I must own the truth. For the
queendom. For myself.
“I think,” Alyss said suddenly, “I would like to go over again what Blue presented to me.” Confusion showed on the faces of Dodge and the general, but Bibwit looked as if he’d been afraid of this. “Yes?” he said.
“Blue told me that he, an unnaturally large caterpillar, would reveal to me that of myself which yet I know not. I’m pretty sure those were his exact words. He showed me Arch pulling on the whisker of a colorless caterpillar, but before that…” her eyes swiveled to Dodge, “…he showed me Redd.” “Why didn’t you say so before, Alyss?” Bibwit asked. “I don’t know.” She and Dodge were looking steadily at each other now. “It was wrong of me not to say anything.”
“What did he show you of Redd?” asked General Doppelgänger. Dodge had turned away, needlessly adjusting the hang of his thigh holster. “I saw her fumbling with a crystal shaped like a door key,” Alyss said. “She was with a tutor. And I saw her gripping something that looked like an old, much neglected scepter.” Bibwit groaned. “It’s worse than I thought,” he said. “Much, much worse. Alyss, I haven’t had the luxury of educating you as fully as I would’ve done in a time of peace. Certain finer points of monarchical theory I either summarized or skipped altogether. As I did with certain historical details or facts I have hoped would be irrelevant. Of this last sort are particulars related to Looking Glass Mazes. I neglected to tell you every little thing about them—everything that is known, I should say. But I see now that my neglect was the result of my own wishful thinking. I’ve been hoping that if I did not name the possibility, if I ignored it, it would not exist.”
“The possibility of what, Bibwit? No one has any idea what you’re talking about.” “I was certain that if Redd returned in a recognizable form, she would never discover it on her own. I hadn’t counted on her uniting with one of my species and actually learning anything. But assuming Redd has returned, I fear that the tutor the Ten Card mistook for me was, in fact, Vollrath—one of my kind who long ago succumbed to Black Imagination and had to fling himself into the Pool of Tears. I’ve always assumed that he’s been causing trouble on Earth, and Blue’s warning to you, Alyss, makes it plain: If Redd has not accomplished it already, she intends to enter her Looking Glass Maze. The tutor must have told her about it. She will retrieve her scepter and, in doing so, become stronger than before.” “I don’t understand,” Alyss said. “I’ve already navigated the maze.” “What difference does any of this make?” Dodge asked Bibwit. “Redd is back and we’re not going to surrender to her, no matter what. As long as we don’t underestimate her capacity for blood and mayhem—”
“It might be impossible for us to do anything but underestimate her, such could be her strength. Alyss, I will explain all, but we must confirm whether or not Redd is among us, and whether what Blue showed you of Redd with her scepter is the future or the past. If the future, it may still be prevented. If the past…I’d rather not think about it. General?” “It should be coming online now, Bibwit.”
“I think,” Alyss said suddenly, “I would like to go over again what Blue presented to me.” Confusion showed on the faces of Dodge and the general, but Bibwit looked as if he’d been afraid of this. “Yes?” he said.
“Blue told me that he, an unnaturally large caterpillar, would reveal to me that of myself which yet I know not. I’m pretty sure those were his exact words. He showed me Arch pulling on the whisker of a colorless caterpillar, but before that…” her eyes swiveled to Dodge, “…he showed me Redd.” “Why didn’t you say so before, Alyss?” Bibwit asked. “I don’t know.” She and Dodge were looking steadily at each other now. “It was wrong of me not to say anything.”
“What did he show you of Redd?” asked General Doppelgänger. Dodge had turned away, needlessly adjusting the hang of his thigh holster. “I saw her fumbling with a crystal shaped like a door key,” Alyss said. “She was with a tutor. And I saw her gripping something that looked like an old, much neglected scepter.” Bibwit groaned. “It’s worse than I thought,” he said. “Much, much worse. Alyss, I haven’t had the luxury of educating you as fully as I would’ve done in a time of peace. Certain finer points of monarchical theory I either summarized or skipped altogether. As I did with certain historical details or facts I have hoped would be irrelevant. Of this last sort are particulars related to Looking Glass Mazes. I neglected to tell you every little thing about them—everything that is known, I should say. But I see now that my neglect was the result of my own wishful thinking. I’ve been hoping that if I did not name the possibility, if I ignored it, it would not exist.”
“The possibility of what, Bibwit? No one has any idea what you’re talking about.” “I was certain that if Redd returned in a recognizable form, she would never discover it on her own. I hadn’t counted on her uniting with one of my species and actually learning anything. But assuming Redd has returned, I fear that the tutor the Ten Card mistook for me was, in fact, Vollrath—one of my kind who long ago succumbed to Black Imagination and had to fling himself into the Pool of Tears. I’ve always assumed that he’s been causing trouble on Earth, and Blue’s warning to you, Alyss, makes it plain: If Redd has not accomplished it already, she intends to enter her Looking Glass Maze. The tutor must have told her about it. She will retrieve her scepter and, in doing so, become stronger than before.” “I don’t understand,” Alyss said. “I’ve already navigated the maze.” “What difference does any of this make?” Dodge asked Bibwit. “Redd is back and we’re not going to surrender to her, no matter what. As long as we don’t underestimate her capacity for blood and mayhem—”
“It might be impossible for us to do anything but underestimate her, such could be her strength. Alyss, I will explain all, but we must confirm whether or not Redd is among us, and whether what Blue showed you of Redd with her scepter is the future or the past. If the future, it may still be prevented. If the past…I’d rather not think about it. General?” “It should be coming online now, Bibwit.”