In this chapter, we see Frex walking into Rush Margins. He was trying to warn them about the clock approaching the town but was of no luck because as he was doing it, the clock rolled into town. We also meet the mayor of Rush Margin, known as Bfee (Bah-fee), which just looks like a rearrangement of the word beef. Another thing we learn right away about the clock is that it is always one minute to midnight as a reference to the belief that “each instant is always a minute short of judgment” (pg. 16) Once the Clock makes it to Rush Margins, the citizens sop and watch as a puppet show unfolds regarding a notable family. You know, it always makes me laugh because it feels perfectly Oz with the silliness, double entendre, and hyperbole. It feels just fun to watch. I mean, it has puppets for goodness sakes, why be so serious with it (even if the message is meant to be taken seriously)? Anyways, as the story of a publicly pious man who has skeletons in his closet comes to a close, someone in the crowd believes it to be about Frex and begins hurting him, which leads to others trying to do the same, even though he was just trying to do his job. Are there no police in this village? What a dark twist! But, thankfully, someone helped Frex out of the crowd and pulled him to safety. Even though the crowd had now been riled up and had turned their attention towards Frex, they are unable to find him after he was whisked away. The crowds headed toward Frex's lodge to find him, but instead found Melena, who is still pregnant. The crowd turned away to hunt down Frex somewhere else while some of Melena's neighbors insisted on helping out with the birthing process. The two women, a fish-wife and a crone, have now arrived at the lodge and whisk her away to the Clock of the Time Dragon. The Clock of the Time Dragon, which was located in the Rush Margin's cemetery, was put aside for safe-keeping while the crowd was frenzied. The three women made their way into the clock and we now get to experience the birth of Elphaba, who came out green at birth. Also, she has incredibly sharp teeth and bit the finger off the fish-wife before drinking the mother’s milk, which only made Melena bleed. Notably, a poem mentioned in an earlier chapter told about a child that is born at night and how it only brings “woe without warning”. What type of life will this child and/or their family have? Also, how did she end up green? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.
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