“Wherever Redd leads, I follow!”
He now saluted, stepping from the nearby scrub and approaching
her
imperial viciousness.
“Except when it involves leaping into the Heart Crystal,” Redd snarled. “We shouldn’t leave any witnesses,” The Cat said. “No, we shouldn’t,” Redd agreed, and with that, The Cat swatted Jack to the ground with a paw. “Let me have him,” Alistaire Poole smirked, taking scalpel and bone saw from his instruments case. “No, me.” Siren Hecht opened her mouth to let loose the weapon of her voice. “Wait!” Jack cried. “Your Imperial Viciousness, please! Do you want to kill the one man in Wonderland who can most help you?”
Redd signaled for The Cat, Alistaire, and Siren to wait a moment. “What, in that fatty head of yours, makes you think I need anybody’s help?” she asked. Jack clambered to his feet. “Your Imperial Viciousness, I couldn’t help overhearing you when you came onshore. I don’t pretend to understand your talk of gardens and uncompleted mazes, but I did hear you say that your army on Earth isn’t large enough to battle Queen Alyss’—I mean, your traitorous niece’s. But I can fill your ranks to bursting with the tribes of Boarderland, the most fearsome troops this world has to offer…besides Milliners. And Glass Eyes. And maybe certain chessmen and—” “Get on with it,” Redd demanded.
“Well, if the twenty-one tribes of Boarderland were to cooperate and together attack Arch, his forces wouldn’t be able to defeat them. But they’ll never do this so long as Arch is king because he keeps them constantly at odds, feeding them the assorted lies he calls privileged intelligence and cultivating hate among them.”
“And for that, I respect him.”
“Yes, but I’ll convince the tribes to come together under your command and rise up against Arch. I’ll say that you’ve promised to leave Boarderland to them all equally—which you can do or not, as you choose—if they will fight the forces of Wonderland as your army. You could be queen of Wonderland and Boarderland.”
Redd remained silent, thoughtful.
Jack glanced uncertainly at Alistaire’s glinting bone saw. “And, uh, I heard you mention that you’re off to visit the caterpillars,” he said, “but if you wish, I can get you into Boarderland without Alyss or her forces discovering you…a certain guard who can be bribed. I know where Arch’s royal convoy is presently camped and it’s a short journey from there to the Valley of Mushrooms.” “I have powers enough to enter Boarderland without resorting to bribes,” Redd sniffed. “Of course you do. I just meant…” Growing more desperate, Jack fell to whining. “Mistress Heart! In a scheme to wrest power from Alyss, my parents were betrayed by King Arch and sentenced to the Crystal Mines. I’m broke, friendless, and without any wigs whatsoever! I have only one reason to remain in this world, a single guiding principle by which to steer my life, and that is to bring utter ruin down on Arch’s head, just as he has brought to my family!”
imperial viciousness.
“Except when it involves leaping into the Heart Crystal,” Redd snarled. “We shouldn’t leave any witnesses,” The Cat said. “No, we shouldn’t,” Redd agreed, and with that, The Cat swatted Jack to the ground with a paw. “Let me have him,” Alistaire Poole smirked, taking scalpel and bone saw from his instruments case. “No, me.” Siren Hecht opened her mouth to let loose the weapon of her voice. “Wait!” Jack cried. “Your Imperial Viciousness, please! Do you want to kill the one man in Wonderland who can most help you?”
Redd signaled for The Cat, Alistaire, and Siren to wait a moment. “What, in that fatty head of yours, makes you think I need anybody’s help?” she asked. Jack clambered to his feet. “Your Imperial Viciousness, I couldn’t help overhearing you when you came onshore. I don’t pretend to understand your talk of gardens and uncompleted mazes, but I did hear you say that your army on Earth isn’t large enough to battle Queen Alyss’—I mean, your traitorous niece’s. But I can fill your ranks to bursting with the tribes of Boarderland, the most fearsome troops this world has to offer…besides Milliners. And Glass Eyes. And maybe certain chessmen and—” “Get on with it,” Redd demanded.
“Well, if the twenty-one tribes of Boarderland were to cooperate and together attack Arch, his forces wouldn’t be able to defeat them. But they’ll never do this so long as Arch is king because he keeps them constantly at odds, feeding them the assorted lies he calls privileged intelligence and cultivating hate among them.”
“And for that, I respect him.”
“Yes, but I’ll convince the tribes to come together under your command and rise up against Arch. I’ll say that you’ve promised to leave Boarderland to them all equally—which you can do or not, as you choose—if they will fight the forces of Wonderland as your army. You could be queen of Wonderland and Boarderland.”
Redd remained silent, thoughtful.
Jack glanced uncertainly at Alistaire’s glinting bone saw. “And, uh, I heard you mention that you’re off to visit the caterpillars,” he said, “but if you wish, I can get you into Boarderland without Alyss or her forces discovering you…a certain guard who can be bribed. I know where Arch’s royal convoy is presently camped and it’s a short journey from there to the Valley of Mushrooms.” “I have powers enough to enter Boarderland without resorting to bribes,” Redd sniffed. “Of course you do. I just meant…” Growing more desperate, Jack fell to whining. “Mistress Heart! In a scheme to wrest power from Alyss, my parents were betrayed by King Arch and sentenced to the Crystal Mines. I’m broke, friendless, and without any wigs whatsoever! I have only one reason to remain in this world, a single guiding principle by which to steer my life, and that is to bring utter ruin down on Arch’s head, just as he has brought to my family!”