Изумрудный город страны Оз
11. How the General Met the First and Foremost
HedidnotknowthatthesedespisedrockheapsofthePhanfasmsweremerelydeceptionstohisowneyes,norcouldheguessthathewasstandinginthemidstofoneofthemostsplendidandluxuriouscitieseverbuiltbymagicpower.Allthathesawwasabarrenwasteofrockheaps,ahairymanwithanowl’sheadandanotherwithabear’shead.ThesorceryofthePhanfasmspermittedhimtoseenomore.
SuddenlytheFirstandForemostswunghisbrasshoopandcaughtGupharoundtheneckwithit.Thenextinstant,beforetheGeneralcouldthinkwhathadhappenedtohim,hewasdraggedinsidetherockhut.Here,hiseyesstillblindedtorealities,heperceivedonlyadimlight,bywhichthehutseemedasroughandrudeinsideasitwasoutside.Yethehadastrangefeelingthatmanybrighteyeswerefasteneduponhimandthathestoodinavastandextensivehall.
TheFirstandForemostnowlaughedgrimlyandreleasedhisprisoner.
"Ifyouhaveanythingtosaythatisinteresting,"heremarked,"speakout,beforeIstrangleyou."
SoGuphspokeout.Hetriednottopayanyattentiontoastrangerustlingsoundthatheheard,asofanunseenmultitudedrawingneartolistentohiswords.Hiseyescouldseeonlythefiercebear-man,andtohimheaddressedhisspeech.FirsthetoldofhisplantoconquertheLandofOzandplunderthecountryofitsrichesandenslaveitspeople,who,beingfairies,couldnotbekilled.
