Alice grabbed Hatter's arm, stopping him from opening the book, and addressed Gryphon. "Wait a second. Prophecies are about the future but you said that this is the Book of Is and Was. How will this help us?"

Alice chanced a glance at Hatter. He didn't seem surprised. His face was passive and he remained silent. Staring down at the closed book, he ran a hand lightly across its cover as though not daring to open it yet.

"All the prophecies of Wonderland are cyclical." Gryphon replied. "Can't 'appen unless it already has."

"That's ridiculous." She scoffed.

"'T is…" Gryphon agreed, watching them as though waiting for something. "Doesn't make it any less true."

Sighing, Hatter gave Alice a wan smile and opened the book. He flipped through its pages, looking more and more perplexed with every turn. Finally he snapped the book shut in frustration.

"I can't read this."

Gryphon grinned widely, the riddle of what he'd been waiting for seemingly answered.

"Course ya can't. It's in code. In times past, the knights 'ad soothsayers and all their predictions what came true, were writ down as prophecy. Wouldn't very much aid you in battle to know the future if just anyone could read it too." Gryphon shrugged at Hatter's glare. "Best consider it a test, then."

"Right…" Hatter opened the book again, staring at the page.

Alice watched him eagerly, wanting to know what he found out. His dark eyes scanned the page rapidly. His fingers moved across the book in verticals and diagonals and not horizontally as one would expect when using their hand to keep their place. 'Patterns,' Alice thought, 'He's looking for patterns.'

Hatter began to read aloud:

"Without, the frost, the blinding snow

The storm wind's moody madness-

Within' the firelight's ruddy glow

And childhood's nest of gladness.

The magic words shall hold thee fast:

Thou shalt not heed the raving blast."

Gryphon clapped. "I 'ave to say I'm impressed, mate. It took me the better part of a week to bang it out."

"What is that about?" Alice asked

"Near as I can figure, it's about a protection spell of some kind."

Alice turned to face him, crossing her arms. "Near as you can figure? But hasn't it happened before?"

"Most definitely, Miss." Gryphon nodded. "Only 't wasn't in my lifetime and this library wasn't always here. We've lost much and 'alf these books reference others that don't exist no longer due to the Red Queen's mischief."

Hatter scanned the pages quickly, as though looking for something. He had told her about a prophecy but not what he knew about it. Her anxiety was building as she eagerly awaited to find out exactly what that was.

"Ya already passed the test part. Anythin' I can help ya find?" Gryphon asked.

"Yes," Hatter said without pausing in his search. "The Vessel"

Gryphon left his perch on the desk, moving swiftly across the room. Not removing the book from Hatter's hands, he licked a finger and began turning pages. When he stopped and pointed to a passage, Hatter began to read aloud.

"Wonderland will Herself defend,

In dire times, when peace is rent.

Together act as sword and shield:

Vessel and Champion both sent."

"The poem's a bit crap, innit? Some knight must've fancied 'imself a poet." Hatter ignored him and continued.

"Champion, summoned from afar,

Shall rally the people to fight.

The Vessel, chosen from our land,

Reads hearts of men with second sight."

Alice felt the goosebumps rise on her arms at the last line in the verse. Hatter had left because he was feeling emotions from others. Was this why?

"Interesting, that." Gryphon explained. "I've spent a fair bit of my time trying to work out what that verse means. It's my opinion that there's definitely been a Champion before."

"Really?" Hatter asked, curiosity and incredulousness mixing in his tone. "Who?"

"Alice of Legend, and she's come 'round more than once, she has."

Hatter gave Alice a warning glare and she rolled her eyes. She had no plans on revealing just who she was to Gryphon who, by chance, happened to see the expression and misinterpret it.

"Roll your eyes, if you want but it 'appened! She was an Oyster, yeah? Taken from their world? Look, says right 'ere: 'summoned from afar'. Well, she was at that!"

"The Vessel though?" Hatter asked, drawing Gryphon's attention again.

"Well…They're a set, they are, one from within and one from without. This bit: 'the Vessel chosen from our land'. Well, that's Wonderland. Some say the Vessel must be a Wonderlander, can't be nothing but, because the Vessel will contain the spirit of Wonderland, 'erself."

"Is that what gives this second sight?"

"Might be. I 'avn't quite worked that bit out yet. I suppose that reading men's hearts could refer to some sort of truth-saying or telepathy or-"

"Empathy?" Hatter suggested.

Gryphon stroked his chin thoughtfully, "Yeah, 'adn't thought of that but it does make sense." He eyed Hatter for a moment, "Is there a reason you need to know about this particular prophecy?"

Hatter laughed bitterly, "Trust me, mate, if you knew then you'd be in this much deeper than you'd care to be."

Gryphon laid his hand on Hatter's shoulder but, before he could speak, Hatter shoved him away. The book fell to the floor. "Stop it!" Hatter yelled, his voice panicked, on edge. "Stop being afraid."

Hatter glanced over at Alice, his eyes were wide, but he seemed to be reaching out to her. She smiled reassuringly and mouthed the words 'it's okay'. Hatter closed his eyes, took a deep breath and looked to Gryphon.

"You don't have to be scared of us. We're not going to hurt you, I promise."

"If I was a thinkin' man," Gryphon started, "which I ain't, I'd think that someone told you about this prophecy because they thought you was the Vessel and you came 'ere to find out what it was they wouldn't tell you." Gryphon bent to pick up the dropped book. "I had my suspicions but…"

He won't say it, Alice thought. Gryphon suspected Hatter might be the Vessel and Hatter's outburst just offered some pretty convincing evidence. More frightening than that though, he also proved that he wasn't as much in control of this power as he had claimed to be.

"You're wrong, though. I ain't scared of ya none. I'm scared for you." Gryphon, opening the book and finding what it was he was looking for, began to read aloud.

"A noble death will be the cost

Life willingly gave a token

Blood then shall bind the magic there

And the Vessel shall be broken"

Hatter's face had returned to its stoic façade though it was paler than before. Alice herself felt her heart clench painfully in her chest, the words 'noble death' repeating in her head.

"What does it mean?" She asked, trying not to act as worried as she felt for Hatter's sake.

"The first verse mentions a sword. The Vessel, see, is the weapon. It's infused with magic and, with the shedding of blood, that magic is released. And when it goes, a life goes with it, and sets all to rights."

"Has it happened before?" Hatter asked, voice grim.

"It must've or it wouldn't be in that book. I've been searching but I've got no record of it."

"This weapon, do you know how it's triggered? How do you activate it and what it does?"

"I dunno." Gryphon replied. Hatter slammed the book shut and held it out for Gryphon to take, which he did.

"You can rig the elevator so that it doesn't stop on this floor. That should keep the Library safe. You and any others here may want to lay low for a while."

Gryphon chuckled. "Goes without saying. I never saw you and even if I 'ad, there won't be no one 'ere to ask."

Hatter nodded. He walked over to Alice, taking her by the arm and walking out. She watched Gryphon place the book delicately back into the dumb waiter, his shoulders hunched.

"Thank you for your help!" She called back over her shoulder.

"Thank you for yours, Vessel." Gryphon replied softly.

The ride back up the elevator was silent. Hatter was pensive and Alice wanted desperately to break the silence but she had no idea what to say. When they reached daylight, he exited the elevator without waiting for her.

Alice sighed in frustration and went after him.

"Hatter," Alice called, racing to catch up as he kept moving. "Hatter, stop! Would you just talk to me." Finally catching up to him, she grabbed his arm and forced him to look at her.

"Take the horse and go back to the fortress." He said, his expression boding no argument… like that was going to stop her.

"What? Why?" She asked incredulously, not believing that he would just send her away.

"Jack will look after you, him and Charlie both. He may not have wanted me to come after you but if you go there he won't let anything happen to you either. Plus, you cam stop him from doing anything stupid."

"And who's going to stop you from doing anything stupid?"

Hatter broke her gaze to stare at the ground. "I have to finish this. This prophecy… I'm the weapon that can end this."

Alice shook her head, "I'm coming with you."

"No, you aren't." He said quietly.

"The hell I'm not! The champion is the shield, right? The prophecy just mentions a noble death. It doesn't say that the Vessel is the one to die. Maybe I'm the one that takes the killing blow."

Alice found herself enveloped in Hatter's arms, his grip painfully tight and nearly crushing her. His face was buried in her hair and she could feel his gasping breath hot on her neck.

"Please, Alice," He choked out pleadingly. "I couldn't live with myself if you did. I couldn't… I can't lose you like that. I can't."

Alice rubbed his back soothingly, "Okay," He sighed in relief and his excruciating hold loosened slightly. "But you can't expect me to live with that either. We'll find another way. We'll go together and find a way to defy this prophecy,"

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Doing slightly better, only three weeks between updates this time. This chapter was hard to write with all the exposition to dole out. Please review.