I never thought someone being good could be such a pain in the ass.
She leaned forward, her wand glittering, her white dress immaculate. "Why, you aren't Dorothy and Toto!"
"Get a clue, Glinda. Not everyone who drops in is your precious little Dorothy."
"You are so jealous of my fame, Momba. But I forgive you. Do get your pets in hand, though. You know I just will not tolerate them clinging to my dress."
"They wouldn't come near you if you called them --" Momba began, but the flying monkeys started making a racket, as though to egg them on. "Sit down and shut up, or I swear you'll be grounded for a month!"
I'd said the same thing to the kittens. I thought I'd get along better with Momba than with Glinda. I supposed this was a good time to make an approach before their own discussion got out of hand.
"I don't mean to be any trouble," I said and really meant those words. "We're just trying to find our way home."
"That's what everyone says," Glinda replied with a bit of a pout. "It's not really such a bad place."
"Oh, it's fine," I said hastily. "But it's your place. We have our own --"
"You aren't human!" Glinda said with a look of shock. "Oh, dear!"
Momba looked surprised as well and took a step closer, her hand raised. I did my best not to react badly to that gesture. "Elsewhere fae?" she asked.
"Half. Half-human --"
"Oh! You're that boy! I should have known -- that's Edmond and Lord Snow," Momba said with a quick nod. "Well, this changes things."
I was pretty sure that didn't mean things would change for the better, especially when the two witches moved away a few feet to have a private conversation. I saw glances back our way, and Glinda looked far more contemplative.
"What do you think, Edmond?" I asked softly. He had draped himself over my shoulders as usual.
He shifted slightly. "I wonder if I can fly faster than the monkeys," he mumbled. "I don't like the way they're watching me."
They were staring at him a bit too intently -- or were they watching me? Of course, Edmond was sure he was the one in the spotlight. I couldn't be as sure. Why was everything so complicated?
"Lord Snow?" I said.
"I've never heard of any real trouble in Oz. However, you are a unique case. Your father is powerful. Now that people know about you, all of Elsewhere is going to think that you can do something for them."
I could understand that idea, although I didn't feel at all powerful. I had been bounced around from place to place and adventure to adventure, and without any real clue about what might be going on in the world. Power? I couldn't even control a litter of kittens.
In the last few hours, I had been in Wonderland and Oz, and some odd 'almost real' Middle Earth. I had to keep myself from thinking about going anywhere else now. Not unless we had to escape, but I didn't get that feeling.
"Then I'm off," Glinda said with a sudden nod. "Do let me know if Dorothy turns up."
"Yes, of course," Momba replied but with a roll of her eyes. "Go on home. I'll take care of this."
Glinda gave a regal bow of her head and swept up into the sky in a cloud of glitter -- which dropped down on Momba, flying monkeys, me, Lord Snow, and Edmond.
Edmond sneezed. Several times. Momba brushed glitter from her shoulders and shook it from her hair. The flying monkeys were batting at it as it still fell.
"Such a drama queen," Momba mumbled. Her companions were starting to make a lot of noise again and were looking antsy. She turned to them. "If you fly straight home, stay out of trouble along the way, and don't create a problem when you get home, we'll watch Godzilla Vs. Mothra tonight."
They were suddenly thrilled flying monkeys. I wondered if I could use the same ploy with the kittens. I saw more and more similarities the longer I spent with them.
I didn't include Edmond in that grouping, of course.
"Okay, get into formation," Momba ordered. They scurried into a V shape with minimal pushing and shoving. "Ready? Updraft, updraft!"
She waved her hand, and wind swept out and up, taking the creatures with it so that they gained altitude and could fly. Soon they were circling overhead and then heading off toward the west.
Momba brushed more glitter from her clothing and then nodded to me. "Let's walk for a bit. I have something I'd like to discuss."
So I walked with her down the yellow brick road for a few steps. I wasn't sure what to expect, and I knew there were only a few things I could actually do that might be of any help to her.
"You know I'm not very powerful, right?" I finally said.
"You are your father's son, and that's all I'm looking for right now. We in Oz want a place at the Council."
"I can't --" I began, panicking because it really wasn't something I knew much about, let alone something I could manipulate to get her a place.
"I know you don't have that power, but you can take my message and present it as an outsider. Look -- Oz has a lot in common with Elsewhere. We have magic, we have talking animals, we're close enough to the human world to get some of them dropping in sometimes. But we're grouped with Wonderland and NeverNever, which we have less and less to do with every year. You promise to talk to your father for us, and I'll help you get home."
It was the best offer I'd had in days.
"I can promise that much."
"Then let's get you home."
She leaned forward, her wand glittering, her white dress immaculate. "Why, you aren't Dorothy and Toto!"
"Get a clue, Glinda. Not everyone who drops in is your precious little Dorothy."
"You are so jealous of my fame, Momba. But I forgive you. Do get your pets in hand, though. You know I just will not tolerate them clinging to my dress."
"They wouldn't come near you if you called them --" Momba began, but the flying monkeys started making a racket, as though to egg them on. "Sit down and shut up, or I swear you'll be grounded for a month!"
I'd said the same thing to the kittens. I thought I'd get along better with Momba than with Glinda. I supposed this was a good time to make an approach before their own discussion got out of hand.
"I don't mean to be any trouble," I said and really meant those words. "We're just trying to find our way home."
"That's what everyone says," Glinda replied with a bit of a pout. "It's not really such a bad place."
"Oh, it's fine," I said hastily. "But it's your place. We have our own --"
"You aren't human!" Glinda said with a look of shock. "Oh, dear!"
Momba looked surprised as well and took a step closer, her hand raised. I did my best not to react badly to that gesture. "Elsewhere fae?" she asked.
"Half. Half-human --"
"Oh! You're that boy! I should have known -- that's Edmond and Lord Snow," Momba said with a quick nod. "Well, this changes things."
I was pretty sure that didn't mean things would change for the better, especially when the two witches moved away a few feet to have a private conversation. I saw glances back our way, and Glinda looked far more contemplative.
"What do you think, Edmond?" I asked softly. He had draped himself over my shoulders as usual.
He shifted slightly. "I wonder if I can fly faster than the monkeys," he mumbled. "I don't like the way they're watching me."
They were staring at him a bit too intently -- or were they watching me? Of course, Edmond was sure he was the one in the spotlight. I couldn't be as sure. Why was everything so complicated?
"Lord Snow?" I said.
"I've never heard of any real trouble in Oz. However, you are a unique case. Your father is powerful. Now that people know about you, all of Elsewhere is going to think that you can do something for them."
I could understand that idea, although I didn't feel at all powerful. I had been bounced around from place to place and adventure to adventure, and without any real clue about what might be going on in the world. Power? I couldn't even control a litter of kittens.
In the last few hours, I had been in Wonderland and Oz, and some odd 'almost real' Middle Earth. I had to keep myself from thinking about going anywhere else now. Not unless we had to escape, but I didn't get that feeling.
"Then I'm off," Glinda said with a sudden nod. "Do let me know if Dorothy turns up."
"Yes, of course," Momba replied but with a roll of her eyes. "Go on home. I'll take care of this."
Glinda gave a regal bow of her head and swept up into the sky in a cloud of glitter -- which dropped down on Momba, flying monkeys, me, Lord Snow, and Edmond.
Edmond sneezed. Several times. Momba brushed glitter from her shoulders and shook it from her hair. The flying monkeys were batting at it as it still fell.
"Such a drama queen," Momba mumbled. Her companions were starting to make a lot of noise again and were looking antsy. She turned to them. "If you fly straight home, stay out of trouble along the way, and don't create a problem when you get home, we'll watch Godzilla Vs. Mothra tonight."
They were suddenly thrilled flying monkeys. I wondered if I could use the same ploy with the kittens. I saw more and more similarities the longer I spent with them.
I didn't include Edmond in that grouping, of course.
"Okay, get into formation," Momba ordered. They scurried into a V shape with minimal pushing and shoving. "Ready? Updraft, updraft!"
She waved her hand, and wind swept out and up, taking the creatures with it so that they gained altitude and could fly. Soon they were circling overhead and then heading off toward the west.
Momba brushed more glitter from her clothing and then nodded to me. "Let's walk for a bit. I have something I'd like to discuss."
So I walked with her down the yellow brick road for a few steps. I wasn't sure what to expect, and I knew there were only a few things I could actually do that might be of any help to her.
"You know I'm not very powerful, right?" I finally said.
"You are your father's son, and that's all I'm looking for right now. We in Oz want a place at the Council."
"I can't --" I began, panicking because it really wasn't something I knew much about, let alone something I could manipulate to get her a place.
"I know you don't have that power, but you can take my message and present it as an outsider. Look -- Oz has a lot in common with Elsewhere. We have magic, we have talking animals, we're close enough to the human world to get some of them dropping in sometimes. But we're grouped with Wonderland and NeverNever, which we have less and less to do with every year. You promise to talk to your father for us, and I'll help you get home."
It was the best offer I'd had in days.
"I can promise that much."
"Then let's get you home."
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