Oz - Parts II & III

II

I couldn't believe what I had just seen. A house as big as a... well, a house, fell through a hole in the sky. Where did the house come from? Where did the hole come from? Where did it go?
"Lightfoot," I stammered "you must get me to Oeste's."

"I agree with you Constance but mustn't we see what has become of Ester? Oeste will ask surely more questions."

Arrabella and three of her troop were starting down the road towards the house. "You are right Lightfoot. Go and see what happens down there.”

I watched as Lightfoot disappeared into the brush heading in the direction of the freshly landed house. It was sometime indeed before I saw Lightfoot coming along the road with Ester’s bicycle and… My goodness! It’s Ester.

“Lightfoot what happened? How did you get Ester’s body?”

Lightfoot had a grave look on his face. “There is much to tell Constance but please wait until we get to Oeste’s place as I only wish to tell this story once and it must be told first hand to her.”

“There is not a moment to lose Lightfoot. We must leave now.”

III

It was late in the day as I sat down to my evening meal. The sun was lowing in the sky such that it appeared a ball deflating on the horizon floor. It had been a strange afternoon. For some previously unknown cause I had felt a great unease. I had consulted the bones but all they could tell me was that two messengers would arrive bearing tidings, so I had Mirada keep watch for me from the tower.

“Visitor approaching from the East” came the call from the tower. I looked out to see the lighted forms of two walkers, the messengers?, but if they are the messengers they a bearing more than merely tidings. What is this uncertainty that I am feeling? When the knock finally came I was coiled so tight that even a boa would have been a little impressed.

“Oeste, oeste! It is I, Constance, and today’s companion, Lightfoot.”

I summoned them inside and was on the brink of offering them some crumpet and tea when I noticed that that which they bore, bore more resemblance to a person than a tiding. “What is it that you have brought to me today Constance?”

“We bring bad tidings Oeste and news of treachery… “ Constance hesitated before finding the necessary resolve, “and the corpse of your now deed sister, Ester.”

“What did you say?” It was all I could do to speak as I realised that what she had spoken was true and was the cause of my earlier consternation. I was not yet willing to accept it.

Constance and Lightfoot alighted Ester’s body from the wagon with special reverence and placed it carefully on a low table before opening the shroud to expose the chaffed flesh of Ester’s face and the unnatural posture that the body wore.

“Oeste, please hear what Lightfoot has to recount before you let your emotions get the better of you. There will be time to morn and to bury Ester but we must not let this stand in the way of what we must now do. I must confess that I do not know what it is that we must do which is even more reason that you remain calm so you can give us direction on how to continue.”

As the bile rose in my throat my ears heard Constances entreaty and carried the ideas to my mind for processing just in the nick of time as incantations of wrath were rising faster than a cake in the oven when your back is turned.

“Very well. Lightfoot, recount me your story and I will listen before I pass judgement”
“Oeste,” began Lightfoot by describing the happenings in the Hall and Ester’s departure and the falling of the house “... I snuck up to the house just as Dorothy, that was her name, was approached by Arrabella and her ‘dimwits’…“

“Please Lightfoot,” I interrupted,” keep to the truth of the matter, I feel we are all balancing precariously on the edge of emotive implosion. What did they say?”

“Indeed ma’am. Arrabella introduced herself as a good witch from the North and informed Dorothy that Dorothy was welcome here as she had killed one ‘Wicked Witch of the East’ and thereby freed the population of Muchkins.

“Dorothy was most distraught that she had killed anything let alone a person. Arrabella continued to paint Ester the bad witch, indeed she included you in the pantheon of bad jellies. Dorothy was confused as she comes from somewhere called Kansas and there all the witches and wizards are long gone.

“While they were in conversation I took the opportunity to reclaim Ester’s body as I knew not what they might do with it, unfortunately when they noticed it was gone Arrabella used it as evidence that Ester had been a witch and that she had dried up in the sun. Then Arrabella gave Dorothy Ester’s silver shoes and has directed her to the Wizard for help in how she might return home to Kansas. Arrabella offered her protection from you on her journey by giving her a kiss. Dorothy thought this odd as she said that she was sure that it wasn’t a kiss but a thimble that Arrabella gave her. Arrabella was a little stumped by this one. Anyway, the next bit is strange also, Arrabella sent her to the Wizard via the Yellow Brick Road.”

This was strange indeed. Why would she want this Dorothy character to go via the YBR? It is an old road through dilapidated and antiquated industrial wastelands. There is naught but the relics of the old ways, scarecrows that are no longer needed now we work with the birds, mechanical lumberjacks who’s function became defunct when we stopped the wholesale destruction of our forests, and the defeated and dejected warriors of the North’s coliseums who were cast out on that road when their vogue had been outed.

“This is very disturbing Lightfoot. I appreciate very much the efforts you have both made today. While I feel a growing remorse welling up inside me, you are right that I must stay my emotions until these strange happenings are understood and Arrabella’s liberal crusade is stopped in its tracks.

“Go with Tomar Bajo and help him prepare Ester. Then take time for refreshment and sleep. We will talk more in the morning.”

“Thank you Oeste, we will.” Unisoned Constance and Lightfoot before turning on their heels and leaving.

“Jeremy,” I called to my trusty friend the Magpie, “I know how much you like shiny things so I have a task for you. Fly East and find this Dorothy who will be in Ester’s shiny silver shoes. Find her and follow her. I need you to come back to me each evening as they sleep and tell me what has happened.

“As you wish Oeste.” Then he picked up his feathers and leapt from the window and flapped off towards the soon to be rising sun.