lied Files. "There is not a breath of wind stirring.
But these lovely blossoms are indeed your cousins and answered your
question at once, as I knew they would."

Chapter Nine

Ruggedo's Rage is Rash and Reckless

The way taken by the adventurers led up hill and down dale and wound
here and there in a fashion that seemed aimless. But always it drew
nearer to a range of low mountains and Files said more than once that
he was certain the entrance to Ruggedo's cavern would be found among
these rugged hills.

In this he was quite correct. Far underneath the nearest mountain was a
gorgeous chamber hollowed from the solid rock, the walls and roof of
which glittered with thousands of magnificent jewels. Here, on a throne
of virgin gold, sat the famous Nome King, dressed in splendid robes and
wearing a superb crown cut from a single blood-red ruby.

Ruggedo, the Monarch of all the Metals and Precious Stones of the
Underground World, was a round little man with a flowing white beard, a
red face, bright eyes and a scowl that covered all his forehead. One
would think, to look at him, that he ought to be jolly; one might
think, considering his enormous wealth, that he ought to be happy; but
this was not the case. The Metal Monarch was surly and cross because
mortals had dug so much treasure out of the earth and kept it above
ground, where all the power of Ruggedo and his nomes was unable to
recover it. He hated not only the mortals but also the fairies who live
upon the earth or above it, and instead of being content with the
riches he still possessed he was unhappy because he did not own all the
gold and jewels in the world.

Ruggedo had been nodding, half asleep, in his chair when suddenly he
sat upright, uttered a roar of rage and began pounding upon a huge gong
that stood beside him.

The sound filled the vast cavern and penetrated to many caverns beyond,
where countless thousands of nomes were working at their unending
tasks, hammering out gold and silver and other metals, or melting ores
in great furnaces, or polishing glittering gems. The nomes trembled at
the sound of the King's gong and whispered fearfully to one another
that something unpleasant was sure to happen; but none dared pause in
his task.

The heavy curtains of cloth-of-gold were pushed aside and Kaliko, the
King's High Chamberlain, entered the royal presence.

"What's up, Your Majesty?" he asked, with a wide yawn, for he had just
wakened.