~~ The Palace of Romance::John Dough and the Cherub
"He must have loose!" Chick. "Let us run, John Dough, he can eat you."
At once John to fly, with Chick his hand to him on. Ali Dubh had succeeded in through the iron of his prison, and had managed to his hands. But his were still together from his to his knees, so that he only move toward them by hopping.
Nevertheless, at of the man, who was mixed with his Elixir, the Arab toward his with long hops, and had John and Chick not so fast as they did it is the Arab would soon have overtaken them. Through the throne-room they fled, with Ali Dubh just them, and then they the marble to the upper of the castle.
Their pursuer, nothing by his legs, up the stairs after them with swiftness.
"HURRY, JOHN DOUGH, OR YOU'LL BE EATEN!"
"Hurry!" Chick; "hurry, John Dough, or you'll be eaten."
They came to the second of stairs, and still the Arab followed.
"We are lost," said John, in despair. "He'll surely me this time."
But Chick at his hand and him on, for the Incubator Baby at that very moment of a way to save the man. Still John's hand, the child ran through the upper passages to the of the tower of Imar, and up the stairs as fast as possible. Luckily for the fugitives, these stairs to the tower were very difficult for Ali Dubh to climb by hopping. When he was half-way up he his and again, and this accident gave John and Chick time to enter the of the bird flying-machine, which still upon the of the tower.
It away
from the just as the Arab
appeared at the top of the stairs.
"Quick!" the child, and the door them. "Pull over that lever, and away we go!"
"Is it safe?" asked John, hesitating.
"Is it safe to be eaten?" Chick.
John the lever, it over, and the bird its once or twice and rose slowly into the air. It away from the just as the Arab appeared at the top of the stairs.
"Stop!" Ali Dubh. "You're mine, John Dough. Come and be eaten."
"Don't mind him," said the Cherub, at the Arab through a little window in the of the bird's body. "And don't worry about this flying-machine, either. Imar has told me how to it, and it will us somewhere, fear. This that I pushed is to start it, and there's another to stop it."
"Where?" asked John.
"I don't remember. But mind that; we don't want to stop just yet, anyhow."
saw spread out him the
Isle of Phreex
John to look through the little window, and saw spread out him the Isle of Phreex. The Brotherhood of Failings upon the the of the machine, and the was along upon his two-legged without any idea that the Incubator Baby and the man were his for good and all and he would see them again.
The great bird westward, and Chick laughed and chatted, and to the immensely. They were over the now, and long the Isle they had left a upon the water.
"Where are we going?" John asked.
"I don't know," answered Chick.
"What land in this direction?"
"I haven't the idea," said the Baby.
John thoughtful.
"How long will this machine fly?" he inquired.
"Who knows?" said Chick. "Imar was always to go very from the with it. We'll just have to wait and out."
This was not very encouraging, but it was too late to return now, the Isle of Phreex being in the of the great sea. Moreover, John that he would be in there from Ali Dubh than in in an flying-machine. The only thing to do was to continue the through the air until they some other land—provided the machine did not down. It to be all right just at present, and John's of Imar's in it as the bird on and on without a of out.
Chick wasn't frightened, that was certain. The Baby laughed and sang little songs, and as happy and as when upon land; so John his fears. The sun had low upon the horizon, and was looking for a good place to into the sea, when the something ahead of them that upon the water. Neither what the meant, until they nearer and saw a small, islet, upon which was an that to be of pure gold, having many set in its and sides.
an that to
be of pure gold
"It is a place," said John. "Let us land upon the islet."
"All right," returned Chick. "I'll see if I can out which stops the thing."
The Baby pushed one of the buttons, and at once the bird up higher into the air.
"That isn't it!" John, in alarm.
Chick pushed another button, and the machine around in circles.
"Dear me!" said John; "what's going to to us?"
Chick laughed and pushed another button.
"One of 'em must be to stop," Chick, cheerfully; "and there's only two more left."
The bird paused, with a quick of its wings, and slowly downward.
"Oh, now we're all right," the child, "for there's only one left; and when I push it, John Dough, you must the and for the palace."
Down, they sank, and the was to the of a of the palace. When they had almost it, Chick, who was the through the little window, pushed the last button, while John over the lever.
Immediately the flying-machine with a that the man's teeth together.
"Wow!" said Chick. "That was a and a half! I nothing's broken."
"I don't I will in it again," said John, the out of his shirt-front and the baker's off his eyes, where it had jammed. "These air-ships are too to me."
"Why, the bird has saved your life, and it may save it again," said Chick. "For my part, I like through the air. You know what's going to next. And see how lucky we are! This is the only part of the that is flat, and we it to a dot. If we'd upon one of those spikes"—pointing to the and minarets—"our would have stopped by this time."
"You have a way of yourself, my friend," said John, looking upon the child gravely. "The knowledge I by means of the Elixir me nothing of your methods of language."
"That's too bad," answered Chick. "I can't always out what you to say; but you always know what I mean, don't you?"
"Almost always," John acknowledged.
"Then don't complain," said the Baby, sweetly; and the man looked at his with a puzzled expression, and then into the child's face, and sighed.
CHICK DISCOVERS A TRAP DOOR
By this time they had out of the bird's and upon the roof. It was so high above the that it John to look down; but Chick soon a trap-door that into the by means of a staircase. They the stairs, and, having pushed a that across a doorway, came upon a passage through the upper of the palace. This to still another passage, and still another; but although they this way and that in the of passages, no person did they meet with. The and were very and splendid; but they were so much that our their way they came by accident to a leading to the next story. These stairs were with soft and the were of gold. Still no one was to be either on the stairs or in the passages, and the was as be.
They another staircase, by and by, and to the main of the palace, through parlors and galleries, until a of voices their ears.
"I much relieved," said John, "for I had to think the place was uninhabited."
"Let us go on," Chick, "and see who these people are."
Turning to the right and then to left, and now a high-arched marble passage, the themselves of velvet, from which came the of and the of many people.
They pushed the and entered a of such that the Chick pause in astonishment.
All around the and in the were set of of glass, so that they very pictures. Between the were panels of gold having many set in the metal. The was with of patterns, and the of many and easy-chairs designed to the of comfort.
Fountains of here and there, into basins; and little tables about the room of refreshments.
... all in apparel...
Seated the room were groups of ladies and gentlemen, all in apparel, soft of speech, and in demeanor, and with faces.
These looked up with as the man and Chick entered, and the all and to the strangers.
"Welcome!" the ladies, in a soft chorus; and then two of their number came and their guests to seats in the very center of the room. Others offered them refreshment, of which Chick partook, for the child was hungry. John Dough was to that he did not eat, and they his speech very and did not at all upon his personality.
When the child had eating, John said:
"May I ask what this is, and who upon this island?"
The ladies and looks, and smiled; but one answer, in a voice:
"Good sir, this is the Palace of Romance; and we have no ruler at all, each one of our number having equal power and authority with the others."
"We pass our time," said another, "in telling of of and adventure; and, a comes to our palace, we him to us by telling all the he may know."
"That is a requirement," John. "I think I shall like this Palace of Romance, although I do not know many tales."
"The more you know the longer you may our palace," one of the ladies remarked, earnestly.
"How is that?" asked John, surprised.
Our laws us to every stranger
They were for a time, and laughing. But one of the said:
"Our laws us to every stranger, after he has related to us all the he knows. It us very much to tell you this; but the laws cannot be changed, and the death is very and without much pain. For you will be through a into a long leading to the of the sea; and it is said there is little in drowning."
Now, at this John looked and worried, and the laughing Chick thoughtful. Several of the ladies their with handkerchiefs, as if in for their fate, and the men all sympathetically.
"Why can we not live, and join your party?" asked John. "Why are your laws so strangers?"
"We number one hundred—fifty ladies and fifty gentlemen," was the reply. "And, as the is small, a large number of people would the and it uncomfortable. We do not here; but neither we permit them to and tell the world of our home; for then the would be white with the ships of people to visit us. So, long ago, the laws were us to upon our retreat. But you are in no danger. As long as your last you will live; and while you live you shall every our affords."
John to think how many he through the of the magic Elixir; but the news he had just so his mind that it all of out of his head.
As long as your last you will live
"Never mind," Chick. "All the true ones have to be up; so I'll make up some. And don't you worry, John Dough. I've been in boxes than this, I can tell you."
The man didn't know what Chick meant, but the of his and him with hope. The ladies and set Chick and John in the center of their group and their chairs around them and prepared to to the child's story.
One might the Incubator Baby's lifetime had been so that it no at all; but Chick was full of and of the to for others to to. And the child had to make the so long and so that a of from death might be discovered. The flying-machine still rested upon the roof, and if they manage to it there would be no need of their being through the trap-door into the sea.
So Chick to tell the company a about an Silver Pig that once in Dagupan (wherever that may be), and was the king of all the pigs of that country. His be for seven miles, the child declared, and the pig's were so and that he have around the world in a single day had there been no to stop him.
The ladies and were much in the story, and very while Chick related a of that the Silver Pig. Daylight away and the were lighted, but still the Incubator Baby the going.
Finally one of the company the to say that it was and they must all retire, but that Chick should continue the on the day.
That was what the Cherub wanted, and presently John and his were to rooms, and the company of ladies and had them a and good-night.
Chick should continue the on the
following day
