“When I was three years old, and you must understand, dearest Galinda, that I have a very clear memory of that time, my mother took me to the hill country. There was a cabin by the lake and we spent the entire summer there, just the two of us. I don’t mind telling you my mother was a very mediocre cook but it didn’t matter because she was there.
One day, I would guess about a week into the trip, I was playing on the veranda of the cabin while Mother was reading and I decided to climb onto the railing and look at the lake. The water was right next to cabin, you see, it was built on a base of rocks. I fell in, I didn’t know how to swim, and my mother just… I don’t even know how she moved so quickly but she jumped in after me and pulled me out. After that I was afraid to go near the lake again until she told me she would always be there to pull me out.
The very next day she taught me how to swim and we spent most of our holiday in the lake playing ‘catch me’ with the local Bird life. Mother was always polite to the Animals we met and there were so many of them around that area then. Swans, Ducks, Herons, the most adorable family of Otters, even the shy Deer came down a few times when we were there. Mother told me to be kind and respectful, but never condescending, to Animals.
It was purely magical, the kind of magic that comes from spending time with someone you love. I still don’t know how my mother convinced father to let her take me away for so long.
And that’s about all there is to it. No earth shattering revelations, just a mother and her daughter alone in the semi-wilderness for a summer. But it’s one of the most wonderful memories of my life. I particularly remember my mother calling me ‘her beautiful ’Fabala’ on several occasions.”
As Elphaba spoke Galinda could see, as clearly as if she’d been there herself, everything that that she described to her. A beautifully carefree summer, a loving relationship between a mother and her child, and Galinda just knew in a way that defied explanation that Melena Thropp had truly loved her daughter.
“That’s so beautiful, Elphie. Your mother must have loved you, I am quite sure of it. I know you fear that you just imagined it but I am certain, in depths of my heart, that she loved you and you can not convince me otherwise.”
“I shall not try it then,” replied Elphaba, feeling reassured and a good deal happier about things then she had before she shared all of these thoughts and feelings with her roommate.
No, silly girl, she told herself, not just your roommate but your friend as well!
“Thank you, Galinda.”
The deep booming of the courtyard clock striking the hour cut off Galinda’s reply.
“You’re very welcome!” said Galinda quickly. “We’d better move to our room before the room monitor comes around.”
The Shiz University hall monitors were not particularly scrupulous about the private suites; as long as the sitting room lights were out and there was no audible noise from inside they took no action.
“Yes, of course,” agreed Elphaba. She looked into the window, past her reflection not at it, one last time then followed Galinda into the bedroom.
As per the routine of the last few months, which they hadn’t yet gotten around to consciously changing, Galinda took herself and her nightgown off to the bathroom while Elphaba changed in the bedroom.
Elphaba was halfway to the window seat with a book before she remembered that Galinda actually spoke to her now instead of pointedly ignoring her.
Galinda actually winced when she saw opened the door and saw Elphaba halfway to the window seat, with her back to the blonde girl.
Does this mean she doesn’t want to be friends after all? she wondered nervously.
“What are you reading?” asked Galinda brightly, her cheerful tone not fooling either of them for a moment.
“Well I’m not exactly reading it I was just… I wasn’t even thinking about it I was just…” she shrugged helplessly and turned to face Galinda with a somewhat sheepish expression on her face. “It’s just what I do.”
“I know exactly what you mean,” admitted Galinda. “I was about to do what I used to do as well but we don’t… that is it doesn’t have to be that way now does it?”
“It is too late to ask that question,” replied Elphaba decisively, after thinking so much upon the question that Galinda was almost afraid to have her answer. She gently placed her book on the bed with out taking her eyes from the other girls face then she smiled, as she rarely did, and explained.
“It’s far too late to ask if it has to be that way when it so clearly is not. Really, Galinda, you have overcomplicated things, as always. The situation is simple: we were not friends and now we are, it is very new to both of us – particularly one of us – so we can forgive each other for any small lapses of memory until we get used to the change of circumstance. Now let us both get to our beds and sleep for the sake of the classes we must sit through tomorrow.”
“I couldn’t possibly go to sleep yet,” protested Galinda, “Let’s stay up and talk instead!”
As infectious as Galinda’s enthusiasm was Elphaba tried, one more time, to convince her to go to bed.
“Can’t it wait until next Sixth Day when we don’t have a class at Ninth Hour and a Protocol test along with that?”
“We have a test in protocol?” shrieked Galinda. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“You’re a twenty year old college student,” pointed out Elphaba, “I didn’t t think you needed to be reminded of these things. In any case, it’s not as though you need to study for Protocol, I don’t know why you even bother taking that class.”
“Oh, because it’s a requirement and… the point is you didn’t tell me we had a test! I bet you would have reminded Nessa!”
“Of course I reminded Nessa she cares so little for learning that she needs to be. You, on the other hand, just pretend to be disinterested in learning to fit in with your friends and are quite capable of remembering that we have a test tomorrow on your own.”
“Well, I, err…” Galinda stammered her way through half a sentence, taken aback by Elphaba’s almost brutal honesty. “That was a silly thing to say, let’s forget it.”
“It’s forgotten,” agreed Elphaba, simply thankful she had been saved from keeping Galinda amused until she decided she was tired. “Go to sleep.’
The girls exchanged ‘goodnights’ and put out the lights, all seemed to be well enough now.
The silence was broken half an hour later by Galinda’s plaintive complaint of:
“Elphie, I can’t sleep!”
Elphaba, who had been almost asleep, rolled her eyes without any real annoyance and smiled into the darkness.
“Why not?” she asked simply.
Galinda blinked, Elphaba could practically hear her thinking, and then she replied in one of her puzzled tones.
“Does it matter? The point is I’m awake.”
“Are you awake because you don’t feel well?”
“No, I’m just not asleep, there’s nothing wrong.”
“Well what do you want me to do about it?”
“Talk to me,” responded Galinda as if it were obvious.
“About what? If you start on about clothes or something that will just put me to sleep and you’ll still be awake.”
“How do you get to sleep when you’re having trouble dozing off?”
“I don’t,” replied Elphaba, rather unhelpfully. “I sleep or I don’t, I’ve never tried to do anything about it. Now that we’ve established I can’t help would you be so kind as to either tell me how or let me sleep? Though I suppose if matters get desperate enough I could recite our Literature text and put us both to sleep!”
“Oh Miss Elphaba, you are dreadful!”
“You’re only saying that because the teacher is Gillikinese and the text as well.”
“It is one of the more dull texts, though,” conceded Galinda, because she didn’t want Elphaba to start ignoring her. “Let’s not talk about that unless we’re desperate!”
“I agree completely.”
Galinda sighed in a rather huffy manner when it became obvious that Elphaba wasn’t going to make an effort to entertain her.
“What do you normally do when you can’t sleep?” asked Elphaba.
“Drink warm milk but obviously I can’t go to the kitchen at this time of night,” sighed Galinda. “At home sometimes I would go to the Chapel of Saint Glinda, don’t you dare laugh, and it’s so peaceful that it makes me feel rested.”
“Why should I laugh at you?”
“I didn’t mean to tell you about the Chapel,” replied Galinda sounding embarrassed.
“I just don’t see why but if you tell me it’s because it’s unfashionable, or something silly like that, I’ll throw my pillow at you!”
“Oh nothing like that! It’s just that a lot of people go to the cathedral in Shiz City every Rest Day, even though it isn’t compulsory, but I have never seen you there so I just assumed…”
“That I was an unrepentant pagan with no respect for anyone else’s beliefs?” offered Elphaba.
“Sort of, yes,” agreed Galinda reluctantly. “I don’t mean to judge you for that though, everyone has the right to choose if they believe in the Unnamed God or not and I’m certainly not sure if I believe in that precisely or if it is just a name for what I do believe in.”
“I believe that there is something that made the world, and everything in it, and that the same something chooses when everything in the world is born and dies but I don’t know what it is called. I don’t go to the church with you and the others because I have another church.”
“I didn’t know there was more than one in Shiz City,” said Galinda. “Where is it, Elphaba? Will you take me there sometime?”
“You could see it right now,” said Elphaba, as she slid out of bed and opened the curtains so Galinda could see her silhouette in the light of the moon and stars.
“I don’t understand,” murmured Galinda.
“The world is my Cathedral, Galinda, everywhere I look I see the wonders Created at the beginning of time. The music I hear in the sounds of nature is the only hymns I need to remind of the One who made the world. I honour the Creator with my heart and spirit; I cannot believe, whatever and wherever It is, that It is offended by this. I don’t claim that my way is the right way, or the only way, I know only that it is my way and it feels right for me.”
Lest the mood become too sombre after her short declaration Elphaba laughed softly and added:
“And it leaves me with a free Rest Day to spend as I like.”
“What about your sister?” asked Galinda curiously, too tired for an extensive theological debate she decided to keep quiet about Elphaba’s beliefs.
After all, I am not sure what I believe so I can hardly judge her.
“Nessa prefers to spend Rest Day mornings alone, or with Father at home, to perform her devotions. It’s one of the few times she doesn’t need me to be around so I leave her to it, she tells me that she prays for my soul and I ignore her. I could tell her that I don’t believe my soul to be in any danger but why ruin her fun? Let her feel like a she’s doing something for my spiritual wellbeing if it makes her happy, I say. Now let’s find something else to talk about shall we? Tell me about the Chapel of Saint Glinda, you were named for her weren’t you?”
“Yes, I was named for her,” confirmed Galinda, “that’s why a lot of people get my name wrong but anyway… the Chapel is one of the most beautiful buildings in Gillikin if not all of Oz. People come from all over to see it, you know, and it’s such a simple building from the outside. It has a domed roof, supported by four pillars, from the outside it looks like the walls are made of pieces of stone all joined together in particular way but when you get inside…”
Galinda’s voice trailed off for a few moments as she re-remembered the brilliance, the sheer genius, of the inside.
“It’s like standing inside a rainbow. The windows are made of stained glass, set in patterns, and they have these mirrors – I don’t really know how they work – but they reflect the light all through the room, it’s one big circular room, and there are just colours everywhere. Even at night the colours are there, as long as there is moonlight. At night the colours are different, they welcome you, make you feel at peace, safe and warm like… like…”
Her voice trailed off again, what could she compare that feeling to?
“Like the colours of all the love in the world,” whispered Elphaba softly. “You describe it so well I can almost see it, dear Galinda-Glinda-Lynni-Gaia, it must feel as though She is there herself.”
“What did you call me?” asked Galinda, after nodding an agreement that Elphaba couldn’t see.
“Gaia,” replied Elphaba, deliberately cryptic, she knew Galinda wanted to know more than that.
“Well what does that mean?” demanded the blonde girl.
Elphaba smiled as she crossed the room and sat on the edge of Galinda’s bed.
“If I tell you will you go to sleep?”
“I won’t go to sleep if you don’t tell me,” countered Galinda.
“Good enough,” replied Elphaba with a shrug. Galinda snuggled down under her blankets and lay on her side so she could see Elphaba’s silhouette in the moonlight and watch as she spoke. And speak she did, in words first heard from her own mother in those glorious summer days of her childhood, in a soft, low, tone that was as mysterious to Galinda as the girl herself.
“In the North, she is Saint Glinda, Patroness and Protectress, worshipped by all in the Chapels and Cathedrals of stone and glass,” began Elphaba, reiterating what Galinda already knew.
“In the South, where the Quadlings live, where my mother was born, she is Gaia, Great Mother, the First among the Ancestors, and they worship Her above all. Not in places of stone and glass but in the homes that rot gently into the swamps, in the harvest, in the blowing of the glass, in all that is done to honour their Ancestors. She is the Mother of the entire World and so She is venerated above all others.”
That was all there was to say but Galinda had fallen asleep sometime during the explanation so no more needed to be said.
Well, thought Elphaba, perhaps one more thing.
She smiled and whispered a Quadling prayer to Gaia.
“Yeka Dala, Adaré yu soraa aez kaelm daér és daét caam.”
It was a prayer she said every night but this time she asked the Great Mother to watch over both of her sisters.
The next morning saw Elphaba slipping out of bed an hour before the sun rose, as she had since she came to Shiz and discovered that she woke up at the time of sunrise at home, she smiled at Galinda’s sleeping form and went into the bathroom to clean up and put her uniform on.
She hummed a little song to herself as she thought about what she’d do until Eighth Hour, the time she’d agreed to meet Nessa to help her study for the Protocol test.
A walk in the gardens before anyone else is up, she decided, it’s nice enough when there’s no one around to watch you.
By the time Elphaba reached the garden there was a bare hint of predawn light that only made the shadows seem darker but the shadows had never bothered her anyway. She sat down under a willow tree, on a stone bench provided for just that purpose, and enjoyed the slight chill in the air and the smell of damp grass.
“Good morning,” murmured a soft voice, interrupting her solitude.
“It started with such promise,” she replied, looking around for the speaker. When she saw that it was a Cat, sitting on the other half of the bench, she apologised. “Your pardon, I thought you were a fellow student come to irritate me.”
“Neither fellow nor student,” she replied with the closest expression to a smile manageable by a Cat. “I am Fali, your friend in the city sent me to speak to you. We hope there is something you can help us with, without compromising your own position in this place.”
“If I can help I will,” replied Elphaba immediately and with such genuine enthusiasm that the Cat could not fault her willingness.
“A group of three Goats are going to be accused of a crime they didn’t commit and arrested later today, we need a place for them hide until tonight and it must be outside the city.”
“Goats?” repeated Elphaba. “Is Doctor Dillamond in danger?”
“They are members of his flock, he is safe for now.”
“The University keeps a flock of goats in a large pasture about ten minutes walk from here, for the Agricultural students and the noble girls who want to play at farming. I’ve spent a few odd hours down there and, as far as I can tell, no one watches over the goats and there are enough of them that three more would go unnoticed.”
“You do realise that, just by telling me this, you are helping those who are considered criminals escape the Wizard’s justice?”
Is that an accusation or a warning? wondered Elphaba, thinking quickly. Is this a trap or a test?
“I am quite aware of all the possible consequences of my actions,” she informed the Cat in a cold, formal, tone. “If I was not prepared to risk those things I would not have offered Doctor Dillamond my help.”
“You’re proud and wilful,” remarked the Cat. “I like it, it’s a very proper attitude, no matter what Humans and other Animals say. Your name won’t be mentioned to anyone involved but let me tell you that they will be grateful.”
“They, and you, are welcome,” replied Elphaba, deciding that she rather liked Fali. “I’m glad to be able to help, even in this small way.”
“I have to go now, and get them to the place before it gets too late. We will speak again, you and I, I am certain we will. Good day to you.”
“And to you,” replied Elphaba, as the Cat disappeared into the dark garden. She felt a flush of pride in herself that she, Elphaba Thropp, had done something for the greater good.
For the briefest moment she could almost hear Galinda say ‘Elphie please, you can’t go against the Wizard of Oz.’ And she had a vision that wasn’t quite a vision like she’d had before of the two of them somewhere else. She shook her head and the vague scene was gone, only the words remained and the memory-echo of her reply which she whispered into the silence of the garden.
“I have to.”