第 二十三 章 · The Magic Words

."

"Another part of this machinery," explained the white-haired Adept, "is

used to extend the bridge from the island to the mainland. The steel

bridge is in a room much like that in which the boats are kept, and at

Coo-ce-oh's command it would reach out, joint by joint, until its far

end touched the shore of the lake. The same magic command would make

the bridge return to its former position. Of course the bridge could

not be used unless the island was on the surface of the water."

"But how do you suppose Coo-ee-oh managed to sink the island, and make

it rise again?" inquired Glinda.

This the Adepts could not yet explain. As nothing more could be learned

from the basement they mounted the steps to the Queen's private suite

again, and Ozma showed them to a special room where Coo-ee-oh kept her

magical instruments and performed all her arts of witchcraft.

Chapter 23. The Magic Words

Many interesting things were to be seen in the Room of Magic, including

much that had been stolen from the Adepts when they were transformed to

fishes, but they had to admit that Coo-ee-oh had a rare genius for

mechanics, and had used her knowledge in inventing a lot of mechanical

apparatus that ordinary witches, wizards and sorcerers could not

understand.

They all carefully inspected this room, taking care to examine every

article they came across.

"The island," said Glinda thoughtfully, "rests on a base of solid

marble. When it is submerged, as it is now, the base of the island is

upon the bottom of the lake. What puzzles me is how such a great weight

can be lifted and suspended in the water, even by magic."

"I now remember," returned Aujah, "that one of the arts we taught

Coo-ee-oh was the way to expand steel, and I think that explains how

the island is raised and lowered. I noticed in the basement a big steel

pillar that passed through the floor and extended upward to this

palace. Perhaps the end of it is concealed in this very room. If the

lower end of the steel pillar is firmly embedded in the bottom of the

lake, Coo-ee-oh could utter a magic word that would make the pillar

expand, and so lift the entire island to the level of the water."

"I've found the end of the steel pillar. It's just here," announced the

Wizard, pointing to one side of the room where a great basin of

polished steel seemed to have been set upon the floor.

They all gathered around, and Ozma said:

"Yes, I am quite sure that is the upper end of the pillar that supports

the island. I noticed it when I first came here. It has been hollowed

out, you see, and something has been burned in the basin, for the fire

has left its marks. I wondered what was under the great basin and got

several of the Skeezers to come up here and try to lift it for me. They

were strong men, but could not move it at all."

"It seems to me," said Audah the Adept, "that we have discovered the

manner in which Coo-ee-oh raised the island. She would burn some sort

of magic powder in the basin, utter the magic word, and the pillar

would lengthen out and lift the island with it."

"What's this?" asked Dorothy, who had been searching around with the

others, and now noticed a slight hollow in the wall, near to where the

steel basin stood. As she spoke Dorothy pushed her thumb into the

hollow and instantly a small drawer popped out from the wall.

The three Adepts, Glinda and the Wizard sprang forward and peered into

the drawer. It was half filled with a grayish powder, the tiny grains

of which constantly moved as if impelled by some living force.

"It may be some kind of radium," said the Wizard.

"No," replied Glinda, "it is more wonderful than even radium, for I

recognize it as a rare mineral powder called Gaulau by the sorcerers. I

wonder how Coo-ee-oh discovered it and where she obtained it."

"There is no doubt," said Aujah the Adept, "that this is the magic

powder Coo-ee-oh burned in the basin. If only we knew the magic word, I

am quite sure we could raise the island."

"How can we discover the magic word?" asked Ozma, turning to Glinda as

she spoke.

"That we must now seriously consider," answered the Sorceress.

So all of them sat down in the Room of Magic and began to think. It was

so still that after a while Dorothy grew nervous. The little girl never

could keep silent for long, and at the risk of displeasing her

magic-working friends she suddenly said:

"Well, Coo-ee-oh used just three magic words, one to make the bridge

work, and one to make the submarines go out of their holes, and one to

raise and lower the island. Three words. And Coo-ee-oh's name is made

up of just three words. One is 'Coo,' and one is 'ee,' and one is 'oh.'"

The Wizard frowned but Glinda looked wonderingly at the young girl and

Ozma cried out:

"A good thought, Dorothy dear! You may have solved our problem."

"I believe it is worth a trial," agreed Glinda. "It would be quite

natural for Coo-ee-oh to divide her name into three magic syllables,

and Dorothy's suggestion seems like an inspiration."

The three Adepts also approved the trial but the brown-haired one said:

"We must be careful not to use the wrong word, and send the bridge out

under water. The main thing, if Dorothy's idea is correct, is to hit

upon the one word that moves the island."

"Let us experiment," suggested the Wizard.

In the drawer with the moving gray powder was a tiny golden cup, which

they thought was used for measuring. Glinda filled this cup with the

powder and carefully poured it into the shallow basin, which was the

top of the great steel pillar supporting the island. Then Aurah the

Adept lighted a taper and touched it to the powder, which instantly

glowed fiery red and tumbled about the basin with astonishing energy.

While the grains of powder still glowed red the Sorceress bent over it

and said in a voice of command: "Coo!"

They waited motionless to see what would happen. There was a grating

noise and a whirl of machinery, but the island did not move a particle.

Dorothy rushed to the window, which overlooked the glass side of the

dome.

"The boats!" she exclaimed. "The boats are all loose an' sailing under

water."

"We've made a mistake," said the Wizard gloomily.

"But it's one which shows we are on the right track," declared Aujah

the Adept. "We know now that Coo-ee-oh used the syllables of her name

for the magic words."

"If 'Coo' sends out the boats, it is probable that ee' works the

bridge," suggested Ozma. "So the last part of the name may raise the

island."

"Let us try that next then," proposed the Wizard.

He scraped the embers of the burned powder out of the basin and Glinda

again filled the golden cup from the drawer and placed it on top the

steel pillar. Aurah lighted it with her taper and Ozma bent over the

basin and murmured the long drawn syllable: "Oh-h-h!"

Instantly the island trembled and with a weird groaning noise it moved

upward--slowly, very slowly, but with a steady motion, while all the

company stood by in awed silence. It was a wonderful thing, even to

those skilled in the arts of magic, wizardry and sorcery, to realize

that a single word could raise that great, heavy island, with its

immense glass Dome.

"Why, we're way above the lake now!" exclaimed Dorothy from the window,

when at last the island ceased to move.

"That is because we lowered the level of the water," explained Glinda.

They could hear the Skeezers cheering lustily in the streets of the

village as they realized that they were saved.

"Come," said Ozma eagerly, "let us go down and join the people."

"Not just yet," returned Glinda, a happy smile upon her lovely face,

for she was overjoyed at their success. "First let us extend the bridge

to the mainland, where our friends from the Emerald City are waiting."

It didn't take long to put more powder in the basin, light it and utter

the syllable "EE!" The result was that a door in the basement opened

and the steel bridge moved out, extended itself joint by joint, and

finally rested its far end on the shore of the lake just in front of

the encampment.

"Now," said Glinda, "we can go up and receive the congratulations of

the Skeezers and of our friends of the Rescue Expedition."

Across the water, on the shore of the lake, the Patchwork Girl was

waving them a welcome.