The auditorium remained incredibly quiet as the Wizard finished speaking. The room was so silent that one could hear a pin drop.

The council continued to silently stare at the Wizard, who started to nervously tap on the table with his fingertips. China girl was sitting on top of the table and had not interjected while he told his story. He was about to continue when the council leader spoke first.

"Let's take a break", he said, as he continued to gaze intently at the Wizard himself. He motioned with his hands. "Now…will you agree that you will stay inside the Emerald City Palace until a verdict is reached? If you agree to this, we don't have to keep you in the cell all the time…"

The Wizard nodded his head. "Yes, I agree not to break out…"

As a result, the Wizard was led to the main hallway after the attendees were orderly escorted out by the Emerald City guards, who then organized themselves into two neat columns on opposite sides of the hallway. The Wizard was instructed to sit near the auditorium door in lieu of not being confined to the holding cell again.

For the most part, he lowered his head as his hand covered his face. However, and as he sat on the floor in silence, he would occasionally raise his head to scan the room. Most of the guards were staring straight ahead, but he would catch one of those guards eyeing him curiously. When their eyes met, the guard would quickly look away and continue staring straight ahead.

This particular guard had escorted Finley into the auditorium and the Wizard did not recognize him. Who was he? After staring curiously for several seconds, the Wizard brushed off his suspicions and lowered his head again.

Several moments later, the auditorium door quietly and gently opened and China Girl started walking towards the sitting Wizard. She was accompanied by Finley. He smiled as they approached him.

"Some good news!" China Girl was always rambunctious ever since the Wizard found her all alone in her destroyed village. "The council is considering your testimony and may drop the murder charge…" Her voice then trailed off.

"That's great!" The Wizard breathed a huge sigh of relief. He then looked at the porcelain doll as a huge cheeky smile spread across his face, but she did not look so certain.

"What?", he asked. China Girl was not as happy as he was. Something was up.

"I don't think they are trying to get you on the murder charge…", she quibbled. "I hear a select few want you on manslaughter, which is a lesser offense…"

But the Wizard arched his back and puffed at this news. He then chuckled and laughed. "Oh come on…" He looked at China Girl and smiled. "What manslaughter..." He waved his hand and dismissed the porcelain doll's concern, his facial expression then becoming serious. "As I said, it all happened in self-defense. I…"

But the doll interrupted him. "I know, but I am just relaying to you what I heard. And if you are found guilty of this offense…." Her voice then trailed off again as she stared to cringe.

"You will be banished from Oz. Forever…"

The Wizard looked at her with sad eyes as he sighed. "Just great…", he bemoaned. "I am being represented by a four-inch talking porcelain doll for my defense. What can possibly go wrong?"

"Look! I may be just a kid, but I know what I'm doing, okay! I am learned in the laws of the Emerald City!"

"Oh yeah 'scholar'", the Wizard sarcastically replied. "And whose dumb idea was it that I even be allowed to testify in this proceeding?"

"Listen Wizard, you have a really solid defense. You absolutely should say what happened…" As her voice trailed off, China Girl then became cheeky. "…And besides…if you're executed by a slow, painful and excruciating death, who am I really going to be able to torment and order around anymore?"

This made the Wizard stand up. With a smile on his face, he started to playfully try and kick the porcelain doll. "You know what…that's it! I am firing my lawyer!"

She started to giggle as she easily avoided his kicks. "Hey…watch it!...not fair!...Hey! This is porcelain doll abuse, you know!"

As he kicked empty air, he still could not escape the feeling that they were being watched. He stopped and looked up. The Wizard spotted the same guard staring at him, who then immediately looked away from his sudden gaze and continued to stare straight ahead.

There was something odd about this particular guard. The uniform did not seem to fit him just right and his helmet was too big and clunky for his own head.

The Wizard's eyes turned to Finley as he motioned the monkey to come closer. He then whispered into his ear. "Who is that guard?"

But the monkey was somewhat evasive in his answer. "No one, oh great and powerful Wizard…it was just a friendly guard who happened to escort me into the castle…" The monkey then bowed cheekily and grinned as the Wizard's eyes narrowed suspiciously. Finley was never good at telling lies or half-truths.

He then motioned to China Girl to come closer to him. He began to whisper into both of their ears. "I think everything we talk about needs to be spoken as quietly as possible. I don't know if any of these guards are being told by the council to eavesdrop on our conversations…"

And as the Wizard spoke, he saw in the corner of his eye a dashing blonde witch turn the corner of the hallway and started to walk in their direction.

"Or by Glinda…"

He put his finger to his mouth, indicating that China Girl and Finley should remain quiet. He lowered his head again until the witch approached. Glinda's voice was sweet with a hint of sarcasm.

"Excuse me, but may I speak to the great and powerful Wizard…" She smiled cheekily at the group.

As he started to stand, China Girl quietly objected. "Wizard…you don't have to…this isn't…" But he merely brushed her tiny porcelain hand away. "It's okay…", he replied.

And when he approached the witch with his usual plastic smile, Glinda unexpectedly slapped him across the face and then pointed at him accusatorily. Despite this, her voice never showed anger.

"You got with my sister!"

"Excuse me, but I got with your sister…twice."

The Wizard grinned at her his usual plastic smile, which prompted the witch to slap him across the face again.

He angrily interjected. "Ow! Can you please stop that!" But Glinda was furious, even though her tone would never convey the actual degree of her anger. Like Evanora, she was adept at concealing the true extend of her feelings.

"Wizard! I gave you my trust and believed that you were a good man. I still believe that you are. But for you to hide something like that from me is beyond reproach. Your own selfish actions created a monster in my sister!"

The Wizard grabbed and pulled at his nose, which is what he usually did when he became annoyed. He then pointed his finger at the witch, his tone filled with quiet fury.

"I created her? How about you look in the mirror, little miss sunshine! Or, should I say, you and your own family look in the mirror. How about that?" The Wizard then crossed his arms across his chest defensively as the witch's eyes began to narrow. This made the blonde witch become quiet.

"Wizard…what are you talking about?"

His tone was dripping was sarcasm as he addressed her. "Oh, give me a break, Glinda. I know all about the history of your perfect little family and how these perfect people in this so-called perfect little land of yours treated her. Do you want me to blow this whole thing open? I can absolutely blow this whole thing wide open! Why don't we start with all of your father's scandals that you bore witness to! How about we start talking about the chloroform first…"

Glinda's eyes become wide as her jaw remain locked. She finally spoke in a soft voice. "Where did you hear that from?"

"I have my sources…and it is enough to question whether your father was such a great king after all!"

This made the witch scowl. "Now listen to me, Wizard…."

After a brief moment of silence, Glinda continued as her voice become mellow once more. "My father was a great king. He loved the land of Oz and its people. He was just faced with many difficult choices, especially with Theodora. He made the best decision he could…"

"Like holding your sister hostage in her room!"

"It wasn't like that, Wizard! You are painting her as a victim when she isn't. And I don't know where you heard this from, but whoever told you this has clouded your mind and your judgment!"

The Wizard began pointing at her accusatorily. "Glinda! I'm not here to discuss…"

But the feuding pair were interrupted by a messenger who opened the huge gold-plated double doors to the auditorium.

"We are starting again. Please enter and take your seats…"