CHAPTER 7
The Magic Isle
Ozma, seeing it was useless to argue with the Supreme Dictator of theFlatheads, had been considering how best to escape from his power. Sherealized that his sorcery might be difficult to overcome, and when hethreatened to cast Dorothy and her into a bronze prison she slippedher hand into her bosom and grasped her silver wand. With the otherhand she grasped the hand of Dorothy, but these motions were sonatural that the Su-dic did not notice them. Then when he turned tomeet his four soldiers, Ozma instantly rendered both herself andDorothy invisible and swiftly led her companion around the group ofFlatheads and out of the room. As they reached the entry and descendedthe stone steps, Ozma whispered:
"Let us run, dear! We are invisible, so no one will see us."
Dorothy understood and she was a good runner. Ozma had marked theplace where the grand stairway that led to the plain was located, sothey made directly for it. Some people were in the paths but thesethey dodged around. One or two Flatheads heard the pattering offootsteps of the girls on the stone pavement and stopped withbewildered looks to gaze around them, but no one interfered with theinvisible fugitives.
The Su-dic had lost no time in starting the chase. He and his men ranso fast that they might have overtaken the girls before they reachedthe stairway had not the Golden Pig suddenly run across their path.The Su-dic tripped over the pig and fell flat, and his four mentripped over him and tumbled in a heap. Before they could scramble upand reach the mouth of the passage it was too late to stop the twogirls.
There was a guard on each side of the stairway, but of course they didnot see Ozma and Dorothy as they sped past and descended the steps.Then they had to go up five steps and down another ten, and so on, inthe same manner in which they had climbed to the top of the mountain.Ozma lighted their way with her wand and they kept on without relaxingtheir speed until they reached the bottom. Then they ran to the rightand turned the corner of the invisible wall just as the Su-dic and hisfollowers rushed out of the arched entrance and looked around in anattempt to discover the fugitives.
Ozma now knew they were safe, so she told Dorothy to stop and both ofthem sat down on the grass until they could breathe freely and becomerested from their mad flight.
As for the Su-dic, he realized he was foiled and soon turned andclimbed his stairs again. He was very angry--angry with Ozma and angrywith himself--because, now that he took time to think, he rememberedthat he knew very well the art of making people invisible, and visibleagain, and if he had only thought of it in time he could have used hismagic knowledge to make the girls visible and so have captured themeasily. However, it was now too late for regrets and he determined tomake preparations at once to march all his forces against theSkeezers.
"What shall we do next?" asked Dorothy, when they were rested.
"Let us find the Lake of the Skeezers," replied Ozma. "From what thatdreadful Su-dic said I imagine the Skeezers are good people and worthyof our friendship, and if we go to them we may help them to defeat theFlatheads."
"I s'pose we can't stop the war now," remarked Dorothy reflectively,as they walked toward the row of palm trees.
"No; the Su-dic is determined to fight the Skeezers, so all we can dois to warn them of their danger and help them as much as possible."
"Of course you'll punish the Flatheads," said Dorothy.
"Well, I do not think the Flathead people are as much to blame astheir Supreme Dictator," was the answer. "If he is removed from powerand his unlawful magic taken from him, the people will probably begood and respect the laws of the Land of Oz, and live at peace withall their neighbors in the future."
"I hope so," said Dorothy with a sigh of doubt.
The palms were not far from the mountain and the girls reached themafter a brisk walk. The huge trees were set close together, in threerows, and had been planted so as to keep people from passing them, butthe Flatheads had cut a passage through this barrier and Ozma foundthe path and led Dorothy to the other side.
Beyond the palms they discovered a very beautiful scene. Bordered by agreen lawn was a great lake fully a mile from shore to shore, thewaters of which were exquisitely blue and sparkling, with littlewavelets breaking its smooth surface where the breezes touched it. Inthe center of this lake appeared a lovely island, not of great extentbut almost entirely covered by a huge round building with glass wallsand a high glass dome which glittered brilliantly in the sunshine.Between the glass building and the edge of the island was no grass,flowers or shrubbery, but only an expanse of highly polished whitemarble. There were no boats on either shore and no signs of lifecould be seen anywhere on the island.
"Well," said Dorothy, gazing wistfully at the island, "we've found theLake of the Skeezers and their Magic Isle. I guess the Skeezers are inthat big glass palace, but we can't get at 'em."
Glinda of Oz Page 7