Behind Sanity

Chapter Thirty-Eight

                                                                   Behind Sanity

                                                              Chapter Thirty-Eight

The Hatter led the way across the unpleasant tearoom and persuaded Alice and White Rabbit behind her to a door at the side, resting his hand on a candlestick on the wall.  The object sank low with a clanking sound, which afterwards resulted in the removal of the eastern wall.  The Hatter grabbed up his cane and headed down a staircase that was revealed there, making sure Alice was close behind him.  White Rabbit trailed behind Alice, abhorred by the darkness and the musty odors from below.  Alice seemed to not even notice his wariness, too concerned with her enemy making any sudden movements.

When the bottom was reached, leading out onto a metal platform, Alice’s eyes shot open at the sight.  Below her was an enormous basement room filled with machines.  Large cranes moved parts from place to place, and a long line of mechanical arms assembled the mechanisms.  She couldn’t count how many were being assembled by the minute, and she had no way of fathoming how many had already been made.

“Behold!” said the Hatter proudly. “My machinations!”

The rabbit behind Alice began to shake his head.  Still, he looked as though he had fallen into some sort of trance.

“There must be hundreds.”

“2,563 – to be exact,” the Hatter popped off easily. “Oh wait…2,564…65…66….”

“And these are for the Queen?” Alice questioned. “You are aiming to please, aren’t you.”

“Moira would be proud of my accomplishment,” he said lowly.

The girl raised her eyes immediately to the sound of the words, catching the sober look on the Hatter’s face before it faded away.

“You do want her back!” Alice accused. “Don’t tell me that is not what the Queen has promised you!  If you do this for her, she will bring the woman here!”

“It is not,” he said, leaning over on his cane casually, still scanning his inventions below.

“You’re lying!”

“I cannot have her back!” the Hatter finally yelled back furiously, losing all calm.  “Don’t you see?  She’s dead…  Her soul has passed to another realm than this!”

Alice stopped immediately and turned her head to the floor, looking down gravely, somewhat ashamed for her outbursts.

“I’m sorry,” she said, wondering why she even felt guilty. “She was of the real world?”

“Of course,” said the Hatter. “She is an angel now.  She has finally reached a form to suit her.  I have only met one other like her – ever – but she, too, irritates me.”

He walked off down a long staircase and towards the large, open floor where his troops were arranging themselves.  Alice pondered his last words for a brief moment, but dismissed them to clutch her blade.  Somehow, something still felt wrong to her.

“This place is not right.  This place is not right!” White Rabbit chanted from behind Alice’s leg. “Alice, I am telling you: we must leave now!”

“I’m not leaving until I find out what is going on here,” she insisted. “There may be a way to stop it.”

“But – but, Alice!”