Part 3 (1/2)
Tiktok promptly walked in and faced the astonished Nome King, to whom he said: ”Good morn-ing. I want two new steel springs for my thought-works and a new cog-wheel for my speech-pro-du-cer. How a-bout it, your Maj-es-ty?”
The Nome King growled a menacing growl and his eyes were red with rage.
”How dare you enter my presence?” he shouted.
”I dare an-y-thing,” said Tiktok. ”I'm not a-fraid of a fat Nome.”
[Ill.u.s.tration]
This was true, yet an unwise speech. Had Tiktok's thoughts been in good working order he would have said something else. The angry Nome King quickly caught up his heavy mace and hurled it straight at Tiktok. When it struck the metal man's breast, the force of the blow burst the bolts which held the plates of his body together and they clattered to the floor in a score of pieces. Hundreds and hundreds of wheels, pins, cogs and springs filled the air like a cloud and then rattled like hail upon the floor.
Where Tiktok had stood was now only a sc.r.a.p-heap and the Nome King was so amazed by the terrible effect of his blow that he stared in wonder.
His Majesty's anger quickly cooled. He remembered that the Clockwork Man was a favorite subject of the powerful Princess, Ozma of Oz, who would be sure to resent Tiktok's ruin.
”Too bad! too bad!” he muttered, regretfully. ”I'm really sorry I made junk of the fellow. I didn't know he'd break.”
”You'd better be,” remarked Kaliko, who now ventured to enter the room.
”You'll have a war on your hands when Ozma hears of this, and the chances are you will lose your throne and your kingdom.”
The Nome King turned pale, for he loved to rule the Nomes and did not know of any other way to earn a living in case Ozma fought and conquered him.
”Do--do you think Ozma will be angry?” he asked anxiously.
”I'm sure of it,” said Kaliko. ”And she has the right to be. You've made sc.r.a.p-iron of her favorite.”
The King groaned.
”Sweep him up and throw the rubbish into the black pit,” he commanded; and then he shut himself up in his private den and for days would see no one, because he was so ashamed of his unreasoning anger and so feared the results of his rash act.
Kaliko swept up the pieces, but he did not throw them into the black pit. Being a clever and skillful mechanic he determined to fit the pieces together again.
No man ever faced a greater puzzle; but it was interesting work and Kaliko succeeded. When he found a spring or wheel worn or imperfect, he made a new one.
[Ill.u.s.tration]
Within two weeks, by working steadily night and day, the Chief Steward completed his task and put the three sets of clockworks and the last rivet into Tiktok's body. He then wound up the motion machinery, and the Clockwork Man walked up and down the room as naturally as ever. Then Kaliko wound up the thought works and the speech regulator and said to Tiktok:
”How do you feel now?”
”Fine,” said the Clockwork Man. ”You have done a ve-ry good job, Kal-i-ko, and saved me from de-struc-tion. Much o-bliged.”
”Don't mention it,” replied the Chief Steward. ”I quite enjoyed the work.”
Just then the Nome King's gong sounded, and Kaliko rushed away through the jewel-studded cavern and into the den where the King had hidden, leaving the doors ajar.
”Kaliko,” said the King, in a meek voice, ”I've been shut up here long enough to repent bitterly the destruction of Tiktok. Of course Ozma will have revenge, and send an army to fight us, but we must take our medicine. One thing comforts me: Tiktok wasn't really a live person; he was only a machine man, and so it wasn't very wicked to stop his clockworks. I couldn't sleep nights, at first, for worry; but there's no more harm in smas.h.i.+ng a machine man than in breaking a wax doll. Don't you think so?”
”I am too humble to think in the presence of your Majesty,” said Kaliko.