Hi! Here's … Chapter 23, wow! This story's getting long! By the way, did any of you catch the bookverse reference in the last chapter?

Enjoy!

Chapter 23

Elphie

Elphie clutched the seat in front of her for dear life. The train slid into the marsh, with Howark screaming the whole time. Then the train started sinking sideways, causing Elphie to hit her head on the window. Meanwhile, Howark slammed into her, making her side suddenly throb with pain. "Can't you do something?!" he asked her desperately. "You're the Grand Vizier, aren't you?"

"What am I SUPPOSED to do?" Elphie shot back. "Make the train – FLY! Of course!"

Howark looked up at her hopefully. "You can do something?"

She nodded. "Yeah. Just give me a sec."

"EVERYONE!" Howark announced to the whole compartment. "Our Vizier is on this train, and she's gonna help us! Hang tight!"

Nervously, Elphie started chanting. "Aven tatay, aven tatay …" She squeezed her eyes shut and concentrated, and slowly the train righted itself in the marsh.

"What just happened?!" the conductor asked, shocked.

"Elphie saved us," Howark said matter of factly.

The conductor turned to see Elphie. "Oh! Madam Vizier! Thank you! I'll inform the engineer of what happened right away! ALL OF YOU! OFF THE TRAIN!"

There was a mad rush to get luggage, so Howark took it upon himself to grab Elphie's bag as well as his. "Here," he said, giving her her bag. "Sorry for being annoying before. I don't handle danger too well."

She smiled. "It's alright. Oz knows, I was scared too!"

"Oh. I feel better, then. After you, madam?"

"Sure!"

Elphie waited with the rest of the passengers in the marsh for cabs to come pick them up. Cabs came for people going to Qhyore first, so she was sorry to leave Howark almost by himself, but he seemed to be recovered from his trauma. When she got in a cab accompanied by a young Quadling couple, Elphie took off her shoes to let them dry, and then took a nap. She had just moved a fricking train, for Oz sakes! She deserved a nap!

She was woken up by a poke on the shoulder. "Madam Vizier, we to be in Qhyore now." The Quadling husband was smiling respectfully down at her.

"Oh, c'est d'accord," Elphie said kindly. "Je parle Quadais. Merci pour me lever." Oh, it's alright. I speak Quati. Thank you for waking me up.

"Oh, c'est magnifique!" the wife exclaimed. "C'est rare qu'un official de la Ville des Emerauldes parle Quadais! Etes-vous Quadais? Tu ne semble pas comme ca." Oh, that's wonderful! It's rare that an official from the Emerald City speaks Quati. Are you Quati? You don't look like it.

Elphie shook her head. "Non. Je suis du Munchkinland." No. I'm from Munchkinland.

"Mais vous n'êtes pas très peu," the husband said with a smile. "Je pensais tout des Munchkins ont été plus peu plus nous." But you are not very small. I thought all Munchkins were smaller than us.

"Non. Je suis … euh … du grand Munchkin sort." No. I'm … um … of the big Munchkin type. Despite her relative fluency in Quati, Elphie did not quite know how to say that she was not of diminutive stock.

The wife suddenly put two and two together. "Ah, oui! Votre soeur est la gouvernante, non?" Ah, yes! Your sister is the governor, no?

"Oui, c'est vrai. Et regardez! C'est mon hôtel! Au revoir!" Yes, that's true. And look! It's my hotel! Goodbye! The Quadling couple bade her adieu before Elphie rushed into her hotel. She was now more tired than ever.

The next morning, Elphie went over to the Qhyore Center for the Collection of Rubies. There, she was treated very respectfully by the head excavator, and was informed that ruby values were growing, now almost 800,000 Ozma coins. This was because rubies were becoming scarce, yet the head excavator was convinced that there were still some more, lying deep in the soil. "Maybe you could do a spell to expose them," he suggested to Elphie with a smile. "After all, even here in Quadling Country, we know that your talents are extraordinary."

"I will see what I can do," she replied, returning his smile. "Now, I was told I was going to get a temporary office during my stay here. Can you show me to it?"

"Of course, Madam Vizier. Right this way."

Her office was large, almost too large, and it overlooked the ruby mines. She watched as dozens of workers (a majority of them Animals) digging for something that could rarely be found. Books lined the shelves in her office, books about rubies and the history of Quadling Country. The former topic was very boring, but the latter Elphie actually found a bit stimulating. The Quadlings had always had their territory invaded by the EC, either by the various Ozmas or, in more recent times, by the Wizard. Oscar. Her boss.

Elphie sighed as she unpacked the Grimmerie. What would Doctor Dillimond think, to see her practically supporting the oppression of the Animals? What would Lukas think? Oz, she missed Lukas. Maybe he was ignoring her on purpose. She definitely deserved it. And Fiyero, if he was even still alive, probably subconsciously knew what she had done with Boq, and thus cut off communications with her. She deserved that, too. But she would try to find a spell to put these poor people out of their misery. Maybe that would redeemer her.

You tell yourself you're rich at last,

In money and in time.

You draw a bath and then unplug the phone.

You pour yourself a Pino Clos de Val 2003.

You sit a spell a queen upon her throne.

You go to bed alone.

Sorry this is such a short chapter! Thanks for reading anyway!

Cheers,

Elle Dottore