Chapter Eighteen
Inga Parts with his Pink Pearl
The White Pearl guided Inga truly in his pursuit of the boat of KingGos, but the boy had been so delayed in sending his people home toPingaree that it was a full day after Gos and Cor landed on the shoreof the Wheeler Country that Inga's boat arrived at the same place.
There he found the forty rowers guarding the barge of Queen Cor, andalthough they would not or could not tell the boy where the King andQueen had taken his father and mother, the White Pearl advised him tofollow the path to the country and the caverns of the nomes.
Rinkitink didn't like to undertake the rocky and mountainous journey,even with Bilbil to carry him, but he would not desert Inga, eventhough his own kingdom lay just beyond a range of mountains which couldbe seen towering southwest of them. So the King bravely mounted thegoat, who always grumbled but always obeyed his master, and the threeset off at once for the caverns of the nomes.
They traveled just as slowly as Queen Cor and King Gos had done, sowhen they were about halfway they discovered the King and Queen comingback to their boat. The fact that Gos and Cor were now alone provedthat they had left Inga's father and mother behind them; so, at thesuggestion of Rinkitink, the three hid behind a high rock until theKing of Regos and the Queen of Coregos, who had not observed them, hadpassed them by. Then they continued their journey, glad that they hadnot again been forced to fight or quarrel with their wicked enemies.
"We might have asked them, however, what they had done with your poorparents," said Rinkitink.
"Never mind," answered Inga. "I am sure the White Pearl will guide usaright."
For a time they proceeded in silence and then Rinkitink began tochuckle with laughter in the pleasant way he was wont to do before hismisfortunes came upon him.
"What amuses Your Majesty?" inquired the boy.
"The thought of how surprised my dear subjects would be if theyrealized how near to them I am, and yet how far away. I have alwayswanted to visit the Nome Country, which is full of mystery and magicand all sorts of adventures, but my devoted subjects forbade me tothink of such a thing, fearing I would get hurt or enchanted."
"Are you afraid, now that you are here?" asked Inga.
"A little, but not much, for they say the new Nome King is not aswicked as the old King used to be. Still, we are undertaking adangerous journey and I think you ought to protect me by lending me oneof your pearls."
Inga thought this over and it seemed a reasonable request.
"Which pearl would you like to have?" asked the boy.
"Well, let us see," returned Rinkitink; "you may need strength toliberate your captive parents, so you must keep the Blue Pearl. And youwill need the advice of the White Pearl, so you had best keep thatalso. But in case we should be separated I would have nothing toprotect me from harm, so you ought to lend me the Pink Pearl."
"Very well," agreed Inga, and sitting down upon a rock he removed hisright shoe and after withdrawing the cloth from the pointed toe tookout the Pink Pearl--the one which protected from any harm the personwho carried it.
"Where can you put it, to keep it safely?" he asked.
"In my vest pocket," replied the King. "The pocket has a flap to it andI can pin it down in such a way that the pearl cannot get out andbecome lost. As for robbery, no one with evil intent can touch myperson while I have the pearl."
So Inga gave Rinkitink the Pink Pearl and the little King placed it inthe pocket of his red-and-green brocaded velvet vest, pinning the flapof the pocket down tightly.
They now resumed their journey and finally reached the entrance to theNome King's caverns. Placing the White Pearl to his ear, Inga asked:"What shall I do now?" and the Voice of the Pearl replied: "Clap yourhands together four times and call aloud the word 'Klik.' Then allowyourselves to be conducted to the Nome King, who is now holding yourfather and mother captive."
Inga followed these instructions and when Klik appeared in answer tohis summons the boy requested an audience of the Nome King. So Klik ledthem into the presence of King Kaliko, who was suffering from a severeheadache, due to his revelry the night before, and therefore wasunusually cross and grumpy.
"I know what you've come for," said he, before Inga could speak. "Youwant to get the captives from Regos away from me; but you can't do it,so you'd best go away again."
"The captives are my father and mother, and I intend to liberate them,"said the boy firmly.
The King stared hard at Inga, wondering at his audacity. Then he turnedto look at King Rinkitink and said:
"I suppose you are the King of Gilgad, which is in the Kingdom ofRinkitink."
"You've guessed it the first time," replied Rinkitink.
"How round and fat you are!" exclaimed Kaliko.
"I was just thinking how fat and round you are," said Rinkitink."Really, King Kaliko, we ought to be friends, we're so much alike ineverything but disposition and intelligence."
Then he began to chuckle, while Kaliko stared hard at him, not knowingwhether to accept his speech as a compliment or not. And now the nome'seyes wandered to Bilbil, and he asked:
"Is that your talking goat?"
Bilbil met the Nome King's glowering look with a gaze equally surly anddefiant, while Rinkitink answered: "It is, Your Majesty."
"Can he really talk?" asked Kaliko, curiously.
"He can. But the best thing he does is to scold. Talk to His Majesty,Bilbil."
But Bilbil remained silent and would not speak.
"Do you always ride upon his back?" continued Kaliko, questioningRinkitink.
"Yes," was the answer, "because it is difficult for a fat man to walkfar, as perhaps you know from experience.
"That is true," said Kaliko. "Get off the goat's back and let me ridehim a while, to see how I like it. Perhaps I'll take him away from you,to ride through my caverns."
Rinkitink chuckled softly as he heard this, but at once got offBilbil's back and let Kaliko get on. The Nome King was a littleawkward, but when he was firmly astride the saddle he called in a loudvoice: "Giddap!"
When Bilbil paid no attention to the command and refused to stir,Kaliko kicked his heels viciously against the goat's body, and thenBilbil made a sudden start. He ran swiftly across the great cavern,until he had almost reached the opposite wall, when he stopped soabruptly that King Kaliko sailed over his head and bumped against thejeweled wall. He bumped so hard that the points of his crown were allmashed out of shape and his head was driven far into thediamond-studded band of the crown, so that it covered one eye and apart of his nose. Perhaps this saved Kaliko's head from being crackedagainst the rock wall, but it was hard on the crown.
Bilbil was highly pleased at the success of his feat and Rinkitinklaughed merrily at the Nome King's comical appearance; but Kaliko wasmuttering and growling as he picked himself up and struggled to pullthe battered crown from his head, and it was evident that he was not inthe least amused. Indeed, Inga could see that the King was very angry,and the boy knew that the incident was likely to turn Kaliko againstthe entire party.
The Nome King sent Klik for another crown and ordered his workmen torepair the one that was damaged. While he waited for the new crown hesat regarding his visitors with a scowling face, and this made Ingamore uneasy than ever. Finally, when the new crown was placed upon hishead, King Kaliko said: "Follow me, strangers!" and led the way to asmall door at one end of the cavern.
Inga and Rinkitink followed him through the doorway and foundthemselves standing on a balcony that overlooked an enormous domedcave--so extensive that it seemed miles to the other side of it. Allaround this circular cave, which was brilliantly lighted from anunknown source, were arches connected with other caverns.
Kaliko took a gold whistle from his pocket and blew a shrill note thatechoed through every part of the cave. Instantly nomes began to pour inthrough the side arches in great numbers, until the immense space waspacked with them as far as the eye could reach. All were armed withglittering weapons of polish
ed silver and gold, and Inga was amazedthat any King could command so great an army.
They began marching and countermarching in very orderly array untilanother blast of the gold whistle sent them scurrying away as quicklyas they had appeared. And as soon as the great cave was again emptyKaliko returned with his visitors to his own royal chamber, where heonce more seated himself upon his ivory throne.
"I have shown you," said he to Inga, "a part of my bodyguard. The royalarmies, of which this is only a part, are as numerous as the sands ofthe ocean, and live in many thousands of my underground caverns. Youhave come here thinking to force me to give up the captives of King Gosand Queen Cor, and I wanted to convince you that my power is too mightyfor anyone to oppose. I am told that you are a wizard, and depend uponmagic to aid you; but you must know that the nomes are not mortals, andunderstand magic pretty well themselves, so if we are obliged to fightmagic with magic the chances are that we are a hundred times morepowerful than you can be. Think this over carefully, my boy, and try torealize that you are in my power. I do not believe you can force me toliberate King Kitticut and Queen Garee, and I know that you cannot coaxme to do so, for I have given my promise to King Gos. Therefore, as Ido not wish to hurt you, I ask you to go away peaceably and let mealone."
"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 yourdominions until every effort to release my parents has failed and leftme 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 headacheto-day, so I cannot entertain you properly, according to your rank; butKlik will attend you to my guest chambers and to-morrow I will talkwith 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 bebetter, and followed their guide, Klik, down a well-lighted passage andthrough several archways until they finally reached three nicelyfurnished bedchambers which were cut from solid gray rock and welllighted and aired by some mysterious method known to the nomes.
The first of these rooms was given King Rinkitink, the second wasInga's and the third was assigned to Bilbil the goat. There was aswinging rock door between the third and second rooms and anotherbetween the second and first, which also had a door that opened uponthe passage. Rinkitink's room was the largest, so it was here that anexcellent dinner was spread by some of the nome servants, who, in spiteof their crooked shapes, proved to be well trained and competent.
"You are not prisoners, you know," said Klik; "neither are you welcomeguests, having declared your purpose to oppose our mighty King and allhis hosts. But we bear you no ill will, and you are to be well fed andcared for as long as you remain in our caverns. Eat hearty, sleeptight, and pleasant dreams to you."
Saying this, he left them alone and at once Rinkitink and Inga began tocounsel together as to the best means to liberate King Kitticut andQueen Garee. The White Pearl's advice was rather unsatisfactory to theboy, just now, for all that the Voice said in answer to his questionswas: "Be patient, brave and determined."
Rinkitink suggested that they try to discover in what part of theseries of underground caverns Inga's parents had been confined, as thatknowledge was necessary before they could take any action; so togetherthey started out, leaving Bilbil asleep in his room, and made their wayunopposed through many corridors and caverns. In some places were greatfurnaces, where gold dust was being melted into bricks. In other roomsworkmen were fashioning the gold into various articles and ornaments.In one cavern immense wheels revolved which polished precious gems, andthey found many caverns used as storerooms, where treasure of everysort was piled high. Also they came to the barracks of the army and thegreat kitchens.
There were nomes everywhere--countless thousands of them--but none paidthe slightest heed to the visitors from the earth's surface. Yet,although Inga and Rinkitink walked until they were weary, they wereunable to locate the place where the boy's father and mother had beenconfined, and when they tried to return to their own rooms they foundthat they had hopelessly lost themselves amid the labyrinth ofpassages. However, Klik presently came to them, laughing at theirdiscomfiture, and led them back to their bedchambers.
Before they went to sleep they carefully barred the door fromRinkitink's room to the corridor, but the doors that connected thethree rooms one with another were left wide open.
In the night Inga was awakened by a soft grating sound that filled himwith anxiety because he could not account for it. It was dark in hisroom, the light having disappeared as soon as he got into bed, but hemanaged to feel his way to the door that led to Rinkitink's room andfound it tightly closed and immovable. Then he made his way to theopposite door, leading to Bilbil's room, to discover that also had beenclosed and fastened.
The boy had a curious sensation that all of his room--the walls, floorand ceiling--was slowly whirling as if on a pivot, and it was such anuncomfortable feeling that he got into bed again, not knowing what elseto do. And as the grating noise had ceased and the room now seemedstationary, 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 abreakfast that was smoking hot, had suddenly appeared in the center ofhis room. He tried the two doors, but finding that he could not openthem he ate some breakfast, thoughtfully wondering who had locked himin and why he had been made a prisoner. Then he again went to the doorwhich he thought led to Rinkitink's chamber and to his surprise thelatch lifted easily and the door swung open.
Before him was a rude corridor hewn in the rock and dimly lighted. Itdid not look inviting, so Inga closed the door, puzzled to know whathad become of Rinkitink's room and the King, and went to the oppositedoor. 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 whileprofessing to receive him as a guest had plotted to separate him fromhis comrades. One way had been left, however, by which he might escapeand he decided to see where it led to.
So, going to the first door, he opened it and ventured slowly into thedimly lighted corridor. When he had advanced a few steps he heard thedoor of his room slam shut behind him. He ran back at once, but thedoor of rock fitted so closely into the wall that he found itimpossible to open it again. That did not matter so much, however, forthe 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 himselfin a large domed cavern that was empty and deserted. Here also was adim light that permitted him to see another corridor at the oppositeside; so he crossed the rocky floor of the cavern and entered a secondcorridor. This one twisted and turned in every direction but was notvery long, so soon the boy reached a second cavern, not so large as thefirst. This he found vacant also, but it had another corridor leadingout of it, so Inga entered that. It was straight and short and beyondwas a third cavern, which differed little from the others except thatit had a strong iron grating at one side of it.
All three of these caverns had been roughly hewn from the rock and itseemed they had never been put to use, as had all the other caverns ofthe nomes he had visited. Standing in the third cavern, Inga saw whathe thought was still another corridor at its farther side, so he walkedtoward it. This opening was dark, and that fact, and the solemn silenceall around him, made him hesitate for a while to enter it. Uponreflection, however, he realized that unless he explored the place tothe very end he could not hope to escape from it, so he boldly enteredthe dark corridor and felt his way cautiously as he moved forward.
Scarcely had he taken two paces when a crash resounded back of him anda heavy sheet of steel closed the opening into the cavern from which hehad just come. He paused a moment, but it still seemed best to proceed,and as Inga advanced in the dark, holding
his hands outstretched beforehim to feel his way, handcuffs fell upon his wrists and lockedthemselves with a sharp click, and an instant later he found he waschained 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 anydirection and by feeling the walls he found he was in a small circularroom that had no outlet except the passage by which he had entered, andthat was now closed by the door of steel. This was the end of theseries of caverns and corridors.
It was now that the horror of his situation occurred to the boy withfull force. But he resolved not to submit to his fate without astruggle, and realizing that he possessed the Blue Pearl, which gavehim marvelous strength, he quickly broke the chains and set himselffree 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; yeton peering into the gloom of the cave he saw what appeared to be tworound disks of flame, which cast a subdued glow over the floor andwalls. 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 hadbeen removed, permitting the man to enter.
The giant was unclothed and its limbs were thickly covered with coarsered hair. The round disks of flame were its two eyes and when it openedits mouth to yawn Inga saw that its jaws were wide enough to crush adozen men between the great rows of teeth.
Presently the giant looked up and perceived the boy crouching at theother side of the cavern, so he called out in a hoarse, rude voice:
"Come hither, my pretty one. We will wrestle together, you and I, andif you succeed in throwing me I will let you pass through my cave."
The boy made no reply to the challenge. He realized he was in direperil and regretted that he had lent the Pink Pearl to King Rinkitink.But it was now too late for vain regrets, although he feared that evenhis great strength would avail him little against this hairy monster.For his arms were not long enough to span a fourth of the giant's hugebody, while the monster's powerful limbs would be likely to crush outInga's life before he could gain the mastery.
Therefore the Prince resolved to employ other means to combat this foe,who had doubtless been placed there to bar his return. Retreatingthrough the passage he reached the room where he had been chained andwrenched the iron post from its socket. It was a foot thick and fourfeet long, and being of solid iron was so heavy that three ordinary menwould have found it hard to lift.
Returning to the cavern, the boy swung the great bar above his head anddashed it with mighty force full at the giant. The end of the barstruck the monster upon its forehead, and with a single groan it fellfull length upon the floor and lay still.
When the giant fell, the glow from its eyes faded away, and all wasdark. Cautiously, for Inga was not sure the giant was dead, the boyfelt his way toward the opening that led to the middle cavern. Theentrance was narrow and the darkness was intense, but, feeling bravernow, the boy stepped boldly forward. Instantly the floor began to sinkbeneath him and in great alarm he turned and made a leap that enabledhim to grasp the rocky sides of the wall and regain a footing in thepassage through which he had just come.
Scarcely had he obtained this place of refuge when a mighty crashresounded throughout the cavern and the sound of a rushing torrent camefrom far below. Inga felt in his pocket and found several matches, oneof which he lighted and held before him. While it flickered he saw thatthe entire floor of the cavern had fallen away, and knew that had henot instantly regained his footing in the passage he would have plungedinto the abyss that lay beneath him.
By the light of another match he saw the opening at the other side ofthe cave and the thought came to him that possibly he might leap acrossthe gulf. Of course, this could never be accomplished without themarvelous strength lent him by the Blue Pearl, but Inga had the feelingthat one powerful spring might carry him over the chasm into safety. Hecould not stay where he was, that was certain, so he resolved to makethe attempt.
He took a long run through the first cave and the short corridor; then,exerting all his strength, he launched himself over the black gulf ofthe second cave. Swiftly he flew and, although his heart stood stillwith fear, only a few seconds elapsed before his feet touched the ledgeof the opposite passageway and he knew he had safely accomplished thewonderful feat.
Only pausing to draw one long breath of relief, Inga quickly traversedthe crooked corridor that led to the last cavern of the three. But whenhe came in sight of it he paused abruptly, his eyes nearly blinded by aglare of strong light which burst upon them. Covering his face with hishands, Inga retreated behind a projecting corner of rock and bygradually getting his eyes used to the light he was finally able togaze without blinking upon the strange glare that had so quicklychanged the condition of the cavern. When he had passed through thisvault it had been entirely empty. Now the flat floor of rock wascovered everywhere with a bed of glowing coals, which shot up littletongues of red and white flames. Indeed, the entire cave was onemonster furnace and the heat that came from it was fearful.
Inga's heart sank within him as he realized the terrible obstacleplaced by the cunning Nome King between him and the safety of the othercaverns. There was no turning back, for it would be impossible for himagain to leap over the gulf of the second cave, the corridor at thisside being so crooked that he could get no run before he jumped.Neither could he leap over the glowing coals of the cavern that facedhim, for it was much larger than the middle cavern. In this dilemma hefeared his great strength would avail him nothing and he bitterlyreproached himself for parting with the Pink Pearl, which would havepreserved him from injury.
However, it was not in the nature of Prince Inga to despair for long,his past adventures having taught him confidence and courage, sharpenedhis wits and given him the genius of invention. He sat down and thoughtearnestly on the means of escape from his danger and at last a cleveridea came to his mind. This is the way to get ideas: never to letadverse circumstances discourage you, but to believe there is a way outof every difficulty, which may be found by earnest thought.
There were many points and projections of rock in the walls of thecrooked corridor in which Inga stood and some of these rocks had becomecracked and loosened, although still clinging to their places. The boypicked out one large piece, and, exerting all his strength, tore itaway from the wall. He then carried it to the cavern and tossed it uponthe burning coals, about ten feet away from the end of the passage.Then he returned for another fragment of rock, and wrenching it freefrom its place, he threw it ten feet beyond the first one, toward theopposite side of the cave. The boy continued this work until he hadmade a series of stepping-stones reaching straight across the cavern tothe dark passageway beyond, which he hoped would lead him back tosafety if not to liberty.
When his work had been completed, Inga did not long hesitate to takeadvantage of his stepping-stones, for he knew his best chance of escapelay in his crossing the bed of coals before the rocks became so heatedthat they would burn his feet. So he leaped to the first rock and fromthere began jumping from one to the other in quick succession. Awithering wave of heat at once enveloped him, and for a time he fearedhe would suffocate before he could cross the cavern; but he held hisbreath, to keep the hot air from his lungs, and maintained his leapswith desperate resolve.
Then, before he realized it, his feet were pressing the cooler rocks ofthe passage beyond and he rolled helpless upon the floor, gasping forbreath. His skin was so red that it resembled the shell of a boiledlobster, but his swift motion had prevented his being burned, and hisshoes had thick soles, which saved his feet.
After resting a few minutes, the boy felt strong enough to go on. Hewent to the end of the passage and found that the rock door by which hehad left his room was still closed, so he returned to about the middleof the corridor and was thinking what he should do next, when suddenlythe solid rock before him began to move and an opening appeared throug
hwhich shone a brilliant light. Shielding his eyes, which were somewhatdazzled, Inga sprang through the opening and found himself in one ofthe Nome King's inhabited caverns, where before him stood King Kaliko,with a broad grin upon his features, and Klik, the King's chamberlain,who looked surprised, and King Rinkitink seated astride Bilbil thegoat, both of whom seemed pleased that Inga had rejoined them.
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