The Hollow Tube is an artificial passage through the Earth, which connects a wilderness oustide the Nome Kingdom with the fairyland ruled by Tititi-Hoochoo the Great Jinjin.
The tube does not go straight down, but at an angle so that those who travel through it slide instead of fall. It is completely dark, but after the initial shock of falling it is not unpleasant. A full one-way trip lasts more than an hour.
On the Hoochoo end, the opening of the Tube is bordered by a silver rim and a golden railing. The railing bears a sign that reads,
Nearby, on a small silver plate just inside the Tube, is engraved this message:
The Great Jinjin has decreed that anyone who voluntarily uses the Tube to reach his realm will be tortured for nine days and ten nights and then sent back.
History[]
The Tube was built by a Magician who was a great traveler and wanted a shortcut to the other side of the earth. However, he tumbled through the tube so fast that he shot out at the other end and hit a star in the sky, which at once exploded. He has not been heard from since.
When a group of travelers from Oz were sent through the Tube by the Nome King, they were met on the other side by Tubekins, the King of the Tube, and were brought before Tititi-Hoochoo. The Great Jinjin realized that they had not used the Tube intentionally, and sent them back home with Quox, his Instrument of Vengeance upon the Nome King. (Tik-Tok of Oz)