L. Frank Baum (11 page)

But it was hard for Nerle to keep quiet for long, and presently he
exclaimed, in a voice loud enough to be heard by all present:

"By the Great Kika-koo of our friends the Ki, these darling High Ki of
Twi are sweet enough to be kissed!"

The bold speech of Nerle's made the two damsels laugh at the same time,
and their sweet laughter sounded like rippling strains of harmonious
music. But the two Ki-Ki frowned angrily, and the two Ki looked at the
boy in surprise, as if wondering at his temerity.

"Who are these strangers?" asked the pretty High Ki, speaking together
as all the twins of Twi did; "and why are they not mates, but only half
of each other?"

"These questions, your Supreme Highnesses," said the blond-haired pair
of Ki-Ki, "we are unable to answer."

"Perhaps, then, the strangers can answer themselves," said the little
maids, smiling first upon the Ki-Ki and then upon the prisoners.

Prince Marvel bowed.

"I am from the great outside world," said he, "and my name is Prince
Marvel. Until now I have never seen people that live in pairs, and
speak in unison, and act in the same way and think the same thoughts.
My world is much bigger than your world, and in it every person is
proud to think and act for himself. You say I am only a 'half,' but
that is not so. I am perfect, without a counterpart; my friend Nerle
is perfect without a counterpart, and it is yourselves who are halved.
For in the Land of Twi no person is complete or perfect without its
other half, and it seems to take two of you to make one man—or one
maid."

The sweet faces of the twin High Ki grew thoughtful at this speech, and
they said:

"Indeed, it may be you are right. But it is our custom in Twi to do
everything double and to live double." Then, turning to the Ki, they
asked: "Why have you brought these strangers here?"

"To ask your Supreme Highnesses to permit them to return again to the
world from whence they came," answered the Ki, both of them regarding
their supreme rulers earnestly.

But here the Ki-Ki spoke up quickly in their mild voices, saying:

"That is not our idea, your Highnesses. We, the Ki-Ki of Twi, think it
best the strangers should be put to death. And we pray your Supreme
Highnesses to favor our wish."

The two little maids looked from the Ki to the Ki-Ki, and frowned and
pouted their rosy lips in evident perplexity.

But Nerle whispered to Prince Marvel:

"It's all up with us! I know very well why her royal doublets always
favors the Ki-Ki. It's because they are young and handsome, while the
Ki are old and ugly. Both of her will condemn us to death—you see if
she don't!"

This seemed somewhat mixed, but Nerle was in earnest, and Prince
Marvel, who had not forgotten his fairy lore, began to weave a silent
spell over the head of the nearest twin High Ki. But just as it was
completed, and before he had time to work the spell on the other twin,
the Ki-Ki grew impatient, and exclaimed:

"We beg your Highnesses not to keep us waiting. Let us have your
decision at once!"

And the twin maidens raised their fair heads and replied. But the
reply was of such a nature that both the old Ki and both the young
Ki-Ki staggered backward in amazement. For one of the twin High Ki
said:

"They shall die!"

And the other twin High Ki said at the same instant:

"They shall NOT die!"

Had twin thunderbolts fallen through the twin roofs of the twin palaces
and struck the twin Ki and the twin Ki-Ki upon their twin heads it
would have created no more stupendous a sensation than did this remark.
Never before had any two halves of a twin of the Land of Twi thought
differently or spoken differently. Indeed, it startled the two maidens
themselves as much as it did their hearers, for each one turned her
head toward the other and, for the first time in her life, looked into
the other's face!

This act was fully as strange as their speech, and a sudden horrible
thought came into the startled heads of the twin Ki and the twin Ki-Ki:
THE HIGH KI OF TWI WAS NO LONGER ONE, BUT TWO. AND THESE TWO WERE
THINKING AND ACTING EACH INDEPENDENT OF THE OTHER!

It is no wonder the shock rendered them speechless for a time, and they
stood swaying their four bodies, with their eight eyes bulging out like
those of fishes and their four mouths wide open, as if the two pairs
had become one quartet.

The faces of the two maids flushed as they gazed upon each other.

"How DARE you contradict me?" asked one.

"How dare you contradict ME?" demanded the other, and not only were
these questions asked separately, but the accent on the words was
different. And their twin minds seemed to get farther apart every
moment.

"I'm the High Ki of Twi!" said one.

"You're not! I'M the High Ki!" retorted the other.

"The strangers shall die!" snapped one.

"They shall live!" cried the other. "My will is supreme."

"It's not! MY will is supreme," returned the other twin.

The bald heads of the ancient Ki were bobbing in amazement, first to
one maid and then toward the other. The blond hairs of the two Ki-Ki
were standing almost on end, and their eyes stared straight before them
as if stupefied with astonishment. Nerle was bellowing with rude
laughter and holding his sides to keep from getting a stitch in them,
while Prince Marvel stood quietly attentive and smiling with genuine
amusement. For he alone understood what had happened to separate the
twin High Ki.

The girls did not seem to know how to act under their altered
conditions. After a time one of them said:

"We will leave our dispute to be settled by the Ki and the Ki-Ki."

"Very well," agreed the other.

"Then I say your half is right," declared the Ki-Ki, both their right
forefingers pointing to the maiden who had condemned the strangers to
death.

"And I decide that your half is right," exclaimed the Ki, both their
trembling forefingers pointing to the maiden who had said the strangers
should live.

"Well?" said one girl.

"Well?" said the other.

"The powers of the Ki and the Ki-Ki are equal," said the first. "We
are no nearer a settlement of our dispute than we were before."

"My dear young ladies," said Prince Marvel, politely, "I beg you will
take time to think the matter over, and see if you can not come to an
agreement. We are in no hurry."

"Very well," decided the twins, speaking both together this time. "We
command you all to remain in the palace until we have settled our own
strange dispute. The servants will care for you, and when we are ready
to announce our decision we shall again send for you."

Every one bowed at this command and retired from the room; but Nerle
looked over his shoulder as he went through the doorway, and saw that
the two High Ki had turned in their seats and were facing each other,
and that both their faces wore angry and determined expressions.

For nearly a week Prince Marvel and Nerle remained confined to the
palace and gardens of the High Ki. Together with the twin Ki, who
seemed to be friendly to them, they occupied one of the twin palaces,
while the Ki-Ki secluded themselves in the other.

The pretty High Ki maidens they did not see at all, nor did they know
what part of the palaces they occupied, not being permitted to wander
away from the rooms allotted to them, except to walk in the garden.
There was no way for them to escape, had they felt inclined to, for the
silver steps had disappeared.

From the garden walks they sometimes caught sight of the solemn heads
of the handsome Ki-Ki looking at them through the twin windows of the
other palace, and although the expression of their faces was always
mild and gentle, Nerle and Marvel well knew the Ki-Ki were only waiting
in the hope of having them killed.

"Are you nervous about the decision of the pretty High Ki?" asked Nerle
one day.

"No, indeed," said the prince, laughing; "for I do not expect them to
kill me, in any event."

"If I felt as sure of my safety," returned the boy, "it would destroy
all my pleasure. These are really happy days for me. Every moment I
expect to see the executioner arrive with his ax."

"The executioner is double," said the two old Ki, breaking into the
conversation. "You should say you expect to see the executioners
arrive with their axes."

"Then how will they cut off my head with two axes? For I suppose they
will both chop at the same time, and I have but one neck."

"Wait and see," answered the two Ki, sighing deeply and rubbing their
red noses thoughtfully.

"Oh, I'll wait," answered the boy; "but as for seeing them cut off my
head, I refuse; for I intend to shut my eyes."

So they sat in their rooms or walked in the gardens, yawning and
waiting, until one day, just as the two clocks on the wall were
striking twenty-four o'clock, the door opened and to their surprise one
of the High Ki twins walked in upon them.

She was as sweet and fair to look upon as when she occupied one of the
beautiful thrones, but at first no one could tell which of the High Ki
she was—their friend or their enemy. Even the Ki were puzzled and
anxious, until the girl said:

"My other half and I have completely separated, for we have agreed to
disagree for all time. And she has gone to ask the Ki-Ki to assist
her, for war is declared between us. And hereafter her color is to be
the green and mine the yellow, and we intend to fight until one of us
conquers and overthrows the other."

This announcement was interesting to Marvel and Nerle, but greatly
shocked the aged Ki, who asked:

"What is to become of our kingdom? Half of a High Ki can not rule it.
It is against the law."

"I will make my own laws when I have won the fight," returned the girl,
with a lovely smile; "so do not let that bother you. And now tell me,
will you help me to fight my battles?"

"Willingly!" exclaimed Nerle and Prince Marvel, almost as if they had
been twins of Twi. And the Ki rubbed their bald heads a moment, and
then sneezed together and wiped their eyes on faded yellow
handkerchiefs, and finally declared they would "stick to her Supreme
Highness through thick and thin!"

"Then go over the wall to the cities, at once, and get together all the
soldiers to fight for me and my cause," commanded the girl.

The twin Ki at once left the room, and the High Ki sat down and began
to ask questions of Prince Marvel and Nerle about the big outside world
from whence they came. Nerle was rather shy and bashful before the
dainty little maiden, whose yellow robe contrasted delightfully with
her pink cheeks and blue eyes and brown flowing locks; but Prince
Marvel did not mind girls at all, so he talked with her freely, and she
in return allowed him to examine the pretty gold crown she wore upon
her brow.

By and by the Ki came back with both faces sad and gloomy.

"Your Highness," they announced, "we have bad news for you. The other
High Ki, who is wearing a green gown, has been more prompt in action
than yourself. She and the Ki-Ki have secured the silver steps and
will allow no others to use them; and already they have sent for the
soldiers of the royal armies to come and aid them. So we are unable to
leave the garden, and presently the army will be here to destroy us."

Then the girl showed her good courage; for she laughed and said:

"Then we must remain here and fight to the last; and if I am unable to
save you, who are my friends, it will be because I can not save myself."

This speech pleased Prince Marvel greatly. He kissed the little maid's
hand respectfully and said:

"Fear nothing, your Highness. My friend and I are not so helpless as
you think. We consider it our privilege to protect and save you,
instead of your saving us; and we are really able to do this in spite
of the other High Ki and her entire army."

So they remained quietly in the palace the rest of that day, and no one
molested them in the least. In the evening the girl played and sang
for them, and the ancient pair of Ki danced a double-shuffle for their
amusement that nearly convulsed them with laughter. For one danced
exactly like the other, and the old men's legs were still very nimble,
although their wrinkled faces remained anxiously grave throughout their
antics. Nerle also sang a song about the King of Thieves whom Prince
Marvel had conquered, and another about the Red Rogue of Dawna, so that
altogether the evening passed pleasantly enough, and they managed to
forget all their uneasy doubts of the morrow.

When at last they separated for the night, Prince Marvel alone did not
seek his bed; there was still some business he wished to transact. So
he shut himself up in his room and summoned before him, by means of his
fairy knowledge, the Prince of the Knooks, the King of the Ryls and the
Governor of the Goblins. These were all three his especial friends,
and he soon told them the story of the quarrel and separation of the
twin High Ki, and claimed their assistance. Then he told them how they
might aid him, and afterward dismissed them. Having thus accomplished
his task, the fairy prince went to bed and slept peacefully the
remainder of the night.

The next morning the blond Ki-Ki and all the army of Twi, which had
been won to their cause, came climbing up the silver steps and over the
wall to the palace of the green High Ki; but what was their amazement
to find the twin palaces separated by a wall so high that no ladders
nor steps they possessed could reach to the top! It had been built in
a single night, and only Prince Marvel and his fairy friends knew how
the work had been done so quickly.

The yellow High Ki, coming downstairs to breakfast with her friends,
found herself securely shut in from her enemies, and the bald-headed
old Ki were so pleased to escape that they danced another jig from pure
joy.