your famous Belt the greater part of your own power was gone from you.
Against Ozma you and your Nomes would have no show at all."

Roquat's eyes flashed angrily.

"Then away you go to the slicing machine!" he cried.

"Not yet," said the General, filling his pipe from the King's private
tobacco pouch.

"What do you propose to do?" asked the monarch.

"I propose to obtain the power we need," answered Guph. "There are a
good many evil creatures who have magic powers sufficient to destroy
and conquer the Land of Oz. We will get them on our side, band them
all together, and then take Ozma and her people by surprise. It's all
very simple and easy when you know how. Alone, we should be helpless
to injure the Ruler of Oz, but with the aid of the evil powers we can
summon we shall easily succeed."

King Roquat was delighted with this idea, for he realized how clever
it was.

"Surely, Guph, you are the greatest General I have ever had!"
he exclaimed, his eyes sparkling with joy. "You must go at once
and make arrangements with the evil powers to assist us, and meantime
I'll begin to dig the tunnel."

"I thought you'd agree with me, Roquat," replied the new General.
"I'll start this very afternoon to visit the Chief of the Whimsies."