Chapter 50
Elphaba rode her horse at a canter for awhile before slowing down to a walk. She'd run the animal mercilessly, and for that she was sorry. Her intent was to find a nice stream and grassy area, allow it a much needed respite, and read that article about Glinda once and for all. The curiosity was killing her, but she didn't want to take her eyes off the road in order to glance at the paper for fear that she might veer off course.
Quadlingstone had long since given way to gravel. The tall evergreens on each side of the forested road positioned themselves as armaments for her protection. At least that's what she liked to tell herself. There was always a comforting feeling that came with trees. The wooded, piney scent evoked memories of her travails over the last six years. Good years to be certain. What she had accomplished with Fiyero, Dr. Frinley, and the rest of the Resistance was monumental, giving birth to a social evolution that the likes of Oz had never seen.
Elphaba sighed at the memories. Once, during her youth, she had thought that her efforts would be celebrated throughout Oz. The awkward, green girl would do good, and all would hold her in the highest esteem. While youthful ignorance was one her greatest deficiencies, elder experience was one of her greatest assets. She would need to call on her experience if she wanted to save Glinda from Baraq once and for all.
A little further up the road, Elphaba saw the marker she was looking for; a small, wooden road sign. Her horse pressed forward until they reached the sign then Elphaba pulled it to a stop. Pointing back in the direction she came from the sign said 'Emerald City'. Back to the left, it pointed to a small trail that lead through the trees. That was the way back to the Yellow Brick Road. Straight ahead was where she was headed though. Restwater creek.
"Just a little further, I promise," Elphaba said to her obediant animal.
The horse chuffed on. Restwater creek was the perfect location, especially under the light of the full moon. The creek was small tributary composed of a confluence of waters from Restwater, Kellswater and the Gillikin River. As they made their way forward the road began to narrow until it was nothing more than a trail. A little further and Elphaba found the spot she was looking for. She pulled on the reigns bringing her horse to a halt, and quickly dismounted.
She kept hold of the reigns as she trudged across the overgrown grass and directed the horse towards the calm currents of the creek. Grass gave way to a small, sandy bank. Elphaba took the bridle off of her horse, gave it a pet and set it loose to eat and drink.
Walking back through the grass towards the large boulders just ahead she took out the newspaper and gave it a quick whip as she opened it up to the front page. The moonlight made it possible to read the papers without the help of any other source of illumination. She was grateful for that. The cloak she was wearing had a few coins in the pocket already, but there were no matches.
Elphaba looked skyward at the luminous moon. These were the types of moons that Glinda always enjoyed. It was after a full moon that she found Glinda last time. Maybe history would repeat itself. She could only hope as she settled on one of the flat, low lying boulders. Once in a comfortable position, she could finally settle in and read whatever the article would convey.
Linc and Zeph had returned to the rest of the group with news about their possible new host.
"Linc, Zeph, did you speak to Aldebaran?" Dr. Frinley asked.
"No we didn't," Linc said. "but we did speak to one of his men, and he said they have plenty of room. Especially for you Dr. Frinley."
Dr. Frinley smiled, feeling a little embarrassed by the recognition, but also very relieved for the group. "Good. Let's not waste time. We need to get as close to the Emerald City as soon as possible," he said.
"I'll tell Fiyero, " Zeph offered.
"I'll let the rest of the group know," Linc added.
"Good. I'll start getting my things together," Dr. Frinley replied. "Oh, and good job you two. You made it there and back faster than I could have imagined."
Linc and Zeph just waved off the compliment. It was their job as far as they were concerned. No special thanks were necessary.
Dr. Frinley took off his glasses, pulled a cloth from his pocket and began to clean the lenses though they didn't really need cleaning. It allowed him a moment to think. They needed to get to Aldebaran's safe house, get the group fed and find out the status of Elphaba and Glinda.
"I just pray to Oz you girls are safe," he thought.
The cloth went back into his pocket, and the glasses perched once again across the bridge of his nose. It was time to go.
Desidiroso had carefully positioned his men in the courtyard below the windows outside the Ozma Room. The thick brush that surrounded the courtyard provided perfect cover and camouflage. In fact, he couldn't believe how perfect the setup was. There was only one way into the courtyard, and the only way into the Ozma Room without going into the Palace was through that courtyard.
"If she dares to show up, this will be the easiest arrest ever," he thought to himself.
He had already placed scouts throughout the area. If the witch was spotted he was to be alerted first. He would then have that scout immediately report the sighting to the Tin Man. It seemed as if the Tin Man was particularly interested in all aspects of this particular seizure. It was understandable. Glinda's safety had to be of the highest priority, especially after her recent kidnapping.
Desidiroso began to imagine how his confrontation with the witch would transpire. He was all too aware of her abilities to cast spells with some chants and those hands. The trick was going to be his ability to restrain her movement once she was captured. It was a good thing he had a gun with him. He was certain he would be a hero tonight.
Boq quietly re-entered the great room. Glinda, Kerrick, Sarina and Tanon were too preoccupied with their own plans and conversation to notice, but The Lion was keenly cognizant of the fact. He politely excused himself from Lisena's presence and walked over to the Tin Man.
"Are you going to tell me what that was all about?" The Lion asked a surprised Boq.
"Oh, Lion, you surprised me. I was looking at them," Boq said, indicating the huddled group across the room from them.
"Again I ask you, are you going to tell me wha that was all about?"
"I'm sure I have no idea what you're talking about," Boq replied.
"Is that right? Then maybe I need to speak with Captain Torio. Perhaps he'll have an 'idea' as to what I'm talking about," The Lion said sardonically
"Oh come now Lion. There's nothing for you to worry about. It's a simple exercise to see if a young talent is as advanced in his training as we all think he is. I personally believe he has the potential to be quite a leader at a very young age," Boq lied.
The Lion sensed duplicity in his voice. "And who exactly is this young talent?"
"As I said, it's nothing for you to worry about. I didn't want to bother you with it in case he failed his test. If there's something to report, I'll make sure that you know about it, however, if he doesn't turn out the way we'd hoped, he'll be placed back on the normal path to leadership and off of the accelerated approach. You needn't bother yourself with such matters."
The Lion was beginning to seethe. He managed to keep the tone and timbre of his voice on an even keel however. Shooting daggers with his eyes, he slowly approached Boq. "I have watched you trying to circumvent my authority over and over again," he said with each deliberate step. "I have largely kept quiet because of what we've been through together, but I will not…" he stopped with his face mere inches from the Tin Man's. "I repeat, I will not allow you to continue going behind my back, issuing orders, decrees and edicts without my knowledge or approval. This stops now! Do you understand me?"
Boq back up slightly as he began to feel closed into the uncomfortable spacing between him and the Lion. "I have my reasons, and I don't need to explain every single move I make to you," Boq said in a low, fractious tone. "The Wizard left us both in charge, not just you."
"That's where you're wrong," The Lion responded in kind. "He left the three of us in charge. You forget that the Scarecrow was also appointed by the Wizard. This government is an Oligarchy not a Monarchy."
"You do believe in a Meritocracy don't you?" Boq asked quickly.
"You know I do. That's not the point," The Lion responded.
"It is the point. I'm trying to reward a young man for being a diligent soldier and showing a special talent as a skilled leader. You would have me come to you every time I see an opportunity such as this?"
"Yes, I would. And I would reciprocate. If the Scarecrow were still here…"
"Scarecrow!You mean Fiyero?" Boq asked incredulously. "You do realize that you're about to reference a criminal don't you?"
"How can you even say that about him? After everything we've been through together," The Lion said angrily.
"He's a member of the Resistance. He's a liar, a fraud and a criminal," Boq spat back.
"No," The Lion replied softly. "He's a hero."
Boq was speechless. The two leaders stared at each other for a moment until Boq raised his head arrogantly. "I'm going to excuse myself. This young man will complete his testing. I have nothing else to say to you on the subject."
Boq turned and reached for the doorknob. The Lion just watched as he retreated from the room.
"So that's how you want to play it," The Lion said to himself.
He turned and walked back towards the Palace Recorder. "Lisena, unfortunately the Tin Man had to leave. I don't think he'll be back for the rest of the night. If you would be so kind as to translate your current recordings and have them ready for review tomorrow, we may be able to pick this up again."
"Yes sir," Lisena said as she began to gather her papers and instruments.
"One more thing Lisena," The Lion said. "I want you to draft an official document for me. As one of the rulers in the County of the Land of Oz, I want you to draft a decree of clemency." He thought for a moment. "No, no…..make that a full pardon. Waive the waiting period for indictable offenses."
"Who shall I name as the pardoned individual or individuals?" Lisena asked.
"Leave a large blank space for me to fill out," The Lion directed. "I want you to draft the document and deliver it to me personally. No one else, no matter how high ranking, is to know of this document."
Lisena came from a dignified line of Palace Recorders. Discretion was her strongest virtues. "I'll get right on it sir," she replied. She gathered the rest of her items and quickly made her way out of the room.
The Lion smoothed out his mane and stared at the empty doorway. "If that's how you want to play it, two can play this game."
Veloc finished cleaning the broken furniture in the living room. He put the salvageable pieces of wood in a pile near the fireplace, and placed a stack in the fireplace itself. He then stepped back and watched in fascination as Baraq easily lit the wood on fire with a few words and a wave of his hand.
"You know Renegade, I've put a lot of time and effort into learning how to translate and implement these spells. So much effort. You wouldn't think that just the few months I've been away from this book would render me so incapable of remembering what I'd learned."
"Well, it's not a natural language. I hear it's not even of this world," Veloc replied. "I imagine you would have to keep practicing on a constant basis in order to keep your skill level up."
"That Elphaba seems to be able to conjure the spells without benefit of practice," Baraq said resentfully.
"If you'll excuse my saying so sir, Elphaba seems to be a special case. There's something different about her, and I don't mean the obvious. She has special abilities, the likes of which we've never seen before. It's really a shame she chose to suppress her powers instead of develop them," Veloc responded.
"What's really a shame is that I didn't have the foresight to bring her into the fold. She would have been quite an asset," Baraq noted.
"She would have never joined you and you know it. Her principles are something that she's never compromised. Even as our enemy, you have to admire her."
Baraq regarded Veloc for a moment. "You're probably right. So I guess we should be grateful that she hasn't chosen to develop her talents. That's one less formidable opponent to deal with in my quest to overtake Oz."
Baraq picked up a couple more pieces of wood a tossed them into the fire. His eyes watched the flames dance in their chamber as his mind began walking through possibilities of how he would obtain the status over Oz that he desired. "Renegade, you say you keep the documents pinpointing the possible whereabouts of the Duplex Stones on your person at all times is that right?"
"Yes sir. Until you need them."
"I think I may need them very soon. Now that I'm able to cast these spells, I can continue to build up my knowledge base. Can you imagine what power the Grimmerie combined with the Duplex Stones would bring? "
Veloc didn't answer. The question seemed rhetorical to him.
"If I can obtain the Duplex Stones, I can bend people to my will. The ability to change my appearance would be an added bonus. I could imitate heads of state. Act in an official capacity without their knowledge. Gain useful information by presenting myself as a trusted confidant. Forewarned is forearmed after all. I could take this land over covertly if I so choose."
Veloc narrowed his eyes. "Excuse me sir, but can't you just cast a spell to change your appearance? I imagine that taking over someone's mind and controlling it might be a bit beyond your skill level at the present time, but it seems as though a transfiguration is a much more rudimentary," he said.
"One of the unfortunate side effects of the Grimmerie is that once you cast such a spell, it's irreversible, so no, I can't use the book to change my appearance. I'll need the stones for that."
"I see. I forgot about that little quirk." Veloc replied.
Baraq began to pace. "Let's see, I can cause inanimate objects to crumble or explode. I can cause great pain to an individual by manipulating their musculature and causing painful contractions. This renders them defenseless against me, but I can't do it to groups, just individuals. I can cause the land to shake, but is that enough?"
"What are you thinking sir?" Veloc asked.
"What if we meet with more resistance than I'm able to attend to?" Baraq asked. "What if we run into Elphaba again and she's started working on her magic? I'm going to need a much more sweeping method of dealing with her and the masses."
Veloc stared at Baraq. He could see the wheels turning in that man's head.
"What if…," Baraq raised a finger "…I were able to call upon a force that was so powerful, people wouldn't be able to resist?"
"Such as?" Veloc asked.
"Such as, perhaps, a tornado?"
"Sir, you don't have, nor are you anywhere near having the ability to manipulate weather like that. Are you?" Veloc asked.
Baraq found a pen and paper and quickly jotted something down. He allowed a slow smile to crawl across his face. "No, but I know someone who is."
Baraq and Veloc looked at each other. Baraq turned over the piece of paper he had written on and showed it to Veloc. On the piece of paper was one singular name.
Veloc saw the name, smiled and gave Baraq a nod of approval. The name on the paper...Morrible.
