Ruggedo was proud of his hatred and abhorred love of any sort.
"Really," said he, "I'd rather he conquered and lose my wealth and my Kingdom than gaze at that awful Love Magnet.

What can I do to prevent the Shaggy Man from taking it out of his pocket ?" Kaliko returned to the cavern in time to overhear this question, and being a loyal nome and eager to serve his King, he answered by saying: "If we can manage to bind the Shaggy Man's arms, tight to his body, he could not get the Love Magnet out of his pocket." "True!" cried the King in delight at this easy solution of the problem.
"Get at once a dozen nomes, with ropes, and place them in the passage where they can seize and bind Shaggy as soon as he enters." This Kaliko did, and meanwhile the watchers outside the entrance were growing more and more uneasy about their friends.
"I don't worry so much about the Oogaboo people," said Polychrome, who had grown sober with waiting, and perhaps a little nervous, "for they could not be killed, even though Ruggedo might cause them much suffering and perhaps destroy them utterly.

But we should not have allowed Betsy and Hank to go alone into the caverns.

The little girl is mortal and possesses no magic powers whatever, so if Ruggedo captures her she will be wholly at his mercy." "That is indeed true," replied Shaggy.

"I wouldn't like to have anything happen to dear little Betsy, so I believe I'll go in right away and put an end to all this worry." "We may as well go with you," asserted Files, "for by means of the Love Magnet, you can soon bring the Nome King to reason." So it was decided to wait no longer.