After introductions were made, Henry cleared his throat and motioned his hands up to the void like a preacher seeking the light. "So... where...?"
Nonchalantly eyeing the darkness with a side glance, the Pink Panther smiled so cryptically the Alice in front of him wondered if he was the Cheshire Cat in disguise. The mysterious creature took out his cigarette holder, lightly grasped both ends and stretched it.
Henry gaped in awe, and perhaps a little disgust, as the cat transformed it into a sign. A sign with big bold letters: 'I'll show you. I'm at your service!' He took another bow and like a gracious host, held out a hand to welcome his guest. Henry's lips twitched in amusement at the cat's grand gesture.
And without a word, the cat took off with a bounce in his walk and a slick slink in his paws. He briefly turned and beckoned with an arm, asking the thief to follow him. The cat fell back into his smooth walk and soon, a curious Henry was in sync with his pace.
Together, they journeyed further into the pink-streaked Wonderland.
Henry wondered if this land resembled some unexplored portion of the place the real Alice visited in her dreams. Everywhere he looked, nonsense seemed to be the norm: pink and white outlines of objects and shapes resembling objects like stars and trapezoids and street lights and pillars moved or hung upside down or remained still. Unseen bells jingled in the air like it was Christmas time and everything shined brilliantly like twin suns. The land seemed to go on; time and borders both ceased to exist here.
Meanwhile the music exploded with a big bang before loosening up in rhythm. Now it was mostly the soft duet of the sweet saxophone and free flute singing together that followed after cat and thief. Henry searched for wherever the band was performing, but the band was nowhere to be found. Wherever he and his pink tour guide went, the music stalked them across the many corners of the rose-tinted canvas. Henry stole a glance over at his feline companion; he was at ease and enjoying himself as though it was a sunny day out.
Echoing footsteps soon caught both pairs of ears from cat and thief, but it came from neither party. Two identical and short little men with white hats, brushy mustaches and big noses were walking from the opposite direction carrying a ladder and paint buckets. Buckets dripping with the color pink - none other!
Henry blinked, surprised at seeing other creatures besides himself and the Pink Panther. The two travelers paused and when the Pink Panther and twins saw each other, both exchanged cordial smiles and a courteous tip of the hand or hat. When they saw newcomer Henry, they extended their friendly greetings towards him. He reciprocated with a polite wave. The painters Tweedledee and Tweedledum shared a knowing grin with each other before one of them came over to the Cheshire trickster and whispered something so quietly into the Panther's ear even the silent expert Henry couldn't pick up on it. The Panther nodded and shook hands with the little man.
The twins bid goodbye before leaving.
Henry watched them go as he and the pink cat continued on their own way. After they were deemed far out of his sight and earshot, he nudged the Panther, prompting his attention, and hooked a thumb behind him and then pointed to him. The Pink Panther looked behind him and just lightly shrugged, much to Henry's confusion. Tipping his head forwards, the cat told him to follow once more - both him and the trail of paint. The paint, as the Pink Panther pointed, was where they would need to go now.
But the thief didn't move. Seeing the paint disappear far, far, far beyond the horizons and into the gradient streaks wasn't sitting well with him. Did they have to really walk about five hundred miles and walk five hundred more just to get to their destination? No way. After all, he had places to go, authorities to flee and gems to stash away! He shook his head before crossing his arms.
Moderately surprised, the Pink Panther tried again. And yet Henry refused again. Then Henry had an idea.
Holding up a waiting finger, he placed it on his chin, narrowed his eyes in thought and immediately the familiar sensation of freezing in place everything in place kicked in. Much to Henry's relief.
An assembly line of available Gadget Gabe products to use rolled before his eyes. Let's see... a floating trapezoid platform, a small rocket-in-a-pocket, a piece of chalk, and the teleporter (NO).
What would he choose?
A/N: Curiouser and curiouser, Henry and the pink rabbit are in the thick of the whimsical land. Now which way to go?
The two little men that they meet are actually the same person but duplicated. He's known by two names depending on the era of Pink Panther cartoons - the Little Man or Big Nose. I prefer the former. He's often the antagonist of the Pink Panther cartoons, either intentionally or coincidentally if somehow the Pink Panther ruffles his feathers somehow. The two twins carrying pink paint is an homage to the first cartoon starring the Pink Panther, "The Pink Phink".
'walk about five hundred miles and walk five hundred more' - a nod to the song 'I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)' by the Proclaimers.
Enjoy!
