I don't own nothing. Oh well back to the drawing board I guess.
~Chapter 10~
The interior of the white rook tower was every bit as splendid and beautiful as Marmoreal. However it was somewhat meagerly furnished. With many of the chairs and hangings covered by dustcovers or on the floor. Alice took a moment to look up. There was a great staircase running around the interior of the tower. Giant windows allowed real sunlight to shine down.
"Come along Alice, everyone is waiting." The Hatter stated. He held out his hand that she then took, with a small smile. He led her to the only door on the main floor. As he opened it, Alice let her hand slide away from his. This was not the time or place for showing ones feelings. This was a war council.
The room that Alice entered was in fact the Library. Books filled every crevice and cranny in the wall. The small council sat at a recently uncovered table with mismatched chairs all around it. Some of the smaller members in attendance were perched on stacks of books. The council consisted of 7 persons: McTwisp the Rabbit, Uilleam the Dodo, Mallymkun the Dormouse, Thackery the March Hare who kept twitching, Bayard the Bloodhound, Tarrant who had taken his seat next to Mallymkun and a large egg man that Alice guessed was Humpty Dumpty. There was one chair left at the head of the table. The Hatter had even pulled it out for her as he had taken his own seat. Slowly Alice walked towards the table, feeling every pair of eyes upon her. She had not felt this self-conscience since her wedding day. She ran her hand along the chair feeling the warm wood and intricate carvings. Breathing deeply she took her seat. Everyone looked at her expectantly.
"We must save the White Queen before the Red Queen chooses to kill her." Began Alice boldly, after all there was no point in beating about the bush. Around the table, heads nodded.
"We knew that already! Did we really need to hear it from her?" Demanded Mallymkun.
"Quiet please, Mally." Frowned McTwisp. The dormouse crossed her arms in protest but said no more.
"I have been told by the Hatter that Underland needs a champion to slay the Jabberwocky once again. However, we do not have the Oraculum to verify that it is in fact me you need to do this. That is the second reason for saving the White Queen as soon as possible"
"That is correct." Said the Dodo. "You should also be made aware that should you still be the one to slay the Jabberwocky that you can no longer depend upon the Vorpal sword to do the work for you."
"Yeah, no magic to help you this time." Mally chimed before she was softly hushed by the Hatter.
"The Hatter mentioned something along those lines, I would like to know right now how is the Jabberwocky different? Aside from the fact that it has been brought back from the grave."
"You didn't tell her Tarrant?" Asked Mally in surprise, the others also looked at the Hatter in surprised accusation. Alice also looked to the Hatter for an explanation for withholding the rather important information.
"Um…I didn't want to scare you?" He said meekly. "But I suppose it's a little late for apologies now?" There was a collective groan around the table. The white rabbit shook his head.
"In answer to your question, Alice." Began McTwisp "The Jabberwocky is no longer the same because it is not just one being. It is now two."
Alice looked puzzled "I'm sorry but I don't quite follow." She said apologetically. "There are not one but two now?"
"No, well, you see. The Red Queen has taken two servants and bound them in one body. She has combined the mind, malice and skills of Ilosovic Stayne with the body and raw power of the Jabberwocky. So in this way she has created a new foe that the Vorpal sword no longer recognizes. Whoever wields the sword from this moment on can no longer just hold onto it, they must actually know how to wield it."
Alice felt weak in the knees and sat down heavily, she could feel a cold sweat braking out all over her body.
"But I am just Alice, like before, I'm not a sword fighter."
"You are Underland's Champion, you have already proven it to us all." Protested Humpty Dumpty
"Ha!" Mally gave a short sarcastic laugh.
"That you can kill this beast." Continued the egg man ignoring the interruption.
"But I haven't the skills to do what you ask." She said plaintively. The Hatter left his chair and walked over to Alice.
"We know that, Alice." He said putting a comforting hand upon her shoulder.
"We would never ask you to do something that you were not able to do now. But I know that you will able to do it eventually." The Hatter looked over at the March Hare. He had been unusually quiet through out the meeting so far.
"Thackery knows of a great war master. He was trained by this master in fact."
Alice looked at the twitching hare picking at his ears and sniffing the wax.
"Really?" Alice asked, dubiously
"Well it was long before he went mad of course."
"Oh, of course." Alice nodded.
The White Rabbit tapped his paw on the table to get everyone attention. "And therein lies the third reason we need to save the White Queen as soon as possible, for she is the only one who knows were to find this war master. When Thackery completed his training, he was sworn to secrecy about the location and even the name of this great Master. Even though he is mad he has never revealed a single detail about him or where to find him!" Finished McTwisp.
"So tell us, Champion. What is your plan to rescue the Queen?" Demanded Mallymkun.
Alice sat for a moment in thought. Her had palms flat against the surface of the table. She could feel the Hatter standing behind her chair and everyone's eyes upon her. Her eyes wandered to the many books behind the Dodo.
"I believe our best course is to save the White Queen without letting the Red Queen know."
"Brilliant." Said Mally unimpressed
"I wasn't finished Mally." Said Alice, her tone hot. "I propose that we replace the White Queen with another sheep. Tarrant informed me that the Sheep, Mirana, cannot talk. So asking another sheep to take her place is out of the question since I assume the other Underlandian sheep can talk?" The Hatter nodded.
"Then I propose that we find the potion used by the Red Queen and use it on someone else. We will then replace Mirana with the decoy." Half of the table nodded in agreement, the other half looked unconvinced.
"But who would you ask to take the Queen's place?" Asked Bayard.
"I had thought of asking for volunteers but perhaps we might use it on one of the red queens own courtiers, she had quite a few the last time I was in Underland." Said Alice
"That will be difficult now; word has it that all of her old courtiers have been sentenced to death." The Dodo mused.
"Then we'll use one of her guards!" Yelled Alice in frustration.
"How will we get them to drink it?" Asked Mally.
"We put it in their TEA!" Exclaimed the March Hare, which were the first words to have come from his mouth this whole time.
"No, that would be too obvious, but nonetheless it is a very good suggestion, Thackery." Said the Hatter.
"Do all potions have to be taken orally?" Asked Alice quietly.
"Really now, Alice. What kind of question is that?" Asked the Hatter in shock. Alice shook her head and grinned at the Hatter's misunderstanding.
"No, I mean do you have to eat or drink all potions from this world for them to work?" She clarified. The council looked unsure. The question had never come up, apparently.
"What do you suggest, Alice?" Asked the Dodo.
"Well, my… my husband was a soldier in Africa, and on one of the odd times he was home to visit he brought with him a weapon he had seen the natives use. It was a long slender pipe that when blown through a poisoned dart would shoot out and silently and discreetly kill its target. I think that we should use this method to deliver the potion to our intended target."
Everyone was silent for a moment, before nodding his or her head this time, even the skeptical Mallymkun. Alice turned around and found the Hatter was also smiling.
"Well, whether or not that that is a viable means of achieving our goal still remains in doubt, but for now our first order of business should be to find and make the potion. If we manage that then perhaps we shall also find the antidote that will turn her Majesty back into her old self." Finished Alice.
"Very good, Alice." Said McTwisp, nodding. "Thackery, Uilleam and Humpty will search the Library and kitchens of all three Towers for the potion recipe. Mallymkun, Tarrant, and Alice you will work on this dart pipe contraption."
"And what will you do McTwisp?" Asked Alice.
"Chess and I will go to Marmoreal and find where the White Queen is being held." McTwisp answered, his whiskers twitching nervously.
"Very well." Said the Hatter "We all have our tasks. Now let's not waste anymore time talking. We have work to do. DOWN WITH THE BLOODY RED QUEEN!"
"DOWNAL WYTH BLUDDY BEHG HID!" They all cheered back.
Yeah down with her big heart shaped head and the lips stick too. Really I kept looking at it throughout the whole movie...Anyway there is Chapter 10. I know lots of talk BUT the next Chapter follows Sophie and Tweedledum so stay tuned for more.
Same Hat time same Hat channel!
Reviews please they keep me motivated.