The Red Jinn

by Palmer, Mildred L. rtf

  “Neither would I,” chuckled the Lion, as he settled down to work on his tray.

  His dinner over, Jinnicky jumped up and approached the cart. He thrust the dinner bell under the seat, then turned to Dorothy. “Here’s something I bet the Wizard can’t do,“ he announced. “Watch.” He blew sharply on the cart, which in the twinkling of an eye shrank until it was lost to sight in the grass. The Lion’s ears stood up very straight as Jinnicky stooped and picked up the cart.

  “What did you do that for?” he asked.

  The Jinn grinned. “I’m going to take a nap, and I don’t want all my magic left out where anyone can find it. Here…” he handed the cart to Dorothy. “Put it in your pocket, and we can all rest a while without anything to worry about.“ Dorothy glanced curiously at the tiny cart, and slipped it into her pocket. Jinnicky stretched out on the grass and pulled his head into his jar. Soon loud snores rumbled through the lid. Dorothy and the Lion regarded each other in consternation.

  “He sounds like an earthquake,” observed the Lion mildly. “Well, he didn’t get much sleep last night; he’s entitled to a nap. Come on, Dorothy; let’s look around until he wakes up.“ The little girl looked over her shoulder as they started off. “Do you think we should leave him here alone?” she wondered apprehensively.

  “Why not?” grunted the Lion carelessly. “We won’t go far. Anyway, the racket he’s making would scare anything away from him.“ Dorothy laughed and followed the Lion up a steep hill. At the top they paused in wonder. The valley below was dotted with strange and beautiful flowers. With a cry of delight, Dorothy ran down the hill to them, the Lion at her heels.

  “Aren’t they beautiful?” she cried. “I’ve never seen anything like them. I’m going to pick some and take them back to Jinnicky.“ She caught at the stem of the nearest flower and pulled. It resisted with surprising strength. The Lion watched her struggles for a moment, then took a stem between his teeth and attempted to bite it off.

  “I never saw such tough plants,” panted Dorothy, tugging vainly at the flower. The Lion, his ears laid back, teeth clenched, was leaning back with all his strength, jerking viciously at the stubborn stem.

  A sound in the air above her head made Dorothy look upward. “Look!” she cried.

  Several of the flowers had started to grow rapidly, expanding to tremendous size. Suddenly they turned downward and started growing swiftly directly at them!

  “Run!” called the Lion hoarsely. But before they could move, the flowers were upon them. Swiftly, irresistibly, with gentle firmness, the petals closed about them, enfolding them ever tighter and more immovably into darkness.

  CHAPTER XI

  BY ORDER OF HER MAJESTY

  “What is the meaning of this!“ Betsy jumped, and turned around to see Faleero standing in the doorway.

  “Why, Ozma!” she stuttered. “How you startled me! I thought you were in the garden.”

  “Is that why you were snooping in my rooms?”

  “I wasn’t snooping!” exclaimed Betsy indignantly. “I just wanted to look at the Magic Picture. You always let me before.”

  “Don’t argue with me!” returned Faleero furiously. “You were snooping. You and your friends are continually spying on me and whispering to each other about me. I’ve had all I’m going to stand. You’re leaving the Palace today! You can tell Trot and Cap’n Bill to go with you. I don’t want to see any of you again. Now get out of here! Get out!”

  As Betsy turned dazedly toward the door, Faleero seized her arm; thrusting her out of the room, she slammed the door shut. “That’ll show her,” she panted. “And that’s only the beginning. I’ll clear the Palace of everyone but the servants, and then I’ll start on the Emerald City. The people will work from morning ‘til night, and anyone who defies me will be thrown into prison!“ Betsy fled down the hall to Trot’s room.

  “I think Ozma has gone crazy, Trot!” she cried. “Something is terribly wrong.“ Trot listened to the story with concern. “Maybe Ozma was trying to fool you,” she suggested hopefully.

  “She wasn’t fooling,” Betsy insisted. “She almost threw me out of her room.

  Something has happened to her. She’s been acting strangely ever since we got back from Sapphire City.”

  “That’s true,” agreed Trot. “But surely she didn’t really mean for us to leave the Palace-why, we live here.”

  “Not any more,” declared Betsy. “She said we should leave the Palace today. She doesn’t ever want to see us again.”

  “I can’t understand it,” puzzled Trot. “She liked to have us here; she asked us to stay.”

  “Well, now she’s asked us to go,” returned Betsy grimly. “I think we’d better get out quickly before we meet her again.”

  “Let’s find Cap’n Bill and see what he thinks.” Trot jumped up. They found Cap’n Bill in the throne room, standing before a poster which two soldiers were just putting up.

  “Listen to this, Trot,” he said, as they came up to him. “‘By Order of her Majesty, Ozma of Oz:

  ‘All persons now living in the Palace, not employed in the care and upkeep of the Palace, will leave immediately. Suitable employment will be provided for them in the Emerald City.

  ‘Singing and dancing are not allowed in the Emerald City. Decorous laughter will be permitted between the hours of 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. only. Parties or gatherings of any kind are strictly prohibited.

  ‘All persons in the Emerald City are commanded to seek employment. Anyone found on the street without permission will be imprisoned.

  ‘Half of each person’s income is to begiven to the Queen.‘“ The old sailor scratched his ear. “Does that make any sense to you, Trot?“ Before the girl could reply, one of the soldiers touched her hand imploringly.

  “Don’t answer,” he begged. “I have been ordered to arrest anyone who criticizes these laws.“ Trot studied his face gravely. “Would you do it?”

  “I wouldn’t want to,” protested the soldier, “but the orders were very definite.”

  “Where did you come from?” asked Betsy. “I’ve never seen any soldiers around here before—except for the Soldier with the Green Whiskers, and he’s not really a soldier kind of soldier.”

  “The army was only formed this morning,” the soldier explained. “Ozma is going to put the Emerald City under martial law until she finds that everyone is obeying her orders. Then she plans to conquer each of the four countries as well.”

  “What does she want to do that for?” gasped Cap’n Bill. “All the four countries belong to her anyway.”

  “She wants everyone to go to work and send half their goods to her. You know that no one will believe that of her until they are conquered and martial law is set up all over Oz. I’m not sure I believe it myself—and I’m to carry it out…!”

  “But what’s the point of it all?” asked Cap’n Bill plaintively. “I can’t understand it!”

  “Neither can I,” confessed the soldier. “I’ve never heard of anything like this in all Oz. I’ve never seen Ozma before, myself; I come from the Munchkin country and I’ve never been in the Emerald City before, but I’ve always heard that Ozma was good and kind and that the people all loved her.”

  “She used to be kind and good,” mused Betsy, “and all her subjects did love her. Lately, though, she’s changed. She’s grown—well—different. She’s not the Ozma we loved.”

  “Let’s find the Wizard,” suggested Trot suddenly. “Maybe he can tell us what it’s all about.”

  “The Wizard left yesterday,” answered Cap’n Bill. “I don’t know where he went, but he said he’d be gone for several days.”

  “Well, let’s pack up and get out of here, then,” said Betsy hopelessly. “Ozma doesn’t want us to see her again, and I don’t much want to see her myself,“she added, half to herself.

  “Well, I do!” declared Trot with determination. “I’m going to see her right now and find out what’s wrong with her.”

  “That’s the ticket,�
� agreed Cap’ n Bill. “Let’s get a straight bill of goods from her. There must be a reason for her to throw us out like this.“ He stamped out of the throne room, his wooden leg thumping angrily on the polished floor. The girls followed him silently to the door of Ozma’s rooms. Here they were stopped by a guard.

  “Out of the way,” commanded Cap’n Bill. “We’ve come to see Ozma.”

  “You can’t,” answered the guard. “My orders were to keep everyone away.”

  “Why?” asked Trot in astonishment.

  “She said,” stammered the guard in embarrassment, “she said she didn’t want anyone to come bothering her—especially you three.”

  “Nonsense!” exclaimed Trot. “I’m going to talk to her.” Slipping past the guard, she rapped on the door.

  It opened promptly, revealing Faleero, her face distorted with anger. Fiercely she berated the guard; then she turned on the three friends. ‘“I’ll give you just five minutes to leave the Palace! If you are found on the grounds at the end of that time, I’ll have you imprisoned! Get out of here, and don’t ever come back!”

  “What’s come over you?” demanded Trot. “Why are you acting like this?“ Beside herself with rage, Faleero slapped her. Then, stepping back, she slammed the door, leaving the child standing there, a hand pressed to her cheek.

  “You’d better go,” urged the guard anxiously. “She might come out again and find you still here.“ Trot turned stiffly. Without looking at any of them, she walked away. Betsy ran after her and caught her arm. “Oh, Trot!” she sobbed, “how could Ozma do such a thing?”

  “That isn’t Ozma,” answered Trot in a queer voice.

  “What’s that?” gulped Cap’n Bill. “Trot, honey… you feel all right? Here, let me feel your forehead.“ Trot jerked away from his hand. “I said that’s not Ozma,” she repeated.“I don’t know who it is, but I do know that no matter what happened, Ozma would never strike me. She’d never turn us out, either. Ozma’s gone, and somebody is taking her place. She looks like Ozma, but she’s not.“ Cap’n Bill considered this statement carefully. He had the greatest respect for Trot’s judgment; moreover, living in a fairyland, he knew that many strange things could happen. “What shall we do?” he asked presently, accepting her theory.

  “We must go tell Glinda,” answered Trot, “and we’ll go right now.” Outside the Palace they saw many of the green-clad soldiers moving through the city streets. Some were tacking up posters bearing the new laws; others were stopping children’s games.

  Twice they saw protesting citizens being led away.

  “That proves it,” declared Betsy. “Ozma wouldn’t allow anything like this. She wouldn’t even keep an army, except for the Soldier with the Green Whiskers.”

  “We should have figured it out sooner,” fretted Trot. “The day we came back from Sapphire City we should have know that wasn’t Ozma.”

  “I’m sorta glad it turned out this way,” Betsy remarked. “It would be worse if Ozma could ever act so mean.“ Trot and Cap’n Bill agreed heartily. The strain of the past few days had been hard on them all. But now, knowing that their beloved Ruler had not turned against them, they felt they could face any hardship.

  “I don’t like all these soldiers,” worried Cap’n Bill. “I hope they won’t try to stop us from leaving the city.”

  “I hadn’t thought of that!” exclaimed Trot. “Maybe we’d better wait ‘til night and climb over the wall.”

  “We might get caught,” objected Betsy. “Then they’d know we were up to something. If we just walk out openly, it won’t seem so suspicious.”

  “That’s the best way,” decided Cap’n Bill. “If they do stop us, we can still try to get out at night. But we probably won’t have any trouble.“ To their great relief, they were not stopped. The Guardian of the Gate let them pass without question, wishing them a pleasant journey. Once outside the city, they turned their faces southward.

  CHAPTER XII

  LOST IN A STRANGE LAND

  Half smothered in the enfolding petals, Dorothy could neither move nor cry out.

  She thought she felt a sensation of upward motion like that of an elevator. After what seemed like hours, the flower suddenly opened, spilling her carelessly out upon the soft ground She scrambled to her feet just in time to see another flower open and the Lion tumble out. He was too deeply outraged even to roar.

  He rolled over, gasping for breath, and fixed a reproachful eye on Dorothy. “Let’s get back to Jinnicky,” he puffed. “That is, if you don’t want to pick any more flowers.“ Then, after a quick look around, he covered his eyes with his paws and groaned.

  “What’s the matter?” cried Dorothy, falling on her knees beside him. The Lion uncovered his eyes and stood. “Take a look around us and see if it looks the same to you as it does to me.” Obediently Dorothy stood and looked about. Then she turned back to the Lion with an expression of despair.

  “I know,” he said gently. “Where do you suppose we are?” They stood on a hill in a strange, rosy land. As far as they could see, the hills and valleys were a soft rose pink.

  Even the trees, with their lovely feathery branches, were of the same roseate hue. In the distance—Dorothy looked and pointed-far to the North was a shimmering, rose-colored castle.

  The Lion peered at it, squinting earnestly. “We’d better go there,” he decided finally. “Maybe we’ll find somebody to tell us where we are and how to get back to Jinnicky. “ Dorothy sighed as they started down the hill. It seemed that everything was conspiring to keep her from the Emerald City and Ozma. Even if the inhabitants of the pink castle proved friendly, and could tell them how to get back to the place where they left Jinnicky, how could she know that Jinnicky would still be there? What if he woke up and started looking for them? They could miss each other in that vast land, and they might search for months without finding one another.

  And meanwhile, Ozma was gone, and Faleero…. A big tear rolled down the little girl’s cheek. She brushed it away and began looking around at the scenery in order to forget her troubles.

  It was a beautiful country. Even in the midst of her worry, Dorothy realized that she had never seen a lovelier place. The soft pink branches swaying gently in the breeze looked like ostrich plumes. The ground, she noticed in surprise, was not solid, but was spongy and porous, looking for all the world like cotton candy from the circus, or beaten egg whites. It was soft and springy; indeed, they fairly bounced down one hill and up the next.

  “It won’t take us long at this rate,” puffed the Lion. “We’ll be at the castle before we know it.“ Dorothy laughed; the sight of the Lion jouncing beside her did much to lift her spirits. They had been through many troubled times together, she remembered, and everything had always turned out right.

  This would too, she was sure; and meanwhile, she might as well enjoy her new experiences.

  “What kind of people do you think live here?” she asked.

  “Jumping jacks,” panted the Lion. “Did you ever walk on anything like this before in your life?”

  “It’s like bouncing on a big bed,” agreed Dorothy, “but it’s fun, I think. We go so fast.”

  “Too fast,” the Lion grumbled. “It’s not dignified. We’ll make a great impression on the people, bouncing in on them like this.”

  “Oh, well; they probably bounce too,” consoled the little girl. “We’ve almost reached the castle now. Isn’t it pretty!“ They paused at the foot of the hill. Above them loomed the strange roseate castle, glowing in the sun. Flags flew from the many spires, but not a single person was in sight, nor could they hear a voice. “I wonder if anyone lives there,” puzzled Dorothy.

  “There’s something very queer about it,” muttered the Lion darkly. “It just doesn’t look right….”

  “It hasn’t got any doors!” exclaimed Dorothy. “How will we get in?”

  “I’m not quite as sure as I was that I want to,” gulped the Lion. “Let’s leave.”

  “Nonsense!” Doro
thy stamped her foot—which bounced her three feet into the air.

  “Don’t be silly; we’re going up there. Someone must live inside, and maybe they can help us.“ The Lion resignedly started up the hill; Dorothy followed. “Maybe it isn’t real,“ answered the Lion hopefully. “Maybe it’s just a dream castle.“ Dorothy pinched herself. “I’m not dreaming,” she told him resentfully. “That hurt.”

  “I’ll take your word for it,” chuckled the Lion. “Never mind pinching me. Well, we’re here; what shall we do about it?”

  “Let’s walk around the castle ‘til we come to a door,” proposed the little girl determinedly. “There must be some way in.“ They started around the castle, pausing now and then to admire the jewels studding the walls. After walking for about twenty minutes, the Lion stopped. “We’ve been all the way around,” he grunted. “This is where we started.” Dorothy wondered how he knew. It all looked alike to her, but she knew the Lion was never mistaken in matters of this kind.