Chapter 21 - A few for freedom.
Alice awoke from her sleep feeling bothered and troubled. It was only yesterday that she was taking a tour of the centre of Bandersnatch Isle, as her natural curiosity had led her to this point far beyond the shores of Wonderland as she knew it. She went into the bathroom and put on her dress over her undergarments and walked to the bed compartment to check beneath the pillow.
"Good," she thought to herself, "it's still here"
She was referring to her Vorpal blade which she had placed in there before she had retired to bed. It was reasonable to assume that after the "explosive" events yesterday, whoever had wanted to destroy her wasn't bothered about taking several dozen people with her in the blast, but probably wasn't beneath the idea of coming after her and disposing of her in a quiet and gruesome fashion. She learnt this valuable lesson from the queens reign in wonderland and as a result, her knife was never more than a quick gesture of her hand away. This lesson had saved her neck more times than she cared to remember.
She hid the knife in her dress and examined her surroundings wherever she may be? If she was a prisoner, then she was certainly a comfortable one. The bed was soft and comfortable and the toiletries were immaculate, it reminded her of the stately rooms and villas she had heard about in Spain and similar climates. The only disturbing thing was the view from the window which made her shudder slightly each time she approached the large rectangular opening in the wall next to her bed. She was extremely high off the ground and the Bandersnatch below, going about their daily lives, working, playing, riding their Jabberspawn pulled carriages were only the size of small insects if not smaller. The noticeable nearby structures were large cylindrical tubes that were attached to the side of her sky scraping building and if she focused hard enough, she could see people going to and fro inside the tube between the buildings. She looked out onto the landscape of tall buildings and noticed that they were all connected by the same system of tubes in which people could walk through.
"I suppose they need those tubes to get from building to building," she said, thinking to herself "Otherwise it would take ages to get to the bottom floor and get back to the top of next-door!"
Her train of thought was interrupted by someone knocking on the door! She dashed over to the door ready to pull her blade out on whoever entered.
"Who is it!?" she shouted through the door, in the most commanding tone she could find.
"I brought you here!" Came the reply. The voice was familiar but how could she know for certain?
"That's not an answer!" she shouted back angrily.
"It's all I'm telling you till you open the door!"
Her hand slowly crept behind her back, grasping the knife which was hidden in the bow of her dress in case this person was the embodiment of more trouble. She opened the door a crack at first and peered out. It was the same Bandersnatch who had brought her here before, Green skinned as all Bandersnatch and wearing the same white coat and trousers as yesterday. A slight chill ran up her spine. He reminded her of some of the so called "doctors" in the asylum.
"Satisfied?" he asked looking slightly disgruntled.
"I guess so." She replied and opened the door.
The white coated Bandersnatch walked in, pulled up a chair next to the window and sat down. He had taken the only chair in the room so the bed would suffice, which was comfortable but made it harder to keep hold of her knife easily. He began to speak in a slightly condescending tone.
"Well at least you could be grateful I got you here Alice, There are people out there who are looking for you and will take no pleasure…."
"In getting rid of me?" She interrupted. "yes after the explosion yesterday, I guessed!"
"I suppose you want to know what all that was about don't you?"
"I'd like to know who you are first and how you got me to come here."
"Alright then! My name is Cast Bandersnatch and I'm a doctor of medicine and of the mind here in the City."
"I've got experience with doctors of the mind," Alice snarled "there must be lots of doctors here, how did you find me?"
He looked about the room nervously and his tone suddenly became quieter.
"I'm part of a rebel movement as well, that's how I know about you. We are trying to free our people from the BENDS. That's how I know about you."
Alice face had become twisted with bewilderment at such a ridiculous sounding sentence.
"It sounds like a weird question but what is the BENDS?"
"It's an acronym," informed Cast It stands for Bandersnatch, Enemy, Neutralisation and Destruction Service."
Alice still looked bewildered.
"It used to be intelligence but now it's like a secret service, People are afraid of the BENDS cause their methods are ruthless and organised. They're the special army formed by the Ordermaster and they use Banderwatcher corps to watch the world for descent." By the look on his face, the mention of this organisation made him want to spit.
"That's all very well but how did YOU know I was coming and WHO I am?" Alice was determined to get answers!
"You've met another few members of the resistance. You know Bones Bandersnatch on the Floggit?"
"The Medic?"
"Yes that's him, he's part of us and he told us about that little "Incident" with Shift Bandersnatch?"
They were both aware that before she had arrived, the little weasel of a person had tried to kill her on route to the island but managed to get away with it. Alice suddenly felt enclosed. If he knew about that then news both good and bad spread quickly in this place, if you were in the right group to listen and she obviously wasn't. She didn't like that.
"So let me see, Your group is trying to free yourself from these BENDS, and your all working together, do they know about it?" She asked, things starting to fall into place.
"Of course they know, but I'll bet you didn't know they have a special interest in you. There's a price on your head to any agent who manages to dispose of you, of course some ordinary people know of it as well but if it's a secret of the BENDS, then it doesn't go very far!"
"It's nice to be wanted I suppose?" she replied and they both smiled at each other. "so how close are you to a rebellion"
"We're almost ready, we plan to take the main building and tell the world that we're free again. But anyway, I hope your ready to go."
The conversation had changed so quickly, it made Alice sit up
"What do you mean ready to go?"
"It's a big day for the island today, It's the Jabberspawn sports day!" he answered, seeming genuinely enthusiastic about it.
Alice had never seen Jabberspawn (or the Jabberwocky for that matter) performing any sports and she must admit to her self that the sight yesterday of a Jabberspawn under reigns and controlled was a comforting sight as usually, they wanted to either electrocute or tear you to shreds. This might be a cheerful distraction but she had to remember that on this island, there was an entire organisation of people after her head.
"Do you think I'll be safe?" She asked, still somewhat curious
"Oh I should think so," he replied surprisingly confident "nearly everyone gets time off to go see the sports day, don't you?"
Alice had some schooling before wonderland had changed and she had vague memories of the whole school being allowed onto the ground to compete and have fun. But still it was something she looked forward to, she enjoyed a game and even though she still enjoyed a game, her rules and style had changed with a definite edge. But in response to her question she just shrugged her shoulders and they were just about to walk out of the door when she remembered something.
"Oh hang on, I'll just be a minute." She told him and vanished into the bathroom to which his only reply was a sigh, a shake of the head in bewilderment and a shrug of his shoulders as the lock on the door clicked shut.
Alice had locked the door for a purpose, and a good one at that. She had wanted to make sure she wasn't interrupted and wasn't heard for what she was about to check in the mirror. She looked into the reflective surface with a mixed feeling of hopefulness and expectancy but her reflection wasn't acting of it's own accord. What had caused it to act on it's own before? She thought back to the time on the ship and remembered she was talking to it. (or more in fact to herself, and the reflection replied.)
"Excuse me?" she asked the mirror.
The only acknowledgement was the reflection nodding her head and folding her arms, defiantly.
"Have you still....?"
"Yes I've still got your club in here." the reflection said "do you need it?"
"No I don't think so, But keep it safe, I might later" she replied and walked out of the door with her escort to the events of the day.
Alice awoke from her sleep feeling bothered and troubled. It was only yesterday that she was taking a tour of the centre of Bandersnatch Isle, as her natural curiosity had led her to this point far beyond the shores of Wonderland as she knew it. She went into the bathroom and put on her dress over her undergarments and walked to the bed compartment to check beneath the pillow.
"Good," she thought to herself, "it's still here"
She was referring to her Vorpal blade which she had placed in there before she had retired to bed. It was reasonable to assume that after the "explosive" events yesterday, whoever had wanted to destroy her wasn't bothered about taking several dozen people with her in the blast, but probably wasn't beneath the idea of coming after her and disposing of her in a quiet and gruesome fashion. She learnt this valuable lesson from the queens reign in wonderland and as a result, her knife was never more than a quick gesture of her hand away. This lesson had saved her neck more times than she cared to remember.
She hid the knife in her dress and examined her surroundings wherever she may be? If she was a prisoner, then she was certainly a comfortable one. The bed was soft and comfortable and the toiletries were immaculate, it reminded her of the stately rooms and villas she had heard about in Spain and similar climates. The only disturbing thing was the view from the window which made her shudder slightly each time she approached the large rectangular opening in the wall next to her bed. She was extremely high off the ground and the Bandersnatch below, going about their daily lives, working, playing, riding their Jabberspawn pulled carriages were only the size of small insects if not smaller. The noticeable nearby structures were large cylindrical tubes that were attached to the side of her sky scraping building and if she focused hard enough, she could see people going to and fro inside the tube between the buildings. She looked out onto the landscape of tall buildings and noticed that they were all connected by the same system of tubes in which people could walk through.
"I suppose they need those tubes to get from building to building," she said, thinking to herself "Otherwise it would take ages to get to the bottom floor and get back to the top of next-door!"
Her train of thought was interrupted by someone knocking on the door! She dashed over to the door ready to pull her blade out on whoever entered.
"Who is it!?" she shouted through the door, in the most commanding tone she could find.
"I brought you here!" Came the reply. The voice was familiar but how could she know for certain?
"That's not an answer!" she shouted back angrily.
"It's all I'm telling you till you open the door!"
Her hand slowly crept behind her back, grasping the knife which was hidden in the bow of her dress in case this person was the embodiment of more trouble. She opened the door a crack at first and peered out. It was the same Bandersnatch who had brought her here before, Green skinned as all Bandersnatch and wearing the same white coat and trousers as yesterday. A slight chill ran up her spine. He reminded her of some of the so called "doctors" in the asylum.
"Satisfied?" he asked looking slightly disgruntled.
"I guess so." She replied and opened the door.
The white coated Bandersnatch walked in, pulled up a chair next to the window and sat down. He had taken the only chair in the room so the bed would suffice, which was comfortable but made it harder to keep hold of her knife easily. He began to speak in a slightly condescending tone.
"Well at least you could be grateful I got you here Alice, There are people out there who are looking for you and will take no pleasure…."
"In getting rid of me?" She interrupted. "yes after the explosion yesterday, I guessed!"
"I suppose you want to know what all that was about don't you?"
"I'd like to know who you are first and how you got me to come here."
"Alright then! My name is Cast Bandersnatch and I'm a doctor of medicine and of the mind here in the City."
"I've got experience with doctors of the mind," Alice snarled "there must be lots of doctors here, how did you find me?"
He looked about the room nervously and his tone suddenly became quieter.
"I'm part of a rebel movement as well, that's how I know about you. We are trying to free our people from the BENDS. That's how I know about you."
Alice face had become twisted with bewilderment at such a ridiculous sounding sentence.
"It sounds like a weird question but what is the BENDS?"
"It's an acronym," informed Cast It stands for Bandersnatch, Enemy, Neutralisation and Destruction Service."
Alice still looked bewildered.
"It used to be intelligence but now it's like a secret service, People are afraid of the BENDS cause their methods are ruthless and organised. They're the special army formed by the Ordermaster and they use Banderwatcher corps to watch the world for descent." By the look on his face, the mention of this organisation made him want to spit.
"That's all very well but how did YOU know I was coming and WHO I am?" Alice was determined to get answers!
"You've met another few members of the resistance. You know Bones Bandersnatch on the Floggit?"
"The Medic?"
"Yes that's him, he's part of us and he told us about that little "Incident" with Shift Bandersnatch?"
They were both aware that before she had arrived, the little weasel of a person had tried to kill her on route to the island but managed to get away with it. Alice suddenly felt enclosed. If he knew about that then news both good and bad spread quickly in this place, if you were in the right group to listen and she obviously wasn't. She didn't like that.
"So let me see, Your group is trying to free yourself from these BENDS, and your all working together, do they know about it?" She asked, things starting to fall into place.
"Of course they know, but I'll bet you didn't know they have a special interest in you. There's a price on your head to any agent who manages to dispose of you, of course some ordinary people know of it as well but if it's a secret of the BENDS, then it doesn't go very far!"
"It's nice to be wanted I suppose?" she replied and they both smiled at each other. "so how close are you to a rebellion"
"We're almost ready, we plan to take the main building and tell the world that we're free again. But anyway, I hope your ready to go."
The conversation had changed so quickly, it made Alice sit up
"What do you mean ready to go?"
"It's a big day for the island today, It's the Jabberspawn sports day!" he answered, seeming genuinely enthusiastic about it.
Alice had never seen Jabberspawn (or the Jabberwocky for that matter) performing any sports and she must admit to her self that the sight yesterday of a Jabberspawn under reigns and controlled was a comforting sight as usually, they wanted to either electrocute or tear you to shreds. This might be a cheerful distraction but she had to remember that on this island, there was an entire organisation of people after her head.
"Do you think I'll be safe?" She asked, still somewhat curious
"Oh I should think so," he replied surprisingly confident "nearly everyone gets time off to go see the sports day, don't you?"
Alice had some schooling before wonderland had changed and she had vague memories of the whole school being allowed onto the ground to compete and have fun. But still it was something she looked forward to, she enjoyed a game and even though she still enjoyed a game, her rules and style had changed with a definite edge. But in response to her question she just shrugged her shoulders and they were just about to walk out of the door when she remembered something.
"Oh hang on, I'll just be a minute." She told him and vanished into the bathroom to which his only reply was a sigh, a shake of the head in bewilderment and a shrug of his shoulders as the lock on the door clicked shut.
Alice had locked the door for a purpose, and a good one at that. She had wanted to make sure she wasn't interrupted and wasn't heard for what she was about to check in the mirror. She looked into the reflective surface with a mixed feeling of hopefulness and expectancy but her reflection wasn't acting of it's own accord. What had caused it to act on it's own before? She thought back to the time on the ship and remembered she was talking to it. (or more in fact to herself, and the reflection replied.)
"Excuse me?" she asked the mirror.
The only acknowledgement was the reflection nodding her head and folding her arms, defiantly.
"Have you still....?"
"Yes I've still got your club in here." the reflection said "do you need it?"
"No I don't think so, But keep it safe, I might later" she replied and walked out of the door with her escort to the events of the day.
