Mombi's Magic
The thoughts of the little company, as they sped toward the Emerald City, were many and varied. Mombi, suspended precariously in Kabumpo's trunk, smiled darkly to herself, for Mombi, as usual, had a plan to outwit her enemies. She could not remember changing the King to a dummy at all, and had at first doubted that Humpy really was the King, but when she had read upon his collar the forgotten green magic formula, even Mombi was convinced. All that was now necessary to dispel the enchantment was to reach the Emerald City.
"Once there, I'll show them," the old witch chuckled wickedly to herself, as she thought of what would happen then.
Pajuka, looking at the stuffed King beside him, was wondering sadly whether he and his royal master would ever be quite the same, whether the good old Oz days they had enjoyed together would ever return again. Fluttering his wings, and keeping his balance with difficulty, the poor goose dreamed longingly of the comfortable chairs in the old hunting lodge, of his pipe and his smoking jacket with sixteen pockets.
Snip was trying to puzzle out how the King had ever fallen into California, how Tora had got his strange ears, how Pajuka would look as a man and how Ozma would like giving up the throne to her father.
Tora, holding fast to his precious ears, had closed his eyes and begun to plan a blue suit for Snip and a velvet cloak for Dorothy. He had taken a great fancy to the little girl. "Let the other fellows worry about this king," thought the tailor with a tired sigh.
Dorothy, for her part, was trying to imagine what would happen when they reached the capital. She felt sure Mombi meant some mischief but, comforting herself with the thought of Sir Hokus of Pokes and the other brave inhabitants of the castle, she finally stopped worrying and began to wonder how Humpy would look when he was changed to himself and what would become of her apartment in the palace. It was all so strange and confusing that Dorothy could hardly wait to see how it would turn out, and watched anxiously for the first sight of the green towers and spires of Ozma's palace.
Humpy was too busy holding on to his crown and to Kabumpo to think of anything, but the Elegant Elephant was busily considering the appearance he would make at the King's coronation. "I'll just have that old tailor cut me a white velvet robe," decided Kabumpo importantly. "I'll wear my pearls and a satin bow on my tail and—"
Just then, Snip gave a little scream of delight, for, spreading out suddenly before them like a picture from fairyland itself, was the enchanting Emerald City of Oz. Its lacy turrets and spires sparkled with emeralds, its marble streets glowed with the same precious stones. The air was sweet with roses and honeysuckle and everywhere were flowering parks and tree lined avenues.
Humpy, Pajuka, Snip and the tailor were simply stunned by the magnificence of the capital, but to Dorothy, Mombi and Kabumpo, the Emerald City was an old story. Accustomed to its beauty and familiar with its grandeur, they scarcely gave it a second glance. Many of the town's people, recognizing Dorothy, waved cheerfully as they passed and all too soon for Snip, who could have ridden up and down its enchanted streets all day, the Elegant Elephant charged into the royal park and approached the Palace of Emeralds itself.
"Master," choked the goose, touching Humpy tremulously with his wing, "our castle was never so fine as this. To think that all of this belongs to you!" Pajuka stretched his neck exultantly. "I wonder if there's a pipe anywhere in the castle?" he puffed suddenly.
"You shall have twenty pipes, my good goose!" promised the dummy. "Everybody shall have a pipe!"
Dorothy and Snip giggled a little at this. Then, as Kabumpo stepped upon the broad portico, Pajuka, remembering Mombi's past threats, began to scream hoarsely, "The witch—don't let her go, don't let her go, whatever you do! She'll steal Ozma's magic and destroy us all. Hold on to Mombi!”
Kabumpo had been on the point of dropping the old woman so he could pull the jewelled bell rope, but at Pajuka's warning he tightened his grip.
"Pray alight, Dorothy, and announce his Majesty!" puffed the Elegant Elephant, forgetting that not more than an hour ago he had called the King a piece of a night shirt. Dorothy and Snip slid down together and, both seizing the rope, set it to jingling merrily.
"Won't they be surprised," murmured Dorothy, looking over her shoulder at Kabumpo and his strange passengers. "Won't they be surprised when they see who is here? But why don't they come to the door?"
Why indeed? For the very simple reason, that there was no one to come—not even the cook's boy. For that morning, Jellia Jamb, Ozma's small serving maid, looking from the castle window, had seen her mistress and the little group who were with her in the garden vanish before her eyes. Rushing frantically through the palace, she spread the dire news, and immediately the entire household had set out to find the lost ones—the entire household from the tallest courtier to the tiniest page. Tik Tok might have enlightened them, but the machine man had run down. No one thought to wind him up and even Tik Tok did not know that Ozma and her friends had gone to Morrow.
In puzzled dismay, Dorothy pressed her nose to the diamond panes in the door. Then, seeing that the great hall was empty, she tried the knob. In their excitement the searchers had left the door unlocked and, with a little exclamation of surprise, Dorothy opened it and motioned for Kabumpo to follow with his passengers.
Kabumpo was bitterly disappointed that there was no one to witness his grand entry with the King and, when they reached the throne room itself without encountering anyone, he looked positively crestfallen. "A fine welcome for his Highness!" he grunted irritably. "Where is the court? Where are the attendants? A thing like this would never have happened in Pumperdink!"
"Ha, ha!" croaked Mombi maliciously, but subsided at once when the Elegant Elephant gave her a shake. Pajuka and Tora had alighted with Snip and all were staring about the beautiful room in admiration.
But Kabumpo was still angry. "Is this tailor to be admitted to the presence?" he demanded loftily, fixing his eyes upon Tora's shabby suit. "In Pumperdink such things are not done."
Dorothy was too worried over the strange silence in the castle to bother with Kabumpo's saucy speeches, but the dummy, falling headlong from the Elegant Elephant's back, put his arm affectionately through Tora's.
Humpy waved Kabumpo aside and pulled the old tailor to a seat beside him. Tora shoved his spectacles up on his forehead and looked gravely at the pompous dummy.
"Let him stay by all means," said Humpy condescendingly. "Every King must have his tailor and he's mine. Besides, has anyone else in this room flying ears, I want to know?"
"Well, I prefer my ears on," grunted the Elegant Elephant disdainfully.
"I'm glad they're on you," sniffed Pajuka. He felt unaccountably drawn to the gentle old tailor, but Tora himself was too taken up with his splendid surroundings to mind Kabumpo's remarks. Just then Humpy, catching sight of the glittering emerald throne, let go of the tailor's arm and started running across the room. The others gave little heed, for certainly it was right and fitting for the King to occupy his proper place in the palace.
Mombi, seeing the dummy's move, fairly trembled with excitement. Without being at all aware of it, Humpy was playing directly into her hands and as he sank down upon the throne the witch gave a shriek of triumph. Held fast though she was in Kabumpo's trunk, her arms were still free. Beginning with Snip and going on to Dorothy, Mombi began to count, "One—two—three—four—five—six—seven!"
At seven her finger pointed to Pajuka, whose every feather stood erect with terror. Snatching two buttons from Kabumpo's robe, Mombi popped them into her mouth and shouted the magic formula on the dummy's collar. "202 B E-10 B-4 7," ran the number, but as Mombi said it, it sounded like this, "Two ought to be eaten before seven."
That done, Mombi glared at the King. "I command you to assume your proper form," she screamed.
Well, surely nothing could have been worse than the next happening. With a grinding, crashing suddenness, the palace began to sink, gaining speed as it went. Down, down, down, till the windows and doorways were blotted out with earth and mud and the whole company lost in the choke of utter and awful darkness. Of all the screams in the room, Mombi's was loudest. Never in her darkest imaginings had Mombi anticipated anything like this! What unknown and dreadful magic had she set in motion?
