Chapter 37: The Wizard of Oz
"Damn it! Damn it!" E. Thropp shouted, as she kicked the nearest item in her path which was a wooden stool. The force of her kick sent the stool flying into the wall. The stool nearly exploded on impact as it hit the barrier. "How could the Tin Man brainwash my sister like that? How could Nessa be so easily swayed?"
"Elphaba, please, calm down. Don't go flying off the handle," Glinda said, in a soothing tone, as she placed her hands on the emerald gunslinger's shoulders. "We can stop the Tin Man."
"How?" Elphaba demanded impatiently.
Glinda bit her bottom lip in thought. After a few seconds her eyes lit up with an idea. "The Wizard of Oz!"
Elphaba rubbed her forehead as a result from stress. "What about him?" she asked with little emotion.
"We can ask him for help! He does on occasion help citizens who come to him. We can go to him, and with some luck he might aid us," Glinda replied, as she cupped E. Thropp's face to gain her attention.
"How do you know he will help us?" Elphaba asked with a cheerless sigh.
"I don't know for sure, but it doesn't hurt to try," Glinda said, as she gave the green bounty-hunter a loving gaze. "We don't have another option, so let's go and give it a whirl."
After what seemed like forever E. Thropp nodded her head and said, "I guess we're off to see the Wizard…The Wonderful Wizard of Oz."
…X…
It took time but Elphaba and Glinda rode into The Emerald City. It was as busy as ever with people rushing about from one area to another. The crowds even seemed more congested and crammed than normal.
When the two women arrived at the very building that held The Wonderful Wizard of Oz they were met with great resistance. When they rang the bell to the massive building a snippy and unpleasant guard was there to meet them.
"Who rang that bell?" the guard snapped, as a deep scowl formed upon his scrunched up face.
"We did," Elphaba and Glinda answered together.
"Can't you read?" the guard barked in a tone that showed he was quite annoyed.
"I love to read," Elphaba answered defiantly. "I bet I have read more books in one week than you have in your lifetime."
The guard gave her a dirty look. "Then read the sign!"
"What sign?" Glinda inquired.
"It's right on the door. It's as plain as the nose on my face. The bell is out of order. You must knock," the guard grumbled. His mustache wiggled in such a bizarre way that, the both women thought that a caterpillar had somehow crawled under the guard's nose and made a home there. His hair was also styled so it looked like two tiny logs were laying either side of the top of his head.
"How about you just stop being a smartass and just let us in?" Elphaba growled, as she removed her Colt Peacemaker and pointed it at him.
"Are you threatening me with that gun?" the guard asked, he was clearly alarmed about the sudden action by the green woman.
E. Thropp shook her head smugly. "No, I'm just encouraging you."
"Please, Sir, my companion and I both want to see the Wizard," Glinda said gently as she pulled on the gunslinger's arm, so Elphaba would lower her gun. "We must for if we don't the Tin Man will cause more chaos."
"The Tin Man has always caused chaos, that's nothing new," the guard murmured in a tone that showed he was unimpressed.
Elphaba could see that words weren't going to persuade this guard. But she hoped something else would. "Well it's clear that we can't convince you, but maybe my friends the Bill brothers can…" E. Thropp then slipped a few large bills into the guard's hand. It was risky to try to bribe a guard of this level, but the deal seemed to work. The guard nodded his head in approval, tucked the money away, and opened the massive door of the building.
Once inside Glinda leaned over to Elphaba and whispered, "The Bill brothers make a convincing case."
Elphaba flicked her hat back and answered, "It's no secret, my sweet, when money talks, people shut up pretty quickly."
Since the building housing the great Wizard of Oz was so large, Elphaba and Glinda had to take a carriage to the very location he dwelled. The carriage driver was quite the funny one. Making jokes and starting up light conversation. Glinda did most of the talking as E. Thropp marveled over the colored changing horse that was pulling the carriage.
When they finally arrived at two more massive doors, they exited the carriage and a second guard stood before them.
This guard looked even more bizarre than the first who met them. He wore an emerald uniform that had a long cape trailing behind it. On his head and both his hands he wore odd pale green animal muffs to either keep him warm or for fashion purposes. For his weapon, he held a spear with flowers attached to the top. The uniform, the guard wore, seemed so unusual and peculiar. Elphaba wondered if the clothes would become more of a nuisance than an actual help if a fight was to occur.
"If you please, Sir, we would like to see the Wizard," Glinda said in such a sweet voice.
"Orders are no one is allowed to see the Wizard," the guard muttered.
"How could the great Wizard of Oz be so coldhearted? He's supposed to help people not turn them away," Glinda retorted as she placed both hands on her hips. "Besides, I think the Wizard would jump at the chance to see the famous E. Thropp of the West."
The guard's eyebrows rose in surprise as he exclaimed, "E. Thropp?" His eye sight must have been poor because he leaned in and squinted to try to focus them. "By the Unnamed God, it is E. Thropp! Well that's makes a difference. One moment and I'll announce you at once." With that the guard marched off spear in hand.
"I sure hope this works," Elphaba replied, as she nudged the heiress gently. After a minute she added, "You're a smooth talker."
"I'm use to talking in front of people," Glinda answered as her face flushed slightly. Just then a loud thunderous boom filled their ears. The heiress gripped the gunslinger in fear and surprise. "What was that?"
Before the emerald bounty-hunter could answer the guard opened the door and nodded to the two women, "The Wizard will see you now." Both women gave each other worried looks but they wasted no time entering through the doors.
As Elphaba and Glinda made it down to the end of the decorated hall they held each other's hand for comfort. It wasn't long before they saw a giant head before them. Smoke dispensed out and filled the room. Sounds like thunder and lighting rumbled all around them. It was almost like a storm was taking place in the very room they were in.
From the sound of the commotion E. Thropp stepped in front of Glinda, in a protective fashion, as her hand lingered by her holster, just in case she needed to draw her weapon. She doubted however that the bullets would stop the Wizard of Oz.
Within seconds a booming voice called out to them. "I am Oz! The Great and Powerful! Who are you?" When no one answered he tried again. "WHO ARE YOU?"
Elphaba didn't frighten easily, but she would be lying if she said she wasn't scared at that moment. It took an encouraging push from Glinda for E. Thropp to gain her nerve to speak.
"I am E. Thropp a bounty-hunter and this is Glinda the heiress to the Upland Ranch!" Elphaba cried out in a powerful tone.
"Ah, E. Thropp, I've heard of you. The Outlaw of the West!" the giant head snickered, as smoke pour from every direction. Elphaba didn't know what he meant by the title of 'The Outlaw of the West,' but she didn't say anything about it.
"We have come to ask you help to defeat the Tin Man. I'm sure you have heard of him," Glinda piped in.
"Of course I have! Who do you think you are speaking to, girl? I know more than you can imagine," The Wizard of Oz laughed, for a moment, before his tone became serious once again. "But listen well, The Wizard of Oz has decided to help you, but you first must do something for me to prove you are worthy."
"What is it?" Elphaba asked, as she subconsciously took Glinda's hand into her own.
"You must bring me the Grimmerie!" The Wizard roared. "It is a book that is written in the lost language of spells. Few can read from it but it's a powerful tool indeed. Bring it to me, and I will fulfill your request."
"Where is this Grimmerie?" E. Thropp asked, as she took a step forward.
"Hidden the book is!" The Wizard roared. "It is hidden in the old mines near Vehement Forest. The rumor is two guardians watch over the book. It will not be an easy journey but what journey is? Now, go and leave me be, and do not return until you give me the Grimmerie! I will expect nothing less! Go!
"But what if…" Glinda began.
"I said go!" The Wizard snapped, as smoke turned red to show his rage. The two women said no more as they hurried away to prepare for their journey.
"Well we better get a move on. The sooner we find this Grimmerie the sooner I can help my sister." As Elphaba spoke she began to count up her supplies. "Well I'm ready when you are…Glinda? Glinda are you okay?" The gunslinger noticed that the blonde heiress was staring intently at a wanted sign poster. "My sweet, what's wrong?"
Glinda said nothing but pulled the poster from the wall and showed it to E. Thropp. Elphaba took it from her wife's hand and her eyes widen in shock.
The wanted poster read: "WANTED: E. Thropp, the lowly bounty-hunter of the West, for the unlawful seduction of Glinda Upland, future wife of Fiyero Tiggular. She is known to be armed and extremely dangerous. A bounty of $5,000 will be paid by Marillot and Baxiana Tiggular to anyone who can bring E. Thropp to justice. She is wanted dead or alive…dead preferred."