<SPAN name="chap21"></SPAN>
<h3> Chapter Twenty-One </h3>
<h3> The Three Adepts </h3>
<p>The Sorceress looked up from her work as the three maidens entered, and
something in their appearance and manner led her to rise and bow to
them in her most dignified manner. The three knelt an instant before
the great Sorceress and then stood upright and waited for her to speak.</p>
<p>"Whoever you may be," said Glinda, "I bid you welcome."</p>
<p>"My name is Audah," said one.</p>
<p>"My name is Aurah," said another.</p>
<p>"My name is Aujah," said the third.</p>
<p>Glinda had never heard these names before, but looking closely at the
three she asked:</p>
<p>"Are you witches or workers in magic?"</p>
<p>"Some of the secret arts we have gleaned from Nature," replied the
brownhaired maiden modestly, "but we do not place our skill beside that
of the Great Sorceress, Glinda the Good."</p>
<p>"I suppose you are aware it is unlawful to practice magic in the Land
of Oz, without the permission of our Ruler, Princess Ozma?"</p>
<p>"No, we were not aware of that," was the reply. "We have heard of
Ozma, who is the appointed Ruler of all this great fairyland, but her
laws have not reached us, as yet."</p>
<p>Glinda studied the strange maidens thoughtfully; then she said to them:</p>
<p>"Princess Ozma is even now imprisoned in the Skeezer village, for the
whole island with its Great Dome, was sunk to the bottom of the lake by
the witchcraft of Coo-ee-oh, whom the Flathead Su-dic transformed into
a silly swan. I am seeking some way to overcome Coo-ee-oh's magic and
raise the isle to the surface again. Can you help me do this?"</p>
<p>The maidens exchanged glances, and the white-haired one replied:</p>
<p>"We do not know; but we will try to assist you."</p>
<p>"It seems," continued Glinda musingly, "that Coo-ee-oh derived most of
her witchcraft from three Adepts at Magic, who at one time ruled the
Flatheads. While the Adepts were being entertained by Coo-ee-oh at a
banquet in her palace, she cruelly betrayed them and after transforming
them into fishes cast them into the lake.</p>
<p>"If I could find these three fishes and return them to their natural
shapes—they might know what magic Coo-ee-oh used to sink the island. I
was about to go to the shore and call these fishes to me when you
arrived. So, if you will join me, we will try to find them."</p>
<p>The maidens exchanged smiles now, and the golden-haired one, Audah,
said to Glinda:</p>
<p>"It will not be necessary to go to the lake. We are the three fishes."</p>
<p>"Indeed!" cried Glinda. "Then you are the three Adepts at Magic,
restored to your proper forms?"</p>
<p>"We are the three Adepts," admitted Aujah.</p>
<p>"Then," said Glinda, "my task is half accomplished. But who destroyed
the transformation that made you fishes?"</p>
<p>"We have promised not to tell," answered Aurah; "but this young Skeezer
was largely responsible for our release; he is brave and clever, and we
owe him our gratitude."</p>
<p>Glinda looked at Ervic, who stood modestly behind the Adepts, hat in
hand. "He shall be properly rewarded," she declared, "for in helping
you he has helped us all, and perhaps saved his people from being
imprisoned forever in the sunken isle."</p>
<p>The Sorceress now asked her guests to seat themselves and a long talk
followed, in which the Wizard of Oz shared.</p>
<p>"We are quite certain," said Aurah, "that if we could get inside the
Dome we could discover Coo-ee-oh's secrets, for in all her work, after
we became fishes, she used the formulas and incantations and arts that
she stole from us. She may have added to these things, but they were
the foundation of all her work."</p>
<p>"What means do you suggest for our getting into the Dome?" inquired
Glinda.</p>
<p>The three Adepts hesitated to reply, for they had not yet considered
what could be done to reach the inside of the Great Dome. While they
were in deep thought, and Glinda and the Wizard were quietly awaiting
their suggestions, into the tent rushed Trot and Betsy, dragging
between them the Patchwork Girl.</p>
<p>"Oh, Glinda," cried Trot, "Scraps has thought of a way to rescue Ozma
and Dorothy and all of the Skeezers."</p>
<p>The three Adepts could not avoid laughing merrily, for not only were
they amused by the queer form of the Patchwork Girl, but Trot's
enthusiastic speech struck them as really funny. If the Great Sorceress
and the famous Wizard and the three talented Adepts at Magic were
unable as yet to solve the important problem of the sunken isle, there
was little chance for a patched girl stuffed with cotton to succeed.</p>
<p>But Glinda, smiling indulgently at the earnest faces turned toward her,
patted the children's heads and said:</p>
<p>"Scraps is very clever. Tell us what she has thought of, my dear."</p>
<p>"Well," said Trot, "Scraps says that if you could dry up all the water
in the lake the island would be on dry land, an' everyone could come
and go whenever they liked."</p>
<p>Glinda smiled again, but the Wizard said to the girls:</p>
<p>"If we should dry up the lake, what would become of all the beautiful
fishes that now live in the water?"</p>
<p>"Dear me! That's so," admitted Betsy, crestfallen; "we never thought of
that, did we Trot?"</p>
<p>"Couldn't you transform 'em into polliwogs?" asked Scraps, turning a
somersault and then standing on one leg. "You could give them a little,
teeny pond to swim in, and they'd be just as happy as they are as
fishes."</p>
<p>"No indeed!" replied the Wizard, severely. "It is wicked to transform
any living creatures without their consent, and the lake is the home of
the fishes and belongs to them."</p>
<p>"All right," said Scraps, making a face at him; "I don't care."</p>
<p>"It's too bad," sighed Trot, "for I thought we'd struck a splendid
idea."</p>
<p>"So you did," declared Glinda, her face now grave and thoughtful.
"There is something in the Patchwork Girl's idea that may be of real
value to us."</p>
<p>"I think so, too," agreed the golden-haired Adept. "The top of the
Great Dome is only a few feet below the surface of the water. If we
could reduce the level of the lake until the Dome sticks a little above
the water, we could remove some of the glass and let ourselves down
into the village by means of ropes."</p>
<p>"And there would be plenty of water left for the fishes to swim in,"
added the white-haired maiden.</p>
<p>"If we succeed in raising the island we could fill up the lake again,"
suggested the brown-haired Adept.</p>
<p>"I believe," said the Wizard, rubbing his hands together in delight,
"that the Patchwork Girl has shown us the way to success."</p>
<p>The girls were looking curiously at the three beautiful Adepts,
wondering who they were, so Glinda introduced them to Trot and Betsy
and Scraps, and then sent the children away while she considered how to
carry the new idea into effect.</p>
<p>Not much could be done that night, so the Wizard prepared another tent
for the Adepts, and in the evening Glinda held a reception and invited
all her followers to meet the new arrivals. The Adepts were greatly
astonished at the extraordinary personages presented to them, and
marveled that Jack Pumpkinhead and the Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman
and Tik-Tok could really live and think and talk just like other
people. They were especially pleased with the lively Patchwork Girl and
loved to watch her antics.</p>
<p>It was quite a pleasant party, for Glinda served some dainty
refreshments to those who could eat, and the Scarecrow recited some
poems, and the Cowardly Lion sang a song in his deep bass voice. The
only thing that marred their joy was the thought that their beloved
Ozma and dear little Dorothy were yet confined in the Great Dome of the
Sunken island.</p>
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