"Interesting," Umar said, twisting one end of his long mustache. "People either refer to him as King Scarecrow or the Wizard of Oz. I've never heard anyone call him the Wizard King, but I like it!"
"Thank you," Dorothy said. She quirked a brow. "And?"
"The Wizard of Oz rarely leaves the city," Cynna said. "Why do you ask?"
Dorothy smiled at them and lifted her two Uzis. "Oh, I'm off to off the wizard."
She resisted the urge to squeeze off a few rounds. It might startle them, and why show off like that? It was unseemly.
"Off to off?" Umar said, frowning. "What an odd turn of phrase. What does it mean?"
"Father, I think she means to kill him," Cynna said, baby blue eyes huge. "Good luck."
"Sorry," Dorothy said, disappointed her morbid joke flopped. "I'm off to kill the wizard."
"Well, good luck, young lady. You're going to need it," Umar said, turning back to his donkey as the others began moving again. "We're leaving that godforsaken city and moving to the North Country. The Good Witch of the North, Olivia, will protect us."
"I hear the Gillikin Country is beautiful," Cynna said. "And I do quite like purple."
Umar gave his daughter a disapproving look. "Hmmmm."
Dorothy looked them over. Cynna was correct, everyone up in Gillikin Country tended to wear shades of purple. Considering how father and daughter were all decked out in shades of red, she would think they'd be more comfortable in the South, in Quadling Country. But then Glinda was from the South. And from what little she'd heard about the Cardinal Witches, Diana of the South was the weakest magically.
As much as Dorothy wanted to get started toward Emerald City, and her fateful reunion with Scarecrow, she had to know. She bit her lip, afraid of what she'd find out for sure. The rumors she'd heard were disturbing, and they did appear to be true if that was indeed Glinda back in the mountains.
"What…I mean, what about Glinda of the South?"
"Glinda! That…that…ugh," Umar said, getting all red. "She is worse than a fool! My grandpappy warned her, oh, some sixty or seventy years ago."
"Warned her?"
Dorothy wondered if Umar was more important than appearance suggested. Maybe that was how his grandpappy knew Glinda well enough to advise her.
"To stay away from the Wizard of Oz," he said. "She'd come to Emerald City at the Wizard's summons. Grandpappy didn't believe she knew that the Wizard had taught himself magic, or found a talisman of some sort. Something insidious, no doubt. Anyway, she treated it all too casually, not believing her friend could have turned wicked. But Scarecrow was beyond wicked, he was evil and in cohorts with his wicked lieutenants, Tin Woodman and Lion."
"Oh my, what happened?"
Dorothy had an idea, since Glinda had turned to evil herself. Apparently. Hopefully Glinda, Tin Woodman, and Lion were bespelled, so she could save them.
"Well, I don't know the details. No one does, save the participants," Umar said. "Ultimately, though, Glinda was captured. Once under Scarecrow's thumb, she was quickly subverted, her soul and mind corrupted in the worse way. Shortly afterwards, Scarecrow officially declared himself the King of Oz, as well as Wizard."
"When a Good Witch goes bad, she goes really, really bad," Cynna said. "Glinda is now the wickedest of the wicked, though is not technically a Wicked Witch, since she is in reality the Wizard of Oz's bound servant. Some think she's still a Cardinal Witch and refer to her as the Imperial Witch or King's Witch. Very tragic, really."
"Corrupted? Servant?" Dorothy said. "You mean like magically bound to obey Scarecrow?"
Umar shrugged. "Don't know if it is a magical compulsion, or her mind was corrupted," he said. "Within days word reached the streets that Glinda served Scarecrow, with both her magic and her body. Soon, she appeared among the people, and did wicked things to any young, pretty man or woman she took a shining to. The depths of her depravity and debauchery are things to fear and dread." He looked Dorothy over. "You are just her type, so I'd strive to avoid her at all costs."
Dorothy's eye widened. What happened to all of the Witches of Oz? I was warned the exact same way about the Wicked Witch of the West.
Dorothy felt fear grip her insides, while a hot tingle and warm wetness spread between her legs. What did sweet, innocent Ozians think were the depths of depravity? She'd surfed the internet, so knew what the depths of depravity were in her world.
"Glinda is quite insatiable," Cynna said. "She took my older sister, Dairia, and then used magic to force her to lactate for her amusement and insatiable appetites. Glinda then sold Dairia to a pimp as a 'human cow' when she was through with her."
"Oh my," Dorothy said, breathless and mind reeling. "I don't want to believe it, but you're not the first to speak thus about the former Good Witch of the South."
"She's still the most powerful Witch, so no one can stop her," Cynna replied, giving her an exasperated look. "Glinda is Scarecrow's minion now. The Wizard of Oz is the most powerful of them all."
"Couldn't the Good Witches work together to fight Scarecrow and Glinda?" Dorothy asked. "Surely even the Wicked Witches would help them to be rid of the Wizard of Oz."
"No. Witches are solitary creatures," Umar said. He scowled and looked northward. "They don't work well together."
"I'm afraid all of the lands of Oz were turned upside down by Dorothy," Cynna said with a sigh. "I'll never understand why she came here and destroyed us. What did she gain by it?"
Once again it came back to rest on her shoulders. Dorothy simmered, thinking how Scarecrow and her other friends sullied her reputation in Oz. It seemed everyone blamed her. She didn't like to take blame for her own mistakes, much less be blamed for what others did.
"Thank you," Dorothy said, sucking in a deep, steadying breath. "You've been more than generous and helpful."
Chapter 21
Dorothy became more cautious as she neared the great gate into the city. Emerald City had changed more than she initially realized. The Emerald City that Dorothy remembered so fondly was highest in the center, and all of the other towers became shorter and shorter as they spread out and approached the walls surrounding the city. It looked like a great crystal mountain.
Now, the city covered a larger area. She could see two distinct walls, one inside the other. The inner walls were the city walls she remembered. The outer walls stood even taller and more intimidating. Like before, every structure she could see looked like green crystal. The buildings between the outer and inner walls were all short, with few taller than the outer walls. Within the inner walls, many of the towers she fondly remembered still stood, but most were gone. The palace in the middle remained the tallest of the tall, probably around ten stories high. It kind of reminded her of a fairy tale castle, but all a crystal green.
"Looks like someone knocked out half the city's teeth," she said. "Kind of ragged."
She paused atop the last low hill before reaching the gates. It appeared they'd shut the gates for the day, but it was still early afternoon. Yet, the end of the line of people leaving the city was just reaching that same hilltop.
"Excuse me, sir," she asked the last man. He was definitely a Gillikin, wearing a purple jumpsuit of sorts, with a lavender jacket. His top hat was stripped in purple and lavender. "Have they already closed the gates for the day?"
"Yes," he said, giving her scantily clad body a disapproving look.
He barely gave the weapons she wore a second look. His eyes came to rest on her boobs. She sighed, remembering how in her youth men rarely looked her in the eyes. After losing her youth and beauty so many decades back, it was kind of exciting to have men show interest in her again. Or was it just every man's inbred lust for tits?
"Do you think the guards will let me inside?"
"No," he said. "It's that time of month."
"I beg your pardon!"
He looked confused a second, and then shook his head vigorously.
"Oh no, I didn't mean that time of the month, young lady,"
he said, turning bright red. "Though, in way it's similar. They always lock the gates when King Scarecrow holds court in public. He only does it once a month."
"Why is that?"
"It's the only time the common citizen can petition for him to rule on their grievances against each other," the Gillikin said. "So the City Guard locks down the city until it is over."
"When will the gates open and allow people into the city?" she asked. "I'm quite desperate to get inside."
He looked her over again, frowned, but his gaze stopped to linger on her boobs. "Do you have money?"
"A little," she said. She's spent most of it on food and lodgings during her long trek across Winkie Country. Horses were expensive to stable and feed. "A few pennies."
That would only last her a day or two on the road. She suspected the city was even more expensive, which meant she had to strike as quickly as possible. And she couldn't think of a better time than while Scarecrow was out in public.
Dorothy never contemplated how she'd get to Scarecrow inside the heavily guarded palace. It could very well be another month, at the next public Court, before she could get close enough to strike. Even with automatic weapons, she'd need to be as close as possible. Uzis were not long range weapons.
"A few pennies won't last you long," he said. Glancing back at the gate, he seemed lost in thought a long moment. "The City Guardsmen aren't well paid, so are easy to bride. A few pennies won't be enough, though. Do you know anyone important within the city to assist you?"
"I'm not from Oz, kind sir," she said, giving him her best big-eyed, innocent little girl look. "Two witches in my land of…um…Humbug got into a magical fight. I got hit by a stray bolt out of the blue. And found myself at the end of this yellow brick road. The kind citizens of the village said the Wizard of Oz was the only one who could send me home."
His jaw dropped. Dorothy feared she'd made another, more serious faux pas. Was it too much like her original story? His reply sent her heart to racing.
"That is almost the same story as Dorothy of Kansas," he said. The man scowled at her. "Dorothy went to see the wonderful wizard we had back then, and then used her evil magic to force him to leave. The world hasn't been the same since." Then he paused, looking off into space. "But if history repeats itself…"
"I don't understand, kind sir," she replied, playing coy. "I've never heard of this Dorothy you speak of. I just want to go home."
He looked her over more closely, a bulge rising between his legs. Dorothy found herself obsessing over that bulge. Indeed, she'd let more than a few fellow travelers seduce her when staying at inns. Did her transformation into a young woman also turn her into a raging nympho? Or was it a sudden surge of youthful hormones into a body long missing them? Though, she had justified her "easy virtues" on a need to conserve her money, and the men paid for the rooms when she gave herself to them.
"Tell me true, young lady, are you a witch?"
"Of course not. Why do people keep asking me that?" she replied. "Are witches so common in Oz?"
"Not at all," he said. His eyes ran up and down her body a few times, lingering on her long legs and plump boobs. Then he stared at her lips when he continued. "Most nice girls don't dress so enticingly. Bad girls and bawdy women like to show off their bodies like that, and witches. Witches are the worst about dressing provocatively." He leaned in close, wagging his bushy brows. "The wickeder the witch, the wickeder her outfit."
She leaned back, away from his leering face. "Oh. That's unfortunate."
He continued to stare hungrily at her lips. Dorothy's throat tightened. She accidently licked her lips, which made him groan low in his throat. Her belly got a little tingly hot.
"D-Do I have any chance at all of gaining entry today, sir?"
The Gillikin reached out and stroked her cheek with the back of his fingers. His eyes dropped into her cleavage for a second, before returning to her lips. She was starting to wonder what it would be like to kiss him. Would he be so bold as to try?
"The City Guardsmen are fierce, but easily manipulated by pretty young women like you," he said rather breathlessly. His hot breath brushed across her lips. "I dare say, you could wrap them around your little finger."
Fond memories of those long gone days when a smile and giggle would make men do anything for her returned to her mind. Lord, how she missed those idyllic days.
"You mean, they will let me in if I smile pretty and ask nicely?"
He barked a laugh, and stood straight. "No, I mean if you kneel and suck enthusiastically."
"Oh my! That's so…inappropriate."
His words sent a surge of arousal through her. Her head went to very bad places, and she felt her sex get hot and slick. Her mouth watered, forcing her to swallow over and over. She almost licked her lips again, but he was watching her intently.
His gaze returned to her tits. After a second, she felt how her nipples were tingling, and growing taut. Glancing down, she noticed they were hard, erect, and perfectly defined through the tight sports bra. Dorothy cursed the loss of the gingham shirt.
"Oh, come on, miss," he said, leering. "I see how you're dressed. I've seen hookers dressed less sexually."
"This is how proper young women dress in my wor… My country of Humbug," Dorothy said. "In fact, I'm quite well-covered where I come from. One might even call me frumpy."
It occurred to her that in the circles her granddaughter ran in that was true. But, shorts and a midriff top were accepted casual wear in America for young women. Even in Kansas.
"Really?" he said, taken aback. The Gillikin leaned in, lust filling his violet eyes. "How do I get to this Humbug Country?"
"Um, that's why I'm seeking the Wizard of Oz," she said. "To find out, or maybe he'll just send me."
"Shame. I'd so love to visit your country if you're an example of virginal."
Dorothy stared at him a second, wondering if she wanted him to make a pass at her or not. He was an odd looking fellow by her Midwestern sensibilities, but not unattractive. For some reason her libido was getting excited.
"Well, sir," she said, throat tight. She rubbed her lips together, before popping them. The young beauty glanced toward the city gate. "I'm sure a hardy young man like yourself would be quite…um…welcome in Humbug Country. And I'd love to discuss the matter more, but I really need to get into the city before dark. King Scarecrow is my only hope. Bye-bye."
She quickly turned on a heel and strode away. Her silver stilettos clattered and clacked on the yellow bricks, while she held her breath and listened intently for pursuit. Dorothy was afraid to look back at him. He might see the desire and need in her eyes, and then it would all over. Well, she could go to Emerald City in the morning when the gates were open...
"No. If I fail to strike today, I may never get another chance," she whispered. Word of her return would surely reach Emerald City and King Scarecrow within the next few days. In fact, she worried he was already looking out for her. "Keep walking."
Unwanted thoughts of being with the Gillikin man filled her fertile mind. Her boobs, belly, and sex tingled. Once again, she felt her sex getting amazingly slick and ready.
I really have to get a handle on my raging hormones, she thought. Biting her lip, she cast a quick look back at the Gillikin man. I pray it's just hormones.
Whatever magic changed her back into a young woman might have super-charged her libido. She didn't recall ever having such a powerful, all consuming sex drive. Okay, she went a little boy crazy in her late teens.
And then Dorothy remembered the Gillikin's leering suggestion of how best to manipulate the City Guardsmen at the closed gate. Was he serious? And could she trade sex for what she wanted? That was against all of her core values, though recent times had eroded those values terribly.
Chapter 22
As she approached the tall, thick gates into the city, Dorothy studied the guards on duty. She counted a dozen men in elaborate silver and green uniforms. They wore silvery cuirasses over the
ir green shirts, with green trousers and black boots. They all had silver helmets that made her think of the German spiked helmet, called a Picklehaube. Sabers hung from their belts and all but one guard had a twelve-foot spear. The one guard without a spear had fancier armor, so she assumed he was the officer.
"Declare yourself, young woman!"
"I am Dorothy," she said. Dorothy realized her mistake even before she finished saying her name. So she quickly added, "Of Humbug Country."
She gave them her biggest, brightest smile. Instead of falling madly in love with her, they all gasped and pointed their spears at her.
"Not that Dorothy," she said. "Lordie, everyone in Oz is so scared of that other Dorothy."
"How do we know you are not the same Dorothy?" the officer said.
"Oh, good question," she said.
The officer looked her over. His alert eyes lingered on her Uzi submachine guns and pistols. At most he looked suspicious. No one in Oz had yet figured out they were weapons before it was too late. She wondered how long that would last. Even in a primitive land like Oz bad news travelled fast.
"When was the evil Dorothy last here? Did you ever meet or see her?" she asked.
Did time move at the same speed as in her world? Didn't the Quadling man mention it'd been sixty or seventy years since Glinda's subjugation? It'd been seventy-two years since she last visited Oz in Kansas time.
"Oh, no, she was here in my grandfather's day," he said. "But he described her as a pretty, dark-haired little girl. Just like you."
"Oh! You think I'm pretty?"
He paused, staring at her. Was that the first hint of lust in his eyes? Back in Kansas, it never took much coaxing to rile up a man. The slightest flirt from a pretty girl and a man's libido went into overdrive.
"I said Dorothy of Kansas was pretty," he replied. When she dropped her eyes, feigning hurt feelings, he added. "Though, I do think you are beautiful."
She instantly acted interested again. Dorothy bit her lip and pretended to be too shy to make eye contact. He puffed up. The other guards lifted their spears, no longer threatening her. Indeed, they all looked amused and interested.
Off To Kill the Wizard (Return to Oz With a Vengeance Book 1) Page 11
