The Witches of Oz

Some time earlier, shortly after Dorothy met Elphaba Thropp for the first time…

A few minutes after the green woman disappeared Dorothy heard footsteps nearby, but they stopped when she turned to look for the source. As she turned back she saw something floating towards her. It looked like it was a…bubble?

The bubble landed and a woman stepped out, smiling. She was blonde, beautiful, and dressed magnificently in a sparkling blue gown and a tiara.

“Now I know we’re not in Kansas,” muttered Dorothy to Toto as the woman approached her.

“Are you a Good Witch or a Bad Witch?” asked the woman intently. Dorothy looked over her own shoulder, confused. There was no one behind her so she looked back at the woman.

“Who? Me?”

The woman nodded.

“Why, I’m not a witch at all. I’m Dorothy Gale, from Kansas.”

“Oh,’ said the woman and pointed to Toto. “Well is that the witch?”

“Who Toto? Toto’s my dog.”

The woman laughed softly, in a way that seemed a little bit artificial to Dorothy.

“Well. I am a little muddled. I’m here because I heard that a new Witch has just dropped a house on the Wicked Witch of the East.”

The Wicked Witch of the East? Is that what Elphaba meant when she said not to pay attention to what people said about her sister? No wonder she didn’t seem to want to stay here too long if the people called her sister a witch.

She was going to say something when the woman started talking again and gestured to the house.

“And there is the house, and here you are, and that…”

She pointed to the striped socks poking out from underneath the house.

“Is all that’s left of the Wicked Witch of the East.”

Dorothy stared at her in renewed shock wondering, despite the woman’s kind tone and smiling demeanor, if she was going to be blamed for the death of Nessarose the Witch’s death after all.

“So, what I would like to know is: are you a Good Witch or a Bad Witch?”

“But I’ve already told you,” protested Dorothy. “I’m not a Witch at all! Witches are old and ugly!”

The woman laughed again but it was much less artificial, and more like a girlish giggle, than before.

“What’s so funny, ma’am?” asked Dorothy. She wasn’t sure of the woman was laughing at her or at what she said.

“I’m sorry, my dear,” said the woman, briefly laying her hand on Dorothy’s shoulder. “You see I am a Witch. I am Glinda the Good.”

“You are?” exclaimed Dorothy and curtseyed somewhat sketchily. “Oh I do beg your pardon! But I’ve never heard of a beautiful Witch before.”

“That’s quite understandable,” said Glinda, still smiling. “The Munchkins will be so happy that you have freed them from the Wicked Witch of the East!”

“But, if you please, what are Munchkins?”

“The people who live in this country. This is Munchkinland and you will be their national heroine, my dear.”

“Well that’s all very well,” said Dorothy with a genuine smile. “But I really just want to go home.”

“That’s a good idea,” agreed Glinda, almost too quickly. “It isn’t safe for you to stay here.”

“I thought you said I was their national heroine?”

“Oh yes, the Munchkins will be absotively thrilled but I’m afraid you’ve made rather a bad enemy of the Wicked Witch of the West.”

“There’s another one? Oh dear…oh dear…will she be terribly angry? Oh of course she would, what a silly question! Oh my.”

Poor Elphaba, thought Dorothy through her panic. How awful it must be to have not one but two sisters who are Wicked Witches…but then she did say not to believe everything they said about Nessarose…but still maybe she didn’t know that her sisters were actually wicked.

“The sooner you get out of Oz altogether, the safer you’ll sleep, my dear.”

“Oh, I’d give anything to get out of Oz altogether! But which way is Kansas? I can’t go back the way I came.”

“No that’s true. The only person who might know would be the Great and Wonderful Wizard of Oz himself.”

“If someone suggests you ask the Wizard for help you should”. That’s what Elphaba said, but she didn’t sound very sure and neither does Lady Glinda but I suppose if they are both saying it…and it’s not like I have any choice really.

“The Wizard of Oz? Is he Good or is he Wicked?”

“Oh very Good but very mysterious. He lives in the Emerald City and that’s a long journey from here? Did you bring your broomstick with you?”

“No, I’m afraid I didn’t,” replied Dorothy, wondering how someone could be so absentminded as to forget that Dorothy had said she wasn’t a witch. When she replayed the sentence in her mind it almost seemed like Glinda was making a joke that only the Good Witch herself understood.

“Well then you’ll have to walk. The Munchkins will see you safely to the border of Munchkinland. And remember never let down your guard for a moment or you’ll be at the mercy of the Wicked Witch of the West.”

“But how do I start for Emerald city?”

“It’s always best to start at the beginning and all you do is follow the yellow brick road.”

“But what happens if I…”

Glinda gave Dorothy a gentle shove onto the path, indicating a group of small people up ahead – presumably the Munchkins who would guide her – and repeated:

“Just follow the yellow brick road.”

Dorothy gave in with a nod and set off down the road. Glinda called out after her encouragingly.

“That’s right, you just take that one road the whole time!”

“Follow the yellow brick road,” repeated Dorothy as she did just that. “Follow the…”

She stopped at a crossroads next to a cornfield, a crossroad with four yellow brick branches leading away from it, including the one she was standing on.

“Oh no! Which way do we go now?” wondered Dorothy out loud. “Glinda just said to follow the yellow brick road!”

Obviously the dog could not make a suggestion so Dorothy would have to work it out herself.

“She said I should just follow the Yellow Brick Road. Let me think…”

Dorothy tried to recall what she’d learned in the classroom about travel and directions.

“If Munchkinland is east of everywhere else then Emerald City must be west. Oh but that doesn’t help at all because I don’t know which road leads west!”

She looked back at the road she had been following to get here, it had twisted and turned a lot but she decided that it was most likely that the road almost directly opposite it led to the Emerald City. As she set off down the path she took one last look at the surrounding cornfields, full of crows pecking at the plants, and idly wondering why the farmer hadn’t put his scarecrow up yet.

There was a dark smudge on the horizon of the path Dorothy had chosen. She smiled, thinking that it was not so far to the City after all and she was very close. It was only when she got closer that she realised that the smudge was a forest not a city.

“Oh no, Toto, it looks so dark and scary! What if there are wild animals in there? Oh but if we don’t go in we’ll have to go all the way back and I simply couldn’t stand that!”

The dog made the decision for them; he caught sight of a small furry something and bolted after it, along the road into the forest.

“Toto!”

Dorothy had no choice but to run into the forest after the dog. Just when she thought she was about to catch him he abandoned his chase of the small furry creature and ran into the forest.

“Toto! You come back here right now! We’re supposed to be staying on the road!”

The girl skidded to a halt when she saw Elphaba Thropp standing in a clearing with a man Dorothy hadn’t met.

“Hello again.” she said with a polite smile. “I’m sorry about Toto, I think he likes you.”

The little dog had stopped in front of Elphaba and looked at her until she picked him up and petted him.

“It’s quite all right.” She said smiling at the girl. “Fiyero. This is Miss Dorothy Gale. Dorothy, this is Fiyero Tiggular. Dorothy had the misfortune of being stranded here when her house was caught in that twister we saw.”

“Oh I see. Where are you off too then?”

“Well after Miss Thropp...”

“Elphaba.”

“After Elphaba left, there was another woman in a bubble and she told me to follow the yellow brick road to the Emerald City -like you said someone probably would. She didn’t seem very certain about how to get there though, am I going the right way?”

“You certainly are.” said Elphaba, “Just follow the road through the forest and keep going straight ahead on the other side.”

“Thank you. If you please, I shall keep going now so I can get out of the forest before it gets dark.”

“When you get to the other side you’ll find an empty hut, it’s there for travellers to use.”

“It was nice to have met you again, and to meet you,” she added to Fiyero.

Elphaba handed Toto back and Dorothy set off along the path again.

The Yellow Brick Road was not as interesting, discovered Dorothy, when one was travelling along it alone in the near darkness. She shivered in the cold wind and hoped that the traveller’s hut Elphaba had told her about would show up soon.

Suddenly the wind shifted slightly and Toto started growling viciously then ran away into the forest.

“Toto! Wait for me!”

With little thought of what might be lurking in the forest she ran after Toto (again), crashing through the bushes and tearing her dress at one point. She finally caught up with the dog in a small clearing, where he was barking ferociously at a thicket of some plant she didn’t recognise.

“Now, Toto, you mustn’t go chasing things – that’s what got us into this mess in the first place remember?”

She could hear something whimpering in the bushes and knelt down to try and see what was down there. The ‘something’ roared deafeningly and leaped out of the bushes straight at…no straight past her!

Dorothy screamed and dropped to the ground trembling when she saw a huge lion – she recognised the species even though she’d only seen them in books – snarling at her. It was strange but the snarls almost seemed to be words coming from the mouth of the creature that lay crouched in front of her with its ears back and its tail lashing the air wildly.

“I’m sorry, don’t hurt me!” repeated the lion in a low growling voice.

“You are talking!” exclaimed Dorothy, too stunned to realise what it was saying.

The lion blinked and straightened up slowly when he realised that the strange human was a rather small female.

“Of course I’m talking,” said the lion, looking as confused as a lion could. “I am an Animal after all.”

“I’m sorry, Master Lion, but I don’t understand what you mean.”

“I’m an Animal not an animal,” reiterated the Lion, as if that should clear everything up. Dorothy could almost hear a difference in the way he said ‘animal’ but it still didn’t make much sense.

“Do all of the animals in Oz talk then?”

“Only the Animals,” replied the Lion, putting a heavier emphasis on the word when he realised that the child was either not very bright (a plight he well understood being considered rather slow to comprehend himself) or from somewhere very far away.

“Oh now I see, you have animals and Animals.”

Her pronunciation was not quite the Ozian way but it was different enough to make the distinction so the Lion nodded.

“Just so, Miss.”

“Oh, I’m Dorothy. Dorothy Gale. From Kansas.”

“I’ve never heard of that town,” said the Lion. “But I’ve only been here and in Shiz City before now. I do not like towns at all!”

“I’m very sorry to hear that, though where I come from a lion would never dream of going near a town to begin with.”

“I was stolen from my mother,” confided the Lion. “She was killed by men even though they knew she was an Animal! I would have lost my voice if not for El…”

The Lion remembered he was not supposed to use her name and substituted:

“Someone who rescued me.”

“That’s dreadful! Oh you poor thing, no wonder you want to hide in the forest, I know I would in your place!”

“I don’t really want to be such a coward,” confided the Lion. “I just can’t seem to help being scared of everything. El…my friend tells me that being brave isn’t everything but I know she would be so proud of me if I did do something brave!”

“Maybe the Wizard can help you?”

“Wizard?” repeated the Lion, twitching his ears nervously. “I don’t like the sound of Wizards, it seems I’ve been warned not to go near them…or was that lizards? In any case I don’t like wizards or lizards!”

“Well he’s not just any wizard. He’s the Great and Wonderful Wizard of Oz! Glinda the Good Witch told me that he could get me home and Kansas is such a long way from here that if he can do that I’m certain he can help you be brave!”

“I’m very grateful for the thought, Miss Dorothy, and of course if Glinda said you should go to the Wizard then you should go,” insisted the Lion who had heard Elphaba speak fondly of someone named Glinda – it never occurred to him that there might be more than one. “ But I really don’t think the Emerald City is the place for me.”

“Whatever you think best, of course,” agreed Dorothy. “Do you suppose you could…that is I’m not really sure exactly where I’m going and…perhaps you could take me as far as the edge of the forest?”

“Certainly, certainly,” agreed the Lion. “Wouldn’t want to let a young thing like you go wandering around by herself, to be sure. This way.”

The Lion set off confidently back towards the path and in the same direction Dorothy had been travelling anyway, but the dark woods felt less scary with company – even if he was more scared of the woods than she was.

Even a cowardly Lion was better than no company at all and though she had only been half way through the dark forest – the Lion said it was called the Great Gillikin forest by humans – the second half of the journey seemed much shorter.

“Do you have a name?” asked Dorothy as they walked. “I do feel terribly rude just calling you ‘lion’.”

“Cub,” replied the Lion quietly then, since it was obvious that he was not a cub, explained. “Only Mothers can name their young and since my mother died before she named me my name is Soria’s Cub or just Cub to keep it simple.”

“Oh I see,” said Dorothy understandingly. “My parents died when I was very small as well. I was raised my by Mother’s sister, Aunt Em, and her husband, my Uncle Henry. I’m from a place that’s very far from here.”

“I guessed that when you what the forest was called and didn’t know about Animals. So are you from the North? I’ve heard a lot about the Gillikinese…but then this is nearly part of Gillikin so you would know the name. You must live somewhere very isolated to not know about it. Are you from the south of Munchkinland perhaps? I’ve never been there so I wouldn’t have heard of your town called Kansas.”

“Kansas isn’t a town,” explained Dorothy gently. “It’s a state in a country called the United States of America. I don’t know where Oz is in relation to Kansas, or America even, but we studied geography in school and I’ve never even heard of it. That’s one of the reasons I’m going to see the Wizard, it seems that if anyone even knows where Kansas is from here it’s him.”

“It’d have to be a long way from here,” agreed Cub. “Oz is surrounded on all sides by a big desert that is deadly to all forms of life. People, and Animals, have tried to cross it but they all either get turned around and end up back in Oz or are never heard from again. Getting out would probably take magic.”

“And there is magic in Oz isn’t there?”

“Oh indeed there is!” Cub agreed very confidently, thinking of Elphaba rather than the Wizard. “Not as much as there used to be, from what I hear, but I’ve seen it and you will too if you’re here for long enough.”

“I’m not sure I want to see any magic,” said Dorothy frankly. “Not unless it was taking me home and even then if there was someway to get there without it I would be thrilled. You see in my world there are a lot of stories about magic and I don’t know how much basis in fact they have but it never seems to end well.”

“Magic is only as good or bad as the person using it,” suggested Cub philosophically.

His statement did very little to reassure Dorothy but by that point they had reached the edge of the forest and she expected that Cub would turn back now that the traveller’s hut was in sight.

“ I smell soldiers,” said the Lion, stopping in front of Dorothy at the edge of the forest.

“Is that bad?”

“There have never been soldiers here before! It is supposed to be a safe place!”

The Lion shook himself, making all of his fur stand up, he paced backwards and forwards for a moment as if making a decision.

“Miss Dorothy, if it is acceptable to you, I think I should go all the way to the Emerald City with you. It’s not safe for a young person to be travelling by herself, especially if she’s never been here before.”

It was obvious that it cost the Lion a great deal of effort to make that offer, he probably wanted nothing more than to flee back into the safety of the forest.

“That’s a very courageous offer,” replied Dorothy sincerely. “I would be honoured to have you accompany me for as long as you like. So…how far away do you think those soldiers are?”

“The wind is coming from the northwest so they’re probably somewhere up ahead on the road. Why don’t we go into the hut, it is better than being out in the open.”

Dorothy nodded in agreement and pushed open the door of the travellers hut, it squeaked loudly and both of them jumped then avoided looking at each other because they felt sheepish about being startled by an old door. Dorothy found an oil lamp and managed to get it going, not that there was much to see in the one roomed hut – a bed, a cupboard, a rickety old table and an equally rickety chair – but it was still better than sleeping out in the forest.

Cub lay down in front of the door, which opened outwards, to keep watch while Dorothy decided to risk the mattress and get some rest while she could. She didn’t intend to go to sleep but she must have because she was abruptly woken by Toto barking at the loud voice of someone banging on the door. She looked around and saw the Lion standing perfectly still in the centre of the room growling and waving his tail around angrily.

“Don’t do that, you silly man,” a slightly muffled female voice scolded the loud person. “We’re don’t want to frighten the poor child to death! Here, let me, it’s not even locked.”

“It’s all right, Cub,” murmured Dorothy. “It’s Glinda.”

Dorothy stepped in front of the Lion and smiled, a little hesitantly, at Glinda.

“Hello again, Lady Glinda.”

“Greetings Dorothy. I hope you weren’t too startled, I’m afraid the leader of my escort is very enthusiastic about his duties.”

“Only a little, because it’s very dark and we didn’t know who was out there.”

“We?” repeated Glinda, distracted for a moment from the purpose of her visit. She looked more closely behind Dorothy and gasped.

“A lion? Oh my!”

“It’s quite all right, Your Ladyship,” said Cub, nervously trying to make himself look small and unthreatening. “I’ve been looking after Miss Dorothy, I have. And I’m going to the emerald City with her, I am!”

“We were just stopping for the night,” confirmed Dorothy. “Was there a particular reason you were looking for me, Lady Glinda?”

“Yes there is. The Wicked Witch has been spotted near the forest so I was worried for your safety and brought these guards with me to protect you.”

“Oh that is very good of you, Lady Glinda!”

“Nonsense,” Glinda waved away her thanks. “It is the least I can do. You and I will travel to the Emerald City in a nice safe carriage – after a good night’s sleep in a town that isn’t far from here.”

Dorothy was a little overwhelmed by how quickly Glinda was organising everything but going with her was obviously the only safe choice that could be made – even a brave Lion would be no match for a Wicked Witch in a rage!

“Now,” continued Glinda. “I expect that your…uhh…friend there will be wanting to return to the forest now?”

“Oh, well I don’t know,” said Dorothy, wondering why Glinda didn’t seem to want Cub to come along - it wasn’t as though he would be in the carriage with them. “It’s up to him, of course.”

“If Animals are still allowed in the Emerald City then I will gladly accompany Miss Dorothy as promised.”

“Only for certain reasons,” replied Glinda sounding almost uneasy. “I’m sure we can arrange a special dispensation under the circumstances. I’m afraid you won’t fit into the carriage though…”

“I will walk behind so I don’t scare the horses,” suggested Cub. “If that is satisfactory for Your Ladyship?”

“Yes, that’s fine,” agreed Glinda. “Excuse me while I tell the gentlemen outside what is going on.”

The door didn’t quite close properly behind her so Dorothy was able to hear nearly everything Glinda said to the guards.

“We have found the young lady I was looking for,” announced Glinda in a very bright, bubbly, tone of voice.

That does seem to be her default attitude, thought Dorothy. Even when telling someone that they’ve made an enemy of a Wicked Witch!

“She has a Lion accompanying her,” continued Glinda, causing the guards to mutter things amongst themselves that Dorothy couldn’t hear.

“She is from very far away so there will be a lot of things about oz that she doesn’t understand. I think it would be best if you were to direct any questions to me to answer. We will go on to the next town and stop there for the night then continue to the Emerald City tomorrow. I want all of you to be especially on your guard in case the Wicked Witch is in the area. If you do see her do not approach her, tell me and I’ll deal with the matter.”

“But it’s our job to protect you, Lady Glinda,” protested one of the guards.

“Well that didn’t work out very well earlier,” replied Glinda, almost but not quite snapping at the man.

“Yes, Your Goodness,” replied the guard, much subdued by the almost rebuke. “The carriage is ready when you are. Will the Lion be joining you or walking with us?”

“There is hardly room for two people in that tiny little Munchkin carriage so naturally the Lion will not expect us to invite him to squash us I’m sure.”

Glinda poked her head back into the hut.

“We are ready when you are, Miss Dorothy.”

“I’m ready now, thank you, lady Glinda,” replied Dorothy, having collected her few possessions back into her basket and holding Toto under one arm.

“Very well then, let us depart.”

Lady Glinda must be very important, decided Dorothy. Even though she speaks very politely she talks like someone who expects to be obeyed immediately.

The journey to the town was thankfully uneventful. Glinda stayed quiet and Dorothy, who had been raised not to address her elders and betters first (and occasionally remembered the lesson), did the same. Toto seemed to like Glinda almost as much as he had liked Elphaba, which in some obscure way made Dorothy feel better about travelling with the Good Witch.

Their destination, Glinda had said, was a small inn located within the town. Dorothy had only heard of inns in the Christmas story of Mary and Joseph but she gathered that it was something like a hotel back home. The Innkeeper was overwhelmed by the honour of housing Lady Glinda the Good for the night – he said so over a dozen times in the ten minutes it took to make arrangements. At one point he had said he couldn’t allow an animal inside but Glinda said something to him that Dorothy didn’t hear and he reluctantly agreed that the Lion could sleep on the floor of the room Dorothy was to share with Glinda. The Innkeeper’s wife, as arranged with the innkeeper, lent them two (ridiculously large) nightgowns and her youngest daughter to serve as lady’s maid to Glinda for the night and the next morning.

Dorothy slept uneasily and didn’t think that Glinda slept very well either because she heard the older woman tossing, turning, and muttering in her sleep nearly all night long. The next morning Dorothy put on her wrinkled dress, making an attempt to smooth it out, then took Cub downstairs while the Innkeeper’s daughter helped lady Glinda get dressed.

It must be a nuisance, she pondered quietly to herself. To need another person’s help to get your clothes changed.

It took nearly the entire day to reach the Emerald City. Glinda explained to Dorothy during the trip that she would have to talk to Madame Morrible, the Wizard’s Press Secretary, to get an appointment with the Wizard.

“The guards will see you safely to Madame Morrible’s office and I will see you later,” said Glinda, as soon as they reached the palace in the Emerald City. “This Wicked Witch business has wreaked complete havoc on my schedule!”

Glinda disappeared into the labyrinthine hallways; Dorothy and Cub were standing in the antechamber of a large office waiting for Madame Morrible to call her in – it felt a lot like waiting for the teacher at school when she knew she was in trouble.

Finally a bell rang from inside the office and the secretary at the desk in the antechamber opened the office door and announced Dorothy.

“Miss Dorothy Gale and…company, Madame.”

“Send them in.”

The tone of Madame Morrible’s voice did nothing to reassure Dorothy or the Lion as they entered the office and stood just inside the doorway.

“You mustn’t lurk in doorways, dear,” said Madame Morrible in an ominously polite tone. “It’s rude.”

“I’m terribly sorry, Madame,” said Dorothy nervously, Cub was shaking too much to even say hello he just cowered behind Dorothy while Madame Morrible looked at them both.

And I thought Miss Gulch was scary? I feel terrified just being looked at by this Press Secretary person!

It was impossible not to be intimidated by Madame Morrible, in her elaborate gown and makeup, especially when one was a humble farm girl in a torn and wrinkled dress.

“That’s all right, dear,” Madame assured her in that same, rather nerve-wracking, tone of voice. “One can’t help the way one is raised after all. So, Miss Dorothy Gale, what can I do for you?”

“If you please, Madame, I need to see the Great and Wonderful Wizard of Oz very urgently. Perhaps Lady Glinda mentioned me to you? She brought me here, you see.”

“Oh I see, I do,” replied Madame Morrible, clapping her hands sharply. “Glinda did mention you, though not by name she’s very busy as well and needed to catch up on some very important matters. My dear, the fact of the matter is that the Wizard is a very busy Wizard and there is no telling when he will have time to see you.”

“Oh but I simply must get home as soon as possible!” protested Dorothy.

“I will have a messenger sent to you when the Wizard is able to see you,” said Madame, as if she hadn’t even heard Dorothy’s protest.

“Until then, since you will obviously have nowhere to stay or means of paying for such, we will put you up in a room in the palace.” Madame Morrible examined her rather critically for a moment before adding: “And I’ll arrange for someone to measure you up for a proper dress to meet the Wizard in.”

“Thank you, Madame, for all of your help and generosity,” said Dorothy genuinely, deciding that it was hardly Madame Morrible’s fault it the Wizard was busy – he was the Great and Wonderful Wizard of Oz after all.

“Don’t distress yourself, dearie, everything will turn out well in the end. You must simply be patient.”

Giving Dorothy no opportunity to respond to that comment Madame Morrible rang her bell again and her secretary came into the room.

“Yes, Madame?”

“This is Miss Dorothy Gale, she needs a good meal, a bath and clean clothes in whichever order is most convenient. Please arrange it.”

“Yes, Madame.”

“Now, Master Lion, I’m sure there were lots of things you wanted to chat about while Miss Dorothy is getting cleaned up?”

Dorothy didn’t like the oddly triumphant note in the Press Secretary’s voice as she said that and desperately wanted to say something but she couldn’t think of any reason that she might want Cub to accompany her now.

“Yes,” answered Cub, sounding not quite like himself, walking out from behind Dorothy and sitting next to Madame Morrible. Dorothy really didn’t want to leave him alone in there but her mind felt so fuzzy from sleeping badly, and the long trip, that she couldn’t think of a single thing to say and simply allowed Madame Morrible’s secretary to lead her out of the office.

“Are you hungry, dear?” said the secretary kindly.

“Yes, ma’am, very! We were in such a rush to get here, you see.”

“Well I don’t have time to take you all over the place myself, Madame Morrible’s office gets very busy of course but I’ll find someone who can.”

“Thank you very much.”

The secretary took her to the dining room where the higher ranked servants of the palace ate, explaining along the way that there weren’t many guests at the moment and it would be easier to eat here.

“Ahh just the person,” said the secretary, leading Dorothy to a table where a tall red-haired woman in her twenties was sitting.

“Miss Yora, what can I do for you?” asked the woman in a rich, slightly accented, voice.

“Miss Rané LeJeune, this is Miss Dorothy Gale – a guest of Lady Glinda’s who is waiting to see the Wizard. Miss Gale, this is Miss LeJeune – one of Lady Glinda’s ladies in waiting. Miss LeJeune, if you are free, would you be so good as to take Miss Dorothy to the baths and the dressmakers this afternoon and perhaps find out if Lady Glinda has arranged accommodation for her?”

“Certainly,” said Rané agreeably. “I was just about to eat as well so we can leave together.”

“Thank you very much, Miss…”

Dorothy hesitated before finishing the woman’s name; she wasn’t quite sure how to pronounce it.

“Miss Rané is what most people call me, my last name is just a little bit unpronounceable isn’t it? And I will call you Dorothy, if I may?”

“You certainly may call me Dorothy, Miss Rané.”

Dorothy ate in silence while Rané chatted to her about fashion and hairstyles, inane things that were actually quite relaxing. It was very comforting to be in the company of someone who had a genuine smile and didn’t seem to need to hide her feelings away but then Lady Glinda and Madame Morrible were both high ranking officials so perhaps they had to be like that.

“How old are you, Dorothy?” asked Rané as she showed the girl the way to the dressmakers. Rané had decided that she would have the girl measured up for a new dress then show her to the baths while something temporary was organised.

“I’m twelve, Miss Rané.”

“Oh my, is that all? You look older, not that it’s a problem or anything.”

The dressmaker was a small, efficient, older man who took about ten minutes to measure Dorothy for dresses and mumble that he would have something sent to the ladies baths that was more appropriate to the City and Palace, followed by a dress suitable for meeting the Wizard later.

Dorothy had just finished her bath and gotten dressed when Miss Rané returned, with Madame Morrible accompanying her.

“Madame Morrible,” said Dorothy courteously, curtseying to the press Secretary like she did to the older people at church back home.

“Miss Gale. I’m sure you didn’t expect to see me again so soon but something has come up and I have a request to make of you.”

Dorothy nodded, not that Madame Morrible seemed to require any such acknowledgement.

“Someone who has also suffered the negative attention of the Wicked Witches wishes to speak with you. I can trust your discretion I’m sure?” she said, looking sternly at both of them before continuing. “The gentleman is named Boq, a resident of Munchkinland until very recently when he was cursed by the Wicked Witch of the West!”

“Oh how dreadful!”

“Quite so, Miss Dorothy. After he told me his circumstances I told him of you and the threats that had been made against you by that selfsame Witch he asked to meet you. To offer his services as a protector should you need it and companion while you both wait to meet the Wizard.”

“Of course,” agreed Dorothy straight away, not seeing any reason why she should refuse.

“Very well, that’s very kind of you, my dear. He is waiting in the Oak Drawing Room, Miss Rané can take you to the door but he would prefer it if you are the only one who sees him.”

Rané nodded and gestured for Dorothy to follow her. After what seemed like miles of hallways and staircases she stopped outside a large door, made of oak - which explained the name of the room – and stopped.

“This is it, just knock and go in. ring the bell cord when you want to go to your rooms, a maid will answer it and take you there – I’ll make sure the staff are informed as soon as the room is assigned to you.”

“Thank you for all your help, Miss Rané.”

“You’re quite welcome, Dorothy. I hope the Wizard can see you soon.”

Dorothy knocked on the door and heard an oddly creaky, there was no other word, man’s voice inviting her to come in. she could barely restrain her shock at the sight before her, even in a magical place like Oz it seemed to amazing to be real – a man made entirely of tin!

Once she recovered from her shock Dorothy sat down next to the Tin man, Boq, and spent the next few hours talking to him. He told her all about his life and how it was ruined by the Wicked Witches – he never mentioned any other names - and in return she told him all about Kansas and how she had gotten to Oz from there.

It was dark outside before she knew it and Rané LeJeune had come to fetch her again, announcing herself from outside the door and waiting for Dorothy to answer.

“I’ll be right out,” Dorothy called back then smiled at Boq. “If you will excuse me, sir.”

“Of course, I remember what it’s like to need sleep,” said Boq, his voice containing the same overtone of bitterness that had flavoured everything he’d said that afternoon. “Thank you for spending so much time with me, Miss Dorothy. It has made me feel better.”

“You are welcome,” said Dorothy, who had found she quite liked Boq despite his negative attitudes. It seemed to her that he had a right to be angry about what had happened to him and to be happy that the Wicked Witch of the East was dead but it did not make him a very comfortable person to speak to.

Rané showed her to a beautiful set of rooms decorated all in green and told her that the Wizard would see her as soon as he was able to make time in his very busy schedule.