Chapter Eight. Queen Coo-ee-oh

Glinda of Oz

by L. Frank Baum

Princess Ozma considered the situation gravely. Then she tied her
handkerchief to her wand and, standing at the water's edge, waved the
handkerchief like a flag, as a signal. For a time they could observe
no response.

"I don't see what good that will do," said Dorothy. "Even if the
Skeezers are on that island and see us, and know we're friends, they
haven't any boats to come and get us."

But the Skeezers didn't need boats, as the girls soon
discovered. For on a sudden an opening appeared at the base of the
palace and from the opening came a slender shaft of steel, reaching
out slowly but steadily across the water in the direction of the
place where they stood. To the girls this steel arrangement looked
like a triangle, with the base nearest the water. It came toward them
in the form of an arch, stretching out from the palace wall until its
end reached the bank and rested there, while the other end still
remained on the island.

Then they saw that it was a bridge, consisting of a steel
footway just broad enough to walk on, and two slender guide rails,
one on either side, which were connected with the footway by steel
bars. The bridge looked rather frail and Dorothy feared it would not
bear their weight, but Ozma at once called, "Come on!" and started to
walk across, holding fast to the rail on either side. So Dorothy
summoned her courage and followed after. Before Ozma had taken three
steps she halted and so forced Dorothy to halt, for the bridge was
again moving and returning to the island.

"We need not walk after all," said Ozma. So they stood still in
their places and let the steel bridge draw them onward. Indeed, the
bridge drew them well into the glass-domed building which covered the
island, and soon they found themselves standing in a marble room
where two handsomely dressed young men stood on a platform to receive
them.

Ozma at once stepped from the end of the bridge to the marble
platform, followed by Dorothy, and then the bridge disappeared with a
slight clang of steel and a marble slab covered the opening from
which it had emerged.

The two young men bowed profoundly to Ozma, and one of them
said:

"Queen Coo-ee-oh bids you welcome, O Strangers. Her Majesty is
waiting to receive you in her palace."

"Lead on," replied Ozma with dignity.

But instead of "leading on," the platform of marble began to
rise, carrying them upward through a square hole above which just
fitted it. A moment later they found themselves within the great
glass dome that covered almost all of the island.

Within this dome was a little village, with houses, streets,
gardens and parks. The houses were of colored marbles, prettily
designed, with many stained-glass windows, and the streets and
gardens seemed well cared for. Exactly under the center of the lofty
dome was a small park filled with brilliant flowers, with an
elaborate fountain, and facing this park stood a building larger and
more imposing than the others. Toward this building the young men
escorted Ozma and Dorothy.

On the streets and in the doorways or open windows of the houses
were men, women and children, all richly dressed. These were much
like other people in different parts of the Land of Oz, except that
instead of seeming merry and contented they all wore expressions of
much solemnity or of nervous irritation. They had beautiful homes,
splendid clothes, and ample food, but Dorothy at once decided
something was wrong with their lives and that they were not happy.
She said nothing, however, but looked curiously at the Skeezers.

At the entrance of the palace Ozma and Dorothy were met by two
other young men, in uniform and armed with queer weapons that seemed
about halfway between pistols and guns, but were like neither. Their
conductors bowed and left them, and the two in uniforms led the girls
into the palace.

In a beautiful throne room, surrounded by a dozen or more young
men and women, sat the Queen of the Skeezers, Coo-ee-oh. She was a
girl who looked older than Ozma or Dorothy -- fifteen or sixteen, at
least -- and although she was elaborately dressed as if she were
going to a ball she was too thin and plain of feature to be pretty.
But evidently Queen Coo-ee-oh did not realize this fact, for her air
and manner betrayed her as proud and haughty and with a high regard
for her own importance. Dorothy at once decided she was "snippy" and
that she would not like Queen Coo-ee-oh as a companion.

The Queen's hair was as black as her skin was white and her eyes
were black, too. The eyes, as she calmly examined Ozma and Dorothy,
had a suspicious and unfriendly look in them, but she said
quietly:

"I know who you are, for I have consulted my Magic Oracle, which
told me that one calls herself Princess Ozma, the Ruler of all the
Land of Oz, and the other is Princess Dorothy of Oz, who came from a
country called Kansas. I know nothing of the Land of Oz, and I know
nothing of Kansas."

"Why, this is the Land of Oz!" cried Dorothy. "It's a part of
the Land of Oz, anyhow, whether you know it or not."

"Oh, in-deed!" answered Queen Coo-ee-oh, scornfully. "I suppose
you will claim next that this Princess Ozma, ruling the Land of Oz,
rules me!"

"Of course," returned Dorothy. "There's no doubt of it."

The Queen turned to Ozma.

"Do you dare make such a claim?" she asked.

By this time Ozma had made up her mind as to the character of
this haughty and disdainful creature, whose self-pride evidently led
her to believe herself superior to all others.

"I did not come here to quarrel with your Majesty," said the
girl Ruler of Oz, quietly. "What and who I am is well established,
and my authority comes from the Fairy Queen Lurline, of whose band I
was a member when Lurline made all Oz a Fairyland. There are several
countries and several different peoples in this broad land, each of
which has its separate rulers, Kings, Emperors and Queens. But all
these render obedience to my laws and acknowledge me as the supreme
Ruler."

"If other Kings and Queens are fools that does not interest me
in the least," replied Coo-ee-oh, disdainfully. "In the Land of the
Skeezers I alone am supreme. You are impudent to think I would defer
to you -- or to anyone else."

"Let us not speak of this now, please," answered Ozma. "Your
island is in danger, for a powerful foe is preparing to destroy
it."

"Pah! The Flatheads. I do not fear them."

"Their Supreme Dictator is a Sorcerer."

"My magic is greater than his. Let the Flatheads come! They will
never return to their barren mountain- top. I will see to that."

Ozma did not like this attitude, for it meant that the Skeezers
were eager to fight the Flatheads, and Ozma's object in coming here
was to prevent fighting and induce the two quarrelsome neighbors to
make peace. She was also greatly disappointed in Coo-ee-oh, for the
reports of Su-dic had led her to imagine the Queen more just and
honorable than were the Flatheads. Indeed Ozma reflected that the
girl might be better at heart than her self-pride and overbearing
manner indicated, and in any event it would be wise not to antagonize
her but to try to win her friendship.

"I do not like wars, your Majesty," said Ozma. "In the Emerald
City, where I rule thousands of people, and in the countries near to
the Emerald City, where thousands more acknowledge my rule, there is
no army at all, because there is no quarreling and no need to fight.
If differences arise between my people, they come to me and I judge
the cases and award justice to all. So, when I learned there might be
war between two faraway people of Oz, I came here to settle the
dispute and adjust the quarrel."

"No one asked you to come," declared Queen Coo-ee-oh. "It is my
business to settle this dispute, not yours. You say my island is a
part of the Land of Oz, which you rule, but that is all nonsense, for
I've never heard of the Land of Oz, nor of you. You say you are a
fairy, and that fairies gave you command over me. I don't believe it!
What I do believe is that you are an impostor and have come here to
stir up trouble among my people, who are already becoming difficult
to manage. You two girls may even be spies of the vile Flatheads, for
all I know, and may be trying to trick me. But understand this," she
added, proudly rising from her jeweled throne to confront them, "I
have magic powers greater than any fairy possesses, and greater than
any Flathead possesses. I am a Krumbic Witch -- the only Krumbic
Witch in the world -- and I fear the magic of no other creature that
exists! You say you rule thousands. I rule one hundred and one
Skeezers. But every one of them trembles at my word. Now that Ozma of
Oz and Princess Dorothy are here, I shall rule one hundred and three
subjects, for you also shall bow before my power. More than that, in
ruling you I also rule the thousands you say you rule."

Dorothy was very indignant at this speech.

"I've got a pink kitten that sometimes talks like that," she
said, "but after I give her a good whipping she doesn't think she's
so high and mighty after all. If you only knew who Ozma is you'd be
scared to death to talk to her like that!"

Queen Coo-ee-oh gave the girl a supercilious look. Then she
turned again to Ozma.

"I happen to know," said she, "that the Flatheads intend to
attack us tomorrow, but we are ready for them. Until the battle is
over, I shall keep you two strangers prisoners on my island, from
which there is no chance for you to escape."

She turned and looked around the band of courtiers who stood
silently around her throne.

"Lady Aurex," she continued, singling out one of the young
women, "take these children to your house and care for them, giving
them food and lodging. You may allow them to wander anywhere under
the Great Dome, for they are harmless. After I have attended to the
Flatheads I will consider what next to do with these foolish
girls."

She resumed her seat and the Lady Aurex bowed low and said in a
humble manner:

"I obey your Majesty's commands." Then to Ozma and Dorothy she
added, "Follow me," and turned to leave the throne room.

Dorothy looked to see what Ozma would do. To her surprise and a
little to her disappointment Ozma turned and followed Lady Aurex. So
Dorothy trailed after them, but not without giving a parting, haughty
look toward Queen Coo-ee-oh, who had her face turned the other way
and did not see the disapproving look