Page Four

"Who is that man?" Alice asked, regarding him with uncertainty and distaste.

Alex shook her head. "I don't know." She glanced around nervously. "I don't think there's any way to go in here. Should we follow him?"

"I suppose we have no choice," Alice replied. She sauntered off in the direction that he had, Alex close behind her. They came just in time to see the man climb down a ladder in the center of the room. There seemed to be no other way to go, so Alex and Alice climbed down after him. As they walked on, they saw two of the rotted corpses from the ground raise up and shuffle slowly towards the man. Alex's eyes widened. She thought to warn this man, though she was unsure of whether this man was friend or foe, nor was she sure of whether he could see them or not. Alice seemed quite eager to continue on.

"Rather hasty, child." They turned to face the Cheshire Cat. Alex stared at him, her eyes wide with astonishment.

"I suppose you were telling the truth then..." She said, a hint of surprise in her voice.

"Did you not trust me?" Alice glanced at her, taken aback.

"Well what was I supposed to think?" Alex asked, exasperated. "You show up in a secret area of my grandfather's mansion two weeks after his murder, with blood on your dress, and you were carrying a sword!"

Alice nodded her understanding, then turned back to the cat. "Why have you come?" she enquired.

The cat eyed Alice. "Hesitation isn't always the downfall of man, Alice. If you are too quick to think, following your heart's desire may be your downfall." His intense gaze moved to the Roivas girl. "Your instinct is true, Alexandra. Don't let your memories interfere. Reject what you know, take on what you feel is right, and you will prevail." He shot them a wide, stretching grin, then vanished.

"Cryptic..." Alex muttered. "I was never good at riddles."

"Me neither," Alice said, looking around. "Well, shall we continue?"

"Yeah, I don't think there's any other way," was the reply.

They moved onward. The path was quite clear, considering there was normally only one possible direction. After a while, they came to a narrow corridor that forked off in either direction, an unbarred door at both ends.

"Which way?" Alex asked.

"Left," the dark-haired girl answered, already heading in that direction. Alex quickly followed behind her, and they both entered the next room together.

"That almost looks like the Roman man we saw earlier," Alex muttered to herself, glancing at a large statue as they walked past. It depicted the torso of a man wearing Roman garments.

The next room contained naught but three stone pillars surrounding a circular beam of yellow light, and a stone panel in the corner. Alice walked forward with every intention to step onto the ring of light.

"Uh..." Alex glanced around nervously. "Maybe we should try the other room first?"

"Oh get over here," Alice snapped, taking Alex by the hand and thrusting her onto the ring of light, stepping on it herself. Alex felt a slight jolt from behind her navel, then the next thing she knew, she was standing in a narrow passageway that led to a small, circular room. Alex could make out the faint outline of a man lying down on the floor. She walked towards him carefully.

"Um, hello?" she said to the panting figure on the floor. A surge of blue electricity passed through him. Alex hesitated. "Sir?" she asked, kneeling down and placing a hand on the man's shoulder. The man looked at her, meeting her gaze. Alex screamed. This was not the face of a man, but one of a skeleton. She could smell his rotting flesh, could feel death looming out of him, and his piercing blue gaze stared within hers, and she felt as if he could see right into her very soul.

Alex clamped her eyes shut as swirling colours flew around her and Alice, and she felt herself fall onto the chair. She opened her eyes, breathing heavily, to see the page from the Tome staring back at her.