"So," I say to March Hare, "What happened to Chess?" March Hare shakes his head.
"He said he had to go somewhere." He shakes his head again. "You were busy keeping alive, so you didn't hear him."
"So he left us to save himself?"
"..." I nod my head in understanding. He is out to save his own skin. I press my lips together. I look at him and say:
"Looks like its just the two of us from here on out, huh?" March Hare just puts his head down. We walk a little ways in silence. I watch my feet as they kick up the leaves. Feel the Vorpol Sword beat steadily against my leg. Listen to to the birds sing. "I never did ask, March Hare," I start, "But how did you get to the top of the JubJub's nest in the first place?"
He looks at me in disdain.
"We were under the JubJub nest, you know. On the ground. We sent Chess to watch for you. Then the JubJub bird flew around the nest. Caught sight of us. And carried us up; me in the beak, the boys in the talons."
"I see."
"Where to next?" I ask.
"Tugley Wood." My head shoots straight up, my back rigid. I feel my eyes glisten. Finally! I can save Trea!
"How far to Tugley Wood?"
"We are almost upon it." My heart quickens.
"How do I slay the Jabberwalk?" I ask, knowing now that my time is short.
"The Sword knows what it wants. All you have to do is hang on to it." I look up at him in confusion. "All those who fail to slay the Jabberwalk fall for its tricks. They did not hang on to the Vorpol Sword." Oh, well, isn't that nice to know?
"What sort of tricks?" I ask. Silence. The birds are silent. March Hare is silent. Goosebumps rise on my neck.
"It is different for every person," he whipers quickly. "Knowing your weaknesses is your greatest strength." He is whispering in the silence. "Fairfarren, Alyssa. Hurry!" With that he runs off in the way we came.
"March Hare!" I shout, trying to whisper. He is out of ear shot. No, no, no. Wait. Ok, I can do this. My weakness? My strength. I'll be just fine. Just hang on to the Sword. I draw the Vorpol Sword out of the sheath and walk steadfastly towards the Tugley Wood, full of twisting, writhing vines and branches. Dark and dim.
I come upon a lone tree in the middle of the Tugley Wood. I walk to it. And rest against it. Breath, I command myself. Breath. Old Man Time says my greatest weakness is Trea. The Jabberwalk might appear as him. Yet, Trea is my strength. The boys said that the Jabberwalk will make me think that it cares using its eyes. I am also to not believe it. I don't think that Chess said much. But March Hare gave me the most important advice: Hang on to the Vorpol Sword. No matter what, I have to hang on to the Vorpol Sword. "With the Vorpol Sword in hand," I find myself mumbling, "Long time the Manxome Foe he saught, So rested he by the TumTum tree..." I trail off. I'm the he. I'm resting by the TumTum tree... "And stood awhile in thought..." I've been standing awhile in thought... Which means-
"As in Uffish thought he stood," a voice says. My heart catches. I grip the Vorpol Sword tighter. "The Jabberwalk with eyes of flame," the voice says, getting closer. I feel the breath on my neck. "Came whiffling through the Tugley Wood." I close my eyes and take a deep breath. I turn around and open them, coming face-to-face with- a person? "And did I burble as I came?" My hand laxes, my jaw drops. Its just... a person? "Well, did I?"
"N-nn- no," I stutter. A person? Just some random old person? How is that possible? "No, you didn't," I say again, in confusion. "You-? You-?"
"I what?" I knit my brows together.
"You are the one that-?" I can't seem to finish my sentences. All this time I was expecting the Jabberwalk to either be some wierd beast or to look like Trea. This is just some person!
"That what?" I take a deep breath.
"You are the one that used the evil wind to take Tre-" I catch myself. "I mean, Hatter away?"
"Yes, I am." My eyes go big. I inhale sharply.
"Why?" I find myself asking.
"Who says there is a reason?" The Vorpol Blade pulses in my hand. I can feel it. The Jabberwalk is cold, the boys said.
"A person without reason is a cold-hearted person," I say with equal frankness.
"Really, Lyssie, I'm hurt!"
I look up sharply at the person, glaring darkly at him. I wield the Vorpol Sword. "Release Trea!" He looks at the Sword with laughter in his eyes.
"Release him or what?"
"Realease him or die," I say, bitterness in my heart.
"I do think that you are being rather childish about this, Lyssie."
"How would you know?"
"Because," the person says, "You and I both know that violence is never the answer."
"And yet you'd kill him? For what!"
"Even the misunderstood-so-called-bad-guy has to eat." I stare at him, apalled. Vorpol Sword is pulsing quickly.
"You steal men of your kind... to eat them???"
"No! You see, I am not a man. I am a Jabberwalk. I do not eat fellow Jabberwalks."
"There are other Jabberwalks?" I ask dryly. Of course, there are other Jabberwalks. Old Man Time himself said that everyone has their own Jabberwalk.
"If you will drop you sword, I will make a deal with you."
"Tell me the deal first," I say. "If it is good enough, I'll spare your life."
"Fair enough." He sits down, thinking. "If you drop your sword and run one errand for me, I will release Trea."
"Release him Alive?" I ask.
"Yes." The Vorpol Sword is vibrating, pulling me to the Jabberwalk. The blue and red are flashing violently on the edges. I look at the Jabberwalk-man. He looks so honest, so sincere. I'll hate myself if I don't ask for more details.
"What does this 'errand' involve?" I ask.
"You need to drop your sword first-"
"Do I?" I ask, sword closing in on his neck. Fear is in his eyes. My heart is racing.
"Alright! I'll tell you!" I back away to give him some breathing space. "There is a little place, in the cave over there," he says pointing, "There is a curious thing in it. I never could figure it out. I need you to figure out what it is and how it works."
"Show me," I say.
"Drop the sword." Just a little thing, isn't it? A cave? A machine? my eyes race back and forth, from the Jabberwalk to the sword to the cave and back.
"And if I kill you now?" I ask. Such a stupid thing to be asking. But I can't help it.
"The other Jabberwalks won't know not to eat him." I bite my bottom lip.
"How do I know that you won't cheat behind my back? How do I know that you aren't lying?"
"There is only one way to find out, now isn't there?" There is a pleading in his eyes. How do I know? The best chance is chancing his word. But if he is lying, the best chance would be killing him and the other Jabberwalks. But... I can't kill if I don't have to. I take a deep breath. And drop the sword.
"Show me the thing."
The Jabberwalk man leads me towards the cave. I take a glance back. The Vorpol Sword is plain silver. None of its remarkableness is evident. As if it has lost all hope. I swallow back doubt. It eats men. What makes me think that it won't eat women? I shake the thought from my head. "Are you facing forwards?" he asks. The cave is dark, after all.
"Yes."
"Walk forward. It is dark, like the rest of the cave. But it is different. Reach out with your hand and feel of it." I take a deep breath and do as he says. My hand touches... glass?
"Do you feel it?"
"No!" I shout. No, not the cave. Not the key. Not the void that leads back to Earth! The Jabberwalk shoves me in. And I am falling. No, not falling. I am on the ground. With the stars and moon lighting up the way. It was daylight in Dimmerland. I was in a cave in Dimmerland. I am in the woods now. At night.
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