Once Liir's vision ended, he looked upon his sister and cousin strangely. He looked shaken, and unsure.
"What's wrong?" Tip asked, full of concern.
Liir gulped and whispered to him so the others wouldn't hear. Tip took on a look of shock and surprise. Then he too looked on the girls with a combination of distain and pity.
"Why are you looking at us like that?" Nor asked.
The boys gripped each other's hands in support.
Finally Tip asked, "Are you wearing military uniforms?"
The girls looked at each other, then back at the boys.
"What makes you think that?" Nor asked quickly and defensively.
"They look like the military uniforms my parents told me the Gale Force and the Oz Homeguard wear." Liir answered.
Nor thought quickly and answered, "We were given these and decided to wear them on our trip. And if you'll excuse us, in a mile we must part ways, as we're meeting the rest of our party." And with that, she took her cousin's hand and they were off.
Their family quickly followed after them, curious and wanting to stop the upcoming revolt.
"Wait, we're sorry if we upset you," Tip said as he caught up to the girls, "but your outfits do look like military uniforms."
"And there's no way you'll be allowed to enter the Emerald City dressed like that." Liir added.
"Oh we will." Nor replied matter-of-factly.
"Our party is dress similarly to us," Clarinda added, "and we've all dressed this way so we could easily spot each other and stay together."
"That is a clever thing to do." Jack replied.
"Thank you cousin." Clarinda answered.
"You're welcome." Jack replied.
"What's your party like?" Liir asked, wanting to get more information without seeming obvious.
"Well," Nor answered, trying to think of a truthful answer that wasn't a complete truth, "the forces, I meam members, have assembled from all parts of the Land of Oz, at the express command of a...respected General."
"Which General?" Tip asked.
"Unimportant." Nor shot back with a bitter sharpness.
There was a bit of silence before Tip stated, "You know, this has got me thinking about war. What if one were to start when we get to the City?"
"Anything's possible." Clarinda replied with a glint of knowing.
"Indeed." Nor added, "War could start at any moment."
"War is a terrible thing," said Tip, thoughtfully.
"If a war were to start today, I think it will be pleasant," replied the Clarinda, cheerfully.
"Many of you will be slain!" continued Tip, in an awed voice, "I mean, many of the people fighting in this hypothetical war will."
"Oh, no", said Nor. "Not if the army is comprised entirely of women and girls. For what man would oppose a girl, or dare to harm her? And there is not an ugly face in this entire Army."
Tip laughed. "Perhaps you are right," said he. "But the Guardian of the Gate is considered a faithful Guardian, and the King's Army will not let the City be conquered without a struggle."
"Guardian of the Gate is old and feeble," replied Nor, scornfully. "His strength has all been used to grow whiskers, and his wife has such a temper that she has already pulled more than half of them out by the roots. When the Wonderful Wizard reigned the Soldier with the Green Whiskers was a very good Royal Army, for people feared the Wizard. But no one is afraid of the Scarecrow, so his Royal Army don't count for much in time of war."
"What about Her Goodness, Glinda?" Liir asked.
"She is away tending to the Uplands." Nor answered, "At least that's what I heard."
After this conversation they proceeded some distance in silence, and before long the girls turned to their family and bid them farewell. However, the boys couldn't leave them.
"We must follow them." Liir whispered to the others, "Quietly."
"Why?" Yero asked.
"In my Vision," Liir explained, "I saw them being part of a large Army of Revolt against Their Majesties."
"Oh, then we must tell someone." Jack answered.
"We'll follow them first." Liir stated, "Maybe we can stop them."
And so the four of them quietly and secretly followed Nor and Clarinda and soon reached a large clearing in the forest where fully four hundred young women were assembled. These were laughing and talking together as gaily as if they had gathered for a picnic instead of a war of conquest.
They were divided into four companies, and the boys noticed that all were dressed in outfits similar to that worn by Nor and Clarinda. Some wore pants, some wore skirts, and some wore both. The skirts and pants were made of four distinct colors, blue, yellow, red and purple. The girls from the Munchkin country had the blue strip in front of their skirts; those from the country of the Quadlings had the red strip in front; and those from the country of the Winkies had the yellow strip in front; and the Gillikin girls wore the purple strip in front. All had green tops, representing the Emerald City they intended to conquer, and the top button on each waist indicated by its color which country the wearer came from. The uniforms were Jaunty and becoming, and quite effective when massed together.
Tip thought this strange Army bore no weapons whatever, apart from a few shields; but in this he was wrong. For, as Liir noticed, each girl had stuck through the knot of her back hair two long, glittering knitting-needles. And what neither noticed, was that each girl bore large pockets, in which various weapons were kept.
Soon, a beautiful woman wearing a silken waist being of emerald green and her skirt of four distinct colors—blue in front, yellow at the left side, red at the back and purple at the right side. Fastening the waist in front were four buttons—the top one blue, the next yellow, a third red and the last purple. She immediately mounted the stump of a tree and addressed her army.
"Friends, fellow-citizens, and girls!" she said; "we are about to begin our great Revolt against the men of Oz! We march to conquer the Emerald City—to dethrone the Scarecrow King—to acquire thousands of gorgeous gems—to rifle the royal treasury—and to obtain power over our former oppressors!"
"Hurrah!" cried the crowd, "Hurrah! General Jinjur!"
The command to march was now given, and the girls formed themselves into four bands, or companies, and set off with eager strides toward the Emerald City.
"We have to move!" Liir ordered, "Quickly, to warn father!"
"Father?" Jack and Yero asked, however, they got no answer. They were rushed to the side of the Yellow Brick Road, where their fathers quickly mounted Liir's broom.
"Trot!" Tip commanded. Now, the Saw-Horse remembered that this word was the command to go as fast as he could; so he began rocking along the road at a tremendous pace, while Tip and Liir rode as quickly as the broom would take them.
It was not long before they came to the green granite walls of the City and halted before the gateway.
The Guardian of the Gate at once came out and looked at them curiously, as if a circus had come to town. He carried a bunch of keys swung round his neck by a golden chain; his hands were thrust carelessly into his pockets, and he seemed to have no idea at all that the City was threatened by rebels. Speaking pleasantly to the girls, he said:
"Good morning, my dears! What can I do for you?"
"Surrender instantly!" answered General Jinjur, standing before him and frowning as terribly as her pretty face would allow her to.
"Surrender!" echoed the man, astounded. "Why, it's impossible. It's against the law! I never heard of such a thing in my life."
"Still, you must surrender!" exclaimed the General, fiercely. "We are revolting!"
"You don't look it," said the Guardian, gazing from one to another, admiringly.
"But we are!" cried Jinjur, stamping her foot, impatiently; "and we mean to conquer the Emerald City!"
"Good gracious!" returned the surprised Guardian of the Gates; "what a nonsensical idea! Go home to your mothers, my good girls, and milk the cows and bake the bread. Don't you know it's a dangerous thing to conquer a city?"
"We are not afraid!" responded the General; and she looked so determined that it made the Guardian uneasy.
So he rang the bell for the Soldier with the Green Whiskers, and the next minute was sorry he had done so. For immediately he was surrounded by a crowd of girls who drew the knitting-needles from their hair and began Jabbing them at the Guardian with the sharp points dangerously near his fat cheeks and blinking eyes.
The poor man howled loudly for mercy and made no resistance when Jinjur drew the bunch of keys from around his neck.
Followed by her Army the General now rushed to the gateway, where she was confronted by the Royal Army of Oz—which was the other name for the Soldier with the Green Whiskers.
"Halt!" he cried, and pointed his long gun full in the face of the leader.
Some of the girls screamed and ran back, but General Jinjur bravely stood her ground and said, reproachfully: "Why, how now? Would you shoot a poor, defenceless girl?"
"No," replied the soldier. "for my gun isn't loaded."
"Not loaded?"
"No; for fear of accidents. And I've forgotten where I hid the powder and shot to load it with. But if you'll wait a short time I'll try to hunt them up."
"Don't trouble yourself," said Jinjur, cheerfully. Then she turned to her Army and cried: "Girls, the gun isn't loaded!"
"Hooray," shrieked the rebels, delighted at this good news, and they proceeded to rush upon the Soldier with the Green Whiskers in such a crowd that it was a wonder they didn't stick the knitting-needles into one another.
But the Head of The Royal Army of Oz was too much afraid of women to meet the onslaught. He simply turned about and ran with all his might through the gate and toward the royal palace, while General Jinjur and her mob flocked into the unprotected City. Now, there were members of the Homeguard and the Gale Force who weren't afraid, but they were no match for the trained Army, which had a high amount of witches and sorceresses among their ranks.
In this way was the Emerald City captured without a drop of blood being spilled, or very little drops of blood. The Army of Revolt had become an Army of Conquerors!