Black Magic
Dorothy and Pigasus were hustled into the Black Castle, rushed down its
shiny black corridors and thrust into a great, dark, dome-shaped room,
so quickly they had no opportunity to exchange a word.
"Well, anyway, even if it is a dark room we can still see," whispered
Dorothy, as the foresters in their haste to get away from such
dangerous prisoners fairly tumbled over each other to get through the
door.
"Yes," puffed Pigasus glumly as the key rasped in the lock, "and the
first thing I see is that there are no windows. If there was a window
we could fly off. As it is, this witch will make short work of us."
"I wonder how much magic she really knows," sighed Dorothy, seating
herself wearily on a black velvet stool.
"I wonder!" said Pigasus, flinging himself crossly on the floor beside
her. "And what's all this stuff about your being her worst enemy? Did
you really destroy two witches, and could you destroy her?" Although
Pigasus had lived in the Emerald City for several years, he was not
familiar with all of the history that had taken place before his
arrival.
"Oh, all that happened when I first came here," explained Dorothy,
clasping her knees with both hands. "You see, when the cyclone blew
me from Kansas to Oz, my house fell on the wicked witch who ruled the
Munchkins and killed her. The Munchkins, supposing I had done it on
purpose, came out and thanked me and gave me the witch's silver shoes.
Then, when I reached the Emerald City and begged the Wizard, who was
ruler of Oz at that time, to send me back to Kansas, he promised to do
so if I killed the wicked witch who ruled the Winkies."
"And did you?" asked Pigasus, rolling over and looking up at Dorothy
with real admiration.
"Well, that was sort of an accident, too," admitted the little girl
honestly. "When the Tin Woodman, the Scarecrow, and the Cowardly Lion
and I reached the witch's yellow castle, the witch captured us all and
made me work hard from morning till night. But one day," Dorothy with
an anxious eye on the door hurriedly continued, "one day when she tried
to steal my silver shoes, I got SO mad I picked up a bucket of water
I'd been using for scrubbing and flung it right over her head."
"And did that destroy her?" Pigasus demanded incredulously.
"Yes," said Dorothy, "it melted her down to nothing at all."
"But what about the star? I never noticed that before?"
"That's where the Good Witch of the North comes in," answered Dorothy
proudly. "Right after my house fell on the Wicked Witch of the West,
she appeared and when she discovered I was a mortal she kissed me on
the forehead to keep me from harm all the time I was in Oz. It only
shows now because I'm black, I suppose."
"Well, why didn't it keep you from turning black, if it's so
wonderful?" Pigasus switched his curly tail resentfully.
"I don't know," Dorothy looked thoughtfully around Gloma's strange
laboratory, "maybe the spell has worn off, maybe there's no harm in
being black."
"Humph! There may not be any harm in it, but it's pretty sad and
mournful, if you ask me," grunted Pigasus, glaring savagely at his
satiny black sides. "I prefer myself pink and you pink and white the
way you were. Tea and turnips, first thing I know you'll be powdering
your nose with ashes and soot! But, after all--" Pigasus swung himself
energetically to his feet, "that is the least of our troubles. What
do you suppose this witch will do to us now? And what can we do to
her? Sa--hay!" Spreading his wings, Pigasus spun round in a triumphant
circle. "All we have to do is to find some water. Why, it's simple as
soup. Quick, Dorothy, look and see whether there is any water around
here, then as soon as Gloma pops her nose in the door we'll put her out
as neatly as you did that other witch."
"But those other witches were bad and Gloma seems really good and
beautiful," objected Dorothy, looking around without much enthusiasm.
"Beautiful or not, she's a dark and dangerous lady," insisted the pig,
beginning his search in a methodical way, "and it's her beauty or ours,
remember, this Black Queen is quite determined to destroy us, if we
don't destroy her first."
"Yes, I suppose so," agreed Dorothy. Slowly following Pigasus, she
pulled aside black velvet curtains, peered behind cupboards and screens
and looked under sofas and chairs. There were many ebony cabinets
standing against the wall, but each one was securely locked and except
for a great black crystal ball on a table in the center of the room,
there seemed to be no magic apparatus at all. A dark lantern swinging
from the domed ceiling cast its curious luminous black rays into every
corner of the witch's laboratory. After circling the room three times,
Pigasus and Dorothy were forced to admit there was no water of any kind
or even a pail available.
"We'll have to think of something else," grumbled the pig, as Dorothy
again sat down on her stool.
"Are you thinking?" he demanded sharply, as the little girl stared
absently at the tips of her boots.
"No," confessed Dorothy frankly, "I was just wondering why Gloma calls
this a dark room. She must know since General Blotz ducked us under the
Black River we can see in here as well as in the forest."
"I wouldn't be too sure of that," muttered the pig, coming over and
crowding as close to Dorothy as he could. It almost seemed as if
someone had heard him, for scarcely were the words out of his mouth
before the dark lantern over their heads sputtered ominously and went
out, leaving them in a perfectly pitch black total darkness.
"I--I--I felt something like this would happen," faltered Pigasus,
throwing his left wing protectingly around Dorothy. "Listen! Someone is
coming."
A light sure footstep sounded in the passage--came closer, then a
sudden puff of air told them that someone had opened the door.
"Remember, Piggins dear, no matter what happens, we must be brave,"
whispered Dorothy, trembling a little in spite of herself.
"It's hard to be brave in the dark, but I'll do my best. Here, lean
on me." And though the happenings of the next ten minutes were enough
to try the courage of a dozen lions, Pigasus kept his word and never
uttered a sound. As the two prisoners clung desperately together the
crystal on the center table received a sudden shattering blow.
Up spurted a perfect fountain of fire coming down over Dorothy and
Pigasus in a shower of red hot sparks. But the sparks fell harmlessly
as raindrops on the winged pig and the little girl, and after a great
hiss and sputter went out, leaving the laboratory in darkness again.
Scarcely had they recovered from this shock before a second blow was
struck, and this time a hundred huge, hideous, black snakes came
writhing out of the crystal, their green glittering eyes lighting up
the room with a terrifying sulphurous light. The great twisting mass
grew more and more menacing, sending out its long curving bodies like
arms to encircle them. This, thought Dorothy, burying her head in
Pigasus' wing, was black magic at its worst. Now she could feel the
clammy coils all around her and waited breathlessly to be crushed
and broken. But the cold, heavy bodies seemed powerless and without
weight and presently they, too, slipped away and vanished. A shower of
silver arrows followed the snakes and a cloud of choking green smoke,
the arrows. But each blow on the crystal only seemed to prove further
the potency of the kiss set on Dorothy's forehead so long ago by the
Good Witch of the North. And because she clung so tightly to Pigasus,
he, too, came unharmed through the hair-raising ordeal. As they both,
almost afraid to breathe, waited for the next blow on the dark crystal,
a long, tremulous sigh came mournfully through the darkness.
"It is no use," murmured a discouraged voice, "my black magic is of no
avail. Come, then, destroy me if you must, but do it quickly, and I
pray you will spare my people who have never harmed or hurt a living
soul in Oz."
With a little thrill, Dorothy recognized the voice of the Black Queen,
and as the dark lantern again shed its twinkling rays over the circular
apartment, Gloma rose and came calmly and rapidly toward them. Dorothy
and Pigasus, who had just had their own bravery so severely tested,
could not but admire the spirit and bravery of the Witch of the Black
Forest. Even though she was sure she faced certain destruction, she
walked proudly erect, her head flung back, her great mass of dusky hair
billowing behind her.
"Stop!" cried Dorothy, on whom the Queen's dark beauty had made a
deep and lasting impression. "Why should we wish to destroy you? We
came through the Yellow Wood and from there into the Black Forest,
but we only wished to go through as quickly as possible. We are in
trouble ourselves. Did you know that Ozma of Oz, the Wizard of Oz, the
four rulers of Oz, and many others have vanished? There is a false
Emperor on the throne in the Emerald City and under the magic of his
enchantment all the people have forgotten Ozma ever was their Queen.
Pigasus and I, escaping this enchantment, are trying to find Ozma and
someone to help us restore her to power." Dorothy spoke with such
earnestness and feeling, Gloma could not help believing her.
"Then--then you did not come here to destroy me at all?" she exclaimed
with an unhappy and embarrassed glance at her two prisoners. "Forgive
me for using my magic powers, I only wanted to save myself and my
foresters from obliteration."
"Oh, that's all right." Dorothy dismissed with a careless shrug the
danger and discomfort of the last hour. "You thought we were going to
destroy you, so, of course, you tried to destroy us first. That was
fair enough and I don't blame you, but now that we understand each
other better, perhaps you will help us? Do you, yourself, remember
Ozma, and is your magic powerful enough to tell us where she is?"
Seating herself in a chair near Dorothy's footstool, Gloma stared
thoughtfully at the velvet carpet.
"I know or remember nothing of the present history of Oz," she told
them after a short silence. "At the time the Wizard of Oz ruled Oz I
ruled by royal right and inheritance the entire southern part of the
Winkie Empire. Although the Wicked Witch of the East claimed dominion
over the whole country, she only succeeded in bringing the central
and northern parts under her control. We in the South were free, but
when word came that a mortal girl had destroyed both the Witch of the
East and the Witch of the West, I, being a witch, naturally supposed I
would be the next one to suffer destruction. So, calling together the
strongest and most faithful of my subjects, I begged them to retire
with me to a safe and hidden spot where we could live in safety and
tranquillity far from the wars, dangers, and changing fortunes of the
times. Many of my Southern Winkies cast their lot with the new order,
marching off to the North, but many came with me, and retiring to this
hidden forest, we cut ourselves off from all intercourse with the
other Kingdoms of Oz, living the free and happy life of foresters and
enjoying all the beauty and benefits of outdoor sport and activity. Of
the rulers in Oz since the Wizard, I know nothing whatever."
"And were you always black?" inquired Pigasus, peering inquisitively up
into Gloma's face, and wondering whether the two small black wings on
each side of her forehead were as useful as his own.
"No," admitted the Queen, smiling graciously down at her plump
questioner. "That was part of our disappearing plan, in a dark forest
we were so much less likely to be found or discovered, so with my
knowledge of the black arts I turned myself and my subjects as black as
you now see us."
"What a shame! What a pity!" Dorothy jumped up and perched cozily
on the arm of the Black Queen's chair. "If you had just come to the
Emerald City, we could have been friends all this while."
"Why not begin now?" smiled the Queen, putting her arm affectionately
round Dorothy's waist. "And you must not be sorry for us, for here we
have been perfectly happy and content and I have grown so fond of my
black forest and castle I would not change their lovely sable for all
the other colors in the rainbow. But tell me quickly again all that has
happened in Oz and perhaps I can make amends for the shabby treatment
you have received at our hands."
Contritely the Black Queen leaned down to pat Pigasus, and as Dorothy
sketched in most of the important happenings in Oz since the reign
of the Wizard, the little pig pressed closely against her side. With
many interested nods and exclamations Gloma listened, and when Dorothy
described the great festival that had been planned to celebrate the
discovery of Oz by mortals, how Ozma and all her most important
visitors and advisers had vanished at the banquet, and a false Emperor
taken possession of the palace, the Queen rose and walked solemnly over
to the black crystal. But after a long look into its inky depths, Gloma
turned sadly away.
"My black magic cannot help you," she told them regretfully. "The
rulers of Oz and your other friends have been enchanted by green
magic, and only by green magic can they be released and restored to
power. But I can assist you in other ways," added the Queen, noting
the disappointed expressions on the faces of her two new friends. "One
tap of my scepter will transport you to any country and here--" from a
drawer in the ebony table the Queen drew a small black round box--"in
this container you will find a most powerful powder of darkness. One
pinch of this powder tossed into the air will cause a black cloud a
mile square to envelop and totally darken a city or country. While no
one in this darkened area will be able to see you, it will be perfectly
possible for you to see them as clearly as in the usual daylight. In
case of danger it affords a safe way of escape from the enemy. To
dispel the cloud you merely close the box."
"That ought to be just the thing to use if we ever get back to the
Emerald City," observed Pigasus, scratching his left ear with his right
hind paw. "Why, we could swoop down on this Emperor, bind him fast and
tweak him by the nose before he even knew what was happening."
"Why, so we could!" beamed Dorothy, brightening up at once. "And now,
though of course black is a perfectly beautiful color, could you change
us back to the colors we were when we came?" Dorothy spoke timidly, for
she did not want to hurt Gloma's feelings.
"As soon as you leave the forest you will resume your natural
coloring," the witch assured them with a little smile. "And where, may
I ask, were you planning to go first?"
"Well," said Dorothy slowly, "I thought perhaps the countries outside
of Oz might not be under this forgetting spell and that we might find
in one of them a King who would lend us his army and help us to chase
Skamperoo out of the Emerald City. Could you transport us as far as Ev,
your Majesty?"
"As easily as I could invite you to dinner," Gloma assured them with
an energetic little nod, "and I hope you will not only have dinner but
rest yourselves before you start again on your dangerous journey."
"Pigasus--Pigasus, did you hear that? She can transport us all the way
to Ev! Didn't I tell you we might find a good witch in this forest? Now
everything will be all right!"
"So glad we met and got acquainted,
You're not so black as you are painted!"
chuckled Pigasus, breaking into rhyme from sheer good humor and
relief. "And did I hear your Majesty invite us to dinner?"
"You certainly did," said Gloma, and dropping them a little bow, she
swept gaily through the door.
"D'ye suppose it will be a black dinner?" whispered Pigasus, trotting
briskly along beside Dorothy. "I've heard of light repasts, but never
of dark ones. But I don't care. I'm hungry enough to eat tar pudding
with cinder sauce."
"Sh--hh!" warned Dorothy with a little laugh. "She'll hear you."