glinda of oz-第11节

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lies　in　keeping　the　three　fishes　alive。〃



〃I　s'pose　Coo…ee…oh　will　fight　the　Flatheads　with　all

her　might；〃　observed　Dorothy。



〃And　with　all　her　magic；〃　added　Ozma；　thoughtfully。



〃I　do　not　see　how　the　Flatheads　can　get　to　this

island　to　hurt　us；〃　said　Lady　Aurex。



〃They　have　bows　and　arrows；　and　I　guess　they　mean　to

shoot　the　arrows　at　your　big　dome；　and　break　all　the

glass　in　it；〃　suggested　Dorothy。



But　Lady　Aurex　shook　her　head　with　a　smile。



〃They　cannot　do　that；〃　she　replied。



〃Why　not？〃



〃I　dare　not　tell　you　why；　but　if　the　Flatheads　come

to…morrow　morning　you　will　yourselves　see　the　reason。〃



〃I　do　not　think　they　will　attempt　to　harm　the

island；〃　Ozma　declared。　〃I　believe　they　will　first

attempt　to　destroy　the　fishes；　by　poison　or　some　other

means。　If　they　succeed　in　that；　the　conquest　of　the

island　will　not　be　difficult。〃



〃They　have　no　boats；〃　said　Lady　Aurex；　〃and　Coo…ee…

oh；　who　has　long　expected　this　war；　has　been　preparing

for　it　in　many　astonishing　ways。　I　almost　wish　the

Flatheads　would　conquer　us；　for　then　we　would　be　free

from　our　dreadful　Queen；　but　I　do　not　wish　to　see　the

three　transformed　fishes　destroyed；　for　in　them　lies

our　only　hope　of　future　happiness。〃



〃Ozma　will　take　care　of　you；　whatever　happens；〃

Dorothy　assured　her。　But　the　Lady　Aurex；　not　knowing

the　extent　of　Ozma's　power　　which　was；　in　fact；　not

so　great　as　Dorothy　imagined　　could　not　take　much

comfort　in　this　promise。



It　was　evident　there　would　be　exciting　times　on　the

morrow；　if　the　Flatheads　really　attacked　the　Skeezers

of　the　Magic　Isle。









Chapter　Ten



Under　Water







When　night　fell　all　the　interior　of　the　Great　Dome；

streets　and　houses；　became　lighted　with　brilliant

incandescent　lamps；　which　rendered　it　bright　as　day。

Dorothy　thought　the　island　must　look　beautiful　by　night

from　the　outer　shore　of　the　lake。　There　was　revelry　and

feasting　in　the　Queen's　palace；　and　the　music　of　the

royal　band　could　be　plainly　heard　in　Lady　Aurex's

house；　where　Ozma　and　Dorothy　remained　with　their

hostess　and　keeper。　They　were　prisoners；　but　treated

with　much　consideration。



Lady　Aurex　gave　them　a　nice　supper　and　when　they

wished　to　retire　showed　them　to　a　pretty　room　with

comfortable　beds　and　wished　them　a　good　night　and

pleasant　dreams。



〃What　do　you　think　of　all　this；　Ozma？〃　Dorothy

anxiously　inquired　when　they　were　alone。



〃I　am　glad　we　came；〃　was　the　reply；　〃for　although

there　may　be　mischief　done　to…morrow；　it　was　necessary

I　should　know　about　these　people；　whose　leaders　are

wild　and　lawless　and　oppress　their　subjects　with

injustice　and　cruelties。　My　task；　therefore；　is　to

liberate　the　Skeezers　and　the　Flatheads　and　secure　for

them　freedom　and　happiness。　I　have　no　doubt　I　can

accomplish　this　in　time。〃



〃Just　now；　though；　we're　in　a　bad　fix；〃　asserted

Dorothy。　〃If　Queen　Coo…ee…oh　conquers　to…morrow；　she

won't　be　nice　to　us；　and　if　the　Su…dic　conquers；　he'll

be　worse。〃



〃Do　not　worry；　dear；〃　said　Ozma；　〃I　do　not　think　we

are　in　danger；　whatever　happens；　and　the　result　of　our

adventure　is　sure　to　be　good。〃



Dorothy　was　not　worrying；　especially。　She　had

confidence　in　her　friend；　the　fairy　Princess　of　Oz；　and

she　enjoyed　the　excitement　of　the　events　in　which　she

was　taking　part。　So　she　crept　into　bed　and　fell　asleep

as　easily　as　if　she　had　been　in　her　own　cosy　room　in

Ozma's　palace。



A　sort　of　grating；　grinding　sound　awakened　her。　The

whole　island　seemed　to　tremble　and　sway；　as　it　might　do

in　an　earthquake。　Dorothy　sat　up　in　bed；　rubbing　her

eyes　to　get　the　sleep　out　of　them；　and　then　found　it

was　daybreak。



Ozma　was　hurriedly　dressing　herself。



〃What　is　it？〃　asked　Dorothy；　jumping　out　of　bed。



〃I'm　not　sure；〃　answered　Ozma　〃but　it　feels　as　if　the

island　is　sinking。〃



As　soon　as　possible　they　finished　dressing；　while　the

creaking　and　swaying　continued。　Then　they　rushed　into

the　living　room　of　the　house　and　found　Lady　Aurex；

fully　dressed；　awaiting　them。



〃Do　not　be　alarmed；〃　said　their　hostess。　〃Coo…ee…oh

has　decided　to　submerge　the　island；　that　is　all。　But　it

proves　the　Flatheads　are　coming　to　attack　us。〃



〃What　do　you　mean　by　sub…sub…merging　the　island？〃

asked　Dorothy。



〃Come　here　and　see；〃　was　the　reply。



Lady　Aurex　led　them　to　a　window　which　faced　the　side

of　the　great　dome　which　covered　all　the　village；　and

they　could　see　that　the　island　was　indeed　sinking；　for

the　water　of　the　lake　was　already　half　way　up　the　side

of　the　dome。　Through　the　glass　could　be　seen　swimming

fishes；　and　tall　stalks　of　swaying　seaweeds；　for　the

water　was　clear　as　crystal　and　through　it　they　could

distinguish　even　the　farther　shore　of　the　lake。



〃The　Flatheads　are　not　here　yet；〃　said　Lady　Aurex。

〃They　will　come　soon；　but　not　until　all　of　this　dome　is

under　the　surface　of　the　water。〃



〃Won't　the　dome　leak？〃　Dorothy　inquired　anxiously。



〃No；　indeed。〃



〃Was　the　island　ever　sub…sub…sunk　before？〃



〃Oh；　yes；　on　several　occasions。　But　Coo…ee…oh　doesn't

care　to　do　that　often；　for　it　requires　a　lot　of　hard

work　to　operate　the　machinery。　The　dome　was　built　so

that　the　island　could　disappear。　I　think；〃　she

continued；　〃that　our　Queen　fears　the　Flatheads　will

attack　the　island　and　try　to　break　the　glass　of　the

dome。〃



〃Well；　if　we're　under　water；　they　can't　fight　us；　and

we　can't　fight　them；〃　asserted　Dorothy。



〃They　could　kill　the　fishes；　however；〃　said　Ozma

gravely



〃We　have　ways　to　fight；　also；　even　though　our　island

is　under　water；〃　claimed　Lady　Aurex。　〃I　cannot　tell　you

all　our　secrets；　but　this　island　is　full　of　surprises。

Also　our　Queen's　magic　is　astonishing。〃



〃Did　she　steal　it　all　from　the　three　Adepts　in

Sorcery　that　are　now　fishes？〃



〃She　stole　the　knowledge　and　the　magic　tools；　but　she

has　used　them　as　the　three　Adepts　never　would　have

done。〃



By　this　time　the　top　of　the　dome　was　quite　under

water　and　suddenly　the　island　stopped　sinking　and

became　stationary。



〃See！〃　cried　Lady　Aurex；　pointing　to　the　shore。　〃The

Flatheads　have　come。〃



On　the　bank；　which　was　now　far　above　their　heads；　a

crowd　of　dark　figures　could　be　seen。



〃Now　let　us　see　what　Coo…ee…oh　will　do　to　oppose

them；〃　continued　Lady　Aurex；　in　a　voice　that　betrayed

her　excitement。



　　　*　　　　　*　　　　　*　　　　　*　　　　　*　　　　　*　　　　　*　　　　　*



The　Flatheads；　pushing　their　way　through　the　line　of

palm　trees；　had　reached　the　shore　of　the　lake　just　as

the　top　of　the　island's　dome　disappeared　beneath　the

surface。　The　water　now　flowed　from　shore　to　shore；　but

through　the　clear　water　the　dome　was　still　visible　and

the　houses　of　the　Skeezers　could　be　dimly　seen　through

the　panes　of　glass。



〃Good！〃　exclaimed　the　Su…dic；　who　had　armed　all　his

followers　and　had　brought　with　him　two　copper　vessels；

which　he　carefully　set　down　upon　the　ground　beside　him。

〃If　Coo…ee…oh　wants　to　hide　instead　of　fighting　our　job

will　be　easy；　for　in　one　of　these　copper　vessels　I　have

enough　poison　to　kill　every　fish　in　the　lake。〃



〃Kill　them；　then；　while　we　have　time；　and　then　we　can

go　home　again；〃　advised　one　of　the　chief　officers。



〃Not　yet；〃　objected　the　Su…dic。　〃The　Queen　of　the

Skeezers　has　defied　me；　and　I　want　to　get　her　into　my

power；　as　well　as　to　destroy　her　magic。　She　transformed

my　poor　wife　into　a　Golden　Pig；　and　I　must　have　revenge

for　that；　whatever　else　we　do。〃



〃Look　out！〃　suddenly　exclaimed　the　officers；　pointing

into　the　lake；　〃something's　going　to　happen。〃



From　the　submerged　dome　a　door　opened　and　something

black　shot　swiftly　out　into　the　water。　The　door

instantly　closed　behind　it　and　the　dark　object　cleaved

its　way　through　the　water；　without　rising　to　the

surface；　directly　toward　the　place　where　the　Flatheads

were　standing。



〃What　is　that？〃　Dorothy　asked　the　Lady　Aurex。



〃That　is　one　of　the　Queen's　submarines；〃　was　the

reply。　〃It　is　all　enclosed；　and　can　move　under　water。

Coo…ee…oh　has　several　of　these　boats　which　are　kept　in

little　rooms　in　the　basement　under　our　village。　When

the　island　is　submerged；　the　Queen　uses　these　boats　to

reach　the　shore；　and　I　believe　she　now　intends　to　fight

the　Flatheads　with　them。〃



The　Su…dic　and　his　people　knew　nothing　of　Coo…ee…oh's

submarines；　so　they　watched　with　surprise　as　the　under…

water　boat　approached　them。　When　it　was　quite　near　the

shore　it　rose　to　the　surface　and　the　top　parted　and

fell　back；　disclosing　a　boat　full　of　armed　Skeezers。　At

the　head　was　the　Queen；　standing　up　in　the　bow　and

holding　in　one　hand　a　coil　of　magic　rope　that　gleamed

like　silver。



The　boat　halted　and　Coo…ee…oh　drew　back　her　arm　to

throw　the　silver　rope　toward　the　Su…dic；　who　was　now

but　a　few　feet　from　her。　But　the　wily　Flathead　leader

quickly　realized　his　danger　and　before　the　Queen　could

throw　the　rope　he　ca