Bibwit’s ears danced a dance of
perplexity atop his head. “Was I…alone?”
“I didn’t get much of a look at the others. Being so pale, you stand out against Outerwilderbeastia’s vines, you know.”
“Yes. Yes, I’m sure I do,” Bibwit said absently. “Your Majesty.” The Ten Card bowed to Alyss. “General.” The Ten Card saluted and his image dissolved.
“I’m starting to get a bad feeling,” the tutor said. “Starting to?” Dodge guffawed.
The general’s crystal communicator beeped. He pressed a button on its keypad and an image of the white knight formed in front of him.
“General, all the soldiers guarding the pool are dead,” the knight reported. Dodge was instantly on his feet, checking his weapons—the ammo clip in his crystal shooter, the trigger of his AD52. “Any evidence of The Cat?” he asked. “Slash marks or anything like that?” “Hard to tell what exactly killed them.” Beep, beep beep. The general again pressed his communicator’s keypad and an image of the white rook appeared next to the knight.
“Listen,” the rook said.
After several moments the general frowned. “I hear only silence.” “Yeah, and I’m standing in the Whispering Woods,” said the rook. “Every mouth here has been glued shut.”
Bibwit was tugging on an ear, his brow as furrowed as a rumpled bedsheet. “In the scheme of all that is conceivable,” he said, “it’s possible that another villain might be responsible for the deaths at the pool, but it would irresponsible of us not to assume the worst—by which I mean, that Redd has returned.” “Already there, Bibwit.” Dodge was checking his supply of razor cartridges and whipsnake grenades. “What’s the plan, General?”
“It’s difficult to prepare adequately when we don’t know where the front line is. Or the enemy.” “All of Wonderland is the front line,” Dodge countered. “The enemy could show herself anywhere at any time.”
He was being careful not to look at Alyss—the exact opposite of Bibwit, who was watching her intently, almost as if, with his acute hearing, he could hear her mounting discomfort. A responsible queen would probably be searching for Redd in her imagination. But a responsible queen wouldn’t have let her advisers believe she’d told them the whole of Blue’s message. Her parents’ words nagged at her conscience: Her duty was to secure the greatest good for the greatest number; she could not put Wonderland at risk to save a single citizen.
“I didn’t get much of a look at the others. Being so pale, you stand out against Outerwilderbeastia’s vines, you know.”
“Yes. Yes, I’m sure I do,” Bibwit said absently. “Your Majesty.” The Ten Card bowed to Alyss. “General.” The Ten Card saluted and his image dissolved.
“I’m starting to get a bad feeling,” the tutor said. “Starting to?” Dodge guffawed.
The general’s crystal communicator beeped. He pressed a button on its keypad and an image of the white knight formed in front of him.
“General, all the soldiers guarding the pool are dead,” the knight reported. Dodge was instantly on his feet, checking his weapons—the ammo clip in his crystal shooter, the trigger of his AD52. “Any evidence of The Cat?” he asked. “Slash marks or anything like that?” “Hard to tell what exactly killed them.” Beep, beep beep. The general again pressed his communicator’s keypad and an image of the white rook appeared next to the knight.
“Listen,” the rook said.
After several moments the general frowned. “I hear only silence.” “Yeah, and I’m standing in the Whispering Woods,” said the rook. “Every mouth here has been glued shut.”
Bibwit was tugging on an ear, his brow as furrowed as a rumpled bedsheet. “In the scheme of all that is conceivable,” he said, “it’s possible that another villain might be responsible for the deaths at the pool, but it would irresponsible of us not to assume the worst—by which I mean, that Redd has returned.” “Already there, Bibwit.” Dodge was checking his supply of razor cartridges and whipsnake grenades. “What’s the plan, General?”
“It’s difficult to prepare adequately when we don’t know where the front line is. Or the enemy.” “All of Wonderland is the front line,” Dodge countered. “The enemy could show herself anywhere at any time.”
He was being careful not to look at Alyss—the exact opposite of Bibwit, who was watching her intently, almost as if, with his acute hearing, he could hear her mounting discomfort. A responsible queen would probably be searching for Redd in her imagination. But a responsible queen wouldn’t have let her advisers believe she’d told them the whole of Blue’s message. Her parents’ words nagged at her conscience: Her duty was to secure the greatest good for the greatest number; she could not put Wonderland at risk to save a single citizen.