CHAPTER 21
The Three Adepts
The Sorceress looked up from her work as the three maidens entered,and something in their appearance and manner led her to rise and bowto them in her most dignified manner.
The three knelt an instant before the great Sorceress and then stoodupright and waited for her to speak.
"Whoever you may be," said Glinda, "I bid you welcome."
"My name is Audah," said one.
"My name is Aurah," said another.
"My name is Aujah," said the third.
Glinda had never heard these names before, but looking closely at thethree she asked:
"Are you witches or workers in magic?"
"Some of the secret arts we have gleaned from Nature," replied thebrownhaired maiden modestly, "but we do not place our skill besidethat of the Great Sorceress, Glinda the Good."
"I suppose you are aware it is unlawful to practice magic in the Landof Oz, without the permission of our Ruler, Princess Ozma?"
"No, we were not aware of that," was the reply. "We have heard ofOzma, who is the appointed Ruler of all this great fairyland, but herlaws have not reached us, as yet."
Glinda studied the strange maidens thoughtfully; then she said tothem:
"Princess Ozma is even now imprisoned in the Skeezer village, for thewhole island with its Great Dome, was sunk to the bottom of the lakeby the witchcraft of Coo-ee-oh, whom the Flathead Su-dic transformedinto a silly swan. I am seeking some way to overcome Coo-ee-oh's magicand raise the isle to the surface again. Can you help me do this?"
The maidens exchanged glances, and the white-haired one replied
"We do not know; but we will try to assist you."
"It seems," continued Glinda musingly, "that Coo-ee-oh derived most ofher witchcraft from three Adepts at Magic, who at one time ruled theFlatheads. While the Adepts were being entertained by Coo-ee-oh at abanquet in her palace, she cruelly betrayed them and aftertransforming them into fishes cast them into the lake.
"If I could find these three fishes and return them to their naturalshapes--they might know what magic Coo-ee-oh used to sink the island.I was about to go to the shore and call these fishes to me when youarrived. So, if you will join me, we will try to find them."
The maidens exchanged smiles now, and the golden-haired one, Audah,said to Glinda:
"It will not be necessary to go to the lake. We are the threefishes."
"Indeed!" cried Glinda. "Then you are the three Adepts at Magic,restored to your proper forms?"
"We are the three Adepts," admitted Aujah.
"Then," said Glinda, "my task is half accomplished. But who destroyedthe transformation that made you fishes?"
"We have promised not to tell," answered Aurah; "but this youngSkeezer was largely responsible for our release; he is brave andclever, and we owe him our gratitude."
Glinda looked at Ervic, who stood modestly behind the Adepts, hat inhand. "He shall be properly rewarded," she declared, "for in helpingyou he has helped us all, and perhaps saved his people from beingimprisoned forever in the sunken isle."
The Sorceress now asked her guests to seat themselves and a long talkfollowed, in which the Wizard of Oz shared.
"We are quite certain," said Aurah, "that if we could get inside theDome we could discover Coo-ee-oh's secrets, for in all her work, afterwe became fishes, she used the formulas and incantations and arts thatshe stole from us. She may have added to these things, but they werethe foundation of all her work."
"What means do you suggest for our getting into the Dome?" inquiredGlinda.
The three Adepts hesitated to reply, for they had not yet consideredwhat could be done to reach the inside of the Great Dome. While theywere in deep thought, and Glinda and the Wizard were quietly awaitingtheir suggestions, into the tent rushed Trot and Betsy, draggingbetween them the Patchwork Girl.
"Oh, Glinda," cried Trot, "Scraps has thought of a way to rescue Ozmaand Dorothy and all of the Skeezers."
The three Adepts could not avoid laughing merrily, for not only werethey amused by the queer form of the Patchwork Girl, but Trot'senthusiastic speech struck them as really funny. If the GreatSorceress and the famous Wizard and the three talented Adepts at Magicwere unable as yet to solve the important problem of the sunken isle,there was little chance for a patched girl stuffed with cotton tosucceed.
But Glinda, smiling indulgently at the earnest faces turned towardher, patted the children's heads and said:
"Scraps is very clever. Tell us what she has thought of, my dear."
"Well," said Trot, "Scraps says that if you could dry up all thewater in the lake the island would be on dry land, an' everyone couldcome and go whenever they liked."
Glinda smiled again, but the Wizard said to the girls:
"If we should dry up the lake, what would become of all the beautifulfishes that now live in the water?"
"Dear me! That's so," admitted Betsy, crestfallen; "we never thoughtof that, did we Trot?"
"Couldn't you transform 'em into polliwogs?" asked Scraps, turning asomersault and then standing on one leg. "You could give them alittle, teeny pond to swim in, and they'd be just as happy as they areas fishes."
"No indeed!" replied the Wizard, severely. "It is wicked to transformany living creatures without their consent, and the lake is the homeof the fishes and belongs to them."
"All right," said Scraps, making a face at him; "I don't care."
"It's too bad," sighed Trot, "for I thought we'd struck a splendididea."
"So you did," declared Glinda, her face now grave and thoughtful."There is something in the Patchwork Girl's idea that may be of realvalue to us."
"I think so, too," agreed the golden-haired Adept. "The top of theGreat Dome is only a few feet below the surface of the water. If wecould reduce the level of the lake until the Dome sticks a littleabove the water, we could remove some of the glass and let ourselvesdown into the village by means of ropes."
"And there would be plenty of water left for the fishes to swim in,"added the white-haired maiden.
"If we succeed in raising the island we could fill up the lake again,"suggested the brown-haired Adept.
"I believe," said the Wizard, rubbing his hands together in delight,"that the Patchwork Girl, has shown us the way to success."
The girls were looking curiously at the three beautiful Adepts,wondering who they were, so Glinda introduced them to Trot and Betsyand Scraps, and then sent the children away while she considered howto carry the new idea into effect.
Not much could be done that night, so the Wizard prepared another tentfor the Adepts, and in the evening Glinda held a reception and invitedall her followers to meet the new arrivals. The Adepts were greatlyastonished at the extraordinary personages presented to them, andmarveled that Jack Pumpkinhead and the Scarecrow and the Tin Woodmanand Tik-Tok could really live and think and talk just like otherpeople. They were especially pleased with the lively Patchwork Girland loved to watch her antics.
It was quite a pleasant party, for Glinda served some daintyrefreshments to those who could eat, and the Scarecrow recited somepoems, and the Cowardly Lion sang a song in his deep bass voice. Theonly thing that marred their joy was the thought that their belovedOzma and dear little Dorothy were yet confined in the Great Dome ofthe Sunken Island.
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