the time we arrived. The old woman had taken shelter beneath her bed." A grin cropped up on the Tinman's face, but it quickly faded. "The rains came next. It washed the grey away, and for a brief moment, I thought things would go back to the way they were, that the darkness would pass."
"Is that when they came?"
"The Wheelers?" the Tinman asked. "I'd heard of them, of course. They terrorize all who live in the Land of Ev, but I've never known them to be in Oz." He shook his head. "They kept circling the house. Those noises they make. And the laughing. That awful laughing. It was more than I could take. It was raining, but I unlocked the door and stepped onto the porch with my axe. I was hoping to scare them away, but the monkeys... they were waiting... they were working together, you see? And I... I was so foolish. The Wheelers made me open the door."
Taylor's mind drifted back to the old woman and her strange chant. Wheelers and monkey wings , she'd said. These are a few of my favorite things . It had been the ramblings of a mad woman. Then. Now? Now it made a lot more sense.
"The monkeys pulled me into the cabin," the Tinman continued. "The old woman was screaming from under the bed. And those Wheelers... they just kept laughing." He closed his eyes. A teardrop dirty with oil fell down his cheek. "The monkeys held me down and pulled my love into the doorway. Then... they... they... they made her watch."
"What do you mean?" Wesley asked.
"They didn't take her away until they were done with me. They held her there, in the doorway." He tried to wipe his tears away, and his joints screamed for oil. "I couldn't stop them. There were too many. I swear I tried, but... they ripped off my arms. Then my legs. Then..." More black tears began to roll.
A long silence fell over them when the Tinman was finished. His weren't the only tears. Many of the children were crying, too. Taylor was sure they had similar stories to tell. All the people in Oz had stories to tell about the day their world had changed. And it was all Taylor's fault.
"I'm sorry," Taylor said.
"Why would you apologize?" the Tinman asked.
"Because we—"
"She's sorry for your loss ," Hope said quickly. "We all are."
The Tinman studied Taylor closely before offering an appreciative nod that made his joints squeak. Taylor stood up, taking his oilcan from a sack nearby so that she could oil his joints.
Wesley ran a hand through his hair and blew out a deep breath. "What if we told you we could help make things go back to the way they were?"
This time the Tinman's cold gaze fell on the boy. "You returned because you knew this would happen, I think." Wes looked away beneath his icy stare. "I knew you were different," the Tinman continued. "You aren't from Oz or any of her lands."
No one spoke.
Then—
"You're right," Taylor whispered.
"Taylor!" Hope exclaimed.
"He already knows!" Taylor turned to face the Tinman. "You're right. We're from another world."
Hope shot Wesley a look. "See?! This is why you should be talking!"
Taylor ignored them. "We're here to help, but we can't fix things in Oz without you."
"And how could we possibly do that?"
Wesley grimaced. Yet again, someone was looking for answers they didn't have. It was his idea to come looking for the Tinman and his Munchkin Maiden, but who knew what they were supposed to do once they—
"We have to kill the Wicked Witch," Taylor answered matter-of-factly.
"Gah! Do you know how many have died storming the Witch's castle?" the Tinman asked in disbelief. "They've tried. But still, she lives."
"That's because we're the only ones who can do it," Taylor explained. "You, me... and two others."
Wesley wanted to argue, but couldn't. It was news to him, but there was poetic justice in Taylor's plan. While there had been small changes to the Oz book in the chapters immediately following the Tinman's rescue, it wasn't until Dorothy's death that the story had jumped the tracks for good. If they were going
"Is that when they came?"
"The Wheelers?" the Tinman asked. "I'd heard of them, of course. They terrorize all who live in the Land of Ev, but I've never known them to be in Oz." He shook his head. "They kept circling the house. Those noises they make. And the laughing. That awful laughing. It was more than I could take. It was raining, but I unlocked the door and stepped onto the porch with my axe. I was hoping to scare them away, but the monkeys... they were waiting... they were working together, you see? And I... I was so foolish. The Wheelers made me open the door."
Taylor's mind drifted back to the old woman and her strange chant. Wheelers and monkey wings , she'd said. These are a few of my favorite things . It had been the ramblings of a mad woman. Then. Now? Now it made a lot more sense.
"The monkeys pulled me into the cabin," the Tinman continued. "The old woman was screaming from under the bed. And those Wheelers... they just kept laughing." He closed his eyes. A teardrop dirty with oil fell down his cheek. "The monkeys held me down and pulled my love into the doorway. Then... they... they... they made her watch."
"What do you mean?" Wesley asked.
"They didn't take her away until they were done with me. They held her there, in the doorway." He tried to wipe his tears away, and his joints screamed for oil. "I couldn't stop them. There were too many. I swear I tried, but... they ripped off my arms. Then my legs. Then..." More black tears began to roll.
A long silence fell over them when the Tinman was finished. His weren't the only tears. Many of the children were crying, too. Taylor was sure they had similar stories to tell. All the people in Oz had stories to tell about the day their world had changed. And it was all Taylor's fault.
"I'm sorry," Taylor said.
"Why would you apologize?" the Tinman asked.
"Because we—"
"She's sorry for your loss ," Hope said quickly. "We all are."
The Tinman studied Taylor closely before offering an appreciative nod that made his joints squeak. Taylor stood up, taking his oilcan from a sack nearby so that she could oil his joints.
Wesley ran a hand through his hair and blew out a deep breath. "What if we told you we could help make things go back to the way they were?"
This time the Tinman's cold gaze fell on the boy. "You returned because you knew this would happen, I think." Wes looked away beneath his icy stare. "I knew you were different," the Tinman continued. "You aren't from Oz or any of her lands."
No one spoke.
Then—
"You're right," Taylor whispered.
"Taylor!" Hope exclaimed.
"He already knows!" Taylor turned to face the Tinman. "You're right. We're from another world."
Hope shot Wesley a look. "See?! This is why you should be talking!"
Taylor ignored them. "We're here to help, but we can't fix things in Oz without you."
"And how could we possibly do that?"
Wesley grimaced. Yet again, someone was looking for answers they didn't have. It was his idea to come looking for the Tinman and his Munchkin Maiden, but who knew what they were supposed to do once they—
"We have to kill the Wicked Witch," Taylor answered matter-of-factly.
"Gah! Do you know how many have died storming the Witch's castle?" the Tinman asked in disbelief. "They've tried. But still, she lives."
"That's because we're the only ones who can do it," Taylor explained. "You, me... and two others."
Wesley wanted to argue, but couldn't. It was news to him, but there was poetic justice in Taylor's plan. While there had been small changes to the Oz book in the chapters immediately following the Tinman's rescue, it wasn't until Dorothy's death that the story had jumped the tracks for good. If they were going
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