The Return of Ozma and Glinda
After his first sense of joy at finding that Toto had somehow escaped
capture, the Scarecrow reflected more soberly that even though the
little dog was free there was nothing he could do to rescue his friends
from their desperate plight.
But the Scarecrow had been in dangerous situations before, so he did
not give up hope by any means. While Queen Ra was gloating over her
prisoners, the Scarecrow's famous brains were hard at work. Suddenly
it occurred to the straw man that Ozma and Glinda were to return to
the Emerald City at ten o'clock this morning. It was almost that time
now. If only he could engage the wicked Queen in conversation until
Ozma and Glinda appeared, then the Royal Ruler and the Good Sorceress
might take their enemies by surprise. The Scarecrow was confident that
Ozma would be able to deal with these usurpers to her throne.
With this plan in mind, the Scarecrow cried out in a bold voice: "I
demand to know what you have done with Dorothy and the Wizard!" When he
had witnessed the peculiar manner in which the gaudily plumed birds had
assumed the shapes of his human friends in the garden, the Scarecrow
had first suspected that these creatures were responsible for the
disappearance of Dorothy and the Wizard. Then the sight of Dorothy's
Magic Belt about the waist of the big woman had convinced him of the
truth of his suspicions.
Queen Ra answered the Scarecrow with a scornful laugh. "You are quite
brave, my blustering, straw-stuffed dummy, but your braveness will do
you no good. As for your Princess Dorothy and the man who calls himself
a wizard, you will never see them again. Furthermore," the Queen went
on, "as soon as I have suitably disposed of you and the rest of these
animated creatures and beasts, I will use the Magic Belt to transport
the helpless bodies of all the Oz people in the Emerald City to Mount
Illuso, where they will share the same fate as your Dorothy and her
wizard friend."
In spite of the assurance with which she spoke, the evil Queen was
uneasy when she recalled the disappearance of Dorothy and the Wizard
from the Cave of the Doomed. Had she underestimated the Wizard's powers
of magic? Queen Ra shrugged this thought from her mind. What had she
to fear from two mere mortals? What had she to fear from anyone now?
The Emerald City was hers and Oz was as good as conquered!
"Do not heed the threats of this wicked woman!" the Scarecrow called to
his captive companions. "She is boasting too soon!"
At these words Queen Ra turned angrily upon the Scarecrow.
"Enough of your insolence, miserable wretch!" she cried. "I will show
you who is boasting. Since you dare challenge me, I will destroy you
immediately!"
Her eyes flashing with rage, Queen Ra leaped from the throne and moved
toward the Scarecrow. When she was about six feet from him, Ra paused
and muttered an incantation. Instantly dancing flames of fire leaped
from the marble floor of the throne room, making a circle around the
Scarecrow. With a smile of satisfaction, Queen Ra resumed her place on
Ozma's throne to enjoy the spectacle in comfort.
The dancing circle of fire moved swiftly inward. As the blazing circle
grew smaller in circumference, the flames leaped ever higher and closer
to the helpless Scarecrow, who stood in the circle's exact center.
The leaping fire had moved so close to the Scarecrow that it almost
scorched his stuffed clothing. The friends of the Scarecrow watched in
horror. Prisoners themselves, there was nothing they could do to save
their old comrade from this terrible fate.
"Whish!"
There was a sudden rush of air, and in the center of the throne room
stood Princess Ozma and Glinda the Good on the exact spot from which
they had vanished three days before.
Ozma swept the throne room with a glance that instantly comprehended
the Scarecrow's great danger. In another moment her old friend would
be reduced to a pile of smoldering ashes. Quick as a flash, the little
Princess pointed her fairy wand at the flames that were licking the
straw man's boots. While the onlookers blinked, the flames vanished. A
long sigh of relief went up from the Scarecrow's friends.
Queen Ra was glaring with terrible rage at the Royal Ozma, who advanced
calmly toward the wicked Queen with an expression of stern dignity on
her girlish features.
"Who are you, and what are you doing on my throne?" Ozma asked.
"_Your_ throne no longer!" replied Ra harshly. "For you are no longer
ruler of the Land of Oz. Instead you are my prisoner, and soon I will
make it impossible for you to interfere with my plans as you have just
done."
The stately Glinda spoke now, her voice grave and thoughtful.
"I believe I know who you are," she said. "You must be the Queen of the
evil Mimics. I have read about you in my Great Book of Records."
"If this is true," said Ozma sorrowfully, "then your Mimic hordes are
these creatures who so closely resemble my own beloved subjects, while
the true Oz people are robbed of the power of motion by your evil
spell."
"Good!" sneered Ra. "I am glad you understand everything so well. You
have not a friend in the Emerald City to aid you. Everyone of your
subjects in the city is a victim of the Mimic magic. Soon this will be
true of all the Land of Oz. I am sure you will agree with me," Queen Ra
went on mockingly, "that it is only fair and just that you should share
your subjects' fate. Indeed I know you are so foolishly loyal that you
would not escape and leave your people to suffer even if you could. So
King Umb and I, ourselves, will oblige you by making it possible for
you to join your beloved subjects. Owing to your high rank as the two
most powerful persons in the Land of Oz, we will do you the honor of
taking your shapes."
Concluding this triumphant speech, Queen Ra grinned with malicious
satisfaction and said gloatingly, "At last the Royal Ozma and the Great
Glinda bow to a power greater than their own! Come," she called to King
Umb, "you take the form of Glinda, I will take that of Ozma."
With this the Mimic Monarchs advanced on Ozma and Glinda. The little
Ruler and Glinda the Good were silent. Both realized that Queen Ra had
spoken the truth when she had declared their powers to be useless
against the Mimics. Therefore the girl Ruler and the Sorceress made no
effort to combat their enemies, but stood bravely and proudly awaiting
their fate.
At that very moment when King Umb and Queen Ra were about to seize the
shadows of Ozma and Glinda, a small, black form streaked with the speed
of light from underneath Ozma's throne straight to the menacing figures
of the Mimic King and Queen. It was Toto! With fierce growls and barks
he began worrying and snapping at the ankles of the Mimic Monarchs.
The sudden appearance of the little dog and his desperate attack took
Ra and Umb completely by surprise. For a moment they entirely forgot
Ozma and Glinda and devoted all their efforts to freeing themselves
from the snapping jaws of the furiously snarling little dog.
This respite which Toto had so bravely won saved Ozma and Glinda from
sharing the fate of their subjects. A few seconds after Toto's attack,
there suddenly appeared in the entrance of the throne room three
figures, two of whom the Scarecrow joyfully recognized as Dorothy and
the Little Wizard. They were accompanied by a maiden who was unknown
to the Scarecrow but whose beauty was quite evident. For an instant
the trio stood in the doorway, surveying the strange scene that met
their eyes in Ozma's Royal Throne Room.