28

The moment Alice and Mirana step outside the bathroom, they come face to face with Angus Bumby.

Alice feels Mirana's grip on her hand tighten, sees her jaw tense out of the corner of her eye. "What do you want?" she growls through clenched teeth.

"Just to talk." He looks pointedly at Alice. "To you."

Alice scowls, but releases Mirana's hand anyway. Might as well hear what the bastard has to say. "Go back to our table, Mirana. I'll join you in a moment."

"Alice —"

"I can handle myself." Alice says, her anger dropping for a moment to address Mirana. "Trust me."

Mirana hesitates for a moment, then nods, going to join the others at their table. Once she's left, Bumby gestures towards his table, but Alice stops him with a shake of her head.

"Not in here." she says. "Outside, where there will be plenty of witnesses if you decide to try anything."

Bumby smiles. "Of course. Plenty of witnesses to see you lose your mind." He smirks. "Again."

Alice holds back several insults and instead follows him outside.

Outside, the cars rush by in the streets, but there's still plenty of passerby along the sidewalk. Bumby seats himself on a nearby bench, pats the spot next to him. Alice stays right where she is, standing in front of him. He sighs, but does not persist.

"Alice, what do you hope to accomplish with this?" he says, leaning back lazily. He doesn't give her a chance to answer. "If it's my imprisonment you're after, you won't get it."

Alice's hands curl into fists. "What makes you so sure?"

Bumby laughs. "I'm too powerful. You think bringing Orianna into this will help? You think dragging Bibwit here will tip the scales in your favour? Bibwit is loyal to me, Alice, and Orianna is a raving lunatic. Who are they going to believe? You, who have been committed to an insane asylum and bring only fellow half-wits to your aid, or me, a respectable doctor with a clean record? You cannot win. However, I know you'll drag this case out as long as you can, so I'm prepared to make you an offer."

Alice turns on her heel to leave. "I don't want anything from you."

"I'll drop the charges against Mirana."

Alice stops short but doesn't turn around. "What?"

"I'll drop the charges against Mirana. She'll be released from the case with no consequences."

Alice swallows hard, her jaw firmly locked. He's up to something, but her curiosity cannot be denied. "What's the catch?"

"Claim insanity and return to my care. I'm sure no one would have trouble believing you, and I can even testify for you myself. No one else would have to suffer. Think about it. If it weren't for you, none of this would have happened in the first place. The only reason Mirana is even on trial today is you. You were the reason she checked herself into Rutledge in the first place. If not for you, Mirana wouldn't have needed my care in the first place." He leers at her. "I suppose it wasn't entirely unpleasant. Miss Underland is a wonderfully well-developed specimen. I should be thanking you for bringing her right to me."

At those words, Alice sees red. She strides straight up to Bumby, seething, barely holding back, fingers clenching and unclenching, digging into her palms. "How many minds have you twisted into forgetfulness?"

Bumby laughs, a dry, merciless sound, not even bothering to get up. "Not enough. Yours would've been a triumph." He glances behind him, at the cars speeding past. "Go ahead. Push me into traffic. You'd only be helping me."

Alice follows his gaze. "Not much help if you die."

"Are you threatening me Alice?" He sits forward, cocking his head to one side. "No, that's what I thought. I need an answer, because once we go back in there, you decide if we enter as friends or enemies."

Alice's eyes flicker back and forth from Bumby to the cars. As much as she wants to hurl him into traffic, — he doesn't look like he'd be too heavy to lift — there's something inside that tells her this is not the answer, which leaves her with two alternatives: continue to fight Bumby and potentially lose, despite their latest witness, or, submit now and guarantee Mirana's safety. However, what is guaranteed, really? Surrendering would be, in some views, the right thing to do, because Bumby is right: this is her fault. She's the one who flipped the world upside down, so she should pay the price, right? And yet, is the safety of one person worth letting this monster continue his practices when she has a chance to have him destroyed? Does the possibility of justice outweigh the guilt of the catalyst?

Her mind flashes back to Frabjous Day, James kneeling on the ground, her hand holding the gun jammed against his head, finger hovering dangerously over the trigger. What would have happened if she'd shot him? What would have happened if she'd given in?

Her eyes finally rest on Bumby's.

And what would happen if she gave in now? If she pushed him and he died, she would be convicted of murder and detained in prison at Her Majesty's pleasure. Rutledge would have to be shut down, because as far as she knows, he has no successor, and maybe the patients there would be released to an actual mental health hospital and get some real help. Everyone would be free while she was left to rot away in a cell.

"I'm waiting Alice."

Push him, a voice in her mind whispers.

Maybe she really has gone mad. Maybe she should just submit and —

Bzzzz.

Alice glances down at her phone. Mirana. She doesn't read it, but seeing her name on the screen reminds her why she's here. She's no good to Mirana in prison. Bumby must pay for what he's done, and Alice will fight until her last breath until he's locked up for good.

She pulls herself away, putting some distance between herself and Bumby. "We will always be enemies." she says.

Bumby sighs. "What a shame. Run along then, I suppose. I'll visit you all in prison."

Alice bites back a particularly scathing reply, turns on her heel, and leaves. She digs her phone out of her pocket to actually read what Mirana sent.

Mirana: Alice, the waiter's here. What do you want?

Mirana: I ordered you cheesy leek and onion soup with a slice of rhubarb pie. Tarrant's ordered you a "special" drink, whatever that means.

Mirana: Is everything alright?

Alice: Yeah, sorry. I'm coming back now.

Alice: Special drink?

Mirana: Oh, good.

Mirana: He's covered it with his napkin and won't show anyone.

Mirana: You didn't do anything stupid, did you?

Alice: Bumby is alive and unharmed, unfortunately, if that's what you mean.

Mirana: I'm glad you behaved.

Mirana: I'm waving at you, come over.

Alice puts her phone down and looks up to see Mirana waving at her, smiling. She feels a grin of her own spreading across her face in return. Bumby later, brunch now.

She takes her place between Tarrant and Mirana, feeling Mirana take her hand underneath the table, squeezing softly. Alice squeezes back, brushing her thumb over hers.

"What did he want?" Nivens asks.

"He tried to get me to back down. I refused." Tarrant hands her a thick looking drink that appears to be coral pink on top and golden yellow at the bottom, served in a jar with a large blue straw stuck in. It's cold to the touch and wet with condensation. "What's this?"

Tarrant beams. "Try it. I've got one too. What did he threaten you with?"

Alice takes a sip, fully aware that all eyes are on her now. Mango… and banana? There's something else too. Well, whatever it is, it's quite good. "He told me to claim insanity and hand myself over to him." she says, keeping her eyes firmly trained on her drink.

There is a collective gasp around the table, wide eyes, covered mouths all around.

"You didn't, right?" her mother asks, worry lining her face.

"No!" Alice says quickly. "We're still going on with the trial after this recess. That hasn't changed."

"But you considered it." Mirana says quietly.

Alice turns. "How did you —"

"Please, Alice, I'd like to think I know you by now." Mirana lets go of her hand. "Why would you —"

"Because this is my fault." Alice says, struggling to contain herself. "Because if it weren't for me, you wouldn't be going through this right now."

"Bullshit."

Eyes shift to Orianna, who hasn't said much since the courtroom. She squirms a little under the attention but regains her speech well enough. "None of this is your fault. Bumby's transgressions didn't end with me and my friends, they won't end with Mirana, and they're still going on, even now, at the asylum. Alice, he is panicking. That is the only reason why he approached you. We've got him right where we want him."

Bibwit nods. "She's right. Angus is grasping at anything he can get ahold of. Bringing Miss Turkel-Dee in has set him on edge. I saw a flash of it in his eyes the moment he walked in, something others would miss. But not me." His eyes meet Alice's, and she knows what he's going to say before he says it. "Because I know him very well."

"You're the best thing that ever happened to me, Alice." Mirana says. "I don't regret anything that's happened. The fact that you're still here, by my side, means much more than you'll ever realise."

Alice leans over, pressing her forehead to hers. "How could I ever leave you?"

There's silence for a moment, then—

"Good God, Alice, you're so nauseatingly sappy." Nivens teases. "Our food hasn't even come yet but I think I feel a bit of bile coming on."

It's an awkward joke, but it works. The table erupts into laughter just as the waitress comes by wheeling a cart with what can be presumed to be their food. Dishes are distributed, and Alice for the most part tries to actually taste her food and stay in the moment rather than jumping ahead into the future, into uncertainty. Mirana's fingers intertwined with hers beneath the table is the only thing keeping her grounded in the present, in a fleeting moment of peace.