Out of Oz: The Final Volume in the Wicked Years by Gregory Maguire

Author:Gregory Maguire [Maguire, Gregory]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, General, Fantasy, Fairy Tales; Folklore & Mythology
ISBN: 9780060548940
Google: tiFYmj1_Sl0C
Amazon: 0060548940
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 2011-11-01T07:00:00+00:00

“You’re a middle-aged woman by our count, even if you look like a big lummox,” snapped Nipp. “We’re not taking that up again. Over to you, Dame Fegg. And let’s hurry this up. We’re going to break at lunchtime and reconvene tomorrow, and I’m uncommonly ready for lunch.”

Dame Fegg spent the next ninety minutes griling Dorothy on her knowledge of Munchkinland. The prosecutor seemed to be trying to trick Dorothy into giving away some scrap of privileged information about the geography and politics of Oz, but either Dorothy was a canny defendant or she genuinely remained, even now, largely clueless about how Oz was organized. She floundered along, Dame Fegg darted and carped, Nipp groaned and made noises with his implements. Whenever deference was shown to Temper Bailey, his questions couldn’t seem to provoke Dorothy into proving her innocence. By the time Nipp sounded the bel and closed the proceedings for the day, the whole exercise seemed pretty much a waste of time to Brrr. Stil, as the crowd of spectators filed out of the courtroom, the buzz was loud, argumentative, laughing. It was going over wel as an entertainment, anyway. And so maybe it would be a successful trial, depending on whose measure of success you chose to adopt.

7.

At a café, in the shade of aromatic fruit trees unruffled in the breezeless evening, they discussed the day’s proceedings with Mister Mikko, who had been persuaded to leave the Reading Room behind and dare the public agora.

“I stil wonder what this trial is intended to achieve,” said Little Daffy. “It’s one thing to build up a vilain to help concentrate a sense of national purpose and struggle. But I should think the divine Emperor of Oz and his chief commanding officer, General Cherrystone, already qualify as enemies of the Free State of Munchkinland. Finding out whether Dorothy is now sixteen or sixty-one doesn’t seem worth the public fuss. What good does it do anyone to persecute this poor girl?”

“The Free State of Munchkinland can’t get at Shel, more’s the pity, and their engagement with Cherrystone seems at a permanent standstil,” observed Mister Mikko. “This exercise against Dorothy is meant to siphon off national frustration. Give the Munchkinlanders a sense of achievement.”

Brrr said, “So this isn’t going to be a fair trial? Is that what you’re saying?”

“Of course it isn’t. The very premise of the accusations is bizarre. Conflating the deaths of both sisters! Though Elphaba Thropp was born in Munchkinland, she maintained no political association with her sister Nessarose, and Elphaba ignored the opportunity to seize power once her sister was dead. And a Munchkinlander court prosecuting anyone for the murder of the Wicked Witch of the West? Absurd. The west is deep in Loyal Oz. The premise is prejudicial and proves that what’s wanted here isn’t a trial but a conviction.”

“I’m with you,” said Mr. Boss. “Nothing cheers folks up like a public beheading.”

“I’m no student of history,” said Little Daffy, “but I don’t like the way this has al lined up.

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