by Tarl Telford
"What are you doing?"
Wickrie-Kells wrapped a towel around her wet hair. "They're gone. Glinda's gone. Oscar's gone. They were our friends. But those people out there, the ones who bled with us yesterday--who are still with us--I have to ask you, who are Oscar and Glinda to them?"
"I know." murmured Omby-Amby.
"Do you?" snapped Wickrie-Kells. "To them, Glinda is a sorceress. Oscar is a great wizard. We know them as people. They know them as symbols." Tears flooded her eyes. "The people are dead." It took several seconds for her to control her sobs.
Omby-Amby stood rigid. He felt the same emotions, but he drew his strength from controlling emotions, not letting emotions control him. He waited for Wickrie-Kells to compose herself. He would wait as long as necessary. He would always wait for her.
"The people are dead. Not the soldiers we fought with. The people--Oscar and Glinda. The people are dead." Wickrie-Kells repeated. "But the symbols live on." She unwrapped the towel from her hair, revealing the change. Her hair was now dyed red.
Omby-Amby immediately recognized the ruse. Wickrie-Kells was going to pretend to be Glinda. "That is crazy." he said.
"Glinda was a little crazy. I doubted her severely when she made the oath with Kalinya. I thought that we would all be going up there together to fight. Instead," she sighed deeply, "the fight came to us. Now Glinda..." She stopped, and lowered her voice to a whisper, "Glinda is dead. That doesn't change Kalinya's oath. That doesn't change what they stood for. Oscar's ideas will change this land forever. They just need people to believe in them. You and I, we're nobody. We supported them. You can't be Oscar. People know your green hair. I'm a little taller than Glinda was, but most people in Oz wouldn't know my face. Our soldiers here know our faces, so they will need to be in on the secret. Glinda is a symbol. People know of her red hair. Nobody else in Oz had red hair except Glinda and her mother. That is a symbol we can raise up. We can raise Glinda's standard for the people--her red hair."
"You are looking at suicide if you go up to the Emerald Prairie."
"And if we stay here, it's a slow death. Omby, I am not Glinda. I don't have what she had. But I believed her when she said that we don't have to limit ourselves to being what others expect us to be. We are not rebelling; we are doing what is right to help others. I've watched you when Oscar speaks. You want it, too. You want to know that you will be free. That your family can live under the law, and that the law won't change just because a king gets greedy."
Omby-Amby nodded his approval of Wickrie's crazy plan. "Your hair is longer than hers. You'll have to let it blow in the wind. Glinda didn't wear her hair in ponytails or braids."
"I know. It's going to drive me crazy."
"So what is the plan, O Red One?"
"We keep moving forward. We made plans with Oscar and Glinda. We have weapons. We have a message, a story. We send runners in every direction. We stop in every village and hamlet between here and the Emerald Prairie. We raise our army. We build our army and face Kalinya as Glinda promised."
"And then what?" Omby-Amby asked.
"Then we do what it turns out we're good at doing--we fight for what is right. Let the consequences come as they may."
"Where will the wizard be?" he asked, running a hand over his green hair.
Wickrie-Kells thought for a moment. "Gone back to his brother wizards in the sky, I suppose. He's watching over us. With any luck, we might get some rain to help us out."
"That was Glinda yesterday."
"I know." Wickrie-Kells reached out, and Omby-Amby took her hand. "Omby, promise me something."
"Anything."
"Promise that no matter what, you'll stand by me."
Omby-Amby pulled his sword from its sheath and knelt before Wickrie-Kells. "I swear it."
* * * * *
In the morning, the fighting girls gathered at Wickrie-Kells' request. These were joined by the warriors, led by Omby-Amby. The soldier with green hair addressed them first from the top of the wall.
"I see before me heroes--my countrymen. Men and women who love freedom and hate tyranny. We will be ruled by laws, not by tyrants. Our friend, the wizard, has journeyed to meet with his brother wizards in the sky. He watches us, and he expects us to do what we have promised to do. Our sorceress," Omby-Amby gestured, and Wickrie-Kells, with resplendent red hair, stepped forward into view, "is with us, and she will lead us."
The fighting girls recognized her face and immediately whispered in confusion to each other.
Wickrie-Kells understood the murmuring in the small army. She put up a hand to silence them, and they obeyed. "You all saw what happened to the lighthouse yesterday. What is fallen cannot be restored to its proper place. We can be true to the ideals we embraced yesterday, by marching today to defend our freedoms. I am no better than any of you.
"I wear this symbol," she held up her long red hair, "because I believe. I ask you to believe with me. Our cause is the cause of all people. I beg you to carry this secret with you. I will be your Red Sorceress, but you must be the People's Army. We fight not for our own power, but for all of the people of Oz.
"Please," she begged, "please be true. We march to battle on the Emerald Prairie. We will build our army on the march. Omby-Amby has selected runners to go in every direction. I will march at the head, and I will lead you into battle. I ask only two things--stand with me, and tell the story of Glinda. Will you do that?"
The army shouted their approval and pledged their lives to uphold freedom.
They marched northward two hours later. By that time, their army had already doubled in size.
HH1: Chapter 28. The Enslavement Begins
When the rain hit the Twisted Lighthouse, Ondri-baba retreated northward in the Hamstrambulator. She only stopped when she was safely outside the reach of the storm. Behind her, to the south, the black sky rained down lightning on the remains of her emblooded army. It was an excellent experiment in longevity. She learned what she needed to know by watching how they fought and how they survived. In heavy rain and wind, the smaller soldiers were the quickest to fall. The larger soldiers lost their sharp features and their honed skills, but they still kept brute strength and determination.
Then she turned her face northward. She saw a pack of wolves running in the distance, and she steered the vehicle toward them. Seeing their strength and power, she let a wicked idea slip into her mind.
* * * * *
Ondri-baba gestured with her hand and the invisible warrior bent the King Wolf's head backwards even further. The wolf yelped in pain. It contorted unnaturally as the invisible force bent the animal's joints nearly to the breaking point. Finally it howled out, "Mercy! Mercy, great witch."
Ondri-baba approached, focusing on the wolf king's eyes. "You have something I want, King Wolf. I want your loyalty. I am going to rule this land. You can join me, or you can be destroyed. What you choose will also affect your people. You have discovered that you cannot harm my warriors, but they most certainly can harm you.
"What do you require of my people?" the king wolf yelped.
"I demand your obedience when I call."
* * * * *
Ondri-baba was flanked by the King Wolf as the invisible warrior ripped a handful of feathers from King Crow's wings. "I can rip the feathers from your body and feed you to the wolves. I can do the same for your people. You see that you cannot peck out the eyes of my warriors."
The King Crow squawked, "Mercy! Have mercy on me, powerful witch! I will agree to whatever demands you set."
"I demand your obedience when I call."
* * * * *
Ondri-baba was surrounded by invisible warriors. Her crows circled overhead. Black bees angrily buzzed around, diving in to sting Ondri-baba, but they were frustrated. Their stings continued to strike at the invisible warriors, but they had no effect. Then the crows dove down and struck at the beehive. The black bees were frustrated in their attacks, and their home was under siege.
The Quee
n Bee flew out to negotiate with Ondri-baba. "What is it you demand, great witch? I would see my people preserved."
"I demand your obedience when I call."
* * * * *
Ondri-baba returned to the battleground to find the siege abandoned. Kalinya and Locasta had packed up their sandy warriors and moved to the next battle.
The one-eyed witch found them on the Emerald Plains. "Your wait will be a long one." mocked Ondri-baba. "Your adversary is dead."
Kalinya glowered but said nothing.
Locasta squirmed uncomfortably. She kept looking for a way out.
"Your day will come. Your oath will be kept. And then you will bow to me as your queen. I demand your obedience." commanded Ondri-baba. That was the final straw.
"I will not bow to you! You are my sister--my younger sister. It is my right to rule, not yours! I will not bow."
Locasta looked for an escape. Ondri-baba saw this, and nipped that thought in the bud. "Oh, no, Apprentice. I have made you a general. You are here until this war is done. And be assured, it will find its finish very soon."
That threat was no consolation for the young witch.
* * * * *
Wickrie-Kells watched the sun set in the east. She stood outside the camp where her followers; No, she corrected herself, make that Glinda's followers, had set up camp for the night. Omby-Amby was running drills with the soldiers. He had even taken over temporary command of the Fighting Girls. Wickrie-Kells needed to keep her distance so that she could maintain her role as the Red Sorceress. After nightfall she would put more dye in her hair to maintain the illusion.
The flapping of wings drew her attention. A Winged Monkey dropped lightly to the ground. "Good evening to you, sir monkey." She said.
Then five more monkeys dropped down around her, including King Klick. The silver monkey sniffed, and then looked more closely at the young woman. "What is this? Where is she?"
Wickrie-Kells gestured for the monkey to be quiet. "Please, your Highness, I can explain. But not here."
King Klick fur bristled. He bared his teeth, but kept his silence. He motioned for two of his monkeys to carry the girl. They winged for ten minutes, far beyond the reach of the army camp.
"Where is the girl, Glinda?" King Klick gnashed his teeth and growled at Wickrie-Kells, the imposter.
"Glinda is dead. The Witches attacked the South Castle. They created a giant monster. Glinda was in the tower when everything fell. We could not get to her."
"I will go and find her."
"No, good King, please. These people, they need to believe. Right now, my red hair is the symbol they believe in. I know I'm not Glinda. What I have done is a lie, but it is for the freedom of the people."
"You people all lie. You humans lie for good ,for bad, for nothing, you lie." King Klick ripped up grass and shrubs in his anger. He pounded the ground. The other monkeys were also agitated, bobbing up and down all around Wickrie-Kells.
"I am keeping Glinda's oath!" the girl shouted. "Glinda swore to battle Kalinya to the death. The winner would get the Golden Cap or the Silver Slippers."
King Klick stopped and stared. His lip twitched. "It was Glinda's oath, not yours. Where is the Golden Cap?"
"Glinda had it. She was wearing it when the lighthouse fell--with her inside. She is dead. I am all that she has left."
"You are not fit to wear her hair. You lie."
Wickrie-Kells fired back, "So you've never told a lie? A mistruth?"
"No."
Wickrie-Kells shifted uncomfortably. "I am sorry. I mean to honor Glinda's memory and what she stood for. If you will not help me, then I will go." She walked back in the direction they had flown.
"The Witches assemble their armies not far distant. They mean to give you battle."
"I know. We swore, I mean, Glinda swore an oath. We will conquer or perish."
"That was her oath. You are not bound to it." King Klick called after her. "A wise leader knows when it is time to retreat. Heed my words, friend of Glinda. I, too, believe in Glinda's cause. It was the cause of her father, who was a great friend to the Winged Monkeys. My loyalty, and the loyalty of my people, cannot be yours, as your hair is but a counterfeit."
"Then look on my heart. Stop looking at my hair. Judge me by my actions. War does not make honest girls."
"War makes monsters of men and burns the rest." King Klick looked southward. "You are unproven to me. But know this, if the battle goes badly, an escape will be opened for as many as we can save. The choice is yours as a leader. Sleep on this and choose wisely. If you meet in battle tomorrow, I wish you favor. If it is the next day, I will send word to you." He motioned to the strong monkeys again, and they carried Wickrie-Kells back to the camp. King Klick launched himself southward, winging into the night.
Omby-Amby met her at the outskirts of the camp as the Winged Monkeys slowed then dropped her to the ground. His soldier eyes held grave concern as he saw the questions in her eyes.
"Are they against us?" Omby-Amby asked.
Wickrie-Kells shook her head no. "He's going to look for Glinda."
Omby-Amby swallowed hard. "So? What's the problem with that?"
Wickrie-Kells looked up, her eyes full of frightened tears. "If he finds Glinda and brings her here, what will the Army think of me, a liar?"
HH1: Chapter 29. The Dream of Freedom
Meanwhile, as the People's Army marched northward, far away to the south, Oscar dreamed.
All around Oscar, mirrors reflected parts of his life, from balloons, to wagon trains, to rainy nights spent alone in a tent, to angrily sold pistols, to war stories hung like tarnished tinsel, to a mother's tears that would not be comforted--no part was left out. A great thunderous bellow echoed through the darkness outside the mirrors. Lightning flashed.
Quelala called from the darkness, "Come to me."
Oscar stepped through a mirror into a brighter world. Shards of crystal hung in the air all around, reflecting not only the room, but memories of things they had seen. Glinda was curled around a sealed book on the floor. She was shaking silently, as if she were sobbing. Oscar reached out to touch her, but the distance was infinitely far. No matter how far he reached, she was always just out of touch.
"She has never had a book she could not read." Quelala's voice sounded behind Oscar.
Oscar turned to see Quelala as a giant floating head in the air beside him. "I want to help her."
"You will." Quelala promised. "But first there are things you must show me."
The floating head of Quelala led Oscar from the hall of floating shards out onto the upturned belly of a sinking ship. Oscar looked to see ruby icebergs floating nearby. "How many ships are nearby?" asked the head.
"I see two." answered Oscar. "But they have no crew."
"Can you call them closer?"
"The iceberg is floating between them. I may be able to get over."
"There are oars on your ship. What use are those?" the voice asked.
Oscar pulled the oars from the belly and laid them between the ship and the iceberg. "They are locked together. They can be a bridge to the iceberg. They should reach the other ship."
They stood in the hull of the second ship. "How far is land?" asked the voice.
"I cannot see it from here, but the third ship has a map." Oscar studied the distant third ship, turned belly-up in the endless ocean. He turned his head to look at the giant head, and when he turned back, he was on the third ship, in the Captain's Quarters. "The map has a compass rose; I've never seen one like this. It's a face inside a crystal. There are vines and flowers all around the map. I see a clock..."
"If the map grows, which direction will the clock fall?"
"Up." Oscar said. "It's spelled..."
"Where is the mountain dock? Will the basket fall?"
"There is a plank. I think that can reach the dock."
Then Oscar stared at the book on the table in the captain's quarters. He traced the letters "O--Z" with his finger on the
cover. The letters turned into glittering emeralds. As he turned the pages, he saw elements of his life written on the page in red ink. But those words were a small portion of the words on the page. When he reached the halfway point of the book, there were more red words, but there was still much black mixed in.
Oscar read one line on the last page that had writing on it, "This is the account of the dreamer who became a humbug."
"The red is dreams and memories--what you are and what you desire. The black is stories that surround the blood that you hold, the lies you tell. The book is yours. Who are you?" the voice asked.
Oscar turned, but the giant floating head of Quelala was nowhere to be seen. Then Oscar was standing by himself on the seashore, holding the book. He locked the clasp on the front of the book and swallowed the key.
A whisper floated on the misty breeze behind him, "Awaken."
* * * * *
Oscar awakened to a strange sensation. He felt a pressure on his chest. All around him were dancing points of light. He groaned and lifted his head. Draped all over his chest and dropping down into his mouth was long, red hair. He blew the hair out of his mouth, and licked his dry lips, but the hair kept finding its way back into his mouth. He breathed in deeply, and the pressure on his chest subsided.
Glinda looked up, lifting her head from Oscar's chest. Her pale, tear-stained face was worn with exhaustion. "Oscar?" she whispered.
"I'm here."
A smile spread on Glinda's face as she studied his face and touched his cheek. Then she wrapped his head in a hug. "You're alive!" She laughed hoarsely, an exhausted, relieved sound. Oscar heard it first-hand as his ear was pressed against her chest. He could feel her tension ease as she laughed.
Then he couldn't breathe. He tapped her arm. "I can't--can't breathe." he croaked.
"Sorry." Glinda let go, and Oscar's head dropped to the floor with a clunk.
"Ouch."
"I'm sorry." Glinda laughed again, but this time her eyes were shining with happy tears.
