Balloon Launch Site
The Balloon Launch Site, situated directly in front of Oz's Palace in the Emerald City, is the location of a pivotal and ultimately failed attempt by Oz to fulfill his promise to Dorothy. It is the place where the Wizard's elaborate deception reaches its climax and where his true identity as a common man, not a magician, is fully revealed to his subjects. The site becomes the stage for Oz's departure from the Land of Oz, an event that reshapes the political landscape of the Emerald City and leaves Dorothy's hopes of returning to Kansas momentarily dashed.
Construction and Preparation
Oz, having admitted to Dorothy that he is a humbug with no real magical powers, devised a plan to build a balloon to carry them both across the desert. He explained that he had arrived in Oz by balloon and believed the same method could get them out. Using silk from the Palace, Oz cut strips of light green, dark green, and emerald green silk, which Dorothy sewed together over three days to form a large bag more than twenty feet long. Oz then painted the inside with thin glue to make it airtight. He ordered the Soldier with the Green Whiskers to bring a large clothes basket, which he fastened with ropes to the bottom of the balloon. The completed balloon was carried out in front of the Palace, where a crowd gathered to witness the spectacle. The Tin Woodman chopped a big pile of wood, and Oz held the bottom of the balloon over the fire, filling the silken bag with hot air. Gradually, the balloon swelled and rose until the basket just touched the ground.
The Failed Departure
Oz climbed into the basket and announced to the assembled people that he was going away to make a visit, commanding them to obey the Scarecrow as their ruler during his absence. The balloon, now filled with hot air, tugged hard at the rope holding it to the ground. Oz called for Dorothy to hurry, but she could not find Toto, who had run into the crowd to bark at a kitten. By the time Dorothy found Toto and ran back toward the balloon, the ropes snapped, and the balloon rose into the air without her. Dorothy screamed for Oz to come back, but he called out "Good-bye!" from the basket as he rose higher and higher into the sky. The crowd watched as the Wizard disappeared, and that was the last any of them ever saw of Oz.
Consequences and Aftermath
The failed launch had immediate and lasting consequences. Dorothy wept bitterly at the loss of her hope to get home, though she later felt glad she had not gone up in the balloon. The Scarecrow, now the ruler of the Emerald City, sat in the great throne, and the people were proud to be ruled by a stuffed man. The four travelers met in the Throne Room to discuss their next steps, leading to the decision to seek Glinda the Good Witch in the South. The Balloon Launch Site thus became the place where Oz's reign ended, the Scarecrow's rule began, and Dorothy's journey took a new direction toward her eventual return to Kansas.
