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AlthoughthejourneythroughtheTubewaslonger,thistime,thanbefore,itwassomuchmorecomfortablethatnoneofourfriendsmindeditatall.
Theytalkedtogethermostofthetimeandastheyfoundthedragongood-naturedandfondofthesoundofhisownvoicetheysoonbecamewellacquaintedwithhimandacceptedhimasacompanion.
“Yousee,”saidShaggy,inhisfrankway,“Quoxisonourside,andthereforethedragonisagoodfellow.
Ifhehappenedtobeanenemy,insteadofafriend,IamsureIshoulddislikehimverymuch,forhisbreathsmellsofbrimstone,heisveryconceitedandheissostrongandfiercethathewouldproveadangerousfoe.”
“Yes,indeed,”returnedQuox,whohadlistenedtothisspeechwithpleasure;“IsupposeIamaboutasterribleasanylivingthing.
Iamgladyoufindmeconceited,forthatprovesIknowmygoodqualities.
Asformybreathsmellingofbrimstone,Ireallycan’thelpit,andIoncemetamanwhosebreathsmelledofonions,whichIconsiderfarworse.”
“Idon’t,”saidBetsy;“Iloveonions.
“AndIlovebrimstone,”declaredthedragon,“sodon’tletusquarreloveroneanother’speculiarities.”
Sayingthis,hebreathedalongbreathandshotaflamefiftyfeetfromhismouth.ThebrimstonemadeBetsycough,butsherememberedabouttheonionsandsaidnothing.
Theyhadnoideahowfartheyhadgonethroughthecenteroftheearth,norwhentoexpectthetriptoend.Atonetimethelittlegirlremarked:
“Iwonderwhenwe’llreachthebottomofthishole.Andisn’titfunny,ShaggyMan,thatwhatisthebottomtousnow,wasthetopwhenwefelltheotherway?”
“Whatpuzzlesme,”saidFiles,“isthatweareabletofallbothways.”
“That,”announcedTik-Tok,“isbe-causetheworldisround.”
“Exactly,”respondedShaggy.“Themachineryinyourheadisinfineworkingorder,Tik-Tok.
Youknow,Betsy,thatthereissuchathingastheAttractionofGravitation,whichdrawseverythingtowardthecenteroftheearth.
Thatiswhywefalloutofbed,andwhyeverythingclingstothesurfaceoftheearth.”
“Thenwhydoesn’teveryonegoondowntothecenteroftheearth?”inquiredthelittlegirl.
“Iwasafraidyouweregoingtoaskmethat,”repliedShaggyinasadtone.
“Thereason,mydear,isthattheearthissosolidthatothersolidthingscan’tgetthroughit.
Butwhenthere’sahole,asthereisinthiscase,wedroprightdowntothecenteroftheworld.”
“Whydon’twestopthere?”askedBetsy.
“Becausewegosofastthatweacquirespeedenoughtocarryusrightuptotheotherend.”
“Idon’tunderstandthat,anditmakesmyheadachetotrytofigureitout,”shesaidaftersomethought.“Onethingdrawsustothecenterandanotherthingpushesusawayfromit.But—”
“Don’taskmewhy,please,”interruptedtheShaggyMan.“Ifyoucan’tunderstandit,letitgoatthat.”
“Doyouunderstandit?”sheinquired.
“Allthemagicisn’tinfairyland,”hesaidgravely.“There’slotsofmagicinallNature,andyoumayseeitaswellintheUnitedStates,whereyouandIoncelived,asyoucanhere.”
“Ineverdid,”shereplied.
“Becauseyouweresousedtoitallthatyoudidn’trealizeitwasmagic.
Isanythingmorewonderfulthantoseeaflowergrowandblossom,ortogetlightoutoftheelectricityintheair?
ThecowsthatmanufacturemilkforusmusthavemachineryfullyasremarkableasthatinTik-Tok’scopperbody,andperhapsyou’venoticedthat—”
Andthen,beforeShaggycouldfinishhisspeech,thestronglightofdaysuddenlybrokeuponthem,grewbrighter,andcompletelyenvelopedthem.
Thedragon’sclawsnolongerscrapedagainstthemetalTube,forheshotintotheopenairahundredfeetormoreandsailedsofarawayfromtheslantingholethatwhenhelandeditwasonthepeakofamountainandjustovertheentrancetothemanyundergroundcavernsoftheNomeKing.
SomeoftheofficerstumbledofftheirseatswhenQuoxstrucktheground,butmostofthedragon’spassengersonlyfeltaslightjar.
Allweregladtobeonsolidearthagainandtheyatoncedismountedandbegantolookaboutthem.
Strangelyenough,assoonastheyhadleftthedragon,theseatsthatwerestrappedtothemonster’sbackdisappeared,andthisprobablyhappenedbecausetherewasnofurtheruseforthemandbecauseQuoxlookedfarmoredignifiedinjusthissilverscales.
Ofcoursehestillworethefortyyardsofribbonaroundhisneck,aswellasthegreatlocket,buttheseonlymadehimlook“dressedup,”asBetsyremarked.
NowthearmyofnomeshadgatheredthicklyaroundthemouthoftheTube,inordertobereadytocapturethebandofinvadersassoonastheypoppedout.
Therewere,indeed,hundredsofnomesassembled,andtheywereledbyGuph,theirmostfamousGeneral.
Buttheydidnotexpectthedragontoflysohigh,andheshotoutoftheTubesosuddenlythatittookthembysurprise.
Whenthenomeshadrubbedtheastonishmentoutoftheireyesandregainedtheirwits,theydiscoveredthedragonquietlyseatedonthemountainsidefarabovetheirheads,whiletheotherstrangerswerestandinginagroupandcalmlylookingdownuponthem.
GeneralGuphwasveryangryattheescape,whichwasnoone’sfaultbuthisown.
“Comedownhereandbecaptured!”heshouted,wavinghisswordatthem.
“Comeuphereandcaptureus—ifyoudare!”repliedQueenAnn,whowaswindinguptheclockworkofherPrivateSoldier,sohecouldfightmorebriskly.
Guph’sfirstanswerwasaroarofrageatthedefiance;thenheturnedandissuedacommandtohisnomes.
Thesewereallarmedwithsharpspearsandwithoneaccordtheyraisedthesespearsandthrewthemstraightattheirfoes,sothattheyrushedthroughtheairinaperfectcloudofflyingweapons.
Somedamagemighthavebeendonehadnotthedragonquicklycrawledbeforetheothers,hisbodybeingsobigthatitshieldedeveryoneofthem,includingHank.
ThespearsrattledagainstthesilverscalesofQuoxandthenfellharmlesslytotheground.
Theyweremagicspears,ofcourse,andallstraightwayboundedbackintothehandsofthosewhohadthrownthem,butevenGuphcouldseethatitwasuselesstorepeattheattack.
ItwasnowQueenAnn’sturntoattack,sotheGeneralsyelled“For—wardmarch!”
andtheColonelsandMajorsandCaptainsrepeatedthecommandandthevaliantArmyofOogaboo,whichseemedtobecomposedmainlyofTik-Tok,marchedforwardinsinglecolumntowardthenomes,whileBetsyandPolychromecheeredandHankgavealoud“Hee-haw!”andShaggyshouted“Hooray!”
andQueenAnnscreamed:“At‘em,Tik-Tok—at‘em!”
ThenomesdidnotawaittheClockworkMan’sattackbutinatwinklingdisappearedintotheundergroundcaverns.
Theymadeagreatmistakeinbeingsohasty,forTik-Tokhadnottakenadozenstepsbeforehestubbedhiscoppertoeonarockandfellflattotheground,wherehecried:“Pickmeup!Pickmeup!Pickmeup!”
untilShaggyandFilesranforwardandraisedhimtohisfeetagain.
Thedragonchuckledsoftlytohimselfashescratchedhisleftearwithhishindclaw,butnoonewaspayingmuchattentiontoQuoxjustthen.
ItwasevidenttoAnnandherofficersthattherecouldbenofightingunlesstheenemywaspresent,andinordertofindtheenemytheymustboldlyentertheundergroundKingdomofthenomes.
Soboldastepdemandedacouncilofwar.
“Don’tyouthinkI’dbetterdropinonRuggedoandobeytheordersoftheJinjin?”askedQuox.
“Bynomeans!”returnedQueenAnn.“Wehavealreadyputthearmyofnomestoflightandallthatyetremainsistoforceourwayintothosecaverns,andconquertheNomeKingandallhispeople.”
“Thatseemstomesomethingofajob,”saidthedragon,closinghiseyessleepily.
“Butgoahead,ifyoulike,andI’llwaithereforyou.Don’tbeinanyhurryonmyaccount.
Toonewholivesthousandsofyearsthedelayofafewdaysmeansnothingatall,andIshallprobablysleepuntilthetimecomesformetoact.”
Annwasprovokedatthisspeech.
“YoumayaswellgobacktoTititi-Hoochoonow,”shesaid,“fortheNomeKingisasgoodasconqueredalready.”
ButQuoxshookhishead.“No,”saidhe;“I’llwait.”
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