Ozma, seeing it was useless to argue with the Supreme
Dictator of the Flatheads. had been considering how
best to escape from his power. She realized that his
sorcery might be difficult to overcome, and when he
threatened to cast Dorothy and her into a bronze prison
she slipped her hand into her bosom and grasped her
silver wand. With the other hand she grasped the hand
of Dorothy, but these motions were so natural that the
Su-dic did not notice them. Then when he turned to meet
his four soldiers, Ozma instantly rendered both herself
and Dorothy invisible and swiftly led her companion
around the group of Flatheads and out of the room. As
they reached the entry and descended the stone steps,
Ozma whispered:

“Let us run, dear! We are invisible, so no one will
see us.”

Dorothy understood and she was a good runner. Ozma
had marked the place where the grand stairway that led
to the plain was located, so they made directly for it.
Some people were in the paths but these they dodged
around. One or two Flatheads heard the pattering of
footsteps of the girls on the stone pavement and
stopped with bewildered looks to gaze around them, but
no one interfered with the invisible fugitives.

The Su-dic had lost no time in starting the chase. He
and his men ran so fast that they might have overtaken
the girls before they reached the stairway had not the
Golden Pig suddenly run across their path. The Su-dic
tripped over the pig and fell flat, and his four men
tripped over him and tumbled in a heap. Before they
could scramble up and reach the mouth of the passage it
was too late to stop the two girls.

There was a guard on each side of the stairway, but
of course they did not see Ozma and Dorothy as they
sped past and descended the steps. Then they had to go
up five steps and down another ten, and so on, in the
same manner in which they had climbed to the top of the
mountain. Ozma lighted their way with her wand and they
kept on without relaxing their speed until they reached
the bottom. Then they ran to the right and turned the
corner of the invisible wall just as the Su-dic and his
followers rushed out of the arched entrance and looked
around in an attempt to discover the fugitives.

Ozma now knew they were safe, so she told Dorothy to
stop and both of them sat down on the grass until they
could breathe freely and become rested from their mad
flight.

As for the Su-dic, he realized he was foiled and soon
turned and climbed his stairs again. He was very angry
— angry with Ozma and angry with himself — because,
now that he took time to think, he remembered that he
knew very well the art of making people invisible, and
visible again, and if he had only thought of it in time
he could have used his magic knowledge to make the
girls visible and so have captured them easily.
However, it was now too late for regrets and he
determined to make preparations at once to march all
his forces against the Skeezers.

“What shall we do next?” asked Dorothy, when they
were rested.

“Let us find the Lake of the Skeezers,” replied Ozma.
“From what that dreadful Su-dic said I imagine the
Skeezers are good people and worthy of our friendship,
and if we go to them we may help them to defeat the
Flatheads.”

“I s’pose we can’t stop the war now,” remarked
Dorothy reflectively, as they walked toward the row of
palm trees.

“No; the Su-dic is determined to fight the Skeezers,
so all we can do is to warn them of their danger and
help them as much as possible.”

“Of course you’ll punish the Flatheads,” said
Dorothy.

“Well, I do not think the Flathead people are as much
to blame as their Supreme Dictator,” was the answer.
“If he is removed from power and his unlawful magic
taken from him, the people will probably be good and
respect the laws of the Land of Oz, and live at peace
with all their neighbors in the future.”

“I hope so,” said Dorothy with a sigh of doubt

The palms were not far from the mountain and the
girls reached them after a brisk walk. The huge trees
were set close together, in three rows, and had been
planted so as to keep people from passing them, but the
Flatheads had cut a passage through this barrier and
Ozma found the path and led Dorothy to the other side.

Beyond the palms they discovered a very beautiful
scene. Bordered by a green lawn was a great lake fully
a mile from shore to shore, the waters of which were
exquisitely blue and sparkling, with little wavelets
breaking its smooth surface where the breezes touched
it. In the center of this lake appeared a lovely
island, not of great extent but almost entirely covered
by a huge round building with glass walls and a high
glass dome which glittered brilliantly in the sunshine.
Between the glass building and the edge of the island
was no grass, flowers or shrubbery, but only an expanse
of highly polished white marble. There were no boats on
either shore and no signs of life could be seen
anywhere on the island.

“Well,” said Dorothy, gazing wistfully at the island,
we’ve found the Lake of the Skeezers and their Magic
Isle. I guess the Skeezers are in that big glass
palace, but we can’t get at ’em.”