Chapter 6

"There you are, Miss!" I turn to look, and I see Salandra. "And I see that you've found the CAT," she spats.

   "Why is it that you despise me so?" Chess asks.

   "After what you did while I was trying to pour you tea at the Master's house, how can I not find you contemptible?"

   "I was only trying to help you get up the large table..." he says with his gruff smoothness.

   "I don't need any one's help, twit!"

   "Salandra," I interrupt. "Did you find the Tweedles?"

   "Yes, they are waiting to meet you outside the tent." I walk out of the tent and I see a set of twins. My mind reels back at the realization. Tweedledee and Tweedledum! How could I forget? They were in Lewis Carroll’s book!

   "Is she-" the one on the left says.

   "No, she can't be." the other interrupts.

   "But didn't he-"

   "I suppose he did."

   “‘Scuze me, but are you friends with the Hatter?"

   "Yes, and Hatter is in trouble. He needs our help. What are your names?" I say, finally getting a word in edge wise.

   "I'm Tweedledee and he's Tweedledum," the one on the left says.

   "Likewise, I'm Tweedledum and he's Tweedledee." the other says.

   "Are you Alyssa?" they ask in tandem.

   "Yes, I am." I shift my attention to the whole group. "We should go back to March Hare's house. We need to come up with a plan. And he went to go get Mr. Dodo. Salandra, will you lead us back?"

   "Sure, Miss." I don't think that she will ever get my name down.

 We walk back through the woods. What a strange clan we make: quirky twins, a disappearing cat, a dormouse, and a human girl. Then, I can't forget the Old man, March Hare, and Mr. Dodo. I wonder what Mr. Dodo is like...

   "Alyssa! Why does Hatter need our help?" Dee asks.

   "Likewise, how does he need help?" Dum re-iterates.

   "Hatter was stolen by an Evil Wind. I haven't the slightest clue as to how we can actually help him. How does one combat wind?"

   "You must find the source of the wind, first," Chess says, as though it is a boring and obvious fact. Which is annoying.

   "Unfortunately, the CAT is right. We must find out who or what is making the wind so evil before anything can be done," Salandra says.

   "How does one do that?" I ask.

   "You must ask Mr. Dodo," Tweedles say in unison.

   "Good thing we are at March Hare's house now," I say as we walk up the pebble pathway. "Salandra, Will you do the honor and lead the way into the house?"

   "Of course, Miss."

   "And Salandra?"

   "Yes, Miss?"

   "Warn them of Chess. He has a tendency to appear out of thin air."

   "You bet I will warn them of the CAT," she says with disgust.

 We file into the house. Salandra, me, the twins, and then Chess appears out of thin air. Again. Salandra introduces us all, despite the redundancy. We all know everyone here. Except for Mr. Dodo. Mr. Dodo looks old and wise, like March Hare. Somehow, though, without all of the wrinkles. I push the thoughts out of my mind, and I tip my hat towards him.

   "Sir, I am Alyssa. I take it that you are Mr. Dodo?"

   "Yes, I am. I understand that you need help in searching for the Hatter?" The way he says the Hatter is infuriating. It's like he doesn't take it seriously enough! I suppress my anger.

   "You understand correctly, Sir."

   "And you don't know how to go about it, do you?"

   "All I know is that I was told to get Chess, the Tweedles, and March Hare to help. Besides that, no, I do not know how to go about it," I say, gesturing to each as I said their names.

   "Hmmm..." Mr. Dodo says in deep thought. "What is it that happened again?"

   "Didn't March Hare tell you already?"

   "Yes, but I need to hear it from you to be sure of the facts. Only then can I tell you what to do." My heart falls to the bottom of my stomach. How can I say in front of everyone? Chess, no less! I feel my cheeks burning lightly.

   "Sir, may I tell you in private?" March Hare raises his eyebrow again. Mr. Dodo pulls his head back. Chess grins even more. Salandra walks out.

   "Certainly!" March Hare says, speaking for him and to everyone else. March Hare pushes everyone out of the room. "Chess," he says in a warning tone, "You leave the room, too."

   "If I must..." With that, Chess turns around and then disappears.

 With the room now cleared, Mr. Dodo asks, "Now, tell me what happened exactly. The events the led up to the disappearance of the Hatter."

   "Stop saying THE Hatter! He goes by HATTER, not by THE Hatter!" I shout indignantly. "His name IS Hatter!" I sit down on the floor, trying to regain control of myself again.

   "Forgive me. I did not realize that it would upset... anyone by referring to him in an informal way." I remain silent, still trying to get myself back together again. "Come now, tell me what happened."

   "We had just left this house... ..." I pause. Mr. Dodo is patiently waiting for me to tell him everything. He actually has a kind face. I digress everything: "Trea asked me if I was planning on never going back to Earth, and I said that was my plan but perhaps I should go back." I stop mid-story and look up at him. "Mr. Dodo, I could NEVER go back to Earth! I could lose everything! Might not have been able to come back! I can't risk losing Trea!" I get a grip on myself and resume the story. "He had asked me if he could persuade me one way or the other. I knew what his answer was, and I said please do. He had one hand on my shoulder, the other around my waist, and he leaned closer to me and said stay." a tear runs down my cheek and I hold back a sob. "We almost kissed when that stupid Wind took him away from me!" I hit the floor with my fist. "That was when he told me to go get Chess. That was the first person he said to get. The wind was blowing so hard that after that, all I could hear was Tweedles and March. That's when I ran back to the March Hare and told him. Then he said he was going to get you."

 I take a breath and begin to tell him everything that happened after that, because I can't stop, but Mr. Dodo interrupts me. "This is what we'll do. Salandra is to stay behind with me. You will take the rest with you. You are dealing with the Jabberwalk. You must deal the death blow to him in order to save your Hatter." He said YOUR hatter...? "You have to be the one. No one else can do it successfully. The others will help you find the Vorpol Sword. The sword may ONLY," he stops at this word and looks me in the eye. He continues, "Be used to deal the death blow to the Jabberwalk. The others will give you guidance. There isn't much that I can do to help you. Except for what I have said." I'm speechless. A death blow?

   "You mean... Slay the Jabberwalk?"

   "That is precisely what I mean."

   "And the Vorpol Sword? Where is that?"

   "That is something you and the others must figure out."

   "What do you figure will happen to Trea? What do you think IS happening to him now?"

   "I don't know. Hopefully help plays what cards he does have right. He might have a chance until you rescue him."

   "You mean to tell me,-"

   "There is a good chance of him dying."

   "What?!"