Oz: The Great and Powerful Junior Novel Disney Book Group by Disney Press Page A

AND ETHEREAL FORM!”
    Using the Wizard’s appearance as a distraction, China Girl ran behind a cart, poised to return the wand to its rightful owner.
    “I AM NOW MORE POWERFUL THAN EVER!” Oz continued. “I AM NOW INVINCIBLE!”
    Theodora stared down at the image of the man who had caused her so much grief. Her eyes narrowed. She was sick of listening to him talk. No one was invincible, not even Oz. “I defy you!” she yelled. Then, conjuring up another fireball, she heaved it straight at the hologram. Instantly, Oz’s image was engulfed in flames and he screamed and writhed in pain. On the ground, the citizens pulled back from the intense heat. And when the fire died out, the image of Oz was gone.
    Up on their balcony, Theodora and Evanora let out triumphant cackles. “Beautifully done, sister,” said Evanora.
    Inside the Projection Wagon, Oz stood within a small circle. A curtain was pulled around it and he was surrounded by strange-looking cameras. The device allowed his image to be transposed out in the square. On the other side of the curtain, Finley stood in front of a switch that turned the contraption on and off. He anxiously waited for Oz to give him the signal. But Oz was playing up the suspense. This was all part of the act, and he knew just how to play to an audience.
    “Oz, come on!” said Finley. “It’s taking too much time!”
    “Hold…hold…” he said, but the suspense was too much for anyone to bear. Finley, Knuck, and the Master Tinker looked at one another until they couldn’t take it anymore.
    “They think they’re winning!” Finley exclaimed.
    Then Oz gave him the signal. Finley pulled a lever as the Master Tinker flipped a few switches, but nothing happened.
    “Turn it on!” said Oz.
    “Ohh, we’ve got a loose wire,” the Master Tinker said. “And the screw’s stuck!” This was not good. Thinking fast, Oz grabbed his all-purpose tool from his pocket and threw it toward the Master Tinker.
    “Use this!” Oz exclaimed. The Master Tinker quickly tightened the screw and flipped some more switches.
    Out in the square, there was another huge BOOM, and once more fire and smoke filled the air. When it cleared, just Oz’s head hovered above the ground, huge and transparent. As everyone watched, it began to grow, getting bigger and bigger, and then it began to float into the air.
    “No, it cannot be…” Theodora said in disbelief.
    “YOU CANNOT DEFEAT ME! I AM IMMOR TAL! I AM THE GREAT OZ!” Oz cried, his voice sounding like rolling thunder.
    The good people of Oz erupted in cheers for their Wizard, but Oz’s demonstration was far from over.
    “WITNESS AND OBSERVE,” the Wizard said. “AS I UNLEASH THE STARS!” Everyone raised their heads and looked up as a single streak of light zipped across the sky like a meteor. Then another. And another. Then more and more, until the sky was full of lights crissing and crossing, slashing the sky with their light.
    All at once, it stopped.
    Theodora and Evanora exchanged looks, each wondering if that was it.
    Oz saw their expressions and smiled to himself. “BEHOLD!” he roared to the crowd.
    And then, the heavens exploded!
    The night filled with light as hundreds upon hundreds of fireworks exploded in a dazzling display. There were orange ones and blue ones, yellow ones that twirled and green ones that branched out across the horizon. The citizens of Oz looked up, both terrified and awed at the same time. The guards, thinking the fireworks were some sort of deadly weapon, took off, abandoning their posts. Meanwhile, the Munchkins who were setting off the fireworks outside the Emerald City continued their barrage. It was a display unlike any the Emerald City had ever seen.
    Back on the dais, Glinda looked up and smiled. “So those are fireworks,” she said to herself.
    But Evanora watched the lights with a different reaction. “He is the Wizard,” she said. Frightened, she abandoned her sister and ran back into the