L. Frank Baum - Oz 37 Read online

  to be used by the Oz people.

  More bewildered than ever, the Scarecrow and his companions turned from the window. “I told you so!” declared Toto excitedly. “You see, those creatures were not Dorothy and the Wizard at all.”

  “You are right,” said the Scarecrow. “Those great birds must be the same beings that we thought were Dorothy and the Wizard.” “Certainly,” replied Toto. “You can see for yourself that Dorothy and the Wizard are not here.”

  It was true enough. There was no trace of Dorothy or the Wizard in the Chamber of Magic. “But who were those creatures? And why did they want us to believe they were Dorothy and the Wizard? And what has happened to the real Dorothy and the Wizard?” the Scarecrow asked helplessly.

  “Why not look in the Magic Picture and find out?” asked the Patchwork Girl as she danced about the room.

  “Of course, the very thing!” exclaimed the Scarecrow. “Why didn’t I think of

  that myself?”

  “Because your brains are of an extraordinary quality,” retorted Scraps, “and you can’t be expected to think common-sense thoughts.”

  The Magic Picture which hung on a wall in Ozma’s boudoir was one of the rarest treasures in all Oz. Ordinarily the picture presented merely an attractive view of a pleasant countryside with rolling fields and a forest in the background. But when anyone stood in front of the picture and asked to see a certain person anywhere in the world, the painted picture faded and was replaced by the moving image of the person named and his or her surroundings at that exact time.

  The Scarecrow and his companions gathered about the Magic Picture, and the straw man said solemnly, “I want to see Dorothy and the Wizard.” Instantly the painted scene faded, and in its place appeared the interior of Hi-Lo’s little cottage. Dorothy and the Wizard were just about to sit down to the food Mrs. Hi-Lo had prepared for them.

  “I wonder who those two funny little people are?” murmured Trot, fascinated by the quaint appearance of Mr. and Mrs. Hi-Lo. “They are not familiar to me,” observed the Scarecrow reflectively, “nor have I ever seen a cottage quite like that one in the Land of Oz.” For a time the group watched in silence while Dorothy and the Wizard ate their food and conversed with Mr. and Mrs. Hi-Lo. But at length, as nothing of importance occurred, the Scarecrow said, “Even though we don’t know where Dorothy and the Wizard are, at least the Magic Picture has shown us they are safe for the moment, and we don’t need to worry about them.” “Why not use Dorothy’s Magic Belt to wish Dorothy and the Wizard back here in the palace?” Trot asked suddenly as she stared at the images in the Magic Picture.

  “An excellent suggestion!” agreed the Scarecrow, his face beaming. “Trot, I believe you have solved our problem,” he said admiringly. The Scarecrow knew that when Dorothy was not wearing her Magic Belt on a journey, it was always kept in Ozma’s Chamber of Magic. So the straw man went there himself to get the belt. A few minutes later he returned and announced gloomily, “It’s gone. The Magic Belt is nowhere in the Chamber of Magic. Either Ozma took it with her, or it has been stolen. The magic Picture has shown us that Dorothy is not wearing the belt.”

  Disappointment was reflected on everyone’s face, and for a moment no one

  spoke. Then the Scarecrow declared, “My friends, there remains only one

  more thing to do.”

  “What is that?” asked Cap’n Bill.

  “One of us must leave immediately for Glinda’s castle in the Quadling Country to consult Glinda’s Great Book of Records. The book will provide us with a complete account of all that has happened to Dorothy and the Wizard.”

  “A wise suggestion,” agreed Cap’n Bill. “Who will go?” “I will,” volunteered Dorothy’s Uncle Henry quickly. “I want to do everything possible to bring Dorothy back to us, and it ‘pears to me we can’t do much of anything until we know what has happened to her.” “Good!” exclaimed the Scarecrow. “You can leave at once. I will order Ozma’s wooden Sawhorse to carry you to Glinda’s Castle and back. But even though the Sawhorse is swift and tireless, you will not be able to make the journey, consult the Great Book of Records and return to the Emerald City before Ozma and Glinda come back day after tomorrow. That is too bad. The disappearance of Dorothy and the Wizard and all this mystery will not provide a very cheerful homecoming for Ozma and Glinda. But at least we shall have the information contained in the Great Book of Records, and then Ozma and Glinda will know best what to do.”

  Uncle Henry kissed Aunt Em goodbye and hurried to the Royal Stable where the Sawhorse was waiting for him. “I understand,” said the queer steed, whose body and head were made from a treetrunk, “that we’re going to Glinda’s castle in the Quadling Country.”

  “That’s right,” nodded Uncle Henry, “and this is no pleasure trip, so go as

  fast as you can.”

  Glancing at Uncle Henry for a moment from one of his eyes C4 which were knots in the wood C4 the Sawhorse turned as soon as Uncle Henry was mounted and dashed down the stable driveway into the street leading to the gates of the Emerald City. Once outside the city, the Sawhorse ran so swiftly that its legs, which were merely sticks of wood which Ozma had caused to be shod with gold, fairly twinkled. It sped with a rolling, cradle-like motion over fields and hills, and Uncle Henry had to hold on for dear life.

  Perhaps I should explain that Glinda’s Great Book of Records is a marvelous book in which everything that happens, from the slightest detail to the most important event taking place anywhere in the world, is recorded the same instant it happens. No occurrence is too trivial to appear in the book. If a naughty child stamps its foot in anger or if a powerful ruler plunges his country into war, both events are noted in the book as of equal importance.

  The huge book lies open on a great table occupying the center of Glinda’s study and is bound to the table by large chains of gold. Next to Ozma’s Magic Picture, Glinda’s Great Book of Records is the most valuable treasure in Oz. The Scarecrow knew that by consulting this wonderful book Uncle Henry would be able to discover exactly what had happened to Dorothy and the Wizard.

  The Scarecrow and Scraps, having no need for sleep, sat before the Magic Picture all night long, conversing quietly and occasionally glancing at the images of Dorothy and the Wizard as the picture showed them sleeping in Hi-Lo’s cottage. The rest of the Oz people retired to their bedrooms, but

  none of them slept well that night. They were far too worried over the plight of Dorothy and the Wizard to rest easily.

  CHAPTER 16

  A WEB IS WOVEN

  Arriving at Mount Illuso early the following morning, King Umb and Queen Ra passed the day secluded in the secret cavern where the Queen was accustomed to study the dark sorcery of the Erbs and practice her evil magic. This cavern was so well hidden far in the depths of Mount Illuso and its location was so closely guarded, that only a few of the most faithful subjects of the Mimic King and Queen were aware of its existence. While Queen Ra’s shape was that of a woman, her body was covered with a heavy fur of a reddish-brown color, and her head was that of a fox with a long snout and sharply pointed ears. Two green eyes blazed with a fierce light from her furry face. In her hand the fox-woman held a brass whistle on which she blew a shrill blast. In answer to this summons came the Mimic known as Ebo. Ebo wore the body of a jackal with the head of a serpent. “Go to the Cave of the doomed and bring the two prisoners to me at once,” the Queen commanded.

  “Yes, your Highness,” hissed Ebo as he swayed his serpent head in obeisance and left the cavern.

  “We might as well have a little fun while we wait for midnight,” grinned the fox head of the woman evilly.

  King Umb appeared as a great, gray ape with cloven hoofs and the head of a man. From the center of his forehead projected a single horn. The man-face

  was covered with a shaggy, black beard which fell to the hairy chest of the ape-body.

  “What do you intend doing with the girl and the man?” asked the gray ape. “I shall
practice transformations on the man, giving him a number of unusual shapes and then perhaps combine them all into one interesting creature. It is amazingly easy to change the shapes of humans, so it will not be much of a feat of magic. Then, just before we leave for the Emerald City, I shall change him into a salamander C4 a green salamander instead of the ordinary red kind, of course, since he is from the Emerald City C4 and then when we are over the Deadly Desert I shall drop him into the sands. Salamanders are the only creatures that can exist in the desert, so it will really be a merciful fate, since it will not stop him from living.” “And the girl?” prompted King Umb.

  “I think I shall keep the girl chained in my cavern to amuse me when the excitement of conquering and devastating Oz is over and I am in need of diversion,” said Queen Ra.

  While the Queen was relating her wicked plans, Ebo made his way to the Cave of the Doomed and was amazed and terrified to find it empty. How could there be an escape from the cave from which there was no exit save the single stone door which was always closely guarded? The jackal body of Ebo trembled with fear of the punishment he knew Queen Ra would be quick to inflict on him. But there was nothing else for him to do but to report the mysterious disappearance of the prisoners to the Mimic King and Queen. Queen Ra received the news with a scream of rage. Blowing on her brass whistle, she summoned two other Mimics. Pointing to Ebo, who cringed with fear, she cried, “Carry him away and cast him into the Pit of Forked

  Flames.”

  King Umb was uneasy. “I don’t like this,” he said. “How do we know that the two mortals will not interfere with our plans to conquer Oz?”

  “Bah! What can two weak mortals do in the face of our might?” demanded the Queen derisively.

  Knowing his wife’s temper, King Umb refrained from reminding Ra that the mortals had somehow miraculously succeeded in escaping from the Cave of the Doomed. Instead, he merely shrugged his ape shoulders and said, “Just the same, I wish we were on our way to Oz now instead of waiting until midnight.”

  Queen Ra glared at her husband. “I have told you that Lurline’s enchantment can be broken only at midnight. Tonight at twelve, I will cast the spell which Lurline foolishly left in Ozma’s possession. Since it is the antidote to the enchantment which protects Oz from the Mimics, Lurline knew Ozma would guard it most carefully. But we succeeded in stealing it. Once the spell is cast, the Mimics will be free in all their power to attack Oz and enslave its people. I tell you, Umb, the famous Land of Oz is doomed. In a few short hours it will be a shambles. Nothing can save it!” A few minutes before the hour of midnight, the Mimic hordes assembled in the vast domed cavern which forms that portion of hollow Mount Illuso that towers above the earth. In the center of the cavern on a stone dais stood King Umb and Queen Ra. The Mimic Queen lifted her arms, and immediately silence fell over the shifting mass of evil beings.

  The Queen held in her hand a small box of black enameled wood. Placing the box on the stone dais before her, she raised the lid and muttered an

  incantation. Immediately there crawled from the box a scarlet spider as large as the Queen’s hand. At the first word of the incantation the spider began to grow. In a few seconds its body was four feet in thickness, and its hairy legs sprawled to a distance of fifteen feet from its body, which was covered with a crimson fur.

  “Now go,” Queen Ra commanded the spider, “and weave the web that will enmesh the fairy enchantment that hangs over us!”

  The Mimic hordes parted to make a path through their midst for the spider. The loathsome creature scuttled first to the wall of the cavern, and then climbed up the side of the wall. In a few seconds it had reached the top of the cavern. Then, moving with incredible speed, it wove a monster spider web of crimson strands as thick and tough as heavy rope cables. Queen Ra watched silently until the fashioning of the scarlet web was completed. At that moment she cried aloud for all to hear: “So long as this web remains unbroken, the Mimics are freed from the enchantment cast on them by Lurline! The web is a snare and a net for Lurline’s fairy enchantment and holds every remnant of it caught fast in its coils.” The Queen spoke triumphantly, and well she might, for the magic spell she had stolen from Ozma had worked perfectly. “Come!” shouted Queen Ra. “Let us tarry no longer. We have waited too many years for this hour!” With this, the Mimic King and Queen assumed the shapes of giant birds and soared through the cavern to the stone portal. The throngs of their Mimic subjects followed, beating the air with great, leathery wings as they passed from the cavern into the night. Soon the sky above Mount Illuso was darkened with the great numbers of the Mimic horde, and the light of the moon was blotted from the earth by the flapping wings. Following the lead

  of King Umb and Queen Ra, they headed straight for the Deadly Desert and the Land of Oz.

  CHAPTER 17

  THE MIMICS IN THE EMERALD CITY

  On the morning when the Mimic hordes swept over the border of the Deadly Desert and the Winkie Country and on to the Emerald City, Button Bright and the Patchwork Girl were playing leapfrog in the garden of the Royal Palace. Cap’n Bill was sitting nearby on a bench in the sun, carving on a block of wood with his big jackknife. The old sailor man worked slowly and painstakingly, but when he finished he knew he would have a good likeness of Princess Ozma’s lovely features carved in the wood. This he planned to mount as a figurehead on the prow of the boat he was building as a surprise for Ozma.

  Suddenly Button Bright, who had tumbled flat on his back, cried out, “Look! Look at those birds!”

  Scraps swept her yarn hair out of her button eyes and tilted her head back. The sky was darkening with a great cloud of birds. And what beautiful creatures those birds were!

  “Birds of a feather Flock together. Red, blue, green and gold Match my patches bold. Not a grey topknot In the whole lot! See the popinjay Flirt its colors gayFF20.FF20.FF20.” cried the Patchwork Girl, dancing about in wild excitement.

  “Stop it, Scraps!” commanded Button Bright, who was nearly as excited as the stuffed girl.

  “Trot, Betsy, Ojo, Scarecrow!” the boy called. “Come out and see the pretty birds!”

  Of course, this taking the forms of gorgeous, plumed birds was a clever part of Queen Ra’s cunning scheme. She knew the beauty of the birds, instead of alarming the Oz people, would fascinate them. The Queen hoped by this wily stratagem to take the Oz inhabitants completely by surprise with no thought of danger in their minds. The scheme worked even better than Queen Ra dared dream.

  Ojo the Lucky, Aunt Em, the Scarecrow, Betsy Bobbin, Trot, Jellia Jamb, and all the others came hurrying from the Royal Palace, while from the Royal Stable came the Cowardly Lion, the Hungry Tiger, Hank the Mule, the Woozy, and others of the animal friends of the palace residents. Gathering in the gardens and courtyard, they all stared up in wonder at the beautiful birds. Outside the grounds of the Royal Palace much the same thing was happening throughout the Emerald City. Those people who were out of doors witnessing the spectacle called to those who were indoors, urging them to hurry out and see the lovely visitors. It was no time at all until every building in the city was emptied of its curious inhabitants.

  This was just what the Mimics wanted. With the people of the Emerald City standing in the daylight, plainly casting their shadows, Queen Ra gave a signal, and the Mimic birds ceased their slow circling in the sky for the enjoyment of the Oz people and dropped down to the city. King Umb and Queen Ra led those birds which settled in the palace courtyard and gardens. A bird with brilliant scarlet and royal purple feathers and a topknot of gleaming gold alighted close to Trot. The little girl stepped forward with delight to stroke the bird’s lovely plumage. Instantly the creature

  vanished, and in its place stood a perfect duplicate of Trot, while the real Trot was frozen in her tracks, unable to move. Mystified at suddenly seeing $$two&& Trots before him, Cap’n Bill rose from his bench and started toward them. But he was confronted by one of the giant birds, and an instant later the old sailor man was unable to
move. He could only stare with amazement at an exact double of himself C4 wooden leg and all. Button Bright was about to leap playfully on the back of another bird when he fell to the ground powerless to move. At the same moment the bird vanished, and the boy’s double appeared in its place.

  And so it went throughout the Emerald City. The friendly Oz people were delighted that the lovely birds should approach so near that they might be treated to a closer view of their gorgeous plumage, which, it must be admitted, was exceedingly beautiful. Only the eyes of the birds betrayed their true natures. They flamed a fierce red. One or two of the Oz people, upon meeting the glare of those piercing eyes, were alarmed and would have turned and fled. But it was too late. In a few minutes, all the human inhabitants of the Emerald City were made captives.

  However, the Mimics were able to steal the shapes only of human beings. The Scarecrow, the Patchwork Girl, Tik-Tok, the Glass Cat, Billina the Yellow Hen, the Woozy, Toto, Hank the Mule, the Cowardly Lion and the Hungry Tiger remained unchanged. Fearing the mule, the lion and the tiger might prove dangerous because of their size, Queen Ra quickly placed a magic spell on the three beasts that caused them to fall on the courtyard lawn in a deep sleep.

  The Scarecrow, Scraps, Tik-Tok and the others who had escaped the magic of

  the Mimics were completely confused by these sudden and baffling events. The stuffed girl rubbed her suspender-button eyes and gazed with disbelief at $$two&& Button Brights C4 which one was it she had been playing with only a few minutes before? And there were $$two&& Aunt Ems and $$two&& Jellia Jamb! Wondering if the world had somehow suddenly become double, the bewildered Patchwork Girl looked about for her own twin. Of all the horde of beautiful birds that had settled on the Emerald City, only two remained in the Royal Gardens. These were King Umb and Queen Ra. At this point the Mimic King and Queen cast off their bird forms. A strange man and woman suddenly appeared in the midst of the Oz people and the Mimic Oz People. The woman was big, raw-boned and red-skinned. Her hair was twisted on her head in a hard black knot, on which was set a small, golden crown. The Scarecrow started with surprise when he saw that the strange woman was wearing Dorothy’s Magic Belt. (Until now the belt had been concealed by the plumage of Ra’s bird form.) Queen Ra had brought the Magic Belt with her because of its wonderful powers, which she had been studying and which she felt would be useful in carrying out the conquest of Oz. Beside the woman stood a giant man with a flowing black beard and tangled black hair. His eyes were fierce and hawklike.