Озма з країни Оз
6. The Heads of Langwidere
"
"I’lltry,ofcourse,"repliedtheWheeler,eagerly."Andthankyou,Mr.Tiktok,foryourkindness."
"Iamon-lyama-chine,"saidTiktok."Icannotbekindan-ymorethanIcanbesor-ryorglad.Icanon-lydowhatIamwounduptodo."
"Areyouwounduptokeepmysecret?"askedtheWheeler,anxiously.
"Yes;ifyoube-haveyour-self.Buttellme:whorulestheLandofEvnow?"askedthemachine.
"Thereisnoruler,"wastheanswer,"becauseeverymemberoftheroyalfamilyisimprisonedbytheNomeKing.ButthePrincessLangwidere,whoisanieceofourlateKingEvoldo,livesinapartoftheroyalpalaceandtakesasmuchmoneyoutoftheroyaltreasuryasshecanspend.ThePrincessLangwidereisnotexactlyaruler,yousee,becauseshedoesn’trule;butsheisthenearestapproachtoarulerwehaveatpresent."
"Idonotre-mem-berher,"saidTiktok."Whatdoesshelooklike?"
"ThatIcannotsay,"repliedtheWheeler,"althoughIhaveseenhertwentytimes.ForthePrincessLangwidereisadifferentpersoneverytimeIseeher,andtheonlywayhersubjectscanrecognizeheratallisbymeansofabeautifulrubykeywhichshealwayswearsonachainattachedtoherleftwrist.WhenweseethekeyweknowwearebeholdingthePrincess."
"Thatisstrange,"saidDorothy,inastonishment."Doyoumeantosaythatsomanydifferentprincessesareoneandthesameperson?"
"Notexactly,"answeredtheWheeler."Thereis,ofcourse,butoneprincess;butsheappearstousinmanyforms,whichareallmoreorlessbeautiful."
"Shemustbeawitch,"exclaimedthegirl.
"Idonotthinkso,"declaredtheWheeler.
