glinda of oz-第23部分

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Glinda　filled　this　cup　with　the　powder　and　carefully

poured　it　into　the　shallow　basin；　which　was　the　top　of

the　great　steel　pillar　supporting　the　island。　Then

Aurah　the　Adept　lighted　a　taper　and　touched　it　to　the

powder；　which　instantly　glowed　fiery　red　and　tumbled

about　the　basin　with　astonishing　energy。　While　the

grains　of　powder　still　glowed　red　the　Sorceress　bent

over　it　and　said　in　a　voice　of　command：　〃Coo！〃



They　waited　motionless　to　see　what　would　happen。

There　was　a　grating　noise　and　a　whirl　of　machinery；　but

the　island　did　not　move　a　particle。



Dorothy　rushed　to　the　window；　which　overlooked

the　glass　side　of　the　dome。



〃The　boats！〃　she　exclaimed。　〃The　boats　are　all

loose　an'　sailing　under　water。〃



〃We've　made　a　mistake；〃　said　the　Wizard　gloomily。



〃But　it's　one　which　shows　we　are　on　the　right　track；〃

declared　Aujah　the　Adept。　〃We　know　now　that　Coo…ee…oh

used　the　syllables　of　her　name　for　the　magic　words。〃



〃If　'Coo'　sends　out　the　boats；　it　is　probable　that

ee'　works　the　bridge；〃　suggested　Ozma。　〃So　the　last

part　of　the　name　may　raise　the　island。〃



〃Let　us　try　that　next　then；〃　proposed　the　Wizard。



He　scraped　the　embers　of　the　burned　powder　out　of　the

basin　and　Glinda　again　filled　the　golden　cup　from　the

drawer　and　placed　it　on　top　the　steel　pillar。　Aurah

lighted　it　with　her　taper　and　Ozma　bent　over　the　basin

and　murmured　the　long　drawn　syllable：　〃Oh…h…h！〃



Instantly　the　island　trembled　and　with　a　weird

groaning　noise　it　moved　upward　　slowly；　very　slowly；

but　with　a　steady　motion；　while　all　the　company　stood

by　in　awed　silence。　It　was　a　wonderful　thing；　even　to

those　skilled　in　the　arts　of　magic；　wizardry　and

sorcery；　to　realize　that　a　single　word　could　raise　that

great；　heavy　island；　with　its　immense　glass　Dome。



〃Why；　we're　way　above　the　lake　now！〃　exclaimed

Dorothy　from　the　window；　when　at　last　the　island　ceased

to　move。



〃That　is　because　we　lowered　the　level　of　the　water；〃

explained　Glinda。



They　could　hear　the　Skeezers　cheering　lustily　in　the

streets　of　the　village　as　they　realized　that　they　were

saved。



〃Come；〃　said　Ozma　eagerly；　〃let　us　go　down　and　join

the　people。〃



〃Not　just　yet；〃　returned　Glinda；　a　happy　smile　upon

her　lovely　face；　for　she　was　overjoyed　at　their

success。　〃First　let　us　extend　the　bridge　to　the

mainland；　where　our　friends　from　the　Emerald　City　are

waiting。〃



It　didn't　take　long　to　put　more　powder　in　the　basin；

light　it　and　utter　the　syllable　〃EE！〃　The　result　was

that　a　door　in　the　basement　opened　and　the　steel　bridge

moved　out；　extended　itself　joint　by　joint；　and　finally

rested　its　far　end　on　the　shore　of　the　lake　just　in

front　of　the　encampment。



〃Now；〃　said　Glinda；　〃we　can　go　up　and　receive　the

congratulations　of　the　Skeezers　and　of　our　friends　of

the　Rescue　Expedition。〃



Across　the　water；　on　the　shore　of　the　lake；　the

Patchwork　Girl　was　waving　them　a　welcome。









Chapter　Twenty…Four



Glinda's　Triumph







Of　course　all　those　who　had　joined　Glinda's

expedition　at　once　crossed　the　bridge　to　the　island；

where　they　were　warmly　welcomed　by　the　Skeezers。　Before

all　the　concourse　of　people　Princess　Ozma　made　a　speech

from　a　porch　of　the　palace　and　demanded　that　they

recognize　her　as　their　lawful　Ruler　and　promise　to　obey

the　laws　of　the　Land　of　Oz。　In　return　she　agreed　to

protect　them　from　all　future　harm　and　declared　they

would　no　longer　be　subjected　to　cruelty　and　abuse。



This　pleased　the　Skeezers　greatly；　and　when　Ozma　told

them　they　might　elect　a　Queen　to　rule　over　them；　who　in

turn　would　be　subject　to　Ozma　of　Oz；　they　voted　for

Lady　Aurex；　and　that　same　day　the　ceremony　of　crowning

the　new　Queen　was　held　and　Aurex　was　installed　as

mistress　of　the　palace。



For　her　Prime　Minister　the　Queen　selected　Ervic；　for

the　three　Adepts　had　told　of　his　good　judgment；

faithfulness　and　cleverness；　and　all　the　Skeezers

approved　the　appointment。



Glinda；　the　Wizard　and　the　Adepts　stood　on　the　bridge

and　recited　an　incantation　that　quite　filled　the　lake

with　water　again；　and　the　Scarecrow　and　the　Patchwork

Girl　climbed　to　the　top　of　the　Great　Dome　and　replaced

the　pane　of　glass　that　had　been　removed　to　allow　Glinda

and　her　followers　to　enter。



When　evening　came　Ozma　ordered　a　great　feast

prepared；　to　which　every　Skeezer　was　invited。　The

village　was　beautifully　decorated　and　brilliantly

lighted　and　there　was　music　and　dancing　until　a　late

hour　to　celebrate　the　liberation　of　the　people。　For　the

Skeezers　had　been　freed；　not　only　from　the　water　of　the

lake　but　from　the　cruelty　of　their　former　Queen。



As　the　people　from　the　Emerald　City　prepared　the　next

morning　to　depart　Queen　Aurex　said　to　Ozma：



〃There　is　only　one　thing　I　now　fear　for　my　people；

and　that　is　the　enmity　of　the　terrible　Su…dic　of　the

Flatheads。　He　is　liable　to　come　here　at　any　time　and

try　to　annoy　us；　and　my　Skeezers　are　peaceful　folks　and

unable　to　fight　the　wild　and　wilful　Flatheads。〃



〃Do　not　worry；〃　returned　Ozma；　reassuringly。　〃We

intend　to　stop　on　our　way　at　the　Flatheads'　Enchanted

Mountain　and　punish　the　Su…dic　for　his　misdeeds。〃



That　satisfied　Aurex　and　when　Ozma　and　her　followers

trooped　over　the　bridge　to　the　shore；　having　taken

leave　of　their　friends；　all　the　Skeezers　cheered　them

and　waved　their　hats　and　handkerchiefs；　and　the　band

played　and　the　departure　was　indeed　a　ceremony　long　to

be　remembered。



The　three　Adepts　at　Magic；　who　had　formerly　ruled　the

Flatheads　wisely　and　considerately；　went　with　Princess

Ozma　and　her　people；　for　they　had　promised　Ozma　to　stay

on　the　mountain　and　again　see　that　the　laws　were

enforced。



Glinda　had　been　told　all　about　the　curious　Flatheads

and　she　had　consulted　with　the　Wizard　and　formed　a　plan

to　render　them　more　intelligent　and　agreeable。



When　the　party　reached　the　mountain　Ozma　and　Dorothy

showed　them　how　to　pass　around　the　invisible　wall　

which　had　been　built　by　the　Flatheads　after　the　Adepts

were　transformed　　and　how　to　gain　the　up…and…down

stairway　that　led　to　the　mountain　top。



The　Su…dic　had　watched　the　approach　of　the　party　from

the　edge　of　the　mountain　and　was　frightened　when　he　saw

that　the　three　Adepts　had　recovered　their　natural　forms

and　were　coming　back　to　their　former　home。　He　realized

that　his　power　would　soon　be　gone　and　yet　he　determined

to　fight　to　the　last。　He　called　all　the　Flatheads

together　and　armed　them；　and　told　them　to　arrest　all

who　came　up　the　stairway　and　hurl　them　over　the　edge　of

the　mountain　to　the　plain　below。　But　although　they

feared　the　Supreme　Dictator；　who　had　threatened　to

punish　them　if　they　did　not　obey　his　commands；　as　soon

as　they　saw　the　three　Adepts　they　threw　down　their　arms

and　begged　their　former　rulers　to　protect　them。



The　three　Adepts　assured　the　excited　Flatheads　that

they　had　nothing　to　fear。



Seeing　that　his　people　had　rebelled　the　Su…dic　ran

away　and　tried　to　hide；　but　the　Adepts　found　him　and

had　him　cast　into　a　prison；　all　his　cans　of　brains

being　taken　away　from　him。



After　this　easy　conquest　of　the　Su…dic；　Glinda　told

the　Adepts　of　her　plan；　which　had　already　been　approved

by　Ozma　of　Oz；　and　they　joyfully　agreed　to　it。　So；

during　the　next　few　days；　the　great　Sorceress

transformed；　in　a　way；　every　Flathead　on　the　mountain。



Taking　them　one　at　a　time；　she　had　the　can　of　brains

that　belonged　to　each　one　opened　and　the　contents

spread　on　the　flat　head；　after　which；　by　means　of　her

arts　of　sorcery；　she　caused　the　head　to　grow　over　the

brains　　in　the　manner　most　people　wear　them　　and

they　were　thus　rendered　as　intelligent　and　good　looking

as　any　of　the　other　inhabitants　of　the　Land　of　Oz。



When　all　had　been　treated　in　this　manner　there　were

no　more　Flatheads　at　all；　and　the　Adepts　decided　to

name　their　people　Mountaineers。　One　good　result　of

Glinda's　sorcery　was　that　no　one　could　now　be　deprived

of　the　brains　that　belonged　to　him　and　each　person　had

exactly　the　share　he　was　entitled　to。



Even　the　Su…dic　was　given　his　portion　of　brains　and

his　flat　head　made　round；　like　the　others；　but　he　was

deprived　of　all　power　to　work　further　mischief；　and

with　the　Adepts　constantly　watching　him　he　would　be

forced　to　become　obedient　and　humble。



The　Golden　Pig；　which　ran　grunting　about　the　streets；

with　no　brains　at　all；　was　disenchanted　by　Glinda；　and

in　her　woman's　form　was　given　brains　and　a　round　head。

This　wife　of　the　Su…dic　had　once　been　even　more　wicked

than　her　evil　husband；　but　she　had　now　forgotten　all

her　wickedness　and　was　likely　to　be　a　good　woman

thereafter。



These　things　being　accomplished　in　a　satisfactory

manner；　Princess　Ozma　and　her　people　bade　farewell　to

the　three　Adepts　and　departed　for　the　Emerald　City；

well　pleased　with　their　interesting　adventures。



They　returned　by　the　road　over　which　Ozma　and　Dorothy

had　come；　stopping　to　get　the　Sawhorse　and　the　Red

Wagon　where　they　had　left　them。



〃I'm　very　glad　I　went　to　see　these　peoples；〃　said

Princess　Ozma；　〃for　I　not　only　prevented　any　further

warfare　between　them；　but　they　have　been　freed　from　the

rule　of　the　Su…dic　and　Coo…ee…oh　and　are　now　happy　and

loyal　subjects　of　the　Land　of　Oz。　Which　proves　that　it

is　always　wise　to　do　one's　duty；　however　unpleasant

that　duty　may　seem　to　be。〃










End