CHAPTER IX
THE COMPACT WITH VULCAN
Over the sea Dragonfel the enchanter waited with increasing impatiencefor the Human Octopus to return with whatever information he might gleanin his prowling, sneaking manner. When his grotesque emissary did notput in a prompt appearance he grew more surly and ill-humored than ever.He vented his rage upon the poor little mine-sprites by increasing theirworking-hours and decreasing their allowance of carrot-tops andpotato-skins.
Whenever he spoke to his followers their knees knocked together withfright. At no time was he gentle, but when he was particularly violent,which was nearly always, he was a very bad person who could be wellavoided.
So he became even crankier and crosser-grained than ever, till allaround him quaked with fear. He wondered why the Human Octopus did notcome back, and his inexplicable delay filled him with ungovernable fury.
"He's not attending to business," he said, grinding his teeth with rage."Instead of snooping he's just going around, and having a good time. Butwait till he gets back, and I'll show him!" As he spoke these words hehappened to be in his throne room, and he went to the open window tolook out.
It was a wild, terrible night, but the worse the weather was the moreDragonfel liked it.
The lightning zig-zagged all over the inky black sky, the thunderroared, the wind howled, and the rain beat down in slanting torrents.
"Vulcan must have some little job on hand," Dragonfel pondered, as hereturned to his throne.
Scarcely had he done so when there came a sudden fierce gust of windthat blew the Red Spirit through the window right to his very feetwhere he cringed and grovelled and fawned in the most abject manner.
"How now, you rogue?" roared Dragonfel above the storm. "Where have youbeen, and what has kept you? Why have you not returned as you went?Answer, villain, or it will go hard with you! I will have you strung upby the finger-tips till your toes barely touch the ground and beaten bya thousand and one whips!"
"Oh, master, kind master," gasped the Red Spirit, trying to catch hisbreath, "wonderful things have I seen, and wonderful things have I totell you. So incredible are they that you may not believe me, yet I doassure you most positively that what I am about to relate is the truth,the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. I would never have believedthem myself had I not seen them with my own eyes."
"Omit all this long, unnecessary preamble," growled Dragonfel, in greatdisgust, "and get down to hard facts. What have you discovered?"
"The Brownie prince is to wed the fairy queen!"
Dragonfel's face went from scarlet to white, then from white to scarlet,then back to white, and then to scarlet again, just like the flashing ofa vari-colored electric sign.
"How do you know?" he asked, trying to control his temper. "Who toldyou?"
"No one," said the trembling Red Spirit. "I saw him place anengagement-ring on her finger."
"Well," declared Dragonfel, in a tone of the utmost brutality, "if theyare planning to get married all I've got to say is they've got anotherguess coming!"
"Who will prevent the marriage, kind master?"
"I will prevent it!" irascibly shouted the enchanter, and he clapped hishands together in an imperious way. "What ho, without there! Here's apretty kettle of fish! Come hither instantly!"
Grouthead, Mandrake, Boundingbore, Wolfinger, Snoutpimple, and otherswere out in an ante-room, and they almost tumbled over each other intheir frantic haste to answer the peremptory summons.
"Put on your storm-cloaks immediately," ordered Dragonfel. "I want youto come with me to Vulcan's."
"It's a terrible night to be out, kind master," ventured Grouthead, witha shudder.
There came a flash of lightning and a crash of thunder more terrifyingthan any that had gone before.
"What's the matter with the night?" snapped Dragonfel. "I don't seeanything wrong with it. I call this particularly pleasant weather."
"Yes, it's all right now," Grouthead hastened to say.
So in their long, flowing cloaks they all sloshed out in the wind andrain, while the hearts of those who followed after the enchanter quakedand quailed as they plunged on through the pitch-black darkness of thenight.
The wind howled and shrieked with increasing fury, the lightning grewsharper, and the peals of thunder more deafening, so that their eyeswere nearly blinded, and their ear-drums rang.
Now not so very far from Dragonfel's palace Vulcan whom they had setforth to see had his cavern.
It was a very modest establishment indeed, considering the prodigiousresults that he achieved, and the wonder was that in such crampedquarters, and with so few to aid him in his work, he could do as much ashe did.
The cavern was down by the sea, in among huge rocks and boulders, andover the door, in very modest lettering, was the business sign: VULCANGOD OF FIRE.
Inside was a forge with bellows such as any country blacksmith has, andhere Vulcan manufactured earthquakes and volcanos at will.
He could create seismic disturbances all over the world, in a tricethrow Vesuvius into hysterical contraptions, or make things suddenlyred-hot in Mexico or the British Honduras. His wares were known in everyquarter of the globe, and he didn't even so much as advertise.
On this particular night he stood as usual at his forge--a great big,husky, bearded fellow in a red flannel undershirt bared at his brawny,hairy chest, and with sleeves rolled almost up to his shoulders to givethe tremendous muscles of his arms full play.
Vulcan threatening his imps with a hot poker.]
He wore a round leather cap and had on a leather apron tied to hisburly waist by leather thongs. Things needed touching up a bit, and hewas getting busy.
"Where are those lazy 'prentices of mine?" he roared, in rumbling tones,as he pumped the bellows, while the flames in the forge leaped higherand higher. "Spry, Flash, Nimble, Twist, and the rest of you--where areyou, I say? Has my voice grown so weak, you rogues, that you cannot hearme? Come hither this instant!"
From all directions in response to the angry summons came imps in redattire that fitted their lithe, supple bodies as snugly as the skins ofeels.
They somersaulted down the chimney, popped up like jack-in-th'-boxesfrom the earthen floor, and described parabolas through the air from thecavern's ceiling, grouping themselves humbly on their knees before theirirate master, with their arms supplicatingly extended.
"Here at last, are you?" again roared Vulcan. "And none too soon,either! Where have you been, imps? Idling your time away? Quick! heapcoals on, all of you, or the fire will be out!"
Forthwith they flung balls of living fire into the forge, and, as Vulcanpumped away at the bellows, he burst out in lusty song:
"When the flames leap high From the crater to the sky I roll up my sleeves with delight; When the strongest buildings rock To the awful earthquake's shock The trembling millions all confess my might!"
The lightning flashed, the thunder crashed, and over all the storm washeard a voice calling: "Vul-can! Vul-can!"
Vulcan stopped work while his imps crept stealthily toward the door tolisten.
"Is Vulcan at his forge?" was shouted in the wind and rain outside, withthe accompaniment of a terrific knock on the door.
"Who dares disturb me on my busy night?" cried Vulcan, in a toweringpassion.
DRAGONFEL KNOCKING ON VULCAN'S DOOR.]
"It is I, Dragonfel, the enchanter," said the voice placatingly.
"What brings you here?" asked Vulcan.
"I come on business of great import, mighty Vulcan!"
"Enter, then, and be brief," said Vulcan, with scant hospitality."Remember I have work to do."
Dragonfel and his followers thereupon appeared in the doorway, and cameforward escorted by the imps who evinced the greatest curiosity in thestrange, rain-soaked visitors.
When they were within respectful distance of Vulcan the enchanter sankon one knee before him, and the rest immediately followed his example.
> "Why have you sought me out?" demanded Vulcan, with distrust andsuspicion on his seamed, rugged face as he sharply eyed them.
"Oh, Vulcan," spoke Dragonfel, in smooth, oily tones, "powerful as I am,I acknowledge you my master. Who else can match you in your wondrousstrength?"
"You've come for a favor!" grunted the other. "Well, out with it!"
"I wish to tell you about the Brownies."
"What about the Brownies?"
"There is to be a marriage in Fairyland. The Brownie prince is to wedthe fairy queen!"
"Bah! How does this concern me?"
"It should concern you. Listen, Vulcan! There is no authority for sucha marriage in all the annals of mythology."
The words created a deep impression upon Vulcan.
"No authority?" he repeated slowly, as though he were mentally digestingwhat he had just heard. "Are you sure of this?"
"There is none, I tell you," insisted Dragonfel emphatically. "It isenough to arouse the anger of the high and mighty gods. My own powerwill be diminished, if not lost, should this union take place." "Areyou using any measures to prevent it?" asked Vulcan thoughtfully. "Aye!"was Dragonfel's decided response. "I am going across the sea with thesefollowers of mine to interfere. Can I rely upon your powerful aid shouldI need it?" "How can I help you?" "If I call upon you will you convulsethe earth, and rouse to fury the slumbering volcano?"
"Trust me for that!" cried Vulcan, beginning to pump the bellows. "Theelement of fire is still my own, to use at will."
A lightning-bolt hurled itself right in their very midst, and theresultant thunder-clap brought Dragonfel and his followers to their feetin sudden alarm. "Enough!" cried Dragonfel exultingly. "It is a compact,then!"
"Here is my hand on it!" said Vulcan, and he crushed that of theenchanter in his grimy fist. "Spry, Flash, Nimble, and Twist, my craftyimps, shall go with you. Through them appeal to me. But what do youpropose to do?"
"I have a plan, and a good one too!" said Dragonfel, in a confidentialmanner. "You can depend upon it, rats will eat the wedding-cake!"Vulcan's fancy was so tickled that he laughed hilariously, and Dragonfelmade bold to slap him in a familiar way upon the back. "Ho! ho!" Vulcanchuckled. "So rats will eat the wedding-cake, eh?"
"Yes," Dragonfel went on. "We're going to the wedding, gain theirconfidence with fine presents, and then--"
"Yes," said Vulcan, very much interested. "And then--?"
Dragonfel leaned over and whispered something in Vulcan's ear whichcaused him to start back in surprise. "No!" he involuntarily exclaimed."Do you think you can do it?" If Florimel and Titania could have heardthe diabolical plan of the enchanter all the happiness would havevanished from their hearts.