"Suit yourself," he says and puts on the Red's hood. "I'm going to disappear." He buries his face under the hood and turns hollow. He begins killing Reds with his bare hands. Jack fights in the strangest ways. He kicks and hits as if he is a Kung Fu fighter. A horrible one actually. It works.
I find the closest Red hood and put it on. What a genius idea. When I approach them, they think I am one of them and I keep hitting them with the umbrella. The White Queen and the Pillar are fighting on the other side of the church. They can't see me because of the angle, but I can hear their voices. There are a few Reds left alive. I don't even know who those Reds are.
Jack and I come back-to-back while fighting. "How do you know about that weird Kung Fu slash Samurai stuff?" I shout.
"It's not Kung Fu," Jack says. "It's None Fu. Short for Nonsense Fu. It's basically karate, jujitsu, Kung Fu, and every other fighting technique in the world. Some like to call it the Art of Nonsense." He kicks one of the Reds saying, “Aiya.”
"Nonsense?"
"It's the way Lewis Carroll used to fight," he explains.
"You knew Lewis Carroll?"
"That's a long story," Jack turns around and faces me. "You look so hollow," He says.
"You too," I laugh. "You think that's why the Reds left?" Since we stopped fighting they were all gone, thinking we were part of them. They've probably run to Fabiola and the Pillar.
"Do you think we should kiss now?" he says.
"Heck no." What’s wrong with this guy?
"I mean, we don't even see our faces. It wouldn't hurt to try to see if we could feel them."
"You're obnoxious," I pull away from him. "Why do you keep following me?"
"The heart has reason that reason doesn't know of."
"Oh, please," I wave my hands in the air. "Grow up. And please leave me alone."
The Pillar and Fabiola come running toward me. "One left to go and they're all dead," the Pillar is about to choke me with his hose.
"Wait. It's me," I take the hood off. "And him..." When I point to Jack, he's gone. I wonder if I was too harsh on him.
"That was a brilliant idea," the Pillar says, sitting on the bank and panting. "We could have just killed you."
"Don't listen to him, Alice." The White Queen salutes me. "It was a smart move. You're still learning. And I saw you give them heck. You are brave.”
“Did you see how she killed some of the Reds Pillar?"
"And I thought it was 'thou shalt not kill," he sighs and stands up. "Come on, Alice, we have a plane to catch."
"I know," I can't even take my breath in this fast paced Wonderland War. "We're going to Belgium to find the Cheshire."
"As a matter of fact, no," the Pillar says. "We're heading back to the asylum. It's late and if you don't show up there, Waltraud and Ogier will be suspicious. I don't want Tommy to be exposed. You're supposed to be in his care by morning. That's what he tells the underground ward."
"A hero by day, a loon by night," I mumble. "I hope I see you again Fabiola."
"I'm sure you will," she kisses me on the forehead. "Although you're not the Alice, I feel tremendous love for you since I met you. Now go. I have a prayer to attend, and thousands of people who shouldn't see me with a sword."
"Take care of yourself." I kiss her on the cheek.
"Can we just stop all the lovey-dovey moments and move on?" The Pillar pulls me by the hand. "Say ‘hi’ to God for me, Fabiola. Tell him I am sorry I smoked in his booth and killed in his church. Is there such repentance for that?"
"Stop," the White Queen says. "Let me tell you about the Cheshire's past first."
Chapter 51
Alice’s Cell, Radcliffe Lunatic Asylum
Hours later, after Fabiola told us about the Cheshire, I am dreaming in my cell again. It’s a dream about my boyfriend, Adam. He is still wearing his hood and I can’t see his face. We’re alone in Christ Church’s garden.
“Am I insane?” I ask Adam, not sure why I do.
“It depends,” Adam says.
“It depends?”
“On whether it’s more important to know if you’re insane, or to know who you are,” he says.
“You’re talking in riddles, just like the Pillar,” I say to him.
“I am not the Pillar, Alice,” he says. “I’m Adam. The love of your life.”
"I still have a whole life in front of me. How do you know you're the love of my life?"
"I know you will never love someone the way you loved me."
“Why don’t you show me your face then?” I wonder. “I need to see the face of the one I loved.”
“You still love me, Alice,” he says. “I’m still madly in love with you.” He stops for a moment. “I’m not hiding my face from you. This is my face. Maybe it’s just you who doesn’t see me.”
“Me?”
“I don’t know why you do it, but it seems that you’re not ready to see me.” He sounds sincere. Again, I love his voice. It’s reminds me of a lullaby I can’t remember from when I was child—if that last sentence makes any sense. “I think you’re afraid to remember me and then have to deal with my absence. My death was really hard on you.”
“So I either remember you and a great pain comes with it, or forget you and great madness comes with it.” I am evaluating my options.