From the desk of Dora Mouse ~

Dear Blue,

The papers you requested are inside. I hope you were able to find some of Madigan's, because I wasn't able to find or speak to him on such short notice. I'm afraid that after going through all these, without Madigan's records, there's some big holes in the story. Unless you know different, he never spoke about his times with the Queen, or much about his solitary experiences that are necessary for everything to make sense. I don't know why he was running around barefoot that rainy night, or why he left in the middle of dinner with the Cat. Madigan Hatter's mind has always been a mystery to me, and I'm sure even Alice feels the same way. Marchy's record seems to follow him closely (very closely) but that's short-lived. And except for some of his letters Cheshire gave to me (I'm afraid some of them are charred around the edges) there isn't much that explain his actions.

But I think we've come to the conclusion that nothing ever explains his actions.

I took the liberty of re-writing some bits of my own account - just some sentences here and there that make everything make more sense out of context. I haven't touched anyone else's things (except to clarify some smudged bits that Ches must have written straight after an all-night tea binge, and to decipher some tear-stained bits by Alice and Marchy). I thought you'd do that anyway. I'd like you to know that they don't mind, and neither do I. We trust you. We've never doubted you. And I suspect we never will.

They all expressed interest in reading the finished piece. Even Ches, who gave me a sideways look and tried asking subtle questions about how long the whole process would take. Alice wouldn't let me leave until I promised her she would get to see it. Marchy asked - no, she told me - she would read it first. And of course I don't know about Madigan.

It's an understatement to say we were worried about him for a while. We're still worried about him, especially the girls. (Ches won't say anything, but ... we can tell.) I hope you can find him. Show this to him - make him understand.

Good luck.

Love,

Dora

P.S. If you need records from the palace, Jack made sure my address is off the watch list. Please don't hesitate to ask.

My dearest Dora,

My sincerest thanks on your promptness. In my opinion, the faster all this is recorded in a cohesive fashion, the more accurate it will be - and all the better for a historical record. I must thank you also on your help with the clarification. Some of Marchelle's musings are pure gibberish to me (might it be too much to ask if you could decipher a bit more?) But you were correct - her records of the Hatter are unmatched. What is going to be difficult is sorting through all of this. There is the sheer volume of all their writings, over more than a year of content, and I am afraid I cannot bear to eliminate some of the (enjoyable) fluff you all have written. But ... I think it could be necessary. For the big picture. Do not expect the final product to be short.

Please be assured that they all will have a chance to read it. Without them, there would be no transcript. However, I do not want this causing more trouble than it needs to. Perhaps we should wait until things cool down a bit. (Possibly after Alice and Marchelle can look each other in the eye again.)

By now I am sure you have heard of the fire - his papers are almost gone. I have salvaged just a few. I hope I can fill in the blanks - though information from the palace would be wonderful. Tell Jack that any records he has regarding us, no matter how unremarkable they seem, would be helpful. As of now, I am not entirely sure what is missing or what is needed to pull this together.

Signed,

B. C. Pillar

P.S. The tone of your letter would infer you're looking for information on the Hatter. I regret that I cannot tell you. Please understand that I will tell you what I can, when I can. You said that you all trust me. And for that, I thank you.

A/N: My first full-length story in the Wonderland 'verse. It's going to be in the same sort of format as Dracula - written from the first-person accounts of the people involved. I've had a fun time creating their different writing styles (didja notice the Blue Caterpillar doesn't use contractions? lol) and I hope you all will enjoy reading it! Please R&R ~