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"Sorry, we've lost the co
"Well, get him back!" Moth cried. "We need to know if Oberon suspects anyone else!"
"I'm sorry. He's gone. I hope it was helpful," Scrooge said.
Gra
"Forget detective work," Scrooge said. "Sabrina could make a bundle as a psychic."
Sabrina cringed.
The group thanked Scrooge for his help and then exited the room, where they found Tim struggling with his desk, again. They helped him set it upright and then paid Scrooge's fee.
"Satisfied customers, eh? Well, well, that's good news," Tim said as he counted the bills. "The guvnor tends to get a lot of bad co
Daphne rested her elbows on his desk and smiled brightly. "Would you say it for me?" she asked.
"Say what?"
"You know! The line," the little girl begged.
Tim frowned, rolled his eyes, and took a deep breath. "God Bless Us, Every One," he grumbled.
Daphne clapped her hands and giggled like she'd just stumbled into a surprise party.
"I should start charging for that," Tim muttered.
"So we know who killed Oberon. What do we do now?" Sabrina said when the group stepped back out into the street.
"Mustardseed said to report everything to Oz," Gra
"Where to, folks?" the cabbie said.
"Macy's department store," Gra
"I'm feeling tired," Mr. Canis said from the sidewalk. "I believe I could use some time alone. Do you think you can manage without me?"
Gra
Mr. Canis shook his head. Relda waved good-bye, and the taxi pulled away from the curb and headed north toward Macy's.
Daphne clapped her hands. "We're off to see the Wizard."
Sabrina rolled her eyes. "You've been waiting all day to say that, haven't you?"
Daphne gri
When they arrived at Macy's, they found a huge crowd of people pushing their way into the store at the same time that an equally huge crowd was trying to get out. Sabrina was not surprised. After all, Christmas Eve was just three days away and what would the holidays be without thousands of panicked shoppers scrambling for last-minute gifts? Gra
"Mommy!" a small child cried as he pointed at Puck's cocoon. "I want that for Christmas!"
Sabrina snickered to herself, imagining the stinky sac underneath a Christmas tree. She would love to see Puck's face when he crawled out of it only to find a weird little boy staring at him.
"So, did Oz say what he does at the store?" Daphne yelled above the crowd.
"No, but I'm sure if we ask, someone will help us find him," Gra
"I found him," Moth said, pointing at one of the many huge picture windows that ran along the sides of the block-long building at Herald Square. There was Oz behind the glass, working on a window display featuring several elves who were supposed to be assembling toys in a red-and-green factory. The elves were robots, run by electricity, yet they moved like human beings, laughing, waving, and pounding away on their toys. One, however, had obviously gone haywire. It was pounding on its robot brethren. Oz stood nearby, aiming his silver remote at the malfunctioning elf. A throng of people pressed against the window, watching the wizard work on the remarkable creations and giggling at his troubles. Sabrina glanced down the street and noticed that there were similar crowds ogling the other windows, which featured scenes from
The Night Before Christmas, A Christmas Carol, and
The Nutcracker.
Each window display was more magical than the last. Sabrina remembered that L. Frank Baum, the man who had written about the land of Oz, had described the Wizard as a mechanical genius, able to create realistic, even frightening illusions. He was so talented, he had once convinced the entire country of Oz that he was a powerful sorcerer.
Gra
The group squirmed their way into the bustling store, where Oz met them. He shook their hands and then ushered them into a room marked STAFF ONLY. What Sabrina saw inside was even more amazing than the window displays. The room was filled with half-finished figures, many blinking and buzzing, waiting for their moment in the spotlight. Robotic birds sat on perches singing sweet little songs, and a family of half-painted polar bears played with a newborn cub in the corner. They looked so real it was hard not to get nervous around them. There were also stacks of papers and old engineering books lying about, a full-length mirror leaning against the wall, and a cot sitting in the far corner. Sabrina suspected the Wizard slept in his workroom more often than not.
"I'm sorry I'm so frazzled," Oz said as he offered everyone a seat. "Today is 'what-happened-to-the-rest-of-the-year?' day here at the store. You'd think people might realize there are three hundred sixty-four days to shop before Christmas."
"We were admiring your windows," Gra
Oz picked up a robot head. It blinked at him and smiled. "Yes, well, it's the closest thing I'll get to real magic. I used to be a first rate slight-of-hand man back in the day. When I first found myself in Oz, I did a trick for the Mayor of Munchkinland and before I knew it, I was the Great and Terrible Oz! Unfortunately, there isn't a lot of demand in New York City for a guy with that title. I tried my hand entertaining at kids' birthday parties, but video games put an end to that, of course. When I heard about this job, I jumped at it. I always had a knack for mechanical things. Now I create illusions with circuits instead of my hands."
"They look almost real," Daphne said.
"Thank you," Oz replied. "They're like my children. In fact, if I can't get that elf in the window to behave I'm going to have to put him in time-out. Now, I know you all didn't come down here just to admire the decorations. How goes the search?"
"We've got a suspect," Daphne said.
Oz raised an eyebrow.
"Cobweb," Gra
"That can't be," Oz said.
"Oberon told us," Daphne added.
The Wizard raised both eyebrows.
"It's a long story," Gra
"That mark they found on Oberon," Oz said.
Gra
"Of course," Oz said.
"Unfortunately, that brings us to another dead end. We don't know where to find Cobweb. He's not still at the Golden Egg, is he?"
"No, all but Titania, Mustardseed, and his men have scattered."
"Did he have any friends?" Gra
The Wizard shook his head. "He was pretty busy following Oberon and Titania's orders. He was very loyal to them. That's what makes this all such a big surprise. Still, there might be someone who can help. There's a fairy godmother over in west Midtown who I've seen with Cobweb. If he needs a place to hide, he might head there. Her name is Twilarose. She owns a dress shop."
"That's a big help," Daphne said.
"By the way," Oz said. "Between me and you, your friend, the chubby guy…"
"Mr. Hamstead?" Sabrina asked.