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Chapter 29 · The Emerald City of Oz

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  This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain.
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  For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org. The Emerald
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  City of Oz by L. Frank Baum, Chapter twenty nine. How Glinda
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  worked a magic spell that was better than fighting, said Ozma. When all
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  our friends were assembled in the palace after the exciting events of the morning,
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  and each and every one agreed with her. No one was hurt, said
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  the wizard delightedly. And no one hurt us, added Aunt em But best
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  of all, said Dorothy, the wicked people have all forgotten their wickedness and
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  will not wish to hurt anyone. After this, true Princess, declared the
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  shaggy Man. It seems to me that to have reformed all those evil characters
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  is more important than to have saved oz. Nevertheless, from remarked the Scarecrow,
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  I am glad Oz is saved. I can now go back to my
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  new mansion and live happily. And I am glad and grateful that my pumpkin
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  farm is saved, said Jack. For my part, added the tin Woodman,
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  I cannot express my joy that my lovely tin castle is not to be
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  demolished by wicked enemies, still said tik Tok. Other enemies may come to
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  Oz some day. Why do you allow your clockwork brains to interrupt our joy?
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  Asked Omby Amby, frowning at the machine man, I say what I
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  am wound up to say, answered tik tok. And you are right,
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  declared Ozma. I myself have been thinking of this very idea, and it
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  seems to me there are entirely too many ways for people to get to the
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  land of Oz. We used to think the deadly desert that surrounds us was
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  enough protection, but that is no longer the case. The Wizard and Dorothy
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  have both come here through the air, and I am told the earth people
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  have invented airships that can fly anywhere they wish them to go. Why sometimes
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  they do and sometimes they don't, asserted Dorothy. But in time the airships
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  may cause us trouble, continued Ozma, for if the earth folk learn how
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  to manage them, we would be overrun with visitors who would ruin our lovely
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  secluded fairyland. That is true enough, agreed the Wizard. Also, the
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  desert fails to protect us in other ways. Ozma went on thoughtfully, Johnny
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  Dooit once made a sand boat that sailed across it, and the Nome king
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  made a tunnel under it. So I believe something ought to be done to
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  cut us off from the rest of the world entirely, so that no one
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  in the future will ever be able to intrude upon us. How will you
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  do that, asked the scarecrow. I do not know, but in some
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  way I am sure it can be accomplished. Tomorrow I will make a journey
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  to the castle of Glinda the Good and ask her advice. May I go
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  with you as rothy eagerly, of course, my dear princess. And also
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  I invite any of our friends here who would like to undertake the journey.
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  They all declared they wished to accompany their girl ruler, for this was indeed
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  an important mission, since the future of the land of oz to a great
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  extent depended upon it. So Ozma gave orders to her servants to prepare for
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  the journey on the morrow. That day, she watched her magic picture,
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  and when it showed her that all the Nomes had returned through the tunnel to
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  their underground caverns, Ozma used the magic belt to close up the tunnel,
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  so that the earth underneath the desert sands became as solid as it was before
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  the Nomes began to dig. Early the next morning, a gay cavalcade set
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  out to visit the famous Sorceress Glinda. The good Ozma and Dorothy rode in
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  a chariot drawn by the Cowardly Lion and the hungry Tiger, while the sawhorse
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  drew the red wagon, in which rode the rest of the party. With
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  heart's light and free from care, they traveled merrily along through the lovely and
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  fascinating land of oz and, in good season, reached the stately castle in
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  which resided the Sorceress. Glinda knew that they were coming. I have been
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  reading about you in my magic book, she said, as she greeted them
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  in her gracious way. What is your magic book like, inquired aunt em
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  curiously. It is a record of everything that happens, replied the sorceress.
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  As soon as an event takes place anywhere in the world, it is immediately
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  found printed in my magic book. So when I read its pages, I
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  am well informed. Did it tell how our enemies drank the water oblivion?
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  Asked Dorothy. Yes, my dear it told all about it, and also
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  it told me you were all coming to my castle. And why, then,
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  said Ozma, I suppose you know what is in my mind, and
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  that I am seeking a way to prevent any one in the future from discovering
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  the land of Oz. Yes, I know that, and while you are
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  on your journey, I have thought of a way to accomplish your desire,
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  for it seems to me unwise to allow too many outside people to come here.
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  Dorothy, with her uncle and aunt, has now returned to Oz to
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  live always, and there is no reason why we should leave any way open
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  for others to travel uninvited to our fairyland. Let us make it impossible for
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  any one ever to communicate with us in any way after this, then we
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  may live peacefully and contentedly. Your advice is wise, returned Ozma. I
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  thank you Glinda for your promise to assist me. But how can you do
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  it? Asked Dorothy. How can you keep every one from ever finding Oz
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  by making our country invisible to all eyes but our own? Replied the sorceress,
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  smiling, I have a magic charm powerful enough to accomplish that wonderful feat.
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  And now that we have been warned of our danger by the Nome King's
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  invasion. I believe we must not hesitate to separate ourselves forever from all the
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  rest of the world. I agree with you, said the ruler of Oz.
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  Won't it make any difference to us, asked Dorothy doubtfully. No,
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  my dear Glinda answered assuringly. We shall still be able to see each other
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  and everything in the land of Oz. It won't affect us at all.
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  But those who fly through the air over our country will look down and see
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  nothing at all. Those who come to the edge of the desert or try
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  to cross it will catch no glimpse of Oz or know in what direction it
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  lies. No one will try to tunnel to us again, because we cannot
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  be seen and therefore cannot be found. In other words, the land of
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  Oz will entirely disappear from the knowledge of the rest of the world. That's
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  all right, said Dorothy cheerfully. You may make Oz invisible as soon as
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  you please. For all I care, it is already invisible, Glinda stated.
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  I knew Ozma's wishes and performed the magic spell before you arrived. Uzma
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  seized the hand of the sorceress and pressed it gratefully. Thank you, she
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  said, end of chapter twenty nine.