Hello dear readers. This little story has not died yet! As she always does, Vanilla212 gave top-notch feedback, and should get major kudos for that.
The next day, Alice found herself anxiously waiting to see if Dormie would be going out to make deliveries. She tried to come up with some casual pretext to ask him about it, but this wasn't easy to do since they barely spoke to one another.
Sometime around dawn, Alice had awakened to a heavy velvet paw batting at her shoulder. With a politeness that brooked no argument, Chez had asked her to be on her way. Following the cat's directions, she'd managed to find her way off the docks, and then it was a simple matter of following the canals upcity.
The frightening atmosphere of the night before was gone, and the early morning sunlight filtered through the fog, creating a haze that made the city seem drowsy and oblivious. She only encountered a few Wonderlanders on her way up — mostly laborers on their way to work, judging by their clothes — and they hardly even spared her a glance. Soon she had worked her way up past the fog, and the sun was fully up over the horizon, creating tall shadows between the buildings. Suddenly, she was very aware of just how high up she was, but she had no choice but to keep going. She pressed on in spite of her pounding heart, and tried to keep herself from looking down.
She entered the shop through the back door sometime in the mid-morning and slipped quietly into her room. There wasn't enough time to bathe, but she did her best to get cleaned up, then changed into fresh clothes before going out onto the tea floor. Dormie was already there, slumped in a booth with a newspaper and a suspicious-looking cup. The paper hadn't even been opened past the front page, and he was already dozing.
She walked over to him and gave him a tentative nudge. "Good morning, Dormie."
The little man jerked awake with a shriek, then glared fiercely when he saw her. "What do you want?" His voice came out in an irritated, breathless rush.
She glanced at the newspaper. "Are you finished with that?"
He gave her a look of disgust and shoved it towards her. Mutual, buddy,she thought as she grabbed it.
Next, Alice went to the kitchen in search of something to eat. She had considered picking up something on the way back, but she remembered Hatter mentioning that the street vendors were notorious for scamming people. Instead, she was forced to endure more of Dormie's borogove, along with some stale bread she found in the cold food chest. She made herself a cup of straight tea, then took her breakfast and the newspaper to the dining room.
Hatter had ordered a subscription for the newspaper shortly after her started teaching her to read. He'd said it would help her improve, but that she shouldn't take any of it to heart. It was the only legal, authorized paper in Wonderland – produced by the family of the queen's second cousin's half-sister (or something like that). This, of course, meant that it was completely unreliable as a news source.
Still, Alice sat down with it at least two morning a week, often more, and worked her way through as much as she could before the shop opened. Unfortunately, the paper always dissolved exactly twenty-four hours and thirty minutes after it was printed, which meant that she couldn't go back and finish her reading at the end of the day. She was getting better every time she tried it, though, and now she only had to ask Hatter about the occasional word or reference.
She had just worked her way through the front page when the doorbell rang, a jarring sound that completely broke her concentration. It was, quite literally, a bell that had been hung on a rope outside the shop. It was equipped with a confusing (and likely needlessly complex) mesh of wires and speakers to transport its ringing throughout the entire building whenever someone pulled the chord. It made an odd, clanging noise that set her teeth on edge.
Dormie was unlikely to bother himself with answering the door, so it was left up to Alice to do it. It was quite unusual to have visitors while the shop was closed, especially with Hatter gone. She crossed the trade floor to the door, and was just opening it when the bell rang again.
She peered out, and was surprised (though not very surprised), to see Jack Heart standing there, hand on the bell chord. He was dressed more casually than he had been on previous visits, and he could have passed for a simple businessman. The simpler clothing did not nothing to detract from his handsome appearance, and Alice wondered how he managed it. She suddenly felt very plain and unkempt.
He smiled warmly when he saw her. "Oh, hello Alice. Just the person I came to see."
She blushed. Then, furious at this unbidden reaction, reminded herself that he was most definitely not to be trusted. "What do you want?" She asked, trying not to sound too cold. He may not be trustworthy, but that didn't mean she had to be rude to him.
He was still smiling. "Just to talk, that's all. I have this feeling that you have a poor opinion of me, and I'd like to remedy that if you'll let me."
Alice swallowed. "Oh." Why did he care what she thought of him? He doesn't, the more sensible, suspicious part of her brain said. Obviously, he doesn't. But what if he did care? She thought of what she'd said to Hatter during their first argument about Jack. Maybe he just needed a friend.
"May I come in?" Jack asked.
Hatter would not want her inviting the prince inside without him there. But if she only let him on the trading floor, and nowhere else, that wouldn't be so bad, would it? It was a public area after all, even if it wasn't open at the moment, and Jack had seen it before. Besides, Dormie was there. If she kept the visit short, she'd have time to sneak down to Chez's boat by midday, with time to spare.
"Only for a few minutes," she finally said. "And you should probably stay out on the floor."
He put a hand over his heart. "You have my word," he said, so solemnly that Alice nearly burst into laughter. When she saw the joking glint in his eye, she actually did.
Alice opened the door the rest of the way. After a quick glance over his shoulder, Jack stepped inside. Dormie had not stirred, and Alice signaled to Jack to keep his voice down so as not to wake him.
He smiled and nodded, then glanced over the room as if seeing it for the first time. He strolled casually across the floor to the stock ticker and investigated it with a curiosity that didn't make sense to Alice. She followed him over to see if there was anything unusual, but it wasn't even turned on, and he'd seen it in operation before. So why the interest?
Next, he turned his attention to the flowers growing on the floor.
"They're lovely," he observed quietly, then he reached over and gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze.
Startled by the sudden touch, Alice felt herself flush with what must have been Pride mingled with Excitement. He was right — they were looking vibrant and healthy. With so much time to spare, she had been paying close attention to them.
Next, Jack walked over to the tea counter and stuck his head through the window.
"No cockroaches this time!" He sounded pleasantly relieved, and Alice had to stifle a giggle.
"Do you think you could show me the inside?" He fixed her with a look that made her knees go weak.
"I don't think Hatter would approve, and it's his shop," she demurred, avoiding his gaze.
He stepped forward and tilted her chin up. "Come, come, Alice. Do you really think I mean any harm? It's harmless curiosity, I promise. I've spent my entire life hearing about the tea trade, without ever getting to see it in action. It's hardly right for a prince to be so ignorant, is it?" He smiled gently. "I won't tell if you won't."
Alice suddenly felt lightheaded and a little giddy, but her more sensible side quickly asserted itself. Don't be ridiculous, that cynical little voice insisted. He's manipulating you, stupid. But what if he was being honest? She so wanted to believe that he was being sincere.
"Just a quick look, nothing more," she managed. Her voice sounded weak and tremulous, and part of her was ready to go lock herself in a room and pretend that Jack Heart and the Mad Hatter never existed. But she couldn't do that while Jack was in the shop.
She fumbled in her pocket for her key and unlocked the counter. They stepped inside, and she gave him a terse, hurried look at how the measurement system worked. And then they stepped back out, and she locked it again.
Simple and harmless. Alice thought. But why do I feel so guilty?
She pocketed the key, and turned to find Jack watching her. "Are you all right?"
Alice didn't know what to say to that. She was most definitely not all right, but how could she explain anything to him? She bit her lip and looked away.
Jack sighed and walked over to a booth, where he sat and folded his hands together on the tabletop. Alice followed, and hesitantly sat down opposite him. The Prince of Hearts looked out at the city with what she could have sworn was a longing gaze.
"Imagine this, Alice," he said in a low voice. "Imagine that you spend your whole life being sheltered and coddled. Imagine looking out at the city every day from a window like this one, but even higher up, and wondering about it - wondering what is down there."
He was looking at her again. She fidgeted uncomfortably, wondering why she couldn't keep her wits about her when he was around.
"Imagine having a mother who never lets you go anywhere or do anything without a carefully planned itinerary and a retinue of guards. Is it any wonder that I would want to understand more of the world?" He ran a hand through his hair. "Can you see why I'm interested in the comings and goings of such a thoroughly ordinary place as this teashop?"
I can, Alice thought. Of course I can. She knew firsthand what it was like to live under the control of other. But something about this situation didn't add up. Think, Alice!
"Why this shop, though?" she asked. "The city's full of them. Why Hatter's shop?" Why me?
Jack shrugged. "Why not? I had business here anyway."
"But you..." She hesitated. "Your business is with Hatter. Why come when he's not here?"
He smiled warmly at her. "Because of you, Alice. Why else? Do you realize what a rarity you are? A sentient, intelligent oyster - and a beautiful one at that. Why wouldn't I want to speak with you?"
Alice was blushing furiously, and her throat had suddenly closed up. Damn it.
Jack reached across the table and squeezed her hand. "I'm not going to hurt you, Alice. It's time you had better friends than tea-heads and their suppliers."
She left her hand where it was, wondering whether or not he was lying to her. His hand was warm on hers, and distracting.
He was studying her intently. "What can you tell me about the other oysters, Alice? The ones who haven't woken up?"
What? She pulled her hand away and stood up. That was it. Everyone in this damned place always wanted something, and this was what he wanted from her. Information, and nothing more. No doubt he planned to put her on a drainer as soon as he got it.
Hatter doesn't want a thing from you. A small voice in the back of her mind pointed out. She shoved it away angrily. She didn't know who Hatter was, much less what he really wanted.
Jack stood up and reached for her arm, but Alice was already headed for the front door.
"Alice, wait! Don't you understand? We can save them!" His cultured voice had just a hint of desperation that had not been there before. "We can save the other oysters."
Alice opened the door and stood to one side. "Leave, now, before I wake up Dormie! You aren't supposed to be here!" She wanted to sound decisive, but her voice trembled as she struggled to hold back tears. It didn't matter, though. Jack didn't put up a fight.
"Be careful, Alice. You'll need friends soon. Don't forget that I'm on your side." He gave her a pitying glance and stepped outside.
"Go to Hell!" She hissed, and slammed the door closed as soon as he was through it.
She was suddenly so full of Anger that she thought she might explode, but she did not understand why.
Because you hate them, that's why! She told herself. She hated them and their tea-heads and their drainers and their royalty and their lies. She hated that she didn't know where she was from or who she might have been on the Other Side. She hated this filthy, stinking city.
But where else could she go? There was nowhere else.
Alice went back to her room, closed the door behind her, and burst into hot tears.