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horn fall disregarded to the ground.
"It's Strut!" screamed the Stratovanians, treading on one another's toes in
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their sudden frenzy to be out of sight of their Master when he landed.
"FF20'Tis the Master himself!" cried the first Blowman, yanking Jellia and
the Soldier back from the edge of the Skyland. Pulling Kabebe along with
them, the Blowmen ran as never before, closely followed by Strut's
scurrying subjects. One moment later there was not a single airbody in
sight. Convinced that their cruel and brilliant ruler had returned, they
ran like rabbits. Some even flew, helping themselves along with their
winged staffs, while Jellia, sinking on a large crystal boulder, stared
dazedly at the silver-bodied plane dropping rapidly toward them.
"It can't be the Oztober!" cried Jellia delightedly. "It couldn't have come
back so soon!"
"It's $$not&&!" cried Wantowin Battles, tossing up his cap and waving his
arms exuberantly. "It's the other one, the Ozpril, and that meansFF20C4"
In his extreme excitement, the Soldier tripped over a balloon bush and fell
seven feet into the air. "It means the Wizard himself has come to help us,"
sputtered Wantowin, blinking rapidly as he landed hard on the rock beside
the young Oz maid. "Three cheers, Jellia! The Wizard of Oz has saved us!"
CHAPTER 10
THE WIZARD IN STRATOVANIA!
It was indeed the Ozpril, just as the Soldier with Green Whiskers had said.
Even at a distance, Jellia could spell out the name on the gleaming body,
and as the silvery plane came swooping toward them she could not repress a
shout of joy.
Too exhausted by the dreadful ordeal she had just been through to run to
meet the ship, she jerked off her scarf and waved it wildly over her head.
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About ten feet from the crystal boulder on which she had been sitting, the
Ozpril came to a gentle and perfect landing. Scarcely had the whirr and
sputter of its engine died away before the door of the cabin burst open,
and down climbed the little Wizard of Oz, followed by Dorothy and the
Scarecrow. The Cowardly Lion, last of all, had difficulty fitting his paws
on the rungs and after a trembling descent rolled over on his back, his
four feet straight up in the air. The trip had not agreed with the Cowardly
Lion at all. Weak and dizzy, he made no attempt to rise.
"Here you are at last!" cried the Wizard happily, rushing over to Jellia and
seizing both of her hands. "So THIS is where you've been! Well, I must say
it's a fine place. Why, it's beautiful, beautiful!" Swinging round so he
could look in all directions, the Wizard positively glowed with interest
and enthusiasm.
"What's so beautiful about it?" growled the lion without turning over. "Is
there any grass? Are there any trees? Is there anything to eat?" Dorothy,
on the point of embracing Jellia, gave a little scream, for the
Tell-all-escope, which she had picked up just before leaving the plane, was
making terse announcements. At this point it happened to be pointed at
Jellia. Clearing its throat, it remarked in a superior way:
"You are now looking at Miss Jellia Jam, formerly of Oz, at present new
Starina of the Strat, by edict of Strutoovious the Seventh. Miss Jellia
Jam, Starina of Stratovania! Period! Stop, drop or point elsewhere!"
"Why, $$Jellia!&&" gasped Dorothy, letting the Tell-all-escope fall with a
crash. "Are you really? Oh my! I don't suppose you'll $$ever&& want to
return to Oz now. Why, you must be having a wonderful time!"
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"Humph!" sniffed Jellia with a slightly wan smile. "If being pinched, chased
and nearly blown to atoms is having a wonderful time, then I guess I've
been having it, all right!"
"Tell me," requested the Scarecrow, who had been walking in a slow circle
around Jellia. "Does one prostrate oneself before a Starina, or does one
merely kiss her hand?"
"Neither," laughed Jellia. Jumping up, she gave the Scarecrow such a hug he
was out of shape for hours. "But quick! Let's all hop in the Ozpril and fly
away before something terrible happens."
"Fly away?" cried the Wizard, shoving back his high hat. "But, my $$dear&&,
we've only just come! I've been flying all night and need a little rest and
refreshment before we start off again. Besides, I would like to see more of
this interesting airland and its people and add to my data on the Strata."
"That's what Nick thought," observed Jellia, putting both her hands on her
hips. "And look what happened to him!"
"What $$did&& happen to him?" demanded the Wizard, realizing for the first
time that Nick was not among those present.
"You tell him," sighed Jellia to the Soldier. Sinking back on the boulder,
she held her aching head in both hands. All eyes turned toward the Soldier
with Green Whiskers, who opened and closed his mouth several times without
saying a word. The Wizard, now thoroughly alarmed, began shaking him on one
side and the Scarecrow on the other, until finally Wantowin took a
tremendous swallow and gave them the whole story.
When the narrator reached the part where Strut had ordered Nick and him
blown away, the Scarecrow hurried over to the balloon bush and began
picking the almost-ripe balloons as fast as his clumsy cotton fingers would
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