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Thegreatdragonstillhadhiseyesclosedandwasevensnoringinamannerthatresembleddistantthunder;butPolychromewasnowdesperate,becauseanyfurtherdelaymeantthedestructionofherfriends.
Sheseizedthepearlnecklace,towhichwasattachedthegreatlocket,andjerkeditwithallherstrength.
Theresultwasencouraging.Quoxstoppedsnoringandhiseyelidsflickered.
SoPolychromejerkedagain—andagain—tillslowlythegreatlidsraisedandthedragonlookedathersteadily.Saidhe,inasleepytone:
"What'sthematter,littleRainbow?"
"Comequick!"exclaimedPolychrome."Ruggedohascapturedallourfriendsandisabouttodestroythem."
"Well,well,"saidQuox,"Isuspectedthatwouldhappen.Stepalittleoutofmypath,mydear,andI'llmakearushfortheNomeKing'scavern."
ShefellbackafewstepsandQuoxraisedhimselfonhisstoutlegs,whiskedhislongtailandinaninstanthadsliddowntherocksandmadeadivethroughtheentrance.
Alongthepassageheswept,nearlyfillingitwithhisimmensebody,andnowhepokedhisheadintothejeweledcavernofRuggedo.
ButtheKinghadlongsincemadearrangementstocapturethedragon,wheneverhemightappear.
NosoonerdidQuoxstickhisheadintotheroomthanathickchainfellfromaboveandencircledhisneck.
Thentheendsofthechainweredrawntight—forinanadjoiningcavernathousandnomeswerepullingonthem—andsothedragoncouldadvancenofurthertowardtheKing.
Hecouldnotusehisteethorhisclawsandashisbodywasstillinthepassagehehadnotevenroomtostrikehisfoeswithhisterribletail.
Ruggedowasdelightedwiththesuccessofhisstratagem.
HehadjusttransformedtheRosePrincessintoafiddleandwasabouttotransformFilesintoafiddlebow,whenthedragonappearedtointerrupthim.Sohecalledout:
"Welcome,mydearQuox,tomyroyalentertainment.
Sinceyouarehere,youshallwitnesssomeveryneatmagic,andafterIhavefinishedwithFilesandTik-TokImeantotransformyouintoatinylizard—oneofthechameleonsort—andyoushallliveinmycavernandamuseme."
"PardonmeforcontradictingYourMajesty,"returnedQuoxinaquietvoice,"butIdon'tbelieveyou'llperformanymoremagic."
"Eh?Whynot?"askedtheKinginsurprise.
"There'sareason,"saidQuox."Doyouseethisribbonaroundmyneck?"
"Yes;andI'mastonishedthatadignifieddragonshouldwearsuchasillything."
"Doyouseeitplainly?"persistedthedragon,withalittlechuckleofamusement.
"Ido,"declaredRuggedo.
"Thenyounolongerpossessanymagicalpowers,andareashelplessasaclam,"assertedQuox.
"Mygreatmaster,Tititi-Hoochoo,theJinjin,enchantedthisribboninsuchawaythatwheneverYourMajestylookeduponitallknowledgeofmagicwoulddesertyouinstantly,norwillanymagicalformulayoucanremembereverperformyourbidding."
"Pooh!Idon'tbelieveawordofit!"
criedRuggedo,halffrightened,nevertheless.
ThenheturnedtowardFilesandtriedtotransformhimintoafiddlebow.
Buthecouldnotremembertherightwordsortherightpassofthehandsandafterseveraltrialshefinallygaveuptheattempt.
BythistimetheNomeKingwassoalarmedthathewassecretlyshakinginhisshoes.
"ItoldyounottoangerTititi-Hoochoo,"grumbledKaliko,"andnowyouseetheresultofyourdisobedience."
RuggedopromptlythrewhissceptreathisRoyalChamberlain,whododgeditwithhisusualcleverness,andthenhesaidwithanattempttoswagger:
"Nevermind;Idon'tneedmagictoenablemetodestroytheseinvaders;fireandtheswordwilldothebusinessandIamstillKingoftheNomesandlordandmasterofmyUndergroundKingdom!"
"AgainIbegtodifferwithYourMajesty,"saidQuox.
"TheGreatJinjincommandsyoutodepartinstantlyfromthisKingdomandseektheearth'ssurface,whereyouwillwanderforalltimetocome,withoutahomeorcountry,withoutafriendorfollower,andwithoutanymorerichesthanyoucancarrywithyouinyourpockets.
TheGreatJinjinissogenerousthathewillallowyoutofillyourpocketswithjewelsorgold,butyoumusttakenothingmore."
Ruggedonowstaredatthedragoninamazement.
"DoesTititi-Hoochoocondemnmetosuchafate?"heaskedinahoarsevoice.
"Hedoes,"saidQuox.
"AndjustforthrowingafewstrangersdowntheForbiddenTube?"
"Justforthat,"repeatedQuoxinastern,gruffvoice.
"Well,Iwon'tdoit.AndyourcrazyoldJinjincan'tmakemedoit,either!"declaredRuggedo.
"Iintendtoremainhere,KingoftheNomes,untiltheendoftheworld,andIdefyyourTititi-Hoochooandallhisfairies—aswellashisclumsymessenger,whomIhavebeenobligedtochainup!"
Thedragonsmiledagain,butitwasnotthesortofsmilethatmadeRuggedofeelveryhappy.
Instead,therewassomethingsocoldandmercilessinthedragon'sexpressionthatthecondemnedNomeKingtrembledandwassickatheart.
TherewaslittlecomfortforRuggedointhefactthatthedragonwasnowchained,althoughhehadboastedofit.
HeglaredattheimmenseheadofQuoxasiffascinatedandtherewasfearintheoldKing'seyesashewatchedhisenemy'smovements.
Forthedragonwasnowmoving;notabruptly,butasifhehadsomethingtodoandwasabouttodoit.
Verydeliberatelyheraisedoneclaw,touchedthecatchofthegreat-jeweledlocketthatwassuspendedaroundhisneck,andatonceitopenedwide.
Nothingmuchhappenedatfirst;halfadozenhen'seggsrolledoutuponthefloorandthenthelocketclosedwithasharpclick.
Buttheeffectuponthenomesofthissimplethingwasastounding.
GeneralGuph,Kaliko,Pangandhisbandofexecutionerswereallstandingclosetothedoorthatledtothevastseriesofundergroundcavernswhichconstitutedthedominionsofthenomes,andassoonastheysawtheeggstheyraisedachorusoffranticscreamsandrushedthroughthedoor,slammingitinRuggedo'sfaceandplacingaheavybronzebaracrossit.
Ruggedo,dancingwithterrorandutteringloudcries,nowleapedupontheseatofhisthronetoescapetheeggs,whichhadrolledsteadilytowardhim.
Perhapstheseeggs,sentbythewiseandcraftyTititi-Hoochoo,wereinsomewayenchanted,fortheyallrolleddirectlyafterRuggedoandwhentheyreachedthethronewherehehadtakenrefugetheybeganrollingupthelegstotheseat.
ThiswastoomuchfortheKingtobear.Hishorrorofeggswasrealandabsoluteandhemadealeapfromthethronetothecenteroftheroomandthenrantoafarcorner.
Theeggsfollowed,rollingslowlybutsteadilyinhisdirection.
Ruggedothrewhissceptreatthem,andthenhisrubycrown,andthenhedrewoffhisheavygoldensandalsandhurledtheseattheadvancingeggs.
Buttheeggsdodgedeverymissileandcontinuedtodrawnearer.
TheKingstoodtrembling,hiseyesstaringinterror,untiltheywerebuthalfayarddistant;thenwithanagileleaphejumpedclearoverthemandmadearushforthepassagethatledtotheouterentrance.
Ofcoursethedragonwasinhisway,beingchainedinthepassagewithhisheadinthecavern,butwhenhesawtheKingmakingtowardhimhecrouchedaslowashecouldanddroppedhischintothefloor,leavingasmallspacebetweenhisbodyandtheroofofthepassage.
Ruggedodidnothesitateaninstant.Impelledbyfear,heleapedtothedragon'snoseandthenscrambledtohisback,wherehesucceededinsqueezinghimselfthroughtheopening.
Aftertheheadwaspassedtherewasmoreroomandheslidalongthedragon'sscalestohistailandthenranasfastashislegswouldcarryhimtotheentrance.
Notpausinghere,sogreatwashisfright,theKingdashedondownthemountainpath,butbeforehehadgoneveryfarhestumbledandfell.
Whenhepickedhimselfupheobservedthatnoonewasfollowinghim,andwhileherecoveredhisbreathhehappenedtothinkofthedecreeoftheJinjin—thatheshouldbedrivenfromhisKingdomandmadeawandereronthefaceoftheearth.
Well,herehewas,drivenfromhiscavernintruth;drivenbythosedreadfuleggs;buthewouldgobackanddefythem;hewouldnotsubmittolosinghispreciousKingdomandhistyrannicalpowers,allbecauseTititi-Hoochoohadsaidhemust.
So,althoughstillafraid,Ruggedonervedhimselftocreepbackalongthepathtotheentrance,andwhenhearrivedtherehesawthesixeggslyinginarowjustbeforethearchedopening.
Atfirsthepausedasafedistanceawaytoconsiderthecase,fortheeggswerenowmotionless.
Whilehewaswonderingwhatcouldbedone,herememberedtherewasamagicalcharm,whichwoulddestroyeggsandrenderthemharmlesstonomes.
Therewereninepassestobemadeandsixversesofincantationtoberecited;butRuggedoknewthemall.
Nowthathehadampletimetobeexact,hecarefullywentthroughtheentireceremony.
Butnothinghappened.Theeggsdidnotdisappear,ashehadexpected;soherepeatedthecharmasecondtime.
Whenthatalsofailed,heremembered,withamoanofdespair,thathismagicpowerhadbeentakenawayfromhimandinthefuturehecoulddonomorethananycommonmortal.
Andthereweretheeggs,foreverbarringhimfromtheKingdom,whichhehadruledsolongwithabsolutesway!
Hethrewrocksatthem,butcouldnothitasingleegg.
Heravedandscoldedandtorehishairandbeard,anddancedinhelplesspassion,butthatdidnothingtoavertthejustjudgmentoftheJinjin,whichRuggedo'sownevildeedshadbroughtuponhim.
Fromthistimeonhewasanoutcast—awandereruponthefaceoftheearth—andhehadevenforgottentofillhispocketswithgoldandjewelsbeforehefledfromhisformerKingdom!
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