The Oz Series
Chapter 63
Part of the Ozma of Oz: The Land of Ev and the Nome King arc.
What happens
While Dorothy is inside the Nome King's enchanted palace making guesses, the Scarecrow remains in the throne room with the Nome King. The King gloats that the machine man Tiktok has become a neat ornament and predicts Dorothy will soon fail and join his collection, after which it will be the Scarecrow's turn. The Scarecrow is distressed that his friend faces the same fate as Ozma and their party. Their conversation is interrupted when the yellow hen Billina cackles loudly, having just laid an egg under the King's throne. The King is terrified, explaining that although eggs belong to the surface world, in his underground kingdom eggs are rank poison to Nomes, and he demands the egg be removed at once.
Billina refuses to let the Scarecrow retrieve the egg unless the King promises to let her enter the palace and guess the enchantments as the others have done, and to release her friends if she succeeds. The King, considering her only a hen, mocks the idea that she could guess his enchantments, but agrees to punish her presumption by letting her try after the Scarecrow is enchanted; Billina will touch objects with her claws and speak the word 'Ev.' The Scarecrow then retrieves the egg from under the throne and stores it in a separate jacket pocket from the egg Billina laid the previous day, to keep them from breaking. A bell above the throne rings, signaling that Dorothy has made one correct guess and broken one of the King's enchantments, meaning she will return in safety.
Dorothy enters, leading the little Prince Evring by the hand, and the Scarecrow embraces her joyfully, though the shy Prince shrinks from the painted Scarecrow. The Scarecrow must now take his turn in the palace; encouraged by Dorothy's success, he hopes to make at least one correct guess, but he fails entirely and is transformed into a solid gold card-receiver. The King expresses satisfaction that only Dorothy's single good guess marred his amusing collection of new ornaments.
Billina then insists on taking her turn despite the King offering to generously let her off. Dorothy earnestly urges Billina not to go, warning that only luck saved her from being made an ornament, and proposes they return together to the Land of Ev where Prince Evring will give them a home, which the Prince confirms with dignity. Billina, confident that though she is not human she is no fool, refuses and marches into the enchanted palace, giving loud cluck-clucks that make the King more nervous. The King hopes he has seen the last of the talking bird, while Dorothy defends Billina as her well-meaning friend.
Who is in play
- Dorothy
- Ozma
- Billina
- Scarecrow
- Tiktok
- Evring
- ozma_rescue_expedition
- Kansas
- Nome King's Palace
- Nomes
- the Nome King
- Land of Ev