"My magic is greater than his. Let the Flatheads
come! They will never return to their barren mountain-
top. I will see to that."

Ozma did not like this attitude, for it meant that
the Skeezers were eager to fight the Flatheads, and
Ozma's object in coming here was to prevent fighting
and induce the two quarrelsome neighbors to make peace.
She was also greatly disappointed in Coo-ee-oh, for the
reports of Su-dic had led her to imagine the Queen more
just and honorable than were the Flatheads. Indeed Ozma
reflected that the girl might be better at heart than
her self-pride and overbearing manner indicated, and in
any event it would be wise not to antagonize her but to
try to win her friendship.

"I do not like wars, your Majesty," said Ozma. "In
the Emerald City, where I rule thousands of people, and
in the countries near to the Emerald City, where
thousands more acknowledge my rule, there is no army at
all, because there is no quarreling and no need to
fight. If differences arise between my people, they
come to me and I judge the cases and award justice to
all. So, when I learned there might be war between two
faraway people of Oz, I came here to settle the dispute
and adjust the quarrel."

"No one asked you to come," declared Queen Coo-ee-oh.
"It is my business to settle this dispute, not yours.
You say my island is a part of the Land of Oz, which