Oz;a remake of the tale 2.12

12. Dirt Downfall.

It was Dirt who searched us out; he wants to meet us in Emerald City. He send the Guardian of the Gates to look for me. The Guardian was dressed all in white now including white sunglasses. He told me; its gives him a tinge of gray look on the scenery. I was not tempted to try out his sunglasses, even with a free trial of seven days silver pieces guarantee refund.

"Guardian, tell Dirt we will meet him there." But the Guardian said Dirt wants only Hinkley. He has a need for a a man to man showdown with Hinkley. I looked at Hinkley; I mean he is my dad and I can't let him go to die. I protested but Hinkley stood in.

"I am going. Dirt taking me for dirt and that ain't to my liking. He can have my ex-wife but he can't take my place next to her." Hinkley borrowed the cannon rifle from Droid, a set of hand phaser from the boys and one katana from Aunt Em. He borrowed my shawl and drapped it over his shoulder. Then he told the Guardian to take him back to Emerald City. The man who was to walk down the path with the Guardian was then my father again. I was proud of him then more so when he turned to wink at me.

"Mr Hinkley, we represent the Oz Times. Have you any comments?" A white furry beaver appeared with what may be termed as a microphone.

"Tell Dirt, the Man with no Name coming for him. He can be good, ugly or bad, but with me hunting him; he is one dead hombre." Hinkley strut off with the Guardian leading the way.

The beaver spat out the wood chip from his mouth and did wheezing sound before scooting off. It was Puss who told me what's going to happened.

"Beaver News travel faster than the way he chipped off the tree trunk. By now, his editor, Foxy Faux would had done the headlines; Man with No Name aiming for Dirt. With that in print, the Jungle Patrol would had double their circulation and even the vultures would be picking lots on who gets the liver from the dead."

"Puss, you disgust me." I retort back to the cat. "Get back to your Minique."

"Oui, she left me for the Cheshire Cat; she felt he was more of a Tomcat than myself. I felt insulted by her reference. She called Le Mini compared the Cheshire Bentley." Puss slink to the corner.

I would had told size does not matter but when I compared to Scarecrow; I am plain Jane compared Jane Russell. It was Uncle Henry who woke me up to the current predicament.

"I never knew Hinkley had it in him." But Aunt Em answered him well.

"He is, Henry. He been watching those spaghetti western flicks nightly and he can draw faster than any hombre I ever knew. The question would be; does he shoot blanks or missed on the shots." Aunt Em seemed know about Hinkley more than her own brother. I can see Uncle Henry now looking very forlorn again.

Later we were told of the live update from Emerald City courtesy of online view from the Beaver network. They got the spiders to spun a white web and then the commentary starts with the Beaver giving he updates fed by the Ant-Graph Lines; connected to the last bit.

"The Man with No Name have arrived at the City Gates. He looked up to the Gates that he once passed through as its resident hostage. He spat out the tobacco stub from his mouth and walked in. The Man is without any fear as shown here in his strides. There a few Guards there posted by the White Witch; they are approaching him with ill intent. I think they don't like spitting tobacco on the ground as it darken the white tiles."

"The Man is moving his shawl to the rear so he can reach the twin set of phaser gun strapped to his waist belt. He slung the mini cannon rifle on his back alongside the katana. Now with his fingers free, he is flexing them to ease the joints for a fast move for his phaser guns. This is truly amazing, as you can hear the crunching of those joints from even here."

"The Guards stopped in front of him at about ten paces apart. They are spreading out and un-flap their holsters now. Ladies and Gentlemen, its a showdown at before Noon."

Bang! Bang! Bang!

"That was amazing. Three shots fired by the Man now at the Guards and six pistols are strewn on the floor. The Man is amazing. He shot at every other man hitting the pistol on their hand, and causing that pistol to be thrown the side to hit the next man's pistol off from the hand. Its an amazing shot; three shots to overcome six shooters."

"I am calling him Wild Buck Hinkley now. He's ma hero, man."

"W.B.Hinkley now proceeded on without a glance at the six stunned Guards. He is walking on down the cobbled steps as he approached the Main Building. There are no shadows on the ground as the Red skies are directly over his head now."

"The Man is calling Dirt for the showdown. This is an incredible feat; a fast draw Hinkley against the Six armed Dirt. And talking about the Dude; here he is, Dirt Dozen. He is armed with two set of pairs of phaser, a double phaser rifle and a double katana laid in the scabbard on his back for a overhead draw."

"Hinkley is reloading his pistols to the maximum and rechecking the ammo clips. This man is a class act; he is above any of them. He is placing the pistols back into his holster. Then he drew them out faster than my eye can register its movement."

"Good show, Hinkley. That was Dirt throwing on the dirt to the insult. He reached for the pistols; all six of them with his six hands in a split of a second, but wait, Hinkley drawn his and shot the six pistols off Dirt's hands. This is truly amazing, and unprecedented. Dirt is without a pistol now."

"That's not all. Hinkley dive across the distance in a spiral move that got him closer to Dirt. Then there was the clash of katanas' as both of them took their fighting stance. Its a classic Kumamoto style; extinct for over five centuries."

"Both men are eyeing each other and circling each other. They are not swinging their katana; and reading each other. Dirt taken the first swing; an overhand swing and then followed by a side swipe from the right. Both swings were blocked by Hinkley who now attacked with a forward thrust for the lower torso but Dirt have stepped back. Its dangerous these moves but the fatal one would be coming soon."

"Oh my goodness!" We all hushed down to total silence.

"Its the Mother Witch. She's here."

"She is standing between the two men. She is telling them to back off. She just told Dirt off; You do not fight Hinkley without letting me know. I guess the battle is over, and the winner is the lady. She just took off with Dirt. But she warned Hinkley; come and get me at the castle.'

"This is Beaver News."

We all drag on our breath. It was one helluva reporting from a beaver.

Unknown to them, Mother Witch took her anger on Dirt for acting on his own.

"Dirt, you are dirt if you ever act on your own without my approval. Understood or do I stick this katana in you." Mother Witch cautioned off her lover. "Hinkley is a master of the katana. He can slice you a thousand ways before you can even say blowfish please."

Dirt could only nod as he was binded in ropes up to his neck.