Bianca, Cheyenne, and Herenima stared back at Duke, scared for theeir lives.

"I see you've succeeded in getting out of the room. And you've also succeeded in finding the chamber. I knew you three were very clever. I knew you were too clever. Aside from me and Manikan, I knew you three were the smartest in the entire Ministry and I knew that you needed to be taken care of, if you hadn't been then I knew something like this would happen." Duke said.

"So it was you that trapped us in?!" Herenima said.

"Yes. As I said, you three were the smartest. I knew you'd be the only ones smart enough to know to go to the top floor where no one had yet reached. So you went there, as I guessed, and locked the door. The footsteps you heard the first time were me and the clones. I knew you were in there, so I locked you in. Then I told them how to unlock it, and once I gave my signal for them to attack, to go and get you three and kill you as well. So please tell me, how did you get out of that room?" Duke asked.

"We made a plan. We heard them coming up the staris the socond time. We figured out your plan, it was quite obvious that you locked us in. So when we heard the footsteps the second time we planned to run past them as soon as the door was opened. So we did and we got away. We got over to the forbidden hallway. It wasn't just a forbidden bathroom. There was nothing down that hallway. I just don't see how the others didn't have the sense to go down the hallway for safety anyway." Bianca said.

"Well, they were all informed that the hallway was forbidden for a reason. They were told that a monster lived in the hallway, and when they entered it, they would be killed almost immediately, I don't know how you three weren't informed, but you weren't." Duke said.

"Why did you choose us to come in here? You originally left Princess Gotlaid, Herenima, the Scarecrow, and Gar-Gar out here. Why did you leave them and make us come inside?" Cheyenne asked.

"Well it's very simple really. I love my kids and would never want to hurt them..." Duke was immediately interrupted by Bianca.

"THEN WHAT IS THIS AT OUR FEET? IS IT SOMEONE THAT HAS A STRIKING RESEMBLANCE TO MANIKAN?!" Bianca said raging.

"Listen to what I have to say. I love my kids, and wouldn't want to hurt them. So I left Princess Gotlaid outside because you and your friends had just met her. You have been friends with Manikan. If he wasn't coming in, then I bet you wouldn't either. Herenima, Gar-Gar, and the Scarecrow were to be left outside because I know that Gar-Gar and the Scarecrow were too senseless to do anything. Herenima, you are a very wise young girl, but leaving you ouside was fine, because you know little about Oz, for it is not Oz that you live in, you stay at Pigzits." Duke explained.

"So what did you do to Manikan? And why are you going to kill him?" Cheyenne said trying to stay calm.

"I thought it was best. He got you all in here, and if he knew of my plans, he would try to stop me, and probably succeed with all of you at his side" Duke said "I hit Manikan over the head with a club. I made him weak. He was over at the center, but he regained consciousness and came here. He clearly lost consciousness again. He is very weak, after a while, he will be dead."

"We found you. Can you give him strength back. Let him live?" Biance asked.

"Oh, I could. But I never said that I was going to let you go." Duke siad.