rinkitink in oz-第23部分

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ivory　throne。



〃I　have　shown　you；〃　said　he　to　Inga；　〃a　part　of　my

bodyguard。　The　royal　armies；　of　which　this　is　only　a

part；　are　as　numerous　as　the　sands　of　the　ocean；　and

live　in　many　thousands　of　my　underground　caverns。　You

have　come　here　thinking　to　force　me　to　give　up　the

captives　of　King　Gos　and　Queen　Cor；　and　I　wanted　to

convince　you　that　my　power　is　too　mighty　for　anyone　to

oppose。　I　am　told　that　you　are　a　wizard；　and　depend

upon　magic　to　aid　you；　but　you　must　know　that　the　nomes

are　not　mortals；　and　understand　magic　pretty　well

themselves；　so　if　we　are　obliged　to　fight　magic　with

magic　the　chances　are　that　we　are　a　hundred　times　more

powerful　than　you　can　be。　Think　this　over　carefully；　my

boy；　and　try　to　realize　that　you　are　in　my　power。　I　do

not　believe　you　can　force　me　to　liberate　King　Kitticut

and　Queen　Garee；　and　I　know　that　you　cannot　coax　me　to

do　so；　for　I　have　given　my　promise　to　King　Gos。

Therefore；　as　I　do　not　wish　to　hurt　you；　I　ask　you　to

go　away　peaceably　and　let　me　alone。〃



〃Forgive　me　if　I　do　not　agree　with　you；　King　Kaliko；〃

answered　the　boy。　〃However　difficult　and　dangerous　my

task　may　be；　I　cannot　leave　your　dominions　until　every

effort　to　release　my　parents　has　failed　and　left　me

completely　discouraged。〃



〃Very　well；〃　said　the　King；　evidently　displeased。　〃I

have　warned　you；　and　now　if　evil　overtakes　you　it　is

your　own　fault。　I've　a　headache　to…day；　so　I　cannot

entertain　you　properly；　according　to　your　rank；　but

Klik　will　attend　you　to　my　guest　chambers　and　to…morrow

I　will　talk　with　you　again。〃



This　seemed　a　fair　and　courteous　way　to　treat　one's

declared　enemies；　so　they　politely　expressed　the　wish

that　Kaliko's　headache　would　be　better；　and　followed

their　guide；　Klik；　down　a　well…lighted　passage　and

through　several　archways　until　they　finally　reached

three　nicely　furnished　bedchambers　which　were　cut　from

solid　gray　rock　and　well　lighted　and　aired　by　some

mysterious　method　known　to　the　nomes。



The　first　of　these　rooms　was　given　King　Rinkitink；

the　second　was　Inga's　and　the　third　was　assigned　to

Bilbil　the　goat。　There　was　a　swinging　rock　door

between　the　third　and　second　rooms　and　another　between

the　second　and　first；　which　also　had　a　door　that　opened

upon　the　passage。　Rinkitink's　room　was　the　largest；　so

it　was　here　that　an　excellent　dinner　was　spread　by　some

of　the　nome　servants；　who；　in　spite　of　their　crooked

shapes；　proved　to　be　well　trained　and　competent。



〃You　are　not　prisoners；　you　know；〃　said　Klik；　neither

are　you　welcome　guests；　having　declared　your　purpose　to

oppose　our　mighty　King　and　all　his　hosts。　But　we　bear

you　no　ill　will；　and　you　are　to　be　well　fed　and　cared

for　as　long　as　you　remain　in　our　caverns。　Eat　hearty；

sleep　tight；　and　pleasant　dreams　to　you。〃



Saying　this；　he　left　them　alone　and　at　once　Rinkitink

and　Inga　began　to　counsel　together　as　to　the　best　means

to　liberate　King　Kitticut　and　Queen　Garee。　The　White

Pearl's　advice　was　rather　unsatisfactory　to　the　boy；

just　now；　for　all　that　the　Voice　said　in　answer　to　his

questions　was：　〃Be　patient；　brave　and　determined。〃



Rinkitink　suggested　that　they　try　to　discover　in　what

part　of　the　series　of　underground　caverns　Inga's

parents　had　been　confined；　as　that　knowledge　was

necessary　before　they　could　take　any　action；　so

together　they　started　out；　leaving　Bilbil　asleep　in　his

room；　and　made　their　way　unopposed　through　many

corridors　and　caverns。　In　some　places　were　great

furnaces；　where　gold　dust　was　being　melted　into　bricks。

In　other　rooms　workmen　were　fashioning　the　gold　into

various　articles　and　ornaments。　In　one　cavern　immense

wheels　revolved　which　polished　precious　gems；　and　they

found　many　caverns　used　as　storerooms；　where　treasure

of　every　sort　was　piled　high。　Also　they　came　to　the

barracks　of　the　army　and　the　great　kitchens。



There　were　nomes　everywhere　　countless　thousands　of

them　　but　none　paid　the　slightest　heed　to　the

visitors　from　the　earth's　surface。　Yet；　although　Inga

and　Rinkitink　walked　until　they　were　weary；　they　were

unable　to　locate　the　place　where　the　boy's　father　and

mother　had　been　confined；　and　when　they　tried　to　return

to　their　own　rooms　they　found　that　they　had　hopelessly

lost　themselves　amid　the　labyrinth　of　passages。

However；　Klik　presently　came　to　them；　laughing　at　their

discomfiture；　and　led　them　back　to　their　bedchambers。



Before　they　went　to　sleep　they　carefully　barred　the

door　from　Rinkitink's　room　to　the　corridor；　but　the

doors　that　connected　the　three　rooms　one　with　another

were　left　wide　open。



In　the　night　Inga　was　awakened　by　a　soft　grating

sound　that　filled　him　with　anxiety　because　he　could　not

account　for　it。　It　was　dark　in　his　room；　the　light

having　disappeared　as　soon　as　he　got　into　bed；　but　he

managed　to　feel　his　way　to　the　door　that　led　to

Rinkitink's　room　and　found　it　tightly　closed　and

immovable。　Then　he　made　his　way　to　the　opposite　door；

leading　to　Bilbil's　room；　to　discover　that　also　had

been　closed　and　fastened。



The　boy　had　a　curious　sensation　that　all　of　his　room

　the　walls；　floor　and　ceiling　　was　slowly　whirling

as　if　on　a　pivot；　and　it　was　such　an　uncomfortable

feeling　that　he　got　into　bed　again；　not　knowing　what

else　to　do。　And　as　the　grating　noise　had　ceased　and　the

room　now　seemed　stationary；　he　soon　fell　asleep　again。



When　the　boy　wakened；　after　many　hours；　he　found　the

room　again　light。　So　he　dressed　himself　and　discovered

that　a　small　table；　containing　a　breakfast　that　was

smoking　hot；　had　suddenly　appeared　in　the　center　of

his　room。　He　tried　the　two　doors；　but　finding　that　he

could　not　open　them　he　ate　some　breakfast；　thoughtfully

wondering　who　had　locked　him　in　and　why　he　had　been

made　a　prisoner。　Then　he　again　went　to　the　door　which

he　thought　led　to　Rinkitink's　chamber　and　to　his

surprise　the　latch　lifted　easily　and　the　door　swung

open。



Before　him　was　a　rude　corridor　hewn　in　the　rock　and

dimly　lighted。　It　did　not　look　inviting；　so　Inga　closed

the　door；　puzzled　to　know　what　had　become　of

Rinkitink's　room　and　the　King；　and　went　to　the　opposite

door。　Opening　this；　he　found　a　solid　wall　of　rock

confronting　him；　which　effectually　prevented　his　escape

in　that　direction。



The　boy　now　realized　that　King　Kaliko　had　tricked

him；　and　while　professing　to　receive　him　as　a　guest　had

plotted　to　separate　him　from　his　comrades。　One　way　had

been　left；　however；　by　which　he　might　escape　and　he

decided　to　see　where　it　led　to。



So；　going　to　the　first　door；　he　opened　it　and

ventured　slowly　into　the　dimly　lighted　corridor。　When

he　had　advanced　a　few　steps　he　heard　the　door　of　his

room　slam　shut　behind　him。　He　ran　back　at　once；　but　the

door　of　rock　fitted　so　closely　into　the　wall　that　he

found　it　impossible　to　open　it　again。　That　did　not

matter　so　much；　however；　for　the　room　was　a　prison　and

the　only　way　of　escape　seemed　ahead　of　him。



Along　the　corridor　he　crept　until；　turning　a

corner；　he　found　himself　in　a　large　domed　cavern　that

was　empty　and　deserted。　Here　also　was　a　dim　light　that

permitted　him　to　see　another　corridor　at　the　opposite

side；　so　he　crossed　the　rocky　floor　of　the　cavern　and

entered　a　second　corridor。　This　one　twisted　and　turned

in　every　direction　but　was　not　very　long；　so　soon　the

boy　reached　a　second　cavern；　not　so　large　as　the　first。

This　he　found　vacant　also；　but　it　had　another　corridor

leading　out　of　it；　so　Inga　entered　that。　It　was

straight　and　short　and　beyond　was　a　third　cavern；　which

differed　little　from　the　others　except　that　it　had　a

strong　iron　grating　at　one　side　of　it。



All　three　of　these　caverns　had　been　roughly　hewn　from

the　rock　and　it　seemed　they　had　never　been　put　to　use；

as　had　all　the　other　caverns　of　the　nomes　he　had

visited。　Standing　in　the　third　cavern；　Inga　saw　what　he

thought　was　still　another　corridor　at　its　farther　side；

so　he　walked　toward　it。　This　opening　was　dark；　and　that

fact；　and　the　solemn　silence　all　around　him；　made　him

hesitate　for　a　while　to　enter　it。　Upon　reflection；

however；　he　realized　that　unless　he　explored　the　place

to　the　very　end　he　could　not　hope　to　escape　from　it；　so

he　boldly　entered　the　dark　corridor　and　felt　his　way

cautiously　as　he　moved　forward。



Scarcely　had　he　taken　two　paces　when　a　crash

resounded　back　of　him　and　a　heavy　sheet　of　steel　closed

the　opening　into　the　cavern　from　which　he　had　just

come。　He　paused　a　moment；　but　it　still　seemed　best　to

proceed；　and　as　Inga　advanced　in　the　dark；　holding　his

hands　outstretched　before　him　to　feel　his　way；

handcuffs　fell　upon　his　wrists　and　locked　themselves

with　a　sharp　click；　and　an　instant　later　he　found　he

was　chained　to　a　stout　iron　post　set　firmly　in　the　rock

floor。



The　chains　were　long　enough　to　permit　him　to　move　a

yard　or　so　in　any　direction　and　by　feeling　the　walls　he

found　he　was　in　a　small　circular　room　that　had　no

outlet　except　the　passage　by　which　he　had　entered；　and

that　was　now　closed　by　the　door　of　steel。　This　was　the

end　of　the　series　of　caverns　and　corridors。



It　was　now　that　the　horror　of　his　situation　occurred

to　the　boy　with　full　force。　But　he　resolved　not　to

submit　to　his　fate　without　a　struggle；　and　realizing

that　he　possessed　the　Blue　Pearl；　which　gave　him

marvelous　strength；　he　quickly　broke　the　chains　and　set

himself　free　of　the　handcuffs。　Next　he　twisted　the

steel　door　from　its　hinges；　and　creeping　along　the

short　passage；　found　himself　in　the　third　cave。



But　now　the　dim　light；　which　had　before　guided　him；

had　vanished；　yet　on　peering　into　the　gloom　of　the　cave

he　saw　what　appeared　to　be　two　round　disks　of　flame；

which　cast　a　subdued　glow　over　the　floor　and　walls。　By

this　dull　glow　he　made　out　the　form　of　an　enormous　man；

seated　in　the　center　of　the　cave；　and　he　saw　that　the

iron　grating　had　been　removed；　permitting　the　man　to

enter。



The　gi