AN: Hello everyone! I had this chapter ready three days ago , but the ammount of work I've been procrastinating reached its boiling point. God bless College.
My updating pacing will improve a little from now on, I hope.
Thank you for reading!
"Who are you?"
Her eyes opened.
She felt the damp and cold touch of grass against her back.
Endless trees surrounded her.
Golden and green leaves fell from the branches and landed on the visible roots.
What was that place?
"Who are you?"
"A forest." She got back on her feet after a couple of tumbling attempts.
Having ground to stand on was an unfamiliar sensation.
Everything was.
Where was she?
How had she gotten there?
What had she been doing before?
"Are you a forest? You don't feel like any other forest I've met before. Not that I've met many. For a moment I thought your name was Tulgey."
The voice buzzed inside her ears like a bug trying to get out.
"Absolem?" She hoped to see a pair of blue wings fluttering nearby.
She looked and saw nothing.
She was alone.
The voice laughed.
"No, I'm not him. He is quite the character, but I'm more than he could ever be."
"Who are you?" It was now her turn to ask.
"What is this? I've never met a forest so curious."
"I'm not a forest!"
"Then who are you?"
"I'm- "
The rest was a blank space she could not fill. It was only after she tried to remember her name that she noticed how strange a concept it was for her.
She was nameless.
The thought frightened her, but she had more important things to worry about.
First of all, she had to get out of the forest. Once she did, she could wonder about her name all the time she wanted.
"Hello? Are you still here?"
She had no interest in following a conversation with something she couldn't see, even less in answering to its questions.
She walked and walked.
All paths were the same. It didn't take long before she wondered if she was moving at all.
Patience failed her and she began to run, thinking that her chances of moving to another place would increase if she moved faster.
She ran until she was out of breath. When she stopped and looked around again, she was in the same unchanging place as before.
She cursed.
Running had only gained her a racing heart and a dry mouth.
"Why are you so silent?" The voice sighed with grief, offended by her negligence. "What a shame. You are the most interesting being I've ever talked to, and you don't even know what or who you are. It's sad for you, but much sadder for me."
It sighed again.
She ignored it and continue to wander across the forest, this time at a slower pace. The repetitive images and absolute silence soon took their toll on her conviction.
Her body wasn't spared. Her legs started to shake and her shoulders felt heavier.
It was almost maddening, but she knew she had to go on.
She had to get out of there, out of that….
What was it called?
She was too tired to know.
"You aren't tired, you are forgetting," The voice stated with condescendence. "That's how the deepest part of these woods work. It makes you forget everything, even how to live. Didn't you know this before you ventured inside? If you did, then you are crazy, and if you didn't, then you are stupid."
"Silence!" She exclaimed. "If you won't say something useful, then you shouldn't speak at all."
"Ha! Where did you come from that you dare to speak to me like that?" The voice replied. "I'm happy to see there's still amusement in you, nameless thing."
"You worry too much about my name, but I don't recall you giving me yours when I asked." She retorted.
She noticed the reddish scratches the branches had left on her hands and arms.
They didn't hurt.
That was convening, but also unsettling.
Though not deep, the injuries were bad enough to sting for a couple of hours. Yet, she felt nothing.
Was she already forgetting how to feel?
The voice remained silent.
She thought she had hushed it for good when it rang again in her mind.
"You are too bold for your own good, nameless thing." It growled. "It is only because you have proven to be mildly entertaining that I'll propose a deal: tell me your name, and I shall give you mine."
"You are so generous, but I refuse." She walked along a path she had already walked thrice. "With all your respect, your name is not as interesting as you may think, nor it would help me at all. You can keep it for all I care."
"A pity, I thought you were funnier than this." The voice sighed like a disappointed child after a failed tantrum. "Very well, how about this: tell me your name, and I'll tell you the way out of here."
She stopped walking.
"Why are you so interested in my name?"
"It's just sheer curiosity. Is that so bad a thing?"
"No, but… what is a thing?"
"Uh?"
"What is a thing?" She plummeted to her knees. "What…who am I?"
"Nameless thing!"
"Who?" She left the rest of her sentence hanging around in the air like a leaf in the wind.
"You're forgetting!" The voice shouted.
She tried to tell it to keep quiet, but her tongue had forgotten how to craft words.
"No, you won't leave my question unanswered. Your name! Tell me your name!"
The voice continued with its hissy fit. Each time, it grew angrier and more menacing.
But truth was, it was all the same for her.
Soon, she ceased to listen to it, and along with it, she stopped feeling everything else.
At one point, her awareness of being someone vanished.
The name she had borne, the problems she had endured, the memories she treasured… all were fragments of an existence so individual and trivial that they didn't feel worthy of being remembered.
Why would she want to go back to being one when she could part of all?
It was a dull but soothing sensation, like a dreamless sleep, she thought with a smile.
Her knees succumbed and she fell flat to the grass, leaving her in the almost the same position she'd been when she woke up.
Comforting, she thought.
Her eyelids were half through to their final wink.
"You've almost forgotten everything, nameless thing." The voice lamented. "Soon you'll be nothing."
It laughed.
She would have laughed along with it, but she couldn't recall how it was done.
"And once you are nothing, you'll be everything." The voice stated with melancholy. "You won't be so different from me then. Farewell, nameless thing. Farewell."
"…ce!"
Her eyes sprang open just when her eyelids were about to meet. It was another voice, this one existing somewhere outside her head.
"What's that?" The voice urged with fear.
"…Alice!"
"I hear it." She said, her body starting to grasp the concept of movement once more.
"Who is that, and what does he say?"
"He's saying…something." By acknowledging the presence of the other, her own existence became clearer and more defined.
Letting go of the forest's empty but unified whole and back to her limited self felt like a bad exchange at first,; but flawed as it was, her existence was hers alone.
Maybe it wasn't better than everything, but it was better than nothing.
She was…
"Alice!" She screamed with all the power of her lungs. "I'm Alice."
The happiness of having become one with herself again was broken with a high-pitched scream that almost shattered her eardrums.
"It's you!" Cried the voice with rampant fury. "Meddler! Why are you here? You aren't supposed to be! Go back, go back!"
The voice gnawed at her mind and it translated in Alice's body in the form of a headache. She pressed her head just above her eyebrows and shut her eyes.
"Go away, Meddler! Go away and never return."
"Enough!" Alice ordered, not knowing if she was speaking out loud. "I'm done with you. I'm not the meddler, you are!"
"Why do you insist in coming back?" The voice said with more bitterness than resentment.
"I don't owe you an answer." Alice hissed. She fought the voice out of her head.
The voice's brittle grasp on her mind broke like glass. Alice had expected more of a fight.
Maybe the voice's bark was more dangerous than its bite, our maybe it hadn't thought Alice had enough strength left to fight back.
It departed from her mind like a fallen sailor being dragged away by stormy waves.
Alice felt much lighter. She took a deep breath and took a moment to recover.
"Alice?" Said someone nearby, with the sounds of crushing leaves accompanying every step he took.
Alice heart skipped a beat.
This voice she knew.
"Tarrant?" Her words glimmered with hope. A smile appeared on her lips. "Is that you?"
"Alice! Where are you?"
"I'm here!" She screamed, following the trial of sounds her long lost friend left behind. "Wait for me, Tarrant!"
Amidst all the senseless confusion and uncertainties, Alice felt she was where she was supposed to be.
She was back to where she belonged.
"You don't belong here, meddler." The voice's interference came like a swift cut that almost rips Alice's mind in two.
She landed on the floor with a thump.
Her sight slowly went black. The last thing she saw was the fading image of Tarrant's fiery hair waving against the wind.
Then, a whisper.
"You never have."
The train's whistle woke her up.
She was exhausted.
Alice accepted her return to reality with a heavy sigh, and decided that if she wasn't going to get any more rest, at least she could ignore the world a little longer by keeping her eyes closed.
She tried to recall her dream, but it had faded away from her memory.
All Alice could recall were the remnants of an angered, hateful voice.
The feeling it gave her was dreary.
Perhaps, she thought, the dream was better left forgotten.
A light weight fell on her shoulder, followed by a silky touch against her cheek.
"Dinah." She said after a wide yawn. "It's too early. We'll play once get to Pekin, I promise."
"Pekin? Where's that?" Asked an eager voice. "Is it by the Snud or by the Queast? I must go there someday. Tell me, is it fun?"
"James." She bit her tongue almost to the point of bleeding. The fact he dared to talk to her in such carefree manner ignited her dormant temper in a flicker. "That's no way to talk to your captain, Harcourt."
"What's a James? Is a Harcourt some sort of food?" Alice heard him laugh and slap his knee. "I have no idea what you are talking about. You truly are bonkers, Alice!"
When he spoke her name, his voice echoed back to the diffuse remnants of her dream.
He wasn't James.
It was him.
A lump formed in her throat. She straightened so quickly that Dinah jumped off her shoulder in surprise.
"Tarrant?" Her eyesight was blurry. She rubbed her eyes and looked again, only to discover she had made it worse.
Everything looked like a painting spoiled by water, with shapeless forms and dispersed colors.
In all that misshaping, she recognized Tarrant's hair. It was so red that it looked as if could set things ablaze with a touch.
Was she dreaming?
The possibility wasn't unlikely.
But she didn't care if she was.
Even if she could just barely see him, Tarrant was still there with her.
For her, that was real.
That was all that mattered.
"Tarrant." She reached for him, knowing he would come to her arms and complete the embrace. "You're here."
Alice waited, and the more seconds passed, the more her glee transformed into uncertainty. Tarrant wasn't moving, and when he finally did, he simply held one of her hands.
The touch made her flinch.
The scratches in her hands were still fresh.
"Sorry, Alice." He said with sympathy. "I'm not him."
The revelation was disappointing but not shocking. Now that she heard his voice more carefully, she noticed several differences underneath the initial similarities between his and Tarrant's.
"Then who are you?" She demanded. She took her hand away from his and clenched it into a fist. "Speak!"
"Don't yell at me!" His voice broke in the last word, forcing him to clear his throat. He spoke as if he was a knight with a bruised honor. "I just saved you. At least thank me for that before you get angry at me. Shukm, now I see all grownups are grumps, whether they are from here or from the world above."
"The world above?"
"Of course! It's where you came from." Replied the other with little patience. "You must have hit your head real hard, or maybe you lost that memory for good in the woods. I know Upperlanders are wimps, but I didn't expect you to be one, Alice."
"How do you know me?" Alice asked, though she would have preferred to use more biting words against his accusations.
For now, she would let it slide, but if he insisted with his rough manners, she would teach him a lesson.
"How could I not when I've heard so many stories about you? You are the so called Champion of the White Queen, aren't you? The Jabberwocky-slayer, the fated heroine of Underland!"
Alice smiled.
As strange as it was to her all her epithets together, they swelled her heart with pride.
"So it's true then? Are you all of those things?" he insisted.
"You sound so surprised that it's almost offensive." Alice scoffed.
"No. It's just that…" He cleared his throat once more. "I don't know how someone becomes all of that in just one lifetime. It's amazing, especially coming from an Upperlander. You live such short lives. I guess it's better to live a short but exciting life than a long and boring one, wouldn't you agree?"
He spoke with a politeness that almost made Alice forget about his previous boldness.
"I suppose I do." She admitted after some thought.
"Of course you do. Otherwise you would be a very boring champion." He was so convinced of his words that Alice dared not to contradict him. "You must tell me everything about your deeds. Begin with the beheading of the Jabberwocky, and spare me the boring parts. Jump right into the action."
"You flatter me, but now it's not the time for stories." Had they been in any other situation, she would have spoken of her adventures for hours.
But her new situation hit her hard once her senses settled down.
She tried to analyze what was happening, but a loud laugh interrupted her train of thought.
"You say now not it's not the time?" The red-haired lad laughed to the point of tears. His tone wasn't cruel, but it was bitter and cynical. "Since when you care about Time, Alice? Not long ago, you almost killed him. You must tell me everything about that too! He and my family tell the story differently, but I'm sure their versions are just stupid bedtime stories compared to yours. Alice, the Time Slayer! That's a good title, don't you think?"
Alice's blood went cold in her veins. When put that way, her last quest sounded everything but heroic.
It was true, she had almost killed Time.
It had been a necessary.
If she hadn't, Tarrant would be dead.
It had to be done.
She'd had no choice.
Time knew that, and he had forgiven her. Her father's clock was the symbol of that forgiveness.
"No." She hissed.
"Uh?"
"Don't you dare to talk about it as if it was a fairytale."
"You don't have to get angry. I'm not judging you, and I will not tell anyone, I promise."
"You don't know what happened, even less why." Alice glared at him, hoping her damage eyes were making contact with his. "You are too young to understand."
"You are wrong!" He spat, back to his roughish ways. He stood up, his face shinning as red as his hair. "I know more about it than you ever could. The whole Hightopp clan does, if you can still call a broken family a clan. We know, and we will never forget."
Alice glared at him
"Are you truly related to Tarrant, then?" A direct question, she hoped, would get her a direct answer "What is he of you? Where is he? Please, you have to tell me."
"No, I don't." He said with indignation. "And if I did, I still wouldn't. I'm too young and stupid, am I not? Well, my childish idiocy won't disturb you any longer, Alice. Oh no, this young idiot has tickets to collect. See you later, or not."
"Wait a second. I never called you stupid- "
"You implied it. That's worse." He stepped out to the corridor. His steps made the floor trembled. "I don't want to talk with you anymore. Shukm, if I had known I would be treated this way, I would have stayed at home. At least they respect me there."
He was about to leave when something, the fluffy thing Alice had first thought to be Dinah, jumped and slammed against his face.
The lad growled in pain and reacted just in time to stop the second assault.
Alice rubbed her eyes again. Her sight cleared, if just slightly. Now she could see the features of the boy's face and the thing that struggled in his hands.
The resemblance he had with Tarrant softened Alice's heart. Yet, the likeness became less evident the more she looked at him.
His face, though young, was stern and hardened. His frown gave him a perpetual angry expression.
"You little…" He hissed. Something that appeared to be gray borogove moved in his hands like a rabid pup. "If you do that again, I'll disarm you and bury each one of your pieces separately. Trust me, I will."
The threat passed unheard.
Next thing Alice knew, the gray borogove spat a black liquid right in his eyes, making him scream more out of anger than pain.
"I'll get you for this!" He said as fell on his back, rubbing his eyes and throwing kicks at every direction. "Fight me, you pesky coward!"
The borogove left him alone with his rant and went to Alice. It jumped on her lap clumsily and tackled its head against her ribs.
It tweeted in a manner Alice had never heard before. She tried to shoo it away back to its owner, who was still making a scandal in the wagon's corridor.
She almost pitied him. Alice knew that a pet, if untamed and untrained, was more a threat than a companion.
Then again, she couldn't expect a better behavior from the pet of a lad so rude.
Everything resembled its owner, she thought as she put the borogove down only for it to jump on her lap again.
"You are a curious thing." She put it down once more, and the process repeated. "And a very annoying one too."
She was about to do it all over again when the wagon's doors were slammed open.
Murmurs grew louder.
"Oh no." Whispered the red haired lad just before he was run over by a curious and varied mob.
Alice rubbed her eyes again.
The borogve hid behind her legs.
She saw clearer than before, but what she saw took her off guard.
Dozens of eyes were upon her as if she was an actress on stage ready to crack a joke or dance a jig.
"What's the meaning of this scandal? You've woken up my babies!" Complained a mother frog with her arms overcrowded with tadpoles. One of them licked her eye in his attempt to catch a fly.
"Mine too." Said a father cod fish, opening his mouth and revealing his offspring still deeply asleep and snoring on his tongue.
Alice tried to point out his unjustified accusation when a dramatic sigh overcame all other sounds.
"Alas, poor guard! Fallen while on his duty." Lamented an old man wearing a newspaper-made suit as he picked the boy up and dusted off his clothes. "Why would you attack lad so dutiful? Throwing ink at someone's eye just because he asked to see your ticket is not very polite, young lady."
"Not polite at all." The rest of the mob chanted in unison. "Not even if she is part squid."
"What? No." Alice replied and cacthed the borogove before it had a chance to escape. The multitude watched her without blinking. "I didn't do anything. It was this- "
The guard blew his whistle with all the power of his lungs. Alice recognized it.
So it was him who had wakened her up and not the train. Her annoyance with him grew , and she wondered if someone so little charming could really be related to Tarrant.
The members of the multitude covered their ears and transported their attention to the guard.
"Nothing to see here. Go back to your seats and prepare your tickets. I shall pass and collect them as soon as I throw this free-loader off aboard." He squinted his reddened eyes and pointed at someone.
He pointed at the newspaper-suit man, who laughed at the ridiculous accusation and helped him point in the correct direction.
Alice.
"Let this be an example of what happens when someone tries to get a free ride without a ticket, or lose it before I can collect it." He explained. "But worry not, the train will not be stopped in the meantime. Underland's train values the time of its passangers more than anything, that's our policy."
The announcement was received by the collective approval of the mob.
"It's the least they can do." Alice heard an elderly goat complain. "We lost so much time standing around by the Tulgey Woods. For a moment, I thought we would never move again!"
"True." Supported the mother frog. "You better let the conductor know about our discontent, guard. Remember: once you give bad service, you always give bad service."
"I'll make sure to let him know, ma'am. Now back to your seats, all off you. Otherwise, I'm afraid you'll have to join this freeloader in her not-so-gentle landing."
His words worked like a spell.
The multitude disbanded as if blown away by the wind.
"So long, bunch of frumious gossip." He scoffed as he finished cleaning his eyes with his sleeve. He walked towards Alice and offered her his hand. "Come, let's get you out of here before they come back."
"You really think I'll go with you so you can throw me off a moving train? I think some of that oil leaked into your brain and rot it."
"I would never do that! I simply said that so they would go away. Look, I may not like you as much as I thought I would, but..."
He scratched his ear.
It was hard for Alice to know what went through his mind. She waited in silence until he found the courage or the correct words to speak.
"Shukm, I'm not good at this." He said in exasperation. "You've helped my family before, so I'm supposed to be grateful for that, aren't I?"
Alice smiled and shrugged. "I did, but It's not a debt you must pay or a favor you have to return."
"Well, isn't that nice to hear." He offered his hand to her again, moving it eagerly. "Because we might be in need of your help again, Alice. In great need indeed."
Alice's breathing stopped.
"What are you talking about? What's happened?"
"We won't discuss it here." The other stated with authority. "Besides, it's him who wants to tell you. That's why he brought you back , after all."
"Who?"
"Why should I tell you when I can take you to him?" He snapped his fingers close to her face and hurried her up with quick movement of his hand. "We've spoken more than enough, let us go before he loses his patience. Hurry!"
Alice accepted his hand, if only to find out what was going on. His grip was gentler than she expected.
A moment later, she was running across the train's wagons so fast that tears escaped from her eyes.
On the good side, that speed gave no chance to the curious passengers to notice them. Only those with shaper eyesight identified them as they trotted by.
Some commented on the harshness of the punishment, while others agreed that it was the only way to prevent the train to become corrupted by stingy rascals who wouldn't buy their tickets.
That was a debate Alice didn't have the energy or interest to take part on.
She thought of how they would react if they knew they were about to get rid of the White Queen's Champion.
How many of them would think it was a good idea to throw her off the train then?
Perhaps it was a childish feeling, but their lack of respect, even if it was out of ignorance, didn't diminished Alice's indignation
That thought sparked some sympathy in her for Tarrant's young relative.
If her dignity could be so easily bruised, she could only imagine how brittle his was.
"Bim." He said without stopping.
Alice heard him, but couldn't understand what he meant.
"Say again." She said, with what was left of her breath
"Bim." He said louder so Alice could hear him. "It's my name, in case you were wondering. And if you weren't, that's too bad because I just told to you."
Bim, Alice thought.
Simple and easy to remember.
"We're here." He announced as abruptly as he stopped.
Alice stumped against his back with little recoil. She longed for a glass of water like never before.
He looked at her from over his shoulder and pointed at the metallic black door in front.
Dozens of sounds like the clanking of gears and the whistle of steam came from the other side. They came in a rhythm so perfect that they resembled music.
"Go in." Bim wiped his forehead with the back of his forearm. "Don't be afraid."
"I'm not."
He snorted and turned around.
"Such courage! But is it real, Alice?" An amused grin similar to Chessur's lightened his face. "If it is real, then maybe I'll begin to understand why Tarrant speaks so highly of you. Maybe, just maybe."
Satisfied of having the last word, Bim let go of Alice's hand and went back on his steps, mumbling something about having to find that stupid puffball before it caused more trouble.
As he left, he ignored Alice's last question.
"Where's Tarrant?"
It was one out the many she had.
With resignation, she approached the dark door and put her hand on the knob. Her fingers went numb from the cold.
She pushed it open and went in before she had time to reconsider. The door shut on its own.
A cloud of smoke struck her face and filled her nose. It reeked of burning logs and rust.
She coughed and waved her hand to clear it away.
The smoke was as thick as cobwebs. Every time Alice's hand went through it, it left tangible traces on her fingers before it disappeared completely.
At the end of that gray curtain, there was a tall figure. The movement of his hands matched the rhythm of the sounds.
He pushed down levers and fed new logs to the fire without taking his eyes off of the road ahead.
His precision was flawless and captivating. Mesmerized, Alice stepped closer to him without making any sound.
That, at least, is what she thought.
The figure stopped moving and turned around.
The silent enchantment broke together with his movements, and when Alice looked at him again, her amazement turned into awe.
Slowly, she went back on her steps.
"At last, you're here!" He exclaimed. When he noticed Alice moved away from him, he lowered his tone. "Wait, it's me. Don't you recognize me? Am I really that forgettable? Will these blows to my self-esteem never end?"
Alice stopped.
"You?" she muttered.
"Ah, now I see why don't you recognize me. Wait, it'll take just a moment." He took a giant hat off his head and dropped it to the floor. Judging by the sound of the impact, it was no less heavy than an anvil.
Alice wondered how his neck could have supported the weight without breaking, and then she remembered that if he was whom she suspected, then that feat wouldn't be hard to pull off.
"Now I must stop this train. I can't drive it and talk to you at the same time without causing a tragedy!" He said.
He kicked a lever, and the train stopped with the same force as if it had crashed against a wall.
The impulse of the crash brought bad memories back to Alice. They were similar to a déjà vu, and left a shadow of sadness in her.
The tall man caught her by the arm just before she hit the floor and helped her stand.
Alice shook her head and hissed in pain. How many more crashes and sudden changes of speed would she have to endure that day?
It was only out of good luck none of her bones had broken or snapped yet.
Still, the injuries she had endured, though painless on their own, became a heavy burden altogether.
"You're hurt." He whispered with concern. "My dear child."
She heard his father's voice.
When she looked at him, his eyes rebuked her hopes.
They belonged to someone else.
Someone she indeed knew, but had never expected to see again.
"Time?"
"Of course. Who else you were expecting?"
"I don't understand."
"That doesn't surprise me. You're still just a silly kindergartner."
"You brought me back?" She insisted, not caring about his mocks. "Why? I thought you never wanted to see me again."
"Time's motives must not be questioned." Time stated sternly.
Alice's curiosity transformed into urgency.
She held Time's forearms tightly. He opened his sky-blue eyes wide open when she began to shake him.
"What's happened? Is everyone alright? Bim, he told me, but he didn't say much. Tarrant, is he ok?"
"Hush, child." Ordered Time, offended by the poor treatment he received. "You need to learn the meaning of patience."
"No, I'm done waiting." Alice let go of himand stood on her own in defiance. "I demand an answer. If I can't know how I came back here, then I must know why I was brought back. I can't help anyone if I don't."
"How dare you talk to me like that when you know who I am and what I represent?" Time folded his arms. "An impudent lass, that's what you are. You haven't changed since we last met."
"Well, neither have you!"
"Thank you."
"If you think that was a compliment, you're more deluded than I thought."
"It's not even been a day and you're already making me wonder what was I thinking when I brought you back."
"That's something I'd like to know too. If you can't tell me, then- "
The quarrel came to an end when the door opened and a flying gray borogove crashed against Time's face.
"Shukm, will you two stop already? Half the people on this train can hear what you're yelling." Bim entered the wagon, closed the door behind him and sat down on the floor with little care. "By the way Time, keep that thing under control. It was harder to catch than a rath in the wabe."
Time scowled at Bim.
"Maybe it wouldn't be so restless if you took better care of it. Look! You plucked some feathers off of it." Time held the borogove close to his chest. Its whimpers were pitiful. "What's wrong with you?"
"Of course I did, it must learn to treat me with respect. Besides, it didn't hurt it." Bim shrugged and scratched his nose. "It hasn't treated me very kindly either. Ask Alice, she knows."
"That isn't an explanation, it's just an excuse." Time scolded.
"Please." Bim rolled his eyes and put his hands behind his head. "Cry me a river."
Steam came out from Time's nape. Alice had never seen him so furious before.
"Rude and impertinent, just like his uncle!" Time ignored Bim and looked at Alice, transferring all of his indignation towards her. "Tarrant, the Hatter! He's the reason I brought you back. His meddling has caused me great trouble, more than you can imagine. We must correct it, or else…"
Bim got up in a single move and stood between them, pushing Time and Alice far from each other before another quarrel ensued.
"As entertaining as I find your bickering, you have most important things to take care of, Time." He spoke as if of mundane chores. "First of all, get rid of all the passengers. I don't want their gossip noses interrupting us at every chance they get. Don't worry, I'll make sure Alice doesn't go anywhere. Well, what are you waiting for? Go!"
Time swallowed his words with visible effort but complied against his will. He glared at Alice and Bim to let them know their discussion wasn't over, just on hiatus.
Grumbling and with the borogove following him like his shadow, he left the wagon.
"This new generation doesn't respect me. They don't!"
They waited until he was gone before they could calm down.
Alice found it harder than Bim to cool her head, but she found the strength to do so now that she knew that if anyone could give her answers, it was Bim.
"So you really are his nephew, aren't you?" Alice said after a deep sigh.
"No, heaven forbid it!" He exclaimed in fear.
"I meant Tarrant's, not Time's." If her mood wasn't so spoiled, Alice would have chuckled.
"Oh." Bim nodded. "Yes, I am."
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"I don't know; it didn't seem relevant at the moment." He shrugged. "In fact, it doesn't seem relevant now. You know he's my uncle, but that hasn't made you any less confused about what's happening, has it?"
Alice had to admit he had a point.
"Still, it wouldn't have hurt if you had." She rebuked.
"True, it wouldn't." Bim sat down again. "Anyway, how about I explain you everything now? I'd much rather we skipped this boring talk, but I like you a bit more now, Alice. It's always fun to see Time lose his temper, and you just made my day."
He patted the spot next to him, inviting Alice to join him.
She hesitated, thinking he wasn't the most reliable source of information.
She knew he would cut the parts he didn't find interesting, or modify some to his own benefit.
In the end, she joined him. An unreliable narrator was better than no narrator at all.
"Speak, then." Alice ordered, resting her arms on her legs.
"That I will. Because you see Alice..." Bim grinned. Alice saw Tarrant's reflection on his face, and imaging it was him who told the tale made her more at ease. ",now it seems it's the time for stories. You know that, don't you Alice? I know you do."