Sky Island

by L. Frank Baum

  ROSALIE THE WITCH

  CHAPTER 16.

  Trot and Button-Bright had now become worried and anxious, for they knewif they were tossed over the edge of the island they would be killed.Cap'n Bill frowned and set his jaws tight together. The old sailor hadmade up his mind to make a good fight for his boy and girl, as well asfor his own life, if he was obliged to do so.

  The twelve Counselors then voted, and when the vote was countedTourmaline announced that six had voted to allow the strangers to remainand six to toss them over the bushes.

  "We seem evenly divided on this matter," remarked the Queen, with apuzzled look at her Council.

  Trot thought the pretty Queen was their friend, so she said:

  "Of course you'll have the deciding vote, then, you being the Ruler."

  "Oh, no," replied Tourmaline. "Since I have asked these good people toadvise me it would be impolite to side against some of them and with theothers. That would imply that the judgment of some of my Counselors iswrong, and the judgment of others right. I must ask some one else tocast the deciding vote."

  "Who will it be, then?" inquired Trot. "Can't I do it? Or Cap'n Bill, orButton-Bright?"

  Tourmaline smiled and shook her head, while all the Counselors murmuredtheir protests.

  "Let Trot do it Or you'll rue it!"

  advised the parrot, and then he barked like a dog and made them alljump.

  "Let me think a moment," said the Queen, resting her chin on her hand.

  "A Pink can think As quick's a wink!"

  the parrot declared.

  But Tourmaline's thoughts required time and all her Counselors remainedsilent and watched her anxiously.

  At last she raised her head and said:

  "I shall call upon Rosalie the Witch. She is wise and honest and willdecide the matter justly."

  The Pinkies seemed to approve this choice, so Tourmaline rose and took asmall pink paper parcel from a drawer. In it was a pink powder which shescattered upon the seat of a big armchair. Then she lighted this powder,which at first flashed vivid pink and then filled all the space aroundthe chair with a thick pink cloud of smoke. Presently the smoke clearedaway, when they all saw seated within the chair Rosalie the Witch.

  This famous woman was much like the other Pinkies in appearance exceptthat she was somewhat taller and not quite so fat as most of the people.Her skin and hair and eyes were all of a rosy pink color and her gownwas of spider-web gauze that nicely matched her complexion. She did notseem very old, for her features were smiling and attractive and pleasantto view. She held in her hand a slender staff tipped with a lustrouspink jewel.

  All the Pinkies present bowed very respectfully to Rosalie, who returnedthe salutation with a dignified nod. Then Tourmaline began to explainthe presence of the three strangers and the difficulty of deciding whatto do with them.

  "I have summoned you here that you may cast the deciding vote," addedthe Queen. "What shall we do, Rosalie: allow them to remain here ashonored guests, or toss them over the bushes into the sky?"

  Rosalie, during Tourmaline's speech, had been attentively examining thefaces of the three Earth people. Now she said:

  "Before I decide I must see who these strangers are. I will follow theiradventures in a vision, to discover if they have told you the truth.And, in order that you may all share my knowledge, you shall see thevision as I see it."

  She then bowed her head and closed her eyes.

  "Rock-a-bye, baby, on a tree-top; Don't wake her up or the vision will stop,"

  muttered the parrot; but no one paid any attention to the noisy bird.

  Gradually a pink mist formed in the air about the Witch and in this mistthe vision began to appear.

  First, there was Button-Bright in the attic of his house, finding theMagic Umbrella. Then his first flight was shown, and afterward his tripacross the United States until he landed on the bluff where Trot sat. Inrapid succession the scenes shifted and disclosed the trial flights,with Trot and Cap'n Bill as passengers, then the trip to Sky Island andthe meeting with the Boolooroo. No sound was heard, but it was easy fromthe gestures of the actors for the Pinkies to follow all the adventuresof the strangers in the Blue Country. Button-Bright was greatlyastonished to see in this vision how the Boolooroo had tested the MagicUmbrella and in a fit of rage cast it into a corner underneath thecabinet, with the seats and lunch basket still attached to the handle bymeans of the rope. The boy now knew why he could not find the umbrellain the Treasure Chamber, and he was provoked to think he had severaltimes been quite close to it without knowing it was there. The lastscene ended with the trip through the Fog Bank and the assistancerendered them by the friendly frog. After the three tumbled upon thegrass of the Pink Country the vision faded away and Rosalie lifted herhead with a smile of triumph at the success of her witchcraft.

  "Did you see clearly?" she asked.

  "We did, O Wonderful Witch!" they declared.

  "Then," said Rosalie, "there can be no doubt in your minds that thesestrangers have told you the truth."

  "None at all," they admitted.

  "What arguments are advanced by the six Counselors who voted to allowthem to remain here as guests?" inquired the Witch.

  "They have done us no harm," answered Coralie, speaking for her side;"therefore we should, in honor and justice, do them no harm."

  Rosalie nodded. "What arguments have the others advanced?" she asked.

  "They interfere with our color scheme, and do not harmonize with ourpeople," a man of the Sunrise Tribe answered.

  Again Rosalie nodded, and Trot thought her eyes twinkled a little.

  "I think I now fully comprehend the matter," said she, "and so I willcast my vote. I favor taking the Earth people to the edge of the islandand casting them into the sky."

  For a moment there was perfect silence in the room. All present realizedthat this was a decree of death to the strangers.

  Trot was greatly surprised at the decision and for a moment she thoughther heart had stopped beating, for a wave of fear swept over her.Button-Bright flushed red as a Pinky and then grew very pale. He creptcloser to Trot and took her hand in his own, pressing it to give thelittle girl courage. As for Cap'n Bill, he was watching the smiling faceof the Witch in a puzzled but not hopeless way, for he thought she didnot seem wholly in earnest in what she had said.

  "The case is decided," announced Tourmaline, in a clear, cold voice."The three strangers shall be taken at once to the edge of the islandand thrown over the bushes into the sky."

  "It's raining hard outside," announced Coralie, who sat near the door;"why not wait until this shower is over?"

  "I have said 'at once'," replied the little Queen, with dignity, "and soit must be at once. We are accustomed to rain, so it need not delay us,and when a disagreeable duty is to be performed the sooner it isaccomplished the better."

  "May I ask, ma'am," said Cap'n Bill, addressing the Witch, "why you havedecided to murder of us in this cold-blooded way?"

  "I did not decide to murder you," answered Rosalie.

  "To throw us off the island will be murder," declared the sailor.

  "Then they cannot throw you off," the Witch replied.

  "The Queen says they will."

  "I know," said Rosalie; "but I'm quite positive her people can't do it."

  This statement astonished all the Pinkies, who looked at the Witchinquiringly.

  "Why not?" asked Tourmaline.

  "It is evident to me," said the Witch, speaking slowly and distinctly,"that these Earth people are protected in some way by fairies. They maynot be aware of this themselves, nor did I see any fairies in my vision.But, if you will think upon it carefully, you will realize that theMagic Umbrella has no power in itself, but is enchanted by fairy powers,so that it is made to fly and to carry passengers through the air _byfairies_. This being the case, I do not think you will be allowed toinjure these favored people in any way; but I am curious to see in whatmanner the fairies will defend t
hem, and therefore I voted to have themthrown off the island. I bear these strangers no ill will, nor do Ibelieve they are in any danger. But since you, Tourmaline, havedetermined to attempt this terrible thing at once, I shall go with youand see what will happen."

  Some of the Pinkies looked pleased and some troubled at this speech, butthey all prepared to escort the prisoners to the nearest edge of theisland. The rain was pouring down in torrents and umbrellas wereunknown; but all of them, both men and women, slipped gossamer raincoatsover their clothing which kept the rain from wetting them. Then theycaught up their sharp sticks and, surrounding the doomed captives,commanded them to march to meet their fate.