L. Frank Baum_Oz 14 (6 page)

Princess Ozma considered the situation gravely. Then she tied her
handkerchief to her wand and, standing at the water's edge, waved the
handkerchief like a flag, as a signal. For a time they could observe no
response.

"I don't see what good that will do," said Dorothy. "Even if the
Skeezers are on that island and see us, and know we're friends, they
haven't any boats to come and get us."

But the Skeezers didn't need boats, as the girls soon discovered. For
on a sudden an opening appeared at the base of the palace and from the
opening came a slender shaft of steel, reaching out slowly but steadily
across the water in the direction of the place where they stood. To the
girls this steel arrangement looked like a triangle, with the base
nearest the water. It came toward them in the form of an arch,
stretching out from the palace wall until its end reached the bank and
rested there, while the other end still remained on the island.

Then they saw that it was a bridge, consisting of a steel footway just
broad enough to walk on, and two slender guide rails, one on either
side, which were connected with the footway by steel bars. The bridge
looked rather frail and Dorothy feared it would not bear their weight,
but Ozma at once called, "Come on!" and started to walk across, holding
fast to the rail on either side. So Dorothy summoned her courage and
followed after. Before Ozma had taken three steps she halted and so
forced Dorothy to halt, for the bridge was again moving and returning
to the island.

"We need not walk after all," said Ozma. So they stood still in their
places and let the steel bridge draw them onward. Indeed, the bridge
drew them well into the glass-domed building which covered the island,
and soon they found themselves standing in a marble room where two
handsomely dressed young men stood on a platform to receive them.

Ozma at once stepped from the end of the bridge to the marble platform,
followed by Dorothy, and then the bridge disappeared with a slight
clang of steel and a marble slab covered the opening from which it had
emerged.

The two young men bowed profoundly to Ozma, and one of them said:

"Queen Coo-ee-oh bids you welcome, O Strangers. Her Majesty is waiting
to receive you in her palace."

"Lead on," replied Ozma with dignity.

But instead of "leading on," the platform of marble began to rise,
carrying them upward through a square hole above which just fitted it.
A moment later they found themselves within the great glass dome that
covered almost all of the island.

Within this dome was a little village, with houses, streets, gardens
and parks. The houses were of colored marbles, prettily designed, with
many stained-glass windows, and the streets and gardens seemed well
cared for. Exactly under the center of the lofty dome was a small park
filled with brilliant flowers, with an elaborate fountain, and facing
this park stood a building larger and more imposing than the others.
Toward this building the young men escorted Ozma and Dorothy.

On the streets and in the doorways or open windows of the houses were
men, women and children, all richly dressed. These were much like other
people in different parts of the Land of Oz, except that instead of
seeming merry and contented they all wore expressions of much solemnity
or of nervous irritation. They had beautiful homes, splendid clothes,
and ample food, but Dorothy at once decided something was wrong with
their lives and that they were not happy. She said nothing, however,
but looked curiously at the Skeezers.

At the entrance of the palace Ozma and Dorothy were met by two other
young men, in uniform and armed with queer weapons that seemed about
halfway between pistols and guns, but were like neither. Their
conductors bowed and left them, and the two in uniforms led the girls
into the palace.

In a beautiful throne room, surrounded by a dozen or more young men and
women, sat the Queen of the Skeezers, Coo-ee-oh. She was a girl who
looked older than Ozma or Dorothy—fifteen or sixteen, at least—and
although she was elaborately dressed as if she were going to a ball she
was too thin and plain of feature to be pretty. But evidently Queen
Coo-ee-oh did not realize this fact, for her air and manner betrayed
her as proud and haughty and with a high regard for her own importance.
Dorothy at once decided she was "snippy" and that she would not like
Queen Coo-ee-oh as a companion.

The Queen's hair was as black as her skin was white and her eyes were
black, too. The eyes, as she calmly examined Ozma and Dorothy, had a
suspicious and unfriendly look in them, but she said quietly:

"I know who you are, for I have consulted my Magic Oracle, which told
me that one calls herself Princess Ozma, the Ruler of all the Land of
Oz, and the other is Princess Dorothy of Oz, who came from a country
called Kansas. I know nothing of the Land of Oz, and I know nothing of
Kansas."

"Why, this is the Land of Oz!" cried Dorothy. "It's a part of the Land
of Oz, anyhow, whether you know it or not."

"Oh, in-deed!" answered Queen Coo-ee-oh, scornfully. "I suppose you
will claim next that this Princess Ozma, ruling the Land of Oz, rules
me!"

"Of course," returned Dorothy. "There's no doubt of it."

The Queen turned to Ozma.

"Do you dare make such a claim?" she asked.

By this time Ozma had made up her mind as to the character of this
haughty and disdainful creature, whose self-pride evidently led her to
believe herself superior to all others.

"I did not come here to quarrel with your Majesty," said the girl Ruler
of Oz, quietly. "What and who I am is well established, and my
authority comes from the Fairy Queen Lurline, of whose band I was a
member when Lurline made all Oz a Fairyland. There are several
countries and several different peoples in this broad land, each of
which has its separate rulers, Kings, Emperors and Queens. But all
these render obedience to my laws and acknowledge me as the supreme
Ruler."

"If other Kings and Queens are fools that does not interest me in the
least," replied Coo-ee-oh, disdainfully. "In the Land of the Skeezers I
alone am supreme. You are impudent to think I would defer to you—or to
anyone else."

"Let us not speak of this now, please," answered Ozma. "Your island is
in danger, for a powerful foe is preparing to destroy it."

"Pah! The Flatheads. I do not fear them."

"Their Supreme Dictator is a Sorcerer."

"My magic is greater than his. Let the Flatheads come! They will never
return to their barren mountain-top. I will see to that."

Ozma did not like this attitude, for it meant that the Skeezers were
eager to fight the Flatheads, and Ozma's object in coming here was to
prevent fighting and induce the two quarrelsome neighbors to make
peace. She was also greatly disappointed in Coo-ee-oh, for the reports
of Su-dic had led her to imagine the Queen more just and honorable than
were the Flatheads. Indeed Ozma reflected that the girl might be better
at heart than her self-pride and overbearing manner indicated, and in
any event it would be wise not to antagonize her but to try to win her
friendship.

"I do not like wars, your Majesty," said Ozma. "In the Emerald City,
where I rule thousands of people, and in the countries near to the
Emerald City, where thousands more acknowledge my rule, there is no
army at all, because there is no quarreling and no need to fight. If
differences arise between my people, they come to me and I judge the
cases and award justice to all. So, when I learned there might be war
between two faraway people of Oz, I came here to settle the dispute and
adjust the quarrel."

"No one asked you to come," declared Queen Coo-ee-oh. "It is my
business to settle this dispute, not yours. You say my island is a part
of the Land of Oz, which you rule, but that is all nonsense, for I've
never heard of the Land of Oz, nor of you. You say you are a fairy, and
that fairies gave you command over me. I don't believe it! What I do
believe is that you are an impostor and have come here to stir up
trouble among my people, who are already becoming difficult to manage.
You two girls may even be spies of the vile Flatheads, for all I know,
and may be trying to trick me. But understand this," she added, proudly
rising from her jeweled throne to confront them, "I have magic powers
greater than any fairy possesses, and greater than any Flathead
possesses. I am a Krumbic Witch—the only Krumbic Witch in the
world—and I fear the magic of no other creature that exists! You say
you rule thousands. I rule one hundred and one Skeezers. But every one
of them trembles at my word. Now that Ozma of Oz and Princess Dorothy
are here, I shall rule one hundred and three subjects, for you also
shall bow before my power. More than that, in ruling you I also rule
the thousands you say you rule."

Dorothy was very indignant at this speech.

"I've got a pink kitten that sometimes talks like that," she said, "but
after I give her a good whipping she doesn't think she's so high and
mighty after all. If you only knew who Ozma is you'd be scared to death
to talk to her like that!"

Queen Coo-ee-oh gave the girl a supercilious look. Then she turned
again to Ozma.

"I happen to know," said she, "that the Flatheads intend to attack us
tomorrow, but we are ready for them. Until the battle is over, I shall
keep you two strangers prisoners on my island, from which there is no
chance for you to escape."

She turned and looked around the band of courtiers who stood silently
around her throne.

"Lady Aurex," she continued, singling out one of the young women, "take
these children to your house and care for them, giving them food and
lodging. You may allow them to wander anywhere under the Great Dome,
for they are harmless. After I have attended to the Flatheads I will
consider what next to do with these foolish girls."

She resumed her seat and the Lady Aurex bowed low and said in a humble
manner:

"I obey your Majesty's commands." Then to Ozma and Dorothy she added,
"Follow me," and turned to leave the throne room.

Dorothy looked to see what Ozma would do. To her surprise and a little
to her disappointment Ozma turned and followed Lady Aurex. So Dorothy
trailed after them, but not without giving a parting, haughty look
toward Queen Coo-ee-oh, who had her face turned the other way and did
not see the disapproving look.

Lady Aurex led Ozma and Dorothy along a street to a pretty marble house
near to one edge of the great glass dome that covered the village. She
did not speak to the girls until she had ushered them into a pleasant
room, comfortably furnished, nor did any of the solemn people they met
on the street venture to speak.

When they were seated Lady Aurex asked if they were hungry, and finding
they were summoned a maid and ordered food to be brought.

This Lady Aurex looked to be about twenty years old, although in the
Land of Oz where people have never changed in appearance since the
fairies made it a fairyland—where no one grows old or dies—it is
always difficult to say how many years anyone has lived. She had a
pleasant, attractive face, even though it was solemn and sad as the
faces of all Skeezers seemed to be, and her costume was rich and
elaborate, as became a lady in waiting upon the Queen.

Ozma had observed Lady Aurex closely and now asked her in a gentle tone:

"Do you, also, believe me to be an impostor?"

"I dare not say," replied Lady Aurex in a low tone.

"Why are you afraid to speak freely?" inquired Ozma.

"The Queen punishes us if we make remarks that she does not like."

"Are we not alone then, in this house?"

"The Queen can hear everything that is spoken on this island—even the
slightest whisper," declared Lady Aurex. "She is a wonderful witch, as
she has told you, and it is folly to criticise her or disobey her
commands."

Ozma looked into her eyes and saw that she would like to say more if
she dared. So she drew from her bosom her silver wand, and having
muttered a magic phrase in a strange tongue, she left the room and
walked slowly around the outside of the house, making a complete circle
and waving her wand in mystic curves as she walked. Lady Aurex watched
her curiously and, when Ozma had again entered the room and seated
herself, she asked:

"What have you done?"

"I've enchanted this house in such a manner that Queen Coo-ee-oh, with
all her witchcraft, cannot hear one word we speak within the magic
circle I have made," replied Ozma. "We may now speak freely and as
loudly as we wish, without fear of the Queen's anger."

Lady Aurex brightened at this.

"Can I trust you?" she asked.

"Ev'rybody trusts Ozma," exclaimed Dorothy. "She is true and honest,
and your wicked Queen will be sorry she insulted the powerful Ruler of
all the Land of Oz."

"The Queen does not know me yet," said Ozma, "but I want you to know
me, Lady Aurex, and I want you to tell me why you, and all the
Skeezers, are unhappy. Do not fear Coo-ee-oh's anger, for she cannot
hear a word we say, I assure you."

Lady Aurex was thoughtful a moment; then she said: "I shall trust you,
Princess Ozma, for I believe you are what you say you are—our supreme
Ruler. If you knew the dreadful punishments our Queen inflicts upon us,
you would not wonder we are so unhappy. The Skeezers are not bad
people; they do not care to quarrel and fight, even with their enemies
the Flatheads; but they are so cowed and fearful of Coo-ee-oh that they
obey her slightest word, rather than suffer her anger."

"Hasn't she any heart, then?" asked Dorothy.

"She never displays mercy. She loves no one but herself," asserted Lady
Aurex, but she trembled as she said it, as if afraid even yet of her
terrible Queen.