were hungry, and finding
they were summoned a maid and ordered food to be brought.
This Lady Aurex looked to be about twenty years old, although in the
Land of Oz where people have never changed in appearance since the
fairies made it a fairyland—where no one grows old or dies—it is
always difficult to say how many years anyone has lived. She had a
pleasant, attractive face, even though it was solemn and sad as the
faces of all Skeezers seemed to be, and her costume was rich and
elaborate, as became a lady in waiting upon the Queen.
Ozma had observed Lady Aurex closely and now asked her in a gentle tone:
"Do you, also, believe me to be an impostor?"
"I dare not say," replied Lady Aurex in a low tone.
"Why are you afraid to speak freely?" inquired Ozma.
"The Queen punishes us if we make remarks that she does not like."
"Are we not alone then, in this house?"
"The Queen can hear everything that is spoken on this island—even the
slightest whisper," declared Lady Aurex. "She is a wonderful witch, as
she has told you, and it is folly to criticise her or disobey her
commands."
Ozma looked into her eyes and saw that she would like to say more if
she dared. So she drew from her bosom her silver wand, and having
muttered a magic phrase in a strange tongue, she left the room and
walked slowly around the outside of the house, making a complete circle
and waving her wand in mystic curves as she walked. Lady Aurex watched
her curiously and, when Ozma had again entered the room and seated
herself, she asked:
"What have you done?"
"I've enchanted this house in such a manner that Queen Coo-ee-oh, with
all her witchcraft, cannot hear one word we speak within the magic
circle I have made," replied Ozma. "We may now speak freely and as
loudly as we wish, without fear of the Queen's anger."
Lady Aurex brightened at this.
"Can I trust you?" she asked.
"Ev'rybody trusts Ozma," exclaimed Dorothy. "She is true and honest,
and your wicked Queen will be sorry she insulted the powerful Ruler of
all the Land of Oz."
"The Queen does not know me yet," said Ozma, "but I want you to know
me, Lady Aurex, and I want you to tell me why you, and all the
Skeezers, are unhappy. Do not fear Coo-ee-oh's anger, for she cannot
hear a word we say, I assure you."
Lady Aurex was thoughtful a moment; then she said: "I shall trust you,
Princess Ozma, for I believe you are what you say you are—our supreme
Ruler. If you knew the dreadful punishments our Queen inflicts upon us,
you would not wonder we are so unhappy. The Skeezers are not bad
people; they do not care to quarrel and fight, even with their enemies
the Flatheads; but they are so cowed and fearful of Coo-ee-oh that they
obey her slightest word, rather than suffer her anger."
"Hasn't she any heart, then?" asked Dorothy.
"She never displays mercy. She loves no one but herself," asserted Lady
Aurex, but she trembled as she said it, as if afraid even yet of her
terrible Queen.
"That's pretty bad," said Dorothy, shaking her head gravely. "I see
you've a lot to do here, Ozma, in this forsaken corner of the Land of
Oz. First place, you've got to take the magic away from Queen
Coo-ee-oh, and from that awful Su-dic, too. My idea is that neither of
them is fit to rule anybody, 'cause they're cruel and hateful. So
you'll have to give the Skeezers and Flatheads new rulers and teach all
their people that they're part of the Land of Oz and must obey, above
all, the lawful Ruler, Ozma of Oz. Then, when you've done that, we can
go back home again."
Ozma smiled at her little friend's earnest counsel, but Lady Aurex said
in an anxious tone:
"I am surprised that you suggest these reforms while you are yet
prisoners on this island and in Coo-ee-oh's power. That these things
should be done, there is no doubt, but just now a dreadful war is
likely to break out, and frightful things may happen to us all. Our
Queen has such conceit that she thinks she can overcome the Su-dic and
his people, but it is said
they were summoned a maid and ordered food to be brought.
This Lady Aurex looked to be about twenty years old, although in the
Land of Oz where people have never changed in appearance since the
fairies made it a fairyland—where no one grows old or dies—it is
always difficult to say how many years anyone has lived. She had a
pleasant, attractive face, even though it was solemn and sad as the
faces of all Skeezers seemed to be, and her costume was rich and
elaborate, as became a lady in waiting upon the Queen.
Ozma had observed Lady Aurex closely and now asked her in a gentle tone:
"Do you, also, believe me to be an impostor?"
"I dare not say," replied Lady Aurex in a low tone.
"Why are you afraid to speak freely?" inquired Ozma.
"The Queen punishes us if we make remarks that she does not like."
"Are we not alone then, in this house?"
"The Queen can hear everything that is spoken on this island—even the
slightest whisper," declared Lady Aurex. "She is a wonderful witch, as
she has told you, and it is folly to criticise her or disobey her
commands."
Ozma looked into her eyes and saw that she would like to say more if
she dared. So she drew from her bosom her silver wand, and having
muttered a magic phrase in a strange tongue, she left the room and
walked slowly around the outside of the house, making a complete circle
and waving her wand in mystic curves as she walked. Lady Aurex watched
her curiously and, when Ozma had again entered the room and seated
herself, she asked:
"What have you done?"
"I've enchanted this house in such a manner that Queen Coo-ee-oh, with
all her witchcraft, cannot hear one word we speak within the magic
circle I have made," replied Ozma. "We may now speak freely and as
loudly as we wish, without fear of the Queen's anger."
Lady Aurex brightened at this.
"Can I trust you?" she asked.
"Ev'rybody trusts Ozma," exclaimed Dorothy. "She is true and honest,
and your wicked Queen will be sorry she insulted the powerful Ruler of
all the Land of Oz."
"The Queen does not know me yet," said Ozma, "but I want you to know
me, Lady Aurex, and I want you to tell me why you, and all the
Skeezers, are unhappy. Do not fear Coo-ee-oh's anger, for she cannot
hear a word we say, I assure you."
Lady Aurex was thoughtful a moment; then she said: "I shall trust you,
Princess Ozma, for I believe you are what you say you are—our supreme
Ruler. If you knew the dreadful punishments our Queen inflicts upon us,
you would not wonder we are so unhappy. The Skeezers are not bad
people; they do not care to quarrel and fight, even with their enemies
the Flatheads; but they are so cowed and fearful of Coo-ee-oh that they
obey her slightest word, rather than suffer her anger."
"Hasn't she any heart, then?" asked Dorothy.
"She never displays mercy. She loves no one but herself," asserted Lady
Aurex, but she trembled as she said it, as if afraid even yet of her
terrible Queen.
"That's pretty bad," said Dorothy, shaking her head gravely. "I see
you've a lot to do here, Ozma, in this forsaken corner of the Land of
Oz. First place, you've got to take the magic away from Queen
Coo-ee-oh, and from that awful Su-dic, too. My idea is that neither of
them is fit to rule anybody, 'cause they're cruel and hateful. So
you'll have to give the Skeezers and Flatheads new rulers and teach all
their people that they're part of the Land of Oz and must obey, above
all, the lawful Ruler, Ozma of Oz. Then, when you've done that, we can
go back home again."
Ozma smiled at her little friend's earnest counsel, but Lady Aurex said
in an anxious tone:
"I am surprised that you suggest these reforms while you are yet
prisoners on this island and in Coo-ee-oh's power. That these things
should be done, there is no doubt, but just now a dreadful war is
likely to break out, and frightful things may happen to us all. Our
Queen has such conceit that she thinks she can overcome the Su-dic and
his people, but it is said
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