While the others go to the Philosophy Club, Glinda and Elphaba head to the Emerald City. It takes them more than a week to finally arrive after experiencing bad weather, hunger, run-down inns, uncomfortable carriages, and horrible nightmares. 

Finally they see the Emerald City in the distance. Glinda notices the “pomp (and) pretension” and Elphaba notices that there are no Animals in sight. Together they notice many poor, destitute people on the streets as well as dirty children running in packs and young girls “dressed like women for hire.”

Five days later, after working their way past the gatekeeper, receptionist, social secretary, and Commander General and dropping Madame Morrible’s name to help them gain access, they find themselves about to meet the Wizard. They are advised they will have only four minutes and then are warned: “Do not approach until you are bade to do so. Do not speak until you are addressed. Do not venture a remark unless it is to answer a comment or question.” When Elphaba comments that this sounds pretty aristocratic, Glinda warns her to keep quiet. 

They proceed through a series of salons before they finally get to the inner chamber, where they see no sign of the Wizard. A “skeleton of dancing lights” appears before them along with pelts of rain and sounds of thunder. Finally a voice speaks to them from out of the thunder saying, “I am Oz, the Great and Terrible. . . . Who are you?”

Elphaba freezes, so it is Glinda who speaks first to reveal their names. This prompts Elphaba to continue, and she tells him they are students of Madame Morrible and are “in possession of some vital information.” The news she brings, she continues, concerns the murder of Dr. Dillamond and the suppression of the discoveries he was making. She has an “interest in the pursuit of justice,” which she hopes the Wizard shares, and believes that knowledge of Dr. Dillamond’s discoveries would cause him to change his treatment of Animals and his opinions about their rights.

The Wizard has only criticisms and put-downs of Dr. Dillamond to offer but Elphaba persists, presenting papers that she says detail the Doctor’s “Theory of Consciousness Inclination” and arguing that “no right-thinking ruler can afford to ignore the implica(tions).” Here the Wizard cuts her off, saying he is touched that she believes him to be right-thinking. Elphaba says that if she did not believe that, she would have to take up arms against him.

At this, Glinda tries to distance herself from Elphaba, not wanting to be branded a traitor. But Elphaba is fearless in speaking up for Animal rights and against the “repatriation . . . (and) chattelizing of free Beasts.” She calls the Wizard’s acts immoral, but the Wizard does not want to hear about morality. He then accuses the girls of being sent by Madame Morrible, saying they do not even realize they are pawns in her game.  He warns them to “beware whom (they) serve,” then promptly departs, leaving them to retrace their steps to find their way out.

When the carriage arrives to take them back to Shiz, only Glinda gets in. To her dismay, Elphaba tells her that she is planning to stay in the Emerald City to go underground where she can join the resistance. She will not be part of Madame Morrible’s school again. Glinda tries to dissuade her, but Elphaba’s mind is already made up. She urges Glinda to “hold out, if (she) can,” then disappears into the crowded city streets.