Lance DeMoi knew it was going to be a weird day when Anias, Director Mannings's secretary, said he had someone in his office, and that someone was a white rabbit. Wearing a waistcoat.
Lance walked to the other side of his office, he looked out the door and saw the other SACorps members working their way over.
"So... Mister, uh?" He asked the fretting rabbit.
"Albus Coney, royal diplomat to the Heart dynasty." The rabbit, Albus, held out his gloved paw. After a slight pause Lance shook it.
"So, Mr. Coney, what brings you to the Night Shift?"
"Well, the Wonderland Resistance sent me here for help. Wonderland is torn in civil war! Red and white pawns, knights, and rooks are everywhere! When a stray card crushed the Queen of Hearts, the King was devastated, so then the Knave of Hearts struck, assassinating the King of Wonderland. So then the Red and White queens claimed the right to rule. There are few left who dare appose the queens." Albus finished, looking at Lance. Lance sat in his chair for a while, then reached down and withdrew two books from a drawer; Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, and Through the Looking Glass. He put on his little reading glasses. He flipped through the books for a moment, nodding his head every now and then. He finished and put away the books and glasses.
"Well, Mr. Albus, what exactly do you want the Night Shift to do about Wonderland?"
Albus swallowed. "We, the Resistance, want you to slay the Red and White queens."
Lance nodded.
"Yes, the Night Shift has helped certain people in that way; saving the weak from the strong. But, to get involved in an otherworldy civil war? I can't say."
A flash of anger crossed Albus's face. "This war in Wonderland will affect the real world, Sir, it will affect your minds, your dreams, even your imaginations! And the queens will find the key to set loose the.. the Jabberwocky!" Albus's eyes grew wide as he said this last part. Lance sighed.
"I'll talk to Grey."
"Very well, Mr. Coney, the Night Shift will send some agents to help with the Resistance. DeMoi, who do you think should go with you?" Grey said, the SACorps director. Lance looked over at his colleugues; he would have picked Evey and Sal, but she was in Nepal, and Sal was in Texas, and he could only pick three more agents.
"Alison. Your magic and folklore knowledge will serve us well. Otto, you can come too. And, as much as I hate you, Sirius. Your brute strength could serve us well." Lance said, he glowered at Sirius. Alison and Otto came over to Lance, eager to get going on the mission. Sirius turned to Grey.
"Seriously, Grey? Four agents? Just because some wimpy book characters need their pasty white behinds saved from stupid-Argh!" Sirius stopped talking because Albus had hopped over and bitten his hand.
"Wimpy book characters indeed! We have been fending of the two queens for over a hundred years!" Albus flattened out his waistcoat and adjusted his monocle, giving Sirius a scathing look.
"So, how does one get to Wonderland?" Alison asked.
"The entrances to Wonderland can only be found by youths; young and open-minded." Albus said . Lance smiled. "I know who can find an entrance."
Lance walked across the dark, manicured lawn, the moon high in the star-specked ebony sky. He trod carefully, making sure not to wake Arnold and Rachael Clark; his first cousins five times removed who feared their freakish, immortal relative. He jumped up twenty feet to the little balcony and the sliding glass door, which lead to the room of Alice Clark. Alice was his daughter of Arnold and Rachael, she often referred to Lance as uncle, and he most often called her niece. He walked to the sliding glass door and knocked very lightly, the fifteen year old girl woke with a start. But once she saw that the knocker was her Uncle Lance she beamed and tip-toed to the door and opened it.
"Uncle Lance!" She hugged him, "What are you doing here? It's the middle of the night?"
Lance hugged her. "You wouldn't mind coming with me on a mission would you?" He smiled. Alice smiled back.
"Of course! That's so cool! Let me change out of my PJs." She dashed into her bathroom, and reappeared minutes later in wearing street clothes and a blue cardigan. "Ready! So what's your mission now, Uncle?" She said closing her door. Lance picked up his cousin and jumped from the balcony, landing with a muffled thud.
"I need you to find Wonderland."
No comments:
Post a Comment