The Oz Series
Chapter 83
Part of the Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz: The Underground World arc.
What happens
The chosen way leads straight upward in a gentle incline, and the wanderers make such good progress they grow hopeful of seeing sunshine, until they come upon a huge rock that blocks the passage entirely. This rock is separate from the mountain and turns slowly around as if on a pivot; when they arrive a solid wall faces them, but it revolves to expose a wide smooth path across to the other side. Unprepared the first time, they let the wall swing around again, then wait patiently for the path to reappear. The children and Wizard rush across the moving rock and spring into the passage beyond, landing safely; Jim the cab-horse comes last and is nearly caught, for as he leaps across, the wall swings shut and a loose stone knocked by the buggy wheels falls into the crack where the rock turns and wedges there. A crunching, grinding sound and a loud snap follow, and the turn-table stops with its broadest surface sealing off the path they came from.
Zeb is unconcerned since they do not want to go back, but Dorothy fears the mother dragon may come down and catch them there. The Wizard agrees it is possible if this is the dragon's usual path, but says he sees no signs of so large a beast having passed through this tunnel, which reassures them the dragon cannot reach them if she went the other way. However, he raises a new worry: the mother dragon probably knows the road to the earth's surface, so if she went the other way, the party may have taken the wrong way. Zeb hopes this passage also leads to the top, and would rather not travel the dragon's route regardless.
Creeping up another steep incline with the lanterns growing dim, the Wizard pours the remaining oil from one lantern into the other so one light will last longer. Their journey soon ends at a small cave with no further outlet. At first their hearts gladden at a ray of sunshine coming through a small crack in the roof far overhead, proving the real world is near, but they discover they are in a strong prison with no hope of escape. Dorothy points eagerly at the sun through the distant crack, but Eureka observes that almost on earth is not being there and that even she could not reach or pass through the crack. The Wizard announces gloomily the path ends there, and Zeb notes there is no way back. Jim remarks he expected this end, saying people do not fall into the middle of the earth and get back in real life, and calls the whole thing unnatural because he and the cat can talk and understand human language; Eureka adds the nine piglets can talk too, and that she may yet have to eat them. Dorothy has heard animals talk before with no harm, and urges Jim not to lose heart.
Reminded of the piglets, the Wizard sits and brings them out of his pocket to run around, telling them he fears he has gotten them into trouble and they may never leave the gloomy cave. A piglet asks what is wrong, and the Wizard explains the misfortune. Another piglet points out the Wizard is a wizard and can do a few "wizzes" to get them out; the Wizard replies he could if he were a real wizard, but he is only a humbug wizard. The piglets protest, and Dorothy confirms that their friend Oz is merely a humbug wizard who once proved it to her: he can do wonderful things if he knows how and has the tools and machinery, but cannot "wiz" anything without them. The Wizard thanks her for doing him justice, insisting he is one of the greatest humbug wizards that ever lived, and predicting they will all starve together with their bones scattered on the cave floor.
Dorothy, deep in thought, doubts they will realize anything if it comes to that, but declares she is not going to scatter her bones yet. She reveals that although they are helpless to escape, others can do more: she is sure Ozma will help them. Asked who Ozma is, Dorothy explains she is the girl who rules the marvelous Land of Oz, a friend she met in the Land of Ev and went to Oz with. The Wizard recalls he once ruled the Emerald City, which Dorothy first visited, escaping afterward in a balloon, after which she returned to Kansas by a pair of magical silver shoes that once belonged to the Wicked Witch, since lost in the air. On her second trip to Oz she owned the Nome King's Magic Belt, far more powerful than the Silver Shoes, which Ozma now keeps because its powers do not work in an ordinary country like the United States; Ozma used it to wish Dorothy to Australia with Uncle Henry.
Dorothy further explains that Ozma has an enchanted picture in her room showing the exact scene where any friend is at any chosen time, simply by wishing to know. Every day at four o'clock Ozma has promised to look at Dorothy in that picture, and if Dorothy makes a certain sign when in need, Ozma will put on the Magic Belt and wish Dorothy to be with her in Oz. Zeb confirms with astonishment that Ozma will see the cave and, when Dorothy makes the sign, bring her to Oz by the Magic Belt. The Wizard is glad Dorothy will be saved and says the rest will die more cheerfully knowing she escaped; Eureka protests she will not die cheerfully, noting a cat is said to have nine lives and so must die nine times, though she has never died and is not anxious to begin. Dorothy promises to hold Eureka in her arms and take her along, and the nine piglets beg to be taken too; Dorothy says she will try, and promises she can easily save them all once she herself reaches Oz, by using the Magic Belt to wish them with her in the royal palace. The Wizard remarks he built that palace and the Emerald City and would like to see them again, recalling his happy years among the Munchkins, Winkies, Quadlings, and Gillikins, the four nations of Oz, and wondering if he would be treated nicely; Dorothy assures him the people are still proud of their former Wizard. He asks after the Tin Woodman, Scarecrow, and Cowardly Lion; Dorothy reports they all live in Oz, along with the Hungry Tiger and Billina, a yellow hen who preferred Oz to Kansas and would not go to Australia. Zeb, uneasy at the menagerie, asks to be wished somewhere safer than Oz, but Dorothy reassures him.
The Wizard reports the time is half-past three, so they must wait half an hour. Jim asks if there are horses in Oz; Dorothy says only one, a sawhorse that Princess Ozma once brought to life with a witch-powder when Ozma was a boy, explaining that a wicked witch had enchanted Ozma into a boy so she could not rule, though she is a girl now. Jim scornfully dismisses the wooden sawhorse and offers to race it. At four o'clock, announced by the Wizard's big silver watch, Dorothy catches up the kitten and makes the agreed signal to the far-away invisible Ozma. When nothing seems to happen, Dorothy explains Ozma needs time to put on the Magic Belt; moments later Dorothy and the kitten silently vanish from the cave without sound or warning, leaving the horse, piglets, Wizard, and boy behind. The Wizard, relieved and knowing something of Oz's magic, tells them to be ready to be sent for any minute. He pockets the piglets, and he and Zeb sit in the buggy; the boy asks nervously if it will hurt, and the Wizard says it will happen as quick as a wink. It does: Jim gives a nervous start and Zeb rubs his eyes to be sure he is awake, for they are now in the streets of a beautiful emerald-green city bathed in green light, surrounded by merry green-and-gold-clad people, facing the jewel-studded gates of a magnificent palace that open slowly onto a courtyard of flowers and fountains. Zeb shakes the reins and cries "Gid-dap," and Jim trots into the courtyard along the jewelled driveway to the great entrance of the royal palace.
Who is in play
- Dorothy
- Cowardly Lion
- Ozma
- Tin Woodman
- Billina
- Saw-Horse
- Scarecrow
- magic picture
- underground_traveling_party
- Zeb
- City of Emeralds
- dragonettes
- Jim
- Kansas
- Land of Oz
- Munchkins