Upon pulling the chord a square portion of the emerald wall slid aside at eye level. Moments later a bearded face appeared. "May I have your outdoor passes?" the man requested. Elphaba, in a moment of cleverness, searched her pockets frantically. Galinda followed suit.
"I'm sorry," the thin witch apologized with a pronounced pout. "We seem to have left them somewhere. Could you let us in without them?"
"Well…" The man carefully scrutinized both their faces, deducting, if his eyes were anything to go by, that they'd both had beautification magic done and were therefore harmless. "Ok. Just don't let it happen again."
"Of course not sir," Elphaba giggled as a hidden, green door slid open. "Thank you." Galinda followed her friend nervously through the archway into a side street. Almost immediately the cheerful bustle of a lively city washed over them. Everything was so dazzling bright that it left bleary green spots in their vision.
A man with a tray of glasses jogged up to them. "Hello ladies," he greeted cordially. "Did you misplace your glasses outside?"
"Yes," Galinda replied warily, recognizing a salesman when she saw one.
"Well for just two copper pieces you can get two brand new ones," the man explained, grinning. Before the blonde could react Elphaba reached into her purse and removed the requested amount. Moments later she held two pairs of green tinted glasses.
"That was a total rip off," Galinda complained, setting them on her nose. They helped dim the luminosity of the City to a tolerable brightness. "You could've gotten these for half a copper piece."
"You sound like old-me," Elphaba laughed. "And besides, it would've been suspicious if you'd haggled. Remember we're both bubble heads."
"Do you think everyone in the Emerald City is a bubble head?" the blonde wondered.
"Probably," Elphaba responded. "The man at the gate wasn't. However everyone who's gotten beautification magic done has been messed with, and that's ninety percent of the population." She smiled. "Which means that, until we figure out a way to meet with the Wizard, we can act like total girlish idiots and no one will notice."
"I can't tell if you're really you right now or not," Galinda admitted, squinting at her friend.
"Neither can I," the formerly green girl chuckled. They were now in a larger street and being pressed in on by hordes of breathtaking beautiful faces swathed in green fabric. "Do you think we should get a hotel room?" she asked minutes later.
"Probably," Galinda responded, though her eyes were alight with the fashions of the City. Everything glistened and shone. It was fantastical and overwhelming all at once.
"Don't worry, we can explore dress shops later," Elphaba snickered. They chose a small inconspicuous inn with cheap board. The small price seemed in direct contradiction in how well furnished their room was.
After settling in the girls set out to register for a meeting with the Wizard. There was a wooden kiosk outside the Emerald Palace for that specific reason. Galinda gave vague, but hopefully convincing answers to every question they were asked. She also put down Elphie Upland and Glin Thropp instead of their real names. If they got in trouble it could always be blamed on a temporary lapse in concentration. Any summons from the Wizard would be sent to their hotel room. However, as the kindly woman helping them point out, it could be weeks until they were contacted.
Elphaba and Galinda spent the afternoon shopping. Though the blonde was worried it might send her friend back into complete bubblehead mode she instead remained in an odd half state. Elphaba still giggled and seemed to enjoy the clothes, but her comments were intelligent and she sounded like herself.
By evening both girls were totally spent. They retired contentedly to their room, each laden with heaps of shopping bags. "Are you nervous about when we meet the Wizard?" Galinda queried as she prepared for bed.
"If we see the Wizard," Elphaba corrected.
"You didn't answer my question." The formerly green girl sighed.
"Yes," she admitted. "I'm terrified. The only thing that terrifies me more is being stuck a bubblehead forever."
"But you've been getting better," Galinda exclaimed. "In a month or two you might be totally back."
"No I won't," Elphaba contradicted. "Even right now I'm not totally myself. Memories and thoughts get lost in my head all the time. It's like I'm floating in a warm pool of water. Under the water everything is warm and cozy, but blurry. And I'm not me. Sometimes, when I'm inspired enough to try and be myself again, I can claw to the surface. But it's hard. I never stay for long."
"But today…"
"That wasn't fully me," the thin witch explained. "That's why we've got to ask the Wizard for help. I hate being a thoughtless, giggly do-nothing. It'd be better if some other personality was taking over my own, but that's not it. They changed me, changed my actual character." Tears coursed down her cheeks, followed by sobs.
"Oh Elphie," Galinda whispered, moving to hug her friend. "It's ok. I'll get you fixed. I promise."
"Thanks Glin," Elphaba whimpered. They fell asleep still holding one another.
/
"What should we do today?" Galinda asked cheerily as they opened their door in the morning.
"I don't know," Elphaba replied, stepping out. "Maybe we could…oh sweet Oz." An enveloped was crinkling beneath her shoe. Not just any envelope, an envelope with the Wizard's insignia. Galinda ripped it from beneath the thin girl's foot and tore it open.
"Well I've got good news and bad news," she announced. "The good news is we've been summoned to see the Wizard at noon today."
"What's the bad news?" Elphaba demanded.
"We've been summoned to see the Wizard at noon today."
/
"Elphie I'm nervous."
"Me too."
"Don't say that. If I know you're nervous it'll just scare me more."
"Sorry; I'm not nervous at all. This will go off smoothly and without a hitch," Elphaba giggled.
"Sweet Oz, don't go bubblehead on me. Please, I'm begging you," Galinda pleaded.
"I'm trying Glin," the thin witch insisted. Before she'd even finished speaking the enormous, golden doors before them swung open.
"Proceed," rumbled a deep voice from inside. Slowly the two friends proceeded towards the Wizard's throne, where a great, metal head hovered. Behind them the doors swung shut. "I am Oz," the head announced. "I am Oz, the great and terrible. Who are you and why do you seek me?"
"I am Galinda Upland your Ozness," the blonde announced, though her voice was trembling. "And this is my friend Elphaba Thropp. We've come to seek your help on an important issue."
"What issue?" The Wizard's clanging brass voice was as unbearably loud as the Emerald City was unbearably bright.
"Elphaba went to the City for beautification magic," Galinda explained. "But when she returned her personality was different. We think that your appearance sorcerers have been using magic to manipulate peoples' minds against their will."
"That's a pretty serious accusation," came a decidedly un-Wizardlike voice from behind the head, which had suddenly stopped moving. A cheerful old man trotted out.
"You're the Wizard?" Elphaba chirped in disbelief.
Uh oh…what will go down in the Wizard's chamber
Review to find out!