Green Energy Man, Mr. Recyclable, the Fearless Ferret, and I have just emerged from the forest and have the Scarlet City, the Rough and Tough Realm of Roz, in our sights. At long last, I had made it to the end of the R.B. What could go wrong?
Continued from Where Does the Red Brick Road Lead? – Part 5.
Where Does the Red Brick Road Lead? – Part 6 (The Scarlet City at Last) Share on XFrom the forest’s edge to Roz was a longer walk than it seemed, but everyone’s spirits had brightened. Recycles had propped G.E. up until he’d recharged and was able to walk on his own, Fearless had found a mouse to snack on, and though tired, once I saw the lights of Roz, my second wind burst upon me.
Under our feet, green algae had discolored the bricks and tufts of weeds had grown between the cracks, but enough red shone through to guide us. The road switched back and forth, but Roz’s reddish glow served as a lighthouse guiding us home. Even my whistling didn’t seem to bother the gang; or so I thought until Fearless kicked my shin. Nothing could dampen my mood though.
The Gates of the Scarlet City
It wasn’t until nightfall that we reached the Rough and Tough Realm of Roz. Thanks to the Scarlet City’s reddish glow, I could see everything as clearly as if it were day. I leaned back. The walls of Roz stretched so high upwards I couldn’t see the ramparts. In front of us, an enormous door, made of the same reddish, glowing matter, prevented entry.
I looked down at Fearless, who balanced a pair of Revo’s on his nose.
“Nice sunglasses.”
“Thanks. Ring the bell, so I can get my money and get out of here. This place always makes me nervous.”
I had no idea what he had to be nervous about. A glowing red castle in the heart of Munchkinland? Seemed jake to me. I leaned forward and grabbed hold of the oversized knocker, lifted it with some effort, and dropped it, creating a load thump.
Not a soul responded, but the impact of the knocker shocked the door ajar. I turned to my crewmates and shrugged, then tried to push the door open further, but before I could it swang open hard and what looked like a flying monkey came tumbling out. After a good half-dozen somersaults, it came to rest flat on its back, lifted its head briefly, then dropped it flat onto the R.B. with a thunk.
“What do you want?” came a voice from within the wall, the hallowed walls of the Scarlet City. I tore my eyes from the monkey to see a large, ferocious lion standing in the doorway.
Before I could respond, Fearless said, “We want to see Roz.”
The lion looked down at Fearless. “You’re back.”
“That’s right, Roz owes me-”
The lion yawned, and as he yawned he emitted a guttural roar that frightened me so I almost turned around. He had calculated the impact and gotten the results he wanted.
He opened the other door and motioned us to move. “You coming in or not?”
As I started to move, a shadow passed overhead and the lion leapt several feet into the air and hauled down the flying monkey he had just tossed out. “Not you, Charlie.” Once more, he tossed him out onto the R.B. where he came to rest after a series of painful-looking rolls. “Sober up.”
The Rough and Tough Realm of Roz looked to be rougher and tougher than I had imagined.
The Rough and Tough Realm of Roz
Charlie wasn’t the only flying monkey we encountered on our journey into the interior of the Scarlet City. Just like Marsha Mallow had warned, they were everywhere, living in tent cities, relieving themselves on the streets of Roz, scratching and snorting, sticking their hands out begging for coins, and pulling on the untucked back of my shirt.
“No, we don’t want a tour of the casbah!” I had to shout several times at multiple monkeys to get them to leave us alone, which prompted them to spit at us and flip us the bird. When a particularly large and venomous loogie thwhacked the back of my noggin, I began to understand the source of Marsha’s animosity.
As for the lion, he strode forward with his head held high, occasionally back-pawing one of the monkeys, sending them sprawling over the red bricks. Resilient they were, however, bouncing back up to shake their fists and spew a string of filthy epithets, which would have made a sailor blush. The regal lion wouldn’t turn his head to acknowledge them.
I suspected that this was the one and only Cowardly Lion, but I found him so intimidating and unapproachable, I decided to keep my suspicion to myself.
The Scarlet Casino
After several twists and turns through the daedalian streets of Roz, we arrived at the Scarlet Casino just as Green Energy Man was in need of a charge. On either side of the bright red door, standing on a tattered red carpet, stood a scarecrow and a tin man.
This was too coincidental. While we waited for G.E. to charge, I decided to launch my question. “Before we go in,” I said, “I have to ask you.”
“Don’t do it,” whispered Fearless. The Lion squinted at me.
“Are you the Cowardly Lion?” Fearless cringed. “The one who befriended Doro-?”
The lion had my neck in a stranglehold and my body up in the air before I could get the name Dorothy out.
“I got my courage, bub,” he said. “After the brat clicked her heels and disappeared, things didn’t work out in Oz, so me and the ‘Crow and Tin Man started working security for the Rascal. Now don’t get out of line. Got it?” He lowered me to the ground.
“Got it.” I wheezed.
“I told you not to ask,” said Fearless.
“All right, fellas’, we don’t got all day,” said the Lion.
The Tin Man held the door open as we walked through. “I enjoyed your dance,” I said to him (The Tin Man’s Dance).
“Thanks.”
We were finally going to see the Rambunctious Rascal of Roz.
To be continued in Part 7…
