Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland by T. T. Sutherland

Author:T. T. Sutherland [Sutherland, T. T.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction - Young Adult
Publisher: Disney Publishing Worldwide
Published: 2011-09-09T00:45:21+00:00

Chapter Nine

Go south to Trotter’s Bottom,” the Hatter hissed. It took Alice a moment to realize he was talking to her. “The White Queen’s castle is just beyond.”

She wanted to protest that she wouldn’t leave him, but everything was moving too fast. The Hatter swept the hat off his head and bowed in a conciliatory way to the Red Knights. With his face hidden, he muttered, “Hold down tightly.”

Perhaps if they didn’t find her with him, they’d let him go. Alice did as she was told, leaping onto the hat. The Hatter immediately flung his arms into the air, sending the hat and Alice sailing over the treetops. She shut her eyes tight and clung to the brim of the hat as it flew out of the woods.

Behind her, she heard the Hatter yelling triumphantly. “DOWN WITH THE BLOODY RED QUEEN!” he bellowed. Her heart seized in her chest. She knew what he was doing—distracting the Red Knights. They would never let him go now, even if they had no evidence that he’d been helping her.

The hat landed lightly in the soft grass, far from the scene in the woods. Alice looked back at the forest, then south toward gently rolling hills. Dusk was vanishing into pitch darkness, and strange night sounds were starting to fill the air. Wherever she was going, it would be safer in the day, when she could see. She slipped under the hat and curled up on the grass to sleep.

It was not a very restful sleep, full of Bandersnatch teeth and dark wings and burning top hats and screaming children. Alice was almost relieved when she woke up to the sound of sniffing just outside the hat.

Then she realized who it must be. She sat up as the hat was flipped over and early morning light spilled over the grass around her. A giant wet nose came closer, sniffing her. It was the same bloodhound from the tea party, Bayard. He was alone.

Alice leaped to her feet, furious. “You turncoat!” she shouted, whapping his nose with her hand. “You were supposed to lead them away! The Hatter trusted you!”

Bayard jumped back a step, his long ears flapping. He looked down at her with his sad eyes and sagging face. “They have my wife and pups,” he said mournfully.

This didn’t make Alice any less angry. She thought of the Hatter’s tormented expression as he stared across the blackened place. “What’s your name?” she demanded.

“Bayard.”

“Sit!” Alice said commandingly.

He cocked his head and looked at her curiously.

“Sit!” she said again, even more forcefully.

Bayard sat, amused if nothing else. Something seemed to occur to him. “Would your name be Alice by any chance?”

“Yes,” said Alice, “but I’m not the one that everyone’s talking about.”

Bayard pawed at the dirt. “The Hatter would not have given himself up for just any Alice.”

Alice couldn’t handle the pang of guilt this caused her. Why had he done such a foolish thing? What if she wasn’t the Alice he believed in so much? She couldn’t be—there was no chance she was going to slay a monster anytime soon.

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