The Radcliffe Asylum
“W hy would you ask a question like that?” the Pillar says with a straight stare.
“The Chessmaster mentioned he knows my biological family,” I say. “You must know of them.”
The Pillar’s stare doesn’t change, neither does his silence.
“The Chessmaster is lying,” the Pillar says.
“What do you mean he is lying? Why would he?”
“I don’t know, Alice, but I’ve never heard of your biological family. I always assumed you were an orphan Lewis picked up and adopted or something.”
“Now it’s you who is lying,” I burst out. “I find it hard to believe you don’t know about my family!”
“I find it hard to believe you think I’m your father.”
“I think you are her father,” Tom interjects. “That look in your eyes when she asked, there is something about that look.”
“Stay out of it,” The Pillar waves him away with his cane, then approaches me. I find myself taking a step back, but he reaches for my shoulders. “I’m not your father, Luke — I mean Alice.”
“Would you swear on it?”
“As if I’m the kind of man who wouldn’t lie while swearing.” He rolls his eyes. “The Chessmaster probably wanted to mess with your head.”
“Why would he do that?”
“Because you beat him. Because he wants you to spend the rest of your life going crazy.”
“As if I’m not losing my mind already,” I counter back.
“Just drop it. You think this is the perfect time to discuss this?”
“I do think that. If I’m about to die, I need to know about my family. I need to know why they’ve never contacted me, or why they’ve kept me a secret, why they never bothered to help me out of this mess I’m in.”
“I’m sure they have a good reason,” the Pillar tries to calm me down.
“So you know them?”
“I don’t. I’m just assuming. The one you should ask would be Carroll himself. Maybe he knows.”
“What about Him?” Tom sticks his nose between us like a nosey neighbor.
“Who is Him?”
“You must know,” I say. “The story about me joining Him to find out his weakness and kill him. The reason why I joined Black Chess.”
“Who’s been messing with your head?” the Pillar says.
“Other than you?” I say. “Almost everyone!”
I find myself reaching for the rifle the Pillar keeps near the couch and point it at him. “Tell me the truth!”
“Alice?” the Pillar says cautiously. “Don’t do anything stupid.”
“Yeah?” I ready the trigger and aim. “Aren’t you the one with fourteen lives? Why would you be scared if I shoot?”
“Because this rifle has Bandersnatch teeth for bullets.” He looks really worried.
“So?” Tom Truckle’s nose joins in again. “Are you saying you’re not immune to those bullets?”
The Pillar dismisses him for the third time, keeping eyes on me.
“My God,” I say with a smile on my face. “So it’s true. Your fourteen lives aren’t immune to Bandersnatch bullets.”
The Pillar nods, and in a rare moment, looks defeated.
“Then I’m going to shoot you, if you don’t tell me what you know about Him.”