"I'd like to
take the king's two brothers with me."
"By Jove!" exclaimed Mr. Poddington, "I never thought of that. There
is just a bare chance. Did you know that the two brothers, who are
twins, dislike the king, for he is younger than they, and he
practically took the throne away from them. They should rule jointly
by rights. If we could enlist Tola and Koku on our side we might win
out yet."
"Then we'll try!" exclaimed Tom.
Jake Poddington, who had been a captive in the giant city long
enough to know something of its history, and had learned to talk the
language, explained how Kosk had ursurped the throne. His brothers
were subject to him, he said, but several times they had tried in
vain to start a revolution. To punish them for their rebellious
efforts the king made them his personal servants, and this explained
why he sent them to see the tricks Tom performed.
"If we could only get into communication with the big twins," went
on the circus man, "we could offer to take them with us to a country
where they would be bigger kings than their brother is here. It's a
royal conspiracy worth trying.
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