Alice Games

by Michelle R. Reid

  “What’s a zombie?” Lional asked.

  Hareson frowned, his ears twitching. “What are you talking about, Ali?”

  I finally faced Lional, my hand tightening around my flower for reassurance. “I watched you die,” I said. “That tiger, the Cheshire Cat, killed you and you turned into dust. It happened right in front of my eyes.”

  “Ah,” Red Queen said. Her hands clapped together. “That’s right. Ali wouldn’t know yet.”

  “Know what?” I asked.

  Red Queen smiled in reassurance. “You see, Ali. Every day, Oz resets.”

  Chapter Seven

  “Resets?” If she thought I understood, she was crazy.

  She nodded, the small red gem on her crown flashing in the light. “Yes. It doesn’t matter what happens during the day, if we get sick or hurt—or die. The next morning everyone wakes up exactly in the same state they were the day before.”

  I stiffened in surprise. “So there’s no death at all?”

  Some people would say that was a good thing, but death was a part of a healthy life cycle. Without death, the population would grow out of control, and soon resources—like food and land—would run out. Ace’s words surfaced in my mind. Oz is alive. He talked about the land like it was a person with a mind of its own. Did that mean the lives and lack of death of the people reflected the condition Oz was in?

  Ace also said the reason everyone turned into animals at night was because that was how White Wizard thought of the people. Maybe the mental image of the ruler impacted the state Oz existed in. During the day, Red Queen was happy. She loved her people and loved the land, so during the day Oz was beautiful. During the night, White Wizard’s feelings turned the land into winter and the people into animals.

  Such polar existences would be confusing to anyone. Was it confusing Oz so much that it affected the life cycle? Was that why it summoned Alices, because Oz was so bewildered, it couldn’t decide which ruler to follow?

  “Well,” Lional said, continuing the conversation. “There’s no death for us.”

  But there was for me. That’s what he was politely saying. I must be exempt from the no death rule because I wasn’t a citizen of Oz. It also made me wonder how many Alices had died.

  “How many Alices have made it to the Emerald Castle and gone home?” I asked, my fingers tightening on my flower.

  Lional piped up again. “Twenty. Although only nineteen have come back out of the Emerald Castle to make the choice.”

  Confused, I frowned. “What do you mean? Don’t I just stand in front of it and choose? Why do I have to go in?”

  “You have to retrieve my wand.” Red Queen clasped her hands tightly together. “Then I can be queen again.”

  I nodded, remembering how it exploded in sparkles right before I turned into a cat. But still. “So what if I didn’t choose you—is there another object in there?” At their shocked looks, I threw up my hands in defense. “Look, I’m just curious. Are there other objects inside, to indicate other choices?”

  “Death.” Lional’s low voice was as hard as his gaze. “The only other thing in there is death for anyone who touches it.”

  My eyes widened, and goosebumps covered my arms.

  Red Queen looked down, her small hands gripping her skirt.

  Lional cleared his throat, breaking the silence. “This conversation is over. There are more important things I need to be attending to if we’re to leave soon.” He bowed to Red Queen then brushed past me in a wave of musky cologne.

  Right, I thought, looking at the Yellow Path highlighted on the ground.

  Hareson stared at me with a frown on his face, fingers tapping against his chin and ears flopped forward in thought. “Ali, where did you get that shirt? I think I recognize it.”

  “Ah.” A blush instantly flamed my cheeks. It felt like I was caught with my hand in the cookie jar. Usually there’s only one reason for a woman to walk around in a guy’s shirt.

  Red Queen covered her mouth with her hands. “Ali,” she gasped. “I was so preoccupied, I didn’t notice the state you’re in. Poor girl! To walk around in such a revealing skirt and wearing a man’s shirt. You must be so embarrassed!”

  I frowned. I could have sworn Red Queen noticed earlier. Why was she acting so surprised now?

  She rounded on the thin man. “Hareson, how rude of you to bring it into light like that.” She started to usher me out of the tent. “Come, Ali. Let’s go to my wardrobe tent. We’ll find you something appropriate to wear.”

  “Ah, my Queen, about that shirt.” Hareson jumped forward and reached out with his hand to get her attention. “I’m pretty sure it belongs to—”

  “Hareson.” Red Queen waved her hand. “It can wait until Ali is modest. Will you please have her breakfast sent to the changing tent?”

  At the mention of food, my stomach roared to life, declaring its unhappy state of emptiness.

  Hareson frowned in annoyance but nodded. “Yes, Your Highness.” His arms were tight to his side as he bent in a bow.

  I followed her out of the tent, confused. Why didn’t Red Queen want Hareson to finish his point? It was clear they both knew who the shirt belonged to. Hareson’s obvious concern and Red Queen’s denial contradicted each other and confused me. I thought Ace liked them. Well, at least Red Queen. Now I could only assume the feelings weren’t mutual.

  After we entered the changing tent, the tiny queen looked up at me. “I have to say, Ali, I’m shocked at the condition you’re in. I see you have the original dress with you still.” She motioned to the material tucked under my arm.

  I blinked and looked down at the forgotten dress. “Oh, yes. Here.” I held it out and cringed inside at its dilapidated state. The water from the lilies had ruined the fine material, and there were dirt smudges on it too. This is why I don’t buy things that require dry cleaning. I fingered the soft petals of my flower.

  Red Queen took the bundle and turned it over in her hands. Her brows pulled together, perplexed. “Why are you walking around in those clothes and not in this?”

  I bit my lips and looked to the side. “It’s, ah, a long story.” Honestly, wearing Ace’s shirt was a lot more comfortable than any dress Red Queen could stuff me into. I felt safe. The idea of taking it off was disheartening. So silly, really. It was the shirt of a man I met this morning. But even as I thought that, my fingers fidgeted with the hem.

  “Hm.” Red Queen hummed, eyes still pondering me. Then she brightened. “Well, let’s get you out of those awful clothes and into something more ladylike.” She pointed to the corner of the tent where a changing divider stood.

  I walked to the divider, paused, and turned to face her again. “About that. You see, I need to be able to move.”

  “Pardon me?”

  “Well, the thing is, I can’t move around in those dresses.” I held my palms out in defense. “I mean, your dresses are lovely, really. But I have to be able to move. If there’s one thing I learned last night, it’s that I’m going to be on the go. I’m not the most athletic person, so I need all the help I can get. Dresses are nice to look at, but they aren’t practical. And that’s what I am. Practical.”

  Red Queen was completely baffled now. “Dresses are what ladies wear. What women wear.” She examined the folded, ruined material in her hands. “You really are the oddest Alice I have ever met.” Still frowning with uncertainty, she put it down on the red cushioned chair next to her. “Well, what would you like to wear?”

  A sigh of relief escaped me. “Pants.”

  “Pants?” Her dark lashes fluttered in surprise.

  “Yes. Ones that fit me. Plus a shirt I can move in. And boots or shoes, not high heels.” I paused, thinking, tapping the flower stem with a nail. “You might have to use an adolescent’s size to fit me.”

  Red Queen smiled a little. “Or just a skinny man.” She motioned to a small, dark table on her right with a silver tray of heaven on it. “Why don’t you eat breakfast while I talk to the seamstre
ss? We’ll have to ... re-evaluate the wardrobe we brought for you.” She left through the door flap. I could hear her muffled voice from the other side, along with an unfamiliar one.

  After making sure the water lily was safe on the table, I practically inhaled the food. There was a sandwich with egg and cheese, with an assortment of foreign berries arranged around it. A fruit drink of sorts finished it all off.

  A couple minutes later, Red Queen came back in with some clothes in her arms. She handed them to me. “Try these. I think they might be close to what you want.”

  I took them and walked behind the changing divider. The pants were dark tan and a little tight around my hips but I could still move in them. I turned this way and that in the mirror to make sure they didn’t make my butt look too big. Then I caught myself. Why should it matter if they made me look good or not? I didn’t have anyone to impress here.

  Laughing brown eyes flashed before my mind’s eye. Annoyed at the blush that seared my cheeks, I pulled the white shirt on and buttoned it up the front. It fit the shoulders perfectly, but the billowing material fell straight down past my hip, hiding any shape I had. With a forlorn sign, I walked back over to Red Queen, rolling up the long sleeves to my elbows.

  Red frowned. “Well, you can move in that fine enough. But I would be shamed if I let you walk around looking like a man.” She contemplated me for a minute, then brightened. “What if we tried this?” She hurried over to a wooden chest just off to the side, opened the lid, and leaned in. A moment later she straightened and walked back. “You have a nice figure, so all we have to do is emphasize it a little.” She held out a black, leather cincher to me.

  How steampunk-ish. My style was more t-shirts and jeans, but this would work. “Yeah, that might do.” I slid the leather around my ribcage just under my bust and started to cinch up the tie that went down the middle. There were four sturdy bands that provided support for the shape but didn’t restrict my movements. The cincher redefined my figure and made the white material on the bottom flare out like a miniskirt over my hips. Not unpleasant, I thought, admiring my figure in the mirror. It actually looked nice.

  “Better.” Red Queen still didn’t look thrilled, but she nodded in approval. She pointed to some soft, black, leather boots on the ground next to her. “A maid brought these in while you were changing.”

  I pulled them on and wiggled my toes. They were slightly too big, but it would be fine. All done, I smiled at her. “Thank you.”

  Her face softened into a beautiful grin. “You’re welcome.”

  I walked back to the changing divider and pulled Ace’s shirt from where I’d draped it. I flapped it a couple times to straighten it, then contemplated the material. I should return it, but how?

  Red Queen frowned at the shirt for a minute and cleared her throat. “You can just leave it there, Ali. We will return it for you,” she said as if reading my thoughts.

  I blinked. So she really did know who it belonged to? “Oh, okay.” Reluctant, I draped it carefully across the chair next to the ruined dress and picked up my flower. I glanced back at the shirt one more time, feeling foolish, before following Red Queen out of the tent.

  She stopped just outside, and I came up short, almost running into her. Her chin tipped up, and she stared at the trees, her tiny body still as stone.

  I followed her gaze. There wasn’t anything in the trees, just a bunch of pine needles and branches. What was she looking at?

  “The wind changed,” Red Queen muttered in shock. She turned her face to me. “Is that because of you?”

  My brows snapped together and I looked down at her. “Why is it so odd that the wind changed directions?”

  “Because, Ali, the wind hasn’t changed directions since the first Alice Games began,” Red Queen said. “Nothing has changed in Oz since then.” She looked down. “Except for the Cheshire Forest. You were lucky to make it out. The hostile water lilies prevent access, but sometimes people make their way in. They don’t come back. No one knows what happens to them. They shouldn’t be able to die, but we never see them again.” Her face wore the pained look of a mother who had lost her child.

  Hostile? My eyes wandered in the direction of the water lilies, fingers fidgeting with the one in my hand. What’s so bad about an aggressive splash pad? They might have seemed intimidating at first, but by the end they were funny. And fascinating. Was it because of who I was with?

  “Have any other Alices made it out of the Cheshire Forest, Red Queen?”

  She paused for a moment then shook her head. “Until you, none. Despite warnings, a previous Alice chose to go in and never back came out.”

  “And White Wizard won that round,” I finished. So Ace wasn’t there to help that Alice?

  She seemed surprised I would know that. “Yes.”

  Chapter Eight

  Lional walked up to us. “We’re ready to depart to the Emerald Castle, my Queen. We must make haste. We’re already several hours behind.” Apparently still smarting from the lecture earlier, he placed a fist over his heart and bowed meekly. It was almost comical to see the huge man humble himself before the tiny woman.

  Red Queen bestowed a sweet smile on him. “Then we leave at once.” She motioned to me with a delicate hand. “Shall we, Ali? Lead the way, Lional.”

  Lional nodded. He glanced at me, gaze falling to my pants. His golden head shook slightly in disbelief. “How odd,” he muttered under his breath as he turned and led us through the camp.

  Torn between being annoyed with his chauvinist views and delighted at shaking his world slightly, I finally decided to take his reaction with humor. What would Ace think when he saw me in pants?

  I stopped mid-stride. Why was he the first person I thought of? I wasn’t dressed this way for him. There was no saying if I would ever see him again, anyway. It was stupid of me to hope.

  “Ali?” Red Queen called out.

  “Coming.” I hurried around the last tent and got a view of the first actual road I’d seen since I came to Oz. It was made of compacted dirt and just wide enough for the caravan of men and horses assembled on it.

  Two horses stood in front of a large, open-topped carriage with a storage compartment in the back. Lined up behind the carriage, Lional, Hareson, and three men sat atop horses, with one glittering, riderless bay tied to a man’s saddle horn. Red Queen ignored the horses and seated herself royally in the carriage.

  She smiled at me. “We will ride in the carriage.” Did she know that I didn’t know how to ride a horse? I’d always wanted to learn, but growing up in the city didn’t provide many opportunities.

  As I passed Hareson and the short man standing by his horse, a snip of their conversation reached my ears.

  “I can’t, Lord Hareson. It’s gone,” the man whispered frantically.

  “What do you mean, it’s gone?” Hareson was just as urgent. “It’s a shirt. It doesn’t have legs.” His hand rested on a rapier at his belt, and his face wrinkled with concern.

  “What should we do?” The man looked around, peering into every shadow like it held a scary secret.

  “Calm down,” Hareson ordered and tugged at his cuffs. “Break camp immediately. Return to Ruby Castle. Even after last night, it’s still the safest place.” He paused. “And don’t tell Red Queen.” He emphasized every word with his hands. When he noticed me listening, Hareson focused on me. “Ah, Ali. Is there something I can get you?” he asked pleasantly.

  “Uh, no.” My hands waved in front of me. “No, I was just going to the carriage.” I hurried away.

  A man with a dog tail stood beside the step. He held out his hand and assisted me inside. Once I was seated across from Red Queen, he climbed up in the front and took the reins. With a quick snap, he sent the horses off at a trot, the caravan following behind us.

  As we passed through the forest, I watched the scenery. I was dying to hop off the carriage and look at everything in detail, but I was just going to have to study from afar. Seeing all the strange
plants reminded me of something Ace had said.

  “I was told,” I said, and glanced at Red Queen, “that Oz is alive. That it breathes and feels, just like you and me.”

  Red Queen smiled fondly, her eyes growing sad. “Yes, he would say that. He would know better than anyone. And he’s right.” Hareson chose that time to trot his horse up beside the carriage.

  I wanted to ask more, but thought better of it. After all, it sounded like Hareson wasn’t a huge fan of Ace, or at least didn’t want to talk about him around Red Queen. Just looking at Hareson reminded me of a question Ace never answered. “You never told me what a Domain is,” I reminded him. “Also, what’s a Role Player?”

  “You know about that?” Hareson puffed out his chest and spoke like a stuffy lecturer. “A Role Player is someone who has a part to play in the games. They also usually have a Domain, or a section of Oz, that they care for. Red Queen’s Domain happens to be all of Oz, currently, but others tend a smaller portion.”

  I thought about it for a minute. “Do you and Lional have a Domain?”

  He shook his head. “No, we are Role Players but don’t possess a Domain. We’re too busy helping Red Queen at the Ruby Castle for that.” He waved a casual hand.

  Red Queen laughed. “So modest, Hareson. I’m sure Ruby Castle would fall apart without you. I don’t think there’s been a more efficient Retainer than you in all of Oz’s history.” She turned to me, her lips tight with concern. “You have so many questions. Ones far deeper than any other Alice.” I couldn’t tell if she as was complimenting me or not. Her look reminded me of the one Ace gave me when we were talking. Like she didn’t know what to think of me. “I have to say, I’m surprised about how much Ace has told you about Oz.”

  Hareson choked.

  Well, that was a casual way to open a can of worms. “We’ve talked,” I said evasively. “He seems like a nice person.”