"Who is this Wizard of Oz?" Holmes enquired of Miss Glinda, as he glanced down the length of his nose at the distinctive Saffron Path. It was, by its own measure, a most inimitable thing; warping inwards to a tight curl, not unlike the spiral shape that typifies a nautilus shell. It was paved in bricks dyed a most shockingly deep yellow – hence Holmes's name for the road.

"The Wizard is the ruler of the Emerald City, which lies at the end of this road. He can answer all of your questions, Mr. Holmes. And he can help you get back to Brighton, Dr. Watson! But you must go quickly!"

"Why the rush, Miss Glinda? Surely the 'Emerald City' is not moving in the near future…" Holmes once more tried to pry any detail he could from the lady; searching for clues to the First Witch and Oz in general. I wondered what his mind had already concluded towards all we had been through. For, though I am certainly no doddering fool, I could make neither front nor back of the place.

"Oh, I am so afraid that the Wicked Witch of the West will get to you!"

"Somebody already strangled her, didn't they?"

"That was the Wicked Witch of the East. Do try and keep up, Watson." Holmes corrected me.

"She's just awful! And so very dangerous! Why, I wouldn't be surprised one bit if she had strangled her own sister just for the Ruby Walking Stick!" Miss Glinda whispered with the tones of one imparting some new, sensationalist gossip.

"Her sister?" Holmes clarified.

"Yes. The Wicked Witch of the West and the Wicked Witch of the East are sisters. That is a very special ruby, Mr. Holmes. I fear that many people would do terrible things for it, and that many people already have. All the secrets of Oz lie in that Walking Stick, and only one man knows the key to unlocking them." Miss Glinda added cryptically.

"Very well then, Holmes. I imagine we're off to see the Wizard." I turned to my companion, and noticed straight away the sharp and wintry change of features that signaled the cogs in his mighty mind beginning to work something over.

"Yes of course, Watson… To the Wizard we go..." He responded, seeming so far away in his newly begun deductions, that I dare not let a breeze rustle the gumdrops in the trees for fear of breaking his concentration.

It was here that Miss Glinda did a most unexpected thing by planting a soft kiss on my right cheek.

"No one in all of Oz may harm those who have the mark of my kisses, Doctor. It shall protect you from the stranger things to come." She explained.

"Well, then. That's very kind of you Miss Glinda." Though I wished that I could think of more to say, the sheer strangeness of all things prevented me from being more cordial and responsive.

"Now, you and Mr. Holmes can delay no longer. You must get to the Emerald City, and you must see the Wizard! And remember that there is nothing so important as that Ruby!"

Here Miss Glinda led Holmes and myself partially down the start of the Saffron Path. She and the many Munchkins waved us off as we began to make our way to the Emerald City.

"Odd name, don't you think?" Holmes said, after I had finished waving my goodbyes in return.

"Whose is?" I demanded of him sharply, as I had suddenly acquired a fondness for the name Glinda.

"Munchkin." He replied to my great relief, "One presumes quite easily that it takes it origins from Münich Kindl; meaning Munich Child and being the coat of arms of that particular Bavarian city. Given that the Munchkins are quite naturally small in physique and that the traditional depiction of the Münich Kindl is of a child dressed in a thirteenth century monk's robes, I find it highly probably that their name was derived from this source. Perhaps we will find that this Wizard is of a decidedly Germanic heritage. If so, this will narrow down the possibilities of his identity to a simple art."

"Whatever are you on about? How will any of that help you deduce the identity of this Wizard fellow?"

"It's elementary, Watson. There are very few individuals in Europe who would be able to afford so elaborate a farce as this 'Fairy Kingdom'. I have told you once before that life can be infinitely stranger than anything the mind of man was capable of inventing - now we see the extent of man. For though our present surroundings are, indeed, the strangest setting we have ever encountered, they are most assuredly the device of some sick mind. Some sick, exceedingly wealthy, potentially Bavarian mind…"

He gazed darkly upon the threshold of Oz, visible now upon cresting a hill that marked the boundaries of the small Munchkin village. Before us lay cornfields, forest and flower gardens; but beyond it all, jutting from the ground like raw and uncut riches glimmered what was – what must have been – the Emerald City.

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A/N: Firstly, thanks so much to those of you who are following this bizarre adventure. It's nice to feel like somebody else is laughing at these jokes…

Secondly, if you haven't reviewed and you've read to this point in the story: Why haven't you told me what you think? Flowers need love and encouragement to grow. I don't bite, and I'm terribly desperate to know the opinions of others! Even if it's criticism or good-natured disapproval!

On a note regarding the content of today's chapter, in specific the kiss…

Nah. I'll let you make up your own minds on that one for now. If you have any real problems with it, drop me a line and I'll spill the beans in advance.

Thanks for reading!