They returned to the kitchen, much subdued. The others were sitting there waiting their decision. She motioned to a chair and the scarecrow sat. The silence was deafening. She put her hands on the table and leaned forward to Dorothy.

'Don't think for one minute that I will let you have that book. It's not yours to take.'

'But...'

'It's not for the Wizard to use' said Elphaba, ignoring Dorothy's interruption.

'You can't keep it here forever.'

'I can actually. I don't own the book itself. Nobody can. I'm keeping it safe.' Her steady gaze swept around the table, appraising each and every one of the band of thieves that sat there. Her gaze lingered for a second longer on the scarecrow and then she turned to glare at little Toto, lying on the floor with his head on his paws looking defeated.

'What is actually in the book?' All heads turned to stare at the tin man. 'We've not been told yet.'

'Perhaps it's not for you to know.'

'Well I want to know what it is we've risked our lives coming here for.' He wasn't stupid, this tin man.

'It's a book of spells.'

'What kind of spells?' Whispered the lion.

'All kinds of spells. I don't know all of them yet.'

'So you don't know what's in the book?' The tin man's shrewd eyes stared at her.

'Not everything, no.' Elphaba tried to keep her temper. 'It's a difficult book to read.'

'But the spells in it are dangerous?' Dorothy stared at her with her mouth open.

'Potentially yes.'

'What does that mean?'

'It means that it's probably very dangerous and you shouldn't be meddling with it' she snapped.

'So why are you?'

'I'm not inciting the magic, I'm just trying to translate it' she replied, a little untruthfully.

'But some of them could be useful in helping people.' Dorothy's face lit up. 'So the wizard must want it because he can use the magic to help people!'

Elphaba snorted. 'The wizard wants it to control all of Oz' she sneered at the girl, 'it's got nothing to do with giving people what they want. He's managed to enslave most of the Animals, what makes you think he won't move onto people?'

'He already has' said the scarecrow without thinking.

'See? Not content on silencing the Animals, he's making this whole country into a dictatorship. Much like the place you must come from.'

'Oh the animals don't talk where I come from.'

'Well then it's already happened in your world' said Elphaba dismissively.

'Can we at least see this magical book?' Asked the tin man.

'Absolutely not.'

'Oh let's' argued an eager Dorothy. She piped down when Elphaba shot her a look of deep loathing.

'It is not a toy to be played with and looked at' she hissed to the poor girl.

'Stop bullying her' growled the lion, surprising everyone. Dorothy gave him a look of gratitude. Elphaba wasn't scared of him. She looked him up and down with a withering glace and left it at that. 'I'm sure Dorothy can stand her ground without needing you fight her battles for her. She'll have to learn when she gets back to her own world. When do you go back there?' She addressed Dorothy who turned scarlet and muttered about not knowing exactly when and something about Glinda.

'Did Glinda tell you some nonsense about how to get home?'

'Well, she said there was a way but she hasn't told me yet.'

'If I knew how, I would get you there quicker than you could imagine,' said Elphaba.

A thought struck Dorothy.

'Do you know Glinda?'

'Yes, I knew her. A long time ago. We used to be friends.'

Dorothy couldn't possibly imagine how the generous Glinda and the prickly green witch could have possibly known each other, much less got on but she nodded.

'Show us the book' said the tin man.

Elphaba looked at him suspiciously. She didn't trust that tin man.