Chapter 21
As Hatter had expected, he was awakened by falling backwards into his bedroom, hitting his head on the grassy floor.
"Hatter? What on earth?" Alice exclaimed.
"We aren't on earth," Hatter pointed out, rubbing his head.
Alice rolled her eyes. "You slept there to make sure I didn't leave, didn't you?" she accused, crossing her arms.
"Guilty," he admitted. "Didn't want to sleep too long though. I read through more of the documents after you went to sleep. There's something I need to check on."
"Really? Did you find something?" she asked, helping him up.
"I don't know yet," he replied, squinting. "Why is it so dark? Isn't it dawn?"
"No," she said, shifting her feet. He noticed she was fully dressed.
"And you wonder why I slept against the door," he grinned at her. "So predictable, you oysters."
"Hush," she replied. "You have a lead. Let's go."
Hatter and Alice arrived at the Looking Glass just before dawn.
Hatter convinced the Suits that he was there to audit the oyster logs, to make certain that the return was properly conducted and there were no mishaps. What he was really there to check were the records concerning an oyster called Marjorie and her infant son. And he was not surprised to find that there were no records of a return trip through the Looking Glass for either, and no record of travel for the Knave. The only record was one of inactivity for the Knave to the Court, which hardly meant banishment, even though it had been the royal edict at the time.
"I don't understand, Hatter. What does this mean?" Alice asked, as they left the building.
"It might not mean anything. But if the lack of records means what I think it does, it means the oyster and her hybrid child never left Wonderland, nor did the Suit that fathered the boy. And the boy would be grown by now," he frowned. The father was of the Diamond caste, same as the Duchess. "If anyone would have a grudge against the Queen of Hearts and Jack, it would be them. They were banished. If they've been living as refugees, they haven't come up on my radar, which means they've been pretty bad off."
"So you think it might be this boy? Thomas?" Alice asked. "But if it is, then he'd have an accomplice, because he hasn't been to Court, right? You'd know if it was him?"
"Perhaps, I don't know. But I think it's time for an intervention with Jack. We need to get him into treatment before it's too late."