Happily, none of the air-machines had range enough to reach Vlamaland.  As soon as I could get my staff together, I gave orders such as would insure discipline.  Then, reminding my hearties that Klow, knowing our helplessness, would surely attack as soon as fully equipped, I made this offer: 

“To the man who shall suggest the best way of meeting their attack, I shall give the third of my empire!”

So they knew that the case was desperate.  As for myself, I slept not a bit, but paced my sleep-chamber and thought deeply.

Now, a bit of a shell, from an enemy slinger, had penetrated my arm.  Till now, I had paid no attention to it.  But it began to bother me, so I pulled the metal from my arm with my teeth.  And quite by chance I placed the billet on the table within a few inches of the compass I had carried on my boat.

To my intense surprise the needle of the compass swung violently about, so that one end pointed directly at the fragment of metal.  I moved them closer together; there was no doubt that they were strongly attracted.  The enemy’s shells were made of mere iron!

The moment I fully realized this, I saw clearly how we might baffle the men of Klow.  I instantly summoned some men gave the orders much as though I had known for years what was to be done, and in a few moments had the satisfaction of seeing my messengers hurrying north and south.

And so it came about that, within three days of our shameful retreat, a tenth of my men were at work on the new project.  As yet there was no word from my spies across the sea; but we worked with all possible haste.  And this, very briefly, is what we did: 

We laid a gigantic line of iron clear across the empire.  From north to south, from snow to snow; one end was bedded in the island of Pathna, where the north magnetic-pole is found, while the other stopped on the opposite side of the world, in a hole dug through the ice into the solid earth of the South Polar Plain.  And every foot of that enormous rod—­ ’twas as big around as my leg—­was insulated from the ground with pieces of our secret non-magnetic alloy!

Not for nothing had our chemists sought the metal which would resist the lightning.  And not for nothing did my bullies piece the rod together, all working at the same time, so that the whole thing were complete in seven days.  That is, complete save for the final connecting link; and that lay, a loglike roll of iron, at the door of my palace, ready to be rolled into place when I were but ready.

And on the morrow the Klow reached our shores.

V

THE VICTORY

My first intent was to let them advance unhampered; but Maka pointed out that such a policy might give them suspicions, and so we disputed their course all the way.  I gave orders to show no great amount of resistance; and thus, the louts reached Vlama in high feather, confident that the game was theirs.