Phantoms of the North: An Alice in Deadland Adventure (Alice, No. 6)

by Dhar, Mainak

  She wanted to see more of this world, to see if she could help more people. Perhaps that was what would give her peace. Perhaps that was what would give her the sense of purpose and direction she had been seeking. Could she help all of them? She knew better than to even imagine that, but then she thought of a gentle man, one who had died so that she and the others in her settlement might live. A man called Robert Gladwell. Her father. He had said that the only good reason to fight was to protect others. Alice figured that her fight was still far from over. She began gathering weapons from the stash she found in The Khan’s armory.

  ‘Arjun, you guys go on.’

  He touched her shoulder. ‘Let’s go home. We’re done here.’

  Alice turned to look at him. ‘Wonderland will always be my home, but I cannot go back there till I know what else is out there; who else is out there.’

  She was looking at the captives who were huddled, babbling, crying not to be eaten, so crazed with terror that they did not even recognize their own liberation. Arjun knew Alice enough to know that she would go her own way, and that she would not be persuaded otherwise once she had made up her mind.

  ‘Just come back. What would Wonderland be without Alice?’

  Alice smiled as Arjun went on to join the others for their journey back. She heard a shuffling movement behind her, and she knew who it would be. She knew that wherever her path took her, she could count on one companion to be there by her side. She reached into the pouch at her belt. It contained two objects—the old, slightly charred book that the Queen of the Biters had once given her, and a pair of faded, pink bunny ears. She took them out and handed it to the figure behind her.

  ‘Thought you’d want these, Bunny Ears.’

  He grunted in pleasure as she helped him put on the ears.

  Then Alice hefted the assault rifle onto her shoulders and the two of them set off, walking towards the hills ahead.

  ***

  CREDITS

  Coming up with the idea for a novel and writing it is often a solitary exercise, but bringing it to readers as a finished book is always a team effort. I’d like to thank the following for their help in producing the book you now hold in your hands. They, and others like them, make independent publishing much more enriching and rewarding for both authors and readers.

  Cover design by Damon

  (http://www.damonza.com)

  Editing by R.J.Locksley

  (http://www.rjlocksley.blogspot.com)

  eBook formatting by Rebecca

  (http://www.indiemobi.wordpress.com)

  ABOUT MAINAK DHAR

  Mainak Dhar is a cubicle dweller by day and author by night. His first ‘published’ work was a stapled collection of Maths solutions and poems (he figured nobody would pay for his poems alone) he sold to his classmates in Grade 7, and spent the proceeds on ice cream and comics. Mainak was a bestselling author in his native India with titles published by major houses like Penguin and Random House and with one of his novels (Herogiri) being made into a major motion picture. In early 2011, he began to use Amazon to reach international readers through his ebooks and became one of the leading independent authors in the world with more than 100,000 books sold in his first year. Mainak is one of the top selling horror authors on Amazon worldwide and in March 2013, became the #1 bestselling Horror author on Amazon, momentarily unseating Stephen King. His bestselling Alice in Deadland series is being made into a TV series in the US. Learn more about him and contact him at mainakdhar.com.