That is my reward."
"I'm sorry for you, ma'am," said Cap'n Bill. "Your pay for bein' a
queen is sort o' like a life-insurance. If don't come due till after
you're dead, an' then you can't get much fun out o' it."
"I did not choose to be the Queen," answered Tourmaline simply. "A
misfortune of birth placed me here, and I cannot escape my fate. It
is much more desirable to be a private citizen, happy and carefree.
But we have talked long enough of myself. Tell me who you are, and
why you have come here."
Between them they told the story of how the Magic Umbrella had taken
them to Sky Island, which they did not know when they started was
anywhere in existence. Button-Bright told this, and then Trot
related their adventures among the Blueskins and how the Boolooroo
had stolen the umbrella and prevented them from going home again.
The parrot on her shoulder kept interrupting her continually, for
the mention of the Boolooroo seemed to make the bird frantic with
rage.
"Naughty, naughty Boolooroo!
He's the worst I ever knew!"
the parrot repeated over and over again.
Cap'n Bill finished the story by telling of their escape through the
Fog Bank. "We didn't know what your Pink Country was like, o'
course," he said, "but we knew it couldn't be worse than the Blue
Country, an' we didn't take any stock in their stories that the Fog
Bank would be the death o' us.
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