L. Frank Baum - Oz 38 Read online

  “And here,” said Conjo, leading them across the roof, “is the means by which I propose you return to the Land of Oz.” The Shaggy Man and the children saw before them a most curious object. It might have been the body of an automobile, except that it seemed to have neither front nor back. Both ends of it curled up like a gondola. Nor did it have wheels. The flat bottom rested solidly on the roof. To all appearances it had no means of locomotion. Conjo was regarding the strange object proudly. “Behold!” he said. “One of my most ingenious creations, the Airmobile!” “You mean to say,” the Shaggy Man sighed, “that this thing is actually supposed to fly through the air?”

  Conjo looked hurt. “You see before you,” he said resentfully, “the most perfect means of air travel yet invented.”

  Tom broke in, “But how can it fly? It has no wings, no propeller, no jets, nothing but places to sit down!”

  Conjo regarded the boy pityingly. “Do you suppose I would rely upon such

  clumsy and inefficient means of flying as propellers, wings and jets? The

  Airmobile is the perfect flying machine. It repels gravity.” “It does what?” asked the Shaggy Man.

  Conjo stepped to the machine and opened one of the doors. “Look,” he said.

  “See these metal plates on the floor of the ship? They are gravity resistor plates. You must know,” he went on patiently, “that it’s the force of gravity pulling objects to the earth that causes things to have weight. Well, my gravity resistor plates overcome gravity when exposed. Hence the ship has no weight whatever.”

  “Yes,” said Tom, “I can understand that. But what makes it move C4 backward and forward, I mean?”

  “Oh, that,” sniffed Conjo. “These are gravity $$resistor&& plates. They not only overcome gravity, but $$resist&& it. The power of resistance forces the machine upward. The more surface of the plates you expose, the higher you will go. And you will notice,” Conjo continued, reaching inside the ship and pressing a button, “that the metal plates are mounted on rods through their middle so that they may be operated like flaps or fins C4 and they rotate. Thus, if you tilt them in one direction, the resistance to gravity forces you ahead in one way; tilt them in the other direction and you travel in the opposite way. Rotate them, and you can veer to right or left.”

  “If it works, it is wonderful,” said the Shaggy Man doubtfully.

  “Oh, it works to perfection,” assured Conjo. “If it were not so late in the

  day, I would propose a little trip. As it is, I suggest that we go

  downstairs for dinner. Then I will have to leave you to examine the Love

  Magnet. We will all arise early in the morning, at which time you will have

  the pleasure of a journey over the island in my Airmobile.”

  Twink guessed that Conjo’s dinner must have been prepared and served by

  magic, for there were no servants in the grand dining room into which their

  round little host ushered them. But the food was quite as elaborate and rich as the dining room itself. The Shaggy Man and the children were hungry, and they ate heartily. Even so, they could not help noticing that Conjo ate nearly twice as much as the Shaggy Man. Shaggy was gratified to find a large bowl of rosy-cheeked apples in the center of the table, which made the meal a perfect one for him.

  Conjo sighed with content, wiping his lips on a fine damask napkin. “Inhospitable as it may seem,” he apologized, “I must leave you now to see if the Love Magnet can be repaired. I will examine it in my laboratory and tell you tomorrow if it can be fixed. Please give me the Love Magnet.” This the Shaggy Man did, and Conjo waddled to the door, pausing to say, “Twiffle will show you to your rooms. I hope you sleep well. I know I shall, after I finish this work.” Conjo was already yawning as he left the dining room.

  A few seconds later Twiffle appeared in the doorway and invited Shaggy and the children to follow him. The sleeping rooms to which Twiffle led them up the marble stairway were on the second floor and were beautifully furnished with every convenience and comfort. Twink and Tom’s room contained two inviting beds, and Twink noticed that pajamas ofjust the right size had been carefully laid out. Conjo seemed to think of everything. “See you children in the morning,” said the Shaggy Man as he entered his room which adjoined that of Twink and Tom. The Shaggy Man found his bed soft and luxurious, so he slipped off his shaggy clothes, carefully arranging them on a chair so that not one frill or furbelow was out of place, put on the pajamas which Conjo had also provided for him, and slipped into bed. Instantly the light faded from the room. More magic,

  thought the Shaggy Man a bit uneasily, for it had appeared to him that the light was an ordinary electric one which he might switch on and off at will. But moonlight was beginning to fall through the window, so the Shaggy Man sighed with content and in a minute was sound asleep. It was several hours later when the Shaggy Man stirred and then sat up, wide awake. What had awakened him? He was sure he had heard a clicking sound, like the door of his bedchamber closing. The moonlight revealed that the door was closed just as he had left it. Shaggy glanced at his clothes on the chair. He leaped from bed and searched through the pockets of his clothing. He gave a gasp of dismay. The Magic Compass was gone! What was this? In another pocket Shaggy found a hard, metallic object, the Love Magnet, perfectly repaired, with no trace of its ever having been broken. The Shaggy Man sat down on his bed and thought hard. What should he do? For some reason, Conjo had evidently entered the room, slipped the repaired Love Magnet into Shaggy’s pocket, removed the Magic Compass, and left the room. It was the clicking of the door that Shaggy had heard. And Conjo had slightly disarranged Shaggy’s clothes C4 that had called his attention to them.

  What did all this mean? Shaggy was sure now that Conjo was not the jolly, straightforward person he pretended to be. Perhaps he was not exactly evil, either, but he was so vain and scheming and selfish that he would bear watching. Then a sudden thought struck Shaggy and made him extremely uneasy. He had come to the Isle of Conjo of his own accord to seek out Conjo. But it was Conjo himself who had brought Twink and Tom there. Why? Were the twins in danger? What was Conjo’s purpose in taking them from

  their home? It was up to him, thought the Shaggy Man, to find out and protect them if Conjo meant them harm or had some crazy plan that would endanger them.

  Shaggy unhappily concluded there was nothing he could do now. In the morning he would find out if the Airmobile was everything Conjo claimed. Then he would try to discover Conjo’s plans for Twink and Tom. Perhaps Twiffle could enlighten him. Shaggy sighed. Well, at least he did have the Love Magnet.

  The Shaggy Man lay down on the bed and tried to sleep. After a long time he drifted into a fitful slumber broken by dreams in which Conjo sailed through the air, clutching the Love Magnet, and Twink and Tom were transformed into dolls no larger than Twiffle. In his dream the Shaggy Man seemed to be bound with ropes to his bed, powerless to stop any of Conjo’s mischief, while Twiffle tugged at his bonds saying, “Wake up, Shaggy Man, wake up!”

  Shaggy opened his eyes and stared. There was Twiffle, at the side of his bed, shaking him and saying, “Wake up, Shaggy Man, wake up!”

  CHAPTER 7

  INTO HIGHTOWN

  The Shaggy Man was awake in an instant. “What is it, Twiffle, what is wrong?”

  “There is no time to lose,” whispered Twiffle. “Quick, get into your clothes, and I will arouse the children.”

  Shaggy dressed as speedily as possible, but no sooner had he finished than Twiffle, followed by Twink and Tom, now wide-eyed with excitement and fully

  dressed, appeared in the doorway. “Come,” Twiffle whispered. Silently, Shaggy and the children followed Twiffle down the marble stairway to the elevator. The castle was not entirely dark, thanks to the bright moonlight flowing through the windows. They stepped into the elevator which had a dim light of its own. Once more it shot up to the roof of the tower. Stepping out on the roof, Twiffle beckoned them after him. The clown mad
e his way straight to the Magic Airmobile. He climbed in, motioning for Shaggy and the children to do likewise. They all squeezed into the contraption after him. Twink noted the cushioned seats in each end of the Airmobile were soft and yielding. Conjo certainly liked comfort. “Where are we going? And why?” demanded the Shaggy Man. “There is no time to talk now,” retorted Twiffle briefly. “Wait until we are well in the air.”

  “Do you know how to operate this thing?” asked Tom. “I have watched Conjo run it many times. I am sure I can manage it,” replied Twiffle. The little clown was busy with the buttons which exposed the gravity resistor plates, and almost before they realized it, the Airmobile had risen gently from the roof and was moving silently through the night. “Ah, that is a relief,” sighed Twiffle as he watched Conjo’s castle recede in the distance.

  “But where are we going?” asked Twink, who was thoroughly enjoying the ride through the cool night air.

  “The main thing,” explained Twiffle, “is to get as far away from Conjo as possible.”

  “Then he is a villain, as I suspected,” said Shaggy.

  Twiffle nodded. “Conjo is a curious man. He repaired the Love Magnet because he couldn’t bear seeing one of his own charms broken. He is very vain. Actually, he doesn’t care anything about the Love Magnet, which has no effect on him, since he made it. He doesn’t love anyone, and he doesn’t want anyone to love him. He came to this island many years ago. He wanted to be alone, since he disliked people and desired only to work on his wizard charms and incantations. He brought me to life merely to amuse himself and to have someone to talk to when he felt like boasting. Recently he has become restless. He has found that, after all, he wants someone before whom he can show off his magic tricks. But he hesitated to bring many people to the island, fearing they would steal some of his precious magic tools.”

  Twiffle paused and sighed. He went on, “I had made the mistake of telling him about you, Twink and Tom. Those visits he permitted me to your home while you slept were the only kindness Conjo ever showed me, so I don’t feel I owe him any allegiance, even though he did bring me to life. Well, yesterday Conjo announced he was going to use his magic to bring you children to his island.”

  “I see,” murmured Twink. “and so you have rescued us.”

  “I hope so,” replied Twiffle. “After what I found out tonight, I couldn’t

  let you stay here. Conjo talks in his sleep a great deal, and tonight he

  mumbled enough for me to learn completely for the first time what his plans

  are for you two children.”

  “What do you mean, ‘plans’?” asked Tom.

  “Why, Conjo was going to make you drink a magic potion that would wipe out all memory of your home, parents and former lives. Then you would be

  content to stay on the island with him.” “How dreadful!” exclaimed Twink, shuddering.

  “And I suppose he never meant for me to return to the Land of Oz,” said the Shaggy Man.

  “Oh no,” replied Twiffle. “Conjo wanted your magic Compass badly, because it possesses a kind of magic that he knows nothing about. I believe he meant to transport you to the Land of Ev, where you could find your way back to Oz as best you could.”

  “But now,” said Twink happily, “the Airmobile will take us all to the Land of Oz.”

  Twiffle shook his head. “No,” he said, “I’m afraid it won’t. Conjo is a clever wizard of sorts, but he is not powerful enough to invent a machine that will fly across the Deadly Desert.”

  “You mean this contraption won’t carry us over the desert and back to Oz?” the Shaggy Man asked, greatly disturbed.

  “No,” said Twiffle. “I have heard of powerful birds managing to fly high enough to cross the Deadly Desert, but I know of no magic that can penetrate the barrier of invisibility that Glinda the Good spread across the deadly waste many years ago C4 certainly not Conjo’s magic!” “Then what shall we do?” asked the Shaggy Man. “As I said,” reminded Twiffle, “the most important thing was to get out of Conjo’s power. The Airmobile will carry us to the edge of the Deadly Desert, but no farther.”

  The Shaggy Man was silent, considering. Once he had managed to cross the Deadly Desert in a sandboat C4 that had been before Glinda had laid down the magic barrier. But even since then, others had crossed the desert. So the Shaggy Man didn’t give up all hope.

  The Airmobile was carrying them swiftly and silently through the night. Below them the waters of the Nonestic Ocean gleamed silver in the moonlight. There was just the faintest rocking motion as the Airmobile sped along. Perhaps it was this and the fact that Shaggy and the two children were deep in their own thoughts that made them all fall asleep before they knew it. Twiffle smiled and applied himself to the operation of the Airmobile. He had no need for sleep.

  Twink was the first to awaken. The sun was well up in the sky, and the morning was bright and clear. She shook Tom awake, and at the same time the Shaggy Man aroused himself. They looked over the side of the craft and saw below them a pleasant land of hills and rolling farmlands. “The Land of Ev,” announced the Shaggy Man. “We shouldn’t be so very far from the Deadly Desert now.”

  Twiffle had looked up and was staring ahead of him in amazement. The little clown slowed down the Airmobile. Directly ahead of them was a cluster of little houses and buildings C4 a good-sized village C4 in the sky. “What in the world can that be?” gasped Twink.

  The Airmobile was moving very slowly as they approached the sky village. Directly before them, on what would have been the outskirts of the town had it been on the earth, was a sign reading: YOU ARE NOW ENTERING HIGHTOWN Population C4 522

  Altitude C4 approximately 15,000 feet (but it varies)

  They could see people walking about among the houses just as though they

  were on solid ground. The Shaggy Man shook his head. Twink and Tom were staring, fascinated. The Airmobile glided silently a few feet past the sign. Then it jerked several times and came to an abrupt halt. Twiffle looked puzzled. He pushed one button, then another. Nothing happened. Twiffle did it all over again, a bit frantically this time. Still nothing happened. “It’s no use,” said Twiffle. “The Airmobile won’t budge. We’re stuck in mid-air!”

  CHAPTER 8

  THE LORD HIGH MAYOR

  While Twiffle fussed with the controls of the Magic Airmobile, a crowd of curious people began to gather about the stalled aircraft. They were men, women, children, and even dogs, and they walked on the air easily and unconcernedly, as if it were the normal thing to do. These people were all very tall and exceedingly thin. The grown-ups were well over eight feet in height, while the older children averaged about six feet tall. Perhaps the fact that they lived so high up had caused them to grow that way, too. Their clothing was what we would consider old-fashioned, but was neat and well cared for. The women wore the brightest of colors, which flashed gaily in the clear sunlight. The people chattered among themselves, pointing toward the Airmobile, and several dogs barked excitedly. A loud voice exclaimed, “What is the meaning of this? What is going on here?” The crowd made way for the speaker, who proved to be a sour-faced, tall individual wearing a frock coat and a high silk hat C4 a stovepipe hat, the Shaggy Man would have called it.

  “Pardon us,” began the Shaggy Man, “but I am afraid we are the cause of all

  the excitement. You see, our airship has stalled just inside your town.” The tall man stared curiously at the occupants of the Airmobile as he said,

  “Of course your flying machine won’t operate in Hightown. In fact, a flying

  machine in Hightown is an utter absurdity C4 against all the town

  ordinances and rules. I must ask you to remove it immediately.” “Not very friendly, is he?” remarked Tom.

  But Twiffle was interested. “What do you mean, sir, that the aircraft is against your laws?”

  The tall man sniffed. “It should be apparent to you that the last thing in the sky we need is an airplane. Here in this favored s
pot we walk on air and are not compelled to crawl across the earth like worms.” “Yes,” said the Shaggy Man, “we can see all that. But tell us, your Honor, do you think we would be able to walk on air as you do?” The top-hatted man was distinctly flattered by the Shaggy Man’s mode of address. “Ah,” he replied, “I can see that you recognize me as a person of importance. I am the Lord High Mayor of Hightown, and my word here represents the highest law of the land. As for your being able to walk as we do on the air, I see no reason why you shouldn’t since in Hightown there is no gravity to pull you to the earth.”

  “What was that you said? No gravity?” Twiffle was obviously excited. “Exactly,” replied the Lord High Mayor with great dignity. “Within the boundaries of Hightown, the earth does not exert the least bit of gravity C4 none whatsoever.”

  “Then that explains it,” said Twiffle. “The Airmobile operates on the principle of gravity, and since there is no gravity here, the craft is

  useless.”

  “What are we to do?” asked the Shaggy Man. “I am not sure I want to go walking around on the air, although these folks seem to take to it naturally enough.”

  “Tell me,” said Twiffle, addressing the Lord High Mayor, “is Hightown of very great area?”

  “Oh,” exclaimed the Lord High Mayor, “it is simply enormous C4 no less than four square acres of the most delightful air!”

  “Have you any idea, your Honor,” asked the Shaggy Man, “how we can get our flying machine out of Hightown?”

  “Oh, that’s very simple,” replied the Lord High Mayor. “Since your craft has only just crossed the boundary into Hightown, I would suggest that you get out and push the machine to the edge of the boundary C4 then push it a few inches more, and it will be in the field of gravity again where it is equipped to operate.”

  “Of course!” exclaimed Twiffle joyfully. “Why didn’t I think of that?”

  The Lord High Mayor smiled with smug satisfaction.