Mister Gibberling was back in record time. While he wasgone, though, Belkis ate three roasted pigs and a dozenchickens with dumplings. Then he roared again and scorched theceiling and charred the throne.
"You have them now?" he asked.
"Yes, yes! Right here! See?" "Very good. You are comingwith me now."
And with that, he seized Mister Gibberling's cloak in histalons and flew out through the great double-door at the end ofthe hall, through which the Honor Guard sometimes entered onhorseback. He took him high into the sky and they both vanishedfrom sight.
"I wonder where he is taking him?" asked the third adviser.
"It is probably better not to think about it," said thefirst.
"We'd better get to work cleaning up this mess," saidWilliam.
Chapter 7
AND THEY FLEW far beyond the kingdom, and Belkis pointedout to Mister Gibberling that there were other kingdoms, andthat there were rivers and lakes and other mountains, andvalleys and plateaus and deserts, and ports and pastures andfarms and granaries, and ships on the ocean and armies in thefields.
Every now and then he would say, "Are you getting that alldown on paper?" and Mister Gibberling would answer, "Yes! Yes!"and he would scratch away with his quill and record all of theplaces which really existed in those spots where he had alwaysbeen accustomed to write HERE THERE BE DRAGONS.
Much later, they returned. Belkis set Mister Gibberlingdown in the courtyard, perching himself upon the wall like somegreat, red-green bird.
"Have you learned your lesson?" he asked.
"Yes. Yes, sir, great Belkis, sir," said MisterGibberling, clutching his maps close to him, as if for