The hat man said "I run the tea shop" as he stood then turned his back to us, while the old man unwrapped Alice's arm, hat man then asked "how did you escape from the Scarab?" as Alice asked "that beetle thing?" I answered "Al used her hairpin…" but before I could carryon he said "and you fell" I nodded and continued "yeah, an now we're totally fuckin soaked" he nodded as he eyeballed us as I spoke. Alice then asked "look, this place…where…what is it?" he gave a slight smile and answered "oh, Wonderland" raising his hands to indicate the surroundings.
I looked around taking in the information given as Alice laughed bitterly and stated "that's a story in a kids book" suddenly looking serious hat man said "dose this look like a kids story to you?" before she can answer I do "no, it really don't" he pushed himself off the desk as he approached us and said "it's changed a lot since then" as he grabbed a magnifying glass of the table. I then ask with a slight glee that he seemed to notice "so it was all real?" he nodded slightly and said "you oysters don't know how to find us, so-excuse me" he took Alice's arm and examined it then continued "you tell yourselves that we don't exist and quite frankly…we'd like to keep it that way" he looks over to me after finishing his examination and smile lightly, Alice rubbing at the green tattoo and asked "why are we called oysters?", as he continues still "that's not comin off, sorry. Only people from your world turn green when burned by the light. it's the suites way of branding there catch" I frown in confusion and ask "hang on, that light it got me to, but I didn't go green. Why's that?" he then walks over to me, looks me up and down and asks "really? Well that's interesting, perhaps Dodo'll know" i saw him glance at my necklace with wide eyes as he spoke.
He then turns to Alice and answers her "And they call you oysters, because of the shiny little pearls that you all carry inside."
He turned back now, approaching more slowly this time, watching us with his observant brown eyes. "What do you mean, pearls?" I asked, shifting position uncomfortably under his gaze, the old man interrupted. "A-an she's Alice! Tell him who you are." the man said, looking wide eyed at my friend, "Wow. Really?" hat man let the sarcasm seep into his tone. He circled around Alice and I, "OooOOooo!" he said, and laughed, coming to the old mans side, doing his best to ignore the smell I think, because I know I was. The filthy man laughed as well. The smile fell from hat mans face and turned his attention back to us, slapping the other man on the shoulder as he did so.
"Ratty here, thinks you're Alice." He said, bemused. "Of Legend." he added, just to be clear. He seemed disgusted by is chose to touch Ratty.
Apparently still confused. "Who?" Alice asked, looking at the both of them in turn for answers. "The last, um-" he pulled away from the putrid man, looking down at his hand as he did so, making a face of disgust. "The last time a girl called Alice came here, from your world..." he was circling again, as he explained the story my grandad told me every night as a child. He came face to face with her, looking between us both "she brought down the whole house of cards. Oh yeah." he explained, nodding his head slightly "Made quite an impression. Although that was one hundred and fifty years ago," he said, rounding on Ratty now "it can't be the same girl, oysters don't even live that long." he cast a glance back to us.
"I still want a good price." Ratty said "Wait a minute, we're am not for sale." Alice chimed in, as I stood still pondering about that green tattoo. Hat man held a finger up for silence, then he turned and walked towards his desk, showing us the roll of his eyes, I smiled lightly as Alice seemed un-amused. "Not on the grass." Hat man said sharply, to keep Ratty from following him. "Right..." he sighed as he came to the shelf The stuff here was all a little valuable...to valuable for Ratty, even in exchange for a lovely little piece of work as the oyster he had brought in. He grabbed up a bottle of blue liqued, and turned back towards Ratty again. He placed the blue liquid back on the shelf, and instead grabbed some pink liquid, "Here we are." Hat man said with a slight smile as he moved from behind his desk. "Mmm." he walked out, holding it before him like a showman showing off a prized product for a crowd to see. He waggled his eyebrows slightly, and I giggled slightly, with Alice scolding me with one look for it.
"Pink Nectar." he said, dropping the showman pose but not the salesman's charming voice. "Filled with the thrill of human excitement. Fifty oysters were drained of every last drop of hullabaloo, so that you, Ratty, can taste what it feels like to win. Just once." He said with charm. Ratty was all but snatching it from his hands by the time he was done speaking. "Warning," he pulled the bottle back, smiling slightly until he continued, serious now. "Don't take it on an empty stomach, and only one tiny drop at a time, otherwise the experience might burst your shrivelled up little heart. Got it?"
"Got it." the man replied eagerly.
"Good. Go." Hatter said, offering the bottle, which was quickly snatched from his hand by Ratty, who hurried out of the room by leaving a snatch of his vile odour behind. The disgust struck hat mans face as he smelled his hand "He really smells." was all he could manage, I giggled again, under my breath this time as to not get in trouble.
"Oysters were drained? What do you mean, drained?" He looked at her a moment, before changing the subject "So, Ratty tells me you're looking for someone." Eagerly she answered "His name is Jack Chase." he took up his cup and saucer and sat himself on the chair by his desk as she continued "He was taken by a man with a white rabbit on his lapel" I just stood there as he looked at us and said "The white rabbit," he began, setting his teacup back on it's saucer "is an organization controlled by the suits. They travel back and forth through the looking glass and ...vanish people from your world to ours"
"Why?" I asked quietly, finally finding my voice "To use. In the casino" He said,
"Use...?" Alice sounded calm, as she quizzed him. "Did I say...used?" He asked hurriedly, quickly setting down his teacup and jumping to his feet in his hurry "I...slip of the tongue. They're fine." he rushed to assure us, flashing a grin "You know...they keep them alive...aaaaand...moderately happy." I looked to him then to Alice and I knew she wasn't convinced and that something was up with this casino.
"How do I get to this Casino?" she asked. Hat man simply said "That's the thing! You don't. Way too dangerous." I saw Alice become a bit stiff to this as he looked at us. "But," he said, "I know some people who...know some...well, other people, if you know what I mean. It's one of the privileges of..." he leaned in closer between us, "owning a tea shop" he finished, letting his 'p' pop, making Alice jump as I let out another small giggle. He turned to me and smiled then back to Alice and his smile was gone "Lighten up." he said then skipped across the room and opened up the small dresser, he swung open the glass doors of the dresser with a "Ta-daaaaah!", and examined the coats for a second before pulling two out, one purple and one black.
"You two," he began, as he walked back "should wear these. There'll cover the glow, and stop you from catching a cold. Don't worry bout your coat, it can stay hear,...um..." i looked at him and said "Jackie" he smiled "Jackie! yeah, thanks!" he said standing in front of us, a coat in each hand, offering them to us. I quickly took off my leather cold, damp jacket and grabbed the black one from him. It was warm to the touch and felt good on my skin, cotton, but Alice paused, then looked at me as I put the coat on and I said "what? Am cold!" she then looked back to him and said "we...have a little money. But I understand you don't use that here." He scoffs "Pieces of paper!" he said, amused. "Pointless." He circled around us once more, as Alice asked "Then why would you help us?" he paused then looked over to me and said "Do I need a reason to help two pretty girls in ...very wet clothes?" I turned away from his gaze, feeling nervous.
Alice swirled around to face him, eyes hard, and he took in her expression. "Oh." He managed finally "I see. You don't trust me. Fine." he said, vehemently, throwing down the jacket onto the couch next to me. "I am genuinely hurt. Do you know why they call me hatter?" He asked. Realization hit me "Hatter? As in Mad Hatter?" he smiles to me as
Alice looks up at him, eyes flickering over his form, feeling a bit unsure of herself, a little nervous even. "Because you wear a hat?" she answered. Hatter paused, annoyed "No." he said, circling around us once more "Because I'm always there when they pass the hat. So to speak." He moved away again, pointing at her as he said "Philanthropy. Generosity. I mean you...you can call it what you will, it's who I am. And right now, looking at you two there,…there's nothing I want more than to help you find..." I smiled at his distress of forgetting Jacks name "Jack." I assisted. "Jack! And return you all to your charming world of children's stories." He propped his arms up on the back of his white chair, watching us
After a moment, she spoke again. "I don't believe you." I shrugged because I didn't believe him either "I know what you're thinking." Hatter said, moving hurriedly out from behind his chair "If I'm the frying pan, then that out there" he gestured towards the window "is the fire." He moved in close once more. "I'll be square with you. I know people who like to help your kind. And if once in awhile I scratch their back..." he spread his arms, looking at us hopefully "They'll scratch yours." I finished for him "Precisely!" he said with a grin. "A lot of scratching."
This time I believed him and I'm guessing Alice did too because she took the coat from the couch as he walked to a door across the room "Do try to keep up." He said as he pulled it open.