"There. That should do it." After the raucous from the Wizard's bleeding nose, one of the Winkie maids ran to get Bella, who in turn went to bring the castle doctor. The bleeding subsided and the doctor carefully and meticulously examined his nose.
"Is my nose broken", the Wizard asked as he rested on a couch in one of the lavish parlor rooms of the castle.
The doctor stood after he checked his nasal passages. "No. You are very lucky. Had your nose been hit at a slightly different angle then, well, we may have been looking at a fracture. Just don't fall on your nose now and it should recover just fine."
He turned to the maid. "I will bill for my usual services and time." The maid nodded at him. "Thank you doctor for coming."
As the physician left, the Wizard then glared at Bella. "You…"
"I'm sorry", Bella whispered solemnly as she approached the couch and crouched beside him. "I really did not know! And neither did my father! We didn't know that the Mistress was going to find us, but he's always prepared if she does. We didn't mean for things to happen the way they did."
The Wizard's kept his focus on the maid. He didn't know if she was telling him the truth, but she seemed sincere in her response. "Prepared? I wouldn't have called that prepared. She could have easily slaughtered everyone if she wanted to." He gazed at Bella. "Aren't you scared", he finally asked.
"We are always scared, Wizard. But we do the best we can do with what we have. And there are many things you don't know…"
He continued to study her as she whispered into his ear. "All of the Winkie Country is with us, Wizard. Even the captain…"
His eyes became wide. "What? How is that possible? Do you really think he'd..."
"No, no, he thinks just like you. He wants her to change. He wants her to treat people right and to not terrorize the Winkies. So far, he has been unsuccessful, but he tries to manage her worst impulses the best he can. At the end of the day though, and if the Mistress decides on a course of action, they are forced to do her bidding…"
"No one is forced to do anything", the Wizard responded.
"They feel it is their obligation. They fear her powers, much like the rest of Oz does. But if push comes to shove and if she did the unthinkable, the captain would make sure that we were safe. Trust me, Wizard, the resistance is strong. It would continue with or without us. We have a lot of allies. More than you think…"
"What do you think is going to happen now", he softly asked.
Bella sighed as she slowly stood over him. "I don't know. We are in unchartered territory now. We must wait and see."
As she finished speaking with him in private and turned to leave the room, Finley entered and approached the couch where he was resting. "Hey buddy", the monkey said cheerfully as he fluttered to a nearby cabinet that was adjacent to the couch. "How's my favorite person in Oz doing?"
The Wizard slowly shifted his head and looked at him as his lips turned into a frown. "Finley…", he sighed tiredly. "I'm a mess."
"No! You are not, oh, Great and Powerful One! You are going to get better as soon as you can say zimzallabim!" This made the Wizard flash his companion a small smile and a light-hearted chuckle. The monkey was trying to be jovial and to cheer him up the best he could. "Monkey, you have always been my good friend. My partner…" His smile was brief, but warm.
"Oh, Wizard", the monkey sighed as he tapped his paws together nervously. "What are you going to do now?"
His musings were interrupted by the captain who stepped quickly and decisively into the room. As he did so, he closed the door behind him. "Wizard, I heard what happened." He gestured with his hands as he spoke wholeheartedly. "I've known Theodora for a lot longer than you have. I meant what I said when we walked to her aunt's cabin. She really cares about you, and you've done a lot by simply being here. I think there is a lot of good you can do not only for her, but all the Winkies if you continue to stay. Maybe what happened with the Emerald City is really a blessing in disguise." The captain looked at him earnestly. "Please, Wizard, stay…"
Finley clasped his paws together as he looked at his former master and chimed in. "Yes, Wizard, please stay…"
The Wizard shook his head ever so slightly as he breathed through his mouth. He stared hopelessly at the ceiling as he rested on the couch. "For the first time in my life…I don't know what to do", he listlessly responded.
On one hand, the Emerald City wanted him dead. On the other hand, he was dealing with an emotionally unstable witch who had engaged—and was continuing to engage in —unscrupulous behavior towards the Winkies that he found to be dastardly and immoral. Caught in the crossfire, he felt like he was an unwilling participant in a volleyball match, except that he was the ball being lobbed back and forth between two conflicting sides.
Unable to return to his own world and unable to return to the Emerald City a free man, the Wizard was quickly becoming an orphan without a home. He was clinging to a lifeboat called the HMS Theodora, but even that was not secure.
Annie was right. This boat was sinking with him on it. And if he stayed, what would be next?
He rested his hands on his stomach as he stared at the ceiling and sighed. "What Theodora doesn't understand is that she has such a privileged life. She has such an easy life." He shook his head as his lips parted in disbelief. "She lives in this gorgeous castle. She has maids and servants that wait on her. She has an army!" He shook his head as his voice became energetic. "No, wait, she has two armies! Two! My God! How many people—men or women—have an army, let alone two!"
He then stared at the captain as he then spoke softly. "Did you know that one of my best friends couldn't even vote from where I came from?" He turned and gazed at the ceiling again as he shook his head and pursed his lips at the irony of it all. "My best friend Annie couldn't even vote. She was such a smart woman and filled with such bright ideas. Brilliant ideas. She was a genius! She could have been a ruler of a country if she wanted to. She was a thinker and a creator. She could have ruled the Emerald City with her eyes closed if she'd been given the chance! But she couldn't even vote. She couldn't even own property. Heck, she couldn't even open a bank account! She didn't have a voice…"
He shifted his head and looked at Finley. "But Theodora is free. She has a voice." He looked up at the ceiling again as he continued his monologue. "God, not only does she have this sprawling castle filled with servants and all the wealth that she could ask for AND a standing army to boot, but she has such magnificent powers, too! She has such wonderful powers! She could literally go anywhere at all and not ever have to worry about her own personal safety. She literally has everything! EVERYTHING!" His voice became very passionate. "My God, she literally won the game of life and doesn't even know it! How many women from where I come from would DIE for such a privilege? How many of them would KILL for such a privilege? Heck, even I would have begged for such a privilege life when I was growing up! SHE HAS EVERYTHING!"
He then began to shake his head again in disappointment as his voice became soft. "But she just doesn't realize what she has. Instead, she feels like she lives this lonely, isolated, and miserable life with no friends. And she takes this pain that she feels within her out on others. She lets it define her. Why? Why does she do that?"
The Wizard paused as he blinked. He then became increasingly emotional as his voice started to crack, and he became teary-eyed. "And that's what the real tragedy of all this is. She has so much that she could offer to the world. She has so much that can make a real difference! But her behavior pushes people away! It pushes me away! She can bring so many people happiness if she wanted to. She could give so much to other people. But she simply doesn't want to. And I don't know why…"
Intense sadness continued to cloud his face as his lower lip quivered. He tightly shut his eyes as he placed his hands over his face. He was on the verge of sobbing. "And that's just what really kills me. I just hope…I just hope that she can look deep within herself and that she can change. That's all I can say. I just hope…for the love of God, I just hope that she can change." He opened his eyes and shook his head again as he began to regain his composure and his hands moved away from his face.
"But she must find it within herself. She must be the one who wants to change", he tearfully said as his nose sniveled.
"Ow! My nose! I'm sorry…", he chuckled with relief by saying something completely unexpected and by clearing the air. This was noticed by Finley and the captain, who also collectively released a quiet chuckle from the sudden change in tone when the Wizard randomly made a comment about his nose.
While the Wizard was not a religious person—and religion was alien to the Land of Oz—he meant everything that he said. And while he never prayed before, he was going to inwardly pray for the witch now. He was going to hope and pray that she would find it within herself to be happy. As Finley and the captain silently looked on, he said his monologue sincerely and earnestly.
The Wizard wiped his eyes as he bit his upper lip and then spoke with hope in his voice. "I'm sorry. I'm just a mess right now." He gave a small smile as his mood became lighthearted and optimistic. He took his hands and pointedly gestured. "I just SEE this goodness in her. I really do. It's like this amorphous being that's within her. I KNOW it's there. And even though it's just out of reach, I know I could just reach out and grab it. It might flicker at times. But it never goes away. It's like just THERE and it just stays there, just out of everyone's reach. But it burns brightly, even when things become dark. I know that she has so much empathy and love and understanding. I've seen it!"
He sighed as he stared off into space and towards his feet. "Despite everything that has happened, I just want to hug her and tell her that everything is going to be okay." His voice became resolute as he subtly shook his head. "But I can't. I have to…I must protect myself from her. I need to. And this is what hurts me the most. I want to help her so much…but I can't." Silence permeated the room for several moments before he spoke again.
"I know what I must do, and it's not going to be easy." He placed his hand to his side, turned his head and slowly looked at the glum pair before him. "I must return to the Emerald City. I'm sorry. But I just can't stay. I can't do this any longer. I have to leave…"
The pair remained silent. As the Wizard continued, he spoke wholeheartedly.
"I just…I know that deep down she is a good person. I just…I just KNOW this. I can't explain why, but I just do. But she must find it within herself to be a better person." He then gave the pair a faint smile.
"Otherwise, I wish her well."
While he didn't show it, inwardly the Wizard was also nervous. He didn't know how the witch was going to react when he finally did leave. He was scared for the Winkies. He was scared for Finley. But most importantly, he was scared for himself.
"Finley", he finally said. "Please bring me my bag." While the monkey was upset that the Wizard was going to leave, he did what he was told. As he flapped his little wings and left the room, he past the dining room and that is when he saw the witch sitting on a couch in a separate, but adjoining parlor room. Her head was buried in her hands as her red hat sat on top of her head. She looked up and gazed at Finley as he landed softly and quietly next to her on the couch. Her eyes were red from sobbing as her lips parted. She was filled with much sorrow, despair, and regret.
"He's never going to speak to me again, is he Finley", she asked sadly.
Initially, the monkey looked despondent, but he simply sighed and tried to give the most neutral and impartial response he could. "That's between the two of you. I've done all I could." His tone was as kind and as gentle as it could be, but the witch knew what his answer meant. Upon hearing this, Theodora buried her face into her hands again and quietly cried.
As the monkey flapped his wings and slowly fluttered away, Theodora once again heard a quiet cackle emanating from a nearby mirror. "Who's there", she asked as her hands now partially covered her eyes and face. She then removed her hands completely. "What do you want?"
You know what I want, the voice screeched in a shrill tone. I want your beautiful wickedness…
The green skinned witch once again appeared in the mirror that was directly across from where Theodora was sitting. "No! No! This can't be", she frantically said. The witch's lips quiver from fright as she lowered herself from the couch and began to kneel on the floor.
"This can't be real", the witch cried out. "You can't be real!" She began to crawl towards the mirror. "I…I defeated you! I cured myself from my sister's curse! You should be gone and away! Never to return!"
But the green skinned witch merely flashed a devilish smile as she vehemently shook her head.
Nuhhh uhhhh uhhhhhhh. What makes you think that you ever got rid of me at all…
This made the witch pause. "But I did! It was a curse! It was all sister's fault! It was all her fault! She gave me that apple! She cursed me and transformed me into…into…into you!"
Did she really? Think harder. Think deep within your psyche as to what *really* happened that night at the Emerald City Palace…
Theodora stared straight ahead as she then experienced a flashback.
Sister! Sister! The Wizard is missing! I've looked everywhere but he's gone!
She then remembered what her sister said to her about dancing with the Wizard and her reply.
He said we would rule Oz together. He said I would be his queen…
Did he? Are you quite sure it wasn't you who said it to him?
After Theodora remembered that exchange, the green skinned witch continued to narrate her flashback.
You ran into your bedroom heartbroken, she said. You destroyed your mirror. That much is true.
Theodora saw herself smash her mirror in a fit of rage.
But you did more than that…
She then saw herself tearing the sheets from her bed. She threw chairs and other heavy objects around her room. She tore pages from her diary. She clenched her teeth as she scribbled, I hate the Wizard I hate the Wizard I hate the Wizard repeatedly until she ripped those pages out, too. She finally became lucid enough to write a coherent entry about his "betrayal" until she became lightheaded, dizzy, and fatigued. She then stood up, imagined the Wizard laughing at her and collapsed near her bed.
Tell me, my dear Theodora, but why would you have seen the Quadling County through your sister's crystal ball, the green skinned witch teased her. Glinda was too smart for that. That should have been the first clue you dreamt the whole thing. Instead, you screamed in your sleep, which caused your concerned sister to enter your bedroom.
Sister, Evanora asked with concern as she entered Theodora's partially destroyed bedroom. It was only a short time ago when she conjured up a fake music box to convince her little sister that the Wizard did not care for her and to make her angry at Glinda. Evanora needed a powerful ally and wanted Theodora to turn against both Glinda and the Wizard. But she was not prepared for what came next. As Theodora raised her green hand and scratched the table, this caused her older sister to act frightened.
Oh, Sister, you are hideous, she finally said after Theodora stood up. I can cast a simple enchantment to have you look just the way you looked before…"
No! This is who I am now! I want him to see like this! I want him to know that he was the one who made me this way!
And when Theodora started to cackle, that was when Evanora knew who attacked Glinda in that hallway. She remembered the terrified eyewitnesses who described that very same diabolical laughter. This was when Evanora realized the reason why her parents had locked her little sister away in her bedroom. This was when Evanora realized why her parents were terrified of their youngest daughter.
The green skinned witch continued to narrate.
You couldn't express your intense emotions freely to those who raised you, so you repressed them. This was when I was born. You created me long ago as a means of survival. You knew I existed, but you dissociated yourself from it. You shifted the blame onto Evanora that night as a defense mechanism for your actions that were to come. But no green apple existed. There was no magic that made you see clearly. It was you all along. You knew Evanora had something to do with the king's death. You simply ignored her involvement.
But she didn't create me. The Wizard didn't create me. Glinda didn't create me. You created me.
You created me to enact vengeance on your enemies. You created me to strike fear into the hearts of those who did you wrong. You created me to express your inner rage and your true feelings that you could never express in polite Ozian society.
I am your revenge. I am you.
As the green skinned witch spoke and Theodora relived what really happened, a terrified expression came over her face. "No…", she said quietly as she shook her head, her mouth wide with the realization that everything being said to her was true. "No…this cannot be true…" But it was.
The shrill voice of the green witch was now booming deep inside of Theodora's mind, where it had been all along.
AND NOW, IT IS TIME TO TAKE YOUR VENGEANCE ON THOSE WHO DID YOU WRONG! IT IS TIME TO TAKE YOUR RAGE OUT ON THOSE WHO ABANDON YOU! IT IS TIME TO EXACT YOUR BEAUTIFUL WICKEDNESS ON THE WIZARD HIMSELF! MAKE HIM PAY SO THAT HE WILL NEVER BETRAY YOU AGAIN! MAKE THEM ALL SUFFER!
Theodora now stared straight ahead and clenched her teeth in anger as the voice inside her head cackled madly.