Part 2 (2/2)

SEVEN.

The Winkies who gathered again in the courtyard the next morning were a far cry from the nattering, cheerful crowd who had a.s.sembled the day before. Some of them, I was certain, hadn't moved from their spots since I had executed the traitor in front of them the preceding morning. They were silent, their heads bowed, their pathetic possessions gathered on their backs or hastily stuffed into small carts they towed behind them. A flash of doubt ran through me. They didn't look like an army, they looked like a few dozen refugees. None of them had weapons, let alone armor. None of them had ever fought a battle in their lives. But I shook my head, dismissing the thought. We would all rise to the occasion. Even the humblest among us. Dorothy needed them almost as much as she needed me if she was to be safe in the Emerald City. I would turn them into an army if it was the last thing I did.

It took my ramshackle army a long time to find the Road of Yellow Brick, and when we did finally find it the bricks looked old and crumbly and were stained with a faint red hue-not the color of Dorothy's shoes, but the color of blood. I remembered my vision in the palace the morning Dorothy had met with us and told us that Ozma had betrayed the country. I remembered the way Glinda had looked at me. Had she known what I would have to do? Had she been trying to warn me? I frowned, unwilling to allow any more uncomfortable thoughts. I wasn't proud of what I'd done, but it had been necessary. There'd be no reason to have to do anything like it again. I avoided looking at my inexplicably transformed hands. Maybe Dorothy could help me change them back to the way they'd been before. After all, she was the one with magic.

The Road of Yellow Brick led us miles out of the way, almost as if it were trying to keep us away from the Emerald City. We walked for a long time through the Forest of Fear, the trees shrieking terrifying things at the Winkies, who flinched and wept and then, looking back at me fearfully, trudged onward. Some of them stuffed up their ears with cloth. Others held hands. I let their cowardice slide. There would be plenty of time for discipline once we reached the city. I wasn't a monster.

Finally, after hours of doubling back and leading us astray, the road seemed to realize it couldn't stop me from reaching the palace and straightened itself out. The bricks grew solid and polished again, and the hedges lining the road were neatly trimmed and bursting with flowers that periodically caroled us in trilling, high-pitched voices as we pa.s.sed. The Winkies were still subdued, but their mood seemed to improve a little, and some of them perked up enough to look around them as we walked. A few of them dug cheese-and-marmalade sandwiches out of their bags-the Winkies were fanatical about cheese-and-marmalade sandwiches for some reason, and I had never known one of my subjects to travel anywhere without a ready supply-and munched as we marched. At last, I could see the green spires of the Emerald City on the horizon.

By now, several of the Winkies were stumbling with exhaustion. I did not allow them to rest. They'd have to learn to toughen up. The sun was on the horizon as we marched at last through the Emerald City's broad gates. One of the Winkies collapsed, only to be hastily pulled to his feet by the others and propped upright. I selected a small delegation of the most alert-looking Winkies and called for Munchkin servants.

”Give them chambers in the palace,” I said curtly. ”And see that they're fed. I'll be back for the rest of them later.” The Winkies I had chosen to accompany me, among them the chancellor, watched longingly as the others were led away to rest.

”You've served me well today,” I told them. ”You will be rewarded in the princess's army, never fear.” They did not seem very interested in the prospect of their reward but they did not protest as I led them into the palace and sent another servant to tell Dorothy to meet me in the Council Chamber.

She kept us waiting for a long time. One of the Winkies had pillowed his arms on the table and fallen asleep by the time she swept into the room, her auburn hair done in an intricate updo and her dress a slightly different version of the s.h.i.+mmery gingham she'd worn to tell us of her plans. I leapt to my feet when she entered the room, bowing deeply and surrept.i.tiously kicking the chair of the Winkie who'd fallen asleep. He leapt to his feet, too, with a yelp of fear and stood looking around him, blinking frantically.

”My dear Woodman,” Dorothy said. Was that a hint of irritation in her voice? ”Why on earth have you disturbed me? You know how busy I am now.”

”I have important news,” I said, my heart flooding with joy just to look upon her beautiful face. I reached forward to take her hand, but then remembered my new fingers. I did not wish to hurt her.

She ignored the gesture and looked at me with impatience. Suddenly I was overcome with doubt. Why wasn't she happier to see me? ”Well? What is it?”

”Princess Dorothy,” I said, going down on one knee before her. ”You know your safety is my utmost concern, and your new position puts you at terrible risk.”

”Well, yes, that's true,” she agreed, fluffing her reddish-brown curls. ”Glinda says I must pay careful attention. I think it's sort of exciting, don't you? n.o.body in Kansas was smart enough to understand how special I am. But here-well, look how far I've come!”

”I will remain at your side always, your knight and your protector,” I said. My heart pulsed again with that eerie power. ”But a bodyguard is not enough, not even one as devoted as I. My beloved princess, I have brought you an army the likes of which Oz has never seen.”

Dorothy's eyes widened and she gasped in delight. ”An army? Oh, Tin! You're incredible! I've never even dreamed of having an army before! Is it very splendid? Do they have horses and banners? Where are they? I want to see them right now!”

I rose to my feet and took her arm, indicating the Winkies with a sweeping gesture. ”These are your generals. Your army awaits you in the palace.”

Dorothy stared at the trembling Winkies with confusion, her eyebrows knitting together. ”But, Tin-I don't understand. These are Winkies.”

”As are all your soldiers,” I explained. ”For now,” I added hastily. ”Of course, I'll soon have more recruits. Perhaps the Lion knows a few beasts who would be willing to serve. I'll oversee their training. Soon you'll have a fearsome force to defend you.”

A flurry of emotions crossed Dorothy's face. She was overcome, I realized. Overcome by what I'd done for her. By the lengths I'd gone to. She was so overwhelmed she didn't even know what to say. I was so happy to see her delight that it took me a moment to understand that she was laughing not from joy, but from exasperation.

”Tin,” she said. ”This is really sweet of you, but they're Winkies. That's like having an army of stuffed animals. I really wish you hadn't bothered me with this-Glinda and I were having the nicest time going through nail polishes.”

”But, Dorothy,” I said in consternation. ”You must understand, Oz has never had soldiers-”

”Tin, just get rid of them,” she interrupted. ”They're a bunch of furry midgets terrified of their own shadows. Look at them.” The Winkies, it was true, were staring at us in alarm, and the chancellor might have actually been crying. I was about to answer when the Scarecrow came into the room, drawn by Dorothy's raised voice.

”Well, well, well,” he remarked, taking in the scene. ”What exactly do we have here?”

”The Woodman has lost his mind.” Dorothy giggled. ”He's brought me these creatures and says they're going to be an army.”

”An army?” the Scarecrow said, and looked at me thoughtfully. ”But that's not a bad idea at all, Doro-er, Your Eminence.”

Your Eminence? I thought, reeling. Since when was Dorothy Her Eminence, other than in my heart? And why couldn't she see the n.o.bility of my gift? None of this was going as I had planned, none of it at all. I looked around the room desperately, as though the answer was under one of the Winkies.

”I don't want an army of vermin,” Dorothy snapped, and the Scarecrow raised one painted eyebrow. ”Wasn't it enough to have to toil in servitude with these dreadful creatures under the Wicked Witch of the West the first time I came to Oz? There's a reason I didn't go back after I killed that old cow.”

And then my error hit me. Of course. How could I have been so stupid? The Winkies could only remind Dorothy of that terrible time in the Wicked Witch of the West's palace, before Dorothy had heroically killed her and liberated the Winkies like the n.o.ble woman she was. Her anger hid another, deeper emotion-her pain. And now, like a fool, I was reminding her of it. No wonder she was so upset.

”Well,” the Scarecrow observed, ”they're here now. Might as well do something with them.” I wanted to throw him from the room. He didn't understand anything, and he certainly didn't understand Dorothy. Not the way I did.

”I don't want them within a mile of my palace,” Dorothy snapped. ”They probably have lice.”

”The Winkies are a very clean people,” I said hastily. ”Dorothy, I lived among them for years. I ruled over them, don't forget.”

”Tin, just make them go away.” She stared at me, narrowing her beautiful crystal-blue eyes. ”If you really do care about me,” she said coolly, ”you'll do as I ask without questions, Tin.” With that, she swept out of the room, leaving me staring after her in despair.

”What have I done?” I moaned. ”She'll never forgive me. How could I be such an idiot?”

”What do you mean?” the Scarecrow asked.

”Instead of bringing her an army, I brought her a reminder of a terrible time in her life. How can I possibly earn her trust again?” I sank into a chair next to the chancellor, who made a small, terrified noise, and put my head in my hands, nearly sticking myself in the eye with my sinister new fingers.

”Tin,” the Scarecrow said slowly, ”are you actually in love with Dorothy?”

”Of course I'm in love with Dorothy!” I shouted, so forcefully I startled us both. ”Who wouldn't be in love with Dorothy? She's beautiful, and kind, and generous, and we've been through so much together. I thought she felt the same way. I was going to tell her when I brought her the army. But now I've ruined everything.”

The Scarecrow was silent for a moment. I could practically hear the stuffing in his head rustling, but I didn't want to know what he was thinking since it was probably along the lines of what a complete failure I'd made of myself. ”What will you do with them?” he asked casually.

”Oh, I don't know,” I mumbled unhappily into my palms. ”Send them home, I suppose. There are dozens of them here.” At the word ”home” the chancellor perked up visibly, although all of them still looked at me as though I was going to tear off their heads, too. I felt badly about what I'd done, I really did, but if they'd just obeyed me-their king!-from the beginning none of that business would have happened.

”Seems a shame to just waste them,” the Scarecrow said. ”Now that they're here and all.”

”I can't put them to work in the palace,” I replied. ”You heard Dorothy. She doesn't want to see them again.”

”There are . . . other options,” the Scarecrow said, and I looked at him. His flat black eyes were expressionless, but something in his voice sent a s.h.i.+ver down my tin spine. If you want to know the truth, I'd always thought the Scarecrow was a little creepy. Even on that first trip to Oz, pretending to be such an idiot, dithering around-no, he'd been planning something all along, you mark my words. The Lion, for all his uncouthness, is relatively honest. What you see is what you get, even if what you get is tacky, boorish, and bad for your nice furniture. And me-well, as you know, I'm just a man in love. But the Scarecrow isn't like either one of us. He's crafty, and he only got craftier once the Wizard filled up his head with sawdust brains. I didn't like the look on his face, but I wasn't about to let him know that he'd unnerved me.

”What do you mean, other options'?”

He thought for a moment, as if considering how to present a complicated subject to a simple person. ”Glinda and I have been . . . discussing a few things,” he said eventually. ”You know, she's really a magnificent woman. Very sharp. Very sharp indeed. She has some other very impressive a.s.sets, too, if you know what I mean,” he added with a wink.

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