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That's it, Blug!" he shouted. "That's the idea, General! I'm King of the

Under World, and my subjects are all miners. I'll make a secret tunnel

under the desert to the Land of Oz--yes! right up to the Emerald City--

and you will march your armies there and capture the whole country!"

Softly, softly, your Majesty. Don't go too fast," warned the General. "My

Nomes are good fighters, but they are not strong enough to conquer the

Emerald City."

Are you sure?" asked the King.

Absolutely certain, your Majesty."

Then what am I to do?"

Give up the idea and mind your own business," advised the General.

You have plenty to do trying to rule your underground kingdom."

But I want the Magic Belt--and I'm going to have it!" roared the Nome

King.

I'd like to see you get it," replied the General, laughing maliciously.

The King was by this time so exasperated that he picked up his scepter,

which had a heavy ball, made from a sapphire, at the end of it, and

threw it with all his force at General Blug. The sapphire hit the General

upon his forehead and knocked him flat upon the ground, where he lay

motionless. Then the King rang his gong and told his guards to drag out

the General and throw him away; which they did.

This Nome King was named Roquat the Red, and no one loved him. He

was a bad man and a powerful monarch, and he had resolved to destroy

the Land of Oz and its magnificent Emerald City, to enslave Princess

Ozma and little Dorothy and all the Oz people, and recover his Magic

Belt. This same Belt had once enabled Roquat the Red to carry out many

wicked plans; but that was before Ozma and her people marched to the

underground cavern and captured it. The Nome King could not forgive

Dorothy or Princess Ozma, and he had determined to be revenged upon

them.

But they, for their part, did not know they had so dangerous an enemy.

Indeed, Ozma and Dorothy had both almost forgotten that such a person

The Emerald City of Oz