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第22节

glinda of oz-第22节

小说: glinda of oz 字数: 每页4000字

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commands; asked all of her party; including the

Skeezers; to withdraw from the shore of the take to the

line of palm trees。 She kept with her only the little

Wizard of Oz; who was her pupil and knew how to assist

her in her magic rites。 When they two were alone beside

the stranded boat; Glinda said to the Wizard:



〃I shall first try my magic recipe No。 1163; which is

intended to make inanimate objects move at my command。

Have you a skeropythrope with you?〃



〃Yes; I always carry one in my bag;〃 replied the

Wizard。 He opened his black bag of magic tools and took

out a brightly polished skeropythrope; which he handed

to the Sorceress。 Glinda had also brought a small

wicker bag; containing various requirements of sorcery;

and from this she took a parcel of powder and a vial of

liquid。 She poured the liquid into the skeropythrope

and added the powder。 At once the skeropythrope began

to sputter and emit sparks of a violet color; which

spread in all directions。 The Sorceress instantly

stepped into the middle of the boat and held the

instrument so that the sparks fell all around her and

covered every bit of the blackened steel boat。 At the

same time Glinda crooned a weird incantation in the

language of sorcery; her voice sounding low and

musical。



After a little the violet sparks ceased; and those

that had fallen upon the boat had disappeared and left

no mark upon its surface。 The ceremony was ended and

Glinda returned the skeropythrope to the Wizard; who

put it away in his black bag。



〃That ought to do the business all right;〃 he said

confidently



〃Let us make a trial and see;〃 she replied。



So they both entered the boat and seated themselves。



Speaking in a tone of command the Sorceress said to

the boat: 〃Carry us across the lake; to the farther

shore。〃



At once the boat backed off the sandy beach; turned

its prow and moved swiftly over the water。



〃Very good  very good indeed!〃 cried the Wizard;

when the boat slowed up at the shore opposite from that

whence they had departed。 〃Even Coo…ee…oh; with all

her witchcraft; could do no better。〃



The Sorceress now said to the boat:



〃Close up; submerge and carry us to the basement door

of the sunken island  the door from which you emerged

at the command of Queen Coo…ee…oh。〃



The boat obeyed。 As it sank into the water the top

sections rose from the sides and joined together over

the heads of Glinda and the Wizard; who were thus

enclosed in a water…proof chamber。 There were four

glass windows in this covering; one on each side and

one on either end; so that the passengers could see

exactly where they were going。 Moving under water more

slowly than on the surface; the submarine gradually

approached the island and halted with its bow pressed

against the huge marble door in the basement under the

Dome。 This door was tightly closed and it was evident

to both Glinda and the Wizard that it would not open to

admit the underwater boat unless a magic word was

spoken by them or someone from within the basement of

the island。 But what was this magic word?  Neither of

them knew。



〃I'm afraid;〃 said the Wizard regretfully; 〃that we

can't get in; after all。 Unless your sorcery can

discover the word to open the marble door。〃



〃That is probably some word only known to Coo…ce…oh;〃

replied the Sorceress。 〃I may be able to discover what

it is; but that will require time。 Let us go back

again to our companions。〃



〃It seems a shame; after we have made the boat obey

us; to be balked by just a marble door;〃 grumbled the

Wizard。



At Glinda's command the boat rose until it was on a

level with the glass dome that covered the Skeezer

village; when the Sorceress made it slowly circle all

around the Great Dome。



Many faces were pressed against the glass from the

inside; eagerly watching the submarine; and in one

place were Dorothy and Ozma; who quickly recognized

Glinda and the Wizard through the glass windows of the

boat。 Glinda saw them; too; and held the boat close to

the Dome while the friends exchanged greetings in

pantomime。 Their voices; unfortunately; could not be

heard through the Dome and the water and the side of

the boat。 The Wizard tried to make the girls

understand; through signs; that he and Glinda had come

to their rescue; and Ozma and Dorothy understood this

from the very fact that the Sorceress and the Wizard

had appeared。 The two girl prisoners were smiling and

in safety; and knowing this Glinda felt she could take

all the time necessary in order to effect their final

rescue。



As nothing more could be done just then; Glinda

ordered the boat to return to shore and it obeyed

readily。 First it ascended to the surface of the water;

then the roof parted and fell into the slots at the

side of the boat; and then the magic craft quickly made

the shore and beached itself on the sands at the very

spot from which it had departed at Glinda's command。

All the Oz people and the Skeezers at once ran to the

boat to ask if they had reached the island; and whether

they had seen Ozma and Dorothy。 The Wizard told them of

the obstacle they had met in the way of a marble door;

and how Glinda would now undertake to find a magic way

to conquer the door。



Realizing that it would require several days to

succeed in reaching the island raising it and

liberating their friends and the Skeezer people; Glinda

now prepared a camp half way between the lake shore and

the palm trees。



The Wizard's wizardry made a number of tents appear

and the sorcery of the Sorceress furnished these tents

all complete; with beds; chairs; tables; flags; lamps

and even books with which to pass idle hours。 All the

tents had the Royal Banner of Oz flying from the

centerpoles and one big tent; not now occupied; had

Ozma's own banner moving in the breeze。



Betsy and Trot had a tent to themselves; and Button

Bright and Ojo had another。 The Scarecrow and the Tin

Woodman paired together in one tent and so did Jack

Pumpkinhead and the Shaggy Man; Cap'n Bill and Uncle

Henry; Tik…Tok and Professor Wogglebug。 Glinda had the

most splendid tent of all; except that reserved for

Ozma; while the Wizard had a little one of his own。

Whenever it was meal time; tables loaded with food

magically appeared in the tents of those who were in

the habit of eating; and these complete arrangements

made the rescue party just comfortable as they would

have been in their own homes。



Far into the night Glinda sat in her tent studying a

roll of mystic scrolls in search of a word that would

open the basement door of the island and admit her to

the Great Dome。 She also made many magical experiments;

hoping to discover something that would aid her。 Yet

the morning found the powerful Sorceress still

unsuccessful。



Glinda's art could have opened any ordinary door; you

may be sure; but you must realize that this marble door

of the island had been commanded not to open save in

obedience to one magic word; and therefore all other

magic words could have no effect upon it。 The magic

word that guarded the door had probably been invented

by Coo…ee…oh; who had now forgotten it。 The only way;

then; to gain entrance to the sunken island was to

break the charm that held the door fast shut。 If this

could be done no magic would be required to open it。



The next day the Sorceress and the Wizard again

entered the boat and made it submerge and go to the

marble door; which they tried in various ways to open;

but without success。



〃We shall have to abandon this attempt; I think;〃

said Glinda。 〃The easiest way to raise the island would

be for us to gain admittance to the Dome and then

descend to the basement and see in what manner

Coo…ee…oh made the entire island sink or rise at her

command。 It naturally occurred to me that the easiest

way to gain admittance would be by having the boat take

us into the basement through the marble door from which

Coo…ee…oh launched it。 But there must be other ways to

get inside the Dome and join Ozma and Dorothy; and such

ways we must find by study and the proper use of our

powers of magic。〃



〃It won't be easy;〃 declared the Wizard; 〃for we must

not forget that Ozma herself understands considerable

magic; and has doubtless tried to raise the island or

find other means of escape from it and failed。〃



〃That is true;〃 returned Glinda; 〃but Ozma's magic is

fairy magic; while you are a Wizard and I am a

Sorceress。 In this way the three of us have a great

variety of magic to work with; and if we should all

fail it will be because the island is raised and

lowered by a magic power none of us is acquainted with。

My idea therefore is to seek  by such magic as we

possess  to accomplish our object in another way。〃



They made the circle of the Dome again in their boat;

and once more saw Ozma and Dorot

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