freezing inside the Inklings?”
“Why would I do that?”
“You’d wake up Fabiola.” Mrs. Tock snickered and shrugged. “This way, you can see her suffer when she sees Alice spasming and coughing blood.”
“What a brilliant idea, Mrs. Tock,” Mr. Tick said, and snapped his fingers to unfreeze the White Queen.
Chapter 41
T HE F UTURE: O XFORD STREETS
“Alice!” I still hear the Pillar screaming.
I’m sinking into my own rabbit hole toward the other side of the spectrum of life.
“Is she going to die?” I think that’s Tom shouting, but I’m not sure.
Then someone arrives — I think.
“What are you doing here?” the Pillar roars at the guest.
“I can save her.” I think I know the voice, but can’t focus hard enough to remember.
“Another trick of yours,” Tom says. “Go away.”
“I always have a few tricks in my sleeves,” that someone says. “I’d even admit I switched the pills on Carroll’s corpse.”
“What corpse?” Tom asks.
What are they talking about? Who is this stranger?
“That’s why she is dying.” The Pillar sounds angry. “I’m going to kill you.”
“No need to,” the stranger says. “I have her cure. The real pills.”
Really? Am I going to live?
“And what do you ask in return?” the Pillar says.
“I’ve always liked your practical methods, Pillar,” the stranger says. “I’m going to give her the pills if she promises me a favor.”
“Whatever it takes, Cheshire,” the Pillar says. “Just give them to me.”
“Don’t call me Cheshire, please,” the Cheshire says in Jack’s voice. “I’m neither the Cheshire nor Jack now. I’m both. Not as naive and hapless in love as Jack, nor am I hating humans like the Cheshire.”
“And I’ve seen this sentimental rubbish of a movie before. Spare me the bullshit and hand me the goddamn pills,” the Pillar says.
“She has to listen to what I want first,” the Cheshire, or Jack, demands. “I know you think I’m still working for Black Chess because I fooled Tom and took the keys from him, but you’re wrong.”
“Then what’s right? Enlighten me.” The Pillar is impatient.
“I stole the keys so I can have my bargain with Alice.”
“Bargain?”
“Yes, bargain. The keys and her life in exchange for Jack’s life.”
“Jack is dead,” Tom interjects. “Even long before you possessed his body.”
“That’s what Alice has to fix for me if I give her the pills,” the Cheshire says. “She has to time-travel to the past and let Jack live.”
I reach out a feeble hand, not seeing where it’s pointing.
“What’s wrong, Alice?” the Pillar asks.
I try my best to keep my hand steady, until the Cheshire gets the message and reaches back for me. Not the Cheshire, really. But Jack. I squeeze his hand. I understand what’s going on. This Cheshire/Jack mix produced a different person who cherishes his life and blames me for killing him. Even fourteen years later, this new person demands to live. If time travel works for finding keys, then it should work for saving life.
All Jack is asking me is not to kill him on the bus. He wants me to go back in time and stop the accident. I want it, too. I’ve always felt guilty for killing Jack. It’s time to correct the past.
Jack’s hand warms up. I think he feels me somehow. Slowly, I feel another pill tucked in my mouth. It’s the right pill; I know it. It tastes like those I took back in the asylum.
“Promise me you’ll save my life, Alice,” Jack demands.
“I promise, Jack,” I say. “I’m really sorry I killed you.”
Chapter 42
Life seeps back through the pores of my skin, the veins in my head, and the blood in my heart. Funny how we’re not grateful for breathing until the time comes when it’s our last breath.
The Pillar helps me straighten up again, brushing my hair back. “Are you all right?”
“All right? I’m not sure.” I chuckle. “But I’ll live.”
The dog comes and licks my
“Why would I do that?”
“You’d wake up Fabiola.” Mrs. Tock snickered and shrugged. “This way, you can see her suffer when she sees Alice spasming and coughing blood.”
“What a brilliant idea, Mrs. Tock,” Mr. Tick said, and snapped his fingers to unfreeze the White Queen.
Chapter 41
T HE F UTURE: O XFORD STREETS
“Alice!” I still hear the Pillar screaming.
I’m sinking into my own rabbit hole toward the other side of the spectrum of life.
“Is she going to die?” I think that’s Tom shouting, but I’m not sure.
Then someone arrives — I think.
“What are you doing here?” the Pillar roars at the guest.
“I can save her.” I think I know the voice, but can’t focus hard enough to remember.
“Another trick of yours,” Tom says. “Go away.”
“I always have a few tricks in my sleeves,” that someone says. “I’d even admit I switched the pills on Carroll’s corpse.”
“What corpse?” Tom asks.
What are they talking about? Who is this stranger?
“That’s why she is dying.” The Pillar sounds angry. “I’m going to kill you.”
“No need to,” the stranger says. “I have her cure. The real pills.”
Really? Am I going to live?
“And what do you ask in return?” the Pillar says.
“I’ve always liked your practical methods, Pillar,” the stranger says. “I’m going to give her the pills if she promises me a favor.”
“Whatever it takes, Cheshire,” the Pillar says. “Just give them to me.”
“Don’t call me Cheshire, please,” the Cheshire says in Jack’s voice. “I’m neither the Cheshire nor Jack now. I’m both. Not as naive and hapless in love as Jack, nor am I hating humans like the Cheshire.”
“And I’ve seen this sentimental rubbish of a movie before. Spare me the bullshit and hand me the goddamn pills,” the Pillar says.
“She has to listen to what I want first,” the Cheshire, or Jack, demands. “I know you think I’m still working for Black Chess because I fooled Tom and took the keys from him, but you’re wrong.”
“Then what’s right? Enlighten me.” The Pillar is impatient.
“I stole the keys so I can have my bargain with Alice.”
“Bargain?”
“Yes, bargain. The keys and her life in exchange for Jack’s life.”
“Jack is dead,” Tom interjects. “Even long before you possessed his body.”
“That’s what Alice has to fix for me if I give her the pills,” the Cheshire says. “She has to time-travel to the past and let Jack live.”
I reach out a feeble hand, not seeing where it’s pointing.
“What’s wrong, Alice?” the Pillar asks.
I try my best to keep my hand steady, until the Cheshire gets the message and reaches back for me. Not the Cheshire, really. But Jack. I squeeze his hand. I understand what’s going on. This Cheshire/Jack mix produced a different person who cherishes his life and blames me for killing him. Even fourteen years later, this new person demands to live. If time travel works for finding keys, then it should work for saving life.
All Jack is asking me is not to kill him on the bus. He wants me to go back in time and stop the accident. I want it, too. I’ve always felt guilty for killing Jack. It’s time to correct the past.
Jack’s hand warms up. I think he feels me somehow. Slowly, I feel another pill tucked in my mouth. It’s the right pill; I know it. It tastes like those I took back in the asylum.
“Promise me you’ll save my life, Alice,” Jack demands.
“I promise, Jack,” I say. “I’m really sorry I killed you.”
Chapter 42
Life seeps back through the pores of my skin, the veins in my head, and the blood in my heart. Funny how we’re not grateful for breathing until the time comes when it’s our last breath.
The Pillar helps me straighten up again, brushing my hair back. “Are you all right?”
“All right? I’m not sure.” I chuckle. “But I’ll live.”
The dog comes and licks my
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