Изумрудный город страны Оз
11. How the General Met the First and Foremost
GuphknewverywellthatthePhanfasmswouldbealmostasdangeroustotheNomesastheywouldtotheOzites,buthethoughthimselfsocleverthathebelievedhecouldmanagethesestrangecreaturesandmakethemobeyhim.AndtherewasnodoubtatallthatifhecouldenlisttheservicesofthePhanfasms,theirtremendouspower,unitedtothestrengthoftheGrowleywogsandthecunningoftheWhimsieswoulddoomtheLandofOztoabsolutedestruction.
SotheoldNomeclimbedthefoothillsandtrudgedalongthewildmountainpathsuntilhecametoabiggullythatencircledtheMountainofPhantasticoandmarkedtheboundarylineofthedominionofthePhanfasms.Thisgullywasaboutathirdofthewayupthemountain,anditwasfilledtothebrimwithred-hotmoltenlavainwhichswamfire-serpentsandpoisonoussalamanders.Theheatfromthismassanditspoisonoussmellwerebothsounbearablethatevenbirdshesitatedtoflyoverthegully,butcircledaroundit.Alllivingthingskeptawayfromthemountain.
NowGuphhadheard,duringhislonglifetime,manytalesofthesedreadedPhanfasms;sohehadheardofthisbarrierofmeltedlava,andalsohehadbeentoldthattherewasanarrowbridgethatspanneditinoneplace.Sohewalkedalongtheedgeuntilhefoundthebridge.Itwasasinglearchofgraystone,andlyingflatuponthebridgewasascarletalligator,seeminglyfastasleep.
