By Elizabeth Jane Shelton
Zeke crouched in the shadows of the forest, hesitant to cross the open space ahead. A half-deck of faceless, card-like automatons ran past, all wearing the emblem of the Queen of Hearts. He checked the locator Director Alice had given him, grimacing and giving it a couple of good whacks. Yes, the Cheshire Cat was still somewhere in those buildings.
He glanced at his watch. Only fifteen minutes left of his hour. He needed to get moving.
Odyssa’s world didn’t have stories of Wonderland, but Zeke’s did. When he’d asked if they were true, Alice had laughed humorlessly. “Once upon a time, yes. So much is different from when I first tumbled into a portal. But one thing hasn’t changed: Everyone in Wonderland has secrets. Be careful.”
Alice herself was a variation on his imaginings. She was blonde, even if the blonde was streaked with gray, and was insatiably curious regarding Zeke and Odyssa’s predicament. But instead of a girl’s dress, Alice wore the sky-blue uniform of the Director of the Multiversal Research Institute. “Wonderland was just the beginning,” she’d explained. “Once I realized inter-dimensional travel was possible, I devoted my life to mastering it.”
Which also made Alice the best person to help them control their random dimensional jumps. While Alice and Odyssa raced to enhance Odyssa’s transporter, Zeke was chasing down Alice’s top dimensional scientist for the final parts they needed.
Zeke needed to find the Cheshire Cat, and fast. Odyssa’s pursuers were close.
At least life as a multiversal fugitive was never boring.
Zeke waited precious minutes for a lull, then darted across the space. From across the clearing, the metallic houses resembled a stack of upside-down teacups topped by a large saucer, with a spiraling staircase granting access to each teacup. He took the stairs two at a time, passing the front door of each dwelling, and paused near the top. The highest house was doorless, but voices came from the saucer-like roof. Curiouser and curiouser.
“Unfortunate that we lost track of Time,” someone said lazily. “Surely he could join us for tea once.”
“Or from Time to Time!” a second voice giggled.
“He’s too busy ticking off the Queen to spend himself with us,” a third voice chimed in.
“Perhaps,” a fourth voice said, deeper than the others. “But he’s noticed the young man hiding on the stairs. I can hear the watch from here.” He raised his voice. “Perhaps you’d care to join us?”
Zeke’s cheeks warmed. He debated running, but he’d come this far, and he couldn’t let down Odyssa. He stepped out onto the roof.
Three figures sat at a table covered in teacups: a hare the size of a man, a man the size of a hare, and a mouse of in-between size. A fourth figure, a cat—of proper cat size—hovered in the air. Zeke grinned in relief, recognizing them from the stories. He pointed at the floating feline. “You’re the Cheshire Cat!”
The other three gasped. “How rude!” exclaimed the Dormouse. “You can’t just tell people who they are!”
“Sorry!” Zeke said hastily. “I just meant that I’m looking for him.”
“Then say what you mean,” huffed the March Hare.
“Come now, let’s give the young man a chance!” The Hatter picked up a piece of cake and took a bite, then grew rapidly until he was man-sized. “I have dice or cards— which do you prefer?”
Suddenly, the Cheshire Cat vanished and reappeared close to Zeke, forcing an involuntary step backward. “Who sent you?” the cat asked, eyes narrowing.
Zeke swallowed. “The Director,” he responded, per Alice’s instructions.
The cat stared at him for several ticks of Zeke’s watch. Then he nodded. “Call me Puss.” He called back to the table, “It’s all right. She sent him.”
“Good she, or bad she?” asked the Dormouse.
“Depends on if you’re a Hatter or a robot, doesn’t it?” the March Hare giggled.
Puss rolled his eyes, then his head, and then his body, vanishing again. He appeared on the other end of the table. “Our she.”
The mood immediately shifted. “Perhaps inside, then,” said the Hatter, opening a hatch beneath the tea-table. Zeke hesitated, then followed him down the ladder.
Screens covered every inch of the walls, showing everything from forest paths to automatons to flying shipyards. Steam hissed from a crack, and Zeke yelped, nearly impaling himself on a half-finished machine on a table. “What is all this?” he asked, voice faint.
“Welcome to the Resistance.” The Hatter took off his hat and swept it in a bow. “We oppose the Queen of Hearts.”
“Then what was that upstairs?” Zeke asked, bewildered.
The Dormouse shrugged. “No one worries about the mad ones.”
The Cheshire Cat grinned. “And we’re all mad here. Now, what can I do for you?”
“Alice found my friend and me on the run from inter-dimensional bounty hunters,” Zeke explained. “We can’t control where our transporter sends us. Alice said you could help.”
“Ahhh.” Puss nodded knowingly. “You need a multiversal compass.” He began digging through a pile of metal scraps.
Zeke blinked. “Sure? Odyssa’s the engineer, not me. But … surely you have higher priorities than helping a stranger.”
The Hatter put his hat on Zeke’s head. “Nonsense! You’re in the Resistance, too, lad. Resisting your own Queen, of sorts. And we Resisters take care of each other.” He winked. “Keep the hat.”
Zeke swallowed, touched. “Thank you.”
Five minutes later, Alice’s portal re-opened, and Zeke jumped into her office. All four Wonderland figures saluted as Alice walked to the portal’s edge. “Director,” the Hatter said formally.
Alice curtsied. “Gentlemen. I’ll be in touch.” The portal swirled shut.
Odyssa ran over to Zeke and nearly tackled him in a hug. “Did it work?”
Zeke showed her two bronze rings. “Multiversal compasses, as ordered.”
“What happened in there?” She scowled. “And where did you get that enormous hat?”
Zeke grinned. “It’s quite the story. How many impossible things are you willing to believe before breakfast?”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Impossible things before breakfast are why I read so much in the morning!
Absolutely! You have to start your day off right!
Nice one! Like the setting and the characters and the unique, clever take on Alice World. Fun!
So fun! Love these characters coming together and the idea of Alice as the “Director”.