"Now, then," said the Wizard, "let us talk this matter over and decide what to do when we get to Ugu's wicker castle. There can be no doubt that the Shoemaker is a powerful Magician, and his powers have been increased a hundredfold since he secured the Great Book of Records, the Magic Picture, all of Glinda's recipes for sorcery and my own black bag -- which was full of tools of wizardry. The man who could rob us of those things, and the man with all their powers at his command, is one who may prove somewhat difficult to conquer; there fore we should plan our actions well before we venture too near to his castle.""I didn't see Ozma in the Magic Picture," said Trot.
"What do you suppose Ugu has done with her?"
"Couldn't the Little Pink Bear tell us what he did with Ozma?" asked Button-Bright.
"To be sure," replied the Lavender King; "I'll ask him."So he turned the crank in the Little Pink Bear's side and inquired:
"Did Ugu the Shoemaker steal Ozma of Oz?"
"Yes," answered the Little Pink Bear.
"Then what did he do with her?" asked the King.
"Shut her up in a dark place," answered the Little Pink Bear.
"Oh, that must be a dungeon cell!" cried Dorothy, horrified. "How dreadful!""Well, we must get her out of it," said the Wizard.
"That is what we came for and of course we must rescue Ozma. But -- how?"Each one looked at some other one for an answer and all shook their heads in a grave and dismal manner. All but Scraps, who danced around them gleefully.
"You're afraid," said the Patchwork Girl, "because so many things can hurt your meat bodies. Why don't you give it up and go home? How can you fight a great magician when you have nothing to fight with?"Dorothy looked at her reflectively.
"Scraps," said she, "you know that Ugu couldn't hurt you, a bit, whatever he did; nor could he hurt me, 'cause I wear the Nome King's Magic Belt. Spose just we two go on together, and leave the others here to wait for us?""No, no!" said the Wizard positively. "That won't do at all. Ozma is more powerful than either of you, yet she could not defeat the wicked Ugu, who has shut her up in a dungeon. We must go to the Shoemaker in one mighty band, for only in union is there strength.""That is excellent advice," said the Lavender Bear, approvingly.
"But what can we do, when we get to Ugu?" inquired the Cookie Cook anxiously.
"Do not expect a prompt answer to that important question," replied the Wizard, "for we must first plan our line of conduct. Ugu knows, of course, that we are after him, for he has seen our approach in the Magic Picture, and he has read of all we have done up to the present moment in the Great Book of Records. Therefore we cannot expect to take him by surprise.""Don't you suppose Ugu would listen to reason?" asked Betsy. "If we explained to him how wicked he has been, don't you think he'd let poor Ozma go?""And give me back my dishpan?" added the Cookie Cook eagerly.
"Yes, yes; won't he say he's sorry and get on his knees and beg our pardon?" cried Scraps, turning a flip-flop to show her scorn of the Suggestion. "When Ugu the Shoemaker does that, please knock at the front door and let me know."The Wizard sighed and rubbed his bald head with a puzzled air.
