What else do you hear ?' "There's a war.
"Bah! there's always a war.

What else ?" For a time the Hearer was silent, bending forward and spreading out his big ears to catch the slightest sound.

Then suddenly he said: "Here is an interesting thing, Your Majesty.

These people are arguing as to who shall conquer the Metal Monarch, seize his treasure and drive him from his dominions." "What people ?" demanded Ruggedo, sitting up straight in his throne.
"The ones you threw down the Hollow Tube." "Where are they now ?" "In the same Tube, and coming back this way," said the Hearer.
Ruggedo got out of his throne and began to pace up and down the cavern.
"I wonder what can be done to stop them," he mused.
"Well," said the Hearer, "if you could turn the Tube upside down, they would be falling the other way, Your Majesty." Ruggedo glared at him wickedly, for it was impossible to turn the Tube upside down and he believed the Hearer was slyly poking fun at him.
Presently he asked: "How far away are those people now ?" "About nine thousand three hundred and six miles, seventeen furlongs, eight feet and four inches--as nearly as I can judge from the sound of their voices," replied the Hearer.
"Aha! Then it will be some time before they arrive," said Ruggedo, "and when they get here I shall be ready to receive them." He rushed to his gong and pounded upon it so fiercely that Kaliko came bounding into the cavern with one shoe off and one shoe on, for he was just dressing himself after a swim in the hot bubbling lake of the Underground Kingdom.
"Kaliko, those invaders whom we threw down the Tube are coming back again!" he exclaimed.
"I thought they would," said the Royal Chamberlain, pulling on the other shoe.

"Tititi-Hoochoo would not allow them to remain in his kingdom, of course, and so I've been expecting them back for some time.
That was a very foolish action of yours, Rug." "What, to throw them down the Tube ?" "Yes.