by Cameron Jace
“That’s easy for you to say,” Fabiola said. “Or you would have just told her about Mr. Jay killing her family long ago.”
“I could have, but I feared for her sanity. I was afraid it would devastate her and weaken her.” Lewis, in spite of the dangers outside, took a similar moment to rethink something. “Actually, and it’s hard to admit, I’m thankful to the Pillar.”
Fabiola glared at him. “You didn’t just say that, did you?”
“I did. Whatever his real intentions are, it’s time we acknowledge what he has done.”
“Yeah? And what’s that? Manipulating everyone?”
“No, Fabiola. He raised Alice in a few months to become a strong girl. He helped her, taught her how to save lives and gave her confidence — and part of her sanity — back. Of course, it was a bloody journey full of contradictions, but if Alice hadn’t gone through that much she would not have been able to handle her family’s massacre. She is only nineteen for God’s sake.”
The sounds of Reds climbing up the steps was unmistakable behind him now.
“They’re coming.” The rabbit peeked out of his pocket, sounding curious. “Which side are you on, Fabiola?”
“That doesn’t matter now,” Fabiola said, eyes on the door behind Lewis. “I can’t fight. I’m injured.”
Lewis suddenly smirked. It was a benign smirk, one that few had ever seen. Only Fabiola knew about it, back from the days in Wonderland.
“I’ll take care of them until you find the healing powers inside of you.” He pulled out the Vorpal sword, which had been hers once. She didn’t have to ask how he got it. She thought she’d given it to Alice earlier, but Lewis had always been resourceful with the gadget he’d originally invented. “A little demonstration of the old days should spike up your healing powers, I think.”
He turned around, kicked the door open, and descended the stairs. She didn’t have to see the way he fought. She knew what a heck of warrior he was. The way he could handle that sword. The way he’d been a master of None Fu.
She heard one of the Reds scream that someone had just punched his eyes. Fabiola smiled. That was Lewis’s rabbit, another warrior from the past.
Chapter 83
The Radcliffe Asylum
“Do you still have to carry the March with you?” Tom rages at me for slowing them down.
“Shut up, Tom,” I say. “The March goes with me everywhere, until I bury him properly.”
“Hey.” The Dude suddenly shows up from rescuing the Mushroomers. “Let me take care of him.”
It’s not the right time to question him on who he is or why he is doing this. The time left is too short, I don’t even know how short.
“The Mushroomers need your help,” the Dude argues. “There is a fissure in the tunnel outside. They need someone to jump them across. I think your None Fu will help.”
I hand him the March’s corpse. “He is your responsibility,” I say. “If you fail to bring him along, I’ll kill you.”
“Whoa.” The Dude takes the March. “Whatever you say, boss.”
“Come on, Alice,” Constance insists. “We need to go.”
Tom has already gone ahead among the Mushroomers. As I reach the door, I see tens of them in the tunnel, standing before the fissure. A couple have managed the jump and crossed over. Another jumped but got hit by the rushing water from the other side — which doesn’t reach us but is beginning to fill up the fissure in between. The rest are waiting for me, afraid to make the jump.
“Okay.” I step up. “I’ll have to help them one by one to do this. I need you to be as fast as possible so we can cross as many as we can.”
“Can I be first, Alice?” Tom asks nervously.
“No.” Constance stops him. “You’re last. You’re always going to be last. Understood?”
“What about the water on the other side?” I ask the Dude.
“It’s lessening now. Once we cross over it will be of no threat. The police seem to think it will slow us down, but now they don’t have enough of the water to flush into the tunnel.”
“But the water must be blocking other tunnels. How are we going to escape?”
“Our escape door is right there.” He points at a side door, right after the fissure. “It might not look like a door, but once we cross over, I’ll show you how to open it. You have to knock six times on six different spots.”
“Okay?” I shrug my shoulders, already helping a Mushroomer on and getting ready to jump. “Why is this door so different? The police will still ambush us when get outside.”
“No, Alice,” the Dude says. “This door is a secret. They can’t find us, because it opens to the river. Don’t worry, it’s a short swim up.”
Chapter 84
The Vatican
Angelo Cardone had been addressing and thanking all his followers across the globe via social media. Looking at his phone’s screen, he saw them gathered everywhere. Everyone was ready for the war on Wonderlanders — known as terrorists in the past.
The genius thing he liked about all of this was how he’d managed to get them to want to fight the terrorists themselves. Some men and woman had guns and knives ready with them, waiting for a signal from Angelo, and then they’d start attacking whatever Wonderlander he told them about.
But Angelo liked the women and men with cooking pans, brooms, and chainsaws better. Not that these home weapons were more effective, but he wanted this to end up in pure madness — if not melancholy.
Angelo smiled widely. There was no point to war if it wasn’t madness. Or it’d be just boring.
“You’ve surprised me, Angelo,” the man in the black suit said. “You’ve surpassed my expectations by far. We’re proud of you. The secret order in the Vatican has been waiting for you for years. We’ve always wanted a pope like you.”
“I know. I know.” Angelo stood up and gulped from another bottle of scotch. “I have to warn you of what’s coming, though. Things are just starting.”
“You have more to offer?”
“Other than just brainwashing people that they have to kill the Inklings everywhere?” He snorted. “Of course. The show has just begun.”
“What do you have in mind?”
“Just watch me when I go out on this balcony.” Angelo began walking. “Just watch me speak.”
“But you’ve already told them what they need to know.”
“That was for the people in the piazza,” Angelo said. “Now watch me speak to my followers all over the world. Specifically, my fellow Brits.”
Chapter 85
The Tunnels
The speed by which I’m jumping over the fissure and back is mind boggling, even to me. It’s like I’m in a spontaneous flow of mind. Something is happening to me. I can feel it. It’s as if I know I can save everyone. It’s as if I know who I am, finally.
I don’t resist the feeling. I don’t even give in to the rush of adrenaline and fear inside me. And I don’t try to understand the world around me. It’s not the past. It’s not the future. It’s the moment right now that counts.
“Alice, please!” Tom begs.
I dismiss him.
“Come on, Constance. It’s your turn,” I tell her. “Half of the Mushroomers have crossed over.”
“No, I’m last, Alice,” she insists. “I need to stay here and organize them with the Dude, so things flow nicely.”
“You don’t have to do this,” I say. “You came to help us and did what you came for.”
“I came to save lives, Alice. Just keep doing what you are doing.”
In a hesitant moment, I’m afraid if I don’t pull her over to the other side, I’ll end up losing her like the March. But the thought vanishes into air when another Mushroomed clings to me as we jump.
“Five minutes to go.” the Dude shouts over.
“That means about ten,” I argue. “Remember we’re at the end of the asylum, in a place they won’t find easily. We might have an advantage of a few minutes more.”
“You never told me this,” I say from the other side, having crossed another Mushroomer over.
“It’s war, Alice. There are always casualties. Not all of us are going to make it tonight. We’re doing our best.”
I don’t even have time to process what he’s just told me. Another Mushroomer on my back. Another jump.
“So the water will rush back into the asylum?” Constance says. “This is a plus. It will block the police, if not kill them.”
“Yes, that’s the plan,” the Dude says. “They don’t know we have way out through a secret door leading to the River. Even if they figure it out, they’ll be too late. I have boats waiting for us up there.”
“Boats?” I shout against the noise of panic and the water in the distance. “Who are you?”
“I’m the Dude.”
“She means who sent you?” Constance giggles in the middle of all of this.
“Let’s talk about that later,” the Dude says.
But then Constance’s look at the Dude exposes her. She knows him. She knows who he is.”
“Constance!” I say in the middle of my jump. “You know who he is?”
Constance shrugs. “Of course, not.”
“Constance, you’re lying. Good girls don’t lie!”
“Seriously.” She scowls at me. “I’m not a good girl, Alice. I’m a kickass girl. Much bigger difference.”
“Forget about it, at least for now,” the Dude says, helping line up the Mushroomers. “Are we set on letting the water in?”
“No, we’re not!” I say.
“Why not?” Constance asks.
“We should close this door leading back to the asylum so the water stays in the tunnel,” I say.
“Why? I don’t understand?” Constance is furious. “This will kill the police hunting us.”
“But it will also kill the Pillar.”
“The Pillar is dead already, Alice. The Pillar will either be caught or will burn with the asylum if he leaves the chair,” Constance says.
“Besides, the future predicted you will kill him. So ordering us to leave the door open will do that,” the Dude says. “It’s fate, Alice. There is nothing you can do.”
I take a moment to find the right answer inside me. I’m not sure why I suddenly don’t want to be the reason for the Pillar’s death, especially after he killed Jack. But I just don’t. He just came back and is sacrificing himself on that chair for us. I’m too confused to assess the situation logically, so I’m going with my gut feeling.
“Listen to me, both of you,” I tell them. “We’re not going to kill the Pillar. And by the way: the hell with fate.”
Chapter 86
The Police, Outside the Asylum
The officer in charge of the collective forces gave a little speech just minutes ago. It was addressed to both the crowd gathered outside and his own force. In simple and short words, it was about how they hated killing civilians and whichever innocents may inhabit the asylum, but that it was such a small sacrifice for ending the terrorism they were facing.
All in the name of the Queen, he had said.
Now, he was readying his men, monitoring their moves and making sure they were covering all exit points of the asylum. ‘Shoot to kill’ was the order. They weren’t here to investigate. They were here to end the reign of those who insanely called themselves Wonderlanders.
Alice and the March’s pictures had been sent to all units earlier. It was obligatory that those two were confirmed dead after the attack.
Then, he saw a woman from the crowd watching the new pope in the Vatican. That rebellious young man who did not sweet talk his people. He did not make excuses or preach for peace. Angelo Cardone was a loon, but one that people loved.
Including the officer ready to order his men.
He checked his watch.
Two minutes until the deadline.
But then, a vision of his niece flashed before his eyes. She’d been a victim of one of the attacks in the last months.
The man lost all control on his emotions and whistled.
The police began their moves.
“The hell with deadlines,” the man said under his breath. “All Wonderlanders must die.” Just like Angelo Cardone had been preaching in the Vatican.
Chapter 87
The Tunnels
I transfer the last of the Mushroomers and wait for Constance.
The little stubborn girl insists on jumping herself. “I’m the one who’s supposed to save you all,” she says. “I will jump.”
And she does. Like a smaller version of me. A little superhero with the mind of tens of other little girls — surprisingly surpassing the mind of an adult one.
I try to catch her when she crosses over to my side, but she pulls away. She’s going to be one hell of a determined woman when she grows up.
“And me?” Tom reaches out from the other side.
“I say we leave him,” Constance says.
“I’m not sure,” I say, but already jump over to get him. “Tom.” I engage him, ready to jump back. “You’re a big mystery to me. I hope Lewis was right about giving you such responsibilities.”
We cross over. He pants with satisfaction once we do, but then snakes his way through the Mushroomers so he’ll be closest to the door to the river.
“I hope you can swim,” Constance says.
“Last time I did I was your age, but I think I will manage,” he says.
This leaves just the Dude.
He surprises me and jumps over with the March’s body on his back. That’s some flexible move I’ve not seen before.
“None Fu?” I ask him?
He nods and hands me the March’s body, then jumps back.
“Wait! What are you doing?”
“You need someone to close the door to the asylum behind you,” he says. “You said you don’t want to be the reason the Pillar dies.”
“Yes, but if you do it you will…”
“I was sent to help, Alice,” he says. “I hope I did. It’s your job to get the Mushroomers — most of them — up to the boats.”
He is about to close the door behind him…
“Just cool down…” I say. “Who are you? I need to know who sent you and why you’re doing this?”
He is about to say something, but the sound of the police barging in is deafening. Without my permission, he closes the door and disappears behind it.
Chapter 88
The BBC Report
Breaking News
The international police forces are breaking into the Radcliffe Asylum right now. It’s unlikely that we’ll get clear footage, as we already hear the shots and everything around the asylum is more of a blur. None of our camera men dared enter, since it’s a shoot to kill situation.
From the little we could see outside, it does seem like no one is getting out alive today. This is going to be one of the most remembered moments in the history of mankind.
On the other hand, Pope Angelo Cardone is about to announce something in a few minutes. His followers all over the world are ready for him. Most enthusiastic are the British followers at Oxford, whom he’d addressed earlier. They’re standing in the streets of Oxford, near the asylum, waiting for the pope’s instructions.
It escapes our mind what he could possibly ask of them. But we shall see.
End of News
Chapter 89
The Tunnels
Though I hadn’t ordered the door open yet, Tom did it. He’d found the six spots and pushed them until the door loosened and all hell broke loose.
The water rushing in guarantees killing one third of us, but I have to manage and help out as much as I can.
Surprisingly, many of the Mushroomers know how to swim. Unlike them it takes me some tim
e to adjust the new situation.
The transition from an environment in which one can breathe to one where you need to hold your breath as much as you can, scares me. With the March on my back, I try to cling against the walls of the tunnel until the water stabilizes. It’s as if I’m being shot at by an enormous water-cannon. I’m plastered against the wall for a few seconds then begin swimming with the March on my back.
It’s far from an easy task.
My eyes dart around to make sure most Mushroomers are swimming out. I can’t see Constance, though.
Outside the door, we’re in the river. I can even see some fish before me. The smart Mushroomers paddle up to reach the surface. The others are blacking out or lost in a haze of panic. It’s hard to help enough of them out.
But Constance does.
She is a fierce little, weightless thing.
She pushes the Mushroomers up, making use of their light floating bodies in the water, and pulls them up.
In a glance, I see Tom has reached the surface. I can only see his legs from down here. At least it means the surface isn't that far.
I paddle with all my might, a little weighed down by the March, but I manage. It’s only seconds before I reach the surface.
I take in a long breath and stabilize for a second. The night sky is dark and I can hardly see anything. Tom points out at the small boats spread all over the river. No lights, though, so the police won’t figure them out soon.
I paddle to the nearest, watching Mushroomers crawl up into it.
“Here,” I tell those on the boat. “Take him.”
I pass over the March’s body, though I don’t see who I’m dealing with. I need to go back in to see if someone else needs help.
Down there it’s darker than before. The flashlights a few Mushroomers had held up before aren’t there anymore. The one bonus is that all the doctor’s outfits they picked up on their way out are all white.
One of them has drowned and is dead already. I pull him up though, remembering the Dude’s words. This is war. There will be casualties. It’s a hard truth to stomach, but it’s true.
