But soon they gained courage to look more closely at the Peculiar Person. As he was a type of all the inhabitants of this extraordinary land whom they afterward met, I will try to tell you what he looked like.
His face was beautiful, but lacked expression. His eyes were large and blue in color and his teeth finely formed and white as snow. His hair was black and bushy and seemed inclined to curl at the ends. So far no one could find any fault with his appearance. He wore a robe of scarlet, which did not cover his arms and extended no lower than his bare knees. On the bosom of the robe was embroidered a terrible dragon’s head, as horrible to look at as the man was beautiful. His arms and legs were left bare and the skin of one arm was bright yellow and the skin of the other arm a vivid green. He had one blue leg and one pink one, while both his feet—which showed through the open sandals he wore—were jet black.
Betsy could not decide whether these gorgeous colors were dyes or the natural tints of the skin, but while she was thinking it over the man who had been called “Tubekins” said:
“Follow me to the Residence—all of you!”
But just then a Voice exclaimed: “Here’s another of them, Tubekins, lying in the water of the fountain.”
“Gracious!” cried Betsy; “it must be Tik-Tok, and he’ll drown.”
“Water is a bad thing for his clockworks, anyway,” agreed Shaggy, as with one accord they all started for the fountain. But before they could reach it, invisible hands raised Tik-Tok from the marble basin and set him upon his feet beside it, water dripping from every joint of his copper body.
“Ma—ny tha—tha—tha—thanks!” he said; and then his copper jaws clicked together and he could say no more. He next made an attempt to walk but after several awkward trials found he could not move his joints.
Peals of jeering laughter from persons unseen greeted Tik-Tok’s failure, and the new arrivals in this strange land found it very uncomfortable to realize that there were many creatures around them who were invisible, yet could be heard plainly.
“Shall I wind him up?” asked Betsy, feeling very sorry for Tik-Tok.
“I think his machinery is wound; but he needs oiling,” replied Shaggy.
At once an oil-can appeared before him, held on a level with his eyes by some unseen hand. Shaggy took the can and tried to oil Tik-Tok’s joints. As if to assist him, a strong current of warm air was directed against the copper man which quickly dried him. Soon he was able to say “Ma-ny thanks!” quite smoothly and his joints worked fairly well.
“Come!” commanded Tubekins, and turning his back upon them he walked up the path toward the castle.
“Shall we go?” asked Queen Ann, uncertainly; but just then she received a shove that almost pitched her forward on her head; so she decided to go. The officers who hesitated received several energetic kicks, but could not see who delivered them; therefore they also decided—very wisely—to go. The others followed willingly enough, for unless they ventured upon another terrible journey through the Tube they must make the best of the unknown country they were in, and the best seemed to be to obey orders.
11. The Famous Fellowship of Fairies
After a short walk through very beautiful gardens they came to the castle and followed Tubekins through the entrance and into a great domed chamber, where he commanded them to be seated.
From the crown which he wore, Betsy had thought this man must be the King of the country they were in, yet after he had seated all the strangers upon benches that were ranged in a semicircle before a high throne, Tubekins bowed humbly before the vacant throne and in a flash became invisible and disappeared.
The hall was an immense place, but there seemed to be no one in it beside themselves. Presently, however, they heard a low cough near them, and here and there was the faint rustling of a robe and a slight patter as of footsteps. Then suddenly there rang out the clear tone of a bell and at the sound all was changed.
Gazing around the hall in bewilderment they saw that it was filled with hundreds of men and women, all with beautiful faces and staring blue eyes and all wearing scarlet robes and jeweled crowns upon their heads. In fact, these people seemed exact duplicates of Tubekins and it was difficult to find any mark by which to tell them apart.
“My! what a lot of Kings and Queens!” whispered Betsy to Polychrome, who sat beside her and appeared much interested in the scene but not a bit worried.
“It is certainly a strange sight,” was Polychrome’s reply; “but I cannot see how there can be more than one King, or Queen, in any one country, for were these all rulers, no one could tell who was Master.”
One of the Kings who stood near and overheard this remark turned to her and said: “One who is Master of himself is always a King, if only to himself. In this favored land all Kings and Queens are equal, and it is our privilege to bow before one supreme Ruler—the Private Citizen.”
“Who’s he?” inquired Betsy.
As if to answer her, the clear tones of the bell again rang out and instantly there appeared seated in the throne the man who was lord and master of all these royal ones. This fact was evident when with one accord they fell upon their knees and touched their foreheads to the floor.
The Private Citizen was not unlike the others, except that his eyes were black instead of blue and in the centers of the black irises glowed red sparks that seemed like coals of fire. But his features were very beautiful and dignified and his manner composed and stately. Instead of the prevalent scarlet robe, he wore one of white, and the same dragon’s head that decorated the others was embroidered upon its bosom.
“What charge lies against these people, Tubekins?” he asked in quiet, even tones.
“They came through the forbidden Tube, O Mighty Citizen,” was the reply.
“You see, it was this way,” said Betsy. “We were marching to the Nome King, to conquer him and set Shaggy’s brother free, when on a sudden—”
“Who are you?” demanded the Private Citizen sternly.
“Me? Oh, I’m Betsy Bobbin, and—”
“Who is the leader of this party?” asked the Citizen.
“Sir, I am Queen Ann of Oogaboo, and—”
“Then keep quiet,” said the Citizen. “Who is the leader?”
No one answered for a moment. Then General Bunn stood up.
“Sit down!” commanded the Citizen. “I can see that sixteen of you are merely officers, and of no account.”
“But we have an Army,” said General Clock, blusteringly, for he didn’t like to be told he was of no account.
“Where is your Army?” asked the Citizen.
“It’s me,” said Tik-Tok, his voice sounding a little rusty. “I’m the on-ly Private Soldier in the par-ty.”
Hearing this, the Citizen rose and bowed respectfully to the Clockwork Man.
“Pardon me for not realizing your importance before,” said he. “Will you oblige me by taking a seat beside me on my throne?”
Tik-Tok rose and walked over to the throne, all the Kings and Queens making way for him. Then with clanking steps he mounted the platform and sat on the broad seat beside the Citizen.
Ann was greatly provoked at this mark of favor shown to the humble Clockwork Man, but Shaggy seemed much pleased that his old friend’s importance had been recognized by the ruler of this remarkable country. The Citizen now began to question Tik-Tok, who told in his mechanical voice about