Chapter 8: The Wizard's Decree
Jack started to draw his sword but then stopped. Everybody so far had said that Oz was a good wizard and a good ruler. It could be that the wizard was appearing to him as Aku for a reason.
"Who are you, and why do you seek me?" the wizard demanded.
Jack decided not to let his guard down. He would not attack now, but if the wizard attempted to attack him or gave any indication that he was evil, Jack would let him have it. For now, he'll just assume Oz was a good wizard.
So Jack bowed low before the huge head. "I am Samurai Jack, the Low and the . . ." (what would be a good word here?) "Mortal. I have come from afar seeking your mystical power."
The wizard stared him down for a time, then said, "Where did you get that sword?"
"It belonged to my father. After I had trained for many years, my parents gave it to me."
"What do you wish for me to do?"
"An evil wizard named Aku stole me from my land and my time to a place where he ultimately rules the world. I wish for you to send me back to my time, to my home, that I may destroy this wizard once and for all."
"Why should I do this for you?"
"Because you have the power, and I do not. If you do not send me back, your world will be corrupted by Aku's evil, and even you will not be able to stop it."
"Very well, samurai. I shall send you to your home. But first, you must do something for me. No one in my domain gets something for nothing."
"I expected this, Your Majesty," Jack answered. He was sure to pay close attention to the wizard's request. "What do you wish for me to do?"
"Destroy the Wicked Wizard of the West."
Jack stood up. That sounded noble enough, but it could be a trap. "Is this the wizard who makes everyone who enters his domain his slaves?"
"He is. Remember, he is a wicked wizard, and before you can go to your home to defeat this Aku, you must destroy him first."
"It shall be done. I thank you."
Jack turned to leave, but then the wizard growled, "THAT'S IT?!? No crying, no complaining, no, 'But I never killed anything willfully in my life"? You're just going to do it?"
Jack turned back to look at him one last time. "You forget, I am a samurai. Destroying wizards is what I have been trained to do."
He met with his friends outside the palace and told him the whole thing. "But he asked you to do the impossible!" Nick cried. "You can't destroy the Wicked Wizard of the West because no one dies in Oz!"
"I do not understand that theory," Jack cried. "How can no one die in Oz when I saw the Wicked Witch of the East die before my eyes?"
Jellia, who was sitting nearby reading her book, looked up for a second. "Trust me, if you live here long enough, you'll see that Oz is the land of inconsistencies."
At that moment, a bell rang. "That means Oz is ready to see the next one of you," Amber announced. "He doesn't care which order you come in."
"I go," the Scarecrow said. He followed Jellia Jamb down the hallway. About a half an hour later, he came back and said, "I no see a huge head. I saw pretty lady."
"I bet she looked much like Nimmee Amee," Jack said thoughtfully.
"Don't know. She needed a heart more than Nick, though. She said she give me brains if I destroyed the Wicked Wizard of the West."
"But that is my quest!"
"I know! I told her so, but she said, 'I don't care who kills him! I just want him dead!'"
"Well, I hope when I see Oz, he will appear as this lady," Nick said. "A head would not have a heart thus not understand my plight, but if he appears as a lady, I shall beg for a heart and she will feel sorry for me. Ladies are said to be very kind-hearted."
He went next, but he came back looking very fearful. "He appeared as a gigantic beast with five arms and five legs! He said he'd give me a heart if I destroyed the Wicked Wizard of the West. Well, at least he said he'll do it."
"I'm next," said the Lion, "and whatever he is, I shall frighten him with m' roar."
Jack chuckled to himself. That would be an awkward approach for someone who desires courage.
Several minutes later, the Lion ran back out of the throne screaming. "It was a fire! A great, big ball of fire! He said he'd give me courage if I-- "
"Destroy the Wicked Wizard of the West," everybody said in unison.
"Well, yeah."
"There is no need to put all of you in danger," Jack told them. "I shall go alone."
"Oh, no ye don'," the Lion replied. "I may be a coward, but this wizard will dare not hurt you with me around!"
"Though I don't have the heart to destroy even a Wicked Wizard, I am sure you will need my help," Nick said.
"I come with you, too," the Scarecrow said, "but I don't know how I can help you, I am such a fool."
"Well, if you must come with me," Jack nodded, "I suppose you can. This task will not be hard. All I need is my sword."
So they decided to start the journey the next day. Jack talked with the two attendants. "What is the road to the country in the west."
"There is no road," Amber answered rolling her eyes. "No one wants to go there."
"We have no choice. Oz ordered us to destroyed the Wizard who rules there."
"Oh, that's different. Nobody has destroyed him before. You better be careful, though. He's very powerful and mean, and he may not allow you to destroy him."
"But Winkie Country isn't hard to miss," Jellia spoke up. "Just head toward the setting sun. If you see any houses, they will be painted yellow. And you'll see yellow flowers and yellow birds and yellow butterflies. The Winkies really like yellow. It's odd, though, because it is said that the Wizard cannot stand light."
"And of course, the Wizard will make you his slaves once you step foot into his domain," Amber said matter-of-factly. Suddenly, a bell rang. "Oh, someone's at the main gate. I gotta go!" She grabbed the box of shades and walked on.
Jellia motioned Jack in and whispered, "I'll keep an eye on you."
"How will you do that?" Jack said.
"Shh!" Jellia said. "Follow me." She led Jack and his friends back into her office where a very elaborate picture hung over her desk. "I jokingly call this the Picture of Erised." Jack looked at her questioningly. "Desire spelled backwards. You really need to read more. It shows whatever you want to see."
"The Wizard made this?"
"Oh, it's been around long before the Wizard. It's real magic, and few people know about it. I can use it to see how you're doing."
"Uh, can I use it real quick?" Nick asked. "I'd like to see how Nimmee Amee is doing."
"Be my guest."
Nick stood before it, and the picture quickly changed. It showed Nimmee dressed in white and walking out of a cute chapel, with a man of flesh holding her arm.
"Oh, she got married. She must have decided she couldn't wait any longer for me to find a heart. Well, I'll find someone else once I get one."
"May I use it?" Jack asked.
"Sure."
Jack stood before the picture, and it changed again. He also saw an elaborate ceremony that he recognized right away. Tears filled his eyes. "They think I am dead."
His ancient father and his old mother led the procession. Jack also saw a young woman with big eyes that he recognized as his cricket friend. There was an old samurai and a young samurai, the people Jack had met when he chose his destiny. Many other people were in the procession as well that Jack didn't recognize.
Then, Jack's father turned to them. "We must not give up hope, my friends. The Evil One has not said what truly happened to my son. It could be he is still alive, and he will return to us."
Jack looked up. "We must not waste time. Let us go."
So they left the Emerald City. Amber collected their shades, wished them luck, and went back inside. They started going west when Jack stopped. "Curious. I had put on one of those emerald robes this morning, but I am in my old robes again."
"Perhaps it is magic," the Scarecrow suggested.
"Yes," Jack said quietly. "Perhaps it is."
Jack started to draw his sword but then stopped. Everybody so far had said that Oz was a good wizard and a good ruler. It could be that the wizard was appearing to him as Aku for a reason.
"Who are you, and why do you seek me?" the wizard demanded.
Jack decided not to let his guard down. He would not attack now, but if the wizard attempted to attack him or gave any indication that he was evil, Jack would let him have it. For now, he'll just assume Oz was a good wizard.
So Jack bowed low before the huge head. "I am Samurai Jack, the Low and the . . ." (what would be a good word here?) "Mortal. I have come from afar seeking your mystical power."
The wizard stared him down for a time, then said, "Where did you get that sword?"
"It belonged to my father. After I had trained for many years, my parents gave it to me."
"What do you wish for me to do?"
"An evil wizard named Aku stole me from my land and my time to a place where he ultimately rules the world. I wish for you to send me back to my time, to my home, that I may destroy this wizard once and for all."
"Why should I do this for you?"
"Because you have the power, and I do not. If you do not send me back, your world will be corrupted by Aku's evil, and even you will not be able to stop it."
"Very well, samurai. I shall send you to your home. But first, you must do something for me. No one in my domain gets something for nothing."
"I expected this, Your Majesty," Jack answered. He was sure to pay close attention to the wizard's request. "What do you wish for me to do?"
"Destroy the Wicked Wizard of the West."
Jack stood up. That sounded noble enough, but it could be a trap. "Is this the wizard who makes everyone who enters his domain his slaves?"
"He is. Remember, he is a wicked wizard, and before you can go to your home to defeat this Aku, you must destroy him first."
"It shall be done. I thank you."
Jack turned to leave, but then the wizard growled, "THAT'S IT?!? No crying, no complaining, no, 'But I never killed anything willfully in my life"? You're just going to do it?"
Jack turned back to look at him one last time. "You forget, I am a samurai. Destroying wizards is what I have been trained to do."
He met with his friends outside the palace and told him the whole thing. "But he asked you to do the impossible!" Nick cried. "You can't destroy the Wicked Wizard of the West because no one dies in Oz!"
"I do not understand that theory," Jack cried. "How can no one die in Oz when I saw the Wicked Witch of the East die before my eyes?"
Jellia, who was sitting nearby reading her book, looked up for a second. "Trust me, if you live here long enough, you'll see that Oz is the land of inconsistencies."
At that moment, a bell rang. "That means Oz is ready to see the next one of you," Amber announced. "He doesn't care which order you come in."
"I go," the Scarecrow said. He followed Jellia Jamb down the hallway. About a half an hour later, he came back and said, "I no see a huge head. I saw pretty lady."
"I bet she looked much like Nimmee Amee," Jack said thoughtfully.
"Don't know. She needed a heart more than Nick, though. She said she give me brains if I destroyed the Wicked Wizard of the West."
"But that is my quest!"
"I know! I told her so, but she said, 'I don't care who kills him! I just want him dead!'"
"Well, I hope when I see Oz, he will appear as this lady," Nick said. "A head would not have a heart thus not understand my plight, but if he appears as a lady, I shall beg for a heart and she will feel sorry for me. Ladies are said to be very kind-hearted."
He went next, but he came back looking very fearful. "He appeared as a gigantic beast with five arms and five legs! He said he'd give me a heart if I destroyed the Wicked Wizard of the West. Well, at least he said he'll do it."
"I'm next," said the Lion, "and whatever he is, I shall frighten him with m' roar."
Jack chuckled to himself. That would be an awkward approach for someone who desires courage.
Several minutes later, the Lion ran back out of the throne screaming. "It was a fire! A great, big ball of fire! He said he'd give me courage if I-- "
"Destroy the Wicked Wizard of the West," everybody said in unison.
"Well, yeah."
"There is no need to put all of you in danger," Jack told them. "I shall go alone."
"Oh, no ye don'," the Lion replied. "I may be a coward, but this wizard will dare not hurt you with me around!"
"Though I don't have the heart to destroy even a Wicked Wizard, I am sure you will need my help," Nick said.
"I come with you, too," the Scarecrow said, "but I don't know how I can help you, I am such a fool."
"Well, if you must come with me," Jack nodded, "I suppose you can. This task will not be hard. All I need is my sword."
So they decided to start the journey the next day. Jack talked with the two attendants. "What is the road to the country in the west."
"There is no road," Amber answered rolling her eyes. "No one wants to go there."
"We have no choice. Oz ordered us to destroyed the Wizard who rules there."
"Oh, that's different. Nobody has destroyed him before. You better be careful, though. He's very powerful and mean, and he may not allow you to destroy him."
"But Winkie Country isn't hard to miss," Jellia spoke up. "Just head toward the setting sun. If you see any houses, they will be painted yellow. And you'll see yellow flowers and yellow birds and yellow butterflies. The Winkies really like yellow. It's odd, though, because it is said that the Wizard cannot stand light."
"And of course, the Wizard will make you his slaves once you step foot into his domain," Amber said matter-of-factly. Suddenly, a bell rang. "Oh, someone's at the main gate. I gotta go!" She grabbed the box of shades and walked on.
Jellia motioned Jack in and whispered, "I'll keep an eye on you."
"How will you do that?" Jack said.
"Shh!" Jellia said. "Follow me." She led Jack and his friends back into her office where a very elaborate picture hung over her desk. "I jokingly call this the Picture of Erised." Jack looked at her questioningly. "Desire spelled backwards. You really need to read more. It shows whatever you want to see."
"The Wizard made this?"
"Oh, it's been around long before the Wizard. It's real magic, and few people know about it. I can use it to see how you're doing."
"Uh, can I use it real quick?" Nick asked. "I'd like to see how Nimmee Amee is doing."
"Be my guest."
Nick stood before it, and the picture quickly changed. It showed Nimmee dressed in white and walking out of a cute chapel, with a man of flesh holding her arm.
"Oh, she got married. She must have decided she couldn't wait any longer for me to find a heart. Well, I'll find someone else once I get one."
"May I use it?" Jack asked.
"Sure."
Jack stood before the picture, and it changed again. He also saw an elaborate ceremony that he recognized right away. Tears filled his eyes. "They think I am dead."
His ancient father and his old mother led the procession. Jack also saw a young woman with big eyes that he recognized as his cricket friend. There was an old samurai and a young samurai, the people Jack had met when he chose his destiny. Many other people were in the procession as well that Jack didn't recognize.
Then, Jack's father turned to them. "We must not give up hope, my friends. The Evil One has not said what truly happened to my son. It could be he is still alive, and he will return to us."
Jack looked up. "We must not waste time. Let us go."
So they left the Emerald City. Amber collected their shades, wished them luck, and went back inside. They started going west when Jack stopped. "Curious. I had put on one of those emerald robes this morning, but I am in my old robes again."
"Perhaps it is magic," the Scarecrow suggested.
"Yes," Jack said quietly. "Perhaps it is."
