MARGARET KENT'S OFFICE, WESTMINSTER PALACE, LONDON
M argaret Kent sat alone in a luxurious private room in the Palace of Westminster in London. She had an important meeting to attend in a little while, and she didn't like waiting. If she'd ever waited for anyone, she wouldn't have come this far in her career. Things had to be done swiftly, and decisions had to be made in a blink of an eye. In order to save a few heads, many heads had to be chopped. She learned that from the Queen of Hearts many years ago. But she didn't want to remember Wonderland anymore. She had moved on, and now she had to deal with things in this world.
Ordinary people would think that a woman of her caliber would have everything at the tips of her fingers. It was far from the truth. Since Margaret joined Parliament, she'd been having a hard time sleeping at night. The horrible things she had permitted behind the public's back were enough to drive her mad for the rest of her life.
But these horrible things had to be done, she thought, as she rubbed the expensive Rolex around her wrist. A woman in such a position had to sacrifice others in favor of her nation. It was the way things were done. In the States. In Germany. And in most countries. She stood up and gazed out her window at all the simple people enjoying life outside. If they only knew the price she, and her fellow men and women of Parliament, paid to get them there.
But that's a lie, Margaret, her annoying inner voice said. Not everything you have done was for the safety of your people, or everyone would be living a prosperous life in this world by now.
Margaret walked away from the window and checked her hair in the mirror. In reality, it was thinning. But thanks to her personal crew, who took care of her appearance, it looked far from it. People loved their politicians looking good. Beauty was a must when telling lies.
She gazed at her watch one more time, trying to distract herself from her nagging inner thoughts.
Welcome back, Margaret. It's me, the true voice inside you. The one that knows all your secrets. I know about the people you wrongfully imprisoned, sent to asylums, and even killed. It's understandable. It's a game called life.
Margaret didn't know why her annoying voice was attacking her today. She'd never regretted anything she'd done. The secrets she kept from the public were a necessary evil. If anyone thought it was possible to spread justice and make everyone equal in this world, they were highly delusional. The world was like clockwork. In order for the bigger wheels to survive, the smaller wheels had to work harder in their merry-go-round. They just had to be promised big things that weren't going to happen. Problem solved.
Turning her TV on to distract herself, she realized what worried her. It was right in front of her: The Cheshire Cat killing girls all around the country, and they couldn't do anything about it. They were going to discuss that in their private meeting. It had to be in private because they all knew what the Cheshire did for them, and the secrets he knew. He'd been pushing the envelope, and they couldn't catch him because he had the power to expose them.
Margaret had been using the Cheshire for some time. She'd never known him to be a crazy killer, spilling blood for no reason. He hated humans and did the jobs she'd assigned him in exchange for money or information, mostly involving Wonderland. The Cheshire was obsessed with opening the secret doors to Wonderland again. The ones Lewis Carroll had locked the monsters in a long time ago. Margaret never knew how the Cheshire escaped his prison, and she never asked.
Her peers in the office still loved to call her "the Duchess," but as much as she faked her beautiful appearance, the ugliness inside her was always coming through. She never hesitated to hurt anyone. Her career was her reason to live, and she was getting greedier every day.
"Now what am I going to do about that?" she said to herself in the empty room. The Cheshire had to stop his killing, or the consequences were going to be grand.
Margaret Kent, fiddling with her pearl necklace, squinted at the sight of the girl on TV. It was that girl who had become famous for nibbling like crazy on a block of cheese inside the Great Hall. Some said she saved the girl who'd been kidnapped by the Cheshire yesterday. The news said she was an Oxford University freshman. Still, no one had found her since.
Margaret squinted harder and neared the TV. "Wait a minute." Her eyes widened as she took a closer look at the girl. "This couldn't be. Is this her?"