She turned to Ozma's magic books and began feverishly leafing through them. For perhaps ten minutes she continued her search fruitlessly. Flung carelessly on the floor at her side was a great pile of books through which she had previously looked in vain for the magic spell. Only four books remained to be searched through.
While King Umb watched nervously, the Queen continued her frantic quest. Now only two books remained. The magic spell must be in one of these two volumes. Suddenly Queen Ra leaped to her feet with a cry of triumph. "I have found it!" she announced with exultation. She tore a page from the book and cast the volume to the floor.
"Come," she urged, "Let us return to Mount Illuso as speedily as possible. Soon we will come again to Oz. But we will not be alone!" Both Ra and Umb laughed with wicked satisfaction.
Just then the Scarecrow called to Dorothy and the Wizard to open the door and admit them.
"Fools!" muttered Queen Ra. "In a short time you will all be my slaves."
Pausing to pick up Dorothy's Magic Belt, Queen Ra walked to a large French window that looked down on the palace court-yard. Turning to King Umb, she said, "These hateful shapes can serve us no longer, so let us discard them and be on our way." Instantly the figures of Dorothy and the Wizard vanished and in their places appeared two great, black birds with huge, powerful wings.
Just as Cap'n Bill burst open the door, and the Scarecrow and the rest crowded into the room, the birds flew from the window.
The little group hurried to the window and looked out. High above the palace and swiftly disappearing in the night, flew two enormous bat-like birds. The night was too dark and the birds too far away for any of the Oz people to see that one of the creatures clutched Dorothy's Magic Belt. While Queen Ra had not yet learned how to command the many wonderful powers of the Magic Belt (or she would most certainly have used the belt to transport herself and Umb to the Mimic Land in the twinkling of an eye), nevertheless she had no intention of leaving the valuable talisman behind to be used by the Oz people.
