Elphaba Flying Monkeys

The Witch explained to Chistery what she wanted. 'This is foolish. It'll be dark before long, and they'll tumble over some cliff and die. The poor dears, I'd rather not. I mean the Tin Woodman and the Scarecrow, they can tumble all they want, and not be much hurt, I imagine. A good tinsmith could repair a battered torso. But bring me Dorothy and the Lion. Dorothy has my shoes, and I have a rendezvous with the Lion. We're old friends. Can you do this?'

Chistery squinted, nodded, shook his head, shrugged, spat.

'Well try, what good are you if you don't try,' she said. 'Off with you, and your cronies with you.'

She turned to Liir. 'There, are you satisfied? I haven't asked them to be killed. They're being escorted here as our guests. I'll get the shoes and let them go on their way. And then I'll walk this Grimmerie into the mountains and live in a cave. You're old enough to take care of yourself. Good riddance to bad rubbish. Who needs forgiveness now? Well?'

'They're coming to kill you,' he said.

'Yes, and aren't you just breathless with anticipation for that!'

'I'll protect you,' he said, uneasily, and then added, 'but not to the extent of harming Dorothy.'

'Oh, go set the table, and tell Nanny to forget the cheese and crackers, and go with the vegetables.' She shook her broom at him. 'Go, I tell you, when I tell you to go!'

When she was alone, she sank in a heap. Either phenomenal luck lay with these travelers, or they had enough courage, brains, and heart among them to do quite well. She was taking the wrong approach, clearly. She should welcome the child, explain the situation nicely, and get the damned shoes while she could. With the shoes, with the help of the Princess Nastoya, maybe there would be vengeance against the Wizard yet. Anyway, the Grimmerie would be hidden. One way or the other. And the shoes removed outside the Wizard's reach.

But the shock of the death of her familiars made her blood run cold inside her. She could feel her thoughts and intentions tumbling over and over one another. And she wasn't really sure what she would do when face-to-face with Dorothy.

Liir and Nanny stood on either side of the doorway, smiling, when Chistery and his companions came down with an ill-judged whump, dumping their passengers onto the cobbles of the inner courtyard. The Lion moaned in pain and wept from vertigo. Dorothy sat up, clutching the small dog in her arms, and said, 'And where might we be now?'

- Wicked, Book 5