Chapter 7: The Wizard's Two Attendants
As they walked on, Jack noticed there were houses again. They were the same round shape as the Munchkin houses, but they were green painted instead of blue. The more houses they saw, the closer they were getting to the city.
Finally, our heroes were standing before the huge gates. Jack touched an emerald button on the door, and they heard the tinkling of a tiny bell inside. A young woman dressed all in green came out carrying a green box. Jack recognized her right away. "Koko?"
"Actually, I'm Amber Ombi, the Guard of the Gates. What, may I ask, is your business here?"
"We have come to see the Wizard," Jack replied.
Amber was in so much shock, she dropped the box she was holding. "No one's asked to see the Wizard for years! Don't you know he doesn't see anybody? He won't even let me see him, and I'm one of his main attendants!"
"Don't he get out?" the Scarecrow asked.
"No. He just sits in his throne room all the time, but he is a good ruler. He might see you, but if you come here on a foolish errand, beware for he might destroy you right on the spot."
"Our errand is very important," the Scarecrow answered. "I came to get some brains."
"That shouldn't be a problem. Oz has more brains than he needs. He can spare some for you."
"I came for a heart," Nick told her.
"Oz has many hearts of all shapes and sizes, every make and model. He'll get you one at a reasonable price."
"An' I came fer some courage!" the Lion told her.
"Oh, Oz has a huge pot of courage in his throne room. It's covered with a golden plate to keep it from running over. I think I slipped on some that spilled last week when I gave the Wizard his morning omelet. But what about you sir? What do you want?"
"I only wish to go to my home, to my time, to my people."
"Well, I don't know how the Wizard's gonna do that, but he can do it. I think that's important enough. I'll take you in and see what he says, but first I need all of you to put on these shades." Amber opened the box with a key and pulled out four green sunglasses with elastic bands. "You see, the emeralds produce such a glare in the sunlight they could blind you. Therefore, everyone within the Emerald City walls must wear these shades at all times." The elastic felt so tight against Jack's head he couldn't take the glasses off if he wanted to. But he didn't want to be blinded, so he didn't try. "Now, follow me."
Amber opened the gates. The Emerald City was definitely magnificent. It was bustling with happy people, who seemed to have a green tan. There were emeralds all in the walls and in the streets. Jack liked this city. It had been a long time since he had seen a place so cheerful.
Amber came to a huge building in the middle of the city. In front of the building, a young lady with long, green hair sat reading "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe" by C. S. Lewis. Amber cleared her throat, and the lady looked up. "Yes Amber?"
"I need the hotline."
"What for?"
Amber whispered, "The Whiz has visitors."
"Oh. Interesting."
Jack knew her. She was her unofficial therapist. "SJO?"
"Um, my name's Jellia Jamb, and I'm Ozma—no wait, the Scarecro—no. This is the first book, isn't it? Oh yeah, I mean the Wizard's main attendant."
Amber frowned as she opened up a box in the wall. "I am the Wizard's main attendant! I'm the one who makes him breakfast and dinner!"
"Well, I make his favorite sandwiches for lunch."
"I do his laundry!"
"I'm around his palace 24-7. And he nearly told me one of his secrets last time."
"You're both his main attendants!" Nick cried out. "Now will you please work on getting us to see the Wizard?"
"Oh yeah," Amber said. She opened up that box again.
The Lion meanwhile looked at the book Jellia was reading. "There's a lion in this?"
"Yes, Aslan."
"Does he have courage?"
"Definitely. Here, this chapter talks about when he sacrifices himself on the Stone Table." Nick was disturbed by this and began to cry. "Oh, don't worry. He comes back to life."
Meanwhile, Jack listened to Koko's conversation. "Sir, you have guests. One wants a heart. One wants a brain. One wants courage. And one wants to go home." She pulled the phone away from her ear. It was evident that he was yelling at her. "Yes, I know you don't want to be disturbed, but it's best not to get on these people's bad side. The Scarecrow looks harmless, but there's a lion, and a tin man with an axe, and a very dangerous looking man with a sword . . . OK, I saw outside that he's wearing a white robe. He must be a skilled sorcerer. And he has black hair, and he has sandals, and a sword . . . It's black with golden diamonds on the handle. It looks like an ordinary sword to me, sir . . . Hang on, let me ask. Sir, is your sword enchanted?"
"It can defeat a great evil demon."
There wasn't much of a conversation after that. After she hung up, she called the guests together. "OK, here's the deal. The Wizard's pretty ticked off that you've come to disturb him. But, he will see you tomorrow. However, you must come in alone, and when you are summoned. And he wants to see you first," she said pointing to Jack.
Jack nodded. "Very well."
"Jellia! Shows these people their rooms!"
"Come with me!" Jellia instructed. She led them into the palace and gave them each a room for the night.
Jack put on a special emerald robe he found in his room for the wizard. Jellia came for him at about 10:00 in the morning. "Are you really going to see the Great Oz?" she asked him.
"Of course, if he shall see me."
"Will you tell me what it is like?"
"Why, do you not know?"
"No. When I come into his throne, he's hidden behind a screen. He only communicates to Amber and me through the hotline."
"He has the coolest voice!" Amber said as she passed them by.
"But I have heard that when he does appear to people, he takes on a different form every time. No one knows what he really looks like."
Jack's eyes narrowed.
A bell rang from somewhere inside the palace. "That's your cue," Jellia said. "Good luck."
Jack had his hand grasped firmly on the hilt of his sword. The throne room was impressive. It had a round roof full of emeralds and a gem-studded throne. Floating above the throne was a gigantic head with no body. It looked frightening and glowed with an eerie, green light.
"I am Oz, the Great and Terrible."
Jack glared. There was no mistaking that voice.
It was Aku.
As they walked on, Jack noticed there were houses again. They were the same round shape as the Munchkin houses, but they were green painted instead of blue. The more houses they saw, the closer they were getting to the city.
Finally, our heroes were standing before the huge gates. Jack touched an emerald button on the door, and they heard the tinkling of a tiny bell inside. A young woman dressed all in green came out carrying a green box. Jack recognized her right away. "Koko?"
"Actually, I'm Amber Ombi, the Guard of the Gates. What, may I ask, is your business here?"
"We have come to see the Wizard," Jack replied.
Amber was in so much shock, she dropped the box she was holding. "No one's asked to see the Wizard for years! Don't you know he doesn't see anybody? He won't even let me see him, and I'm one of his main attendants!"
"Don't he get out?" the Scarecrow asked.
"No. He just sits in his throne room all the time, but he is a good ruler. He might see you, but if you come here on a foolish errand, beware for he might destroy you right on the spot."
"Our errand is very important," the Scarecrow answered. "I came to get some brains."
"That shouldn't be a problem. Oz has more brains than he needs. He can spare some for you."
"I came for a heart," Nick told her.
"Oz has many hearts of all shapes and sizes, every make and model. He'll get you one at a reasonable price."
"An' I came fer some courage!" the Lion told her.
"Oh, Oz has a huge pot of courage in his throne room. It's covered with a golden plate to keep it from running over. I think I slipped on some that spilled last week when I gave the Wizard his morning omelet. But what about you sir? What do you want?"
"I only wish to go to my home, to my time, to my people."
"Well, I don't know how the Wizard's gonna do that, but he can do it. I think that's important enough. I'll take you in and see what he says, but first I need all of you to put on these shades." Amber opened the box with a key and pulled out four green sunglasses with elastic bands. "You see, the emeralds produce such a glare in the sunlight they could blind you. Therefore, everyone within the Emerald City walls must wear these shades at all times." The elastic felt so tight against Jack's head he couldn't take the glasses off if he wanted to. But he didn't want to be blinded, so he didn't try. "Now, follow me."
Amber opened the gates. The Emerald City was definitely magnificent. It was bustling with happy people, who seemed to have a green tan. There were emeralds all in the walls and in the streets. Jack liked this city. It had been a long time since he had seen a place so cheerful.
Amber came to a huge building in the middle of the city. In front of the building, a young lady with long, green hair sat reading "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe" by C. S. Lewis. Amber cleared her throat, and the lady looked up. "Yes Amber?"
"I need the hotline."
"What for?"
Amber whispered, "The Whiz has visitors."
"Oh. Interesting."
Jack knew her. She was her unofficial therapist. "SJO?"
"Um, my name's Jellia Jamb, and I'm Ozma—no wait, the Scarecro—no. This is the first book, isn't it? Oh yeah, I mean the Wizard's main attendant."
Amber frowned as she opened up a box in the wall. "I am the Wizard's main attendant! I'm the one who makes him breakfast and dinner!"
"Well, I make his favorite sandwiches for lunch."
"I do his laundry!"
"I'm around his palace 24-7. And he nearly told me one of his secrets last time."
"You're both his main attendants!" Nick cried out. "Now will you please work on getting us to see the Wizard?"
"Oh yeah," Amber said. She opened up that box again.
The Lion meanwhile looked at the book Jellia was reading. "There's a lion in this?"
"Yes, Aslan."
"Does he have courage?"
"Definitely. Here, this chapter talks about when he sacrifices himself on the Stone Table." Nick was disturbed by this and began to cry. "Oh, don't worry. He comes back to life."
Meanwhile, Jack listened to Koko's conversation. "Sir, you have guests. One wants a heart. One wants a brain. One wants courage. And one wants to go home." She pulled the phone away from her ear. It was evident that he was yelling at her. "Yes, I know you don't want to be disturbed, but it's best not to get on these people's bad side. The Scarecrow looks harmless, but there's a lion, and a tin man with an axe, and a very dangerous looking man with a sword . . . OK, I saw outside that he's wearing a white robe. He must be a skilled sorcerer. And he has black hair, and he has sandals, and a sword . . . It's black with golden diamonds on the handle. It looks like an ordinary sword to me, sir . . . Hang on, let me ask. Sir, is your sword enchanted?"
"It can defeat a great evil demon."
There wasn't much of a conversation after that. After she hung up, she called the guests together. "OK, here's the deal. The Wizard's pretty ticked off that you've come to disturb him. But, he will see you tomorrow. However, you must come in alone, and when you are summoned. And he wants to see you first," she said pointing to Jack.
Jack nodded. "Very well."
"Jellia! Shows these people their rooms!"
"Come with me!" Jellia instructed. She led them into the palace and gave them each a room for the night.
Jack put on a special emerald robe he found in his room for the wizard. Jellia came for him at about 10:00 in the morning. "Are you really going to see the Great Oz?" she asked him.
"Of course, if he shall see me."
"Will you tell me what it is like?"
"Why, do you not know?"
"No. When I come into his throne, he's hidden behind a screen. He only communicates to Amber and me through the hotline."
"He has the coolest voice!" Amber said as she passed them by.
"But I have heard that when he does appear to people, he takes on a different form every time. No one knows what he really looks like."
Jack's eyes narrowed.
A bell rang from somewhere inside the palace. "That's your cue," Jellia said. "Good luck."
Jack had his hand grasped firmly on the hilt of his sword. The throne room was impressive. It had a round roof full of emeralds and a gem-studded throne. Floating above the throne was a gigantic head with no body. It looked frightening and glowed with an eerie, green light.
"I am Oz, the Great and Terrible."
Jack glared. There was no mistaking that voice.
It was Aku.
