“What do you mean she died?” Margaret yelled at Carolus on the phone.
Carolus explained what Mr. Tick and Mrs. Tock had told him. He didn’t tell her it was him who’d crashed the bus, though — and lived. He didn’t see the point, and he didn’t even remember doing it.
Margaret took a moment to assess the situation. She hardly cared about Black Chess or Alice. She cared to have good enough results so she could get back what was hers from the Queen. “And the key?” she asked.
“The keys are with Jack. We don’t know what he’s done with them. But the Cheshire will fix that.”
“So my plan worked.”
“I’d say it did. You promised the keys to the Queen. And now we know where they are.”
Margaret let out a long sigh. “Okay, Carolus. Take a break now. I have an important meeting with the Queen.”
Chapter 85
THE PRESENT: BUCKINGHAM PALACE
The Queen cried herself to death in her room. Her tears were piercing bubbles, splashing against every wall in her chamber. Her dogs eagerly waited for the salty tears to slide down the walls, so they could lick them. They hadn’t eaten or drunk anything for a while.
“Such a loss,” the Queen told herself, dialing Mr. Jay’s number. “I wonder how he will take the news.”
“Yes?” Mr. Jay answered.
The Queen told him about Alice’s death. The man’s silence extended for a few uncomfortable breaths on the line. “Is that confirmed?”
“She is dead. I’m sorry,” the Queen said. “I wished she wasn’t.”
“A shameful loss for Black Chess.”
“I know. Winning the war will be much harder now.”
“Alice has always been my favorite. The things she has done for us after the circus. I will always remember her. I wish there was someone to blame for her death.”
“The Pillar,” the Queen said. “He’s the one who turned her mind, almost converted her to one of the Inklings.”
“That’s not quite true,” Mr. Jay said. “Alice had once been an Inkling before she joined Black Chess. She didn’t become one of us until the incident after the circus. You could say she had good and evil in her all the time.”
The Queen nodded silently.
“Also, we may have never found her if it weren’t for the Pillar,” Mr. Jay said. “None of us was sure it was her.”
“That damn Lullaby pill, and Lewis’ curse to make us forget. I wonder how the Pillar knew she was the Real Alice.”
“Maybe he didn’t. It could be a stroke of luck.”
“I doubt that. So are we going to do something about him now?”
“Something like what?”
“If you allow me to chop off his head, it’d be most Jub Jub.”
“No.” Mr. Jay’s voice was firm. “Don’t ever underestimate the Pillar. He didn’t get into this to only convert Alice. The war is just starting. He is full of secrets. So tell me, do we have the keys?”
“The Cheshire is working on it. He says Jack’s mind is a bit tricky.”
“Don’t trust the Cheshire either.”
“I understand. I have my eyes on him.” The Queen hesitated. “However, I have a request.”
“Listening.”
“I want to organize a respectable funeral for Alice.”
“I understand, but it would expose us to the Inklings’ forces. Who knows if they have other plans for us?”
“No one will notice. Kids and families will think it’s a memorial for Alice in Wonderland from the book. To us, Black Chess, we’ll be honoring our Real Alice.”
“I don’t mind. When are you planning on it?”
“Right away. It’s going to be an exceptional Alice Day in the whole world next week.”
Chapter 86
THE PRESENT: SOMEWHERE IN THE STREETS OF LONDON
The Cheshire sat alone on a bank. His head was still spinning from all the emotions and love in Jack’s head. He’d heard about Alice’s death and her sacrifice to make Jack hate her. But he hadn’t witnessed any changes yet.
Mr. Tick and Mrs. Tock had told him changes in the future took some time. They didn’t happen right away like in movies. Now the Cheshire cherished every last moment of Jack still loving Alice, knowing that soon this love would turn to hate.
He closed his eyes, still searching the corridors of Jack’s mind. Searching for whatever made him come back from the dead.
And here it was. The Cheshire listened to Jack’s mind.
I forgive you for killing me, Jack’s voice said. But was that all? I came to tell you where I kept the keys.
The Cheshire’s mind brightened with knowledge. He listened to the whereabouts of the keys and what they were for. The Cheshire was in awe. He couldn’t believe it.
His eyes flew open. Would he tell Black Chess or the Inklings about it? Or would he take the power for himself?