The Outlands themselves stretched for hundreds of miles. Jagged mountains pierced the skyline here and there, but nothing moved against the f?ields of rolling grass in between.
At last Iracebeth’s castle came into view. It was shaped like a giant heart and seemed woven entirely out of red vines.
“My family is there,” Hatter said. “I know it.”
Alice nodded; she could sense it, too. Somewhere within those walls, the Hightopps were being held prisoner.
They pulled up to the castle’s entrance, which was unguarded. Alice looked around the main hall suspiciously. The walls—made of spongy plant matter—bulged slightly, and pillars of twisting vine sheld up the ceiling of the tall central chamber.
The White Rabbit rubbed his paws over his nose and glanced around nervously. “Is this where we—”
“Split up!” Mallymkun called out excitedly.
Alice paused next to an open doorway, hearing something tick inside. Poking her head in, she saw a large black grandfather clock wrapped in red vines.
“She has one, too,” Alice said with a jolt. “That’s how she visits Time!”
But Hatter wasn’t there to hear. He had continued on, and now his f?igure disappeared around a turn. Not wanting to be separated, Alice hurried to catch up.
At the top of the stairs was a solid wooden door covered in carvings of hearts.
Lowering his shoulder, Hatter shoved the door open.
“Father! Mother! Anyone ... ?” he called as he bounded inside, Alice on his heels.
Hatter f?inished searching the room and turned to Alice in despair. “They’re not here,” he said. His knees buckling, he plopped down to the dirt f?loor. “I was certain they were here. I could feel it.”
Kneeling next to him, Alice patted his shoulder gently. They would keep looking. The Hightopps had to be there somewhere.
Hatter sighed and looked up; then his eyes grew wide.
On a table sat an ant farm. The tunnels within were suddenly forming a shape—which looked to be the outline of a top hat.
Hatter leapt to his feet, picked up the ant farm, and brought his face right up to the glass. Tears pricked his eyes, but he smiled broadly.
Inside, several tiny people with bright red hair waved up at him, banging their hands against the glass.
“Father! Mother! Everyone!” Hatter cried happily. “It’s you! Teeny tiny yous.”
He leaned down and kissed the glass, just as—
Clang! A heavy grate of vines slammed down over the nearest window, interrupting the happy moment. Then: Clang! Clang! Clang! Grates fell to block off all the remaining windows.
Alice and Hatter spun to face the door.
There stood the smirking Red Queen. Behind her, four vegetable soldiers formed a tight guard.
“Hello, Alice,” Iracebeth said acidly.
Two of the guards moved forward and grabbed Alice, patting her down.
“Thank you ever so much,” Iracebeth continued in a sickly sweet tone. “You have delivered to me the most powerful device in the entire Universe.”
The guards wrestled the Chronosphere away from Alice and handed it to Iracebeth.
“Along with the person whom I hold truly responsible.” Iracebeth turned as more of her guards arrived in the hallway, escorting the White Queen and the other prisoners.
Iracebeth chuckled, clearly enjoying herself.
As he clutched the ant farm to his chest, Hatter eyed the Red Queen. “I recall now why I don’t like her,” he said.
“Now we shall see justice!” Iracebeth shouted. She followed her guards as they shoved their prisoners back down the stairwell—all except for Alice and Hatter.
Although Alice sprang after them, another grate crashed into the f?loor, blocking the doorway. She grabbed the bars, seeing Iracebeth cast her one last smug look before disappearing around a bend.
Hatter turned back to the ant farm, where his father stood at the top of the sand.
“Tarrant?” Zanik called in a small voice through the glass. “Is that really you? I’d stopped believing so long ago it feels impossible.”
Smiling, Hatter replied, “It’s not impossible, merely unpossible.”
Hatter looked at Alice, then at his family. Then he pulled out the blue paper hat he’d brought along for luck, his eyes alight with a crazy idea.
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