Folks, I'm back at long last! I sincerely hope you enjoy this chapter, and as always, feedback is much appreciated (time and privacy settings allowing, I respond to every review). Once again, Vanilla212 has loaned me her awesome beta skills and made this story so much better. She's the real MVP.
Oysters, Chez purred softly to himself, are very peculiar.
He watched from atop his tarpaulin as that slip of a girl - Alice, as she insisted on being called - cranked the aging engine of his boat, trying to coax it to life. She looked like a spider crab he'd once caught, all long limbs and bristling peevishness. He found it very amusing.
It was just as well that she'd come along when she had. He'd been wanting a change of scenery for quite some time, but the actual work of moving the boat was a wet, unpleasant sort of business. The cat in him was averse to expending more effort than was necessary for anything, so why not have the oyster do it instead? Since she insisted on imposing her presence on him, she may as well make herself useful.
About half an hour ago, he'd been awakened from a truly luxurious nap by a sudden jolt. Unperturbed, he'd given a wide gaping yawn and brought a velvety paw up to lick. His yawns were a point of pride for him: they displayed his porcelain teeth so elegantly. This one, unfortunately, had been cut short, since he'd abruptly realized that there was somebody clambering aboard his boat.
That, he thought possessively, is an unfortunate decision on their part.
Extending his front paws as far as they would go, he stretched himself slowly over his nest of pillows. The water outside of his lair was a dark green, which meant that the sun had only just risen outside. As he stretched, he took a moment to examine his reflection in the glass surrounding him. As always, he looked devastating and...dangerous...and feral...strong...handsome...fluffy...the list of delightful attributes that sprang to mind was so very long.
He made his way up, and peered out from beneath the tarpaulin, half-heartedly readying himself to pounce on the intruder and make it regret the day it was born. Blinking away the bright sunlight and narrowing his eyes, he spotted a figure standing near the prow. It - no, she - was looking around fearfully. For what threat, he wasn't sure, as his infallibly sharp ears told him that they were alone on the docks.
He recognized her at the same moment she spotted him. Startled, she tripped over the coil of rope that lay at her feet, landing on the floor of the boat with a thud.
"Good morning, Alice," he said with a sigh. Clumsy, wasn't she? He'd have to recoil the rope, which was quite a tedious task for him. Perhaps he'd make her do it.
"Hi Chez," she said, swallowing anxiously. "You're gorgeous this morning. Did you polish your claws recently? They look...shiny."
He very much enjoyed the awkwardness that radiated off of her, even as his mouth involuntarily split into a wide grin from her forced compliment.
"Is there a reason you've, ah, disturbed me at this unpropitious hour?" He asked, flexing his paws and displaying his claws, as if to reassure her that they were very sharp indeed.
"Yes," she said. "That is...it's complicated."
"Complicated?" He mulled over the word for a moment, wondering what on earth an oyster would find complicated. Personal hygiene, perhaps? Basic manners? Fashion? Tying one's shoes? The possibilities were endless. His curiosity piqued, he gave his paw a perfunctory lick. "I suppose you want to come inside?"
"Maybe," she said.
"Maybe? Maybe you want to invite yourself into my home?" He stepped out of from beneath the tarpaulin and casually hopped on top of it. "That's a bit...intrusive. Don't you think? I don't appreciate intrusions, Alice."
"I said maybe. We can talk just as easily out here." Her tone had a distinct tartness to it.
He sniffed disdainfully. "Well, you've come all the way here. I suppose you may as well tell me what's going on. Not," he added, noting the exhaustion on her face, "That I usually have the patience for these things. Even so, out with it."
She ran a trembling hand through her hair. "I'm sorry for the intrusion," she said. "But I had nowhere else to go."
And so she told him everything. He wasn't terribly surprised by Hatter's descent into old habits - he'd known the man and his tendencies far too long for that. Domestic issues, tea abuse, pointless political drama...it was all too predictable, really, and a disappointment to his feline curiosity. Then, just as he was about to order the dull chit off his boat so he could go back to sleep, she produced a carved wooden cylinder. His ears perked up at the sight of it.
"My dear," he asked, sitting up with sudden interest, "Would you mind telling me what that is?" But of course, he already knew. That little cylinder was one of a kind, and he'd seen it before.
"It's a ring. Jack gave it to me." She kept it clutched firmly in her hand.
"Oh really? The crown prince of Wonderland gave you a ring? Why would he do that, do you think?"
"I'm not sure. Because he trusts me? Because..." She hesitated. "Because he cares about me?"
Chez sniffed disdainfully. "I doubt even the most ardent suitor would give that particular ring to his lover, even if she were the Duchess of Diamonds!" He paused. "I presume you know who she is?"
"The most beautiful woman in Wonderland." Alice ran her fingers delicately over the pattern adorning the cylinder, searching, he guessed, for the hidden catch that would open it.
"Correct. I suppose you may be moderately attractive to your own kind, but you aren't in the same league as the Duchess. You're not even playing the same game." He flexed his paws. "Now She is the sort of female who would appeal to the prince. Which begs the question: why would he give the ring to you?"
She popped the cylinder open and took the ring out, looking it over. "What's so special about this?"
"You don't know?"
She shook her head.
"Ah, of course you don't." He stretched his mouth into a slow luxurious yawn. How much to tell her? Not enough for her to know its true worth. Perhaps he could persuade her to give it to him in exchange for his help. He thought she might be the persuadable type, although she was a bit on edge, wasn't she?
"My dear, that is the Stone of Wonderland. It's a priceless heirloom that has been passed down through the lineage of the House of Cards for generation." And it happens to be the foundation of our tea trade, but why trouble your tiny oyster mind with that detail?
She looked at it with new eyes. "He gave me his family's priceless heirloom?"
"So it appears. May I see it?" he asked, perhaps a little too eagerly.
"No way." It vanished back into her pocket. "Jack trusted me with it."
"This Jack of yours does not seem to in touch with the realities of your situation any more than your Hatter is. Tell me, has he given you any evidence that he can successfully dethrone the queen? Any at all?" he asked, forcing his gaze away from the pocket where the ring was concealed.
She looked at him, and he saw the wheels turning in her head. Yes, think it through you silly creature.
"Well, not exactly. But," She quickly added, "I trust him. I think he stands a chance."
"Yes, but what do you know? It takes a good deal more than sentiment to pull off a coup d'etat. There's no point in pinning your future on a false hope."
He watched as she digested this statement.
"You might," he added, softening his voice with a slow, luxurious purr, "consider an alternative."
"An alternative?" She was wary.
"Yes, an alternative. You realize that merely by being an oyster, your life is at risk? Possessing the Stone of Wonderland...well, let's just say it puts you in a worse position than you might realize."
"And why is that?"
"Because, my dear, if anyone from the palace catches you and discovers you have the ring, then you will have to explain to our lovely queen how you came by it. And the queen..." He paused for effect. "The Queen does not take thievery lightly."
"But that isn't right! I didn't steal it! It was given to me. Maybe -" She stopped short, no doubt realizing how foolish she sounded.
"Yes, yes, I'm sure you're perfectly innocent, but the queen's justice tends to be unpredictable at best. The fate of an accused person is entirely in her capricious royal hands, and in case you've forgotten, in the eyes of the law you are not even a real person. She has a talent for making otherwise perfectly healthy people beg for death. I wouldn't recommend bringing yourself to her attention."
Alice stared across the water, shaking her head slowly. When she spoke, her voice was quiet. "I just want to get away from here."
Chez almost pitied her. Almost. "That might be an option, if you're clever. Are you clever?"
She glared at him. "What do you think?"
He smirked, whiskers twitching. "It's not my opinion that matters." He rolled over onto his back, batting at the air lazily. "Did anybody follow you here?"
"No. Hatter was...occupied, and there was no one else at the shop."
"Silly girl. Hatter and whoever else inhabits that smelly shop are not the only ones who might have seen you. I think it might be wise if we relocated for the time being."...
...And that was why she was trying, with little success, to get the rusty engine going.
"Try turning it a little faster," he drawled.
"You're not helping," She said irritably, giving it a final angry shove. The engine rattled and jumped to life, then settled into a steady drone. She turned to face him.
"Ready?"
"Yes, indeed."
"Where are we going?"
"There's a little spot on the other side of the city that I think will do very nicely. It will take some time to get there, but we won't have any unwanted company."
"And then?"
"And then we'll see if we can make contact with your Jack. Now, it's time you learned how to steer this boat. It's not easy, so pay attention."
Hatter's mind was racing as he hurriedly gathered things he thought he might need to help him find Alice. He was hoping it wouldn't take long, but experience told him to prepare for a longer search.
Through simple deduction, he guessed she would seek out Chez. He couldn't see her willingly going back to Ricky and his ilk, or being foolish enough to go to the palace in search of Jack. God, he hoped she was smarter than that. So, unless she'd made some alliances that he wasn't aware of, that left Chez.
He didn't find any comfort in his conclusion. Just the opposite, actually. In his own way, Chez was as dangerous as any of the gangs, and Hatter had no doubt that he would exact a high payment for whatever favors he deigned to extend to Alice.
Surely she knew better than to bargain with a Cheshire Cat?
He tried to imagine himself in Alice's shoes. Even if she did know better, she might be desperate enough to give it a try.
Lovely.
Alice woke in darkness. She couldn't remember where she was for a moment, until she stretched out one arm and her hand met cold glass.
That was it. She was in Chez's lair.
After arriving at their destination late in the day, Chez had politely suggested that she get some sleep. The stress and fear were beginning to catch up with her, and she gratefully (if a little warily) accepted his offer. The nap had at least taken the edge off her exhaustion, but now the small dark chamber under the water was starting to make her feel claustrophobic. It was time for some fresh air.
She crawled up the tiny tunnel leading back up the deck, then stopped short.
The tunnel was sealed shut.
Chez had locked her in!
Frantically, she pushed against the hatch, fingernails scrabbling on heavy wood and iron banding. She felt around its edges, trying to get a hold on it and pry it open.
It didn't budge.
She scrambled back down and found the glass wall. Feeling icy fear run through her, she kicked against the glass furiously. But it was thick. What felt like an eternity of trying yielded nothing but shooting pain in her legs.
Furious, she grabbed one of Chez's many cushions and threw it at the wall.
"Chez!" she screamed, on the chance that the cat was within hearing range. "Chez, let me out of here! Damn you! Let me out!"
She pounded on the sealed hatch furiously.
There was no answer.
A wave of nausea engulfed her, as she realized with a sickening finality that she was trapped. Memories of another dark sealed chamber came back to her. In her panic, she couldn't place how old she'd been or who had done it, but she remembered the terror she'd felt all too well. Her breath came in short gasps as she tried to get a hand on the flood of fear.
Was she sealed in, she wondered? Was she going to run out of air? She sobbed frantically.
If Chez let her out, would he sell her back to Ricky?
Not that. Anything but that.
Think, Alice!
Why would Chez lock her in?
But then, why wouldn't he? She'd blindly trusted a Cheshire Cat, when she certainly should have known better.
What did he want?
Of course.
The Stone of Wonderland. He hadn't been able to hide that he wanted the ring...the ring! She shoved a hand in her pocket.
It was gone.
Why had he taken it? What was so special about it? She had a sudden sinking feeling that there was more to this situation than she was aware of. And she'd walked right into it, like a proper, gullible oyster.
Shit.