetreatedwithconsiderationandjustice.
Takethemtoyourpalacesandentertainthemasguestsuntilto-morrow,whenIcommandthattheybebroughtagaintomyResidence.BythenIshallhaveformedmyplans.”
NosoonerhadTititi-Hoochoospokenthanhedisappearedfromsight.
Immediatelyafter,mostoftheKingsandQueenslikewisedisappeared.
Butseveralofthemremainedvisibleandapproachedthestrangerswithgreatrespect.OneofthelovelyQueenssaidtoBetsy:
“Itrustyouwillhonormebybeingmyguest.IamErma,QueenofLight.”
“MayHankcomewithme?”askedthegirl.
“TheKingofAnimalswillcareforyourmule,”wasthereply.“Butdonotfearforhim,forhewillbetreatedroyally.Allofyourpartywillbereunitedonthemorrow.”
“I—I’dliketohavesomeonewithme,”saidBetsy,pleadingly.
QueenErmalookedaroundandsmileduponPolychrome.
“WilltheRainbow’sDaughterbeanagreeablecompanion?”sheasked.
“Oh,yes!”exclaimedthegirl.
SoPolychromeandBetsybecameguestsoftheQueenofLight,whileotherbeautifulKingsandQueenstookchargeoftheothersoftheparty.
ThetwogirlsfollowedErmaoutofthehallandthroughthegardensoftheResidencetoavillageofprettydwellings.
NoneofthesewassolargeorimposingasthecastleofthePrivateCitizen,butallwerehandsomeenoughtobecalledpalaces—as,infact,theyreallywere.
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