BRIAN DAVID BUTLER IN OZ

Ch. 24: The Astonishing Bellairobbubble

Chapter 24: The Astonishing Bellairobubble

The Nomes and Ruggedo were actually astonished, and possibly completely puzzled, but the General, excited by the reactions around him, continued.

“We have constructed a fantastic, magical airship that will carry our army across the Deadly Desert and right over the Land of OZ where we will attack from the air dropping great stones upon the OZites until they flee and surrender to our airborne army.

“Where is this amazing, fantastic, magical airship of yours?” Ruggedo asked. His long bandy leges were crossed and his face wore an expression of doubt and challenge.

“Come with me and you shall see the Astonishing Bellairobubble with your own eyes,” said Squirt, also known as General Fughly the Fierce. Squirt raised the royal Clapper and waved it about in what he hoped was a menacing way, but a snicker from Ruggedo made him less certain that he was being as fierce and frightening as he hoped.

“You look like you’re about to wash the windows with the Clapper,” Ruggedo said, poking Squirt painfully in the back of his head. “Wave it like you MEAN IT. Like this!”

Ruggedo grabbed the Clapper and noticing one Nome chuckling nastily, he gave him such a whack with the Clapper that he sent him flying into a crowd of Nomes bowling them over like ten pins.

“Like that!” roared Ruggedo. “They should obey you and fear you, Fughly.” He thrust the Clapper back in Squirt’s slightly trembling hand. As he held the Clappeer he also put one hand in his pocket where the magic stone was. Earlier in the day, he had used the stone to create the Astonishing Bellairobubble, and he sincerely hoped it would amaze and impress the nome army and Ruggedo.

He led them from the War Room and down a tunnel he had also created earlier that day. The tunnel led to a huge cavern in which stood the airship that the magic stone had created for Squirt.

The Astonishing Bellairobubble hung from the ceiling of the cavern by thick ropes attacked to the propeler at the front of the machine and to its rudder at the back. It was indeed ‘Astonishing.’ It had a huge air ballon with a propeller and rudder to fly and guide its trip through the air. Suspended from the balloon ws a cabin in which Fughly could steer the balloon. It also had wings built onto its sides which could be extended to help speed it through the air. There were two great wheels on each side of the Bellairobubble so that when it landded, if it landed, it could be driven on the ground. Under the cabin was the large body of the airship in which the army would be installed until they were needed for battle.

The Nomes stared at the incredible device in genuine surprise, admiration and - in some cases - shock. Ruggedo was actually dumbstruck to see that Fugh had actually created such a device.

“How..how did you build that?” Ruggedo asked, his jaw hanging in admiration.

“I didn’t build it at all,” Fughly said honestly, he had already prepared an explanation for this that would not include the magic stone. The explanation did not have one word of truth, but Squirt/Fughly did not worry about that. “One day I found a fairy outside the entrance to the Nome dominions. One of his wings had been injured by a flyiing Orc from Orcland. The injury had made him drop from the sky and he was lying helpless there at our doorstep.”

“Ugh!” grunted Ruggedo. “I hate fairies. Ozma of OZ is a fairy herself.” Ruggedo sat on one of the crystals that Squirt had wished for to decorate the room. “I would have kicked that fairy right into the Deadly Desert.”

Fughly cleared his throat. “Well, I didn’t do that. I studied the fairies wing and saw where the Orc had dislocated the wing from the fairies shoulder. It was quite easy for me to set it straight. The fairy was, as you can imagine, incredibly grateful and offered to grant me a wish.” He gestured at the Astonishing Bellairobubble. “Behold, the wish!” he said grandly.

Inwardly, Ruggedo was very impressed, but he seldom gave anyone credit for anything, so he said, “And I supposed you know how to fly this contraption.”

“The fairy took care of all that. It works by magic, but only I can control it. Once we are ready with our weapons to conquer OZ, I will remove the Bellairobubble from this cavern and it will carry us to the Land of OZ. Now,” Fughly went on, raising his voice and trying to wave the Clapper ferociously, although it was too heavy for much menacing waving, “let us return to the War Room and lay our plans for weapons and our date of departure to…” and here Squirt managed to raise his voice impressively, “….to CONQUER THE LAND OF OZ!”

The Nomes cheered and Squirt wheezed from the effort of shouting so loudly. Please, he thought, let this work, and let me get rid of that miserable Ruggedo.

(To be continued)