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.Do you remember Madame Momble's corralling us into herparlor, andproposing we become three Adepts, three high witches of Oz? Sort of secret localpriestesses, shaping public policy behind the scenes, conujbuting to the stability-orinstability-of Oz as required by some unnamed higher authority?""Oh, that farce, that melodrama, how could I forget it?" said Glinda."I wonder ifwe were put under a spell then? Do you remember, shepaid we couldn't talk about it, and it didn't seem that we could?""Well we are talking about it, so if there was any truth to it, which I doubt, it'scertainly worn off by now.""But look what's happened to us.Nessarose was the WickedWitch of the East-you know that's what they called her, don't pretend to be soshocked-and I have a stronghold in the West, and I seem to have rallied the Arjikisaround me, by dint of the absence of their ruling family-and there you are, sittingpretty in the North with your bank accounts and your legendary skills at sorcery."Legendary nothing I simply see to it that I am admired in the right circles," saidGlinda."Now, my memory is just as good as yours.AndMadame Morrible proposed that I be an Adept of Gillikin, but that you be anAdept of Munchkinland, and Nessa be an Adept of Quadling- 432 - Country.The Vinkus she didn't think worth bothering about.If she was seeingthe future, she got it wrong.She got you and Nessa all wrong.""Forget the details," said the Witch tartly."I just mean, Glinda, is it possible wecould be living our entire adult lives under someone's spell? How could we tell if wewere the pawns of someone's darker game? I know, I know, I can see it in your face:Elphie,you're sniffing conspiracy theories again.Butyou were there.You heard what Iheard.How do you know your life hasn't been pulled by the strings of some malignmagic?""Well, I pray a lot," said Glinda, "not terribly genuinely, I admit, but I try.I think theUnnamed God would have mercy on me and give me the benefit qf the doubt, andrelease me from a spell if I had accidentally fallen under one.Don't you? Or are youstill so atheistic?""I have always felt like a pawn," said the Witch."My skin color's been a curse, mymissionary parents made me sober and intense, my school days brought me upagainst political crimes against Animals, my love life imploded and my lover died, andif I had any life's work of my own, I haven't found it yet, except in animal husbandry, ifyou could call it that.""I'm no pawn," said Glinda."I take all the credit in the world for my ownfoolishness.Good gracious, dear, all of life is a spell.You know that.But you do havesome choice.""Well, I wonder," said the Witch.They walked on.Graffiti was splattered on the sides of the granite plinths ofstatues.NOW THE SHOE'S ON THE OTHER FOOT.Glinda tchtched."Animalhusbandry?" she said.- 433 -They crossed a little bridge.Bluebirds twinkled music above them like asentimental entertainment."I sent this Dorothy, this girl, on to the Emerald City," said Glinda."I told her I'dnever seen the Wizard-well, I had to lie, don't look at me like that; if I told her the truthabout him she would never have left here.I told her to ask him to send her home.With his reconnaissance spies all over Oz, and no doubt elsewhere, he has heard ofKansas, I'm sure.Nobody else has.""That was a cruel thing to do," said the Witch."She's such a harmless child, no one should take her seriously," said Glindacarelessly."If the Munchkinlanders started rallying around her, reunification might bea more bloody affair than we all hope.""So you hope for reunification?" muttered the Witch, disgusted."You support it?" -"Besides," Glinda went on blithely, "having some motherly instinct somewhereinside this pushed-up bosom of mine, I gave her Nessa's shoes as a sort ofprotection.""You what?" The Witch whirled and faced Glinda.For a moment she was dumbwith rage, but only for a moment."Not only does she come whomping out of the skyand stepping her big clumsy house all over my sister, but she gets the shoes too?Glinda, those shoes weren't yours to give away! My father made them for her! Andfurthermore, Nessa promised I could have them when she died!""Oh yes," said Glinda in a false calm, surveying the Witch up and down, "and theywould make the perfect accessory for that glass-of-fashion outfit you have on.Comeon, Elphie, since when have you cared about shoes, of all things? Look at those armyboots you have on!"- 434 -"Whether I'd wear them or not is none of your concern.You can't go handing outa person's effects like that, what right had you? Papareshaped those shoes from skills he learned from Turtle Heart.You've stuck yourfancy wand in where it wasn't wanted!""I'll remind you," said Glinda, "that those shoes were coming apart until I hadthem resoled, and I laced them through with a special binding spell of my own.Neither your father nor you did that much for her.Elphie, I stood by her when youabandoned her in Shiz.As you abandoned me.You did, don't deny it, stop thoselightning bolt looks at me, I won't have it.I became her surrogate sister.And as an oldfriend I gave her the power to stand upright by herself through those shoes, and if Imade a mistake I'm sorry, Elphie, but I still feel they were more mine to give awaythan yours.""Well, I want them back," said the Witch."Oh, put it behind you, will you, they're only shoes," said Glinda, "you're behavingas if they're holy relics.They were shoes, and a bit out of style, truth be told.Let thegirl have them.She has nothing else.""Look how the people here thought of them," said the Witch; she pointed to astable on which was scrawled, in broad red letters, WALK ALLOVER YOU YOU OLD WITCH."Please, give it a rest," said Glinda, "I have such a headache coming on.""Where is she?" said the Witch."If you won't retrieve them, I'll get them myself.""If I'd known you wanted them," said Glinda, trying to make things all right, "I'dhave saved them for you.But you have to see, Elphie, the shoes couldn't stay here.- 435 -The ignorant pagan Munchkinlanders-Lurlinists all, once you scratch the skin-theyhad put too much credit in those silly shoes.I mean, a magic sword I couldunderstand, but shoes? Please.I had to get them out of Munchkinland.""You are working in collusion with the Wizard to render Munchkinland ready forannexation," said the Witch."You have no agenda of charity, Glinda.At least don'tfool yourself.Or are you really under some rusty spell of Madame Morrlble, after allthis time?""I won't have you snapping at me," said Glinda."The girl has left, she's been onthe road for a week now, she headed west.I tell you, she's only a timid child, andmeans no harm.She'd be distressed to know she'd taken something you wanted.There is no power in them for you, Elphie [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]