Then the King waved his metal wand and before them appeared a room in the wicker castle of Ugu. On the wall of the room hung Ozma’s Magic Picture, and seated before it was the Magician. They could see the Picture as well as he could, because it faced them, and in the Picture was the hillside where they were now sitting, all their forms being reproduced in miniature. And, curiously enough, within the scene of the Picture was the scene they were now beholding, so they knew that the Magician was at this moment watching them in the Picture, and also that he saw himself and the room he was in become visible to the people on the hillside. Therefore he knew very well that they were watching him while he was watching them.

In proof of this, Ugu sprang from his seat and turned a scowling face in their direction; but now he could not see the travelers who were seeking him, although they could still see him. His actions were so distinct, indeed, that it seemed he was actually before them.

“It is only a ghost,” said the Bear King. “It isn’t real at all, except that it shows us Ugu just as he looks and tells us truly just what he is doing.”

“I don’t see anything of my lost growl, though,” said Toto, as if to himself.

Then the vision faded away and they could see nothing but the grass and trees and bushes around them.

Chapter 18

The Conference

“Now, then,” said the Wizard, “let us talk this matter over and decide what to do when we get to Ugu’s wicker castle. There can be no doubt that the Shoemaker is a powerful Magician, and his powers have been increased a hundredfold since he secured the Great Book of Records, the Magic Picture, all of Glinda’s recipes for sorcery and my own black bag—which was full of tools of wizardry. The man who could rob us of those things, and the man with all their powers at his command, is one who may prove somewhat difficult to conquer; therefore we should plan our actions well before we venture too near to his castle.”

“I didn’t see Ozma in the Magic Picture,” said Trot. “What do you suppose Ugu has done with her?”

“Couldn’t the Little Pink Bear tell us what he did with Ozma?” asked Button-Bright.

“To be sure,” replied the Lavender King; “I’ll ask him.”

So he turned the crank in the Little Pink Bear’s side and inquired:

“Did Ugu the Shoemaker steal Ozma of Oz?”

“Yes,” answered the Little Pink Bear.

“Then what did he do with her?” asked the King.

“Shut her up in a dark place,” answered the Little Pink Bear.

“Oh, that must be a dungeon cell!” cried Dorothy, horrified. “How dreadful!”