“Yes,” acknowledged Fluff. “The cloak will not grant wishes unless it is complete. We must wait for the sailorman’s necktie.”
“Then my army shall march to-morrow morning,” said the queen, and she went away to give the order to her generals.
Chapter XXIII. THE DESTRUCTION OF THE MONSTERS.
It was Tuesday when the army of Ix started upon its second march into Noland. With it were the witch-queen, King Bud, Princess Fluff, and Aunt Rivette. At evening they encamped on the bank of the river, and on Wednesday the army was ferried across, and marched up the side of the mountain that separated them from the valley of Noland. By night they had reached the summit of the mountain; but they did not mount upon the ridge, for fear they might be seen by the Roly-Rogues.
Zixi commanded them all to remain quietly behind the ridge, and they lighted no fires and spoke only in whispers.
And, although so many thousands of men lay close to the valley of Noland, not a sound came from them to warn the monsters that an enemy was near.
Thursday morning dawned bright and pleasant, and as soon as the sun was up the Roly-Rogues came crowding around the palace kitchen, demanding that old Tollydob hurry the preparation of their soup.
This the general did, trembling in spite of his ten feet of stature; for if they were kept waiting the monsters were liable to prod his flesh with their thorns.
But Tollydob did not forget to empty the contents of the Silver Vial into the soup, as the dog Ruffles had told him to do; and soon it was being ladled out to the Roly-Rogues by Jikki, the four high counselors, and a dozen other enslaved officers of King Bud.
And the dog Ruffles ran through the city, crying to every Roly-Rogue he met: “Hurry and get your soup before it is gone. It is especially good this morning!”
So every Roly-Rogue in the valley hurried to the palace kitchen for soup; and there were so many that it was noon before the last were served, while these became so impatient that they abused their slaves in a sad manner.
Yet, even while the last were eating, those who had earlier partaken of the soup lay around the palace sound asleep and snoring loudly; for the contents of the Silver Vial had the effect of sending all of them to sleep within an hour, and rendering them wholly unconscious for a period of ten hours.