The New Deep 2/?
“You’re so predictable,” said Madame Morrible, sighing. “That’s what makes my job so easy. Now girls, bound as you are to an oath of silence, bid to go away and think on what I have said. Please don’t even try to discuss it together as it’ll just give you a headache and cramps. You won’t be able to manage it. Sometime in the next semester I will call each of you in here and you can give me your answer. And if you should choose not to help your country in its hour of need…” She clasped her hands in a parody of despair. “Well, you are not the only fish in the sea, are you?”
~<>~
“I already said it and I’m not saying it again,” said Elphaba. “My dear, you and I are going back to Crage Hall tonight only to pack a valise. Then we’re away.”
“But the gates’ll be locked -“
“It’s over the garden wall,” said Elphaba, “and we’re going to see the Wizard, come what may and hell to pay.”
~<>~
Immediately upon entering their room, Elphaba slid the aforementioned valise out from under her bed, popped the latches open, and began stacking clothes inside.
“Elphie?”
“We need to get out of here. To the Wizard. We can’t… we can’t stay.” She was almost mumbling to herself as much as she was informing Glinda.
“We can’t what? Elphie, what are you going on about?”
“The… I can’t say.” She grimaced and had to grit out the next bit between clenched teeth. “You heard what she said.”
“You mean with Morr… with…” Glinda swayed a little on her feet, and had to lower herself onto the bed, blinking fiercely as if to clear her vision.
“Yes, yes!” Elphaba sat down beside her and took her by the shoulders. “We have to try…” She trailed off. When she spoke again after a moment, it was remarkably strong. “I’m not going to be some government pawn and neither are you.”
The effort of forcing out a complete sentence seemed to have been too much for her, and her grip on Glinda’s shoulders tightened, fingers curling into the fabric of her dress. When she regained control, she looked up with renewed intensity. “Do you understand what I’m saying to you?”
“Yes… I think I understand,” Glinda managed, finding herself grasping for the green hand on her shoulder for support. “It’s hard to speak…”
“I know, I know. Listen,” Elphaba gave the hand in hers as reassuring a squeeze as she could manage. “You have to help me fight this. I need you to help…” Suddenly, she dashed out of the dorm and into the adjoining washroom. Glinda followed, almost reluctantly, and found her retching miserably but seemingly unable to vomit. When she was finished, Elphaba leaned forward against the cool stone bowl, and took a shuddering breath.
“I’m sorry. You shouldn’t have to see that.”
“No, no, it’s not your fault, but Elphaba…” Glinda knelt beside her, willing Elphaba to meet her eyes, but her friend wouldn’t oblige. “I hate to see you do this to yourself.”
“I have to.”
“No you don’t. Of course you don’t. Rather, what I mean is, you can’t. You aren’t able to.” When Elphaba opened her mouth to argue, Glinda continued anyway, “No, don’t. Don’t try. Look what she’s done to you already. You can’t do everything on your own.”
“I know.” Elphaba looked up. “That’s what I’m asking you. I need you with me.”
Glinda sat for a moment in shocked silence. Elphaba didn’t ask anyone for anything. Ever. Her usually strong friend was before her, shaking and desperate. What kind of answer was she expected to give?
“What about Nessarose?” Glinda could have kicked herself. What a foolish, insensitive reply.
“I don’t know.” Elphaba shook her head. “It doesn’t matter. I just need you with me for this. Please.”
Please.
“Alright. Alright, I’ll try. But I don’t know what you expect.”
Elphaba rubbed a hand across her forehead. “I don’t know what I expect either.” She wasn’t sure why Nessarose seemed like and after-thought, but something inside her was adamant - persistent - that Glinda was the priority.
Rising on shaky legs, Elphaba made her way back into the bedroom to continue packing. Glinda sat across from her on her own bed, chin in her hand. “Maybe we should just wait to see what happens next.”
“Wait for what?” Elphaba rounded on her, shocked at such an implication.
“I’m not sure.” Glinda stammered a little. “Just to see what we’re up against, test the waters.”
“Whatever Morrible’s…” she faltered, dizzy from the spell, “Whatever she did, it’s only going to get worse over time. Why wait any longer? We know what we have to do - take this to the Wizard.”
Glinda sighed and shook her head, looking a bit more exasperated than she’d intended. “It’s not that. I just think we need to sit on this for a day or two to think it over. I don’t think it’s wise to just go rushing off to-“
Elphaba shut her suitcase unexpectedly and looked up. “You’re giving up already.”
“Elphaba, I’m not giving up, I’m trying to be prudent. Did you ever think,” she continued, moving to sit beside her on the bed, “that maybe this is part of her plan? What if she wants you to do something rash? She knows you, Elphie, and she’s not foolish.”
“You are giving up.”
Glinda reached out and took her hand, trying to make some connection when Elphaba would not meet her eyes. “It’s not that I don’t trust you, I just know you too well, you silly green thing.” Her tone carried a warmth that had not yet entered the conversation and both girls had to smile a little.
“You’re coming then?”
Glinda took a long, slow breath. “I’m coming to the city. That’s all I can promise.”
“Thank you.” Elphaba said, then added as Glinda began packing, “After all, my only promise is the same - I’m leaving Shiz.”
“That’s not the same thing.”
“It’s near enough for now.”
Glinda fastened the last latches on her bag. “Yes, I suppose it’s near enough for now.”
~<>~
For quite some time upon her return to Shiz, Glinda waited for her second meeting with Morrible, but it never came. But then, having returned frightened and alone, what answer was there to give?
~<>~
“I already said it and I’m not saying it again,” said Elphaba. “My dear, you and I are going back to Crage Hall tonight only to pack a valise. Then we’re away.”
“But the gates’ll be locked -“
“It’s over the garden wall,” said Elphaba, “and we’re going to see the Wizard, come what may and hell to pay.”
~<>~
Immediately upon entering their room, Elphaba slid the aforementioned valise out from under her bed, popped the latches open, and began stacking clothes inside.
“Elphie?”
“We need to get out of here. To the Wizard. We can’t… we can’t stay.” She was almost mumbling to herself as much as she was informing Glinda.
“We can’t what? Elphie, what are you going on about?”
“The… I can’t say.” She grimaced and had to grit out the next bit between clenched teeth. “You heard what she said.”
“You mean with Morr… with…” Glinda swayed a little on her feet, and had to lower herself onto the bed, blinking fiercely as if to clear her vision.
“Yes, yes!” Elphaba sat down beside her and took her by the shoulders. “We have to try…” She trailed off. When she spoke again after a moment, it was remarkably strong. “I’m not going to be some government pawn and neither are you.”
The effort of forcing out a complete sentence seemed to have been too much for her, and her grip on Glinda’s shoulders tightened, fingers curling into the fabric of her dress. When she regained control, she looked up with renewed intensity. “Do you understand what I’m saying to you?”
“Yes… I think I understand,” Glinda managed, finding herself grasping for the green hand on her shoulder for support. “It’s hard to speak…”
“I know, I know. Listen,” Elphaba gave the hand in hers as reassuring a squeeze as she could manage. “You have to help me fight this. I need you to help…” Suddenly, she dashed out of the dorm and into the adjoining washroom. Glinda followed, almost reluctantly, and found her retching miserably but seemingly unable to vomit. When she was finished, Elphaba leaned forward against the cool stone bowl, and took a shuddering breath.
“I’m sorry. You shouldn’t have to see that.”
“No, no, it’s not your fault, but Elphaba…” Glinda knelt beside her, willing Elphaba to meet her eyes, but her friend wouldn’t oblige. “I hate to see you do this to yourself.”
“I have to.”
“No you don’t. Of course you don’t. Rather, what I mean is, you can’t. You aren’t able to.” When Elphaba opened her mouth to argue, Glinda continued anyway, “No, don’t. Don’t try. Look what she’s done to you already. You can’t do everything on your own.”
“I know.” Elphaba looked up. “That’s what I’m asking you. I need you with me.”
Glinda sat for a moment in shocked silence. Elphaba didn’t ask anyone for anything. Ever. Her usually strong friend was before her, shaking and desperate. What kind of answer was she expected to give?
“What about Nessarose?” Glinda could have kicked herself. What a foolish, insensitive reply.
“I don’t know.” Elphaba shook her head. “It doesn’t matter. I just need you with me for this. Please.”
Please.
“Alright. Alright, I’ll try. But I don’t know what you expect.”
Elphaba rubbed a hand across her forehead. “I don’t know what I expect either.” She wasn’t sure why Nessarose seemed like and after-thought, but something inside her was adamant - persistent - that Glinda was the priority.
Rising on shaky legs, Elphaba made her way back into the bedroom to continue packing. Glinda sat across from her on her own bed, chin in her hand. “Maybe we should just wait to see what happens next.”
“Wait for what?” Elphaba rounded on her, shocked at such an implication.
“I’m not sure.” Glinda stammered a little. “Just to see what we’re up against, test the waters.”
“Whatever Morrible’s…” she faltered, dizzy from the spell, “Whatever she did, it’s only going to get worse over time. Why wait any longer? We know what we have to do - take this to the Wizard.”
Glinda sighed and shook her head, looking a bit more exasperated than she’d intended. “It’s not that. I just think we need to sit on this for a day or two to think it over. I don’t think it’s wise to just go rushing off to-“
Elphaba shut her suitcase unexpectedly and looked up. “You’re giving up already.”
“Elphaba, I’m not giving up, I’m trying to be prudent. Did you ever think,” she continued, moving to sit beside her on the bed, “that maybe this is part of her plan? What if she wants you to do something rash? She knows you, Elphie, and she’s not foolish.”
“You are giving up.”
Glinda reached out and took her hand, trying to make some connection when Elphaba would not meet her eyes. “It’s not that I don’t trust you, I just know you too well, you silly green thing.” Her tone carried a warmth that had not yet entered the conversation and both girls had to smile a little.
“You’re coming then?”
Glinda took a long, slow breath. “I’m coming to the city. That’s all I can promise.”
“Thank you.” Elphaba said, then added as Glinda began packing, “After all, my only promise is the same - I’m leaving Shiz.”
“That’s not the same thing.”
“It’s near enough for now.”
Glinda fastened the last latches on her bag. “Yes, I suppose it’s near enough for now.”
~<>~
For quite some time upon her return to Shiz, Glinda waited for her second meeting with Morrible, but it never came. But then, having returned frightened and alone, what answer was there to give?